Pyrolysis oil combustion characteristics and exhaust emissions in a swirl-stabilized flame

An optically accessible domestic-scale swirl-stabilized combustor has been developed to allow for the investigation of combustion characteristics of biomass derived pyrolysis oils in pressure-atomized and air-atomized spray flames. Pine and corn fiber derived pyrolysis oil have been studied, with light fuel oil (LFO) used as a baseline fuel for comparison. Gaseous and particulate exhaust emissions have been measured, and the particulate samples studied with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to investigate morphology and composition. In-situ visualization studies have been performed by employing high speed imaging of flame luminosity and several laser diagnostic methods including Mie scattering, hydroxyl radical planar induced fluorescence (OH-PLIF), fuel planar laser-induced fluorescence (Fuel-PLIF), and laser induced incandescence (LII). Spray characteristics have been investigated by employing Mie scattering and phase Doppler particle analysis(PDPA). Particulate emissions in pyrolysis oil have been found to consist predominately of unburned fuel residues (cenospheres), rather than soot, with higher emissions than LFO. Cenosphere emissions have been found to be greater for pressure atomization compared to air atomization, lean conditions relative to rich conditions, and low atomization air flowrates compared to high atomization air flowrates. Variation in combustion air preheat temperature from 100 to 400 yC, variation in water content from 23 to 26%, and variation in fuel fixed carbon content from 15 to 51% did not show significant effects on cenosphere characteristics

Plasma Magnetohydrodynamics and Energy Conversion

Contains research objectives and reportsU. S. Air Force (Aeronautical Systems Division) under Contract AF33 (615)-1083 with the Air Force Aero Propulsion Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OhioNational Science Foundation (Grant GK-57

Pyrolysis oil combustion characteristics and exhaust emissions in a swirl-stabilized flame

An optically accessible domestic-scale swirl-stabilized combustor has been developed to allow for the investigation of combustion characteristics of biomass derived pyrolysis oils in pressure-atomized and air-atomized spray flames. Pine and corn fiber derived pyrolysis oil have been studied, with light fuel oil (LFO) used as a baseline fuel for comparison. Gaseous and particulate exhaust emissions have been measured, and the particulate samples studied with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to investigate morphology and composition. In-situ visualization studies have been performed by employing high speed imaging of flame luminosity and several laser diagnostic methods including Mie scattering, hydroxyl radical planar induced fluorescence (OH-PLIF), fuel planar laser-induced fluorescence (Fuel-PLIF), and laser induced incandescence (LII). Spray characteristics have been investigated by employing Mie scattering and phase Doppler particle analysis(PDPA). Particulate emissions in pyrolysis oil have been found to consist predominately of unburned fuel residues (cenospheres), rather than soot, with higher emissions than LFO. Cenosphere emissions have been found to be greater for pressure atomization compared to air atomization, lean conditions relative to rich conditions, and low atomization air flowrates compared to high atomization air flowrates. Variation in combustion air preheat temperature from 100 to 400 yC, variation in water content from 23 to 26%, and variation in fuel fixed carbon content from 15 to 51% did not show significant effects on cenosphere characteristics.</p

Inceptor correlates with markers of prostate cancer progression and modulates insulin/IGF1 signaling and cancer cell migration

Objective: The insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) pathway is emerging as a crucial component of prostate cancer progression. Therefore, we investigated the role of the novel insulin/IGF1 signaling modulator inceptor in prostate cancer. Methods: We analyzed the expression of inceptor in human samples of benign prostate epithelium and prostate cancer. Further, we performed signaling and functional assays using prostate cancer cell lines. Results: We found that inceptor was expressed in human benign and malignant prostate tissue and its expression positively correlated with various genes of interest, including genes involved in androgen signaling. In vitro, total levels of inceptor were increased upon androgen deprivation and correlated with high levels of androgen receptor in the nucleus. Inceptor overexpression was associated with increased cell migration, altered IGF1R trafficking and higher IGF1R activation. Conclusions: Our in vitro results showed that inceptor expression was associated with androgen status, increased migration, and IGF1R signaling. In human samples, inceptor expression was significantly correlated with markers of prostate cancer progression. Taken together, these data provide a basis for investigation of inceptor in the context of prostate cancer

[Ga-68]PSMA-I&F: a first successful step towards PSMA-targeted bimodal probes for radio- and fluorescence guided surgery of prostate cancer

Imaging- and therapeutic targets in neoplastic and musculoskeletal inflammatory diseas

Synthesis and preclinical characterization of the PSMA-targeted hybrid tracer PSMA-I&amp;F for nuclear and fluorescence imaging of prostate cancer.

The prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted radiotracers Ga-68/Lu-177-PSMA-I&amp;T and Tc-99m-PSMA-I&amp;S (for imaging and surgery) are currently successfully used for clinical PET imaging, radionuclide therapy, and radioguided surgery of metastatic prostate cancer. To additionally exploit the high sensitivity and spatial resolution of fluorescence imaging for improved surgical guidance, a PSMA-I&amp;T-based hybrid tracer, PSMA-I&amp;F (DOTAGA-k(Sulfo-Cy5)-y-nal-k-Sub-KuE), has been developed and evaluated. Methods: The in vitro PSMA-targeting efficiency of PSMA-I&amp;F, the reference PSMA-I&amp;T, and their corresponding Ga-nat-/Ga-68- and Lu-nat/Lu-177 counterparts was determined in LNCaP cells via competitive binding assays (IC50) and dual-tracer radioligand and fluorescence internalization studies. Biodistribution and small-animal PET imaging studies were performed in CB17 SCID and LNCaP xenograft-bearing SHO mice, respectively, and complemented by intraoperative far-red fluorescence imaging using a clinical laparoscope. Additionally, fully automated serial cryosectioning and fluorescence imaging of 1 tumor-bearing animal as well as PSMA immunohistochemistry and fluorescence microscopy of organ cryosections (tumor, kidney, spleen) were also performed. Results: Compared with the parent PSMA-I&amp;T analogs, the PSMA affinities of PSMA-I&amp;F and its Ga-nat-/Lu-nat-complexes remained high and unaffected by dye conjugation (7.9 &lt; IC50 &lt; 10.5 nM for all ligands). The same was observed for the internalization of Ga-68- and Lu-177-PSMA-I&amp;F. In vivo, blood clearance of Ga-68- and Lu-177-PSMA-I&amp;F was only slightly delayed by high plasma protein binding (94%-95%), and very low accumulation in nontarget organs was observed already at 1 h after injection. Dynamic PET imaging confirmed PSMA-specific (as demonstrated by coinjection of 2-PMPA) uptake into the LNCaP xenograft (4.5% +/- 1.8 percentage injected dose per gram) and the kidneys (106% +/- 23 percentage injected dose per gram). Tumor-to-background ratios of 2.1, 5.2, 9.6, and 9.6 for blood, liver, intestines, and muscle, respectively, at 1 h after injection led to excellent imaging contrast in Ga-68-PSMA-I&amp;F PET and in intraoperative fluorescence imaging. Furthermore, fluorescence imaging of tissue cryosections allowed high-resolution visualization of intraorgan PSMA-I&amp;F distribution in vivo and its correlation with PSMA expression as determined by immunohistochemistry. Conclusion: Thus, with its high PSMA-targeting efficiency and favorable pharmacokinetic profile, Ga-68/Lu-177-PSMA-I&amp;F serves as an excellent proof-of-concept compound for the general feasibility of PSMA-I&amp;T-based hybrid imaging. The PSMA-I&amp;T scaffold represents a versatile PSMA-targeted lead structure, allowing relatively straightforward adaptation to the different structural requirements of dedicated nuclear or hybrid imaging agents

Characterization of hormone-dependent pathways in six human prostate-cancer cell lines: A gene-expression study.

Prostate cancer (PCa), the most incident cancer in men, is tightly regulated by endocrine signals. A number of different PCa cell lines are commonly used for in vitro experiments, but these are of diverse origin, and have very different cell-proliferation rates and hormone-response capacities. By analyzing the gene-expression pattern of main hormone pathways, we systematically compared six PCa cell lines and parental primary cells. We compared these cell lines (i) with each other and (ii) with PCa tissue samples from 11 patients. We found major differences in the gene-expression levels of androgen, insulin, estrogen, and oxysterol signaling between PCa tissue and cell lines, and between different cell lines. Our systematic characterization gives researchers a solid basis to choose the appropriate PCa cell model for the hormone pathway of interest