Gasification of Municipal Solid Waste

Gasification of municipal solid waste (MSW) is an attractive alternative fuel production process for the treatment of solid waste as it has several potential benefits over traditional combustion of MSW. Syngas produced from the gasification of MSW can be utilized as a gas fuel being combusted in a conventional burner or in a gas engine to utilize the heat or produce electricity. Also, it can be used as a building block for producing valuable products such as chemicals and other forms of fuel energy. This book chapter covers the properties of MSW, gasification mechanism, chemistry, operating conditions, gasification technologies, processes, recovery system, and most importantly by reviewing the environmental impacts of MSW gasification. As one of recent advanced technologies, a case study of pilot-scale MSW gasification is introduced, which could be one of the most efficient pathways to utilize the technology to produce electricity with a newly developed gasification process by reducing tar and pollutant emission

Prediction of Individual Propofol Requirements based on Preoperative EEG Signals

The patient must be given an adequate amount of propofol for safe surgery since overcapacity and low capacity cause accidents. However, the sensitivity of propofol varies from patient to patient, making it very difficult to determine the propofol requirements for anesthesia. This paper aims to propose a neurophysiological predictor of propofol requirements based on the preoperative electroencephalogram (EEG). We exploited the canonical correlation analysis that infers the amount of information on the propofol requirements. The results showed that the preoperative EEG included the factor that could explain the propofol requirements. Specifically, the frontal and posterior regions had crucial information on the propofol requirements. Moreover, there was a significantly different power in the frontal and posterior regions between baseline and unconsciousness periods, unlike the alpha power in the central region. These findings showed the potential that preoperative EEG could predict the propofol requirements.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, 1 tabl

Optical spectroscopic investigation on the coupling of electronic and magnetic structure in multiferroic hexagonal RMnO3 (R = Gd, Tb, Dy, and Ho) thin films

We investigated the effects of temperature and magnetic field on the electronic structure of hexagonal RMnO3 (R = Gd, Tb, Dy, and Ho) thin films using optical spectroscopy. As the magnetic ordering of the system was disturbed, a systematic change in the electronic structure was commonly identified in this series. The optical absorption peak near 1.7 eV showed an unexpectedly large shift of more than 150 meV from 300 K to 15 K, accompanied by an anomaly of the shift at the Neel temperature. The magnetic field dependent measurement clearly revealed a sizable shift of the corresponding peak when a high magnetic field was applied. Our findings indicated strong coupling between the magnetic ordering and the electronic structure in the multiferroic hexagonal RMnO3 compounds.Comment: 16 pages including 4 figure

Oxygen Partial Pressure during Pulsed Laser Deposition: Deterministic Role on Thermodynamic Stability of Atomic Termination Sequence at SrRuO3/BaTiO3 Interface

With recent trends on miniaturizing oxide-based devices, the need for atomic-scale control of surface/interface structures by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) has increased. In particular, realizing uniform atomic termination at the surface/interface is highly desirable. However, a lack of understanding on the surface formation mechanism in PLD has limited a deliberate control of surface/interface atomic stacking sequences. Here, taking the prototypical SrRuO3/BaTiO3/SrRuO3 (SRO/BTO/SRO) heterostructure as a model system, we investigated the formation of different interfacial termination sequences (BaO-RuO2 or TiO2-SrO) with oxygen partial pressure (PO2) during PLD. We found that a uniform SrO-TiO2 termination sequence at the SRO/BTO interface can be achieved by lowering the PO2 to 5 mTorr, regardless of the total background gas pressure (Ptotal), growth mode, or growth rate. Our results indicate that the thermodynamic stability of the BTO surface at the low-energy kinetics stage of PLD can play an important role in surface/interface termination formation. This work paves the way for realizing termination engineering in functional oxide heterostructures.Comment: 27 pages, 6 figures, Supporting Informatio

Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase-1 modulates microglial responses to amyloid β

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Amyloid β (Aβ) accumulates in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain. Microglial activation also occurs in AD, and this inflammatory response may contribute to disease progression. Microglial activation can be induced by Aβ, but the mechanisms by which this occurs have not been defined. The nuclear enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) regulates microglial activation in response to several stimuli through its interactions with the transcription factor, NF-κB. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether PARP-1 activation is involved in Aβ-induced microglial activation, and whether PARP-1 inhibition can modify microglial responses to Aβ.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>hAPP_J20mice, which accumulate Aβ with ageing, were crossed with PARP-1^-/-mice to assess the effects of PARP-1 depletion on microglial activation, hippocampal synaptic integrity, and cognitive function. Aβ peptide was also injected into brain of wt and PARP-1^-/-mice to directly determine the effects of PARP-1 on Aβ-induced microglial activation. The effect of PARP-1 on Aβ-induced microglial cytokine production and neurotoxicity was evaluated in primary microglia cultures and in microglia-neuron co-cultures, utilizing PARP-1^-/-cells and a PARP-1 inhibitor. NF-κB activation was evaluated in microglia infected with a lentivirus reporter gene.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The hAPP_J20mice developed microglial activation, reduced hippocampal CA1 calbindin expression, and impaired novel object recognition by age 6 months. All of these features were attenuated in hAPP_J20/<it>PARP-1^-/-</it>mice. Similarly, Aβ_1-42injected into mouse brain produced a robust microglial response in wild-type mice, and this was blocked in mice lacking PARP-1 expression or activity. Studies using microglial cultures showed that PARP-1 activity was required for Aβ-induced NF-κB activation, morphological transformation, NO release, TNFα release, and neurotoxicity. Conversely, PARP-1 inhibition increased release of the neurotrophic factors TGFβ and VEGF, and did not impair microglial phagocytosis of Aβ peptide.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These results identify PARP-1 as a requisite and previously unrecognized factor in Aβ-induced microglial activation, and suggest that the effects of PARP-1 are mediated, at least in part, by its interactions with NF-κB. The suppression of Aβ-induced microglial activation and neurotoxicity by PARP-1 inhibition suggests this approach could be useful in AD and other disorders in which microglial neurotoxicity may contribute.</p

Piceatannol, Natural Polyphenolic Stilbene, Inhibits Adipogenesis via Modulation of Mitotic Clonal Expansion and Insulin Receptor-dependent Insulin Signaling in Early Phase of Differentiation

Piceatannol, a natural stilbene, is an analog and a metabolite of resveratrol. Despite a well documented health benefit of resveratrol in intervention of the development of obesity, the role of piceatannol in the development of adipose tissue and related diseases is unknown. Here, we sought to determine the function of piceatannol in adipogenesis and elucidate the underlying mechanism. We show that piceatannol inhibits adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes in a dose-dependent manner at noncytotoxic concentrations. This anti-adipogenic property of piceatannol was largely limited to the early event of adipogenesis. In the early phase of adipogenesis, piceatannol-treated preadipocytes displayed a delayed cell cycle entry into G2/M phase at 24 h after initiation of adipogenesis. Furthermore, the piceatannol-suppressed mitotic clonal expansion was accompanied by reduced activation of the insulin-signaling pathway. Piceatannol dose-dependently inhibited differentiation mixture-induced phosphorylation of insulin receptor (IR)/insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1)/Akt pathway in the early phase of adipogenesis. Moreover, we showed that piceatannol is an inhibitor of IR kinase activity and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K). Our kinetics study of IR further identified a Km value for ATP of 57.8 μm and a Ki value for piceatannol of 28.9 μm. We also showed that piceatannol directly binds to IR and inhibits IR kinase activity in a mixed noncompetitive manner to ATP, through which piceatannol appears to inhibit adipogenesis. Taken together, our study reveals an anti-adipogenic function of piceatannol and highlights IR and its downstream insulin signaling as novel targets for piceatannol in the early phase of adipogenesis

Vertical-Type Organic Light-Emitting Transistors with High Effective Aperture Ratios

The inherent complexity of the structures of active-matrix (AM) organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays severely limits not only their size but also device performance. Surface-emitting organic light-emitting transistors (OLETs) may offer an attractive alternative to AM displays. We report some characteristics of vertical-type OLETs (VOLETs) composed of a source electrode of low-dimensional materials and an emissive channel layer. With a functionalized graphene source, it is shown that the full-surface electroluminescent emission of a VOLET can be effectively controlled by the gate voltage with a high luminance on/off ratio (104). The current efficiency and effective aperture ratios were observed to be more than 150% of those of a control OLED, even at high luminances exceeding 500 cd m−2. Moreover, high device performance of micro-VOLET pixels has been also successfully demonstrated using inkjet-patterned emissive channel layers. These significant improvements in the device performance were attributed to the effective gate-voltage-induced modulation of the hole tunneling injection at the source electrode

Catalpol Modulates Lifespan via DAF-16/FOXO and SKN-1/Nrf2 Activation in

Catalpol is an effective component of rehmannia root and known to possess various pharmacological properties. The present study was aimed at investigating the potential effects of catalpol on the lifespan and stress tolerance using C. elegans model system. Herein, catalpol showed potent lifespan extension of wild-type nematode under normal culture condition. In addition, survival rate of catalpol-fed nematodes was significantly elevated compared to untreated control under heat and oxidative stress but not under hyperosmolality conditions. We also found that elevated antioxidant enzyme activities and expressions of stress resistance proteins were attributed to catalpol-mediated increased stress tolerance of nematode. We further investigated whether catalpol’s longevity effect is related to aging-related factors including reproduction, food intake, and growth. Interestingly, catalpol exposure could attenuate pharyngeal pumping rate, indicating that catalpol may induce dietary restriction of nematode. Moreover, locomotory ability of aged nematode was significantly improved by catalpol treatment, while lipofuscin levels were attenuated, suggesting that catalpol may affect age-associated changes of nematode. Our mechanistic studies revealed that mek-1, daf-2, age-1, daf-16, and skn-1 are involved in catalpol-mediated longevity. These results indicate that catalpol extends lifespan and increases stress tolerance of C. elegans via DAF-16/FOXO and SKN-1/Nrf activation dependent on insulin/IGF signaling and JNK signaling