Experimental determination of the particle dynamics into a rotating tube

This paper reports the procedure for analysing the biomass powder bed characteristics realized in an experimental pyrolysis reactor. The reaction apparatus is made of a quartz tube which can rotate, horizontally or slightly inclined, with different speeds. Depending on the tube inclination and rotation, different motion conditions (regime, hold-up, residence time and advancing rate) are possible; also the particle characteristics (nature, shape and size, humidity) and the flow rate affect the bed behaviour. After taking some pictures of the bed from the discharge side, they can be analysed by means of the geometry rules; this procedure is here described. In this way the bed profile can be obtained, and this information can be used to calculate the parameters of a proper model, already developed. The methodology here presented will be used in the future to find data to be used in the development of a whole pyrolysis process model including also heat exchange, gas fluid dynamics and pyrolysis reaction kinetics

Kinetic modelling of the gas-phase water oxidation of light hydrocarbons

The conversion of solid and liquid fuels to gas, whenever possible, is an important way for improving the efficiency and cleanness of processes. This paper presents the kinetic modelling of the water oxidation of light hydrocarbons in the gas phase at 500 °C with mixtures of heptane and water in different amounts. The aim of the work was to find information about kinetics of the homogeneous chemical reactions which take place in the gas phase during the biomass processing, particularly pyrolysis, performed with water steam as the oxidizing reactant. The experimental data here used were obtained by a continuous stainless steel reactor placed inside a heated muffle oven and maintained at a constant temperature. The gaseous product, after separation of the condensable components, was analysed by an in-line gas chromatograph. The apparatus showed to be effective for future operations with different experimental conditions (temperature and feed). The obtained data will be integrated with those coming from parallel studies about the biomass wet pyrolysis for gas production

Heterotopy remastered with a quantitative tool: The case study of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L. subsp. sylvatica) in peninsular Italy and Sicily

The term “heterotopic” (from the Greek roots "hetero-" meaning "other" + "topos" meaning "place" = other place) was used for the first time in biology by Haeckel (1) to define a change in germ-layer origin of reproductive organs in animals. Later, it was applied to phytogeography by Jackson (2), referring to those plant populations found on soils apparently very different from those typically occurring across their distribution range. In Italy, Negri (3) was likely the first to use this term referring to European beech (Fagus sylvatica L. subsp. sylvatica) populations occurring at low altitude. Since then, most of the further Italian authors used the term “heterotopic” mainly referring to beech or other woody species (i.e. Ilex aquifolium L., Quercus ilex L.) populations occurring out of their common altitudinal range or, in a broader sense, growing out of their typical macroclimatic context. Indeed, as regards European beech populations in Italy, those occurring below 800 m a.s.l. have been generally considered as heterotopic (4), even though in many cases stands above 800 m a.s.l. were also termed as “heterotopic” (e.g. 5, 6). Here, we highlight the need to quantify “heterotopy” and propose a standard method to test a reliable applicability of this concept. As model species, we selected the European beech in peninsular Italy and Sicily, primarily because this species is typically dominant in mountain woods in all the considered area and, historically, a number of stands have been reported as heterotopic in literature. We checked 18 bibliographic references reporting 108 populations as heterotopic (sometimes not explicitly, but with related terms like extra-zonal). We also randomly generated 305 points falling within the polygons of natural potential vegetation (7) with F. sylvatica, as provided by http://www.va.minambiente.it/, and considered them as controls. Both controls and putatively heterotopic populations were georeferenced by means of a GIS software. Climatic and altitudinal data associated with the occurrence sites were extracted from the Worldclim database (www.worldclim.org). We obtained a data matrix (413 beech stands × 6 environmental variables) that was subjected to a cluster analysis applying as the distance measure the Euclidean Distance and as group linkage method the Group Average (UPGMA), following the methodology commonly used in vegetation studies. Two main clusters were identified, with a dissimilarity index of 0.35. The first cluster is composed by all those populations (including some control points) located at an altitude ≤ 600 m a.s.l., whereas the second one includes all the remaining points. The former cluster is also characterized by those populations growing on stands with a higher mean annual temperature than the latter (t-test, difference between means = 4.09 °C, p < 0.01). These results led us to define as “quantitatively heterotopic” in Italy those beech populations located at an altitude ≤ 600 m a.s.l., and with a mean annual temperature generally higher than 12 °C. They mainly occur on the Tyrrhenian side, namely in Tuscany and Lazio, marked by a high oceanicity. Many of these populations are located outside of vegetation series with European beech and, among these, some are distant more than 20 km, so that they could be interpreted not only as heterotopic, but also as biogeographical-ecological relicts (8). Our methodology could be applied to other species in order to quantify the level of heterotopy by defining ad hoc thresholds (if any), resulting from the multivariate analysis

Kinetics of the mechanically induced ibuprofen-nicotinamide co-crystal formation by in-situ X-ray diffraction

Mechanochemistry is drawing the attention of the pharmaceutical industry given its potential for sustainable material synthesis and manufacture. Scaling mechanochemical processes to the industry level remains a challenge due to the incomplete understanding of their underlying mechanisms. We show how time-resolved in situ powder X-ray diffraction data, coupled with analytical kinetic modelling, is crucial for gaining deeper insight into mechanochemical reactions. By using the ibuprofen-nicotinamide co-crystal mechanosynthesis as a benchmark system, we investigate the behaviour of the solids involved and identify the factors promoting the reaction. With this chemistry becoming increasingly clear, we believe that mechanochemistry may soon represent a breakthrough in the industrial preparation of pharmaceuticals

Functional outcomes after transoral CO2 laser treatment for posterior glottic stenosis: a bicentric case series

Purpose The aim of this study is to evaluate functional outcomes in terms of decannulation rate and quality of life of patients affected by PGS (Grades I-IV) treated only by transoral CO2 laser microsurgery (TOLMS) in two tertiary centers. Methods An observational retrospective study was carried out, enrolling 22 patients affected by PGS who were treated by a transoral approach at two tertiary referral centers. Surgical treatment included TOLMS with tailored laser resection of the scar tissue combined with posterior cordotomy, resurfacing of the raw area with mucosal microflap, or placement of a Montgomery T-tube or Keel stent. All patients were evaluated and staged preoperatively and postoperatively, at least 6 months after the surgery. Functional outcomes were objectively evaluated by the Airway-Dysphonia-Voice-Swallowing (ADVS) staging system, Voice Handicap Index-30 (VHI-30), and Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10) questionnaires. Results Quality of life significantly improved as measured by the VHI-30 questionnaire with a median variation of - 31.0 (p = 0.003), the EAT-10 with a median variation of - 4.0 (p = 0.042), and the ADVS with a median variation of - 3.5 (p < 0.001). No significant changes were observed in swallowing scores. We were able to decannulate 7 of 9 patients (almost 80%) with previous tracheotomy. Conclusion In conclusion, even if there is still no general agreement on an exact therapeutic algorithm to treat PGS, our results confirm that transoral surgery, in terms of scar tissue removal, combined in selected patients with posterior cordotomy and pedicled local flaps and/or placement of stents, represents a safe and effective surgical approach even for more severe PGS

[1,2,3]triazolo[4,5-<i>H</i>]chinoloni: una nuova classe di promettenti chemioterapici antitubercolari

Alcuni acidi triazolo[4,5-h] e [4,5-f]chinoloncarbossilici angolari, sintetizzati in precedenza come antiinfettivi del tratto urinario, hanno mostrato interessanti valori di MIC90 nei confronti di M. tuberculosis H37Rv. Allo scopo di approfondire le nostre conoscenze sui rapporti struttura-attività di questa classe, abbiamo pertanto preparato una nuove serie di derivati

Advancements in Forest Fire Prevention: A Comprehensive Survey

Nowadays, the challenges related to technological and environmental development are becoming increasingly complex. Among the environmentally significant issues, wildfires pose a serious threat to the global ecosystem. The damages inflicted upon forests are manifold, leading not only to the destruction of terrestrial ecosystems but also to climate changes. Consequently, reducing their impact on both people and nature requires the adoption of effective approaches for prevention, early warning, and well-coordinated interventions. This document presents an analysis of the evolution of various technologies used in the detection, monitoring, and prevention of forest fires from past years to the present. It highlights the strengths, limitations, and future developments in this field. Forest fires have emerged as a critical environmental concern due to their devastating effects on ecosystems and the potential repercussions on the climate. Understanding the evolution of technology in addressing this issue is essential to formulate more effective strategies for mitigating and preventing wildfires

Enhancing workplace safety: A flexible approach for personal protective equipment monitoring

Workplace safety is a prominent concern, motivating researchers across diverse disciplines to investigate valuable ways to address its challenges. However, creating an efficient system to address this issue remains a significant challenge. Since many accidents happen due to improper usage or complete removal of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), one straightforward method for enhancing workplace security involves monitoring their usage This paper introduces an Operator Area Network (OAN) system which improves the existing solutions by increasing portability across different users and environments, non-intrusiveness and privacy. To enhance robustness in detecting the situations in which PPEs are not used correctly, we take advantage of Machine Learning to analyse the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) between PPEs in the same OAN The novelty of this work is that it does not exploit RSSI as a proxy of the distance but instead recognizes a signature of the correct wearing of the PPE By employing this system, employers can effectively ensure the proper usage of PPE devices at their worksites while also minimizing any adverse effects on workers’ comfort and reducing the setup burden for employers. The system runs a Support Vector Machine (SVM) model several times per second and employs a post-processing algorithm to enhance its initial accuracy further As a result, the system effectively reduces false positives by about 80% and swiftly detects instances of improper usage of the worker’s PPE, raising the alarm in less than seven seconds. Moreover, the post-processing algorithm can be customized to meet the specific needs of different use cases, allowing for a flexible trade-off between the detection time interval and the overall accuracy of the detection system