Supporting Information: Membrane-less and Non-Evaporative Desalination of Hypersaline Brines by Temperature Swing Solvent Extraction

Hypersaline brines are of growing environmental importance but are technologically under-served by today’s desalination methods. Temperature swing solvent extraction (TSSE) is a radically different desalination technology that is membrane-less and not based on evaporative phase change. TSSE utilizes low-temperature heat and a low-polarity solvent with temperature-dependent water solubility for the selective extraction of water over salt from saline feeds. This study demonstrates TSSE desalination of high-salinity brines simulated by NaCl solutions with three amine solvents: diisopropylamine (DIPA), N-ethylcyclohexylamine (ECHA), and N,N-dimethylcyclohexylamine (DMCHA). We show that TSSE can desalinate brines with salinities as high as ≈234000 ppm total dissolved solids (i.e., 4.0 M NaCl) and achieve salt removals up to 98.4%. Among the solvents, DIPA exhibited the highest water extraction efficiency whereas ECHA and DMCHA produced water with the lowest salt content and solvent residue content, respectively. Lastly, a high water recovery of >50% was demonstrated for TSSE desalination of 1.5 M NaCl brine using DIPA in semibatch experiments with multiple extraction cycles. This study underscores the unique capabilities of TSSE for the desalination of hypersaline brines

Membrane-less and Non-Evaporative Desalination of Hypersaline Brines by Temperature Swing Solvent Extraction

Hypersaline brines are of growing environmental importance but are technologically under-served by today’s desalination methods. Temperature swing solvent extraction (TSSE) is a radically different desalination technology that is membrane-less and not based on evaporative phase change. TSSE utilizes low-temperature heat and a low-polarity solvent with temperature-dependent water solubility for the selective extraction of water over salt from saline feeds. This study demonstrates TSSE desalination of high-salinity brines simulated by NaCl solutions with three amine solvents: diisopropylamine (DIPA), N-ethylcyclohexylamine (ECHA), and N,N-dimethylcyclohexylamine (DMCHA). We show that TSSE can desalinate brines with salinities as high as ≈234000 ppm total dissolved solids (i.e., 4.0 M NaCl) and achieve salt removals up to 98.4%. Among the solvents, DIPA exhibited the highest water extraction efficiency whereas ECHA and DMCHA produced water with the lowest salt content and solvent residue content, respectively. Lastly, a high water recovery of >50% was demonstrated for TSSE desalination of 1.5 M NaCl brine using DIPA in semibatch experiments with multiple extraction cycles. This study underscores the unique capabilities of TSSE for the desalination of hypersaline brines

Splenic Embolization Decreases Infectious Complications and Resource Utilization Compared to Splenectomy in Severely Injured Patients

Introduction. Increasing use of main coil angioembolization for splenic injury has raised concerns of increased complication rates and resource utilization compared to splenectomy. This study examined complication rates for severely injured patients undergoing splenectomy versus main coil angioembolization. Methods. Demographic data (age, sex, and race), Injury Severity Score (ISS), and splenic injury grade were collected prospectively on all patients admitted to the intensive care unit with blunt splenic injury treated with splenectomy or main coil angioembolization. Outcome measures (transfusion requirements, mechanical ventilation use and duration, mortality, intensive care unit and hospital length of stay, infection rate, and systemic inflammatory response syndrome or SIRS score) were reviewed daily. Results. Of 116 patients reviewed, 65 underwent splenectomy and 51 underwent main coil angioembolization. Groups were comparable for age, sex, race, and mechanism of injury. Splenectomized patients had a higher ISS (41 vs 31) and splenic injury grade (3.7 vs 3.2). The main coil angioembolization group had a lower transfusion requirement, hospital length of stay, incidence of mechanical ventilation, nosocomial infection rate, and SIRS score. Overall, mortality and ventilator days were lower but not statistically significant. Conclusions. Severely injured patients treated with splenectomy had significantly higher infection rates and resource utilization compared to those treated with main coil angioembolization

Live imaging molecular changes in junctional tension upon VE-cadherin in zebrafish

Forces play diverse roles in vascular development, homeostasis and disease. VE-cadherin at endothelial cell-cell junctions links the contractile acto-myosin cytoskeletons of adjacent cells, serving as a tension-transducer. To explore tensile changes across VE-cadherin in live zebrafish, we tailored an optical biosensor approach, originally established in vitro. We validate localization and function of a VE-cadherin tension sensor (TS) in vivo. Changes in tension across VE-cadherin observed using ratio-metric or lifetime FRET measurements reflect acto-myosin contractility within endothelial cells. Furthermore, we apply the TS to reveal biologically relevant changes in VE-cadherin tension that occur as the dorsal aorta matures and upon genetic and chemical perturbations during embryonic development

The thing about replicas - why historic replicas matter

Reproduction of archaeological material was a significant and serious enterprise for antiquarians and museums in the long nineteenth century. Embedding many stories and embodying considerable past human energy, behind their creation, circulation, use and after-life lies a series of specific social networks and relationships that determined why, when and in what circumstances they were valued, or not. Summarising the context of their production, circulation and changing fortunes, this paper introduces the ways in which they are important and the specific benefits and aspects of a biographical approach to their study. Beyond the evidential, the study of existing replicas provides a historical and contemporary laboratory in which to explore the concepts of value and authenticity, and their application in cultural heritage and collections management, offering us a richer insight into the history of ourselves as archaeologists and curators

COMMISSIONING OF THE 72 MHz QUARTER- WAVE CAVITY CRYOMODULE AT ATLAS*

Abstract A cryomodule of seven 72 MHz superconducting (SC) quarter-wave cavities optimized for ions with v/c=0.077 has been commissioned in the ATLAS heavy-ion accelerator at Argonne. The new module, with the new CW RFQ injecto

Measurement of the Decay Amplitudes of B0 --> J/psi K* and B0s --> J/psi phi Decays

A full angular analysis has been performed for the pseudo-scalar to vector-vector decays, B0 --> J/psi K* and B_s --> J/psi phi, to determine the amplitudes for decays with parity-even longitudinal and transverse polarization and parity-odd transverse polarization. The measurements are based on 190 B0 candidates and 40 B_s candidates collected from a data set corresponding to 89 inverse pb of pbarp collisions at root(s) = 1.8 TeV at the Fermilab Tevatron. In both decays the decay amplitude for longitudinal polarization dominates and the parity-odd amplitude is found to be small.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl

Measurement of J/Psi and Psi(2S) Polarization in ppbar Collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.8 TeV

We have measured the polarization of J/Psi and Psi(2S) mesons produced in p\bar{p} collisions at \sqrt{s} = 1.8 TeV, using data collected at CDF during 1992-95. The polarization of promptly produced J/Psi [Psi(2S)] mesons is isolated from those produced in B-hadron decay, and measured over the kinematic range 4[5.5] < P_T < 20 GeV/c and |y| < 0.6. For P_T \gessim 12 GeV/c we do not observe significant polarization in the prompt component.Comment: Revised version, accepted for publication in Physical Review Letter

Search for Narrow Diphoton Resonances and for gamma-gamma+W/Z Signatures in p\bar p Collisions at sqrt(s)=1.8 TeV

We present results of searches for diphoton resonances produced both inclusively and also in association with a vector boson (W or Z) using 100 pb^{-1} of p\bar p collisions using the CDF detector. We set upper limits on the product of cross section times branching ratio for both p\bar p\to\gamma\gamma + X and p\bar p\to\gamma\gamma + W/Z. Comparing the inclusive production to the expectations from heavy sgoldstinos we derive limits on the supersymmetry-breaking scale sqrt{F} in the TeV range, depending on the sgoldstino mass and the choice of other parameters. Also, using a NLO prediction for the associated production of a Higgs boson with a W or Z boson, we set an upper limit on the branching ratio for H\to\gamma\gamma. Finally, we set a lower limit on the mass of a `bosophilic' Higgs boson (e.g. one which couples only to \gamma, W, and Z$ bosons with standard model couplings) of 82 GeV/c^2 at 95% confidence level.Comment: 30 pages, 11 figure

Interactions among alpha-synuclein, dopamine, and biomembranes: some clues for understanding neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurologic disorder resulting from the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the brain. Two lines of evidence suggest that the protein alpha-synuclein plays a role in the pathogenesis of PD: Fibrillar alpha-synuclein is a major component of Lewy bodies in diseased neurons, and two mutations in alpha-synuclein are linked to early-onset disease. Accordingly, the fibrillization of alpha-synuclein is proposed to contribute to neurodegeneration in PD. In this report, we provide evidence that oligomeric intermediates of the alpha-synuclein fibrillization pathway, termed protofibrils, might be neurotoxic. Analyses of protofibrillar alpha-synuclein by atomic force microscopy and electron microscopy indicate that the oligomers consist of spheres, chains, and rings. alpha-Synuclein protofibrils permeabilize synthetic vesicles and form pore-like assemblies on the surface of brain-derived vesicles. Dopamine reacts with alpha-synuclein to form a covalent adduct that slows the conversion of protofibrils to fibrils. This finding suggests that cytosolic dopamine in dopaminergic neurons promotes the accumulation of toxic alpha-synuclein protofibrils, which might explain why these neurons are most vulnerable to degeneration in PD. Finally, we note that aggregation of alpha-synuclein likely occurs via different mechanisms in the cell versus the test tube. For example, the binding of alpha-synuclein to cellular membranes might influence its self-assembly. To address this point, we have developed a yeast model that might enable the selection of random alpha-synuclein mutants with different membrane-binding affinities. These variants might be useful to test whether membrane binding by alpha-synuclein is necessary for neurodegeneration in transgenic animal models of PD