A feasibility study for a circular approach in oil refining: Metals recovery from hydrodesulphurization catalysts

The paper deals with a profitability analysis developed for a plant that recycles spent hydrodesulphurization (HDS) catalysts. Such catalysts contain molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), and vanadium (V), supported by an alumina (Al2O3) carrier. The recycling process is based on a double thermal pre-treatment stage, followed by a series of hydrometallurgical steps that allow recovering Mo and V and a Ni concentrate that need further refining for separation and recovery of the metals. The economic analysis is based on the discounted cash flow method, and the baseline case analyses show that the net present value (NPV) is 14,877 thousand EUR. The selling price of vanadium pentoxide strongly influences the results. Alternative scenarios are also studied to strengthen the results obtained, considering the sensitivity, scenario and risk analyses. Profitability is confirmed in 87% of the considered scenarios, and in about 81.5%, the NPV of the baseline scenario is achieved. Circular economy models can be realized if products are recovered and if there are technologies that can recover metals. This study confirms that an example of a circular economy is met from the proposed viability analysis, and the economic benefits can be significant

Petals of Crocus sativus L. as a potential source of the antioxidants crocin and kaempferol.

Collaboration between Leicester School of Pharmacy - De Montfort Universit, Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences - University of L'Aquila, and Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology - University of Thessaly The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.Saffron fromthe province of L'Aquila, in the Abruzzo region of Italy, is highly prized and has been awarded a formal recognition by the European Union with EU Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status. Despite this, the saffron regions are abandoned by the younger generations because the traditional cultivation of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is labour intensive and yields only one crop of valuable saffron stamens per year. Petals of the saffron Crocus have had additional uses in traditional medicine and may add value to the crops for local farmers. This is especially important because the plant only flowers between October andNovember, and farmers will need to make the best use of the flowers harvested in this period. Recently, the petals of C. sativus L., which are considered a wastematerial in the production of saffron spice,were identified as a potential source of natural antioxidants. The antioxidants crocin and kaempferol were purified by flash column chromatography, and identified by thin layer chromatography (TLC), HPLC–DAD, infrared (IR), and nuclear magnetic resonance (1H & 13C NMR) spectroscopy. The antioxidant activity was determined with the ABTS and DPPH tests. The antioxidant activities are mainly attributed to carotenoid and flavonoid compounds, notably glycosides of crocin and kaempferol. We found in dried petals 0.6% (w/w) and 12.6 (w/w) of crocin and kaempferol, respectively. Petals of C. sativus L. have commercial potential as a source for kaempferol and crocetin glycosides, natural compounds with antioxidant activity that are considered to be the active ingredients in saffron-based herbal medicine

Cross-Calibration of S-NPP VIIRS Moderate Resolution Reflective Solar Bands Against MODIS Aqua over Dark Water Scenes

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is being used to continue the record of Earth Science observations and data products produced routinely from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) measurements. However, the absolute calibration of VIIRS's reflected solar bands is thought to be biased, leading to offsets in derived data products such as aerosol optical depth (AOD) as compared to when similar algorithms are applied to different sensors. This study presents a cross-calibration of these VIIRS bands against MODIS Aqua over dark water scenes, finding corrections to the NASA VIIRS Level 1 (version 2) reflectances between approximately +1 and 7 % (dependent on band) are needed to bring the two into alignment (after accounting for expected differences resulting from different band spectral response functions), and indications of relative trending of up to 0.35 % per year in some bands. The derived calibration gain corrections are also applied to the VIIRS reflectance and then used in an AOD retrieval, and they are shown to decrease the bias and total error in AOD across the mid-visible spectral region compared to the standard VIIRS NASA reflectance calibration. The resulting AOD bias characteristics are similar to those of NASA MODIS AOD data products, which is encouraging in terms of multi-sensor data continuity

Genetic mutation screening in an Italian cohort of nonsyndromic pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma patients

To assess the prevalence of genetic mutations in nonsyndromic pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma (PHEO/PGL) patients we have performed a systematic search for mutations in the succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) B, C, and D subunits, von Hippel-Lindau (VHL), and RET genes by direct bidirectional sequencing. Patients were selected from the medical records of hypertension centers. After exclusion of syndromic patients, 45 patients with familial (F+, n=3) and sporadic (F-, n=42) cases of isolated PHEO/PGL were considered. They included 35 patients with PHEO, 7 with PGL, and 3 with head/neck PGL (hnPGL). Three patients with PHEO (2F-, 1F+) presented VHL mutations (P86A, G93C, and R167W), six with PGL (4F-, 2F+) were positive for SDH or VHL mutations (SDHB R230G in two patients, SDHB S8F, R46Q, R90Q, and VHL P81L in one subject each), and one with hnPGL carried the SDHD 348-351delGACT mutation. We have also detected missense (SDHB S163P, SDHD H50R and G12S), synonymous (SDHB A6A, SDHD S68S), and intronic mutations that have been considered nonpathological polymorphic variants. No mutation was found in SDHC or RET genes. Our data indicate that germline mutations of VHL and SDH subunits are not infrequent in familial as well as in sporadic cases of nonsyndromic PHEO/PGL (overall, 12 of 45 probands, 22%). Accordingly, screening for such mutations seems to be justified. However, a more precise characterization of the functional relevance of any observed sequence variant and of other genetic and environmental determinants of neoplastic transformation is essential in order to plan appropriate protocols for family screening and follow-up

Machine learning applied to ambulatory blood pressure monitoring: a new tool to diagnose autonomic failure?

BACKGROUND: Autonomic failure (AF) complicates Parkinson’s disease (PD) in one-third of cases, resulting in complex blood pressure (BP) abnormalities. While autonomic testing represents the diagnostic gold standard for AF, accessibility to this examination remains limited to a few tertiary referral centers. OBJECTIVE: The present study sought to investigate the accuracy of a machine learning algorithm applied to 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) as a tool to facilitate the diagnosis of AF in patients with PD. METHODS: Consecutive PD patients naïve to vasoactive medications underwent 24 h-ABPM and autonomic testing. The diagnostic accuracy of a Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) model exploiting ABPM parameters was compared to autonomic testing (as per a modified version of the Composite Autonomic Symptom Score not including the sudomotor score) in the diagnosis of AF. RESULTS: The study population consisted of n = 80 PD patients (33% female) with a mean age of 64 ± 10 years old and disease duration of 6.2 ± 4 years. The prevalence of AF at the autonomic testing was 36%. The LDA model showed 91.3% accuracy (98.0% specificity, 79.3% sensitivity) in predicting AF, significantly higher than any of the ABPM variables considered individually (hypotensive episodes = 82%; reverse dipping = 79%; awakening hypotension = 74%). CONCLUSION: LDA model based on 24-h ABPM parameters can effectively predict AF, allowing greater accessibility to an accurate and easy to administer test for AF. Potential applications range from systematic AF screening to monitoring and treating blood pressure dysregulation caused by PD and other neurodegenerative disorders

In vitro biocompatibility of a new hydrogel with Crocin, powerful antioxidant found in Crocus Sativus L. flowers

Recently, attention has been paid to the identification of natural antioxidants from the petals of Crocus S. flowers that are normally considered waste[1]. The antioxidant activities are mainly attributed to carotenoid compounds, like crocin. Scientific evidences demonstrate that this kind of compounds are among the most important natural plant sources of antioxidant activity in the human diet, protecting the body against damages caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS). This antioxidant was extracted using methanol and ethanol. In this experiment, it was used a new hydrogel consisting of three polymers - Polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), Agar and Polyethylene glycol (PEG) – and Crocin, mixed, reticulated and then sterilized by gamma irradiation at 25 kGy. For the in vitro experimental protocol, it was used a primary culture of fibroblasts taken from the subcutaneous tissue of a newborn mice, seeding the cells on a little square (1cm2 area) of both kinds of hydrogel. As the ISO protocol prescribes, the experiments were repeated 3 times for each kind of hydrogel, stopping the culture at the 3rd, 7th and 14th day after the seeding. For all steps, 3 Petri dishes were used as controls without biomaterials. At fixed deadline, all Petri dishes were stained, using the Wright method for cell counting and morphological evaluations. The microscopic analysis revealed the complete biocompatibility of the hydrogel. The Petri dishes with this kind of new hydrogel has an overproduction of collagen from the fibroblasts. The presence of this natural important compound in saffron petals, now offers new possibilities for the best use of the hole flower. This study is still in progress.http://www.fupress.net/index.php/ijae/article/view/1495