Binding waste anthracite fines with Si-containing materials as an alternative fuel for foundry cupola furnaces

An alternative fuel to replace foundry coke in cupolas was developed from waste anthracite fines. Waste anthracite fines were briquetted with Si-containing materials and treated in carbothermal (combination of heat and carbon) conditions that simulated the cupola preheat zone to form silicon carbide nanowires (SCNWs). SCNWs can provide hot crushing strengths, which are important in cupola operations. Lab-scale experiments confirmed that the redox level of the Si-source significantly affected the formation of SiC. With zerovalent silicon, SCNWs were formed within the anthracite pellets. Although amorphous Si (+4) plus anthracite formed SiC, these conditions did not transform the SiC into nanowires. Moreover, under the test conditions, SiC was not formed between crystallized Si (+4) and anthracite. In a full-scale demonstration, bricks made from anthracite fines and zerovalent silicon successfully replaced a part of the foundry coke in a full-scale cupola. In addition to saving in fuel cost, replacing coke by waste anthracite fines can reduce energy consumption and CO2 and other pollution associated with conventional coking.     

Effects of adjuvants on safety and efficacy of an Escherichia coli J5 bacterin

The effects of using a water-soluble adjuvant or an emulsified oil-based adjuvant on the safety, antibody titer, and clinical responses of an Escherichia coli J5 bacterin were tested in an experimental infection trial. Fifty-one cows were assigned to 17 blocks of 3. Two cows within each block of 3 were vaccinated with a commercially prepared E. coli J5 bacterin containing either a water-soluble adjuvant or the same bacterin preparation emulsified in oil. One cow in each block was an unvaccinated control. Cows were immunized at drying off and 42 d later. The right or left front mammary quarter of each experimental cow was challenged by intramammary infusion of E. coli 727 between 14 and 35 DIM. Areas of inflammation at the primary injection site were greater 1, 2, and 3 d following primary vaccination for bacterin containing oil-in-water adjuvant compared with bacterin containing water-soluble adjuvant. Whey anti-E. coli J5 IgG titers were higher at calving for cows vaccinated with bacterin containing oil-in-water adjuvant than for cows either vaccinated with bacterin containing water-soluble adjuvant or unvaccinated controls. Serum x-E. coli J5 IgG titers were higher at calving for vaccinated cows than for unvaccinated controls. Peak bacterial counts in milk from challenged quarters were greater for unvaccinated controls than for cows vaccinated with bacterin containing water-in-oil adjuvant. Bacterial counts in milk from challenged quarters and clinical score both were greater in unvaccinated controls than cows vaccinated with bacterin containing water-in-oil adjuvant between 12 and 24 h postchallenge. Clinical responses were similar between unvaccinated controls and cows vaccinated with bacterin containing water-soluble adjuvant.     

Characterization of hydrocarbon emissions from green sand foundry core binders by analytical pyrolysis

Analytical pyrolysis was conducted to study a relative comparison of the hydrocarbon and greenhouse gas emissions of three foundry sand binders as follows: (a) conventional phenolic urethane resin, (b) biodiesel phenolic urethane resin, and (c) collagen-based binder. These binders are used in the metal casting industry for making cores that are used to create internal cavities within castings. In this study, the core samples were flash pyrolyzed in a Curie-point pyrolyzer at 920 degrees C with a heating rate of about 3000 degrees C/sec. This simulated some key features of the fast heating conditions that the core binders would experience at the metal-core interface when molten metal is poured into green sand molds. The core samples were also pyrolyzed in a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) from ambient temperature to 1000 degrees C with a heating rate of 30 degrees C/min, and this simulated key features of the slow heating conditions that the core binders would experience at distances that are further away from the metal-core interface during casting cooling. Hydrocarbon emissions from flash pyrolysis were analyzed with a gas chromatography-flame ionization detector, while hydrocarbon and greenhouse gas (CO and CO2) emissions from TGA pyrolysis were monitored with mass spectrometry. The prominent hazardous air pollutant emissions during pyrolysis of the three binders were phenol, cresols, benzene, and toluene for the conventional phenolic urethane resin and biodiesel resin, and they were benzene and toluene for the collagen-based binder. It was also found that volatile organic compound and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emissions considerably decreased in order from conventional phenolic urethane resin to biodiesel resin to collagen-based binder. These results have shown some similarity with those for stack emission testing conducted at demonstration scale and/or full-scale foundries, and the similar trends in the two sets of results offered promise that bench-scale analytical pyrolysis techniques could be a useful screening tool for the foundries to compare the relative emissions of alternative core binders and to choose proper materials in order to comply with air-emission regulations.     

Efficacy of a levulinic Acid plus sodium dodecyl sulfate-based sanitizer on inactivation of human norovirus surrogates

Human noroviruses are the most common etiologic agent of foodborne illness in the United States. The inability to culture human noroviruses in the laboratory necessitates the use of surrogate viruses such as murine norovirus (MNV-1) and feline calicivirus (FCV) for inactivation studies. In this study, a novel sanitizer of organic acid (levulinic acid) plus the anionic detergent sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was evaluated. Viruses were treated with levulinic acid (0.5 to 5%), SDS (0.05 to 2%), or combinations of levulinic acid plus SDS (1:10 solution of virus to sanitizer). MNV-1 inoculated onto stainless steel also was treated with a 5% levulinic acid plus 2% SDS liquid or foaming solution. Log reductions of viruses were determined with a plaque assay. Neither levulinic acid nor SDS alone were capable of inactivating MNV-1 or FCV, resulting in a ≤0.51-log reduction of the infectious virus titer. However, the combination of 0.5% levulinic acid plus 0.5% SDS inactivated both surrogates by 3 to 4.21 log PFU/ml after 1 min of exposure. Similarly, MNV-1 inoculated onto stainless steel was reduced by >1.50 log PFU/ml after 1 min and by >3.3 log PFU/ml after 5 min of exposure to a liquid or foaming solution of 5% levulinic acid plus 2% SDS. The presence of organic matter (up to 10%) in the virus inoculum did not significantly affect sanitizer efficacy. The fact that both of the active sanitizer ingredients are generally recognized as safe to use as food additives by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration further extends its potential in mitigating foodborne disease.     

Varying the temperature of the liquid used for high-pressure processing of prerigor pork: effects on fresh pork quality, myofibrillar protein solubility, and frankfurter textural properties

The objective was to evaluate high-pressure processing (HPP) with varying liquid (water) temperatures on pork quality and textural properties of frankfurters. HPP pressurization liquid temperatures were 15.5 °C (HPP Low) and 29.4 °C (HPP Med). Analyses were conducted using paired boneless loins and paired boneless hams. Loins were evaluated for pH, purge loss, objective color, subjective color, firmness; and changes in color after a bloom period. Eight independent batches (2 batches each of HPP Low, paired untreated, HPP Med, and paired untreated) of frankfurters were manufactured from the outside portion of the ham and the knuckle. Both HPP treatments resulted in higher (P < 0.05) ultimate pH and less (P < 0.05) purge loss of the loin. Loin tenderness was not different among either HPP treatment temperature groups when compared to untreated controls except HPP Med chops were more tender (P = 0.02) than untreated controls. Salt-soluble protein extractability of inside ham muscles was lower (P < 0.05) for both HPP treatment levels when compared to untreated controls, but was not different between the 2 HPP treatment levels. Textural properties of frankfurters were not different for either HPP treatment group when compared to its respective untreated control for any parameter except springiness. HPP Low frankfurters had lower (P = 0.10) springiness values than untreated controls. Fracturability of HPP Med samples was lower (P = 0.12) than untreated controls. Overall, HPP caused higher ultimate pH and increased water-holding capacity, but did not affect tenderness of fresh meat or textural properties of frankfurters. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: HPP can be used on prerigor pork as means to improve fresh pork quality. Loins from HPP-treated pork sides had higher ultimate pH values and less package purge loss. Tenderness values were not affected positively or negatively by HPP treatment. The high pH and water-holding capabilities of treated samples have positive implications for further processing applications. Frankfurter textural properties suggest emulsified products can be made with pressurized pork without sacrifice to the textural profile.     

Mercury in soils, lakes, and fish in Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota): importance of atmospheric deposition and ecosystem factors

Concentrations of methylmercury in game fish from many interior lakes in Voyageurs National Park (MN, U.S.A.) substantially exceed criteria for the protection of human health. We assessed the importance of atmospheric and geologic sources of mercuryto interior lakes and watersheds within the Park and identified ecosystem factors associated with variation in methylmercury contamination of lacustrine food webs. Geologic sources of mercury were small, based on analyses of underlying bedrock and C-horizon soils, and nearly all mercury in the 0- and A-horizon soils was derived from atmospheric deposition. Analyses of dated sediment cores from five lakes showed that most (63% +/- 13%) of the mercury accumulated in lake sediments during the 1900s was from anthropogenic sources. Contamination of food webs was assessed by analysis of whole, 1-year-old yellow perch (Perca flavescens), a regionally important prey fish. The concentrations of total mercury in yellow perch and of methylmercury in lake water varied substantially among lakes, reflecting the influence of ecosystem processes and variables that affect the microbial production and abundance of methylmercury. Models developed with the information-theoretic approach (Akaike Information Criteria) identified lake water pH, dissolved sulfate, and total organic carbon (an indicator of wetland influence) as factors influencing methylmercury concentrations in lake water and fish. We conclude that nearly all of the mercury in fish in this seemingly pristine     

Surrogates for the study of norovirus stability and inactivation in the environment: aA comparison of murine norovirus and feline calicivirus

Human noroviruses (NoVs) are the leading cause of food- and waterborne outbreaks of acute nonbacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. As a result of the lack of a mammalian cell culture model for these viruses, studies on persistence, inactivation, and transmission have been limited to cultivable viruses, including feline calicivirus (FCV). Recently, reports of the successful cell culture of murine norovirus 1 (MNV-1) have provided investigators with an alternative surrogate for human NoVs. In this study, we compared the inactivation profiles of MNV-1 to FCV in an effort to establish the relevance of MNV-1 as a surrogate virus. Specifically, we evaluated (i) stability upon exposure to pH extremes; (ii) stability upon exposure to organic solvents; (iii) thermal inactivation; and (iv) surface persistence under wet and dry conditions. MNV-1 was stable across the entire pH range tested (pH 2 to 10) with less than 1 log reduction in infectivity at pH 2, whereas FCV was inactivated rapidly at pH values < 3 and > 9. FCV was more stable than MNV-1 at 56 degrees C, but both viruses exhibited similar inactivation at 63 and 72 degrees C. Long-term persistence of both viruses suspended in a fecal matrix and inoculated onto stainless steel coupons were similar at 4 degrees C, but at room temperature in solution, MNV-1 was more stable than FCV. The genetic relatedness of MNV-1 to human NoVs combined with its ability to survive under gastric pH levels makes this virus a promising and relevant surrogate for studying environmental survival of human NoVs.     

Diffusion-weighted MR imaging: diagnostic accuracy in patients imaged within 6 hours of stroke symptom onset

We evaluated the agreement between wedged hepatic vein pressure (WHVP), portal vein pressure (PVP), and its relationship with portal hemodynamics in 21 patients with HCV-related cirrhosis with esophageal varices. Direct measurements of the portohepatic gradient (HVPG) were obtained by ultrasound-guided fine needle puncture of the right hepatic and the portal veins. In five cases PVP was 6.4-10.4 mm Hg higher than WHVP. In 12 cases measurements were similar (WHVP - PVP < or = 3 mm Hg). In the remaining four cases WHVP was 3.6-9.6 mm Hg higher than PVP. WHVP and PVP agreement was not related to HVPG mean value, Child-Pugh score, or grading of esophageal varices. By contrast, the difference between WHVP and PVP was inversely related to the portal flow velocity (P = 0.053) and directly related to the portal vascular resistance (P = 0.02). Whereas the portal branches were visualized in patients with WHVP lower or similar to PVP, a predominant left portosystemic collateral flow was observed in patients with WHVP > PVP. Our data point out that, in patients with cirrhosis due to hepatitis C virus infection, discrepant HVPG values reflect true hemodynamic differences.     

Automated heparin-delivery system to control activated partial thromboplastin time: evaluation in normal volunteers

BACKGROUND: Unfractionated heparin is used widely; however, control of the level of anticoagulation remains its greatest problem, with fewer than 35% of patients having activated partial thromboplastin times (aPTTs) within a range of 55 to 85 seconds in recent trials. METHODS AND RESULTS: We developed and tested a prototype of an automated heparin control system (AutoHep) in which a computer-based titration algorithm adjusted the heparin infusion to reach a target aPTT. In 1 study, 12 healthy male subjects received an intravenous infusion of heparin with the rate determined by AutoHep and were randomized to receive an initial bolus or no bolus of heparin preceding the infusion. A second study evaluated the automated blood sampling system in 12 subjects. Of the 344 end-point aPTT measurements, 78% were within +/-10 seconds of the target (prespecified primary end point), and 89% were within a +/-15-second range. The time to achieve a target aPTT was 93 minutes without and 150 minutes with an initial heparin bolus. The total percentage of time within the target range +/-15 seconds was 46 of 48 hours (96%). The automatic blood sampling system successfully obtained 96% of all scheduled samples. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the AutoHep system has the potential to significantly improve aPTT control of intravenous heparin compared with current clinical practice.     

Fatal cardiac rupture among patients treated with thrombolytic agents and adjunctive thrombin antagonists: observations from the Thrombolysis and Thrombin Inhibition in Myocardial Infarction 9 Study

We evaluated the hypotheses that endurance training increases relative lipid oxidation over a wide range of relative exercise intensities in fed and fasted states and that carbohydrate nutrition causes carbohydrate-derived fuels to predominate as energy sources during exercise. Pulmonary respiratory gas-exchange ratios [(RER) = CO2 production/O2 consumption (VO2)] were determined during four relative, graded exercise intensities in both fed and fasted states. Seven untrained (UT) men and seven category 2 and 3 US Cycling Federation cyclists (T) exercised in the morning in random order, with target power outputs of 20 and 40% peak VO2 (VO2 peak) for 2 h, 60% VO2 peak for 1.5 h, and 80% VO2 peak for a minimum of 30 min after either a 12-h overnight fast or 3 h after a standardized breakfast. Actual metabolic responses were 22 +/- 0.33, 40 +/- 0.31, 59 +/- 0.32, and 75 +/- 0.39% VO2 peak. T subjects showed significantly (P < 0.05) decreased RER compared with UT subjects at absolute workloads when fed and fasted. Fasting significantly decreased RER values compared with the fed state at 22, 40, and 59% VO2 peak in T and at 40 and 59% VO2 peak in UT subjects. Training decreased (P < 0.05) mean RER values compared with UT subjects at 22% VO2 peak when they fasted, and at 40% VO2 peak when fed or fasted, but not at higher relative exercise intensities in either nutritional state. Our results support the hypothesis that endurance training enhances lipid oxidation in men after a 12-h overnight fast at low relative exercise intensities (22 and 40% VO2 peak). However, a training effect on RER was not apparent at high relative exercise intensities (59 and 75% VO2 peak). Because most athletes train and compete at exercise intensities >40% maximal VO2, they will not oxidize a greater proportion of lipids compared with untrained subjects, regardless of nutritional state.