Forest bioenergy or forest carbon? Assessing trade-offs in greenhouse gas mitigation with wood-based fuels

The potential of forest-based bioenergy to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when displacing fossil-based energy must be balanced with forest carbon implications related to biomass harvest. We integrate life cycle assessment (LCA) and forest carbon analysis to assess total GHG emissions of forest bioenergy over time. Application of the method to case studies of wood pellet and ethanol production from forest biomass reveals a substantial reduction in forest carbon due to bioenergy production. For all cases, harvest-related forest carbon reductions and associated GHG emissions initially exceed avoided fossil fuel-related emissions, temporarily increasing overall emissions. In the long term, electricity generation from pellets reduces overall emissions relative to coal, although forest carbon losses delay net GHG mitigation by 16-38 years, depending on biomass source (harvest residues/standing trees). Ethanol produced from standing trees increases overall emissions throughout 100 years of continuous production: ethanol from residues achieves reductions after a 74 year delay. Forest carbon more significantly affects bioenergy emissions when biomass is sourced from standing trees compared to residues and when less GHG-intensive fuels are displaced. In all cases, forest carbon dynamics are significant. Although study results are not generalizable to all forests, we suggest the integrated LCA/forest carbon approach be undertaken for bioenergy studies.     

Spectroscopic studies of the biosorption of gold(III) by dealginated seaweed waste

Gold biosorption by dealginated seaweed waste has been studied to elucidate the mechanisms of metal uptake from solution. Dealginated seaweed was able to retain up to 1 mmol g(-1) of Au from solution at pH 3. FT-IR showed the presence of carboxylate groups on the surface of the biosorbent; however, the changes observed for the Au-bound samples suggested very little sorption to the carboxyl moieties. Colloidal Au formed on the surface of dealginated seaweed by reduction of Au(III) to Au(0) was observed using ESEM and four different types of particles were clearly identified. The Au distribution matched closely that obtained for S atoms indicating a possible link between these elements. EXAFS measurements showed that colloidal Au is present on the surface of the biosorbent. Evidence of gold reduction from Au(III) to Au(I) and Au(0) was also confirmed by the measured bond distances characteristic of the metal. The coordination number obtained by EXAFS indicated that approximately 75% of the Au on the sample was present in the colloidal form and the remaining Au was bound to S as nearest neighbor. The proposed mechanisms for Au removal from solution are reduction of Au species by components on the surface of the biosorbent to form colloidal metal followed by retention of the ionic Au(I) species at the sulfur containing sites. The results show that dealginated seaweed can be used for the cleanup of gold-containing effluents.     

Commercial Milk Enzyme‐Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) Kit Reactivities to Purified Milk Proteins and Milk‐Derived Ingredients

Numerous commercial enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits exist to quantitatively detect bovine milk residues in foods. Milk contains many proteins that can serve as ELISA targets including caseins (α‐, β‐, or κ‐casein) and whey proteins (α‐lactalbumin or β‐lactoglobulin). Nine commercially‐available milk ELISA kits were selected to compare the specificity and sensitivity with 5 purified milk proteins and 3 milk‐derived ingredients. All of the milk kits were capable of quantifying nonfat dry milk (NFDM), but did not necessarily detect all individual protein fractions. While milk‐derived ingredients were detected by the kits, their quantitation may be inaccurate due to the use of different calibrators, reference materials, and antibodies in kit development. The establishment of a standard reference material for the calibration of milk ELISA kits is increasingly important. The appropriate selection and understanding of milk ELISA kits for food analysis is critical to accurate quantification of milk residues and informed risk management decisions.     

Kinetics and thermal crystallinity of recycled PET. II. Topographic study on thermal crystallinity of the injection-molded recycled PET

The injected specimens of recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) (R-PET) and its blends with engineering PET (E-PET) are studied with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Specimens are dissected into three segments of (1) outer skin, (2) middle, and (3) the core for the topographic study of their separate crystallinities, which are induced by different crystallization rates in the injection mode. DSC thermograms reveal the different crystallinity states among these three segments with decreasing crystallinity from core to middle to the skin segments and the times and contact of injection-molded specimens with the mold during the cooling cycle after the injection of the specimens. With the same procedures of injection molding, comparisons of crystallinity among various specimens of virgin blow molding grade PET (B-PET), E-PET, and R-PET are made. There are little differences in crystallinity among three segments of B- or E-PET specimens. In contrast, a higher degree of crystallinity in the core segment than either middle or skin segments is observed for the R-PET. This may contribute to the faster crystallization rate of the R-PET in the mold. Specimens of R-/E-PET blends follow the R-PET pattern, even in 20% of R-PET in the blend. This faster crystallization rate of R-PET is confirmed with the lowering crystallization temperatures (T_c) of the R-PET and R-/E-PET blended specimens in the DSC heating process. Dynamic DSC cooling analysis reveals a high order of crystallinity in R-PET and R-/E-PET blends. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) measurements of molecular weights and distributions support the orderly structure for R-PET. Terminal group analysis and intrinsic viscosity measurements of the R-PET support the chain modification of R-PET during the thermal treatments in accordance with the evidences of smaller M_w and narrower molecular-weight distribution from the GPC findings for the recycled PET. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

智能手机如何实现数据同步化

手机的使用模式相当简单:用户端口只要离PC数尺的距离,蓝牙手机就能自动进行电子邮件、相片、工作清单、联络人等数据的同步化.但有时用户对蓝牙的同步化与数据传输功能仍存在一些困惑,如PC虽然有蓝牙功能,但却经常无法连上手机如第一次就想让蓝牙功能顺利执行仍需要一些技巧,并不能立马使用等.本文详细为您讲述如何使智能手机实现数据同步化.     

Role of Tyrosine Kinase Syk in Thrombus Stabilisation at High Shear

Understanding the pathways involved in the formation and stability of the core and shell regions of a platelet-rich arterial thrombus may result in new ways to treat arterial thrombosis. The distinguishing feature between these two regions is the absence of fibrin in the shell which indicates that in vitro flow-based assays over thrombogenic surfaces, in the absence of coagulation, can be used to resemble this region. In this study, we have investigated the contribution of Syk tyrosine kinase in the stability of platelet aggregates (or thrombi) formed on collagen or atherosclerotic plaque homogenate at arterial shear (1000 s⁻¹). We show that post-perfusion of the Syk inhibitor PRT-060318 over preformed thrombi on both surfaces enhances thrombus breakdown and platelet detachment. The resulting loss of thrombus stability led to a reduction in thrombus contractile score which could be detected as early as 3 min after perfusion of the Syk inhibitor. A similar loss of thrombus stability was observed with ticagrelor and indomethacin, inhibitors of platelet adenosine diphosphate (ADP) receptor and thromboxane A₂ (TxA₂), respectively, and in the presence of the Src inhibitor, dasatinib. In contrast, the Btk inhibitor, ibrutinib, causes only a minor decrease in thrombus contractile score. Weak thrombus breakdown is also seen with the blocking GPVI nanobody, Nb21, which indicates, at best, a minor contribution of collagen to the stability of the platelet aggregate. These results show that Syk regulates thrombus stability in the absence of fibrin in human platelets under flow and provide evidence that this involves pathways additional to activation of GPVI by collagen.