Life cycle assessment of refuse-derived fuel production from mixed municipal waste

The aim of this study is to identify and assess the potential environmental impacts caused by refuse-derived fuel (RDF) production from mixed municipal waste, in a mechanical–biological waste treatment plant in Krakow, Poland. The study is based on life cycle assessment methodology, employing EASETECH model. The system boundaries include only those operations which lead to the production of RDF. The adopted functional unit is 1 Mg of mixed municipal waste generated in Krakow, which enters the mechanical–biological waste treatment plant.     

Seminormal stratified default theories

In this paper we study seminormal default theories. The notions of stratification and strong stratification are introduced. The properties of stratified and strongly stratified default theories are investigated. We show how to determine if a given seminormal default theory is strongly stratified and how to find the finest partition into strata. We present algorithms for computing extensions for stratified seminormal default theories and analyze their complexity.     

Impact of Thermal Oxidation on Morphological,Structural and Magnetic Properties of Fe-Ni Wire-Like Nanochains

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A - This work presents the evolution of morphological, structural and magnetic properties of amorphous Fe-Ni wire-like nanochains caused by thermal...     

CdS Nanoplates Modification as a Platform for Synthesis of Blue-Emitting Nanoparticles

In this paper, the study of surface modification of two-dimensional (2D), non-luminescent CdS nanoplates (NPLs) by thiol-containing ligands is presented. We show that a process of twophase transfers with appropriate ligand exchange transforms non-luminescent NPLs into spherical CdS nanoparticles (NPs) exhibiting a blue photoluminescence with exceptionally high quantum yield ~90%. In the process, transfer from inorganic solvent to water is performed, with appropriately selected ligand molecules and pH values (forward phase transfer), which produces NPs with modified size and shape. Then, in reverse phase transfer, NPs are transferred back to toluene due to surface modification by combined Cd (OL)₂ and Cd (Ac)₂. As a result, spherical NPs are formed (average diameter between 4 and 6 nm) with PL QY as high as 90%. This is unique for core only CdS NPs without inorganic shell.     

Effects of a Unique Combination of the Whole-Body Low Dose Radiotherapy with Inactivation of Two Immune Checkpoints and/or a Heat Shock Protein on the Transplantable Lung Cancer in Mice

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) continues to be the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Recently, targeting molecules whose functions are associated with tumorigenesis has become a game changing adjunct to standard anti-cancer therapy. As evidenced by the results of preclinical and clinical investigations, whole-body irradiations (WBI) with X-rays at less than 0.1–0.2 Gy per fraction can induce remissions of various neoplasms without inciting adverse side effects of conventional chemo- and radiotherapy. In the present study, a murine model of human NSCLC was employed to evaluate for the first time the anti-neoplastic efficacy of WBI combined with inactivation of CTLA-4, PD-1, and/or HSP90. The results indicate that WBI alone and in conjunction with the inhibition of the function of the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) and the programmed death-1 (PD-1) receptor immune checkpoints (ICs) and/or heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) markedly reduced tumorigenesis in mice implanted by three different routes with the syngeneic Lewis lung cancer cells and suppressed clonogenic potential of Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC1) cells in vitro. These results were associated with the relevant changes in the profile of pro- and anti-neoplastic immune cells recruited to the growing tumors and the circulating anti- and pro-inflammatory cytokines. In contrast, inhibition of the tested molecular targets used either separately or in combination with each other did not exert notable anti-neoplastic effects. Moreover, no significant synergistic effects were detected when the inhibitors were applied concurrently with WBI. The obtained results supplemented with further mechanistic explanations provided by future investigations will help design the effective strategies of treatment of lung and other cancers based on inactivation of the immune checkpoint and/or heat shock molecules combined with low-dose radiotherapy.     

Mechanical heating by active galaxies

Jets and winds are significant channels for energy loss from accreting black holes. These outflows mechanically heat their surroundings, through shocks as well as gentler forms of heating. We discuss recent efforts to understand the nature and distribution of mechanical heating by central active galactic nuclei (AGN) in clusters of galaxies, using numerical simulations and analytic models. Specifically, we will discuss whether the relatively gentle 'effervescent heating' mechanism can compensate for radiative losses in the central regions of clusters, and account for the excess entropy observed at larger radii. J. Binney discusses the possible role of violent, episodic heating by AGN in clusters.     

Electrokinetically synchronized polymerase chain reaction microchip fabricated in polycarbonate

This paper presents a novel method for DNA thermal amplification using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in an electrokinetically driven synchronized continuous flow PCR (EDS-CF-PCR) configuration carried out in a microfabricated polycarbonate (PC) chip. The synchronized format allowed patterning a shorter length microchannel for the PCR compared to nonsynchronized continuous flow formats, permitting the use of smaller applied voltages when the flow is driven electrically and also allowed flexibility in selecting the cycle number without having to change the microchip architecture. A home-built temperature control system was developed to precisely configure three isothermal zones on the chip for denaturing (95 degrees C), annealing (55 degrees C), and extension (72 degrees C) within a single-loop channel. DNA templates were introduced into the PCR reactor, which was filled with the PCR cocktail, by electrokinetic injection. The PCR cocktail consisted of low salt concentrations (KCl) to reduce the current in the EDS-CF-PCR device during cycling. To control the EOF in the PC microchannel to minimize dilution effects as the DNA "plug" was shuttled through the temperature zones, Polybrene was used as a dynamic coating, which resulted in reversal of the EOF. The products generated from 15, 27, 35, and 40 EDS-CF-PCR amplification cycles were collected and analyzed using microchip electrophoresis with LIF detection for fragment sizing. The results showed that the EDS-CF-PCR format produced results similar to that of a conventional block thermal cycler with leveling effects observed for amplicon generation after approximately 25 cycles. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of electrokinetically driven synchronized PCR performed on chip.     

Testing superabsorbent polymer (SAP) sorption properties prior to implementation in concrete: results of a RILEM Round-Robin Test

This article presents the results of a round-robin test performed by 13 international research groups in the framework of the activities of the RILEM Technical Committee 260 RSC “Recommendations for use of superabsorbent polymers in concrete construction”. Two commercially available superabsorbent polymers (SAP) with different chemical compositions and gradings were tested in terms of their kinetics of absorption in different media; demineralized water, cement filtrate solution with a particular cement distributed to every participant and a local cement chosen by the participant. Two absorption test methods were considered; the tea-bag method and the filtration method. The absorption capacity was evaluated as a function of time. The results showed correspondence in behaviour of the SAPs among all participants, but also between the two test methods, even though high scatter was observed at early minutes of testing after immersion. The tea-bag method proved to be more practical in terms of time dependent study, whereby the filtration method showed less variation in the absorption capacity after 24 h. However, absorption followed by intrinsic, ion-mediated desorption of a specific SAP sample in the course of time was not detected by the filtration method. This SAP-specific characteristic was only displayed by the tea-bag method. This demonstrates the practical applicability of both test methods, each one having their own strengths and weaknesses at distinct testing times.