Sorbent injection into a slipstream baghouse for mercury control: Project summary

A project led by the Energy and Environmental Research Center to test and demonstrate sorbent injection as a cost-effective mercury control technology for utilities burning lignites has shown effective mercury capture under a range of operating conditions. Screening, parametric, and long-term tests were carried out at a slipstream facility representing an electrostatic precipitator–activated carbon injection–fabric filter configuration (called a TOXECON™ in the United States). Screening tests of sorbent injection evaluated nine different sorbents, including both treated and standard activated carbon, to compare mercury capture as a function of sorbent injection rate. Parametric tests evaluated several variables including air-to-cloth (A/C) ratio, flue gas temperature, cleaning frequency, and dust loading to determine the effect on mercury control and systems operation. Long-term tests (approximately 2 months in duration) evaluated the sustainability of systems operation.     

Cytotoxic Rhodium(III) and Iridium(III) Polypyridyl Complexes: Structure–Activity Relationships,Antileukemic Activity,and Apoptosis Induction

Whereas the cytostatic agents mer‐[RhX₃(DMSO)(pp)] (X=Cl, Br; pp=phen, dpq) are considerably more potent than their facial isomers, this order is reversed for the analogous kinetically more inert Ir^III polypyridyl complexes. The complexes induce specific apoptotic cell death in leukemia and lymphoma cells via the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway and cause negligible necrotic damage.

     

Non-steroidal aromatase inhibitors based on a biphenyl scaffold: synthesis, in vitro SAR, and molecular modelling

The synthesis and in vitro biological evaluation (JEG-3 cells) of a series of novel and potent aromatase inhibitors, prepared by microwave-enhanced Suzuki cross-coupling methodology, are reported. These compounds possess a biphenyl template incorporated with the haem-ligating triazolylmethyl moiety, either on its own or in combination with other substituent(s) at various positions on the phenyl rings. The most potent aromatase inhibitor reported herein has an IC(50) value of 0.12 nM, although seven of its congeners are also highly potent (IC(50)相似文献   

Combined experimental and numerical study on the effective grain growth dynamics in highly anisotropic systems: Application to barium titanate

Abnormal grain growth is a commonly observed phenomenon in barium titanate. It is usually associated with grain boundaries of different mobility and energy present in the microstructure. The influence of interfaces with variable mobility and energy on grain growth is investigated by a combined experimental and numerical approach in a transition region where growth behaviour strongly deviates from Arrhenius behaviour. Abnormal growth occurs between 1275 and 1325 °C, with normal grain growth occurring above and below this temperature range. The overall grain growth rate of the small matrix grains in the transition region is found to increase nonlinearly with inverse temperature between the high- and low-temperature states. A similar behaviour is found in simulations using a 3-D mesoscale grain growth model under the assumption of fractions of grain boundaries being in the high- or low-temperature state. The transition at the grain boundary is in agreement with the complexion model. Additionally, the simulation is used to map the nucleation probability for abnormal grains in the transition region as a function of combined energy and mobility advantages. The energy advantage of the grain boundaries is found to be of greater importance for the nucleation of abnormal grains compared to results from mean field models.     

Immune Aging and Immunotherapy in Cancer

Immune functions decline as we age, while the incidence of cancer rises. The advent of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has not only revolutionized cancer therapy, but also spawned great interest in identifying predictive biomarkers, since only one third of patients show treatment response. The aging process extensively affects the adaptive immune system and thus T cells, which are the main target of ICB. In this review, we address age-related changes regarding the adaptive immune system with a focus on T cells and their implication on carcinogenesis and ICB. Differences between senescence, exhaustion, and anergy are defined and current knowledge, treatment strategies, and studies exploring T cell aging as a biomarker for ICB are discussed. Finally, novel approaches to improve immunotherapies and to identify biomarkers of response to ICB are presented and their potential is assessed in a comparative analysis.     

Development of Covalent Chitosan-Polyethylenimine Derivatives as Gene Delivery Vehicle: Synthesis,Characterization, and Evaluation

There is an increasing interest in cationic polymers as important constituents of non-viral gene delivery vectors. In the present study, we developed a versatile synthetic route for the production of covalent polymeric conjugates consisting of water-soluble depolymerized chitosan (dCS; M_W 6–9 kDa) and low molecular weight polyethylenimine (PEI; 2.5 kDa linear, 1.8 kDa branched). dCS-PEI derivatives were evaluated based on their physicochemical properties, including purity, covalent bonding, solubility in aqueous media, ability for DNA condensation, and colloidal stability of the resulting polyplexes. They were complexed with non-integrating DNA vectors coding for reporter genes by simple admixing and assessed in vitro using liver-derived HuH-7 cells for their transfection efficiency and cytotoxicity. Using a rational screening cascade, a lead compound was selected (dCS-Suc-LPEI-14) displaying the best balance of biocompatibility, cytotoxicity, and transfection efficiency. Scale-up and in vivo evaluation in wild-type mice allowed for a direct comparison with a commercially available non-viral delivery vector (in vivo-jetPEI). Hepatic expression of the reporter gene luciferase resulted in liver-specific bioluminescence, upon intrabiliary infusion of the chitosan-based polyplexes, which exceeded the signal of the in vivo jetPEI reference formulation by a factor of 10. We conclude that the novel chitosan-derivative dCS-Suc-LPEI-14 shows promise and potential as an efficient polymeric conjugate for non-viral in vivo gene therapy.     

Assessing the Role of Developmental and Environmental Factors in Chemical Defence Variation in Heliconiini Butterflies

Journal of Chemical Ecology - Chemical defences in animals are both incredibly widespread and highly diverse. Yet despite the important role they play in mediating interactions between predators...     

Optimized state estimation by application of machine learning

The requirements concerning the technical availability as part of the overall equipment effectiveness increase constantly in production nowadays. Unplanned downtimes have to be prevented via efficient methods. Predictive, condition-based maintenance represents a valuable approach for fulfilling these demands, but precise models for state estimation are missing. From the manufacturers’ point of view the challenge consists in wear models with the capability of specifying the correct component’s state as well as providing reliable failure forecasts. Unfortunately, nowadays creation of wear models is based on specific stress tests or design of experiments from the manufacturer. The integration of the production phase or even data feedback and user knowledge does not take place. New potential is promised by cross-cutting technologies from ICT like cloud technologies—in general virtual platform concepts—or approaches of machine learning as enabling technologies. The objective of this paper is to adopt existing algorithms to the new application of condition monitoring in order to evaluate the applicability for automated training of robust wear models. In that context the most commonly used algorithms are described and the reader gets an impression what challenges have to be met when dealing with machine learning. A selection of about ten algorithms with 45 variants is evaluated for four different features within a packaging machine. In the outlook the embedding of the trained model in a cloud architecture is presented.     

Sequence Analysis of 203 Kilobases from Saccharomyces cerevisiae Chromosome VII

The nucleotide sequences of five major regions from chromosome VII of Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been determined and analysed. These regions represent 203 kilobases corresponding to approximately one-fifth of the complete yeast chromosome VII. Two fragments originate from the left arm of this chromosome. The first one of about 15·8 kb starts approximately 75 kb from the left telomere and is bordered by the SKI8 chromosomal marker. The second fragment covers the 72·6 kb region between the chromosomal markers CYH2 and ALG2. On the right chromosomal arm three regions, a 70·6 kb region between the MSB2 and the KSS1 chromosomal markers and two smaller regions dominated by the KRE11 marker and another one in the vicinity of the SER2 marker were sequenced. We found a total of 114 open reading frames (ORFs), 13 of which were completely overlapping with larger ORFs running in the opposite direction. A total of 44 yeast genes, the physiological functions of which are known, could be precisely mapped on this chromosome. Of the remaining 57 ORFs, 26 shared sequence homologies with known genes, among which were 13 other S. cerevisiae genes and five genes from other organisms. No homology with any sequence in the databases could be found for 31 ORFs. Furthermore, five Ty elements were found, one of which may not be functional due to a frame shift in its Ty1B amino acid sequence. The five chromosomal regions harboured five potential ARS elements and one sigma element together with eight tRNA genes and two snRNAs, one of which is encoded by an intron of a protein-coding gene. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Role of bacterial extracellular polymers in metal uptake in pure bacterial culture and activated sludge—I. Effects of metal concentration

A gel filtration technique afforded a good separation between metal complexed with bacterial extracellular polymers and free metal ions. The complexation of polymers extracted from cultures of Klehsiella aerogenes and activated sludge with cadmium, nickel, manganese and cobalt was demonstrated. The extraction of extracellular polymers from cultures of K. aerogenes and activated sludge reduced the capacity of the cells and flocs to adsorb metal. Adsorption and complexation of metals by cells of K. aerogenes and extracellular polymers extracted from activated sludge were fitted to Freundlich equilibrium isotherms. Saturation of activated sludge polymer binding sites occurred at 10 mg 1^?1 metal additions for all the metals studied except manganese which was complexed to a very limited extent. Cells of K. aerogenes exhibited no saturation effects in the range of metal concentrations studied.Precipitation of metals below a concentration of 1 mg 1^?1 was minimal, with the exception of cadmium precipitation. At a concentration of 10 mg 1^?1, precipitation of cadmium, cobalt and manganese may have been the major mechanism of metal removal. The more soluble metals generally displayed the lowest removals. Concentrations of extracellular polymers and soluble chelating agents may be important in controlling removals of metals which are largely soluble in activated sludge.