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Objectives: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to assess the diagnostic potential of salivary metabolomics in the detection of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) and oral cancer (OC). Materials and methods: A systematic review was performed in accordance with the 3rd edition of the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD) and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement. Electronic searches for articles were carried out in the PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. The quality assessment of the included studies was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS) and the new version of the QUADOMICS tool. Meta-analysis was conducted whenever possible. The effect size was presented using the Forest plot, whereas the presence of publication bias was examined through Begg’s funnel plot. Results: A total of nine studies were included in the systematic review. The metabolite profiling was heterogeneous across all the studies. The expression of several salivary metabolites was found to be significantly altered in OPMDs and OCs as compared to healthy controls. Meta-analysis was able to be conducted only for N-acetylglucosamine. There was no significant difference (SMD = 0.15; 95% CI − 0.25–0.56) in the level of N-acetylglucosamine between OPMDs, OC, and the control group. Conclusion: Evidence for N-acetylglucosamine as a salivary biomarker for oral cancer is lacking. Although several salivary metabolites show changes between healthy, OPMDs, and OC, their diagnostic potential cannot be assessed in this review due to a lack of data. Therefore, further high-quality studies with detailed analysis and reporting are required to establish the diagnostic potential of the salivary metabolites in OPMDs and OC. Clinical relevance: While some salivary metabolites exhibit significant changes in oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) and oral cancer (OC) compared to healthy controls, the current evidence, especially for N-acetylglucosamine, is inadequate to confirm their reliability as diagnostic biomarkers. Additional high-quality studies are needed for a more conclusive assessment of salivary metabolites in oral disease diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lactate dehydrogenase enzyme (LDH) helps in the conversion of glucose into pyruvic acid during aerobic glycolysis and is found in the cytoplasm of most cells in the human body. When oxidative stress occurs in the body, LDH may be released extracellularly and its level is usually indicative of the severity of tissue damage. LDH has proved to be an inestimably resourceful marker in early prediction of serious diseases involving extensive tissue or cellular damage. This short communication explores the potential of LDH as a salivary biomarker of cell injury and death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Sn doping of W in KIT-6 demonstrated via sequential addition in a one-pot method. • Uniform WO x dispersion achieved up to 14% W loading in WSn-KIT-6 catalysts. • WO x and SnO x interaction evidenced from H 2 -TPR, EXAFS and XPS results. • Anisole benzylation activity correlates mainly with Lewis acid sites. • Intrinsic rate constants are higher for W + Sn catalysts than W-only catalysts. A series of W and Sn-containing KIT-6 mesoporous silicates (designated as W x Sn 5) with similar Sn (~5 wt%) and varying W (x = 3–23 wt%) loadings were prepared by a one-pot hydrothermal synthesis method. No detectable bulk WO 3 species were observed for W loading up to 14 wt% with preferential dispersion of WO x species near SnO 2 sites. The W x Sn 5 materials exhibited superior performance for Friedel-Crafts anisole benzylation with intrinsic rate constants for all W x Sn 5 catalysts being greater than those without Sn. Based on results from DR-UV–Vis, XRD, XPS, EXAFS techniques, we postulate that the W x Sn 5 materials contain both isolated [WO 4 ]2-/SnO 2 and isolated [WO 4 ]2-/SiO 2 as active species, with the former being more active. The relative populations of these two highly dispersed species dictate the overall catalyst activity. The intrinsic activities of the W x Sn 5 catalysts are found to scale linearly with total acidity but are mainly dictated by the Lewis acid sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tungsten and niobium incorporated KIT‐6 (WNb‐KIT‐6) materials were synthesized by a one‐pot sol‐gel method. During 2‐butene+ethylene metathesis with these materials at 450 °C, the propene yield is maximized (∼70 %) at a certain metal composition (∼20 wt% W and ∼1 wt% Nb), significantly surpassing those reported with an industrial WO3/SiO2 catalyst. The enhanced propene yield is attributed to better dispersion of W species on the catalyst surface and the formation of new active site precursors (O=)2W(O−Si)(O−Nb), as confirmed by XRD, TEM, H2‐TPR, XPS, EXAFS, and ToF‐SIMS techniques. Complementary DFT calculations reveal a positive correlation between the O=W=O bond angle and the propene yield. We therefore speculate that the −O−Nb moiety tunes the electronic environment around the W atom and increases the propene yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mo-TUD-1 with highly dispersed MoO x synthesized using one-pot sol-gel technique. • UV-Vis and Raman spectra of dehydrated Mo-TUD-1 show dominant dioxo Mo species. • Mo K-edge EXAFS reveals tetrahedral MoO 4 at ambient T and distorted MoO 6 at 450 ℃. • TOFs correlate linearly with Lewis acidity and dioxo Mo species rather than Mo loading. • Bulk MoO 3 species at high Mo loadings induce Brønsted acidity and catalyst deactivation. Employing a one-pot sol-gel synthesis technique, molybdenum with variable loadings (2–14 wt%), was successfully incorporated into a mesoporous TUD-1 silicate framework. Diffuse reflectance UV–vis and Raman spectra of samples dehydrated at reaction temperatures (450 °C) revealed the dominant presence of highly dispersed tetrahedral di-oxo (Si-O) 2 Mo(=O) 2 species. Neither bulk nor crystalline MoO 3 was evident at Mo loadings from 2 to 7 wt.% from complementary analytical techniques suggesting that a high dispersion of MoO x species is achieved by this synthesis method. Mo L-edge XANES of catalyst samples at ambient conditions and Mo K-edge XAS of catalyst samples dehydrated at the reaction temperature (450 °C) further confirm the existence of mixed tetrahedral and octahedral Mo sites. The relative population of dioxo Mo species observed in Mo-TUD-1 catalysts at various Mo loadings correlate well with the Lewis acidity and apparent TOFs (mmol propene/mol Mo/s) observed with these samples. These observations confirm that the dioxo Mo species are the active site precursors, as also reported previously with other Mo-based catalyst formulations. Compared to Mo-impregnated SiO 2 (Mo/SiO 2) catalyst, the Mo-TUD-1 catalysts (2–7 wt% Mo loadings) provide higher apparent TOFs. At higher Mo loadings, the fraction of MoO 3 species that are Brønsted acidic in nature increases, resulting in decreased TOFs and increased catalyst deactivation due to the formation of heavier hydrocarbons that deposit on the catalyst surface. However, the metathesis activity is fully restored after simple air regeneration of the catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies found that ethnicity influences oral cancer patients' survival; however, most studies were limited to certain ethnic groups particularly from the West, thus of limited relevance to Asians where the disease is most prevalent. We investigated the relationship between ethnicity and patient survival in multi-racial Malaysia. 5-year survival rate was 40.9%. No statistically significant difference was observed in survival between Malays, Chinese, Indians and Indigenous peoples (45.7%, 44.0%, 41.3%, 27.7% respectively). Increased tumor size, lymph node involvement and advanced tumor were predictive of poor survival. We conclude that ethnicity has no effect on survival or its prognostic indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We review the singular value decomposition (SVD) framework and use it for quantifying and discerning vertical information in greenhouse gas retrievals from column integrated absorption measurements. While the commonly used traditional Bayesian optimal estimation (OE) assumes a prior distribution in order to regularize the inversion problem, the SVD approach identifies principal components that can be retrieved from the measurement without explicitly specifying a prior mean and prior covariance matrix. We review the SVD method, explicitly recognize the use of an uninformative prior and show it to incur no bias from the choice of the prior. We also make the connection between the SVD method and the pseudo-inverse, which makes it more intuitive and easy to understand. We illustrate the use of the SVD method on an integrated path differential absorption CO2 lidar measurement model and verify our derivations and bias-free properties versus optimal estimation using numerical simulations. In contrast, traditional OE retrievals exhibit bias when the prior mean used in the retrieval differs from the true mean. Hence, the SVD method is particularly useful for situations in which knowledge of the prior mean and prior covariance of the true state (e.g., greenhouse gas profiles) is inadequate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of mesoporous Nb-silicates with varying Nb loading from 2.2 to 22.0 wt% were synthesized by the Evaporation-Induced Self-Assembly (EISA) method using Pluronic P123 as mesopore forming agent. High dispersion of NbOx species was achieved up to a Nb loading of ∼22 wt% without any formation of bulk crystalline Nb 2 O 5 . Small angle X-ray scattering, TEM and N 2 physisorption confirm mesoporosity in these materials with short-range ordering. The BET surface area and pore volume range from 779 to 978 m 2 /g and 0.76–1.21 cm 3 /g, decreasing at higher Nb loadings. Isolated NbO 4 and oligomeric NbOx species were evident from diffuse reflectance UV-Vis spectra. For the epoxidation of cyclohexene with H 2 O 2 , the Nb-EISA catalysts generally perform better in terms of activity, epoxidation selectivity and H 2 O 2 utilization compared to other mesoporous niobium silicates. Further, a significant improvement in the epoxide selectivity was achieved with Nb-EISA samples calcined in N 2 during synthesis such that a thin C layer is left behind. The C layer may induce pore hydrophobicity that prevents the ring-opening reaction of the primary epoxide product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we report on measurements made with an improved CO2 Sounder lidar during the ASCENDS 2014 and 2016 airborne campaigns. The changes made to the 2011 version of the lidar included incorporating a rapidly wavelength-tunable, step-locked seed laser in the transmitter, using a much more sensitive HgCdTe APD detector and using an analog digitizer with faster readout time in the receiver. We also improved the lidar's calibration approach and the XCO2 retrieval algorithm. The 2014 and 2016 flights were made over several types of topographic surfaces from 3 to 12 km aircraft altitudes in the continental US. The results are compared to the XCO2 values computed from an airborne in situ sensor during spiral-down maneuvers. The 2014 results show significantly better performance and include measurement of horizontal gradients in XCO2 made over the Midwestern US that agree with chemistry transport models. The results from the 2016 airborne lidar retrievals show precisions of ~ 0:7 parts per million (ppm) with 1 s averaging over desert surfaces, which is an improvement of about 8 times compared to similar measurements made in 2011. Measurements in 2016 were also made over fresh snow surfaces that have lower surface reflectance at the laser wavelengths. The results from both campaigns showed that the mean values of XCO2 retrieved from the lidar consistently agreed with those based on the in situ sensor to within 1 ppm. The improved precision and accuracy demonstrated in the 2014 and 2016 flights should benefit future airborne science campaigns and advance the technique's readiness for a spacebased instrument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A relatively new class of three-dimensional ordered mesoporous silicates, KIT-6, incorporated with Earth-abundant metals such as Zr, Nb, and W (termed as M-KIT-6), show remarkable tunability of acidity and metal dispersion depending on the metal content, type, and synthetic method. The metal-incorporation is carried out using one-pot synthesis procedures that are amenable to easy scale-up. By such tuning, M-KIT-6 catalysts are shown to provide remarkable activity and selectivity in industrially-significant reactions, such as alcohol dehydration, ethylene epoxidation, and metathesis of 2-butene and ethylene. We review how the catalytic properties of M-KIT-6 materials may be tailored depending on the application to optimize performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We review the singular value decomposition (SVD) framework and use it for quantifying and discerning vertical information in greenhouse gas retrievals from column integrated absorption measurements. While the commonly used traditional Bayesian optimal estimation (OE) assumes a prior distribution in order to regularize the inversion problem, the SVD approach identifies principal components that can be retrieved from the measurement without explicitly specifying a prior mean and prior covariance matrix. We review the SVD method, explicitly recognize the use of an uninformative prior and show it to be bias-free in the absence of forward model error irrespective of the choice of the uninformative prior. We also make the connection between the SVD method and the pseudo-inverse, which makes it more intuitive and easy to understand. We illustrate the use of the SVD method on an integrated path differential absorption CO2 lidar measurement model, and verify our derivations and bias free properties versus optimal estimation using numerical simulations. In contrast, traditional OE retrievals exhibit bias when the prior mean used in the retrieval differs from the true mean. Hence, the SVD method is particularly useful for situations where knowledge of the prior mean and prior covariance of the true state (e.g., greenhouse gas profiles) is inadequate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have measured the column-averaged atmospheric CO2 mixing ratio to a variety of cloud tops by using an airborne pulsed multi-wavelength integrated-path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar. Airborne measurements were made at altitudes up to 13 km during the 2011, 2013 and 2014 NASA Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions over Nights, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS) science campaigns flown in the United States West and Midwest and were compared to those from an in situ sensor. Analysis of the lidar backscatter profiles shows the average cloud top reflectance was ∼ 5 % for the CO2 measurement at 1572.335 nm except to cirrus clouds, which had lower reflectance. The energies for 1 µs wide laser pulses reflected from cloud tops were sufficient to allow clear identification of CO2 absorption line shape and then to allow retrievals of atmospheric column CO2 from the aircraft to cloud tops more than 90 % of the time. Retrievals from the CO2 measurements to cloud tops had minimal bias but larger standard deviations when compared to those made to the ground, depending on cloud top roughness and reflectance. The measurements show this new capability helps resolve CO2 horizontal and vertical gradients in the atmosphere. When used with nearby full-column measurements to ground, the CO2 measurements to cloud tops can be used to estimate the partial-column CO2 concentration below clouds, which should lead to better estimates of surface carbon sources and sinks. This additional capability of the range-resolved CO2 IPDA lidar technique provides a new benefit for studying the carbon cycle in future airborne and space-based CO2 missions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Homeobox genes are a group of conserved class of transcription factors that function as key regulators during the embryonic developmental processes. They act as master regulator for developmental genes, which involves coordinated actions of various auto and cross-regulatory mechanisms. In this review, we summarize the expression pattern of homeobox genes in relation to the tooth development and various signaling pathways or molecules contributing to the specific actions of these genes in the regulation of odontogenesis. Materials and methods An electronic search was undertaken using combination of keywords e.g. Homeobox genes, tooth development, dental diseases, stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, gene control region was used as search terms in PubMed and Web of Science and relevant full text articles and abstract were retrieved that were written in English. A manual hand search in text books were also carried out. Articles related to homeobox genes in dentistry and tissue engineering and regenerative medicine of odontogenesis were selected. Results The possible perspective of stem cells technology in odontogenesis and subsequent analysis of gene correction pertaining to dental disorders through the possibility of induced pluripotent stem cells technology is also inferred. Conclusions We demonstrate the promising role of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine on odontogenesis, which can generate a new ray of hope in the field of dental science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A study of dissimilar joints between SA335P12 and SA106Gr.C has not been reported. • Columnar grains of ferrite and carbides with inter-bead refinement are revealed. • Reduction of 29.9 HV (15%) hardness value at weld metal by SAW process. • The presence of 7% Silicon was responsible for cracking in the SMAW method. • Consumes 37.8% less electrical energy when welded by submerged arc welding. This study reports the effect of Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) and Submerged arc welding (SAW) processes used to fabricate high-thickness end cover plates by welding of dissimilar materials SA 335 P12 steel pipes and ASTM A 106 grade C carbon steel. The study emphasizes the structure-property relation of the welded joints made by two different techniques using macrostructure and microstructural examination with optical and electron microscopy and hardness evaluation. The joints were subjected to magnetic particle non-destructive testing and the SAW joint was found to be defect-free. Microstructural examination revealed acicular ferrite microstructure on the SAW joint but bainite and martensite microstructure on the SMAW joint. After heat treatment hardness values disclosed the dissolution of the hard phases. The joints fabricated with SAW demonstrated high ductility with an increase in elongation of 23% and 37.5%, during the bend test and the tensile test respectively. Higher thickness welding of dissimilar joints by SAW is prefereed over SMAW joints, as it requires fewer weld passes and produce superior weld quality without any defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we report on measurements made with an improved CO2 Sounder lidar during the ASCENDS 2014 and 2016 airborne campaigns. The improvements made to the 2011 version of the lidar instrument included incorporating a rapidly wavelength tunable, step-locked seed laser in the transmitter, using a much more sensitive HgCdTe APD detector, and using an analog digitizer with faster readout time in the receiver. We also improved the lidar's calibration approach and the XCO2 retrieval algorithm. The 2014 and 2016 flights were made over several types of topographic surfaces from 3-12 km aircraft altitudes in the continental US. The results are compared to the XCO2 values from an airborne in situ sensor during spiral-down maneuvers. The 2014 results show significantly improved performance including measurement of horizontal gradients in XCO2 made over the US Midwest that agree with chemistry transport models. The results from the 2016 airborne lidar retrievals show precisions of ~ 0.8 parts per million (ppm) with 1 second averaging over desert surfaces. Measurements in 2016 were also made over fresh snow surfaces with lower surface reflectance at the laser wavelengths. The results from both campaigns showed the mean values of XCO2 retrieved from the lidar consistently agreed with those based on the in situ sensor to within 1 ppm. The precision and accuracies demonstrated should benefit future airborne science campaigns and serve as feasibility demonstrations for a future space-based instrument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have measured the column-averaged atmospheric CO2 mixing ratio to a variety of cloud tops by using an airborne pulsed multiple wavelengths integrated-path, differential absorption (IPDA) lidar. Airborne measurements were made at altitudes up to 13 km during the 2011, 2013 and 2014 ASCENDS science campaigns flown in the west and mid-west United States and were compared to those from an in situ sensor. Analysis of the lidar backscatter profiles show the average cloud top reflectance was ~ 5% for the CO2 measurement at 1572.335 nm except to cirrus clouds which had lower reflectance. The energies for 1-μs wide laser pulses reflected from cloud tops were sufficient to allow clear identification of CO2 absorption line shape and then to allow retrievals of atmospheric column CO2 from the aircraft to cloud tops more than 90% of the time. Retrievals from the CO2 measurements to cloud tops had minimal bias but larger standard deviations when compared to those made to the ground, depending on cloud top roughness and reflectance. The measurements show this new capability helps resolve CO2 horizontal and vertical gradients in the atmosphere. When used with nearby full column measurements to ground, the CO2 measurements to cloud tops can be used to estimate the partial column CO2 concentration below clouds, which should lead to better estimates of surface carbon sources and sinks. This additional capability of the range-resolved CO2 IPDA lidar technique provides a new benefit for studying the carbon cycle in future airborne and space-based CO2 missions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tungsten-incorporated mesostructured silicates were successfully synthesized by evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) method. Tungsten loadings from 2.9 to 22.2 wt% were achievable, with the corresponding BET surface areas decreasing from 520 to 284 m 2 /g at increased W loading. The W-EISA samples displayed amorphous ordered pore structure with an average pore size distribution of 2.3–3.3 nm. Hydrated isolated tetrahedral [WO 4 ] 2− species and hydrated octahedral polytungstate species were identified from diffuse reflectance UV/Vis spectra under ambient conditions. Uniform distribution of W species, mostly located near the surface, was evident from XPS W 4f photoelectron image. At 450 °C and 1 atm, for the reaction of ethylene + 2-butene metathesis to form propene, the W-EISA catalysts outperform either impregnated catalysts (WO 3 /SiO 2 and WO 3 /KIT-6) or one-pot synthesized W-KIT-6 catalyst, implying better W utilization in the W-EISA catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molybdenum-incorporated mesoporous silicates with different Si/Mo ratios were synthesized via the Evaporation Induced Self-Assembly (EISA) method. SAXS and nitrogen physisorption results confirm the ordered mesoporosity. The BET surface area, pore volume and pore size distribution generally decrease with Mo loading while preserving the mesoporosity. Highly dispersed monomeric and oligomeric MoO x species (Mo 6+ oxidation state) were evident from diffuse reflectance UV–Vis and XPS spectra. H 2 -TPR results confirm the existence of polymeric MoO x and bulk crystalline MoO 3 species. At lower loadings, Mo exits in both tetrahedral and octahedral symmetry as established by Mo L 3 -edge XANES studies. Mo-EISA catalysts with highly dispersed isolated MoO x sites display stable activity for 2-butene + ethylene metathesis that is comparable to those reported for WO 3 /SiO 2 catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The passivation of Brønsted acid sites in Nb-TUD-1 to improve H2O2 utilization and resistance to Nb leaching during the liquid-phase epoxidation of ethylene under mild operating conditions (35 °C and 50 bar) was studied. Our first strategy was to create hydrophobic ion pairs through the base treatment of Nb-TUD-1 using two organic bases, namely, tetraethylammonium hydroxide and diisopropylethylamine. Although these systems significantly enhanced H2O2 utilization toward ethylene oxide (EO) formation (70% and 90%, respectively), resistance to metal leaching was only moderately improved. We therefore investigated an alternative strategy using four different covalently bound capping groups, namely, methyl (Me), trimethylsilyl (TMS), tert-butyl (t-Bu), and benzyl (Bn), ranging from moderate to high hydrolytic stability. The catalyst capped using the benzyl group, Bn-Nb(40), showed the best performance in terms of significantly improved H2O2 utilization toward EO formation (∼60-71%) and reduced metal leaching (∼3%). The EO selectivity was >98%. Further, the structure of the Bn-Nb(40) catalyst was found to be stable under reaction conditions even after several recycle runs, thus confirming its potential as a viable epoxidation catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tungsten-incorporated 3D mesoporous silicates, W-KIT-6, W-KIT-5, and W-SBA-16 catalysts, outperform supported tungsten oxide catalysts (WO 3 /SiO 2 and WO 3 /KIT-6) for the metathesis of ethylene and 2-butene to propene at 450 °C. All catalysts exhibit steady activity and stability during 7 h runs in a fixed-bed reactor. Furthermore, on all mesoporous catalysts, a maximum propylene yield was obtained at an optimum W loading at which the catalyst acidity is also maximum. Slightly delayed addition of the W source during the one-pot synthesis protocol markedly improves the propene yield on W-KIT-6 catalyst. XPS results conclusively show that this enhancement is due to preferential enrichment of active W species on the catalyst surface. Extended runs lasting five days reveal very little loss of activity even which is easily recovered by calcination in air. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant ethylene epoxidation activity was observed over niobium (Nb) incorporated mesoporous silicate materials Nb-KIT-5, Nb-MCM-48, and Nb-TUD-1, with hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) as oxidant and methanol (MeOH) as solvent under mild operating conditions (35 °C and 50 bars). No CO 2 as by-product was detected at these conditions. The measured ethylene oxide (EO) productivity over Nb-TUD-1 materials (342–2539 g EO h −1 kg −1 Nb) spans a greater range than those observed with Nb-KIT-6 (234–794 g EO h −1 kg −1 Nb), Nb-KIT-5 (273–867 g EO h −1 kg −1 Nb) and Nb-MCM-48 (71–219 g EO h −1 kg −1 Nb) materials at similar operating conditions. However, significant H 2 O 2 decomposition and Nb leaching were observed in all cases. Computational studies employing minimal models of the catalytically active sites, suggest how the Brønsted acidity may lead to these detrimental pathways. Indeed, lowering the metal loading to significantly reduce the Brønsted acidity results in a dramatic increase in H 2 O 2 utilization toward EO formation (4304 g EO h −1 kg −1 Nb). The increased EO productivity either matches or surpasses what was observed on the conventional Ag-based heterogeneous catalyst (with O 2 as oxidant) as well as a Re-based homogeneous catalyst (with H 2 O 2 as oxidant). These results are paving the way for further computational and experimental investigations aimed at the rational design of improved epoxidation catalysts that reduce H 2 O 2 decomposition and metal leaching to practically viable levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mixed alcohols are attractive oxygenated products of biomass-derived syngas because they may be catalytically converted to a range of hydrocarbon products, including liquid hydrocarbon fuels. Catalytic dehydration to form olefins is a potential first step in the conversion of C 2 –C 4 alcohols into longer-chain hydrocarbons. We describe here the physical and chemical characterization along with catalytic activity and selectivity of 4 Brønsted and Lewis acidic catalysts for the dehydration of two mixed alcohol feed streams that are representative of products from syngas conversion over K-CoMoS type catalysts (i.e., ethanol, 1-propanol, 1-butanol and 2-methyl-1-propanol). Specifically, a Lewis acidic Zr-incorporated mesoporous silicate (Zr-KIT-6), a commercial Al-containing mesoporous silicate (Al-MCM-41), a commercial microporous aluminosilicate (HZSM-5), and a commercial microporous silicoaluminophosphate (SAPO-34) were tested for mixed alcohol dehydration at 250, 300 and 350 °C. The zeolite materials exhibited high activity (>98% ethanol conversion) at all temperatures while the mesoporous materials only displayed significant activity (>10% ethanol conversion) at or above 300 °C. The turnover frequencies for ethanol dehydration at 300 °C decreased in the following order: HZSM-5 > SAPO-34 > Al-MCM-41 > Zr-KIT-6, suggesting that Brønsted acidic sites are more active than Lewis acidic sites for alcohol dehydration. At 300 °C, SAPO-34 produced the highest yield of olefin products from both a water-free ethanol rich feed stream and a C 3+ -alcohol rich feed stream containing water. Post-reaction characterization indicated changes in the Brønsted-to-Lewis acidic site ratios for Zr-KIT-6, Al-MCM-41 and HZSM-5. Ammonia temperature programmed desorption indicated that the acid sites of post-reaction samples could be regenerated following treatment in air. The post-reaction SAPO-34 catalyst contained more aromatic, methylated aromatic and polyaromatic compounds than its zeolite counterpart HZSM-5, while no aromatic compounds were observed on post-reaction Al-MCM-41 or Zr-KIT-6 catalysts. Olefin yield at 300 °C over SAPO-34 (>95%) was comparable to published values for the methanol-to-olefins process, indicating the potential industrial application of mixed alcohol dehydration. Furthermore, the olefin product distribution over SAPO-34 was tunable by the composition of the alcohol feed mixture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zirconium was successfully incorporated into cubic KIT-5 mesoporous silicate by direct hydrothermal synthesis employing F127 triblock copolymer as the structure-directing agent. The Zr-KIT-5 materials exhibit relatively high specific surface area (∼1000 m 2 /g) and pore volumes (0.7–0.8 cm 3 /g), with an average cage diameter of approximately 8.8 nm as evidenced from N 2 sorption and HR-TEM results. Diffuse reflectance UV–Vis spectroscopy and XPS studies reveal framework Zr 4+ species that result in the formation of predominantly Lewis acid sites and some Brønsted acid sites, both of which increase with Zr content. The Zr-KIT-5 materials are shown to be highly active and stable catalysts for anisole benzylation with benzyl alcohol (BzOH) forming monobenzylated products (mainly ortho- and para-). It is shown that the benzylation activity depends mainly on the number and nature of the acid sites. Zr-KIT-5 material is thus a promising and environmentally benign Friedel–Crafts alkylation catalyst with many potential applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amorphous 3D mesoporous silicate TUD-1 was incorporated with monometallic Al 3+ , Fe 3+ and bimetallic Al 3+ –Fe 3+ by direct one pot synthesis. The incorporation of these metal ions created both Lewis and Brønsted acid sites. A synergy between Al and Fe sites in TUD-1 was noticed and is found responsible for observed higher activity in the synthesis of 1,4-dihydropyridine and β-amino carbonyl compounds through Hantzsch and Mannich reactions respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Niobium in varying amounts was successfully incorporated into SBA-16 material via a one-pot direct synthesis technique. Complementary small angle X-ray spectroscopy (SAXS), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 sorption isotherms, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) imaging results confirm the structural features and integrity of the prepared materials. The Nb-SBA-16 materials possess high surface areas (829-1060 m2/g) and pore volumes (0.69-0.82 cm2/g) that decrease with increasing niobium content. Niobium exists mostly as tetrahedral NbO4 and oligomeric NbO4 species. NH3-TPD results reveal that Nb insertion imparts Lewis acidity to the SBA-16 supports, with the acidity increasing with Nb loading. The Nb-SBA-16 materials show good cyclohexene epoxidation activity with H2O2 as oxidant, with the epoxide selectivity decreasing at higher Nb loadings due to ring-opening and other side reactions of the epoxide, attributed to increased acidity. The Nb-SBA-16 materials generally show superior performance compared to either Nb-KIT-6 or Nb-KIT-5 materials at lower Nb loadings and similar reaction conditions. Unlike the other catalysts, both the cyclohexene conversion and epoxide selectivity go through a maximum in the case Nb-SBA-16 materials, suggesting that the surface Nb oxide species that dictate the overall acidity are different in the three catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive inflammation in the chronic wound bed is believed to result in increased fibronectin (FN) proteolysis and poor tissue repair. However, FN fragments can prime the immune response and result in higher protease levels. The reciprocity between FN proteolysis and inflammation makes it challenging to determine the specific contribution of FN proteolysis in the extracellular matrix (ECM) on tissue responses. We studied the impact of proteolysis of decellularized extracellular matrices (dECMs) obtained from NIH 3T3 mouse fibroblasts on FN level and activity. The dECMs were treated with α chymotrypsin and proteolysis was stopped at different time points. The protease solution was obtained, the remaining dECM was scrapped and examined by immunoblotting and Bicinchoninic Acid assays. Fibronectin was 9.4 ± 1.8% of the total protein content in the dECM but was more susceptible to proteolysis. After 15 min of protease treatment there was a 67.6% and 11.1% decrease in FN and total protein, respectively, in the dECMs. Fibronectin fragments were present both in the proteolysis solution and in the dECM. Cell adhesion, spreading and actin extensions on dECMs decreased with increasing proteolysis time. Interestingly, the solutions obtained after proteolysis of the dECMs supported cell adhesion and spreading in a time dependent manner, thus demonstrating the presence of FN cell binding activity in the protease solution of dECMs. This study demonstrates the susceptibility of FN in the ECM to proteolysis and the resulting loss of cell adhesion due to the decrease of FN activity and places weight on bioengineering strategies to stabilize FN against proteolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Niobium has been incorporated into cage-like ordered mesoporous KIT-5, a cubic close-packed (Fm3m) structured silica, for the first time by a direct hydrothermal synthesis method. Small-angle X-ray scattering spectra and nitrogen physisorption results confirm the formation of the KIT-5 structure. The incorporation of Nb and its coordination were confirmed by techniques such as elemental analysis, diffuse reflectance UV-Vis, Raman, HR-SEM and NH3-TPD. When tested as epoxidation catalyst for styrene with H2O2, Nb-KIT-5 mainly yielded (1,2-dimethoxyethyl) benzene with methanol as solvent. It also showed better catalytic activity compared to other mesostructured catalysts such as Nb-KIT-6 and Nb-SBA-15. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper deals with the synthesis of a heterogeneous catalyst (KBr/CaO) from commercial calcium oxide and potassium bromide by wet impregnation method. This solid catalyst was tested for transesterification of waste cooking oil (WCO). The synthesized catalyst was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared spectrometry (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) techniques. Transesterification reaction parameters were varied to obtain the maximum yield of biodiesel. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) using Central Composite Design (CCD) was employed to study the effect of the process variables like methanol to oil ratio, catalyst loading and reaction time. The optimum conditions obtained using regression models were found to be 12:1 methanol: oil ratio, 3 wt% catalyst loading and 1.8 h reaction time. The composition of FAME was determined using Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS). The performance and emission characteristics for various blends of biodiesel (B10, B20, B50 and B100) were investigated in a four stroke direct injection diesel engine. The results indicated that the brake thermal efficiency, particulate matter, unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide emissions reduced with increased concentration of biodiesel in the fuel blends, whereas the specific fuel consumption, NO x emissions and exhaust gas temperature increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lewis acidic Zr-KIT-6 catalyst was tested for ethanol dehydration. Under the reaction conditions studied (T = 300-380 °C, P = 1 atm, P = 5 % in N), Zr-KIT-6 materials showed high ethylene selectivity (~80 %) with stable activity (60 h). The activation energy for ethanol dehydration to ethylene, estimated from intrinsic rate constants normalized with respect to the Lewis acid sites, was approximately 79 ± 1 kJ/mol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Niobium-incorporated cubic ia3d structure (Nb-KIT-6) synthesized for the first time. [•] Isolated NbO4 framework species are evident from both UV-Vis and Raman spectra. [•] Resulting acidity stems from both Lewis (larger fraction) and Brønsted sites. [•] Total acidity increases almost linearly with Nb content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] We examine the role of fibronectin on fibrin matrix structure and formation. [•] Fibronectin increases the rate of formation of the fibrin matrix. [•] Fibronectin decreases the size and increases the density of fibers in the matrix. [•] Fibronectin amount in solution positively correlates to amount in the matrix. [•] The amount of fibronectin bound to the fibrin matrix is saturable. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We have previously demonstrated a pulsed direct detection IPDA lidar to measure range and the column concentration of atmospheric CO2. The lidar measures the atmospheric backscatter profiles and samples the shape of the 1,572.33 nm CO2 absorption line. We participated in the ASCENDS science flights on the NASA DC-8 aircraft during August 2011 and report here lidar measurements made on four flights over a variety of surface and cloud conditions near the US. These included over a stratus cloud deck over the Pacific Ocean, to a dry lake bed surrounded by mountains in Nevada, to a desert area with a coal-fired power plant, and from the Rocky Mountains to Iowa, with segments with both cumulus and cirrus clouds. Most flights were to altitudes >12 km and had 5-6 altitude steps. Analyses show the retrievals of lidar range, CO2 column absorption, and CO2 mixing ratio worked well when measuring over topography with rapidly changing height and reflectivity, through thin clouds, between cumulus clouds, and to stratus cloud tops. The retrievals shows the decrease in column CO2 due to growing vegetation when flying over Iowa cropland as well as a sudden increase in CO2 concentration near a coal-fired power plant. For regions where the CO2 concentration was relatively constant, the measured CO2 absorption lineshape (averaged for 50 s) matched the predicted shapes to better than 1% RMS error. For 10 s averaging, the scatter in the retrievals was typically 2-3 ppm and was limited by the received signal photon count. Retrievals were made using atmospheric parameters from both an atmospheric model and from in situ temperature and pressure from the aircraft. The retrievals had no free parameters and did not use empirical adjustments, and >70% of the measurements passed screening and were used in analysis. The differences between the lidar-measured retrievals and in situ measured average CO2 column concentrations were <1.4 ppm for flight measurement altitudes >6 km. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used an airborne pulsed integrated path differential absorption lidar to make spectroscopic measurements of the pressure-induced line broadening and line center shift of atmospheric carbon dioxide at the 1572.335 nm absorption line. We scanned the lidar wavelength over 13 GHz (110 pm) and measured the absorption lineshape at 30 discrete wavelengths in the vertical column between the aircraft and ground. A comparison of our measured absorption lineshape to calculations based on HIgh-resolution TRANsmission molecular absorption database shows excellent agreement with the peak optical depth accurate to within 0.3%. Additionally, we measure changes in the line center position to within 5.2 MHz of calculations and the absorption linewidth to within 0.6% of calculations. These measurements highlight the high precision of our technique, which can be applied to suitable absorption lines of any atmospheric gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A zirconium-incorporated Ia3dcubic three-dimensional (3-D) mesoporoussilicate, KIT-6, with differentzirconium loadings, was synthesized via a one-step direct hydrothermalsynthesis procedure employing Pluronic P123 triblock copolymer asthe structure-directing agent under acidic conditions. Various characterizationtechniques, such as two-dimensional (2-D) small-angle X-ray scattering(SAXS), nitrogen sorption, temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia(NH3-TPD), and ultraviolet–visible-light (UV-Vis)spectra, showed that zirconium was incorporated as Zr4+ions in the KIT-6 framework, which retained the structural integritywith a highly ordered pore structure. The Zr-KIT-6 materials exhibitvery high surface areas (810–980 m2/g) and largepore volumes (1.07–1.65 cm3/g) that decrease withan increase in zirconium content. In contrast, the pore size distributionremains relatively unaffected by zirconium loading with an averagepore diameter of ∼9.3 nm. The Zr-KIT-6 materials possess Lewisacidity that increases with zirconium loading. In the 180–300°C range, the Zr-KIT-6 materials are shown to be highly activefor the test reaction of isopropanol (IPA) dehydration to propylene(selectivity >98%). The activation energy for IPA dehydration,estimatedfrom intrinsic rate constants normalized with respect to the Lewisacid sites, was ∼49 ± 1 kJ/mol and found to be lower thanmost other Brønsted or Lewis acidic heterogeneous catalysts reportedin the literature for IPA dehydration. Furthermore, these catalystsshowed nearly stable activity with very little deactivation duringextended runs at 260 and 300 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] We have synthesized tungsten incorporated cubic ordered mesoporous silica, W-KIT-5. [•] At lower loadings, tungsten exists in framework positions. [•] At higher loadings, polyoxalate ions and crystalline WO3 also form. [•] Both W5+ and W6+ species coexist on the KIT-5 surface. [•] W-KIT-5 possesses acid sites of medium strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Zirconium was incorporated into ultra large pore mesoporous silicate, KIT-6, for the first time via hydrothermal synthesis using a Pluronic P123 triblock copolymer as the structure directing agent and n-butanol as additive. Various characterization tools such as XRD, elemental analysis, N2 sorption, HR-TEM, 29Si MAS NMR, DR-UV–Vis and NH3-TPD were employed to understand the morphology, textural properties, structure and the nature of Zirconium coordination. The Zr–KIT-6 samples possess a very high specific surface area of ∼740m2/g with pore volume of ∼1.1cm3/g. An average pore size of about 9nm is evident from N2 sorption and HR-TEM studies. Even though the majority of Zr is incorporated in the silicate framework, highly dispersed ZrO2 nanoparticles are evident in all the samples. The Zr–KIT-6 is also shown to possess acid sites of medium strength. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Partial-transfer absorption imaging is a tool that enables optimal imaging of atomic clouds for a wide range of optical depths. In contrast to standard absorption imaging, the technique can be minimally destructive and can be used to obtain multiple successive images of the same sample. The technique involves transferring a small fraction of the sample from an initial internal atomic state to an auxiliary state and subsequently imaging that fraction absorptively on a cycling transition. The atoms remaining in the initial state are essentially unaffected. We demonstrate the technique, discuss its applicability, and compare its performance as a minimally destructive technique to that of phase-contrast imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retinoic-acid-inducible gene-I (RIG-I; also known as DDX58) is a cytoplasmic pathogen recognition receptor that recognizes pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) motifs to differentiate between viral and cellular RNAs. RIG-I is activated by blunt-ended double-stranded (ds)RNA with or without a 5?-triphosphate (ppp), by single-stranded RNA marked by a 5?-ppp and by polyuridine sequences. Upon binding to such PAMP motifs, RIG-I initiates a signalling cascade that induces innate immune defences and inflammatory cytokines to establish an antiviral state. The RIG-I pathway is highly regulated and aberrant signalling leads to apoptosis, altered cell differentiation, inflammation, autoimmune diseases and cancer. The helicase and repressor domains (RD) of RIG-I recognize dsRNA and 5?-ppp RNA to activate the two amino-terminal caspase recruitment domains (CARDs) for signalling. Here, to understand the synergy between the helicase and the RD for RNA binding, and the contribution of ATP hydrolysis to RIG-I activation, we determined the structure of human RIG-I helicase-RD in complex with dsRNA and an ATP analogue. The helicase-RD organizes into a ring around dsRNA, capping one end, while contacting both strands using previously uncharacterized motifs to recognize dsRNA. Small-angle X-ray scattering, limited proteolysis and differential scanning fluorimetry indicate that RIG-I is in an extended and flexible conformation that compacts upon binding RNA. These results provide a detailed view of the role of helicase in dsRNA recognition, the synergy between the RD and the helicase for RNA binding and the organization of full-length RIG-I bound to dsRNA, and provide evidence of a conformational change upon RNA binding. The RIG-I helicase-RD structure is consistent with dsRNA translocation without unwinding and cooperative binding to RNA. The structure yields unprecedented insight into innate immunity and has a broader impact on other areas of biology, including RNA interference and DNA repair, which utilize homologous helicase domains within DICER and FANCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Co-TUD-1, an amorphous sponge-like mesoporous cobalt-containing silicate, was shown to be a very active and selective catalyst for the aerobic oxidation of cyclohexane. In addition, the decomposition of cyclohexyl hydroperoxide (CHHP) was carried out over Co-TUD-1 and it catalysed complete conversion of CHHP with excellent selectivity towards cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone. A stable activity over a period of one week was established for Co-TUD-1 in our rigorous leaching experiments during the continuous decomposition of CHHP. No leaching of the metal could be detected proving the catalyst to be truly heterogeneous. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A new, three-dimensional, amorphous mesoporous silicate containing zirconium, Zr-TUD-1, was synthesised via a direct hydrothermal treatment method using triethanolamine as the template. The mesoporosity of Zr-TUD-1 was confirmed by XRD, N2 sorption and HR-TEM studies. The acid sites present in Zr-TUD-1 were evaluated by FT-IR studies of pyridine adsorption and shown to be predominately Lewis acidic. The nature of zirconium in Zr-TUD-1 was established by FT-IR, XPS and UV–vis studies. Zr-TUD-1 was tested in the Meerwein–Ponndorf–Verley reduction. It showed a promising activity, in particular for the stereoselective reduction of steroids. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The α and β isoforms of rat Ca2+/calmodulin kinase II inhibitor (CaMKIINα/β) expressed in brain or brain and testis, respectively, are potent inhibitors of Ca2+/calmodulin kinase II (CaMKII) in vitro. However, the regulation or function of CaMKIINα/β in the central nervous system (CNS) is not known. In this study, we demonstrate that mouse CaMKIINα gene encodes a 2.9kb brain-specific transcript whose expression is downregulated in mouse brain during Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and rabies virus infection. The downregulation is specific for CaMKIINα but not CaMKIINβ mRNA. In addition to these changes in CaMKIINα mRNA, distinct changes are also observed in the phosphorylation as well as subcellular localization of CaMKIIα leading to an increase in cytosolic CaMKII activity in JEV-infected mouse brain. The differential regulation of CaMKIIα and CaMKIINα during JEV infection suggests a possible role for these proteins in viral infection and/or virus-induced neuropathogenesis in the CNS. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The technological evolution of electronic equipment in the field of computers and household appliances, along with shorter life of most items, is creating a great concern for managing this waste stream. The main aim of the present investigation was to convert waste keyboard keys into high-quality pyrolysis oil using a microwave catalytic pyrolysis process. Iron (Fe), Nickel (Ni), were doped in different ratios on Biochar (BC) by wet impregnation method, and it was used as a green catalyst for clean fuel production. Initially, a non-catalytic pyrolysis process was conducted and found a maximum pyrolysis oil yield of 49.6 wt.%. Further, microwave catalytic pyrolysis was conducted with variable amount of metal loading and found that highest oil yield of 61.33 wt.% was achieved using 15%Fe-5%Ni/BC catalyst due to the presence of a higher quantity of iron. The produced pyrolysis oil at this condition consists of 45.07% single-ring compounds and reduced the undesirable polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the pyrolysis oil. This work provides a pathway for preparing green catalysts and safe disposal of electrical and electronic plastic waste with better resource recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determines the incidence and effect of unrecognized cardiac injury in critically ill patients. Evidence of myocardial damage based on elevated levels of cardiac troponin I; Association with increased morbidity and mortality.

A comparative assessment of electrical and microwave-assisted pyrolysis (MAP) of waste engine oil was carried out at 350 °C for the production of diesel-like fuel. The higher energy savings of MAP compared to electrical pyrolysis was found to be 56% at 1.1 kW power supplied with maximum energy recovery being 26,807 kJ/kg. Hence, the diesel-like fuel obtained from MAP process was selected for further engine study. Physicochemical characteristics of microwave pyrolysis oil (MPO) such as calorific value, elemental analysis, GC-MS and FTIR were found to be on par with diesel. Also, the viscosity of MPO was more than that of diesel, which leads to poor combustion under standard operating condition. Therefore, engine studies were conducted using MPO under different fuel injection pressure of 200, 230, 260, 280, 300 and 340 bar for better combustion. The performance and emission analysis showed that the fuel injection pressure at 280 bar was the optimum condition when using MPO in a CI engine. There was a 4% improvement in brake thermal efficiency under the optimum condition compared to diesel. At the same time, carbon monoxide, unburnt hydrocarbons, nitric oxide and smoke emissions decreased by 0.6%, 37.74%, 17.4% and 43.69% respectively. • Hazardous waste engine oil was converted into diesel-like fuel at 350 °C. • Energy recovery of microwave pyrolysis was 43% higher than electrical pyrolysis. • Brake thermal efficiency of MPO was 4% higher than diesel at 280 bar FIP. • UBHC and smoke emissions were decreased by 37.74% and 34.29% at 280 bar FIP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The retrieval algorithm for CO 2 column mixing ratio from measurements of a pulsed multi-wavelength integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar is described. The lidar samples the shape of the 1572.33 nm CO 2 absorption line at multiple wavelengths. The algorithm uses a least-squares fit between the CO 2 line shape computed from a layered atmosphere model and that sampled by the lidar. In addition to the column-average CO 2 dry-air mole fraction (XCO 2), several other parameters are also solved simultaneously from the fit. These include the Doppler shift at the received laser signal wavelength, the product of the surface reflectivity and atmospheric transmission, and a linear trend in the lidar receiver's spectral response. The algorithm can also be used to solve for the average water vapor mixing ratio, which produces a secondary absorption in the wings of the CO 2 absorption line under humid conditions. The least-squares fit is linearized about the expected XCO 2 value, which allows the use of a standard linear least-squares fitting method and software tools. The standard deviation of the retrieved XCO 2 is obtained from the covariance matrix of the fit. The averaging kernel is also provided similarly to that used for passive trace-gas column measurements. Examples are presented of using the algorithm to retrieve XCO 2 from measurements of the NASA Goddard airborne CO 2 Sounder lidar that were made at constant altitude and during spiral-down profile maneuvers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "Metal-Incorporated Mesoporous Silicates: Tunable Catalytic Properties and Applications," by A. Ramanathan et al, published in a previous issue is presented.

The retrieval algorithm for the column mixing ratio of CO2 from the measurements of a pulsed multi-wavelength integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar is described. The lidar samples the shape of the 1572.33 nm CO2 absorption line at 15 or 30 wavelengths. The algorithm uses a least-squares fit between the CO2 line shape computed from a layered atmosphere model to that sampled by the lidar. In addition to the column average CO2 dry air mole fraction (XCO2), several other parameters are also solved simultaneously from the fit. These include the Doppler shift in the received laser signal wavelengths, the product of the surface reflectivity and atmospheric transmission and a linear trend in the lidar receiver's spectral response. The algorithm can also be used to solve for the average water vapor mixing ratio, which causes a secondary absorption in the wings of the CO2 absorption line under high humidity conditions. The least-squares fit is linearized about the expected XCO2 value which allows the use of a standard linear least-squares fitting method and software tools. The standard deviation of the retrieved XCO2 is obtained from covariance matrix of the fit. An averaging kernel is defined similarly to that used for passive trace-gas sounding. Examples are presented of using the algorithm to retrieve XCO2 from the measurements from NASA Goddard's airborne CO2 Sounder lidar made at a constant altitude and during spiral-down maneuvers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disposal of hazardous waste engine oil (WEO) has become the forefront of climate change. Hence, the potential conversion of WEO is essential and also recycled through different pyrolysis techniques for better assessment. In this work, diesel-like fuel extracted from electrical pyrolysis and microwave pyrolysis was used as an alternative fuel for the CI engine. The pyrolysis oil generated by both pyrolysis processes was found to be reliable. Nevertheless, the physicochemical characteristics of both pyrolysis oil deviated from each other. The performance, combustion and emission characteristics of different pyrolysis fuel have been investigated to identify the suitable alternative fuel for CI engine. The performance characteristics at rated load revealed that the brake thermal efficiency of electrical pyrolysis oil (EPO) and microwave pyrolysis oil (MPO) was 26% and 25%, respectively, which was 0.8% and 1.5% lower than diesel due to its higher viscosity. Emission characteristic shows that unburnt hydrocarbon emission of EPO and MPO was higher than diesel by 7% and 15%, respectively. Similarly, the filter smoke number was 3% and 10% higher than diesel. NO emission of EPO and MPO was lower than diesel by 27% and 13%, respectively. Also, exergy analysis represents MPO has higher potential when compared to EPO due to higher exergy efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Up to 86% of oral cancer (OC) patients present at the late stage where survival is dismal. Limited access to specialist diagnosis is a significant factor for late presentation. The increasing use of smartphones presents an opportunity to use digital technology to facilitate early detection of OC. Aim: To evaluate the feasibility of using Mobile Mouth Screening Anywhere (MeMoSA®) to facilitate early detection of OC. Methods: A mobile phone app named MeMoSA was developed and the feasibility of integrating this for documentation of oral lesions, and communication between dentists and specialists for management decisions were evaluated. The experience of dentists and specialists in using MeMoSA was determined using qualitative questionnaires. Results: Communication between specialist and dentists using MeMoSA stratified cases and streamlined referral of patients. Twelve of 48 patients were found to have oral lesions or signs suspicious of cancer and 3 required referrals. The patient's compliance for referral was tracked with MeMoSA. All dentists agreed that MeMoSA could facilitate early detection of OC and believed that MeMoSA could assist in the identification of oral mucosal lesions through direct communication with specialists and continuous learning in the recognition of high-risk lesions. Conclusions: MeMoSA has the potential to be used to promote equitable health care and streamline patient management that could result in early detection of OC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Microreactor with microheater was used for the first time for biodiesel production. • Microreactor with microheater had a maximum yield of 91.1 % without any premixing. • The energy consumption using the microreactor with microheater is 60 kJ. • Multi-objective optimization using RSM-ANN and ranking with TOPIS-VIKOR. Microreactor is one of the process intensification techniques which uses reaction dimensions below millimeter size and have greater yield within lesser reaction time and a high heat transfer rate due to their high surface to volume ratio. To develop energy efficient reactors, microheater is chosen as the heating source for microreactor which consume less power than the conventional heating elements. Using response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) the effects of the biodiesel process variables was analyzed: catalyst concentration (0.5–2.5 wt.%), reaction temperature (35–55 °C), flow rate (5–25 mL/min), oil to methanol molar ratio (1:6–1:18), and power supplied to the microheater (15–35 W). To observe more than set limit, Technique for Order Performance by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and VIKOR were used to evaluate the optimum conditions. Under the optimum conditions of 20 mL/min flow rate, 45 °C reaction temperature, 1.5 wt.% catalyst concentration, 1:9 oil to methanol molar ratio, and 20 W power supplied, the maximum biodiesel yield for microreactor with microheater is 91.1 %. Using ultrasonic mixing additionally for microreactor with microheater had maximum yield of 94.4 % under the optimum conditions. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]