ASR is in Europe classified as hazardous waste. Both the stringent landfill legislation and the objectives/legislation related to ELV treatment of various countries, will limit current landfilling ...practice and impose an increased efficiency of the recovery and recycling of ELVs. The present paper situates ASR within the ELV context. Primary recovery techniques recycle up to 75% of the ELV components; the remaining 25% is called ASR. Characteristics of ASR and possible upgrading by secondary recovery techniques are reviewed. The latter techniques can produce a fuel- or fillergrade ASR, however with limitations as discussed. A further reduction of ASR to be disposed of calls upon (co-)incineration or the use of thermo-chemical processes, such as pyrolysis or gasification. The application in waste-to-energy plants, in cement kilns or in metallurgical processes is possible, with attention to the possible environmental impact: research into these impacts is discussed in detail. Pyrolysis and gasification are emerging technologies: although the sole use of ASR is debatable, its mixing with other waste streams is gradually being applied in commercial processes. The environmental impacts of the processes are acceptable, but more supporting data are needed and the advantage over (co-)incineration remains to be proven.
The paper starts by reviewing the increasing production of waste and the growing importance of its thermal treatment, which aims at volume reduction of the waste, at the destruction, capture, and ...concentration of hazardous substances, and at the recovery of energy (WtE).
Incineration is a generally applied thermal treatment technique, whereas pyrolysis and gasification are still under development. Within the incineration techniques, bubbling, rotating and circulating fluidized beds have found specific and growing applications. As technical information on fluidized bed waste incinerators is spread throughout literature, the present review paper collates the relevant literature and critically examines the parameters that govern the design and operation of these incinerators.
Secondly, the design strategy of a fluidised bed incinerator is outlined, which involves considerations of hydrodynamic (velocities, mixing), thermal (heat balances) and kinetic (reaction rate and burnout) nature. Application of the design equations and recommendations will facilitate the sizing of an appropriate fluidized bed incinerator.
Since during waste incineration pollutants are formed, the origin and fate of the pollutants and their abatement are reviewed.
Finally, special attention is given to the specific de-fluidization problems often encountered during fluidized bed combustor operation, mainly because of agglomeration and sintering. The mechanisms of agglomeration and sintering are discussed, and possible remedies are given. Additionally, important issues of equipment erosion and uniform feeding of the waste into the fluidized bed reactor are considered.
•Woody networks host 45% of plant richness while covering 1% of the countryside.•Forest sp., grassland sp., tall herbs and pioneers coexist well in woody networks.•Pollinator resource values and ...edibility values are derived from vegetation.•Creating woody elements can contribute to plant diversity and ESS in agro-landscapes.
Woody networks of hedgerows, tree lines and forest patches can harbour a high biodiversity and may serve as an important species refuge in agricultural landscapes. In order to protect the biodiversity and associated potential ecosystem services of woody networks, we need to understand their drivers. We surveyed the plant diversity and calculated the pollinator resource value and edibility value of 831 woody elements in 47 landscape windows of 1 km2 in the countryside in northern Belgium. The woody network hosted approximately 45% of the plant diversity in the studied countryside, and forest species, grassland species, tall herbs as well as pioneer species coexisted successfully within the woody elements. The pollination resource value showed the highest correlation with the species richness and abundance of the forest species, whereas for edibility the species richness and abundance of the tall herbs were determinative. The number of forest species mainly depended on the presence of forests in the surrounding landscape and the link was even stronger in historical woody elements. For grassland species, tall herbs and pioneers, we found that structural variables of the woody element itself were the most important driver. We argue that by protecting existing woody elements and thoughtfully designing and locating new ones, intrinsic and functional diversity in the countryside can benefit well.
Many stress-related psychiatric disorders are more common in women than in men. We aimed to determine how female rats respond to maternal separation (MS; removal of the dam from the litter for ...3 h/day from postnatal day (P) 2–14)). A subset of MS females were also exposed to chronic constant light for 3 weeks during adolescence (P42–63) to investigate whether the antidepressant effect of light treatment, previously observed in male rats, could be seen in female rats. Ultrasonic vocalizations (22 kHz) were recorded and the forced swim test was conducted immediately after light exposure (P65–67) and 33 days later (P98–99) to determine depressive-like behaviour. Key proteins in the MAPK signal transduction pathway (MKP-1, phospho-ERK, total ERK) and a synaptosomal marker (synaptophysin) were measured in the ventral hippocampus. We found that MS decreased the duration of 22 kHz vocalizations at P65 which was reversed by subsequent light. Light exposure increased time spent in the inner zone of the open field and the number of 22 kHz calls in response to novelty at P98. MS decreased the time females spent immobile and increased time actively swimming in the forced swim test at P67 but not at P99. MKP-1 and synaptophysin levels remained unchanged while MS decreased phospho-ERK levels in the ventral hippocampus. In contrast to clinical findings, the results suggest that female rats may be resistant to MS-induced depression-like behaviour. The behavioural effects of MS and light treatment in female rats may involve the MAPK/ERK signal transduction pathway.
Aims/hypothesis
We investigated whether screening for insulinoma-associated protein (IA-2) beta (IA-2β) autoantibodies (IA-2βA) and zinc transporter-8 (ZnT8) autoantibodies (ZnT8A) improves ...identification of first-degree relatives of type 1 diabetic patients with a high 5-year disease risk, which to date has been based on assays for insulin autoantibodies (IAA), GAD autoantibodies (GADA) and IA-2 autoantibodies (IA-2A).
Methods
IA-2βA and ZnT8A (using a ZnT8 carboxy-terminal hybrid construct, CW-CR, carrying 325Arg and 325Trp) were determined by radiobinding assay in 409 IAA
+
, GADA
+
and/or IA-2A
+
siblings or offspring (<40 years) of type 1 diabetic patients consecutively recruited by the Belgian Diabetes Registry. The median (interquartile range) age of the first-degree relatives was 12 (6–19) years.
Results
Of the first-degree relatives, 24% were IA-2A
+
(
n
= 97), 14% (
n
= 59) IA-2βA
+
and 20% (
n
= 80) ZnT8A
+
. IA-2βA and ZnT8A were significantly (
p
< 0.001) associated with IA-2A and prediabetes (
n
= 86); in IA-2A
−
first-degree relatives (
n
= 312) the presence of IA-2βA and ZnT8A was associated with an increased progression rate to diabetes (
p
< 0.001). Positivity for IA-2A and/or ZnT8A emerged as the most sensitive combination of two markers to identify first-degree relatives with a 5-year progression rate to diabetes of 45% (survival analysis) and as strongest predictor of diabetes (Cox regression analysis). Omission of first-degree relatives protected by
HLA-DQ
genotypes or maternal diabetes reduced the group to be followed from
n
= 409 to
n
= 246 (40%) with minor loss in the number of prediabetic IA-2A
+
or ZnT8A
+
first-degree relatives identified (
n
= 3).
Conclusions/interpretation
IA-2A
+
and/or ZnT8A
+
first-degree relatives may be the participants of choice in future secondary prevention trials with immunointervention in relatives of type 1 diabetic patients.
The European directive 2000/53/EC implies a “reuse and recovery” rate for end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) of 95% to be reached by the year 2015. One of the options to increase the actual average European ...“reuse and recovery” rate of approximately 78% (EU 15, 2008) is incineration of automotive shredder residue (ASR) with energy-recovery. The mass balance and the congener fingerprints for PCDD/Fs, dioxin-like PCBs, PCBs and PAHs in a real scale fluidized bed combustor (FBC) incinerating 25% ASR with 25% refuse derived fuel (RDF) and 50% waste water treatment sludge (WWT sludge) were investigated. The PCDD/F, dioxin-like PCB, PCB and PAH concentrations in this input waste mix were more than hundred times higher than in the usual waste feed of the incinerator (30% RFD and 70% WWT sludge). In the outputs of the FBC, however, the concentrations of these POP groups were comparable or only slightly higher than in the outputs generated during the incineration of the usual waste feed. The considered POPs in the waste were destroyed efficiently and the formation of new POPs during cooling of the flue gas appeared to a large extent independent of the POP concentrations in the incinerated waste.
Summary
In first‐degree relatives of type 1 diabetic patients, we investigated whether diabetes risk assessment solely based on insulinoma antigen 2 (IA‐2) and zinc transporter 8 (ZnT8) antibody ...status (IA‐2A, respectively, ZnT8A) is as effective as screening for three or four autoantibodies antibodies against insulin (IAA), glutamate decarboxylase 65 kDa (GAD) glutamate decarboxylase autoantibodies (GADA) and IA‐2A with or without ZnT8A in identifying children, adolescents and adults who progress rapidly to diabetes (within 5 years). Antibodies were determined by radiobinding assays during follow‐up of 6444 siblings and offspring aged 0–39 years at inclusion and recruited consecutively by the Belgian Diabetes Registry. We identified 394 persistently IAA+, GADA+, IA‐2A+ and/or ZnT8A+ relatives (6·1%). After a median follow‐up time of 52 months, 132 relatives developed type 1 diabetes. In each age category tested (0–9, 10–19 and 20–39 years) progression to diabetes was significantly quicker in the presence of IA‐2A and/or ZnT8A than in their joint absence (P < 0·001). Progression rate was age‐independent in IA‐2A+ and/or ZnT8A+ relatives but decreased with age if only GADA and/or IAA were present (P = 0·008). In the age group mainly considered for immune interventions until now (10–39 years), screening for IA‐2A and ZnT8A alone identified 78% of the rapid progressors (versus 75% if positive for ≥ 2 antibodies among IAA, GADA, IA‐2A and ZnT8A or versus 62% without testing for ZnT8A). Screening for IA‐2A and ZnT8A alone allows identification of the majority of rapidly progressing prediabetic siblings and offspring regardless of age and is more cost‐effective to select participants for intervention trials than conventional screening.
Abstract Objectives Spinal cord ischemia after open surgical repair for rAAA is a rare event. We estimated the current incidence and tried to identify risk factors. We also report a new case. Methods ...Group A consisted of 10 reports on open repair for rAAA from 1980 until 2009. Only series of ≥100 patients were considered to estimate the incidence. Thirty three case reports from 1956 until 2009 were identified (group B). Case reports from group B were not encountered in group A. Group B patients were stratified according to the type of neurological deficit as described by Gloviczki (type I complete infarction and type II infarction of the anterior two third). Results Group A consisted of 1438 patients. In group A 86% were male with a mean age of 72.1 years. The incidence of post-operative paraplegia was 1.2% (range 0–2.8%). In-hospital mortality was 46.9%. Of the 33 patients of group B were 86% male with a mean age of 68.0 years. Most patients developed a type I (42%) or type II (33%) deficit. In-hospital mortality was 51.6%. No significant differences between different types were encountered. Conclusion Spinal cord ischemia after ruptured AAA is a rare complication with an incidence of 1.2% (range 0–2.8%).
Aims/hypothesis
The appearance of autoantibodies (Abs) before diabetes onset has mainly been studied in young children. However, most patients develop type 1 diabetes after the age of 15 years. In ...first-degree relatives aged under 40 years, we investigated the frequency of seroconversion to (persistent) Ab positivity, progression to diabetes and baseline characteristics of seroconverters according to age.
Methods
Abs against insulin (IAA), glutamate decarboxylase (GADA), insulinoma-associated protein 2 (IA-2A) and zinc transporter 8 (ZnT8A) were measured during follow-up of 7,170 first-degree relatives.
Results
We identified 379 (5.3%) relatives with positivity for IAA, GADA, IA-2A and/or ZnT8A (Ab
+
) at first sampling and 224 (3.1%) at a later time point. Most seroconversions occurred after the age of 10 years (63%). During follow-up, Abs persisted more often in relatives initially Ab
+
(76%) than in seroconverters (53%;
p
< 0.001). In both groups diabetes developed at a similar pace and almost exclusively with Ab persistence (136 of 139 prediabetic individuals). For both groups, progression was more rapid if Abs appeared before the age of 10 years. Baseline characteristics at seroconversion did not vary significantly according to age.
Conclusions/interpretation
Seroconversion to (persistent) Ab
+
occurs regardless of age. Although the progression rate to diabetes is higher under age 10 years, later seroconverters (up to age 40 years) have similar characteristics when compared with age-matched initially Ab
+
relatives and generate an important minority of prediabetic relatives, warranting their identification and, eventually, enrolment in prevention trials.
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