Greenhouse gases emitted from the excessive use of fossil fuels are threatening the environment, and thus alternative resources like biomass are being considered as a replacement. Biomass with high ...moisture content is better treated by hydrothermal carbonization method than any other process to generate biofuel. Research on this method on a lab scale has progressed recently. However, due to the complex reaction mechanisms and operational barriers, more improvements are required to make it a commercial technology. This paper aims to review the development of hydrothermal carbonization with a focus on the practical aspects of the process. Many references have been reviewed critically to provide a well-structured source for improving this process. After providing information about the biomass structure and general knowledge of hydrothermal carbonization, the challenges faced in attempts to improve the process have been identified as lack of valid kinetic and heat transfer models and insufficient data on continuous and large-scale reactors. Useful and practical suggestions have been presented to tackle all these challenges.
•Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) should be industrialized to valorize wet biomass.•Effect of operational parameters should be studied in both lab and industrial-scale.•Kinetic and energy modeling are more challenging due to unknown chemical reactions.•The approaches to address the gaps have been clearly explained.•Combining HTC with other processes has been proposed.
With the vast deployment of photovoltaic (PV) systems and the increasing number of wildfires, understanding the impact of wildfire smoke on PV generation is essential for power systems operation and ...planning. This article analyzes the impact of wildfire smoke on solar spectra, radiation, spectral irradiance, and output of a grid-tied PV system based on the data collected during wildfire events. A model for the PV power output reduction caused by wildfire smoke and the significance of meteorological factors are developed and assessed using a data-driven technique. The developed model accurately estimates the power output reduction of PV systems caused by wildfire smoke. The developed model is also applied to study power reduction on different PV cell technologies. The result implies that solar cell technologies respond to wildfire smoke differently. High wildfire-risk areas should consider different solar cell materials to mitigate the power output reduction due to wildfire smoke. The outcome of this study is critical for future power systems operation decision making and management with high penetration of solar generation to ensure the stability and reliability of the power grids.
Until now, no study evaluated the impact of optimum intake of omega-3 fatty acids on inflammatory factors. We aimed to investigate the dose-dependent effects of omega-3 fatty acids supplementation on ...inflammatory factors in cancer patients. PubMed, Scopus and ISI Web of Science were searched until July 2022 to find randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for examining the efficacy of omega-3 fatty acids on inflammatory factors. Our primary outcomes were interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), C-reactive protein (CRP), and albumin. The results of 33 trials (2068 participants) revealed that each 1 g/day omega-3 fatty acids (oral/enteral) significantly reduced IL-6 (SMD: −1.17 pg/ml; 95% CI: −1.78, −0.55; p < 0.001; GRADE = moderate), and TNF-α (SMD: −2.15 pg/ml; 95% CI: −3.14, −1.16; p < 0.001; GRADE = very low). Moreover, each 0.5 g/kg/day omega-3 fatty acids (parenteral) significantly reduced TNF-α (SMD: −1.11 pg/ml; 95% CI: −2.02, −0.19; p = 0.017; GRADE = low). With moderate and very low evidence certainty, each 1 g/day of omega-3 fatty acids supplementation (oral/enteral) has a beneficial effect on IL-6 and TNF-α. Each 0.5 g/kg/day omega-3 fatty acids (parenteral) could also exert a favorable impact on TNF-α, but the certainty of the evidence was low.
In this study, a new zinc chloride (ZnCl
) impregnated activated carbon (Zn-AC) was prepared from oak charcoals as low-cost material and used as adsorbent for tetracycline (TC) adsorption. The Zn-AC ...was characterized using field emission-scanning electron microscope, powder X-ray diffraction, and CHNS-O analyses. Specific surface area of the adsorbent was also measured using the Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) isotherm model. The TC adsorption onto the Zn-AC was investigated as a function of solution pH, adsorbent dosage, and inorganic cations (Li
, K
, Mg
, Ca
, Ni
, and Fe
) and anions (HCO
, NO
and SO
) that could interfere in the adsorption of TC. The adsorbate solution pH had no considerable effect on TC adsorption. The adsorption of TC onto the adsorbent was relatively fast and reached the equilibrium after about 120 min. The results showed that all studied cations and anions decreased TC adsorption onto the Zn-AC, but this decrease in TC adsorption was strongly significant for Fe
and Ni
ions. The general order kinetic model and the Redlich-Peterson isotherm model provided the best fit to the experimental data. The maximum amount of TC adsorbed onto the Zn-AC (Q
) is 282.06 mg g
, indicating this adsorbent is a good adsorbent for the removal of TC from aqueous solutions.
The reuse of wastewater (WW) for crop irrigation is increasingly recognized as an alternative to freshwater irrigation in arid and semi-arid regions. However, there is a significant gap in knowledge ...regarding the soil health index (SHI) and factors influencing topsoil and subsoil in cropland under long-term WW irrigation. This study aimed to comparatively assess soil health attributes between topsoil and subsoil in smallholder farmlands that have been irrigated with WW for over 50 years. This assessment utilized a combination of soil physico-chemical and fertility attributes, along with heavy metal concentrations. The soil health index (SHI) was developed using linear (SHI - L) and nonlinear (SHI - NL) models, based on the Total Data Set (TDS) and Minimum Data Set (MDS). Statistically significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) were observed between topsoil and subsoil for the soil stability index (SSI), organic matter (SOM), calcium carbonate equivalent (CCE), electrical conductivity (EC), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), macro- and micronutrients, and heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Cd, Pb, and Ni). In contrast, soil bulk density (BD), pH, and cation exchange capacity (CEC) did not show significant differences. The mean SHI - L and SHI - NL values ranged from 0.68 to 0.77 and 0.46–0.53 for topsoil, and from 0.66 to 0.74 and 0.45–0.51 for subsoil, respectively. The SHI values were higher in the topsoil, with increases ranging from 2.3 % to 7.1 % for SHI - L and 0.65–11.3 % for SHI - NL compared to the subsoil. The regression coefficients between SHIs and corn yield were higher in the topsoil (0.46–0.49) than in the subsoil (0.20–0.22). Furthermore, the SHI - NL model demonstrated greater precision than the SHI - L model in predicting corn yield in both soil depths. These findings highlight the effectiveness of SHI assessments, particularly the SHI - NL model, in analyzing changes in soil health indices with depth and their relationship with crop performance in long-term WW-irrigated smallholder farmlands. This research provides valuable insights into addressing soil health challenges in similar agricultural systems.
•The changes of soil health index (SHI) with depth was assessed in the cropland under wastewater (WW) irrigation.•Soil organic matter, Cd, and SAR were major factors influencing on SHIs changes in the top- and sub-soils.•SHIs were higher (0.65 – 11.3 %) in the topsoil rather than the subsoil.•The relationship between SHIs and corn yield was more robust in the topsoil than in the subsoil.•Nonlinear-SHI approach was more precise better than linear-SHI approach to evaluate soil health.
•Negligible none detection zone for CHP generator.•Avoiding of threshold selection.•Suitable for microgrid application.•Usable in noisy condition.•Best data selection method.
Combined Heat and Power ...(CHP) is the one of new energy resources which has been added to power system in recent years. High efficiency, Loss reducing of power system and etc, are the main advantages of CHP as same as other distributed generations. But, unwanted islanding is one of the main problems for this generation. This article presents a novel technique for CHP unit islanding detection using Kriging Empirical Mode Decomposition (KEMD) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) pattern learning technique. In this technique the variation of Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMF) of local signals in two-dimensional mode is utilized as input data of relay. An optimal signal selection model is applied to the proposed relay in order to Non-Detection Zone (NDZ) and fails detection reducing. The best signal selection is introduces based on mean square value between islanding and non-islanding conditions. Also, by considering Optimal SVM model for the proposed relay as a pattern recognizing and weighing it using shark smell optimization, this technique has overcome the threshold selection problem. This relay is applied to CHP system in a microgrid system contains various types of DGs. Many islanding and non-islanding situation in various operation conditions in the studied microgrid are simulated. The results of simulation results are show that the proposed relay is suitable for microgrid application. Negligible NDZ, high detection time, zero fail detection and low cost of this relay are the main advantages of the proposed technique.
BackgroundAlthough unplanned deliveries in ambulances are uncommon, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers may encounter this situation before reaching the hospital. This research aims to gather ...insights from Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), midwives, and expectant mothers to examine the causes of giving birth in ambulances and the challenges EMTs, pregnant women, and midwives face during delivery.MethodsA qualitative study was conducted, and 28 EMTs, midwives, and pregnant women who had experience with pre-hospital births in the ambulance were interviewed. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis. The MAXQDA/10 software was employed for data analysis and code extraction.ResultsThe analysis of the interviews revealed two main categories: factors that cause delivery in the ambulance and its challenges. The factors include cultural problems, weak management, and inaccessibility to facilities. The challenges consist of fear and anxiety, native culture, and lack of resources.ConclusionsSeveral approaches should be implemented to reduce the number of births in ambulances and Pre-hospital Emergency Medical Services (PEMS). These include long-term community cultural activities, public education, awareness campaigns, education and follow-up for pregnant women, and improved accessibility to health facilities. Additionally, EMTS need to receive proper education and training for ambulance deliveries. Enhancing ambulance services and supporting EMTs in dealing with litigation claims are also critical.
Cyber-enabled operation is needed for smart distribution system implementation. The interaction of cyber and power components will affect system reliability. This paper focuses on developing an ...analytical reliability model for fault detection, isolation, and service restoration for smart distribution feeders. The impact of end-to-end outage probability of data communication along with sending, receiving, and relaying communication node failures is incorporated into the model. Vulnerability of system to cyber attack as an emerging cause of reliability degradation is also investigated. An optimal placement of fault detectors and switching devices are determined in this work to improve reliability. The sum of customer service interruption cost and investment cost is considered as an objective function to be minimized. Bus 2 of the Roy Billinton test system and a typical 27-node distribution network are used to illustrate the role of communication infrastructure malfunction on the planning problem in a distribution feeder. Results and discussions show the necessity of incorporating communication infrastructure failure into the power distribution system planning problem.
In this study the energy consumption and CO2 emissions of biodiesel production from soybean in Golestan province of Iran were studied. For this purpose, the life-cycle process of biodiesel was ...considered as five stages of agricultural soybean production, soybean transportation, soybean crushing, biodiesel conversion, and its transportation. The results indicated that the total fossil energy consumption with coproduct allocation was 8617.7 MJ ha−1 and the renewable energy output content (biodiesel as the final outcome) was estimated as 16,991.4 MJ ha−1. The net energy gain (NEG) and the fossil energy ratio (FER) were calculated as 8373.7 MJ ha−1 and 1.97, respectively, which show soybean is a suitable energy crop for biodiesel production. Agricultural soybean production stage ranked the first in energy consumption among the five main stages where it consumed 50.56% of total fossil energy consumption in the biodiesel life-cycle process. The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data analysis revealed that the total GHG emission was 1710.3 kg CO2eq ha−1 which biodiesel production life-cycle was only account for 311.96 kg CO2eq ha−1 if the mass allocation is considered. Overall, biodiesel production from soybean in Iran can be considered as a way to increase energy security in the near future. Also, soybean cultivation must be considered along with other common oilseeds cultivation in order to prevent food competition between biodiesel feedstocks and food production in Iran.
•The energy life-cycle and CO2 emissions assessment of biodiesel production from soybean in Iran was carried out.•FER (1.97) and NEG (8373.7 MJ ha−1) indicated that soybean is suitable for biodiesel production.•Results indicated that agricultural soybean production stage had the highest portion in energy consumption.•Results also indicated that agricultural soybean production stage had the highest portion in GHG emissions.
The motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) have been shown to significantly improve by Levodopa. However, despite the widespread adoption of Levodopa as a standard pharmaceutical drug for the ...treatment of PD, cognitive impairments linked to PD do not show visible improvement with Levodopa treatment. Furthermore, the neuronal and network mechanisms behind the PD-induced cognitive impairments are not clearly understood. In this work, we aim to explain these cognitive impairments, as well as the ones exacerbated by Levodopa, through examining the differential dynamic patterns of the phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) during cognitive functions. EEG data recorded in an auditory oddball task performed by a cohort consisting of controls and a group of PD patients during both on and off periods of Levodopa treatment were analyzed to derive the temporal dynamics of the PAC across the brain. We observed distinguishing patterns in the PAC dynamics, as an indicator of information binding, which can explain the slower cognitive processing associated with PD in the form of a latency in the PAC peak time. Thus, considering the high-level connections between the hippocampus, the posterior and prefrontal cortices established through the dorsal and ventral striatum acting as a modulatory system, we posit that the primary issue with cognitive impairments of PD, as well as Levodopa's cognitive deficit side effects, can be attributed to the changes in temporal dynamics of dopamine release influencing the modulatory function of the striatum.
