A series of high moisture content biomass have been processed by hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) in a batch reactor at two temperatures (200°C and 250°C). The feedstocks processed include food ...waste, secondary sewage sludge, AD press cake, microalgae, macroalgae and a fibre derived from municipal derived wastes. In addition, three lignocellulosic biomass including miscanthus, willow and oak wood have been processed under identical conditions. The yields and properties of the resulting hydrochars including their HHV, CHNS, mineral content and ash fusibility properties have been determined and compared with their starting biomass. Typical char yields for lignocellulosic material range between 58 and 70wt% at 200°C and reduce to 40–46wt% at 250°C. The behaviour and mass balance is however very feedstock dependent and the higher lignin biomass produce higher yields of hydrochar. There is a significant upgrading of the energy density of the hydrochars with calculated HHV ranging from typically 24MJkg−1 at 200°C to 28–31MJkg−1 at 250°C for lignocellulosic material. The exception is for sewage sludge and AD press cake which result in a significant solubilisation of organic matter. A significant removal of alkali metals is observed and this in turn changes the ash chemistry upon combustion. This change in ash chemistry has been shown to change the ash melting behaviour and the hemisphere temperatures (oxidising conditions) were seen to increase substantially. A number of predictive slagging and fouling indices have been used to evaluate the influence of the ash chemistry on the fuel combustion behaviour and this combined with the ash fusion testing has shown that HTC reduces the potential fouling and slagging in some of the resulting hydrochars if combusted.
Macroalgae have emerged as a potential future source of feedstock for the production of chemicals and biofuels. The main drawbacks of macroalgae in terms of a biofuel feedstock are its low heating ...value (HHV), high halogen content, high ash content and high slagging and fouling propensity. In this investigation, three species of kelps; (i) Laminaria digitata (ii) Laminaria hyperborea and (iii) Alaria esculenta have been processed by hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) in a batch reactor at two temperatures (200°C and 250°C). The yields and properties of the resulting hydrochars including their HHV, CHNS, mineral content and ash fusibility properties have been determined and compared to the starting material. Significant improvement in fuel quality is observed resulting in an increase in energy density from 10MJ/kg to typically 25MJ/kg, which is comparable to that of a low rank coal. The results indicate significant demineralisation of the fuel, in particular a significant removal of alkali salts and chlorine. This results in improved combustion properties due to a reduction in the slagging and fouling properties of the fuel. Analysis of the HTC water phase indicates the presence of high levels of soluble organic carbon consisting of sugars and organic acids, and high levels of potassium, magnesium and phosphorous. The potential for production of bio-methane and recovery of nutrients following anaerobic treatment of the water phase is assessed. A prediction of the bio-methane yields for the different seaweeds has been calculated. Processing of biomass collected throughout the growth season indicates the influence of seasonal variation on energy and nutrient recovery.
•Significant improvement in fuel quality with product comparable to that of a bituminous coal•Demineralisation of the fuel results in reduction in slagging and fouling properties.•Process waters contain considerable amounts of soluble organic carbon consisting of C6 sugars and organic acids.•Production of high value chemicals, methane or hydrogen possible from process waters•Considerable amounts of potassium, magnesium and phosphorous recoverable from process waters
Miscanthus was treated by hydrothermal carbonisation in a 2-L batch reactor at 200 °C and 250 °C with residence times ranging between 0 and 24 h to understand the impact of residence time has on the ...resulting bio-coal combustion chemistry. Increasing the residence time results in dehydration of the bio-coal and increased repolymerisation; however, temperature has the greatest influence on bio-coal properties. After 24 h at 200 °C, bio-coal has similar properties to that of the 250 °C + 0 h bio-coal. After 1 h at 250 °C, the cellulose present in the raw biomass appears to be largely removed. The removal of cellulose and the associated dehydration and repolymerisation results in bio-coal having a ‘coal like’ combustion profile, which exhibits a decreasing reactivity with increasing residence time. At 200 °C + 0 h, 75% of the alkali metal is removed, increasing to 86% with increasing residence time. Further extraction is seen at 250 °C. Phosphorus and sulphur appear to undergo substantial extraction at 200 °C + 0 h but then are reincorporated with increasing residence time. The calcium content increases in the bio-coal with increasing residence time at 200 °C but then reduces after 1 h at 250 °C. Increasing temperature and residence time has been shown to decrease the fuels’ fouling and slagging propensity.
Efforts to improve soil health require that target values of key soil properties are established. No agreed targets exist but providing population data as benchmarks is a useful step to standardise ...soil health comparison between landscapes. We exploited nationally representative topsoil (0–15 cm) measurements to derive soil health benchmarks for managed and semi-natural environments across Great Britain. In total, 4587 soil organic matter (SOM), 3860 pH, 2908 bulk density (BD), and 465 earthworm abundance (EA) datapoints were used. As soil properties are sensitive to site-specific characteristics, data were stratified by habitat, soil type, and mean annual precipitation, with benchmarks defined as the middle 80 % of values in each distribution – yielding 135 benchmarks. BD and pH decreased with land management intensity (agriculture > semi-natural grasslands > woodlands > heathlands > wetlands), and vice versa for SOM and EA. Normalising benchmark ranges by medians revealed soil health indicator benchmark widths increased in the order: pH < BD < SOM < EA, while width increased with decreasing land management intensity. Arable and horticulture and improved grassland exhibited narrow benchmarks for SOM, pH and BD, yet the widest EA benchmark, suggesting additional drivers impact EA patterns. Upland wetlands had the widest BD benchmarks, important when determining carbon stocks. East Anglia currently possesses the largest proportions of atypical soils, including below typical SOM (19.2 %), above typical BD (17.4 %) and pH (39.1 %), and the smallest proportions of above typical SOM (2.4 %), and below typical BD (5.8 %) and pH (2.3 %). This is found even after land use, soil type and rainfall have been considered, underscoring how urgently soil health should be addressed here. Our benchmarking framework allows landowners to compare where their measured soil health indicators fall within expected ranges and is applicable to other biomes, national and multinational contexts.
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•Soil health is benchmarked for landscapes defined by habitat, soil type and rainfall.•Middle 80 % of measurements of 4 indicators define 135 soil health benchmarks.•Generally, BD and pH decrease with land management intensity, SOM and EA increase.•East Anglian soils are the most atypical compared to similar landscapes nationwide.•Benchmarks feature on an app for landholders to assess their soil health condition.
Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) is an important problem after heart transplantation. Most cases seem to occur in sensitized recipients with preformed donor-specific human leukocyte antigen antibody ...(DSA) early after transplantation. Few data exist on AMR in patients who form de novo DSA. We describe the clinical features and treatment outcome for late AMR secondary to de novo DSA.
This was a retrospective, observational cohort study. All heart transplant patients treated for symptomatic AMR secondary to de novo DSA between November 2005 and August 2011.
Fifteen patients were treated for AMR giving an incidence of 3.1 cases per 1000 person years and a prevalence of 1.4%. All had evidence of heart failure on presentation and de novo DSA at diagnosis. There was a spectrum of histologic and immunohistochemical findings. Despite treatment with immunepheresis, intravenous immunoglobulin, and rituximab, and in some cases total lymph node irradiation (n=3) and bortezomib (n=2), clinical outcomes were poor. DSA antibody levels, measured using Labscreen single antigen kits, were reduced by a mean of 76% with a median of 77% and a range of 35% to 99%, but were not eliminated. Forty-six percent had persistent cardiac allograft dysfunction. Mean and median survival was 1.3 and 0.8 years after diagnosis of AMR. Only 40% were alive at the end of the study period.
Late cardiac AMR caused by de novo DSA was an uncommon but serious problem. Despite treatment consistent with current best practice, 46% of patients developed persistent cardiac dysfunction and their medium-term survival was poor.
Immune dysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy, X-linked (IPEX) syndrome is a rare primary immunodeficiency, typically associated with clinical features of intractable diarrhoea, type 1 ...diabetes mellitus and eczema. We present a case of IPEX syndrome referred to our regional facial palsy service for smile restoration surgery. The patient presented with dissatisfaction of facial appearance, including mask-like facies and no functional smile. Pre-operative electromyography confirmed normal temporalis muscle activation. Consequently, the patient was offered single-stage bilateral lengthening temporalis myoplasties. The patient reported improved satisfaction with facial appearance. Surgery resulted in good early resting and voluntary symmetry. Oral commissures were elevated at rest improving oral incompetence. This is the first description of facial animation surgery in the context of IPEX syndrome. With careful consideration and patient selection, successful surgical restoration of resting symmetry and dynamic commissural smile can be achieved in this complex cohort of patients.
In the UK and other temperate regions, short rotation coppice (SRC) and Miscanthus x giganteus (Miscanthus) are two of the leading ‘second‐generation’ bioenergy crops. Grown specifically as a ...low‐carbon (C) fossil fuel replacement, calculations of the climate mitigation provided by these bioenergy crops rely on accurate data. There are concerns that uncertainty about impacts on soil C stocks of transitions from current agricultural land use to these bioenergy crops could lead to either an under‐ or overestimate of their climate mitigation potential. Here, for locations across mainland Great Britain (GB), a paired‐site approach and a combination of 30‐cm‐ and 1‐m‐deep soil sampling were used to quantify impacts of bioenergy land‐use transitions on soil C stocks in 41 commercial land‐use transitions; 12 arable to SRC, 9 grasslands to SRC, 11 arable to Miscanthus and 9 grasslands to Miscanthus. Mean soil C stocks were lower under both bioenergy crops than under the grassland controls but only significant at 0–30 cm. Mean soil C stocks at 0–30 cm were 33.55 ± 7.52 Mg C ha−1 and 26.83 ± 8.08 Mg C ha−1 lower under SRC (P = 0.004) and Miscanthus plantations (P = 0.001), respectively. Differences between bioenergy crops and arable controls were not significant in either the 30‐cm or 1‐m soil cores and smaller than for transitions from grassland. No correlation was detected between change in soil C stock and bioenergy crop age (time since establishment) or soil texture. Change in soil C stock was, however, negatively correlated with the soil C stock in the original land use. We suggest, therefore, that selection of sites for bioenergy crop establishment with lower soil C stocks, most often under arable land use, is the most likely to result in increased soil C stocks.
Developmental processes are governed by diverse regulatory mechanisms including a suite of signaling pathways employing reversible phosphorylation. With the advent of large‐scale phosphoproteomics, ...it is now possible to identify thousands of phosphorylation sites from tissues at distinct developmental stages. We describe here the identification of over 6000 nonredundant phosphorylation sites from neonatal murine brain. When compared to nearly three times the number of phosphorylation sites identified from 3‐week‐old murine brain, remarkably one‐third of the neonatal sites were unique. This fraction only dropped to one‐quarter when allowing the site to stray plus or minus 15 residues. This provides evidence for considerable change in the profiles of developmentally regulated phosphoproteomes. Using quantitative MS we characterized a novel phosphorylation site (Ser265) identified uniquely in the neonatal brain on doublecortin (Dcx), a protein essential for proper mammalian brain development. While the relative levels of Dcx and phospho‐Ser265 Dcx between embryonic and neonatal brain were similar, their levels fell precipitously by postnatal day 21, as did phospho‐Ser297, a site required for proper neuronal migration. Both sites lie near the microtubule‐binding domain and may provide functionally similar regulation via different kinases.
In this paper, we focus on the impact on soil organic carbon (SOC) of two dedicated energy crops: perennial grass Miscanthus x Giganteus (Miscanthus) and short rotation coppice (SRC)‐willow. The ...amount of SOC sequestered in the soil is a function of site‐specific factors including soil texture, management practices, initial SOC levels and climate; for these reasons, both losses and gains in SOC were observed in previous Miscanthus and SRC‐willow studies. The ECOSSE model was developed to simulate soil C dynamics and greenhouse gas emissions in mineral and organic soils. The performance of ECOSSE has already been tested at site level to simulate the impacts of land‐use change to short rotation forestry (SRF) on SOC. However, it has not been extensively evaluated under other bioenergy plantations, such as Miscanthus and SRC‐willow. Twenty‐nine locations in the United Kingdom, comprising 19 paired transitions to SRC‐willow and 20 paired transitions to Miscanthus, were selected to evaluate the performance of ECOSSE in predicting SOC and SOC change from conventional systems (arable and grassland) to these selected bioenergy crops. The results of the present work revealed a strong correlation between modelled and measured SOC and SOC change after transition to Miscanthus and SRC‐willow plantations, at two soil depths (0–30 and 0–100 cm), as well as the absence of significant bias in the model. Moreover, model error was within (i.e. not significantly larger than) the measurement error. The high degrees of association and coincidence with measured SOC under Miscanthus and SRC‐willow plantations in the United Kingdom, provide confidence in using this process‐based model for quantitatively predicting the impacts of future land use on SOC, at site level as well as at national level.
Understanding and predicting the effects of land‐use change to short rotation forestry (SRF) on soil carbon (C) is an important requirement for fully assessing the C mitigation potential of SRF as a ...bioenergy crop. There is little current knowledge of SRF in the UK and in particular a lack of consistent measured data sets on the direct impacts of land use change on soil C stocks. The ECOSSE model was developed to simulate soil C dynamics and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in mineral and organic soils. The ECOSSE model has already been applied spatially to simulate land‐use change impacts on soil C and GHG emissions. However, it has not been extensively evaluated under SRF. Eleven sites comprising 29 transitions in Britain, representing land‐use change from nonwoodland land uses to SRF, were selected to evaluate the performance of ECOSSE in predicting soil C and soil C change in SRF plantations. The modelled C under SRF showed a strong correlation with the soil C measurements at both 0–30 cm (R = 0.93) and 0–100 cm soil depth (R = 0.82). As for the SRF plots, the soil C at the reference sites have been accurately simulated by the model. The extremely high correlation for the reference fields (R ≥ 0.99) shows a good performance of the model spin‐up. The statistical analysis of the model performance to simulate soil C and soil C changes after land‐use change to SRF highlighted the absence of significant error between modelled and measured values as well as the absence of significant bias in the model. Overall, this evaluation reinforces previous studies on the ability of ECOSSE to simulate soil C and emphasize its accuracy to simulate soil C under SRF plantations.
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