bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Design and Thermoeconomic Evaluation of a Waste Plant With an Integrated CO2 Chemical Sequestration System for CH4 Production
Authors: Romano Sebastiano Luca , Sciubba Enrico , Toro Claudia 
Published: March 2016

Object of this paper is the modelling, process design and simulation of a waste incineration plant integrated with a novel CO2 chemical sequestration system for CH4 production.
The main components of the proposed system are: the incineration plant (whose operational data are considered known here), a Sabatier reactor for CH4 production, a post-combustion monoethanolamine (MEA) chemical absorption unit and a H2O electrolyser.
Carbon dioxide captured from the waste plant stack gases and hydrogen from water electrolysis feed the Sabatier chemical reactor in a temperature range of 250–450°C. Through the exothermic methanation reaction (CO2 + 4H2 = CH4 + 2H2O + Heat), methane is produced with a conversion yield of 90–95%. Through a perm-selective membrane, hot steam can be extracted from the reactor and recycled to cover about 40% of the MEA regenerating re-boiler duty.
The methanation of CO2 is an established carbon capture technique, profitably suitable for waste plants. When the produced methane is burned, the CO2 absorbed in the process returns to the environment, enacting in a global sense a quasi-zero-emissions cycle.
The possible integration of the electrolyser with renewable-generated electricity has been investigated to evaluate the storage capacity of electrical energy as “renewable methane”, which from a technical point of view is more suitable than hydrogen to be stored, burned or sent into natural gas pipelines. A thermo-economic analysis is presented to evaluate the exergetic performance of the proposed system and the final cost of products.
Thermal Predictions of the AGR-3/4 Experiment With Time Varying Gas Gaps
Authors: Hawkes Grant L. , Sterbentz James W. , Maki John T. 
Published: March 2016

A thermal analysis was performed for the Advanced Gas Reactor test experiment (AGR-3/4) with time varying gas gaps. The experiment was irradiated at the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). Several fuel irradiation experiments are planned for the AGR Fuel Development and Qualification Program which supports the development of the Very-High-Temperature gas-cooled Reactor (VHTR) under the Next-Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) project.
AGR-3/4 combines two tests in a series of planned AGR experiments to test tri-structural-isotropic (TRISO)-coated, low-enriched uranium oxy-carbide fuel. The AGR-3/4 test was designed primarily to assess fission product transport through various graphite materials. The AGR-3/4 test irradiation in the ATR started in December 2011 and finished in April 2014. Forty-eight (48) TRISO fueled compacts were inserted into twelve separate capsules for the experiment (four compacts per capsule).
The purpose of this analysis was to calculate the temperatures of each compact and graphite layer to obtain daily average temperatures using time (fast neutron fluence) varying gas gaps and to compare with experimentally measured thermocouple data. Previous experimental data was used for the graphite shrinkage versus fast neutron fluence. Heat rates were input from a detailed physics analysis using the Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) code for each day during the experiment. Individual heat rates for each non-fuel component were input as well. A steady-state thermal analysis was performed for each daily calculation. A finite element model was created for each capsule using the commercial finite element heat transfer and stress analysis package ABAQUS. The fission and neutron gamma heat rates were calculated with the nuclear physics code MCNP. ATR outer shim control cylinders and neck shim rods along with driver fuel power and fuel depletion were incorporated into the daily physics heat rate calculations. Compact and graphite thermal conductivity were input as a function of temperature and neutron fluence with the field variable option in ABAQUS. Surface-to-surface radiation heat transfer along with conduction heat transfer through the gas mixture of helium-neon (used for temperature control) was used in these models. Model results are compared to thermocouple data taken during the experiment.
The Exergy-Based Cost of Crude Oil-Distillation Products: A Novel Perspective
Authors: Gonzalez-Hernandez Jose-Luis , Sciubba Enrico , Hernandez-Guerrero Abel 
Published: March 2016

A novel approach to the calculation of the cost of crude oil distillation products is proposed in this paper. The approach is based on the primary exergy “invested” in the entire process, from extraction to final dispatch, in a well-to-final use perspective including all externalities: capital, labor and environmental remediation cost. The method follows the Extended Exergy Accounting (EEA) theory, and results in a quantifier, the specific extended exergy cost eec, expressed in Joules of primary exergy globally used in the process per Joule of final product. This indicator is not meant to substitute the monetary cost currently adopted in all transactions, but rather to complement it by providing designers, industry managers and energy policy planners with a thermodynamically-sound basis for assessing how far a certain productive chain is from being “sustainable” in terms of primary resources.
Several different processes are analyzed, and the quantitative differences in the final eec are calculated and discussed. The conclusions contain some suggestions for a general reassessment of our approach to the exploitation of primary energy resources.
Enhancing Energy and Economic Performances of Combined Cycle Power Plants by Means of Gas-Cycle Regeneration
Authors: Carapellucci Roberto , Giordano Lorena 
Published: March 2016

Efficiency improvement in the gas turbine sector has been mainly driven by increasing the turbine inlet temperature and compressor pressure ratio. For a fixed technology level, a further efficiency gain can be achieved through the utilization of waste thermal energy.
Regeneration is an internal recovery technique that allows the reduction of heat input required at combustor, by preheating the air at compressor outlet. Under certain operating conditions, the temperature of exhaust gas leaving the regenerator is still enough high to allow the steam production via an heat recovery steam generator (HRSG).
Regeneration in steam-gas power plants (CCGT) has the potential to enhance thermal efficiency, but reduces the margins for external recovery and then the bottoming steam cycle capacity. Moreover, the reduction of exhausts temperature at gas turbine outlet requires the reconsideration of HRSG operating parameters, in order to limit the increase of waste heat at the stack.
The aim of this study is to explore the potential benefits that regeneration in the gas cycle gives on the whole steam-gas power plant. The extent of energy and economic performances improvement is evaluated, varying the gas turbine specifications and the layout and operating conditions of HRSG. Hence simple and regenerative configurations based on single and multi-pressure HRSG are compared, focusing on efficiency, specific CO2 emissions and unit cost of electricity (COE).
Numerical and Experimental Analysis of a PCM Thermal Storage System
Authors: Sciacovelli Adriano , Verda Vittorio 
Published: March 2016

Phase-change materials (PCM) are particularly promising for thermal storage in energy systems where the working fluid is either characterized by small specific heat or small temperature difference. In these cases, sensible heat storage would involve small energy densities (i.e. energy per unit volume). Latent heat storage would allow one to reduce the volume of storage tanks, but also reduce problems related with thermal stratification. On the other hand, heat transfer in PCMs needs to be enhanced in order to complete the charging and discharging processes in reasonable time.
This paper reports the numerical and experimental activity performed by the authors related with the design of latent heat storage systems for district heating applications. Among the various enhancement methods, fins present some technical advantages related with manufacturing and management, which make them suitable for the application in district heating systems. The following aspects are considered in this paper: 1) melting and solidification; 2) modeling approaches and validation; 3) thermal enhancement with circular, radial or Y-shaped fins.
Three-Minute All-Out Test in Swimming
Authors: Tsai Ming-Chang , Thomas Scott G. 
Published: March 2016

Purpose:To validate the 3-minute all-out exercise test (3MT) protocol against the traditional critical-speed (CS) model (CSM) in front-crawl swimming.Methods:Ten healthy swimmers or triathletes (mean ± SD age 35.2 ± 10.5 y, height 176.5 ± 5.4 cm, body mass 69.6 ± 8.2 kg) completed 5 tests (3MT, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m) over 2 wk on separate days. Traditional CS and anaerobic distance capacity (D′) were determined for each of the 3 traditional CSMs (linear distance-time, LIN; linear speed/time, INV; nonlinear time-speed, NLIN) from the 4 set-distance time trials. For the 3MT, CS was determined as the mean speed during the final 30 s of the test and D′ was estimated as the power-time integral above the CS.Results:Our results indicated no significant difference between the CS estimates determined from the traditional CSM and 3MT except for the INV model (P = .0311). Correlations between traditional CSMs and 3MT were high (r = .95, P < .01) However, D′ differed and post hoc analysis indicated that D′ estimated from 3MT was significantly lower than LIN (P = .0052) and NLIN (P < .0001). Correlations were weak (r < .55, P > .1). In addition, Bland-Altman plots between the traditional CSMs and 3MT CS estimates showed scattered points above and below the zero line, suggesting there is no consistent bias of one approach versus the other.Conclusions:The 3MT is a valid protocol for swimming to estimate CS. The demonstrated concurrent validity of the 3MT may allow more widespread use of CSMs to evaluate participants and responses to training.
The Decremental Protocol as an Alternative Protocol to Measure Maximal Oxygen Consumption in Athletes
Authors: Taylor Katrina , Seegmiller Jeffrey , Vella Chantal A. 
Published: March 2016

Purpose:To determine whether a decremental protocol could elicit a higher maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) than an incremental protocol in trained participants. A secondary aim was to examine whether cardiac-output (Q) and stroke-volume (SV) responses differed between decremental and incremental protocols in this sample.
Methods:Nineteen runners/triathletes were randomized to either the decremental or incremental group. All participants completed an initial incremental VO2max test on a treadmill, followed by a verification phase. The incremental group completed 2 further incremental tests. The decremental group completed a second VO2max test using the decremental protocol, based on their verification phase. The decremental group then completed a final incremental test. During each test, VO2, ventilation, and heart rate were measured, and cardiac variables were estimated with thoracic bioimpedance. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was conducted with an alpha level set at .05.
Results:There were no significant main effects for group (P = .37) or interaction (P = .10) over time (P = .45). VO2max was similar between the incremental (57.29 ± 8.94 mL · kg–1 · min–1) and decremental (60.82 ± 8.49 mL · kg–1 · min–1) groups over time. Furthermore, Q and SV were similar between the incremental (Q 22.72 ± 5.85 L/min, SV 119.64 ± 33.02 mL/beat) and decremental groups (Q 20.36 ± 4.59 L/min, SV 109.03 ± 24.27 mL/beat) across all 3 trials.
Conclusions:The findings suggest that the decremental protocol does not elicit higher VO2max than an incremental protocol but may be used as an alternative protocol to measure VO2max in runners and triathletes.
Dependence of the Nature of the Pedaling Activity on Maximal Aerobic Power in Cycling
Authors: Bouillod Anthony , Pinot Julien , Soenen Flavien , Ouvrard Theo , Grappe Frederic 
Published: March 2016

Purpose:To analyze the effect of the pedaling activity in different 4-min time trials (TT4s) (laboratory and field conditions) and compare TT4 and maximal aerobic power (MAP) determined from the classical incremental exercise test in laboratory. It was hypothesized that the exercises performed on the field would determine higher physical (power output [PO]) and mental involvements due to different environmental conditions.Methods:Sixteen male cyclists underwent an incremental test to exhaustion and 3 TT4s under different conditions: cycle ergometer (CE), level ground (LG), and uphill (UP).Results:Correlation was observed for PO with a trivial effect size and narrow limits of agreement between MAP and CE TT4 (r = .96, P < .001). The comparison between the CE, LG, and UP tests indicates that PO was significantly higher in UP than in CE (+8.0%, P < .001) and LG (+11.0%, P < .001).Conclusions:The results suggest that PO depends on the nature of the pedaling activity. Moreover, PO under CE TT4 is a relevant predictor of MAP. It seems important to measure MAP by taking into account the cycling conditions, considering that coaches and scientists use this parameter to assess the aerobic potential of athletes and determine the exercise intensities useful for monitoring adaptation to training.
Low-Frequency Drug Resistance in HIV-Infected Ugandans on Antiretroviral Treatment Is Associated with Regimen Failure
Authors: Kyeyune Fred , Gibson Richard M. , Nankya Immaculate , Venner Colin , Metha Samar , Akao Juliet , Ndashimye Emmanuel , Kityo Cissy M. , Salata Robert A. , Mugyenyi Peter , Arts Eric J. , Quiñones-Mateu Miguel E. 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT
Most patients failing antiretroviral treatment in Uganda continue to fail their treatment regimen even if a dominant drug-resistant HIV-1 genotype is not detected. In a recent retrospective study, we observed that approximately 30% of HIV-infected individuals in the Joint Clinical Research Centre (Kampala, Uganda) experienced virologic failure with a susceptible HIV-1 genotype based on standard Sanger sequencing. Selection of minority drug-resistant HIV-1 variants (not detectable by Sanger sequencing) under antiretroviral therapy pressure can lead to a shift in the viral quasispecies distribution, becoming dominant members of the virus population and eventually causing treatment failure. Here, we used a novel HIV-1 genotyping assay based on deep sequencing (DeepGen) to quantify low-level drug-resistant HIV-1 variants in 33 patients failing a first-line antiretroviral treatment regimen in the absence of drug-resistant mutations, as screened by standard population-based Sanger sequencing. Using this sensitive assay, we observed that 64% (21/33) of these individuals had low-frequency (or minority) drug-resistant variants in the intrapatient HIV-1 population, which correlated with treatment failure. Moreover, the presence of these minority HIV-1 variants was associated with higher intrapatient HIV-1 diversity, suggesting a dynamic selection or fading of drug-resistant HIV-1 variants from the viral quasispecies in the presence or absence of drug pressure, respectively. This study identified low-frequency HIV drug resistance mutations by deep sequencing in Ugandan patients failing antiretroviral treatment but lacking dominant drug resistance mutations as determined by Sanger sequencing methods. We showed that these low-abundance drug-resistant viruses could have significant consequences for clinical outcomes, especially if treatment is not modified based on a susceptible HIV-1 genotype by Sanger sequencing. Therefore, we propose to make clinical decisions using more sensitive methods to detect minority HIV-1 variants.
Drug-Drug Interaction Associated with Mold-Active Triazoles among Hospitalized Patients
Authors: Andes David , Azie Nkechi , Yang Hongbo , Harrington Rachel , Kelley Caroline , Tan Ruo-Ding , Wu Eric Q. , Franks Billy , Kristy Rita , Lee Edward , Khandelwal Nikhil , Spalding James 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT
The majority of hospitalized patients receiving mold-active triazoles are at risk of drug-drug interactions (DDIs). Efforts are needed to increase awareness of DDIs that pose a serious risk of adverse events. Triazoles remain the most commonly utilized antifungals. Recent developments have included the mold-active triazoles (MATs) itraconazole, voriconazole, and posaconazole, which are first-line agents for the treatment of filamentous fungal infections but have the potential for DDIs. This objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of triazole DDIs. Hospitalized U.S. adults with MAT use were identified in the Cerner HealthFacts database, which contained data from over 150 hospitals (2005 to 2013). The severities of DDIs with MATs were categorized, using drug labels and the drug information from the Drugdex system (Thompson Micromedex), into four groups (contraindicated, major, moderate, and minor severity). DDIs of minor severity were not counted. A DDI event was considered to have occurred if the following two conditions were met: (i) the patient used at least one drug with a classification of at least a moderate interaction with the MAT during the hospitalization and (ii) there was a period of overlap between the administration of the MAT and that of the interacting drug of at least 1 day. A total of 6,962 hospitalizations with MAT use were identified. Among them, 88% of hospitalizations with voriconazole use, 86% of hospitalizations with itraconazole use, and 93% of hospitalizations with posaconazole use included the use of a concomitant interacting drug. A total of 68% of hospitalizations with posaconazole use, 34% of hospitalizations with itraconazole use, and 20% of hospitalizations with voriconazole use included the use of at least one drug with a DDI of contraindicated severity. A total of 83% of hospitalizations with posaconazole use, 61% of hospitalizations with itraconazole use, and 82% of hospitalizations with voriconazole use included the use of at least one drug that resulted in a severe DDI. The findings of this study demonstrate that a majority of hospitalized patients receiving MAT are at risk for severe drug-drug interactions and highlight the need for antifungal stewardship.
Curcumin Enhances the Anti-Trypanosoma cruzi Activity of Benznidazole-Based Chemotherapy in Acute Experimental Chagas Disease
Authors: Novaes Rômulo Dias , Sartini Marcus Vinicius Pessoa , Rodrigues João Paulo Ferreira , Gonçalves Reggiani Vilela , Santos Eliziária Cardoso , Souza Raquel Lopes Martins , Caldas Ivo Santana 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

Although curcumin can increase the effectiveness of drugs against malaria, combination therapies using the molecule have never been investigated in Chagas disease (ChD). Therefore, we evaluated the efficacy of curcumin as a complementary strategy to benznidazole (Bz)-based chemotherapy in mice acutely infected with
Trypanosoma cruzi
. Eighty-four 12-week-old Swiss mice were equally randomized into seven groups: uninfected (NI),
T. cruzi
infected and untreated (INF), infected and treated with 100 mg/kg of body weight Bz (B100), 50 mg/kg Bz (B50), 100 mg/kg curcumin (C100), 100 mg/kg Bz plus 100 mg/kg curcumin (B100 plus C100), and 50 mg/kg Bz plus 100 mg/kg curcumin (B50 plus C100). After microscopic identification of blood trypomastigotes (4 days after inoculation), both drugs were administered by gavage once a day for 20 days. Curcumin showed limited antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects when administered alone. When curcumin and Bz were combined, there was a drastic reduction in parasitemia, parasite load, mortality, anti-
T. cruzi
IgG reactivity, circulating levels of cytokines (gamma interferon [IFN-γ], interleukin 4 [IL-4], and MIP1-α), myocardial inflammation, and morphological and oxidative cardiac injury; these results exceeded the isolated effects of Bz. The combination of Bz and curcumin was also effective at mitigating liver toxicity triggered by Bz, increasing the parasitological cure rate, and preventing infection recrudescence in noncured animals, even when the animals were treated with 50% of the recommended therapeutic dose of Bz. By limiting the toxic effects of Bz and enhancing its antiparasitic efficiency, the combination of the drug with curcumin may be a relevant therapeutic strategy that is possibly better tolerated in ChD treatment than Bz-based monotherapy.
Emergence and Diversity of Salmonella enterica Serovar Indiana Isolates with Concurrent Resistance to Ciprofloxacin and Cefotaxime from Patients and Food-Producing Animals in China
Authors: Bai Li , Zhao Jiayong , Gan Xin , Wang Juan , Zhang Xiuli , Cui Shenghui , Xia Shengli , Hu Yujie , Yan Shaofei , Wang Jiahui , Li Fengqin , Fanning Séamus , Xu Jin 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

Salmonellosis is a major global foodborne infection, and strains that are resistant to a great variety of antibiotics have become a major public health concern. The aim of this study was to identify genes conferring resistance to fluoroquinolones and extended-spectrum β-lactams in nontyphoidal
Salmonella
(NTS) from patients and food-producing animals in China. In total, 133 and 21 NTS isolates from animals and humans, respectively, exhibiting concurrent resistance to ciprofloxacin and cefotaxime were cultured independently from 2009 to ∼2013. All of the isolates were identified, serotyped, and subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Importantly, the isolates with concurrent resistance to ciprofloxacin and cefotaxime all were confirmed as
S. enterica
serovar Indiana. The presence of fluoroquinolone resistance genes and extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) was established by PCR and DNA sequencing. The occurrence and diversity of different genes conferring fluoroquinolone resistance [
qepA
,
oqxAB
, and
aac
(
6
′)-
Ib-cr
] with mutations in topoisomerase-encoding genes (
gyrA
and
parC
) and several ESBLs (including CTX-M-65, CTX-M-27, CTX-M-15, CTX-M-14, and CTX-M-14/CTX-M-15) were noteworthy. Genes located on mobile genetic elements were identified by conjugation and transformation. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, used to determine the genetic relationships between these isolates, generated 91 pulsotypes from 133 chicken isolates and 17 pulsotypes from the 21 clinical isolates that showed considerable diversity. Analysis of the pulsotypes obtained with the isolates showed some clones appeared to have existed for several years and had been disseminating between humans and food-producing animals. This study highlights the emergence of ciprofloxacin- and cefotaxime-resistant
S. enterica
serovar Indiana, posing a threat to public health.