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This work presents a thorough fractionation of COD in raw sewage, followed by pilot plant coagulation tests with low-dosage lime (pH 9). Through a physical separation (sieving and crossflow filtration) total COD in the raw sewage was partitioned among eight size fractions in the range of 150–0.02μm. In addition, respirometric tests were performed to measure the biodegradability of the different size fractions. More than 60% of COD was associated with settleable and supracolloidal particles (size >1μm), which are characterised by slow biodegradability. Coagulation with lime increased COD removal efficiencies in the primary treatment from typical 30–35%, up to 65–70%, suggesting that lime may induce the almost complete removal of the slowly settling, slowly biodegradable supracolloidal particles in the primary treatment. On the basis of these results a non-conventional sewage treatment scheme is proposed, considering that there is plenty of space for improving primary treatment efficiency through sewage coagulation. Higher primary treatment efficiency may present several advantages, including lower aeration energy in the subsequent biological unit and higher energy recovery from sludge digestion.

The objective of this work was to determine the partitioning of the pollutant load in urban wastewater in order to improve the conventional sewage treatment. In addition to settling tests, physical fractionation of COD in the degritted influent of Roma-Nord sewage treatment plant was performed via sequential filtration through sieves and membrane filters of the following pore size: 150-100-50-25-1-0.2 μm, and 100 kD (about 0.02 μm). Biodegradability studies were also performed on the different size fractions. Size fractionation showed that COD in Roma-Nord sewage is predominantly associated with settleable and supracolloidal (> 1 μm) particles, each size range including about 40% of total COD. Biodegradability tests indicated that the large fraction of COD associated with supracolloidal particles, which are not removed in the primary treatment, is characterised by slow degradability. This suggests that removal of these particles prior to biological treatment may greatly improve the overall treatment scheme. Preliminary pilot plant coagulation tests with lime at pH 9 showed that lime-enhanced primary treatment may increase COD removal efficiencies from typical 30-35% up to 65-70%, by inducing almost complete removal of the COD fraction associated with supracolloidal particles.

The behaviour of four metals (Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn) during sewage sludge incineration was studied in eight pilot plant tests performed with a rotary kiln (RK) and a fluidised bed (FB) furnace. To simulate sludge co-incineration with hazardous wastes, in three FB tests feed sludge was mixed with chlorinated organic compounds. Chromium and copper showed similar concentrations both in bottom or cyclone ash and in fly ash, even at high chlorine input and high combustion temperature. In contrast, zinc and lead concentrations in fly ash produced in RK tests are one or two orders of magnitude higher than those in bottom ash. However, not even these two metals showed significant enrichment in FB tests carried out at high chlorine input. The predictive capability of a thermodynamic model was checked by comparing predicted metal volatilisation in the combustion chamber with experimental metal enrichment in the fly ash. Large discrepancies were observed in FB tests carried out at high chlorine content, where Pb, Zn, and Cu are predicted to volatilise in great extent, andin RK tests where zinc volatilisation is not predicted. Likely explanations of these discrepancies are the very short solid residence times in the FB furnace (non equilibrium conditions) and the incomplete mixing conditions in the RK furnace (pyrolysis pockets). From the environmental impact point of view, the pilot tests suggest that sludge incineration with fluidised bed furnace is safer than the one using rotary kiln furnace.

Inkjet printing of 8% Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2 (YSZ) thin films is achieved by designing a novel water-based reactive ink for Drop-on-Demand (DoD) inkjet printing. The ink formulation is based on a novel chemical strategy that consists of a combination of metal oxide precursors (zirconium alkoxide and yttrium salt), water and a nucleophilic agent, i.e. n-methyldiethanolamine (MDEA). This chemistry leads to metal-organic complexes with long term ink stability and high precision printability. Ink rheology and chemical reactivity are analyzed and controlled in terms of metal-organic interactions in the solutions. Thin dense nanocrystalline YSZ film below 150 nm are obtained by low temperature calcination treatments (400-500 {\\deg}C), making the deposition suitable for a large variety of substrates, including silicon, glass and metals. Thin films and printed patterns achieve full densification with no lateral shrinkage and high ionic conductivity.

The Italian Water Research Institute (IRSA) carried out sludge incineration tests on a demonstrative plant equipped with a circulating fluidized bed furnace. Aim of this paper is to present the potential applicability of non-conventional techniques for solid residues characterization. Results of five tests performed under different operating conditions are discussed. Incineration solid residues were sampled from the cyclone, downstream the furnace (cyclone ash, CA), and from the bag filter (filter ash, FA). Different techniques were used by the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department of the \"Roma TRE\" University, which cooperated with IRSA in the research project, to characterize incineration products and to correlate with process parameters. The X-ray Diffraction (XRD) technique was used to estimate the amount of sand, lost from the furnace, in CA and FA samples. Particle size distribution was measured using Low Angle Laser Light Scattering (LALLS). Scanning Electron Microscopy associated with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) was used to correlate size and shape of individual particles with chemical composition.This multifaceted approach to characterize incineration residues appears promising, providing additional and complementary information to the traditional chemical characterization.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Objective Androgen receptor (AR) is a diagnostic immunohistochemical marker for salivary gland duct carcinoma (SDC), but other nonsquamous cell head and neck carcinomas (NSCCs) may also express it. The aim of this preliminary study was to investigate the immunohistochemical expression of AR in rare head and neck NSCCs. Study Design Retrospective analysis of histologic records. Setting A large community hospital. Subjects and Methods Twenty-seven patients with NSCC were selected (21 men, 6 women; average age, 69 years). Exclusion criteria were histologically confirmed primary and metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinomas and thyroid carcinomas. AR immunohistochemistry was done on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue blocks. Results Variable AR expression was found in 5 of 27 (25%) cases of NSCC. All 7 patients with SDC showed intense and extensive positive immunoreactivity. Of 27 NSCC tumors, 15 (56%) had negative staining. Conclusion In the head and neck, expression of AR is not limited to SDCs; other NSCCs also express it. When surgery or radiotherapy is not appropriate for recurrent or metastatic head and neck NSCC, palliative chemotherapy offers poor results. Antiandrogen therapy is well tolerated and is much less toxic than chemotherapy. Since androgen deprivation therapy has been used against SDCs, this therapy may theoretically be used in a small subset of head and neck NSCCs.

Rapid tests that allow the assessment of physiological potential are essential parameters for quality seed and seedling production programs. The aim of this work was to establish parameters of a method for evaluating the vigor of seeds of native species through the analysis of ethanol production, measured with a modified alcohol meter. Six lots of Myracrodruon urundeuva were tested, and for each lot 1.0 g and 2.0 g of seeds were soaked for two, four, six, eight and 24 hours. Seven lots of Cenostigma pyramidale and five lots of Amburana cearensis were tested, where 20 seeds were soaked for two, four, six, eight and 24 h. The physiological quality of the seeds was also evaluated by germination and electrical conductivity tests. The use of 1.0 g of seeds soaked in 0.5 mL of water and evaluation of ethanol at six hours distinguished lots of M. urundeuva in terms of vigor. For C. pyramidale and A. cearensis, 20 seeds soaked in 1.0 mL of water and ethanol evaluation at six hours proved to be more efficient. The ethanol test proved to be fast and accurate, allowing differentiation of lots, as well as germination and electrical conductivity tests. Resumo: Testes rápidos que permitam a avaliação do potencial fisiológico são parâmetros essenciais para programas de produção de sementes e mudas com qualidade. O objetivo do trabalho foi estabelecer parâmetros de um método de avaliação do vigor de sementes de espécies nativas por meio da análise da produção de etanol, medido com etilômetro modificado. Foram testados seis lotes de Myracrodruon urundeuva, para cada lote foram colocadas 1,0 g e 2,0 g de sementes embebidas durante duas, quatro, seis, oito e 24 horas. Testou-se sete lotes de Cenostigma pyramidale, e cinco lotes de Amburana cearensis, onde foram colocadas 20 sementes embebidas durante duas, quatro, seis, oito e 24 h. A qualidade fisiológica das sementes foi avaliada, também, pelos testes de germinação e condutividade elétrica. A utilização de 1,0 g de sementes embebidas em 0,5 mL de água e avaliação de etanol em seis horas distinguiu lotes de M. urundeuva quanto ao vigor. Para as sementes de C. pyramidale, e de A. cearensis, 20 sementes embebidas em 1,0 mL de água em seis horas se mostrou mais eficiente. O teste de etanol mostrou ser rápido e preciso, permitindo diferenciar os lotes, assim como os testes de germinação e condutividade elétrica.

Against the background of the normal morphology and anatomy, the authors of this text analyze the pathoanatomy of sPD in the nervous system at various neuropathological stages and summarize the potential functional consequences of the lesions.

This monograph on the subthalamic nucleus accentuates the gap between experimental animal and human information concerning subthalamic development, cytology, topography and connections.

This second part pays attention to the pedunculopontine-subthalamic connections and tries in cell cultures to mimic neurotransmitter actions of the pedunculopontine nucleus and high frequency stimulation on cultured dissociated rat subthalamic neurons.