Expanding the biomass resource:sustainable oil production via fast pyrolysis of low input high diversity biomass and the potential integration of thermochemical and biological conversion routes

Waste biomass is generated during the conservation management of semi-natural habitats, and represents an unused resource and potential bioenergy feedstock that does not compete with food production. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to characterise a representative range of biomass generated during conservation management in Wales. Of the biomass types assessed, those dominated by rush (Juncus effuses) and bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) exhibited the highest and lowest volatile compositions respectively and were selected for bench scale conversion via fast pyrolysis. Each biomass type was ensiled and a sub-sample of silage was washed and pressed. Demineralization of conservation biomass through washing and pressing was associated with higher oil yields following fast pyrolysis. The oil yields were within the published range established for the dedicated energy crops miscanthus and willow. In order to examine the potential a multiple output energy system was developed with gross power production estimates following valorisation of the press fluid, char and oil. If used in multi fuel industrial burners the char and oil alone would displace 3.9 × 105 tonnes per year of No. 2 light oil using Welsh biomass from conservation management. Bioenergy and product development using these feedstocks could simultaneously support biodiversity management and displace fossil fuels, thereby reducing GHG emissions. Gross power generation predictions show good potential.

Structural properties of a family of hydrogen-bonded co-crystals formed between gemfibrozil and hydroxy derivatives of t-butylamine, determined directly from powder X-ray diffraction data

We report the formation and structural properties of co-crystals containing gemfibrozil and hydroxy derivatives of t-butylamine H2NC(CH3)3-n(CH2OH)n, with n=0, 1, 2 and 3. In each case, a 1:1 co-crystal is formed, with transfer of a proton from the carboxylic acid group of gemfibrozil to the amino group of the t-butylamine derivative. All of the co-crystal materials prepared are polycrystalline powders, and do not contain single crystals of suitable size and/or quality for single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Structure determination of these materials has been carried out directly from powder X-ray diffraction data, using the direct-space Genetic Algorithm technique for structure solution followed by Rietveld refinement. The structural chemistry of this series of co-crystal materials reveals well-defined structural trends within the first three members of the family (n=0, 1, 2), but significantly contrasting structural properties for the member with n=3. © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Affect networks:a structural analysis of the relationship between work ties and job-related affect

The relationship between organizational networks and employees' affect was examined in 2 organizations. In Study 1, social network analysis of work ties and job-related affect for 259 employees showed that affect converged within work interaction groups. Similarity of affect between employees depended on the presence of work ties and structural equivalence. Affect was also related to the size and density of employees' work networks. Study 2 used a 10-week diary study of 31 employees to examine a merger of 2 organizational divisions and found that negative changes in employees' affect were related to having fewer cross-divisional ties and to experiencing greater reductions in network density. The findings suggest that affect permeates through and is shaped by organizational networks.

Have the GIPSI settled down? Breaks and multivariate stochastic volatility models for, and not against, the European financial integration

We investigate the integration of the European peripheral financial markets with Germany, France, and the UK using a combination of tests for structural breaks and return correlations derived from several multivariate stochastic volatility models. Our findings suggest that financial integration intensified in anticipation of the Euro, further strengthened by the EMU inception, and amplified in response to the 2007/2008 financial crisis. Hence, no evidence is found of decoupling of the equity markets in more troubled European countries from the core. Interestingly, the UK, despite staying outside the EMU, is not worse integrated with the GIPSI than Germany or France. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Structural characterisation of hypoxia-mimicking bioactive glasses

Nickel and cobalt are both known to stimulate the hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1a), thus significantly improving blood vessel formation in tissue engineering applications. We have manufactured nickel and cobalt doped bioactive glasses to act as a controlled delivery mechanism of these ions. The resultant structural consequences have been investigated using the methods of isotopic and isomorphic substitution applied to neutron diffraction. The structural sites present will be intimately related to their release properties in physiological fluids such as plasma and saliva, and hence the bioactivity of the material. Detailed structural knowledge is therefore a prerequisite for optimising material design. Results show that nickel and cobalt adopt a mixed structural role within these bioactive glasses occupying both network-forming (tetrahedral) and network-modifying (5-fold) geometries. Two thirds of the Ni (or Co) occupies a five-fold geometry with the remaining third in a tetrahedral environment. A direct comparison of the primary structural correlations (e.g. Si-O, Ca-O, Na-O and O-Si-O) between the archetypal 45S5 Bioglass® and the Ni and Co glasses studied here reveal no significant differences. This indicates that the addition of Ni (or Co) will have no adverse effects on the existing structure, and thus on in vitro/in vivo dissolution rates and therefore bioactivity of these glasses.

Separating the influences of prereading skills on early word and nonword reading

The essential first step for a beginning reader is to learn to match printed forms to phonological representations. For a new word, this is an effortful process where each grapheme must be translated individually (serial decoding). The role of phonological awareness in developing a decoding strategy is well known. We examined whether beginner readers recruit different skills depending on the nature of the words being read (familiar words vs. nonwords). Print knowledge, phoneme and rhyme awareness, rapid automatized naming (RAN), phonological short term memory (STM), nonverbal reasoning, vocabulary, auditory skills and visual attention were measured in 392 pre-readers aged 4 to 5 years. Word and nonword reading were measured 9 months later. We used structural equation modeling to examine the skills-reading relationship and modeled correlations between our two reading outcomes and among all pre-reading skills. We found that a broad range of skills were associated with reading outcomes: early print knowledge, phonological STM, phoneme awareness and RAN. Whereas all these skills were directly predictive of nonword reading, early print knowledge was the only direct predictor of word reading. Our findings suggest that beginner readers draw most heavily on their existing print knowledge to read familiar words.

Structural funds and the knowledge-based economy:a regional case-study (1999-2009)

The research presented in this thesis investigates the nature of the relationship between the development of the Knowledge-Based Economy (KBE) and Structural Funds (SF) in European regions. A particular focus is placed on the West Midlands (UK) and Silesia (Poland). The time-frame taken into account in this research is the years 1999 to 2009. This is methodologically addressed by firstly establishing a new way of calculating the General Index of the KBE for all of the EU regions; secondly, applying a number of statistical methods to measure the influence of the Funds on the changes in the regional KBE over time; and finally, by conducting a series of semi-structured stakeholder interviews in the two key case study regions: the West Midlands and Silesia. The three main findings of the thesis are: first, over the examined time-frame, the values of the KBE General Index increased in over 66% of the EU regions; furthermore, the number of the “new” EU regions in which the KBE increased over time is far higher than in the “old” EU. Second, any impact of Structural Funds on the regional KBE occurs only in the minority of the European regions and any form of functional dependency between the two can be observed only in 30% of the regions. Third, although the pattern of development of the regional KBE and the correlation coefficients differ in the cases of Silesia and the West Midlands, the analysis of variance carried out yields identical results for both regions. Furthermore, the qualitative analysis’ results show similarities in the approach towards the Structural Funds in the two key case-study regions.

Comprehensive characterization of Napier grass as a feedstock for thermochemical conversion

Study on Napier grass leaf (NGL), stem (NGS) and leaf and stem (NGT) was carried out. Proximate, ultimate and structural analyses were evaluated. Functional groups and crystalline components in the biomass were examined. Pyrolysis study was conducted in a thermogravimetric analyzer under nitrogen atmosphere of 20 mL/min at constant heating rate of 10 K/min. The results reveal that Napier grass biomass has high volatile matter, higher heating value, high carbon content and lower ash, nitrogen and sulfur contents. Structural analysis shows that the biomass has considerable cellulose and lignin contents which are good candidates for good quality bio-oil production. From the pyrolysis study, degradation of extractives, hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin occurred at temperature around 478, 543, 600 and above 600 K, respectively. Kinetics of the process was evaluated using reaction order model. New equations that described the process were developed using the kinetic parameters and data compared with experimental data. The results of the models fit well to the experimental data. The proposed models may be a reliable means for describing thermal decomposition of lignocellulosic biomass under nitrogen atmosphere at constant heating rate.