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Background: Studies examining factors associated with patient referral to early supported discharge (ESD)/outpatient rehabilitation (OPR) programs and utilization of ESD/OPR services after discharge from inpatient stroke rehabilitation (IPR) are scarce. Accordingly, we examined utilization of ESD/OPR services following discharge from IPR and patient factors associated with service utilization. Methods: Stroke patients discharged from IPR facilities in Alberta between April 2014 and March 2016 were included and followed for one year for ESD/OPR service utilization. Multivariable linear and negative binomial regressions were used to examine association of patients' factors with ESD/OPR use. Results: We included 752 patients (34.4% of 2,187 patients discharged from IPR) who had 40,772 ESD/OPR visits during one year of follow-up in the analysis. Mean and median ESD/OPR visits were 54.2 and 36 visits, respectively. Unadjusted ESD/OPR visits were lower in females and patients aged ≥ 60 years but were similar between urban and rural areas. After adjustment for patient factors, patients in urban areas and discharged home after IPR were associated with 83.5% and 61.9%, respectively, increase in ESD/OPR visits, while having a right-body stroke was associated with 23.5% increase. Older patients used ESD/OPR less than their younger counterparts (1.4% decrease per one year of older age). Available factors explained 12.3% of variation in ESD/OPR use. Conclusion: ESD/OPR utilization after IPR in Alberta was low and varied across age and geographic locations. Factors associated with use of ESD/OPR were identified but they could not fully explain variation of ESD/OPR use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis and electrochemical insertion of lithium into the Wadsley–Roth NaNb13O33 phase is studied. Lithium intercalation to form LixNaNb13O33 reaches a value of up to x~15, between 3.0 and 1.0 V vs. Li+/Li at a slow cycling rate, a capacity of 233 mAh g−1. Within this voltage window, two sharp peaks and one broad peak are observed in the differential capacity plots of lithium intercalation suggesting multiple two‐phase regions. High Li‐ion conductivity and rate capability was demonstrated. The lithium diffusion constant is about an order of magnitude greater than TiNb2O7. The average voltage is about 1.6 V and its high‐rate capability makes NaNb13O33 potentially useful as an anode in a fast‐charge Li‐ion battery application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The viability of converting wood chips and plastic to power via compact integrated catalytic fast/slow pyrolysis, combustor, and Stirling engine technologies was determined using modeling analysis. Aspen simulations followed by sizing analysis were performed to determine the size, weight, and net energy efficiency of upgrading wood chips and plastic to power using a compact energy system with a feedstock processing capacity of 1 kg h−1. The equipment and tooling to fabricate individual components of a compact energy system were identified. The total costs of fabricating all the individual components of compact energy systems were assessed. A discounted cash flow analysis with an internal rate of return of 20% was used to assess the minimum selling price of compact energy systems. The specific energy (Wh kg−1) of the compact catalytic fast pyrolysis system, compact slow pyrolysis system, and compact plastic conversion system were assessed at 20, 29, and 63, respectively. The assessed capital and annual costs of manufacturing 10 000 compact energy systems per year were $51 million and about $11 to $13 million, respectively. The calculated minimum selling price of a catalytic fast pyrolysis system, a compact slow pyrolysis system, and a compact plastic conversion system were $3055, $3021, and $2980, respectively. The sensitivity analysis results showed that the internal rate of return, capital investment, materials cost, annual operating costs, and capital cost have significant impacts on the minimum selling price of compact energy systems. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Replacing fossil fuels in the name of decarbonization is necessary but will be particularly difficult due to their as-yet unrivaled bundle of attributes: abundance, ubiquity, energy density, transportability and cost. There is a growing commitment to electrification as the dominant decarbonization pathway. While deep electrification is promising for road transportation in wealthy countries, it will face steep obstacles. In other sectors and in the developing world, it's not even in pole position. Global transportation decarbonization will require decoupling emissions from economic growth, and decoupling emissions from growth will require not only new technologies, but cooperation in governance. The menu of policy options is replete with grim tradeoffs, particularly as the primacy of energy security and reliability (over emissions abatement) has once again been demonstrated in Europe and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct non-oxidative methane coupling (NMC) is one of the promising pathways for methane upgrading into value-added olefin and aromatic hydrocarbons. The silica-supported iron (i.e., Fe/SiO 2) catalyst has been reported effective for NMC, but the effects of silica support on the catalyst property and NMC performance have rarely been explored. In this work, we prepared a vitreous silica-supported iron (Fe/SiO 2 -V) catalyst by flame fusion of a mixture of quartz silica and fayalite. The physicochemical properties and NMC performance of the as-prepared catalysts were measured. Compared to crystalline cristobalite support in Fe/SiO 2 catalyst that has been studied previously, vitreous silica support has disordered Si-O bonds and structural defects, enabling better iron dispersion and more vital metal-support interaction. The as-prepared Fe/SiO 2 -V catalyst had a shorter induction period in methane activation and lower coke yield in NMC. The increase in iron concentration in Fe/SiO 2 -V catalysts elongated the catalyst induction period and promoted aromatics and coke formation. The coke type of the spent Fe/SiO 2 -V catalyst is more uniform than the cristobalite-supported iron catalyst. [Display omitted] • Vitreous silica-supported iron catalysts were prepared by an oxyhydrogen flame fusion method. • The amorphous vitreous silica support contains disordered and defective Si-O bonds. • Iron has higher dispersion and more uniform bonding in the vitreous silica support. • Vitreous silica-supported iron enabled fast methane activation and low coking in NMC. • Increase in iron loading in vitreous silica support promoted aromatics formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]