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Purpose: At Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen (SDCC), diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening intervals are based on quantification of retinal lesions. Screening intervals are, for the milder forms of DR, prolonged to 2–3 years. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the prolongation on developing unexpected events and to evaluate the effect of HbA1c and arterial hypertension. Methods: We assessed 18 972 screening intervals from 6000 patients from 1/1-2003 to 1/5-2017 for occurrence of unexpected events, defined as: (1) DR progression requiring treatment, at the following screening date, and (2) DR-related hospital contact within the planned interval. We modelled the effect of several risk factors for developing unexpected events in a Cox regression. Furthermore, we assessed the risk of unexpected events in a logistic regression analysis using cubic splines to model the effect of HbA1c, stratified by arterial hypertension status. Results: 16 283 (86%) intervals followed the planned interval and among those, only 86 (0.5%) experienced unexpected events. Intervals of dysregulated patients (86% of all intervals) did not experience more unexpected events, compared with well-regulated patient intervals (Hazard Ratio: 1.12, 95% CI: 0.55–2.27). We found a nonlinear effect of HbA1c on the risk of unexpected events which peaked around HbA1c levels of 80 mmol/mol. Having arterial hypertension slightly increased the risk of unexpected events. Conclusions: The present study supports the validity of the current algorithm. We found no increased risk of unexpected events among dysregulated intervals but a nonlinear effect of HbA1c. Age, diabetes duration and diabetes type were significantly associated with unexpected events.

With increasing penetration of renewable energy, multi-energy systems constitute an effective mechanism to optimize energy distribution and improve social welfare. However, a centralized operation of the multi-energy system might not be appropriate under the existing energy markets. Therefore, this paper proposes an equilibrium model for improving the operation of the electricity, gas and district heating subsystems of a district or urban area. The proposed model allows each energy subsystem to pursue its own objective (i.e., maximum social welfare), while considering the interconnection with other subsystems. More specifically, this model represents the behavior of each subsystem and reflects the interactions of the multi-energy system in a practical way. This equilibrium problem is formulated as a nonlinear complementarity problem. An illustrative case study is analyzed to show the relevance of the proposed approach.

The transition towards renewable energy will operate on different geographical scales. Many of the concrete steps will address the local level; however, these have to align with the broader energy perspective. It is therefore necessary to develop methods that enable cities to assess the compatibility of the local renewable energy strategy to the surrounding national and global energy systems. This paper presents a methodology to design Smart Energy Cities within the context of 100% renewable energy at a national level. Cities and municipalities should act locally with regard to local demands but acknowledge the national and global context when addressing resources, industry and transport. The method is applied to the case of transitioning the municipality of Aalborg to a 100% renewable smart energy system within the context of a Danish and European energy system. The case demonstrates how it is possible to transition to a Smart Energy City that fits within a 100% renewable energy context of Denmark and Europe. The suggested methodology is framed in a way that makes it applicable to other cases globally.

Summary Objectives To evaluate and compare the skeletal and dentoalveolar effects of tooth-borne (TB) and tooth-bone-borne (TBB) rapid maxillary expansion (RME). Materials and methods Fifty-two consecutive patients who met the eligibility criteria were recruited and allocated to either the TB group, mean age 9.3 years [standard deviation (SD) 1.3], or the TBB group, mean age 9.5 years (SD 1.2). Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) records and plaster models were taken before (T0), directly after (T1), and 1 year after expansion (T2). Dentoalveolar and skeletal measurements were made on the CBCT images. The dental expansion was also measured on the plaster models. Randomization Participants were randomly allocated in blocks of different sizes using the concealed allocation principle in a 1:1 ratio. The randomization list was also stratified by sex to ensure homogeneity between groups. Blinding Due to clinical limitations, only the outcomes assessors were blinded to the groups to which the patients were allocated. Results Skeletal expansion in the midpalatal suture and at the level of the nasal cavity was significantly higher in the TBB group. However, the magnitude of the expansion in the midpalatal suture was around 1 mm [95 per cent confidence interval (CI) 0.5–1.7, P = 0.001] more and perhaps not clinically significant. The magnitude of the expansion at the level of the nasal cavity was almost two times higher in the TBB group (95 per cent CI 0.7–2.6, P = 0.001). The dental expansion, alveolar bending, tipping of the molars, and stability 1 year post-expansion did not show any statistically significant differences between the groups. The actual direct cost of the treatment for the TBB group was approximately €300 higher than TB group. Limitations Double blinding was not possible due to the clinical limitations. Conclusions In young preadolescents with constricted maxilla and no signs of upper airway obstruction, it seems that conventional TB RME achieves the same clinical results with good stability 1 year post-expansion at lower cost. Trial registration The trial was not registered.

At Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen (SDCC), diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening intervals are based on quantification of retinal lesions. Screening intervals are, for the milder forms of DR, prolonged to 2-3 years. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the prolongation on developing unexpected events and to evaluate the effect of HbAWe assessed 18 972 screening intervals from 6000 patients from 1/1-2003 to 1/5-2017 for occurrence of unexpected events, defined as: (1) DR progression requiring treatment, at the following screening date, and (2) DR-related hospital contact within the planned interval. We modelled the effect of several risk factors for developing unexpected events in a Cox regression. Furthermore, we assessed the risk of unexpected events in a logistic regression analysis using cubic splines to model the effect of HbA16 283 (86%) intervals followed the planned interval and among those, only 86 (0.5%) experienced unexpected events. Intervals of dysregulated patients (86% of all intervals) did not experience more unexpected events, compared with well-regulated patient intervals (Hazard Ratio: 1.12, 95% CI: 0.55-2.27). We found a nonlinear effect of HbAThe present study supports the validity of the current algorithm. We found no increased risk of unexpected events among dysregulated intervals but a nonlinear effect of HbA

International audience; Thin, porous zirconia-based ceramic components are of high interest in energy application devices where they are used as structural ceramics. Mechanical reliability of such devices is not only dependent on the fracture toughness of the ceramic components, but also on their sensitivity to slow crack growth (SCG). In this work, the fracture toughness and SCG behavior of porous (4.5 to 45.5%) and thin (~ 0.25 mm) 3Y-TZP ceramics are investigated using the Double Torsion method. The analysis of the double torsion data, previously developed for dense materials, was here assessed and adapted. The compliance of the samples was observed to change linearly with crack length and the measured stress intensity factor was dependent on crack length, as for dense materials. This dependency decreased by increasing the sample porosity. For all materials, the ratio of the SCG threshold to fracture toughness was of 0.56 ± 0.06.

Background: Retinal fundus images, obtained from routine eye screenings, contain important information, not only concerning microvascular lesions of the retina, but potentially also of the progression and manifestation of various other diabetes complications. Recent advances in the field of machine learning, so-called deep learning neural networks (DNN), make it possible to automatically detect retinal lesions from fundus photos. Our overall aim is to develop a DNN to detect retinal vascular lesions. In this abstract, we describe a pre-processing step consisting of application of a DNN. Methods: For each eye, 5 retinal images of parts of the eye are taken, and collected into a joint mosaic image, used for image grading. There is no automated labelling of the images to identify left or right eyes. To distinguish left- from right eye images, we used a set of 1,916 unique, high-definition retina mosaic fundus images from diabetes patients followed at Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen (SDCC) between 2003-2017. We trained and validated a DNN, using 964 left-eye (training set: 713, validation: 251) and 952 right-eye images (training set: 706, validation: 246). A DNN is a method that finds the optimal algorithm for relating a large set of input (mosaic fundus images) to output (left or right eye). The DNN used was based on the InceptionV3 architecture and run for 100 epochs with 100 gradient descent steps pr. epoch. Results: The DNN classification obtained a validation AUC-ROC of 0.92 and a validation accuracy of 0.86. Conclusions: The DNN successfully distinguished left-eye from right-eye images. We plan to use the DNN to identify right- and left-eye images in the SDCC image database comprising ∼ 80,000 left-eye and right-eye images. We will subsequently develop a DNN for automated detection of referable diabetic retinopathy of retinal fundus images, for use in the clinic. Disclosure L. Díaz: None. D. Vistisen: Stock/Shareholder; Self; Novo Nordisk A/S. M.E. Jørgensen: Research Support; Self; Amgen, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Sanofi-Aventis. Stock/Shareholder; Self; Novo Nordisk A/S. M. Valerius: None. J.N. Hajari: None. H. Lund-Andersen: None. S. Byberg: None.

Compressed air energy storage (CAES) systems are promising for the application of a standalone hybrid system. This study adopts a scenario-based bi-level programming method to design a standalone hybrid system that mainly contains wind turbines, diesel generators (DGs), and a CAES system. The demand response is considered as a deferrable load. The uncertainties on the wind power outputs and load demand are modeled using scenario generation and reduction techniques. The generated scenarios are used in a bi-level programming model for designing the hybrid energy system (HES). The model is composed of an outer planning layer and an inner operation layer. The outer layer optimizes the size of each component in the HES using a quantum particle swarm optimization (QPSO) method with the objective of minimizing daily total costs including daily investment costs and daily operating costs. On the other hand, the inner layer optimizes the operational strategies of the HES using a sequential quadratic programming method with the objective of minimizing the total operating costs, including the generation and emission costs of the DGs and the degradation cost of the CAES system. The well-established HES tool HOMER is used to validate the results obtained by the developed and adopted models. The results indicate that 1) the QPSO method performs better than the particle swarm optimization and genetic algorithm methods. 2) The results obtained by the scenario-based bi-level programming method have an average similarity of approximately 97%, which is very high compared to that of the results obtained by HOMER.

Catalytic hydrogenation of olefins using noble metal catalysts or pyrophoric RANEY® nickel is of high importance in the chemical industry. From the point of view of green and sustainable chemistry, design and development of Earth-abundant, less toxic, and more environmentally friendly catalysts are highly desirable. Herein, we report the convenient preparation of active cobalt catalysts and their application in hydrogenations of a wide range of terminal and internal carbon–carbon double bonds in water under mild conditions. Catalysts are prepared on multi-gram scale by pyrolysis of cobalt acetate and uracil, guanine, adenine or L-tryptophan. The most active material Co-Ura/C-600 showed good productivity in industrially relevant hydrogenation of diisobutene to isooctane and in natural oil hardening.

Nickel-based nanocatalysts were used in acceptorless, reversible dehydrogenation and hydrogenation reactions of N-heterocycles. Both processes were realized in the same solvent using a single catalyst, without isolation of products and workup, which makes it attractive for hydrogen storage purposes. This concept has been demonstrated in a continuous hydrogenation/dehydrogenation sequence of quinaldine with negligible loss in activity of the nickel catalyst after three hydrogen storage cycles. The scope of acceptorless dehydrogenation has been explored and control experiments suggest that hydrogen liberation is initiated via amine dehydrogenation and supports the direct alkane dehydrogenation from the partially oxidized N-heterocycles.

The prevalence of large bone defects is still a major problem in surgical clinics. It is, thus, not a surprise that bone-related research, especially in the field of bone tissue engineering, is a major issue in medical research. Researchers worldwide are searching for the missing link in engineering bone graft materials that mimic bones, and foster osteogenesis and bone remodeling. One approach is the combination of additive manufacturing technology with smart and additionally electrically active biomaterials. In this study, we performed a three-dimensional (3D) printing process to fabricate piezoelectric, porous barium titanate (BaTiO3) and hydroxyapatite (HA) composite scaffolds. The printed scaffolds indicate good cytocompatibility and cell attachment as well as bone mimicking piezoelectric properties with a piezoelectric constant of 3 pC/N. This work represents a promising first approach to creating an implant material with improved bone regenerating potential, in combination with an interconnected porous network and a microporosity, known to enhance bone growth and vascularization.

This paper introduces the concept of Smart Energy Markets. Sustainable smart energy systems based on renewable energy cannot be implemented without addressing the issue of how to re-design existing electricity and gas markets. Moreover, markets for heating and transport fuels will also be challenged. In recent years, the re-design of the electricity market has attracted a lot of attention and is an area of focus in research. However, the re-design of electricity markets should not be seen isolated from the re-design of other energy markets. By applying a 100% renewable energy system scenario, this paper illustrates and quantifies how future renewable heating, green gas and liquid fuel markets will influence the electricity markets and vice versa. Based on this scenario, it is found that annual average market prices on the future green gas and liquid fuel markets may potentially be affected by the electricity and heating markets by 60–120 EUR/MWh, and the heating, green gas and liquid fuel markets could influence the annual average electricity prices by up to 28 EUR/MWh. The concept of Smart Energy Markets expresses the point that mutual influences become essential in the design of future energy markets facilitating the transition into smart energy systems based on variable renewable energy.

Klinisk relevans Trots bättre tandhälsa utförs årligen ett stort antal rotbehandlingar på grund av tandvärk eller andra tecken på inflammation eller infektion i tandpulpan. Påvisade samband mellan endodontiska sjukdomstillstånd och allmänsjukdomar som diabetes och hjärt-kärlsjukdom är svaga och osäkra. Åtgärder för att förebygga karies och tandtrauma, samt att när det är påkallat utföra rotbehandlingar av god kvalitet, så att förekomsten av endodontiska infektioner minskar motiveras väl utifrån ett odontologiskt perspektiv. Det finns gott vetenskapligt stöd för att friska tänder och god munhälsa främjar god livskvalitet. Ifall frånvaro från endodontiska infektioner också bidrar till en minskad risk för allmänsjukdomar är i dagsläget osäkert.

Biogas consists of a larger part of methane and a smaller part of carbon dioxide. Reforming biogas is highly desirable due to the direct conversion of the two components, yet not possible due to the current state of catalyst development. For such dry reforming of methane-rich gases (CH4/CO2 = 2) we now present catalysts with low Ni loading (2.5 wt%) modified with Gd, Sc, or La. The best catalyst reaches 49% CH4 conversion and 95% CO2 conversion at 750 °C. The La-modification only shows limited influence on coking and protection against catalyst deactivation although this catalyst exposed highest basicity. On the other side, Sc- and especially Gd-modified catalysts exposed stronger metal-support interaction and thus enhanced stabilization of fine Ni particles during the reaction, which is critical to preserve high performance in CH4-rich DRM. This suppressed carbon deposition and the growth of structured carbon as evidenced by STEM images and TPO of spent catalysts. In this way, exceptionally high specific H2 productivity (94 l/(gcat·h)) compared to literature was obtained on Gd-modified catalyst, and, most noteworthy, after extending the time on stream from 8 to 100 h the amount of deposited coke increased only from 3 to 4 wt%. Submitted/Accepted version This work was financially supported by “Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst” (DAAD) in the “Research Grants - Doctoral Programs in Germany” [57129429].

Thermal cycling and creep in metallic interconnects during operation of solid oxide cell (SOC) stacks could cause contact losses in the interface between the interconnect and cells. The magnitude of stress and its distribution within the SOC stack depends on the overall design of the stack and the operating conditions. In this study, stresses in different types of generic SOC stack designs caused by external loading and temperature variations through long‐term operation are investigated. The investigation includes stack designs with and without contact components combined with machined (cross‐shaped) or pressed (corrugated) interconnects. Two different generic temperature profiles in the stacks are considered. Special focus is given to stresses that can cause possible delamination of the interconnect from the cell that subsequently leads to loss of electrical contact. It is found that too rigid designs cause high stresses and creep in the interconnects, and so‐called stress reversal will cause delamination between interconnect and cell during shut‐down. Furthermore, the study also presents the effect of SOC stack design and/or thermal gradient on the magnitude of in‐plane stresses in the cells. Here it is found that it advantageous to cool the stack primarily with convection, as this causes a linear thermal profile and much lower stresses than if cooling is relying on conduction in the solids, as this causes a thermal gradient in several directions.

This paper provides a perspective on the development of future district heating systems and technologies and their role in future smart energy systems. The reviewed papers elaborate on or otherwise contribute to the theoretical scientific understanding of how we can design and implement a suitable and least-cost transformation into a sustainable energy future. Focus is on the important role of the next generation of district heating and cooling technologies. The status of the scientific contributions demonstrates a high level of understanding of how to deal with the technical aspects. The primary current challenge seems to be the understanding of the implementation of these.

Aims To examine the incidence rates of any and referable diabetic retinopathy (DR) among migrants in Denmark. Methods Nationwide clinical data on diabetes patients followed since 2005 were analysed. Patients were classified according to country of origin into six groups: Denmark, other Europe, Sub Saharan Africa, Middle East/North Africa, Asia, and America/Oceania. A total of 93,780 or 110,897 patients without any (including unspecific diagnoses) or referable (proliferative) DR at baseline were analyzed. We estimated event rates and hazard ratios (HRs) for incidence of any and referable DR according to country of origin. Results After an average follow-up of 3.59 years 6727 had incident any DR and 4747 patients had referable DR. Compared to people of Danish origin, migrants from the Middle East/North Africa and Asia had a higher risk of any and referable DR after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, types and duration of diabetes, clinic type (general practice vs outpatient clinic), HbA1c, blood pressure and lipid levels. The associations remained significant after further adjustment for frequency of eye screening. Conclusions Migrants from the Middle East/North Africa and Asia were at increased risk of developing any and referable DR compared to native Danes, and these differences were not fully explained by differences in underlying clinical, diabetic and cardiometabolic risk factors.

Solid oxide electrochemical cells (SOCs) can store electrical energy in the form of chemical fuels with high efficiency by electrolysis of CO 2 and H 2 O . However, achieving commercially relevant lifetime is hindered by degradation mechanisms such as carbon deposition, which can even destroy the cell especially during electrolysis where carbon formation is electrochemically driven at the electrode-electrolyte interface. Here we used a three-dimensional multiphysics model to simulate a SOC performing CO 2 electrolysis and determine the operating conditions and locations in the porous nickel-based electrodes where carbon deposition is expected based on local conditions (gas composition, temperature and overpotential) crossing local thermodynamic thresholds. It is found that CO/ CO 2 gas diffusion gradients and cooling from the endothermic electrolysis reaction are important driving forces for carbon deposition to occur locally when it is not expected based on the outlet CO concentration. Furthermore, correlation with a set of experimentally determined threshold operating points indicates that carbon deposition occurs primarily by the Boudouard reaction rather than by direct electrochemical reduction of CO or CO 2 to carbon for the studied cell type. Variation of fuel electrode porosity and thickness shows that these methods of reducing gas diffusion limitations widen the operating window that avoids carbon deposition.

Mitigating degradation is essential for extending the lifetime of solid oxide electrochemical cells (SOCs). The conditions leading to degradation, e.g. overpotentials, gas partial pressures, thermal gradients are hard, if not impossible, to retrieve experimentally. Thus, to deconvolute the response from cell testing, modeling can be applied to understand the degradation phenomena in greater detail. Modeling of SOCs is well developed. For computational efficiency, the electrodes are often represented with a mathematical abstraction of zero thickness layer. In this work, further attention is given to the local conditions in the through-thickness of the electrodes, by rigidly integrating classical electrochemistry into a three dimensional multiphysics model of an SOC. Hereby, local conditions (e.g. overpotential) vary through the electrode, and with the coupling to the different transport phenomena occurring (mass, current, momentum and species), this becomes available in three dimensions, throughout a cell. To investigate the validity of the model, a high number of experiments are conducted at different operating conditions, i.e. in both fuel cell and electrolysis mode of operation with H 2 / H 2 O as feedstock varying parameters such as temperature, gas flows and gas compositions.

Ever since 2002, when the first Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES) was held in Dubrovnik, the SDEWES conferences series has been providing a forum for world-wide scientists and those interested in learning about the sustainability of development, to present research progress and to discuss the state of the art, the future directions and priorities in the various areas of sustainable development. This includes the improvement and dissemination of knowledge on methods, policies and technologies for increasing the sustainability of development, taking into account its economic, environmental and social pillars, as well as methods for assessing and measuring sustainability of development, regarding energy, transport, water, food production and environment systems and their many combinations. SDEWES has maintained high publishing standard as nearly 1100 SDEWES papers are published in special issues of leading scientific journals including “Energy - The International Journal".In 2016, the two SDEWES conferences - the regional one, South East European (2nd SEE SDEWES, 15–18 June, Piran/Portorož, Slovenia) and the regular one (11th SDEWES, 4–8 September, Lisbon, Portugal) delivered 538 contributions and 10 special sessions devoted to various sustainability topics. The Energy journal has continued its cooperation with SDEWES launching a special issue dedicated to both 2016 Conferences (SDEWES 2016 SI). It includes 35 papers which focus on various low-carbon technologies in energy supply, buildings, transport, and industry, as well as address other key issues like demand response, co-benefits to other energy policies objectives, the role of declining costs for renewables and markets - all needed to facilitate energy sector transition. This editorial outlines SDEWES contribution, including of SDEWES 2016 SI, in shedding light on the essential elements of that transition.

Ordered titanium dioxide nanotube arrays fabricated via electrochemical route are considered as a promising material for photocatalytic applications. Due to their amorphous character, a subsequent crystallization step is usually required. In this work, well-aligned nanotube arrays were annealed under flowing gas streams of different compositions (air/steam, air, N2/steam, N2, and O2/steam) in a temperature range from 140 to 543 °C. Under continuous gas flow, the morphology of the crystallized titanium dioxide is strongly affected by the gas atmosphere. When using a dry gas for annealing, the tube structure was almost destroyed after 1 h treatment at 473 °C. In contrast, when annealing the titania nanotube array in a water vapor/gas stream, the tube morphology can be maintained up to 543 °C and 10 h annealing time. Moreover, nanotube arrays crystallized in a flowing gas atmosphere containing water vapor showed a significantly higher photocatalytic activity for phenol degradation under UV irradiation than nanotube arrays crystallized in a dry gas stream. Reasons for this behavior might be the preservation of the tubular structure as well as a lower concentration or density of structural defects in presence of water vapor which leads to an enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species when the arrays are exposed to UV-light.

Supported V2O5/Ce0.5Ti0.5−xMnxO2−δ (x = 0, 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2) catalysts and bare supports were investigated in the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO by NH3 between 100 and 300 °C. Incorporation of Mn into Ce0.5Ti0.5O2 increased the NO removal efficiency, reaching both NO and NH3 conversions above 85% between 175 to 300 °C at remarkably high N2 selectivities of ≥95%. Moreover, Mn-modified supports were also much more stable against deactivation in the presence of water. Deposition of vanadia on the Ce0.5Ti0.5−xMnxO2−δ supports enhanced the N2 selectivity, reaching ≥98% in the whole temperature range for Mn percentages of ≤0.1. Characterization results revealed that incorporation of Mn leads to supports with higher lattice disorder and smaller crystallite size and enhances the oxygen mobility and the reducibility of the supports. Operando EPR studies show that the synergistic effect of VOx and MnOx surface species in moieties containing Mn3+/Mn2+ and VO3+/VO2+ in close vicinity contributes to the prevention of undesired NH3 oxidation, thus improving the N2 selectivity of these catalysts.

By applying N-doped carbon modified iron-based catalysts, the controlled hydrogenation of N-heteroarenes, especially (iso)quinolones, is achieved. Crucial for activity is the catalyst preparation by pyrolysis of a carbon-impregnated composite, obtained from iron(ii) acetate and N-aryliminopyridines. As demonstrated by TEM, XRD, XPS and Raman spectroscopy, the synthesized material is composed of Fe(0), Fe3C and FeN x in a N-doped carbon matrix. The decent catalytic activity of this robust and easily recyclable Fe-material allowed for the selective hydrogenation of various (iso)quinoline derivatives, even in the presence of reducible functional groups, such as nitriles, halogens, esters and amides. For a proof-of-concept, this nanostructured catalyst was implemented in the multistep synthesis of natural products and pharmaceutical lead compounds as well as modification of photoluminescent materials. As such this methodology constitutes the first heterogeneous iron-catalyzed hydrogenation of substituted (iso)quinolones with synthetic importance.

A novel approach for lignin and hexenuronic acid (HexA) removal from cellulosic pulp based on the combination of a vanadium haloperoxidase (Hap) and the tertiary amine 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) as a co-catalyst was tested on oxygen-delignified kraft pulp. It was found that the addition of DABCO, likely through the formation of a reactive quaternary chlorammonium cation, consistently led to an unprecedentedly high lignin removal, HexA reduction and brightness gain in a one-stage enzymatic treatment. Under buffered conditions at pH 4.5 and 60 °C at 10% dry matter, using NaCl as an electron donor and H2O2 as an electron acceptor and DABCO as a co-catalyst, high selectivity was achieved, leading to a considerable brightness gain and more than 80% of HexA removal without observing a reduction in the average degree of polymerization of cellulose. The treatment also showed superior HexA removal and selectivity compared to a conventional treatment based on hot acid hydrolysis (A-stage) when applied in a standard bleaching sequence. It was found important to control the pH in the Hap + DABCO stage, as under non-buffered conditions, the performance was inferior when compared to that of a non-enzymatic HOCl treatment. Hydrogen peroxide was proposed to contribute to the brightening during the Hap + DABCO stage.

Herein, we provide fundamentals relevant for the development of Fe-based catalysts for CO2hydrogenation to higher hydrocarbons. It was possible owing to preparation of well-defined FexOyCz compositions through controlled decomposition of iron oxalate, determination of their composition under CO2-FT reaction and catalytic tests in a broad range of CO2 conversion. Such steady-state composition changes along the catalyst bed. The changes and their strength depend on the initial phase composition. In addition to the reaction-induced catalyst restructuring, reaction pathways leading from CO2 to CO, CH4 and higher hydrocarbons were elucidated. A correlation between them and the steady-state composition was established and offers the possibility for tailored catalyst design and preparation. Our best performing promoter-free Fe-based catalyst shows the selectivity to CH4 below 10 %, while the selectivity to C2+-hydrocarbons is about 50 % at CO2 conversion of about 25 % and 300 °C. The olefin to paraffin ratio among C2-C4 hydrocarbons is 5.5.

In recent years, chromatic pupillometry is used in humans to evaluate the activity of melanopsin expressing intrinsic photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). Blue light is used to stimulate the ipRGCs and red light activates the rod/cone photoreceptors. The late re-dilation phase of pupillary light reflex is primarily driven by the ipRGCs. Optic neuropathies i.e. Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), autosomal dominant optic atrophy (ADOA), nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), glaucoma, optic neuritis and idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) are among the diseases, which have been subject to pupillometric studies. The ipRGCs are differentially affected in these various optic neuropathies. In mitochondrial optic neuropathies, the ipRGCs are protected against degeneration, whereas in glaucoma, NAION, optic neuritis and IIH the ipRGCs are damaged. Here, we will review the results of pupillometric, histopathological and animal studies evaluating the ipRGCs in mitochondrial and non-mitochondrial optic neuropathies.

An adaptation of the Schwickerath crack initiation test (ISO 9693) was used to determine the bonding strength between an anode support and three different cathodes with a solid oxide fuel cell interconnect. Interfacial elemental characterization of the interfaces was carried out by SEM/EDS analysis on fracture surfaces to investigate the bonding mechanisms. SEM/EDS of fresh fractures were also performed to determine the cohesion/adhesion mechanism of bonding. Calculations of the residual stresses were determined by finite element simulation using ANSYS, based on thermo-mechanical properties of the materials obtained by measurement, calculation or literature.

Previously, it has been reported that melanopsin-mediated pupillary light response (PLR), measured with pupillometry, is reduced in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), indicating the clinical utility of the tool in the diagnosis of IIH. In the current study, the authors aimed to measure the PLR in 13 treatment-naive patients with new-onset IIH and 13 healthy controls. In contrast to the previous report, which was based on patients with longstanding IIH (n = 13), the authors found no significant difference in the melanopsin-mediated PLR (p = 0.48).

A critical issue in state-of-the-art solid oxide cell stacks is the contacting of the oxygen electrode. The commonly used ceramic contact layers are applied in a green state and cannot be sintered properly, due to compliance limitations arising from other stack components like sealing glasses and steels. The consequence is a low layer and interface strength. A metallic copper manganese foam, which is oxidized under operation conditions into a conductive Cu1+xMn2–xO4 spinel, is presented in this work as a viable contact solution. The foam has been electrochemically tested in a single repeating unit setup for 350 hours of constant operation, followed by dynamic conditions with thermal cycles. After operation, a micro structural analysis using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction was carried out. It was confirmed that after oxidation/operation the manganese solely formed a CuMn-spinel phase, mixed with a CuO phase. A separate Mn-oxide phase was not found. The conductivity and contacting of the foam was sufficient for > 350 h of SOFC operation. With an initial serial resistance comparable to single cell tests using gold foil as contact material and moderate degradation rates, the CuMn foam presented itself as an interesting cathode contact solution.

Stresses and probability of failure during operation of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) is affected by the deformational properties of the different components of the SOFC stack. Though the overall stress relaxes with time during steady state operation, large stresses would normally appear through transients in operation including temporary shut downs. These stresses are highly affected by the transient creep behavior of metallic components in the SOFC stack. This study investigates whether a variation of the so-called Chaboche's unified power law together with isotropic hardening can represent the transient behavior of Crofer 22 APU, a typical iron-chromium alloy used in SOFC stacks. The material parameters for the model are determined by measurements involving relaxation and constant strain rate experiments. The constitutive law is implemented into commercial finite element software using a user-defined material model. This is used to validate the developed constitutive law to experiments with constant strain rate, cyclic and creep experiments. The predictions from the developed model are found to agree well with experimental data. It is therefore concluded that Chaboche's unified power law can be applied to describe the high temperature inelastic deformational behaviors of Crofer 22 APU used for metallic interconnects in SOFC stacks.

The creep behaviour of porous iron-chromium alloy used in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) becomes relevant under SOFC operating temperatures. In this paper, the secondary creep stage of infiltrated and non-infiltrated porous metal supports (MS) was investigated and theoretically modelled by a continuum damage mechanics (CDM) approach. The behaviour of the porous metal support, in the range from 1 to 17 MPa and temperatures between 650 and 700 °C, was combined and compared with data from literature of Crofer ® 22 APU, taken as zero porosity reference material. The variation of the elastic modulus as function of temperature, determined by the high temperature impulse excitation technique, was directly used to account for the porosity and the related effective stress acting during the creep tests. The proposed creep rate formulation was used to extend the Crofer ® 22 APU Monkman-Grant diagram in the viscous creep regime. The influence of oxide scale formation on creep behaviour of the porous MS was assessed by comparing the creep data of pre-oxidised samples tested in reducing atmosphere.

The efficiency of escape panels inserted in trawls relies on fish actively attempting to escape through them. However, several studies indicate that most fish drift towards the aft end of the trawl, passing the escape panel through which they easily could have escaped, without making contact with it. To increase the efficiency of such panels, the contact probability needs to be improved. In this study, we investigate to what extent the efficiency of escape panels can be improved by actively stimulating the escape behaviour of fish. The performance of two identical panel sections was compared in a twin-trawl system, one with and one without a stimulation device. A new coupled analysis method was used to explicitly quantify the improvements in contact probability and release efficiency for the escape panel. The results demonstrate that by actively stimulating escape behaviour, the contact probability and release efficiency for cod (Gadus morhua) can be significantly improved without effecting the catch of Nephrops (Nephrops norvegicus).

Ni-YSZ (nickel - yttria stabilized zirconia) is a material widely used for electrodes and supports in solid oxide electrochemical cells. The mechanical and electrochemical performance of these layers, and thus the whole cell, depends on their microstructure. During the initial operation of a cell, NiO is reduced to Ni. When this process is conducted under external load, like also present in a stack assembly, significant deformations of NiO/Ni-YSZ composite samples are observed. The observed creep is orders of magnitude larger than the one observed after reduction during operation. This phenomenon is referred to as accelerated creep and is expected to have a significant influence on the microstructure development and stress field present in the Ni-YSZ in solid oxide electrochemical cells (SOCs), which is highly important for the durability of the SOC. In this work we present energy selective neutron imaging studies of the accelerated creep phenomenon in Ni/NiO-YSZ composite during reduction and also during oxidation. This approach allowed us to observe the phase transition and the creep behavior simultaneously in-situ under SOC operation-like conditions.

Breastfeeding profoundly shapes the infant gut microbiota, which is critical for early life immune development. However, few breastmilk-dependent microbial metabolites mediating host-microbiota interactions are currently known. We here demonstrate that breastmilk-promotedBifidobacteriumspecies convert aromatic amino acids (tryptophan, phenylalanine and tyrosine) into their respective aromatic lactic acids (indolelactate, phenyllactate and 4-hydroxyphenyllactate) via a previously unrecognised aromatic lactate dehydrogenase. By longitudinal profiling of the gut microbiota composition and metabolome of stool samples of infants obtained from birth until 6 months of age, we show that stool concentrations of aromatic lactic acids are determined by the abundance of human milk oligosaccharide degradingBifidobacteriumspecies containing the aromatic lactate dehydrogenase. We demonstrate that stool concentrations ofBifidobacterium-derived indolelactate, the most abundant aromatic lactic acidin vivo, are associated with the capacity of infant stool samples to activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a receptor important for controlling intestinal homeostasis and immune responses. Finally, we show that indolelactate modulatesex vivoimmune responses of human CD4+ T-cells and monocytes in a dose-dependent manner by acting as an agonist of both, the AhR and hydroxycarboxylic acid receptor 3 (HCAR3). Our findings reveal that breastmilk-promotedBifidobacteriumproduce aromatic lactic acids in the gut of infants and suggest that these microbial metabolites may impact immune function in early life.

Buoyant freshwater released at depth from under Greenland's marine-terminating glaciers gives rise to vigorous buoyant discharge plumes adjacent to the termini. The water mass found down fjord formed by mixing of buoyant subglacial freshwater and ambient fjord water and subsequent modification by glacial ice melt in the ice mélange is referred to as subglacial water. It substantially affects both the physical and chemical properties of the fjords' marine environment. Despite the importance of this freshwater source, many uncertainties remain regarding its transformation and detection. Here we present observations close to a marine-terminating glacier in a fjord with substantial ice mélange and follow the down-fjord changes of the subglacial discharge plume. Heat brought to the surface by entrainment of warm ambient fjord water into the rising plume causes intense melting of the ice mélange close to the plume pool. This results in an increase of glacial ice melt fraction to total glacial meltwater from 1–2% in the plume pool to ~18% eleven kilometers down-fjord, with the largest increase being observed within the first few kilometers. Down-fjord of the ice mélange two temperature minima bound the layer containing subglacial water. The upper bound is linked to the adjacent ice mélange and down-fjord runoff sources, whereas the lower bound is linked to the stratification of the ambient water. We show that similar bounds can be observed in other marine-terminating glacier fjords along West Greenland that contain an ice mélange, suggesting that similar processes work in other fjords.