An energy-efficient upconcentration of the bio-based carboxylic acids using multiple-effect evaporators.

This study proposes an integrated process chain to upconcentrate short-chain carboxylic acids (SCCA) like acetic, propionic, and butyric acid, produced from anaerobic fermentation of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste. The starting point is the residual biogas, which is produced from the anaerobic digestion of the solid fraction obtained after the acid fermentation. Using this biogas energy, integrated multiple-effect evaporator scenarios with varying SCCA initial concentrations from 10 to 40 g/L in the liquid fraction were simulated in Aspen Plus®.

Exposing the pitfalls of plastics mechanical recycling through cost calculation.

The plastic industry needs to match the recycling goals set by the EU. Next to technological hurdles, the cost of plastics mechanical recycling is an important modality in this transition. This paper reveals how business economic cost calculation can expose significant pitfalls in the recycling process, by unravelling limitations and boundary conditions, such as scale.

Five-Year Outcomes from a Prospective Study on Safety and Efficacy of Phasix ST Mesh Use at the Hiatus During Paraesophageal Hernia Repair.

Background: Laparoscopic paraesophageal hernia (PEH) repair has a high hernia recurrence rate. The aim of this study was to assess the 5-year hernia recurrence rate after PEH repair using a combination of bioresorbable mesh and advanced surgical techniques to address tension as needed in a prospective group of patients.

Study Design: In 2016, a prospective database was established for 50 patients undergoing primary, elective PEH repair with a new bioresorbable mesh (Phasix ST).

Overcoming the Limitations of Organocatalyzed Glycolysis of Poly(ethylene terephthalate) to Facilitate the Recycling of Complex Waste Under Mild Conditions.

Although multiple methods have been reported in the literature for the chemical recycling of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), large-scale depolymerization is not yet widely employed. The main reasons for the limited adoption of chemical recycling of PET are the harsh conditions required and the lack of selectivity. In this study, the organocatalytic glycolysis of PET mediated by organic bases at low temperatures is studied, and routes to avoid the deactivation of the catalyst are explored.

Increasing the Dissolution Rate of Polystyrene Waste in Solvent-Based Recycling.

Solvent-based recycling of plastic waste is a promising approach for cleaning polymer chains without breaking them. However, the time required to actually dissolve the polymer in a lab environment can take hours. Different factors play a role in polymer dissolution, including temperature, turbulence, and solvent properties.

Plastic recycling stripped naked - from circular product to circular industry with recycling cascade.

This perspective combines various expertise to develop and analyse the concept of technology cascade for recycling waste plastics with the goal of displacing as much fossil crude oil as possible. It thereby presents archetype recycling technologies with their strengths and weaknesses. It then combines them in various cascades to process a representative plastic mix, and determines how much (fossil) naphtha could be displaced and at which energy consumption.

Updated Markov Model to Determine Optimal Management Strategy for Patients with Paraesophageal Hernia and Symptoms, Cameron Ulcer, or Comorbid Conditions.

Background: The current paradigm of watchful waiting (WW) in people 65 years or older with an asymptomatic paraesophageal hernia (PEH) is based on a now 20-year-old Markov analysis. Recently, we have shown that elective laparoscopic hernia repair (ELHR) provides an increase in life-years (L-Ys) compared with WW in most healthy patients aged 40 to 90 years. However, elderly patients often have comorbid conditions and may have complications from their PEH such as Cameron lesions.

Application of chemometric tools in the QSAR development of VOC removal in plastic waste recycling.

Deodorization and, in a broader sense, the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from plastic waste have become increasingly important in the field of plastic recycling, and various new decontamination techniques have been developed. Both in research and industrial practice, the selection of VOCs has been random or unsubstantiated, making it difficult to compare studies and assess decontamination processes objectively. Thus, this study proposes the use of Statistical Molecular Design (SMD) and Quantitative Structure - Activity Relationship (QSAR) as chemometric tools for the selection of representative VOCs, based on physicochemical properties.

Missed Opportunities: the Timing and Frequency of Screening Colonoscopy in Patients That Develop Esophageal Adenocarcinoma.

Introduction: Screening colonoscopy (SC) is widely accepted and has been shown to decrease the rate of colorectal cancer death. Guidelines and acceptance of screening for Barrett's esophagus (BE) are less established despite the fact that esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA) remains the fastest increasing cancer in the USA. The aim of this study was to assess the timing and frequency of SC in patients ultimately found to have EA and to evaluate the presence of symptoms and risk factors that might have prompted an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and potentially earlier diagnosis of the EA.

Elective Laparoscopic Paraesophageal Hernia Repair Leads to an Increase in Life Expectancy Over Watchful Waiting in Asymptomatic Patients: An Updated Markov Analysis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to perform an updated Markov analysis to determine the optimal management strategy for patients with an asymptomatic paraesophageal hernia (PEH): elective laparoscopic hernia repair (ELHR) versus watchful waiting (WW).

Background: Currently, it is recommended that patients with an asymptomatic PEH not undergo repair based on a 20-year-old Markov analysis. The current recommendation might lead to preventable hospitalizations for acute PEH-related complications and compromised survival.

Tumor differentiation impacts response to neoadjuvant therapy and survival in patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Objective: The current staging system for esophageal adenocarcinoma only considers tumor grade in early tumors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of tumor differentiation on response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and survival in patients with locally advanced esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Methods: This was a multi-institution retrospective review of all patients with esophageal cancer who underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by esophagectomy from January 2010 to December 2017.

Technical substitutability of recycled materials in life cycle Assessment: A comprehensive review and framework for quantification.

In evaluating environmental sustainability with methodologies like life cycle assessment (LCA), recycling is usually credited for avoiding impacts from virgin material production. Consequently, the LCA results are influenced by the manner in which the substitutability of virgin by recycled materials is estimated. This study reviews how the scientific community assesses the technical substitutability of recycled materials in LCA.

Operational Framework to Quantify "Quality of Recycling" across Different Material Types.

Many pledges and laws are setting recycling targets without clearly defining quality of recycling. Striving to close this gap, this study presents an operational framework to quantify quality of recycling. The framework comprises three dimensions: the Virgin Displacement Potential (VDP); In-Use Stocks Lifetime (IUSL); and Environmental Impact (EI).

Diaphragmatic relaxing incisions for complex hiatal reconstruction: longer-term follow-up confirms safety, efficacy and rare complications.

Background: Tension is an important factor in hernia repairs. Relaxing incisions to reduce tension are common with ventral hernia repairs, and techniques for relaxing incisions also exist for the hiatus. The aim of this study was to update our original experience with a diaphragm relaxing incision (DRI) in a larger group of patients with longer follow-up.

Impact of Stabilization Technology on the Extraction Yield and Functionality of Macroconstituents from Biomass: A Systematic Review.

Biomass contains different macroconstituents (polysaccharides, lipids, and proteins) with nutritional and functional properties. However, after harvest or processing, stabilization of biomass is necessary to preserve the macroconstituents from degradation by microbial growth and enzymatic reactions. Because these stabilization methods affect the structure of the biomass, extraction of valuable macroconstituents can be impacted.

Thermal pyrolysis of waste versus virgin polyolefin feedstocks: The role of pressure, temperature and waste composition.

Due to the complexity and diversity of polyolefinic plastic waste streams and the inherent non-selective nature of the pyrolysis chemistry, the chemical decomposition of plastic waste is still not fully understood. Accurate data of feedstock and products that also consider impurities is, in this context, quite scarce. Therefore this work focuses on the thermochemical recycling via pyrolysis of different virgin and contaminated waste-derived polyolefin feedstocks (i.

Understanding the complexity of deinking plastic waste: An assessment of the efficiency of different treatments to remove ink resins from printed plastic film.

Plastic packaging is usually heavily printed with inks to provide functional benefits. However, the presence of inks strongly impedes the closed-loop recycling of plastic films. Various media have already been studied for the deinking of plastic films, but there is little scientific insight into the effectiveness of different deinking techniques.

Tracing the origin of VOCs in post-consumer plastic film bales.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including odors, are still a key issue in plastic recycling, especially in case of flexible packaging. Therefore, this study presents a detailed qualitative and quantitative VOC analysis by applying gas chromatography on 17 categories of flexible plastic packaging that are manually sorted from bales of post-consumer flexible packaging (e.g.

Material flow analysis and recycling performance of an improved mechanical recycling process for post-consumer flexible plastics.

Increasing the recycling rates for post-consumer flexible plastics (PCFP) waste is imperative as PCFP is considered a difficult-to-recycle waste with only 17 % of PCFP effectively recycled in Europe. To tackle this pressing issue, improved mechanical recycling processes are being explored to increase the recycling rates of PCFP. One interesting option is the so-called quality recycling process (QRP) proposed by CEFLEX, which supplements more conventional mechanical recycling of PCFP with additional sorting, hot washing, improved extrusion, and deodorization.

Quality evaluation and economic assessment of an improved mechanical recycling process for post-consumer flexible plastics.

Packaging represents the largest fraction of plastic waste in Europe. Currently, mechanical recycling schemes are mainly focused on the recovery of rigid packaging (like bottles), while for flexible packaging, also called films, recycling rates remain very low. Existing mechanical recycling technologies for these films are quite basic, especially in the case of complicated post-consumer flexible plastics (PCFP) waste, leading to regranulate qualities that are often subpar for renewed use in demanding film applications.

Toward More Universal Prediction of Polymer Solution Viscosity for Solvent-Based Recycling.

The viscosity of polymer solutions is important for both polymer synthesis and recycling. Polymerization reactions can become hampered by diffusional limitations once a viscosity threshold is reached, and viscous solutions complicate the cleaning steps during the dissolution-precipitation technique. Available experimental data is limited, which is more severe for green solvents, justifying dedicated viscosity data recording and interpretation.

The Nissen-Hill Hybrid Repair: Experience With the First 500.

Introduction: A new repair for gastroesophageal reflux and hiatal hernia, the Nissen-Hill hybrid repair, was developed to combine the relative strengths of its component repairs with the aim of improved durability. In several small series, it has been shown to be safe, effective, and durable for paraesophageal hernia, Barrett esophagus, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. This study represents our experience with the first 500 consecutive repairs for all indications.

Multi-Scale Modeling of Plastic Waste Gasification: Opportunities and Challenges.

Among the different thermo-chemical recycling routes for plastic waste valorization, gasification is one of the most promising, converting plastic waste into syngas (H+CO) and energy in the presence of an oxygen-rich gas. Plastic waste gasification is associated with many different complexities due to the multi-scale nature of the process, the feedstock complexity (mixed polyolefins with different contaminations), intricate reaction mechanisms, plastic properties (melting behavior and molecular weight distribution), and complex transport phenomena in a multi-phase flow system. Hence, creating a reliable model calls for an extensive understanding of the phenomena at all scales, and more advanced modeling approaches than those applied today are required.