| 1. |
- Belyazid, Salim, et al.
(författare)
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A Sustainability Assessment of the Urban Rehabilitation Project of the Medina of Fez, Morocco
- 2003
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the 21st International Conference of the System Dynamics Society. - 9780967291482
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The old city of Fez, Morocco, classified as Heritage of Humankind by the UNESCO, is subject to an integrated rehabilitation plan running over 15 years. The plan aims at restoring and preserving the economy, cultural value, and social heritage of the old city. The study follows a system dynamics approach to describe and analyze the rehabilitation plan in order to identify the strengths and defects of the plan. This study shows that while the plan is giving relatively satisfying results over the short and medium terms, it is unlikely to attain long term sustainability.
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| 2. |
- Elf, Patric, et al.
(författare)
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Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Cellulose and Dialcohol Cellulose under Dry and Moist Conditions
- 2023
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Ingår i: Biomacromolecules. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1525-7797 .- 1526-4602. ; 24:6, s. 2706-2720
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The development of wood-based thermoplastic polymers that can replace synthetic plastics is of high environmental importance, and previous studies have indicated that cellulose-rich fiber containing dialcohol cellulose (ring-opened cellulose) is a very promising candidate material. In this study, molecular dynamics simulations, complemented with experiments, were used to investigate how and why the degree of ring opening influences the properties of dialcohol cellulose, and how temperature and presence of water affect the material properties. Mechanical tensile properties, diffusion/mobility-related properties, densities, glass-transition temperatures, potential energies, hydrogen bonds, and free volumes were simulated for amorphous cellulosic materials with 0-100% ring opening, at ambient and high (150 °C) temperatures, with and without water. The simulations showed that the impact of ring openings, with respect to providing molecular mobility, was higher at high temperatures. This was also observed experimentally. Hence, the ring opening had the strongest beneficial effect on “processability” (reduced stiffness and strength) above the glass-transition temperature and in wet conditions. It also had the effect of lowering the glass-transition temperature. The results here showed that molecular dynamics is a valuable tool in the development of wood-based materials with optimal thermoplastic properties.
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| 3. |
- Elfarrash, Sara, et al.
(författare)
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Organotypic slice culture model demonstrates inter-neuronal spreading of alpha-synuclein aggregates
- 2019
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Ingår i: Acta Neuropathologica Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2051-5960. ; 7:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Here we describe the use of an organotypic hippocampal slice model for studying α-synuclein aggregation and inter-neuronal spreading initiated by microinjection of pre-formed α-synuclein fibrils (PFFs). PFF injection at dentate gyrus (DG) templates the formation of endogenous α-synuclein aggregates in axons and cell bodies of this region that spread to CA3 and CA1 regions. Aggregates are insoluble and phosphorylated at serine-129, recapitulating Lewy pathology features found in Parkinson's disease and other synucleinopathies. The model was found to favor anterograde spreading of the aggregates. Furthermore, it allowed development of slices expressing only serine-129 phosphorylation-deficient human α-synuclein (S129G) using an adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector in α-synuclein knockout slices. The processes of aggregation and spreading of α-synuclein were thereby shown to be independent of phosphorylation at serine-129. We provide methods and highlight crucial steps for PFF microinjection and characterization of aggregate formation and spreading. Slices derived from genetically engineered mice or manipulated using viral vectors allow testing of hypotheses on mechanisms involved in the formation of α-synuclein aggregates and their prion-like spreading.
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| 4. |
- Nilsson, Robin, 1993, et al.
(författare)
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Experimental and simulated distribution and interaction of water in cellulose esters with alkyl chain substitutions
- 2023
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Ingår i: Carbohydrate Polymers. - : Elsevier BV. - 0144-8617 .- 1879-1344. ; 306
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study investigated the effect of the average length of substituted side chains in different cellulose esters on water sorption and the water association mechanism. For this purpose, a set of esters with a similar total degree of substitution was selected: cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate propionate, and cellulose acetate butyrate. Dynamic vapor sorption was used to determine the effect of the side chain length on sorption, desorption, and the occurrence of water clustering. Since water association in the structure was of interest, molecular dynamics simulations were performed on cellulose acetate and cellulose acetate propionate. This study showed that cellulose acetate appears to be water-sensitive and experiences hysteresis upon water sorption, which was attributed to structural changes. The simulations also showed that water is screened out by the side chains and forms intermolecular hydrogen bonds, primarily to the carbonyl oxygen rather than the residual hydroxyl groups.
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| 5. |
- Stanicic, Ivana, 1994, et al.
(författare)
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Interaction of oxygen carriers with common biomass ash components
- 2020
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Ingår i: Fuel Processing Technology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-3820 .- 1873-7188. ; 200
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has been proposed as a bridging technology between the current energy production and a future renewable energy system. One promising carbon capture technology is chemical-looping combustion (CLC). In CLC the reactors are filled with metal oxide bed material called oxygen carriers. The interaction between oxygen carriers and biomass ashes is a poorly explored field. To make CLC a viable process, and thereby creating carbon emission reductions, more knowledge about the interactions between biomass ashes and oxygen carriers is needed. This study investigated solid-state reactions of three promising oxygen carriers, hematite, hausmannite and synthesised ilmenite with different biomass ash components. Oxygen carriers were exposed with the ash components: calcium carbonate, silica and potassium carbonate at 900 °C and at different reducing potentials. Crystalline phases of the exposed samples were determined using powder x-ray diffraction (XRD). Results showed that the oxygen carriers hausmannite and hematite interact to a higher extent compared to synthesised ilmenite regarding both physical characteristics and detectable phases. Synthesised ilmenite formed new phases only in systems including potassium. Thermodynamic calculations were performed on the multicomponent system and compared with experimental results. The results suggest that optimisation of systems involving manganese and potassium should be performed.
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