Abstract: Methods and systems for producing hydrogen and capturing carbon dioxide are disclosed. In some embodiments, the methods include the following: mixing magnesium bearing minerals with one or more acids and/or chelating agents to form a magnesium-rich solvent including magnesium hydroxide; mixing a gas including carbon dioxide with the magnesium-rich solvent in a reactor possibly in the presence of one or more water-gas shift catalysts; increasing a temperature and a steam pressure inside the reactor until a substantial portion of the magnesium hydroxide in the solvent and the carbon dioxide and water in the gas react to form magnesium carbonate and hydrogen; and increasing pH in the reactor thereby increasing a rate that the solvent and the carbon dioxide react.

Abstract: The present invention is related with the neurobiology and the transgenic animals, more specifically with obtaining a model to study the SCA2 genetic disease. The genome of one mice line has been modified through the introduction of a DNA segment that contains the necessary information for the synthesis of the human ataxin 2. In particular the invention is related with the transgenic mice F066 and the cellular lines able to express the human sca2 gene under the regulation of its self promoter. The F066 transgenic mice reproduce the features of the disease. The homozygous transgenic mouse line for the new gene was obtained through matting. This transgenic line is useful to study the mechanism that produce the disease and also will permit to prove new therapeutics that contributes to minimize the clinical symptoms in the patients.

Abstract: A method for producing hydrogen gas is provided and comprises reducing a metal oxide in a reduction reaction between a carbon-based fuel and a metal oxide to provide a reduced metal or metal oxide having a lower oxidation state, and oxidizing the reduced metal or metal oxide to produce hydrogen and a metal oxide having a higher oxidation state. The metal or metal oxide is provided in the form of a porous composite of a ceramic material containing the metal or metal oxide. The porous composite may comprise either a monolith, pellets, or particles.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for removing organic contaminants from contaminated materials including a sealed hopper, a heated vapor stripping conveyor sealed from atmospheric air to vapor strip the contaminants from the material, a sealed conveyor to convey the material in sealed condition from the hopper to the vapor stripping conveyor, a supply of non-oxidative gases at a controlled temperature for introduction into the vapor stripping conveyor, an introduction portal for the non-oxidative gases into the vapor stripping conveyor, an exit for removing the non-oxidative gases from the conveyor and located to cause the non-oxidative gases to cross currently sweep over the material to convey contaminants and moisture stripped from the material out of the vapor stripping conveyor, and a controller for controlling the flow rate and temperature of the non-oxidative gases as they flow through the vapor stripping conveyor and to prevent undue surface drying of the material as the material passes through the vapor stripping

Abstract: A method and apparatus for removing volatile organic contaminants from soil including removing contaminated soil from the earth; transporting and placing the contaminated soil into a soil hopper, the hopper being substantially sealed from the atmosphere to prevent fugitive emissions of the contaminants from escaping into the atmosphere; conveying the soil under sealed conditions into a heated vapor stripping conveyor having moving flights; conveying the soil under sealed conditions along the vapor stripping conveyor and in close contact with the flights to heat the soil to a temperature below the boiling temperatures of the contaminants, thereby causing moisture in the soil and the contaminants to be stripped from the soil; streaming non-oxidizing gases having a greater than ambient temperature across the surface of the soil to carry the contaminants and moisture across and away from the soil; and maintaining the rate of flow and temperature of the gases to prevent undue surface drying of the soil as the soil