Abstract: The invention is directed to a process to prepare propylene from a mixture of hydrocarbons having an olefin content of between 5 and 50 wt. % and boiling for more than 90 vol. % between 35 and 280° C. or from a hydrocarbon feed comprising paraffins, naphthenics and/or aromatics and optionally up to 10 wt. % of olefins, by first contacting the feed with a low acidic density cracking catalyst in a reactor, separating propylene and subsequently contacting the residue with a high acidic density cracking catalyst in a reactor at a more elevated temperature, separating propylene and recycling the residue to first and second cracking reactors. Aromatics may be added to first and second cracking step to improve cycle length.

Abstract: A beverage preparation capsule containing a beverage preparation ingredient, having a body with side walls formed from one or more substantially air- and liquid-impermeable sheet materials defining a chamber containing a beverage preparation ingredient and further defining an outlet channel having an upstream end in fluid communication with the chamber for escape of beverage from the chamber. At least a region of the outlet channel is filled by a filtration material for filtering the beverage escaping from the chamber. Also provided is a clamp assembly for preparing a beverage from such a capsule, the clamp assembly comprising two or more clamp members, wherein an inner wall of at least one of the clamp members comprises a concave base surface for receiving the capsule and one or more pressure pads projecting from the concave base surface for selectively constricting a region of the capsule.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a process to continuously prepare a gas oil product from carbonaceous particles of a biomass source comprising the following steps. (a) contacting carbonaceous particles with a hydrogen comprising gas in a fluidised bed reactor in the absence of oxygen and in the absence of a catalyst, at an average solids residence time of between (20) and (120) seconds and at thermal conversion conditions to obtain a gaseous mixture comprising of hydrocarbons and char particles. (b) discharging the char particles and the gaseous mixture separately from the fluidised bed reactor. And (c) isolating from the gaseous mixture a gas oil product by means of distillation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to beverage preparation capsule containing a beverage preparation ingredient, and methods for the preparation of beverages. In one aspect, these include beverage preparation capsules for use in beverage preparation apparatus comprising a clamp assembly suitable for preparing espresso-type beverages.

Abstract: A beverage dispensing apparatus includes a water tank, a water supply line connected to the water tank and having a water pump for pumping water from the water tank to a water outlet at a distal end of the water supply line, wherein the water outlet is connectable to a beverage ingredient container, a pressure sensor connected to the water supply line at a position upstream of the water outlet, and a controller configured to receive an output from the pressure sensor indicative of the pressure at the position upstream of the water outlet and to determine an estimated pressure at the water outlet based on the received output and a flow rate of water through the water supply line.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a process to convert a solid biomass to a crude fuel comprising middle distillate fuel fractions, the process comprising: (a) contacting the solid biomass having a water content of below 20 wt % with steam for more than 10 seconds at pressurised conditions to obtain steam saturated biomass and (b) subjecting the steam saturated biomass to a pyrolysis step at a temperature of between 600 and 800° C. to obtain the crude fuel comprising the middle distillate fuel fractions.

Abstract: A beverage dispensing apparatus and methods for active pressure control thereof. In one aspect, a method for controlling a beverage dispensing apparatus may include: a) determining whether a first beverage to be prepared at a first temperature or a second beverage to be prepared a second temperature has been selected for preparation, the first temperature being greater than the second temperature; and b) selecting a maximum pressure threshold for a beverage preparation fluid circuit of the beverage dispensing apparatus based on whether the first beverage or the second beverage has been selected in step a), wherein the maximum pressure threshold is set by selecting from at least a first pressure threshold when the first beverage has been determined to have been selected and a second pressure threshold when the second beverage has been determined to have been selected, the first pressure being less than the second pressure.

Abstract: A method of mitigating contrails produced by an aircraft having a set of gas turbine engines, comprises the steps of (i) for each engine in a first subset of the engines, reducing the operating efficiency of the engine to produce a reduction in thrust provided by that engine and (ii) for each engine in a second subset, increasing the fuel flow to the engine to increase the thrust provided by that engine, the set of at least two gas turbine engines consisting of the first and second subsets. The method provides for contrail mitigation action by means of engine operating efficiency reduction to be directed to a first subset of engines for which contrail mitigation per unit engine operating efficiency reduction is greatest, the resulting reduction in thrust provided by such engines being at least partially compensated by increasing fuel flow to engines of the second subset.

Abstract: A beverage preparation capsule containing a beverage preparation ingredient, having a body with side walls formed from one or more substantially air- and liquid-impermeable sheet materials defining a chamber containing a beverage preparation ingredient and further defining an outlet channel having an upstream end in fluid communication with the chamber for escape of beverage from the chamber. At least a region of the outlet channel is filled by a filtration material for filtering the beverage escaping from the chamber. Also provided is a clamp assembly for preparing a beverage from such a capsule, the clamp assembly comprising two or more clamp members, wherein an inner wall of at least one of the clamp members comprises a concave base surface for receiving the capsule and one or more pressure pads projecting from the concave base surface for selectively constricting a region of the capsule.

Abstract: A method including initiating a transaction comprising a plurality of data items in one or more data stores, wherein the transaction is to cause a change to at least a first data item of the plurality of data items. The method also including generating a first transactional data usable to undo the change to the first data item associated with the transaction, wherein the first transaction data comprises a serialized compensation data structure to undo the change to the first data item and complementary information regarding activities complementary to the undo operation.

Abstract: A beverage preparation capsule containing a beverage preparation ingredient, having a body with side walls formed from one or more substantially air- and liquid-impermeable sheet materials defining a chamber containing a beverage preparation ingredient and further defining an outlet channel having an upstream end in fluid communication with the chamber for escape of beverage from the chamber. At least a region of the outlet channel is filled by a filtration material for filtering the beverage escaping from the chamber. Also provided is a clamp assembly for preparing a beverage from such a capsule, the clamp assembly comprising two or more clamp members, wherein an inner wall of at least one of the clamp members comprises a concave base surface for receiving the capsule and one or more pressure pads projecting from the concave base surface for selectively constricting a region of the capsule.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a process to prepare a gas oil product from a carbonaceous particles of a biomass source comprising the following steps: (a) pyrolysis of the carbonaceous particles to a gaseous mixture of hydrocarbons in the absence of oxygen, (b) quenching the gaseous mixture of hydrocarbons by contacting with a liquid quench mixture of hydrocarbons having a lower temperature than the gaseous mixture thereby obtaining a rich liquid quench mixture and a quenched gas, and (c) isolating from the quenched gas a gas oil product by means of vacuum distillation, wherein the liquid gas oil is partly supplied to the top of the vacuum distillation column as a distillation reflux, partly used as part of the liquid quench mixture in (b) and partly discharged as the gas oil product.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a process to prepare propylene from a mixture of hydrocarbons having an olefin content of between 5 and 50 wt. % and boiling for more than 90 vol. % between 35 and 280 ?C or from a hydrocarbon feed comprising paraffins, naphthenics and/or aromatics and optionally up to 10 wt. % of olefins, by first contacting the feed with a low acidic density cracking catalyst in a reactor, separating propylene and subsequently contacting the residue with a high acidic density cracking catalyst in a reactor at a more elevated temperature, separating propylene and recycling the residue to first and second cracking reactors. Aromatics may be added to first and second cracking step to improve cycle length.

Abstract: Provided herein are, inter alia, antibodies, antigen-binding antibody fragments, cells, polynucleotides, compositions, kits, and methods relating to the detection of HBV protein X (HBx), e.g., in vitro and in vivo. Included are antibodies and fragments thereof that bind HBx, as well as kits, cells, and compositions comprising such antibodies and fragments.

Abstract: A method of mitigating contrails produced by an aircraft having a set of gas turbine engines, comprises the steps of (i) for each engine in a first subset of the engines, reducing the operating efficiency of the engine to produce a reduction in thrust provided by that engine and (ii) for each engine in a second subset, increasing the fuel flow to the engine to increase the thrust provided by that engine, the set of at least two gas turbine engines consisting of the first and second subsets. The method provides for contrail mitigation action by means of engine operating efficiency reduction to be directed to a first subset of engines for which contrail mitigation per unit engine operating efficiency reduction is greatest, the resulting reduction in thrust provided by such engines being at least partially compensated by increasing fuel flow to engines of the second subset.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a process to prepare propylene from a mixture of hydrocarbons having an olefin content of between 5 and 50 wt. % and boiling for more than 90 vol. % between 35 and 280° C. or from a hydrocarbon feed comprising paraffins, naphthenics, aromatics and optionally up to 10 wt. % of olefins, by first contacting the feed with a low acidic density cracking catalyst in a fixed bed reactor, separating propylene and subsequently contacting the residue with a high acidic density cracking catalyst in a fixed bed reactor at a more elevated temperature, separating propylene and recycling the residue to first and second cracking reactors. Aromatics may be added to first and second cracking step to improve cycle length.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a process to prepare propylene from a hydrocarbon feed comprising pentane by contacting the hydrocarbon feed with a heterogeneous cracking catalyst as present in one or more fixed beds thereby obtaining a cracked effluent. The heterogeneous catalyst comprises a matrix component and a molecular sieve comprising framework alumina, framework silica and a framework metal selected from the group of Zn, Fe, Ce, La, Y, Ga and/or Zr. Propylene is isolated from the cracked effluent.

Abstract: A display device includes a display comprising a plurality of pixels. The display also has a plurality of regions. At least one of the plurality of regions is a protected region and the protected region includes at least one protection pixel. The display device also includes an image generator configured to receive a source image data for display content, identify a portion of the display content that includes sensitive data, and output the display content such that at least a portion of the protected region containing the sensitive data is displayed in at least one of a protection wavelength and a protection brightness.