The usefulness of motor subtypes of delirium is unclear due to inconsistency in subtyping methods and a lack of validation with objective measures of motor activity levels. We studied patients with hyperactive, hypoactive, and mixed presentations of delirium were studied with 24-h accelerometer-based monitoring. The procedures were well tolerated and motor presentations were readily distinguished using the accelerometer-based measurements. The system was capable of identifying static versus dynamic activity and the frequency of changes in posture. Electronic motion analysis concurs with observed gross movement and can distinguish motorically defined subtypes according to quantitative and qualitative aspects of movement.

This study evaluates the anaerobic digestion (AD) of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) and digested sewage sludge (DSS) at lowered temperatures. AD batch tests for CH4 yield determination were carried out with DSS as inoculum between 23 and 40 °C. All results were related to organic dry matter and calculated for standard conditions (1013 hPa, 0 °C). The AD experiments at 40 °C and at 35 °C delivered specific CH4 yields of 325 ± 6 mL/g and 268 ± 27 mL/g for OFMSW alone. At lower temperatures, specific CH4 yields of 364 ± 25 mL/g (25 °C) and 172 ± 21 mL/g (23 °C) were reached. AD at 25 °C could be beneficial regarding energy input (heating costs) and energy output (CH4 yield). Plant operators could increase AD efficiencies by avoiding heating costs. The co-digestion of OFMSW together with DSS could lead to further synergies such as better exploitation of the energy potentials of DSS, but the digestate utilization could become problematic due to hygienic requirements. Efficiency potentials through lowered operating temperatures are limited. In further research, lowered process temperatures could be applied in the AD of energy crops due to large numbers of existing plants.

Technical drying of harvested wood fuels is heat and energy consuming, while natural pre-drying in the forest, e.g., in stacks or storage piles, is accompanied by energy losses through natural degradation processes. Dewatering of energy wood by mechanical pressing is an innovative method to reduce the moisture content prior to thermal drying while producing press waters (PW, also referred to as wood juice) as a by-product. To date, the characteristics and utilization potentials of PW are largely unknown. In this study, three different spruce- and poplar-based PW were analyzed for their characteristics such as dry matter (DM), organic dry matter (oDM) concentration, pH-value, element concentration or chemical compounds. Additionally, they were used for anaerobic digestion (AD) experiments with digested sewage sludge (DSS) serving as inoculum. The fresh matter-based DM concentrations of the PW were between 0.4 and 3.2%, while oDM concentrations were between 87 and 89%DM. The spruce-based PW were characterized by lower pH-values of approx. 4.4, while the poplar-based PW was measured at pH 8. In the AD experiments, DSS alone (blank variant) achieved a specific methane yield of 95 ± 26 mL/goDM, while the mixture of spruce-based PW and DSS achieved up to 160 ± 12 mL/goDM, respectively. With further research, PW from wood fuel preparation offer the potential to be a suitable co-substrate or supplement for AD processes.

Hydrothermal treatment (HTT) offers the potential to upgrade low-value biomass such as digestate (DG) or forest residue (FR) by producing solids and liquids for material use or energetic utilization. In this study, microwave-assisted HTT experiments with DG and FR as feedstocks were executed at different temperatures (130, 150, 170 °C) and with different holding times (30, 60, 90 min) to determine the influences on product properties (ash and elemental concentrations, calorific values and chemical compounds). In general, DG and FR reacted differently to HTT. For the DG solids, for instance, the ash concentration was reduced to 8.68%DM at 130 °C (initially 27.67%DM), and the higher heating value increased from 16.55 MJ/kgDM to 20.82 MJ/kgDM at 170 °C, while the FR solids were affected only marginally. Elements with importance for emissions in combustion were leached out in both HTT solids. The DG and FR liquids contained different chemical compounds, and the temperature or holding time affected their formation. Depending on the designated application of HTT, less severe conditions can deliver better results. It was demonstrated that different low-temperature HTT conditions already induce strong changes in the product qualities of DG and FR. Optimized interactions between process parameters (temperature, holding time and feedstock) might lead to better cost–benefit effects in HTT.