Household hazardous waste quantification, characterization and management in China's cities: a case study of Suzhou.

PubMed

Gu, Binxian; Zhu, Weimo; Wang, Haikun; Zhang, Rongrong; Liu, Miaomiao; Chen, Yangqing; Wu, Yi; Yang, Xiayu; He, Sheng; Cheng, Rong; Yang, Jie; Bi, Jun

2014-11-01

A four-stage systematic tracking survey of 240 households was conducted from the summer of 2011 to the spring of 2012 in a Chinese city of Suzhou to determine the characteristics of household hazardous waste (HHW) generated by the city. Factor analysis and a regression model were used to study the major driving forces of HHW generation. The results indicate that the rate of HHW generation was 6.16 (0.16-31.74, 95% CI) g/person/day, which accounted for 2.23% of the household solid waste stream. The major waste categories contributing to total HHW were home cleaning products (21.33%), medicines (17.67%) and personal care products (15.19%). Packaging and containers (one-way) and products (single-use) accounted for over 80% of total HHW generation, implying a considerable potential to mitigate HHW generation by changing the packaging design and materials used by manufacturing enterprises. Strong correlations were observed between HHW generation (g/person/day) and the driving forces group of "household structure" and "consumer preferences" (among which the educational level of the household financial manager has the greatest impact). Furthermore, the HHW generation stream in Suzhou suggested the influence of another set of variables, such as local customs and culture, consumption patterns, and urban residential life-style. This study emphasizes that HHW should be categorized at its source (residential households) as an important step toward controlling the HHW hazards of Chinese cities. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lactulose Breath Test Gas Production in Childhood IBS Is Associated With Intestinal Transit and Bowel Movement Frequency.

PubMed

Chumpitazi, Bruno P; Weidler, Erica M; Shulman, Robert J

2017-04-01

In adults with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), bacterial gas production (colonic fermentation) is related to both symptom generation and intestinal transit. Whether gas production affects symptom generation, psychosocial distress, or intestinal transit in childhood IBS is unknown. Children (ages 7-17 years) with pediatric Rome III IBS completed validated psychosocial questionnaires and a 2-week daily diary capturing pain and stooling characteristics. Stool form determined IBS subtype. Subjects then completed a 3-hour lactulose breath test for measurement of total breath hydrogen and methane production. Carmine red was used to determine whole intestinal transit time. A total of 87 children (mean age 13 ± 2.6 [standard deviation] years) were enrolled, of whom 50 (57.5%) were girls. All children produced hydrogen and 51 (58.6%) produced methane. Hydrogen and methane production did not correlate with either abdominal pain frequency/severity or psychosocial distress. Hydrogen and methane production did not differ significantly by IBS subtype. Methane production correlated positively with whole intestinal transit time (r = 0.31, P < 0.005) and inversely with bowel movement frequency (r = -0.245, P < 0.05). Methane production (threshold 3 ppm) as a marker for identifying IBS-C had a sensitivity of 60% and specificity of 42.9%. Lactulose breath test total methane production may serve as a biomarker of whole intestinal transit time and bowel movement frequency in children with IBS. In children with IBS, lactulose breath test hydrogen and methane production did not, however, correlate with abdominal pain, IBS subtype, or psychosocial distress.

Analysis of Ingredient Lists to Quantitatively Characterize ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The EPA’s ExpoCast program is developing high throughput (HT) approaches to generate the needed exposure estimates to compare against HT bioactivity data generated from the US inter-agency Tox21 and the US EPA ToxCast programs. Assessing such exposures for the thousands of chemicals in consumer products requires data on product composition. This is a challenge since quantitative product composition data are rarely available. We developed methods to predict the weight fractions of chemicals in consumer products from weight fraction-ordered chemical ingredient lists, and curated a library of such lists from online manufacturer and retailer sites. The probabilistic model predicts weight fraction as a function of the total number of reported ingredients, the rank of the ingredient in the list, the minimum weight fraction for which ingredients were reported, and the total weight fraction of unreported ingredients. Weight fractions predicted by the model compared very well to available quantitative weight fraction data obtained from Material Safety Data Sheets for products with 3-8 ingredients. Lists were located from the online sources for 5148 products containing 8422 unique ingredient names. A total of 1100 of these names could be located in EPA’s HT chemical database (DSSTox), and linked to 864 unique Chemical Abstract Service Registration Numbers (392 of which were in the Tox21 chemical library). Weight fractions were estimated for these 864 CASRN. Using a

Public use and potential impact on Missouri's forest products industry

Treesearch

Bruce E. Cutter; William B. Kurtz

1993-01-01

Management of public lands impacts Missouri's forest products industry in a significant manner, particularly in rural areas. In 1989, some 1,340 firms were involved in the forest products industry, employing approximately 29,200 workers. Total value-added in 1989 was in excess of $1 billion and the industry's activity generated another $400 million in related...

Louisiana's timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 1999

Treesearch

James W. Bentley; Michael Howell; Tony G. Johnson

2003-01-01

In 1999, industrial roundwood output from Louisiana's forests totaled 802 million cubic feet, 28 percent more than in 1996. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers increased 50 percent to 285 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Pulpwood was the leading roundwood product at 349 million cubic...

Hydrogen production from formic acid in pH-stat fed-batch operation for direct supply to fuel cell.

PubMed

Shin, Jong-Hwan; Yoon, Jong Hyun; Lee, Seung Hoon; Park, Tai Hyun

2010-01-01

Enterobacter asburiae SNU-1 harvested after cultivation was used as a whole cell biocatalyst, for the production of hydrogen. Formic acid was efficiently converted to hydrogen using the harvested cells with an initial hydrogen production rate and total hydrogen production of 491 ml/l/h and 6668 ml/l, respectively, when 1 g/l of whole cell enzyme was used. Moreover, new pH-stat fed-batch operation was conducted, and total hydrogen production was 1.4 times higher than that of batch operation. For practical application, bio-hydrogen produced from formic acid using harvested cells was directly applied to PEMFC for power generation.

Specific suppression of anti-DNA production in vitro

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liebling, M.R.; Wong, C.; Radosevich, J.

1988-09-01

To investigate the regulation of anti-DNA antibody production, we generated anti-DNA-specific suppressor cells by exposing normal human T cells and a small percentage of adherent cells to high concentrations of DNA. These cells suppressed the production of anti-DNA by both autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and allogeneic PBMC derived from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. Anti-DNA production was suppressed significantly more than anti-RNA, antitetanus, or total immunoglobulin production. Specific suppression was enhanced by increasing the numbers of DNA-primed CD8+ cells and was obliterated by irradiation of the DNA-primed cells. In contrast to T cells from normal individuals, T cellsmore » obtained from two intensively studied SLE patients were unable to generate specific suppressor cells for anti-DNA production in both autologous and allogeneic test systems. Despite this defect, these patients were still capable of generating specific suppressor cells for antibody production directed against an exogenous antigen, tetanus toxoid.« less

A two-step optimization strategy for 2nd generation ethanol production using softwood hemicellulosic hydrolysate as fermentation substrate.

PubMed

Boboescu, Iulian-Zoltan; Gélinas, Malorie; Beigbeder, Jean-Baptiste; Lavoie, Jean-Michel

2017-11-01

Ethanol production using waste biomass represents a very attractive approach. However, there are considerable challenges preventing a wide distribution of these novel technologies. Thus, a fractional-factorial screening of process variables and Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast inoculum conditions was performed using a synthetic fermentation media. Subsequently, a response-surface methodology was developed for maximizing ethanol yields using a hemicellulosic solution generated through the chemical hydrolysis of steam treatment broth obtained from residual softwood biomass. In addition, nutrient supplementation using starch-based ethanol production by-products was investigated. An ethanol yield of 74.27% of the theoretical maximum was observed for an initial concentration of 65.17g/L total monomeric sugars. The two-step experimental strategy used in this work represents the first successful attempt to developed and use a model to make predictions regarding the optimal ethanol production using both softwood feedstock residues as well as 1st generation ethanol production by-products. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vector production in an academic environment: a tool to assess production costs.

PubMed

Boeke, Aaron; Doumas, Patrick; Reeves, Lilith; McClurg, Kyle; Bischof, Daniela; Sego, Lina; Auberry, Alisha; Tatikonda, Mohan; Cornetta, Kenneth

2013-02-01

Generating gene and cell therapy products under good manufacturing practices is a complex process. When determining the cost of these products, researchers must consider the large number of supplies used for manufacturing and the personnel and facility costs to generate vector and maintain a cleanroom facility. To facilitate cost estimates, the Indiana University Vector Production Facility teamed with the Indiana University Kelley School of Business to develop a costing tool that, in turn, provides pricing. The tool is designed in Microsoft Excel and is customizable to meet the needs of other core facilities. It is available from the National Gene Vector Biorepository. The tool allows cost determinations using three different costing methods and was developed in an effort to meet the A21 circular requirements for U.S. core facilities performing work for federally funded projects. The costing tool analysis reveals that the cost of vector production does not have a linear relationship with batch size. For example, increasing the production from 9 to18 liters of a retroviral vector product increases total costs a modest 1.2-fold rather than doubling in total cost. The analysis discussed in this article will help core facilities and investigators plan a cost-effective strategy for gene and cell therapy production.

Vector Production in an Academic Environment: A Tool to Assess Production Costs

PubMed Central

Boeke, Aaron; Doumas, Patrick; Reeves, Lilith; McClurg, Kyle; Bischof, Daniela; Sego, Lina; Auberry, Alisha; Tatikonda, Mohan

2013-01-01

Abstract Generating gene and cell therapy products under good manufacturing practices is a complex process. When determining the cost of these products, researchers must consider the large number of supplies used for manufacturing and the personnel and facility costs to generate vector and maintain a cleanroom facility. To facilitate cost estimates, the Indiana University Vector Production Facility teamed with the Indiana University Kelley School of Business to develop a costing tool that, in turn, provides pricing. The tool is designed in Microsoft Excel and is customizable to meet the needs of other core facilities. It is available from the National Gene Vector Biorepository. The tool allows cost determinations using three different costing methods and was developed in an effort to meet the A21 circular requirements for U.S. core facilities performing work for federally funded projects. The costing tool analysis reveals that the cost of vector production does not have a linear relationship with batch size. For example, increasing the production from 9 to18 liters of a retroviral vector product increases total costs a modest 1.2-fold rather than doubling in total cost. The analysis discussed in this article will help core facilities and investigators plan a cost-effective strategy for gene and cell therapy production. PMID:23360377

Estimation of regional building-related C&D debris generation and composition: case study for Florida, US.

PubMed

Cochran, Kimberly; Townsend, Timothy; Reinhart, Debra; Heck, Howell

2007-01-01

Methodology for the accounting, generation, and composition of building-related construction and demolition (C&D) at a regional level was explored. Six specific categories of debris were examined: residential construction, nonresidential construction, residential demolition, nonresidential demolition, residential renovation, and nonresidential renovation. Debris produced from each activity was calculated as the product of the total area of activity and waste generated per unit area of activity. Similarly, composition was estimated as the product of the total area of activity and the amount of each waste component generated per unit area. The area of activity was calculated using statistical data, and individual site studies were used to assess the average amount of waste generated per unit area. The application of the methodology was illustrated using Florida, US approximately 3,750,000 metric tons of building-related C&D debris were estimated as generated in Florida in 2000. Of that amount, concrete represented 56%, wood 13%, drywall 11%, miscellaneous debris 8%, asphalt roofing materials 7%, metal 3%, cardboard 1%, and plastic 1%. This model differs from others because it accommodates regional construction styles and available data. The resulting generation amount per capita is less than the US estimate - attributable to the high construction, low demolition activity seen in Florida.

Hydrolysis products generated by lipoprotein lipase and endothelial lipase differentially impact THP-1 macrophage cell signalling pathways.

PubMed

Essaji, Yasmin; Yang, Yanbo; Albert, Carolyn J; Ford, David A; Brown, Robert J

2013-08-01

Macrophages express lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and endothelial lipase (EL) within atherosclerotic plaques; however, little is known about how lipoprotein hydrolysis products generated by these lipases might affect macrophage cell signalling pathways. We hypothesized that hydrolysis products affect macrophage cell signalling pathways associated with atherosclerosis. To test our hypothesis, we incubated differentiated THP-1 macrophages with products from total lipoprotein hydrolysis by recombinant LPL or EL. Using antibody arrays, we found that the phosphorylation of six receptor tyrosine kinases and three signalling nodes--most associated with atherosclerotic processes--was increased by LPL derived hydrolysis products. EL derived hydrolysis products only increased the phosphorylation of tropomyosin-related kinase A, which is also implicated in playing a role in atherosclerosis. Using electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry, we identified the species of triacylglycerols and phosphatidylcholines that were hydrolyzed by LPL and EL, and we identified the fatty acids liberated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. To determine if the total liberated fatty acids influenced signalling pathways, we incubated differentiated THP-1 macrophages with a mixture of the fatty acids that matched the concentrations of liberated fatty acids from total lipoproteins by LPL, and we subjected cell lysates to antibody array analyses. The analyses showed that only the phosphorylation of Akt was significantly increased in response to fatty acid treatment. Overall, our study shows that macrophages display potentially pro-atherogenic signalling responses following acute treatments with LPL and EL lipoprotein hydrolysis products.

Micro-total envelope system with silicon nanowire separator for safe carcinogenic chemistry.

PubMed

Singh, Ajay K; Ko, Dong-Hyeon; Vishwakarma, Niraj K; Jang, Seungwook; Min, Kyoung-Ik; Kim, Dong-Pyo

2016-02-26

Exploration and expansion of the chemistries involving toxic or carcinogenic reagents are severely limited by the health hazards their presence poses. Here, we present a micro-total envelope system (μ-TES) and an automated total process for the generation of the carcinogenic reagent, its purification and its utilization for a desired synthesis that is totally enveloped from being exposed to the carcinogen. A unique microseparator is developed on the basis of SiNWs structure to replace the usual exposure-prone distillation in separating the generated reagent. Chloromethyl methyl ether chemistry is explored as a carcinogenic model in demonstrating the efficiency of the μ-TES that is fully automated so that feeding the ingredients for the generation is all it takes to produce the desired product. Syntheses taking days can be accomplished safely in minutes with excellent yields, which bodes well for elevating the carcinogenic chemistry to new unexplored dimensions.

Total phenolic contents and free-radical scavenging activities of grape (Vitis vinifera L.) and grape products.

PubMed

Keser, Serhat; Celik, Sait; Turkoglu, Semra

2013-03-01

Grape is one of the world's largest fruit crops, with an approximate annual production of 58 million metric tons, and it is well known that the grape skins, seeds and stems, waste products generated during wine and grape juice processing, are rich sources of polyphenols. It contains flavonoids, phenolic acids and stilbenes. In this study, we tried to determine antioxidant properties and phenolic contents of grape and grape products (fresh fruit, seed, dried fruit, molasses, pestil, vinegar) of ethanol and water extracts. Antioxidant properties of extracts were investigated by DPPH(√), ABTS(√+), superoxide, H(2)O(2) scavenging, reducing power, metal chelating activity and determination of total phenolic contents. The seed extracts revealed highest ABTS(√+), DPPH(√), H(2)O(2) scavenging and reducing power activities. Furthermore, these extracts showed higher total phenolic contents than other grape product extracts.

Drought Impacts on Reservoir Storage and Hydro-electricity Production in Southeastern Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scanlon, B. R.; Melo, D. D.; Yin, L.; Wendland, E.

2015-12-01

Brazilian hydroelectric plants (HP) generate ~85% of the total electricity in the country (138 GW). More than half of the number largest reservoirs are located in the Southeast/Midwest region, where ~50% of the population (~100 million) lives. The 2014 drought raised several questions about the resilience of the water sources when several urban centers, including Brazilian's largest metropolis (São Paulo, 20 million people), had their water supply threatened. Such drought also affected reservoirs of hydroelectric plants. This study assesses how the storage and, thus the electricity generation, in 14 of the largest reservoirs were affected by drought events within the past 20 years. We computed the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) to identify rainfall anomalies throughout the analyzed period. To evaluate the impacts on surface water, we assessed the changes in total (surface+ subsurface) runoff and soil moisture from Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) and in Total Water Storage (TWS) from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite data. We evaluated the anomalies and significance of the changes in reservoir storage (RS) and electricity generation. The results show that severe dry years (-1.5 < SPI <-2.0) reduce reservoir storage (RS) by up to ~60% of its total capacity. Both electricity generation and reservoir storage showed strong negative trends between 2011 and 2014. Our results also indicate that within the past 20 years, two major depletions in reservoir storage occurred: 2001 and 2014. However, due to lower soil moisture in 2013 compared to that in 2000, distinct impacts were observed on the reservoirs with much stronger impacts on reservoir storage in 2014 relative to those in 2001. No meaningful changes in runoff were shown by GLDAS during the 2014 drought. The observed depletion in the RS in 2014 was similar to that in the TWS, as shown by GRACE data. In 2014, the electricity production by the HP declined by ~20%. As a result, the electricity generated by such source decreased to ~70% of the total production, compared to 82% and 93% in 2013 and 2012, respectively. This analysis highlights the vulnerability of surface water resources and electricity generation to extreme droughts and underscores the need to develop coping mechanisms to enhance drought resilience in the future.

South Carolina's timber industry-an assessment of timber product output and use, 2005

Treesearch

Tony G. Johnson; Nathan Smith

2007-01-01

In 2005, industrial roundwood output from South Carolina's forests totaled 645 million cubic feet, 13 percent more than in 2003. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers increased 10 percent to 186 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Pulpwood was the leading roundwood product at 318 million...

Kentucky's timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 1999

Treesearch

Tony G. Johnson; Larry Lowe

2002-01-01

In 1999, roundwood output from Kentucky's forests totaled 220 million cubic feet, 13 percent more than in 1997. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers increased 10 percent to 108 million cubic feet. Ninety-five percent of plant residues were used, primarily for fuel and fiber products. Saw logs were the leading roundwood product at 179 million cubic...

Mississippi's timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 2005

Treesearch

James W. Bentley; Michael Howell; Tony G. Johnson

2008-01-01

In 2005, industrial roundwood output from Mississippi's forests totaled 1.03 billion cubic feet, 11 percent more than in 2002. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers decreased 1 percent to 385 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Saw logs were the leading roundwood product at 543 million cubic...

Florida's timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 1997

Treesearch

Michael Howell; Eric. Ford

1999-01-01

In 1997, volume of roundwood output from Florida's forests totaled 517 million cubic feet, 2 percent less than in 1995. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers remained stable at 162 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Pulpwood was the leading roundwood product at 288 million cubic feet; saw...

North Carolina's timber industry-an assessment of timber product output and use, 2005

Treesearch

Tony G. Johnson; Michael C. Mann

2007-01-01

In 2005, industrial roundwood output from North Carolina's forests totaled 784 million cubic feet, 1 percent more than in 2003. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers declined 3 percent to 306 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Saw logs were the leading roundwood product at 400 million cubic...

Florida's timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 2003

Treesearch

James W. Bentley; Michael Howell; Tony G. Johnson

2006-01-01

In 2003, volume of roundwood output from Florida's forests totaled 509 million cubic feet, 2 percent more than in 1999. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers decreased to 151 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Pulpwood was the leading roundwood product at 271 million cubic feet; saw logs...

Louisiana's timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 2002

Treesearch

James W. Bentley; Michael Howell; Tony G. Johnson

2005-01-01

In 2002, industrial roundwood output from Louisiana's forests totaled 720 million cubic feet, 10 percent less than in 1999. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers decreased 4 percent to 275 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Saw logs were the leading roundwood product at 273 million cubic...

Mississippi's timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 2002

Treesearch

Michael Howell; Tony G. Johnson; James W. Bentley

2005-01-01

In 2002, industrial roundwood output from Mississippi's forests totaled 927 million cubic feet, 7 percent less than in 1999. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers increased 9 percent to 391 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Saw logs were the leading roundwood product at 526 million cubic...

Mississippi's timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 1995

Treesearch

Daniel P. Stratton; Michael Howell; Randal Romedy

1998-01-01

In 1995, roundwood output from Mississippi's forests totaled 1.0 billion cubic feet. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers was 357 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residue was used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Saw logs were the leading roundwood product at 493 million cubic feet; pulpwood ranked second at 454 million cubic feet; veneer...

Virginia’s timber industry--an assessment of timber product output and use, 2007

Treesearch

Jason Cooper; Charles Becker

2009-01-01

In 2007, roundwood output from Virginia's forests decreased 8 percent to 464 million cubic feet. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers totaled 175 million cubic feet, 3 percent less than in 2005. Seventy-five percent of the plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Saw logs were the leading roundwood product at 219 million...

North Carolina's timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 2003

Treesearch

Michael Howell; Barry D. New; Michael C. Mann

2006-01-01

In 2003, industrial roundwood output from North Carolina's forests totaled 776 million cubic feet, 2 percent more than in 2001. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers increased four-tenths of 1 percent to 315 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Saw logs were the leading roundwood product at...

Kentucky's timber industry-an assessment of timber product output and use, 2005

Treesearch

James W. Bentley; Larry Lowe

2007-01-01

In 2005, roundwood output from Kentucky's forests totaled 191 million cubic feet, 3 percent more than in 2003. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers increased 2 percent to 91 million cubic feet. Ninety-six percent of plant residues were used, primarily for fuel, miscellaneous, and fiber products. Saw logs were the leading roundwood product at 143...

North Carolina's timber industry--an assessment of timber product output and use, 2007

Treesearch

Jason Cooper; Michael Mann

2009-01-01

In 2007, industrial roundwood output from North Carolina's forests totaled 728 million cubic feet, 7 percent less than in 2005. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers declined 4 percent to 294 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Saw logs were the leading roundwood product at 348 million cubic...

Florida's timber industry-an assessment of timber product output and use, 2005

Treesearch

Tony G. Johnson; James W. Bentley; Michael Howell

2008-01-01

In 2005, volume of industrial roundwood output from Florida's forests totaled 445 million cubic feet, 13 percent less than in 2003. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers declined to 146 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Pulpwood was the leading roundwood product at 214 million cubic feet;...

Virginia's timber industry-an assessment of timber product output and use, 2005

Treesearch

Tony G. Johnson; Charles W. Becker

2007-01-01

In 2005, roundwood output from Virginia's forests increased 3 percent to 503 million cubic feet. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers totaled 179 million cubic feet, 5 percent more than in 2003. Seventy-three percent of the plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Saw logs were the leading roundwood product at 228 million...

North Carolina's timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 1997

Treesearch

Tony G Johnson; David R. Brown

1999-01-01

In 1997, industrial roundwood output in North Carolina's forests totaled 870 million cubic feet, 5 percent more than in 1995. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers increased 3 percent to 309 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Saw logs were the leading round wood product at 423 million cubic...

Georgia's timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 1999

Treesearch

Tony G. Johnson; John L. Wells

2002-01-01

In 1999, industrial roundwood output from Georgia's forests totaled 1.24 billion cubic feet, 3 percent less than in 1997. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers declined 1 percent to 474 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used, primarily for fuel and fiber products. Pulpwood was the leading roundwood product at 594 million cubic feet...

Georgia's timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 2001

Treesearch

Tony G. Johnson; John L. Wells

2004-01-01

In 2001, industrial roundwood output from Georgia's forests totaled 1.12 billion cubic feet, 10 percent less than in 1999. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers declined 7 percent to 439 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Pulpwood was the leading roundwood product at 501 million cubic feet...

Georgia's timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 1997

Treesearch

Tony G. Johnson; John L. Wells

1999-01-01

In 1997, roundwood output from Georgia's forests totaled 1.28 billion cubic feet, 2 percent less than in 1995. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers increased 1 percent to 479 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Pulpwood was the leading roundwood product at 617 million cubic feet; saw logs...

South Carolina's timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 1999

Treesearch

Tony G. Johnson; Richard A. Harper; Michael J. Bozzo

2002-01-01

In 1999, roundwood output from South Carolina's forests totaled 625 million cubic feet, 1 percent less than in 1997. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers declined 2 percent to 197 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Pulpwood was the leading roundwood product at 324 million cubic feet; saw...

Georgia's timber industry-an assessment of timber product output and use, 2005

Treesearch

Tony G. Johnson; Nathan McClure; John L. Wells

2007-01-01

In 2005, industrial roundwood output from Georgia's forests totaled 1.17 billion cubic feet, 1 percent more than in 2003. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers increased 4 percent to 433 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Pulpwood was the leading roundwood product at 543 million cubic feet...

Arkansas's timber industry-an assessment of timber product output and use, 2005

Treesearch

James W. Bentley; Michael Howell; Tony G. Johnson

2008-01-01

In 2005, roundwood output from Arkansas's forests totaled 749 million cubic feet. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers were 354 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used, primarily for fuel and fiber products. Saw logs were the leading roundwood product at 390 million cubic feet; pulpwood ranked second at 235 million cubic feet; and...

Mississippi's timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 1999

Treesearch

James W. Bentley; Tony G. Johnson; Michael Howell

2002-01-01

In 1999, industrial roundwood output from Mississippi's forests totaled 991 million cubic feet, 4 percent less than in 1995. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers remained the same at 357 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Saw logs were the leading roundwood product at 491 million cubic...

South Carolina's timber industry-an assessment of timber product output and use, 1991

Treesearch

Tony G. Johnson; Edgar L. Davenport

1991-01-01

In 1991, roundwood output from South Carolina's forests totaled 508 million cubic feet, down 13 percent from 1989. Mill byproducts generated from primary processors declined an equal rate to 170 million cubic feet. Almost 100 percent of the residues were used, mostly for fuel and fiber products. Pulpwood remained the leading roundwood product at 250 million cubic...

Arkansas' timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 1999

Treesearch

James W. Bentley; Tony G. Johnson; Michael Howell

2002-01-01

In 1999, roundwood output from Arkansas' forests totaled 692 million cubic feet. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers were 290 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used, primarily for fuel and fiber products. Saw logs were the leading roundwood product at 320 million cubic feet; pulpwood ranked second at 285 million cubic feet; veneer...

North Carolina's timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 1995

Treesearch

Tony G. Johnson; Anne Jenkins; David R. Brown

1997-01-01

In 1995, roundwood output from North Carolina's forests totaled 833 million cubic feet, 2 percent less than in 1994. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers increased 1 percent to 301 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Saw logs were the leading roundwood product at 398 million cubic feet;...

Arkansas' timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 1996

Treesearch

Michael Howell; Robert Levins

1998-01-01

In 1996, roundwood output from Arkansas forests totaled 636 million cubic feet. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers was 286 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Saw logs were the leading roundwood product at 315 million cubic feet; pulpwood ranked second at 242 million cubic feet; veneer logs...

Florida's timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 1995

Treesearch

Tony G. Johnson; Anne Jenkins; Tom S. Haxby

1997-01-01

In 1995, volume of roundwood removed from Florida's forests totaled 527 million cubic feet, 2 percent more than in 1993. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers declined 6 percent to 162 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used, primarily for fuel and fiber products. Pulpwood was the leading roundwood product at 321 million cubic feet;...

Oklahoma's timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 1996

Treesearch

Michael Howell; Tony G. Johnson

1998-01-01

In 1996, roundwood output from Oklahoma's forests totaled 113 million cubic feet. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers was 42 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residue was used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Saw logs were the leading roundwood product at 54 million cubic feet; pulpwood ranked second at 40 million cubic feet. There were...

Alabama's timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 1997

Treesearch

Michael Howell; Jim R. Gober; J. Stephen Nix

1999-01-01

In 1997, roundwood output from Alabama's forests totaled 1.3 billion cubic feet. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers amounted to 477 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Pulpwood was the leading roundwood product at 765 million cubic feet; saw logs ranked second at 450 million cubic feet;...

Tennessee's timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 2001

Treesearch

James W. Bentley; Robert C. Wright

2004-01-01

In 2001, roundwood output from Tennessee's forests was 325 million cubic feet. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers totaled 125 million cubic feet. Seventy-one percent of the plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Saw logs were the leading roundwood product at 182 million cubic feet; pulpwood ranked second at 127 million...

Michigan timber industry--an assessment of timber product output and use, 1994.

Treesearch

Ronald L. Hackett; John Pilon

1997-01-01

Industrial roundwood production rose from 346.8 million cubic feet in 1992 to 386.9 million cubic feet in 1994. Pulpwood accounted for 62% of total roundwood production in Michigan in 1994--3.0 million cords. Saw-log production rose from 632 million board feet in 1992 to 658 million board feet in 1994. Logging residue generated in 1994 was estimated to be 4.8 million...

Energy consumption renewable energy development and environmental impact in Algeria - Trend for 2030

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahnoune, F.; Imessad, K.; Bouakaz, D. M.

2017-02-01

The study provides a detailed analysis of the energy production and consumption in Algeria and the associated CO2 emissions. Algeria is an important energy producer (oil and natural gas). The production is currently around 155 MToe. The total primary energy consumption amounted to about 58 MToe equivalent to 1.46 Toe/capita. The energy demand is still increasing, an average annual growth rate of more than 6% per year during the last decade. The growth rate for electricity production was almost twice that of the total energy consumption. In 2015, the installed capacity of the electricity generation plants reached 17.6 GW. Electricity consumption was 64.6 TWh and is expected to reach at least 75 TWh in 2020 and 130 TWh in 2030. The already high electricity demand will double by 2030. In the structure of final energy consumption, the transport sector ranks first (36%), natural gas consumption ranks second (28.5%), followed by electricity production (27.7%). By activity, the energy sector is the main source of CO2 emissions, about ¾ of the total and this sector has the most important potential for mitigation measures. CO2 emissions from this energy sector amounted to 112.2 MT CO2 as follows: 33% transport, 31% electricity production and 26% from natural gas combustion for residential use. The integration of renewable sources in the energy mix represents for Algeria a major challenge. In 2015, Algeria adopted an ambitious program for development of renewable energy. The target is to achieve 22 GW capacity of electricity from renewable by 2030 to reach a rate of 27 % of national electricity generation through renewable sources. By implementing this program, CO2 emissions of power generation will be reduced by more than 18% in 2030.

Evaluating the Environmental Performance of the U.S. Next Generation Air Transportation System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graham, Michael; Augustine, Stephen; Ermatinger, Christopher; Difelici, John; Thompson, Terence R.; Marcolini, Michael A.; Creedon, Jeremiah F.

2009-01-01

The environmental impacts of several possible U.S. Next Generation Air Transportation scenarios have been quantitatively evaluated for noise, air-quality, fuel-efficiency, and CO2 impacts. Three principal findings have emerged. (1) 2025 traffic levels about 30% higher than 2006 are obtained by increasing traffic according to FAA projections while also limiting traffic at each airport using reasonable ratios of demand to capacity. NextGen operational capabilities alone enable attainment of an additional 10-15% more flights beyond that 2025 baseline level with negligible additional noise, air-quality, and fuel-efficiency impacts. (2) The addition of advanced engine and airframe technologies provides substantial additional reductions in noise and air-quality impacts, and further improves fuel efficiency. 2025 environmental goals based on projected system-wide improvement rates of about 1% per year for noise and fuel-efficiency (an air-quality goal is not yet formulated) are achieved using this new vehicle technology. (3) Overall air-transport "product", as measured by total flown distance or total payload distance, increases by about 50% relative to 2006, but total fuel consumption and CO2 production increase by only about 40% using NextGen operational capabilities. With the addition of advanced engine/airframe technologies, the increase in total fuel consumption and CO2 production can be reduced to about 30%.

Industrial hazardous waste management in Turkey: current state of the field and primary challenges.

PubMed

Salihoglu, Güray

2010-05-15

A holistic evaluation of a country's hazardous waste management (HWM) practices is useful in identifying the necessary actions to focus on. Based on an analysis of industrial hazardous waste (HW) generation in Turkey, this paper attempts to critically evaluate and report current Turkish HWM practices and discuss the primary challenges to be addressed. The generation of industrial HW for Turkey reported in 2004 was 1.195 million tons, which accounted for 7% of the total industrial solid waste (ISW) generated by the manufacturing industry, and for nearly 4.9% of the total solid waste generated in the country. The HW generated by the top five manufacturing product categories--basic metals, chemicals and chemical products, food and beverages, coke and refined petroleum, motor vehicles and trailers--accounted for 89.0% of total industrial HW. 21% of the HW generated in 2004 was recycled or reused, and 6% was sold or donated, whereas 73% was sent to ultimate disposal. 67% of the HW sent to ultimate disposal was disposed of at municipal landfills. The total capacity of the existing regional HW facilities is 212,500 tons/year, which accounts for about 24% of the HW to be disposed. Turkey has identified the HW problem in the country and enacted legislation, designated a lead agency, and promulgated rules and regulations. Several new initiatives are planned for improving HW management nationally; however, some HWM problems will be persistent due to previous and existing industrial development plans. These development policies led to the concentration of industry in regions marked by precious agricultural fields and high population density. This occurred because the government previously exhibited a default prioritization towards industrial development, leading to insufficient implementation of regulations on HW generators. Some of the problems may also be rooted in other countries that allow illegal trans boundary HW movements despite international regulations. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Estimation of Microbial Concentration in Food Products from Qualitative, Microbiological Test Data with the MPN Technique.

PubMed

Fujikawa, Hiroshi

2017-01-01

Microbial concentration in samples of a food product lot has been generally assumed to follow the log-normal distribution in food sampling, but this distribution cannot accommodate the concentration of zero. In the present study, first, a probabilistic study with the most probable number (MPN) technique was done for a target microbe present at a low (or zero) concentration in food products. Namely, based on the number of target pathogen-positive samples in the total samples of a product found by a qualitative, microbiological examination, the concentration of the pathogen in the product was estimated by means of the MPN technique. The effects of the sample size and the total sample number of a product were then examined. Second, operating characteristic (OC) curves for the concentration of a target microbe in a product lot were generated on the assumption that the concentration of a target microbe could be expressed with the Poisson distribution. OC curves for Salmonella and Cronobacter sakazakii in powdered formulae for infants and young children were successfully generated. The present study suggested that the MPN technique and the Poisson distribution would be useful for qualitative microbiological test data analysis for a target microbe whose concentration in a lot is expected to be low.

Role of eddy pumping in enhancing primary production in the ocean

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Falkowski, Paul G.; Kolber, Zbigniew; Ziemann, David; Bienfang, Paul K.

1991-01-01

Eddy pumping is considered to explain the disparity between geochemical estimates and biological measurements of exported production. Episodic nutrient injections from the ocean into the photic zone can be generated by eddy pumping, which biological measurements cannot sample accurately. The enhancement of production is studied with respect to a cyclonic eddy in the subtropical Pacific. A pump-and-probe fluorimeter generates continuous vertical profiles of primary productivity from which the contributions of photochemical and nonphotochemical processes to fluorescence are derived. A significant correlation is observed between the fluorescence measurements and radiocarbon measurements. The results indicate that eddy pumping has an important effect on phytoplankton production and that this production is near the maximum relative specific growth rates. Based on the production enhancement observed in this case, eddy pumping increases total primary production by only 20 percent and does not account for all enhancement.

Kentucky’s timber industry--an assessment of timber product output and use, 2007

Treesearch

Rhonda Mathison; Christopher Nevins

2009-01-01

In 2007, roundwood output from Kentucky’s forests totaled 186 million cubic feet, 3 percent less than in 2005. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers decreased 5 percent to 90 million cubic feet. Seventy-seven percent of plant residues were used, primarily for fuel, miscellaneous, and fiber products. Saw logs were the leading roundwood product at 144...

Arkansas' timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 2002

Treesearch

James W. Bentley; Michael Howell; Tony G. Johnson

2005-01-01

In 2002, roundwood output from Arkansas’ forests totaled 680 million cubic feet. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers were 326 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Saw logs were the leading roundwood product at 342 million cubic feet; pulpwood ranked second at 213 million cubic feet; and veneer...

Louisiana’s timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 2009

Treesearch

Consuelo Brandeis; Tony G. Johnson; Mike Howell

2011-01-01

In 2009, industrial roundwood output from Louisiana’s forests totaled 600.6 million cubic feet, 26 percent less than in 2007. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers declined 43 percent to 168.4 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Pulpwood was the leading roundwood product at 322.5 million cubic...

Tennessee's timber industry-an assessment of timber product output and use, 2005

Treesearch

James W. Bentley; Doug Schnabel

2007-01-01

In 2005, roundwood output from Tennessee’s forests was 325 million cubic feet. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers totaled 119 million cubic feet. Seventy-three percent of the plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Saw logs were the leading roundwood product at 189 million cubic feet; pulpwood ranked second at 121 million cubic...

Alabama's timber industry-an assessment of timber product output and use, 2005

Treesearch

James w. Bentley; Walter E. Cartwright; Brian Hendricks

2008-01-01

In 2005, roundwood output from Alabama’s forests totaled 1.14 billion cubic feet. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers amounted to 432 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Pulpwood was the leading roundwood product at 563 million cubic feet; saw logs ranked second at 425 million cubic feet;...

Florida's timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 1999

Treesearch

James W. Bentley; Tony G. Johnson; Eric Ford

2002-01-01

In 1999, volume of roundwood output from Florida’s forests totaled 499 million cubic feet, 4 percent less than in 1997. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers decreased to 152 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Pulpwood was the leading roundwood product at 261 million cubic feet; saw logs ranked...

Mississippi's timber industry--an assessment of timber product output and use, 2007

Treesearch

Michael Howell; Tony Johnson

2009-01-01

In 2007, industrial roundwood output from Mississippi’s forests totaled 894 million cubic feet, 13 percent less than in 2005. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers decreased 18 percent to 316 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Pulpwood was the leading roundwood product at 401 million cubic feet...

South Carolina's timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 1995

Treesearch

Tony G. Johnson; Anne Jenkins; Daniel P. Stratton; Peter S. Bischoff

1997-01-01

In 1995, roundwood output from South Carolina’s forests totaled 622 million cubic feet, 5 percent less than in 1994. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers declined 4 percent to 203 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Pulpwood was the leading roundwood product at 320 million cubic feet; saw logs...

Georgia's timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 1995

Treesearch

Tony G. Johnson; Anne Jenkins; John L. Wells

1997-01-01

In 1995, roundwood output from Georgia’s forests totaled 1.3 billion cubic feet, 7 percent more than in 1992. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers declined 10 percent to 474 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used, primarily for fuel and fiber products. Pulpwood was the leading roundwood product at 617 million cubic feet; saw logs ranked...

Virginia's timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 1995

Treesearch

Tony G. Johnson; Anne Jenkins; John A. Scrivani; J. Michael Foreman

1997-01-01

In 1995, roundwood output from Virginia’s forests totaled more than 455 million cubic feet, 4 percent more than in 1992. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers increased 3 percent to 167 million cubic feet. Almost 97 percent of the plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Saw logs were the leading roundwood product at 213 million...

Kentucky's timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 1995

Treesearch

Tony G. Johnson; Anne Jenkins; Larry Lowe

1997-01-01

In 1995, roundwood output from Kentucky’s forests totaled more than 186 million cubic feet, 35 percent more than in 1986. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers increased 84 percent to 110 million cubic feet. More than 94 percent of the plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Saw logs were the leading roundwood product at 161...

Alabama's timber industry - An assessment of timber product output and use, 2003

Treesearch

James W. Bentley; Walter E. Cartwright

2006-01-01

In 2003, roundwood output from Alabama’s forests totaled 1.08 billion cubic feet. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers amounted to 410 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Pulpwood was the leading roundwood product at 521 million cubic feet; saw logs ranked second at 404 million cubic feet;...

Total Synthesis of (±)-Cis-Trikentrin B via Intermolecular 6,7-Indole Aryne Cycloaddition and Stille Cross-Coupling.

PubMed

Chandrasoma, Nalin; Brown, Neil; Brassfield, Allen; Nerurkar, Alok; Suarez, Susana; Buszek, Keith R

2013-02-20

An efficient total synthesis of the annulated indole natural product (±)- cis -trikentrin B was accomplished by means of a regioselectively generated 6,7-indole aryne cycloaddition via selective metal-halogen exchange from a 5,6,7-tribromoindole. The unaffected C-5 bromine was subsequently used for a Stille cross-coupling to install the butenyl side chain and complete the synthesis. This strategy provides rapid access into the trikentrins and the related herbindoles, and represents another application of this methodology to natural products total synthesis. The required 5,6,7-indole aryne precursor was prepared using the Leimgruber-Batcho indole synthesis.

An Investigation into Spent Coffee Waste as a Renewable Source of Bioactive Compounds and Industrially Important Sugars.

PubMed

Scully, Damhan S; Jaiswal, Amit K; Abu-Ghannam, Nissreen

2016-11-21

Conventional coffee brewing techniques generate vast quantities of spent espresso grounds (SEGs) rich in lignocellulose and valuable bioactives. These bioactive compounds can be exploited as a nutraceutical or used in a range of food products, while breakdown of lignocellulose generates metabolizable sugars that can be used for the production of various high-value products such as biofuels, amino acids and enzymes. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulose in SEGs following a hydrothermal pretreatment. A maximum reducing sugar yield was obtained at the following optimized hydrolysis conditions: 4.97 g of pretreated SEGs, 120 h reaction time, and 1246 and 250 µL of cellulase and hemicellulase, respectively. Industrially important sugars (glucose, galactose and mannose) were identified as the principal hydrolysis products under the studied conditions. Total flavonoids ( p = 0.0002), total polyphenols ( p = 0.03) and DPPH free-radical scavenging activity ( p = 0.004) increased significantly after processing. A 14-fold increase in caffeine levels was also observed. This study provides insight into SEGs as a promising source of industrially important sugars and polyphenols.

Nuclear power generation and fuel cycle report 1997

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1997-09-01

Nuclear power is an important source of electric energy and the amount of nuclear-generated electricity continued to grow as the performance of nuclear power plants improved. In 1996, nuclear power plants supplied 23 percent of the electricity production for countries with nuclear units, and 17 percent of the total electricity generated worldwide. However, the likelihood of nuclear power assuming a much larger role or even retaining its current share of electricity generation production is uncertain. The industry faces a complex set of issues including economic competitiveness, social acceptance, and the handling of nuclear waste, all of which contribute to themore » uncertain future of nuclear power. Nevertheless, for some countries the installed nuclear generating capacity is projected to continue to grow. Insufficient indigenous energy resources and concerns over energy independence make nuclear electric generation a viable option, especially for the countries of the Far East.« less

Contribution of Seawater Surfactants to Generated Primary Marine Aerosol Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frossard, A. A.; Gerard, V.; Duplessis, P.; Kinsey, J. D.; Lu, X.; Zhu, Y.; Bisgrove, J.; Maben, J. R.; Long, M. S.; Chang, R.; Beaupre, S. R.; Kieber, D. J.; Keene, W. C.; Noziere, B.; Cohen, R. C.

2017-12-01

Surfactants account for minor fractions of total organic carbon in the ocean but may have major impacts on the surface tension of bursting bubbles at the sea surface that drive the production of primary marine aerosol particles (PMA). Surfactants associated with marine aerosol may also significantly reduce the surface tension of water thereby increasing the potential for cloud droplet activation and growth. During September and October 2016, PMA were produced from bursting bubbles in seawater using a high capacity generator at two biologically productive and two oligotrophic stations in the western North Atlantic, as part of a cruise on the R/V Endeavor. Surfactants were extracted from paired PMA and seawater samples, and their ionic compositions, total concentrations, and critical micelle concentrations (CMC) were quantified and compared for the four hydrographic stations. Higher surfactant concentrations were determined in the aerosol produced from biologically productive seawater compared to oligotrophic seawater, and the surfactants extracted from productive seawater were stronger (had lower CMCs) than those in the oligotrophic seawater. Surfactants associated with PMA and seawater in productive regions also varied over diel cycles, whereas those in the oligotrophic regions did not. This work demonstrates a direct link between surfactants in seawater and those in PMA.

Stabilizing selection on sperm number revealed by artificial selection and experimental evolution.

PubMed

Cattelan, Silvia; Di Nisio, Andrea; Pilastro, Andrea

2018-03-01

Sperm competition is taxonomically widespread in animals and is usually associated with large sperm production, being the number of sperm in the competing pool the prime predictor of fertilization success. Despite the strong postcopulatory selection acting directionally on sperm production, its genetic variance is often very high. This can be explained by trade-offs between sperm production and traits associated with mate acquisition or survival, that may contribute to generate an overall stabilizing selection. To investigate this hypothesis, we first artificially selected male guppies (Poecilia reticulata) for high and low sperm production for three generations, while simultaneously removing sexual selection. Then, we interrupted artificial selection and restored sexual selection. Sperm production responded to divergent selection in one generation, and when we restored sexual selection, both high and low lines converged back to the mean sperm production of the original population within two generations, indicating that sperm number is subject to strong stabilizing total sexual selection (i.e., selection acting simultaneously on all traits associated with reproductive success). We discuss the possible mechanisms responsible for the maintenance of high genetic variability in sperm production despite strong selection acting on it. © 2018 The Author(s). Evolution © 2018 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Unconventional shale-gas systems: The Mississippian Barnett Shale of north-central Texas as one model for thermogenic shale-gas assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jarvie, D.M.; Hill, R.J.; Ruble, T.E.; Pollastro, R.M.

2007-01-01

Shale-gas resource plays can be distinguished by gas type and system characteristics. The Newark East gas field, located in the Fort Worth Basin, Texas, is defined by thermogenic gas production from low-porosity and low-permeability Barnett Shale. The Barnett Shale gas system, a self-contained source-reservoir system, has generated large amounts of gas in the key productive areas because of various characteristics and processes, including (1) excellent original organic richness and generation potential; (2) primary and secondary cracking of kerogen and retained oil, respectively; (3) retention of oil for cracking to gas by adsorption; (4) porosity resulting from organic matter decomposition; and (5) brittle mineralogical composition. The calculated total gas in place (GIP) based on estimated ultimate recovery that is based on production profiles and operator estimates is about 204 bcf/section (5.78 ?? 109 m3/1.73 ?? 104 m3). We estimate that the Barnett Shale has a total generation potential of about 609 bbl of oil equivalent/ac-ft or the equivalent of 3657 mcf/ac-ft (84.0 m3/m3). Assuming a thickness of 350 ft (107 m) and only sufficient hydrogen for partial cracking of retained oil to gas, a total generation potential of 820 bcf/section is estimated. Of this potential, approximately 60% was expelled, and the balance was retained for secondary cracking of oil to gas, if sufficient thermal maturity was reached. Gas storage capacity of the Barnett Shale at typical reservoir pressure, volume, and temperature conditions and 6% porosity shows a maximum storage capacity of 540 mcf/ac-ft or 159 scf/ton. Copyright ?? 2007. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists. All rights reserved.

Virginia’s timber industry—an assessment of timber product output and use, 2009

Treesearch

Jason A. Cooper; Tony G. Johnson; Charles W. Becker

2011-01-01

In 2009, roundwood output from Virginia’s forests decreased 13 percent to 402.5 million cubic feet. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers totaled 124.4 million cubic feet, 29 percent less than in 2007. Seventy-six percent of the plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Saw logs were the leading roundwood product at 174.9 million...

North Carolina’s timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 2009

Treesearch

Jason A. Cooper; Tony G. Johnson; Barry D. New; Clayton B. Altizer

2011-01-01

In 2009, industrial roundwood output from North Carolina’s forests totaled 585.1 million cubic feet, 20 percent less than in 2007. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers declined 30 percent to 206.2 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Pulpwood was the leading roundwood product at 258.0 million...

The South’s timber industry—an assessment of timber product output and use, 2007

Treesearch

Tony G. Johnson; James W. Bentley; Mike Howell

2009-01-01

In 2007, industrial roundwood output from the South’s forests totaled 8.22 billion cubic feet, 5 percent less than in 2005. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers declined 8 percent to 2.95 billion cubic feet. Almost all plant residues produced were used for another product. Fuel and fiber products accounted for 82 percent of utilized plant byproducts....

South Carolina's timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 2007

Treesearch

Tony G. Johnson; Tim O. Adams

2009-01-01

In 2007, industrial roundwood output from South Carolina’s forests totaled 613 million cubic feet, 5 percent less than in 2005. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers decreased 6 percent to 176 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Pulpwood was the leading roundwood product at 304 million cubic...

South Carolina's timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 1997

Treesearch

Tony G. Johnson; Peter S. Bischoff

1999-01-01

In 1997, roundwood output from South Carolina’s forests totaled 628 million cubic feet, 1 percent more than in 1995. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers declined 1 percent to 200 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Pulp-wood was the leading roundwood product at 322 million cubic feet; saw logs...

Tennessee’s timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 2009

Treesearch

James W. Bentley; Tony G. Johnson; Doug Schnabel

2011-01-01

In 2009, roundwood output from Tennessee’s forests was 225.1 million cubic feet. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers totaled 81.4 million cubic feet. Seventy-five percent of the plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Pulpwood was the leading roundwood product at 115.5 million cubic feet; saw logs ranked second at 105.5 million...

Alabama’s timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 2009

Treesearch

James W. Bentley; Tony G. Johnson; Brian Hendricks

2011-01-01

In 2009, roundwood output from Alabama’s forests totaled 803.3 million cubic feet. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers amounted to 216.8 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Pulpwood was the leading roundwood product at 515.1 million cubic feet; saw logs ranked second at 228.3 million cubic feet...

Examining global electricity supply vulnerability to climate change using a high-fidelity hydropower dam model.

PubMed

Turner, Sean W D; Ng, Jia Yi; Galelli, Stefano

2017-07-15

An important and plausible impact of a changing global climate is altered power generation from hydroelectric dams. Here we project 21st century global hydropower production by forcing a coupled, global hydrological and dam model with three General Circulation Model (GCM) projections run under two emissions scenarios. Dams are simulated using a detailed model that accounts for plant specifications, storage dynamics, reservoir bathymetry and realistic, optimized operations. We show that the inclusion of these features can have a non-trivial effect on the simulated response of hydropower production to changes in climate. Simulation results highlight substantial uncertainty in the direction of change in globally aggregated hydropower production (~-5 to +5% change in mean global production by the 2080s under a high emissions scenario, depending on GCM). Several clearly impacted hotspots are identified, the most prominent of which encompasses the Mediterranean countries in southern Europe, northern Africa and the Middle East. In this region, hydropower production is projected to be reduced by approximately 40% on average by the end of the century under a high emissions scenario. After accounting for each country's dependence on hydropower for meeting its current electricity demands, the Balkans countries emerge as the most vulnerable (~5-20% loss in total national electricity generation depending on country). On the flipside, a handful of countries in Scandinavia and central Asia are projected to reap a significant increase in total electrical production (~5-15%) without investing in new power generation facilities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Examining global electricity supply vulnerability to climate change using a high-fidelity hydropower dam model

DOE PAGES

Turner, Sean W. D.; Ng, Jia Yi; Galelli, Stefano

2017-03-07

Here, an important and plausible impact of a changing global climate is altered power generation from hydroelectric dams. Here we project 21st century global hydropower production by forcing a coupled, global hydrological and dam model with three General Circulation Model (GCM) projections run under two emissions scenarios. Dams are simulated using a detailed model that accounts for plant specifications, storage dynamics, reservoir bathymetry and realistic, optimized operations. We show that the inclusion of these features can have a non-trivial effect on the simulated response of hydropower production to changes in climate. Simulation results highlight substantial uncertainty in the direction ofmore » change in globally aggregated hydropower production (~–5 to + 5% change in mean global production by the 2080s under a high emissions scenario, depending on GCM). Several clearly impacted hotspots are identified, the most prominent of which encompasses the Mediterranean countries in southern Europe, northern Africa and the Middle East. In this region, hydropower production is projected to be reduced by approximately 40% on average by the end of the century under a high emissions scenario. After accounting for each country's dependence on hydropower for meeting its current electricity demands, the Balkans countries emerge as the most vulnerable (~ 5–20% loss in total national electricity generation depending on country). On the flipside, a handful of countries in Scandinavia and central Asia are projected to reap a significant increase in total electrical production (~ 5–15%) without investing in new power generation facilities.« less

Examining global electricity supply vulnerability to climate change using a high-fidelity hydropower dam model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Turner, Sean W. D.; Ng, Jia Yi; Galelli, Stefano

Here, an important and plausible impact of a changing global climate is altered power generation from hydroelectric dams. Here we project 21st century global hydropower production by forcing a coupled, global hydrological and dam model with three General Circulation Model (GCM) projections run under two emissions scenarios. Dams are simulated using a detailed model that accounts for plant specifications, storage dynamics, reservoir bathymetry and realistic, optimized operations. We show that the inclusion of these features can have a non-trivial effect on the simulated response of hydropower production to changes in climate. Simulation results highlight substantial uncertainty in the direction ofmore » change in globally aggregated hydropower production (~–5 to + 5% change in mean global production by the 2080s under a high emissions scenario, depending on GCM). Several clearly impacted hotspots are identified, the most prominent of which encompasses the Mediterranean countries in southern Europe, northern Africa and the Middle East. In this region, hydropower production is projected to be reduced by approximately 40% on average by the end of the century under a high emissions scenario. After accounting for each country's dependence on hydropower for meeting its current electricity demands, the Balkans countries emerge as the most vulnerable (~ 5–20% loss in total national electricity generation depending on country). On the flipside, a handful of countries in Scandinavia and central Asia are projected to reap a significant increase in total electrical production (~ 5–15%) without investing in new power generation facilities.« less

Carbon-free hydrogen production from low rank coal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aziz, Muhammad; Oda, Takuya; Kashiwagi, Takao

2018-02-01

Novel carbon-free integrated system of hydrogen production and storage from low rank coal is proposed and evaluated. To measure the optimum energy efficiency, two different systems employing different chemical looping technologies are modeled. The first integrated system consists of coal drying, gasification, syngas chemical looping, and hydrogenation. On the other hand, the second system combines coal drying, coal direct chemical looping, and hydrogenation. In addition, in order to cover the consumed electricity and recover the energy, combined cycle is adopted as addition module for power generation. The objective of the study is to find the best system having the highest performance in terms of total energy efficiency, including hydrogen production efficiency and power generation efficiency. To achieve a thorough energy/heat circulation throughout each module and the whole integrated system, enhanced process integration technology is employed. It basically incorporates two core basic technologies: exergy recovery and process integration. Several operating parameters including target moisture content in drying module, operating pressure in chemical looping module, are observed in terms of their influence to energy efficiency. From process modeling and calculation, two integrated systems can realize high total energy efficiency, higher than 60%. However, the system employing coal direct chemical looping represents higher energy efficiency, including hydrogen production and power generation, which is about 83%. In addition, optimum target moisture content in drying and operating pressure in chemical looping also have been defined.

Third generation design solar cell module LSA task 5, large scale production

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

A total of twelve (12) preproduction modules were constructed, tested, and delivered. A concept to the frame assembly was designed and proven to be quite reliable. This frame design, as well as the rest of the assembly, was designed with future high volume production and the use of automated equipment in mind.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hellwinckel, Chad; Clark, Christopher; Langholtz, Matthew

We used a socioeconomic model to estimate the land-use implications on the U.S. Conservation Reserve Program from potential increases in second-generation biofuel production. A baseline scenario with no second-generation biofuel production is compared to a scenario where the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2) volumes are met by 2022. We allow for the possibility of converting expiring CRP lands to alternative uses such as conventional crops, dedicated second-generation biofuel crops, or harvesting existing CRP grasses for biomass. Our results indicate that RFS2 volumes (RFS2-v) can be met primarily with crop residues (78% of feedstock demand) and woody residues (19% of feedstock demand)more » compared with dedicated biomass (3% of feedstock demand), with only minimal conversion of cropland (0.27 million hectares, <1% of total cropland), pastureland (0.28 million hectares of pastureland, <1% of total pastureland), and CRP lands (0.29 million hectares of CRP lands, 3% of existing CRP lands) to biomass production. Meeting RFS2 volumes would reduce CRP re-enrollment by 0.19 million hectares, or 4%, below the baseline scenario where RFS2 is not met. Yet under RFS2-v scenario, expiring CRP lands are more likely to be converted to or maintain perennial cover, with 1.78 million hectares of CRP lands converting to hay production, and 0.29 million hectares being harvested for existing grasses. A small amount of CRP is harvested for existing biomass, but no conversion of CRP to dedicated biomass crops, such as switchgrass, are projected to occur. Although less land is enrolled in CRP under RFS2-v scenario, total land in perennial cover increases by 0.15 million hectares, or 2%, under RFS2-v. Sensitivity to yield, payment and residue retention assumptions are evaluated.« less

Screening of thermophilic anaerobic bacteria for solid substrate cultivation on lignocellulosic substrates.

PubMed

Chinn, Mari S; Nokes, Sue E; Strobel, Herbert J

2006-01-01

Interest in solid substrate cultivation (SSC) techniques is gaining for biochemical production from renewable resources; however, heat and mass transfer problems may limit application of this technique. The use of anaerobic thermophiles in SSC offers a unique solution to overcoming these challenges. The production potential of nine thermophilic anaerobic bacteria was examined on corn stover, sugar cane bagasse, paper pulp sludge, and wheat bran in submerged liquid cultivation (SmC) and SSC. Production of acetate, ethanol, and lactate was measured over a 10 day period, and total product concentrations were used to compare the performance of different organism-substrate combinations using the two cultivation methods. Overall microbial activity in SmC and SSC was dependent on the organism and growth substrate. Clostridium thermocellum strains JW20, LQRI, and 27405 performed significantly better in SSC when grown on sugar cane bagasse and paper pulp sludge, producing at least 70 and 170 mM of total products, respectively. Growth of C. thermocellum strains in SSC on paper pulp sludge proved to be most favorable, generating at least twice the concentration of total products produced in SmC (p-value < 0.05). Clostridium thermolacticum TC21 demonstrated growth on all substrates producing 30-80 and 60-116 mM of total product in SmC and SSC, respectively. Bacterial species with optimal growth temperatures of 70 degrees C grew best on wheat bran in SmC, producing total product concentrations of 45-75 mM. For some of the organism-substrate combinations total end product concentrations in SSC exceeded those in SmC, indicating that SSC may be a promising alternative for microbial activity and value-added biochemical production.

Training in the Food and Beverages Sector in Denmark. Report for the FORCE Programme.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holst, Ole

A study of the food sector in Denmark was limited to the slaughterhouse, dairy, beverages sectors. The food sector was the most important single industry in the Danish economy. It was the largest manufacturing sector, generated one-third of total manufacturing, and comprised approximately 8 percent of the total Danish gross domestic product. It…

Radon decay products in realistic living rooms and their activity distributions in human respiratory system.

PubMed

Mohery, M; Abdallah, A M; Baz, S S; Al-Amoudi, Z M

2014-12-01

In this study, the individual activity concentrations of attached short-lived radon decay products ((218)Po, (214)Pb and (214)Po) in aerosol particles were measured in ten poorly ventilated realistic living rooms. Using standard methodologies, the samples were collected using a filter holder technique connected with alpha-spectrometric. The mean value of air activity concentration of these radionuclides was found to be 5.3±0.8, 4.5±0.5 and 3.9±0.4 Bq m(-3), respectively. Based on the physical properties of the attached decay products and physiological parameters of light work activity for an adult human male recommended by ICRP 66 and considering the parameters of activity size distribution (AMD = 0.25 μm and σ(g) = 2.5) given by NRC, the total and regional deposition fractions in each airway generation could be evaluated. Moreover, the total and regional equivalent doses in the human respiratory tract could be estimated. In addition, the surface activity distribution per generation is calculated for the bronchial region (BB) and the bronchiolar region (bb) of the respiratory system. The maximum values of these activities were found in the upper bronchial airway generations. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Advanced scatter search approach and its application in a sequencing problem of mixed-model assembly lines in a case company

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Qiong; Wang, Wen-xi; Zhu, Ke-ren; Zhang, Chao-yong; Rao, Yun-qing

2014-11-01

Mixed-model assembly line sequencing is significant in reducing the production time and overall cost of production. To improve production efficiency, a mathematical model aiming simultaneously to minimize overtime, idle time and total set-up costs is developed. To obtain high-quality and stable solutions, an advanced scatter search approach is proposed. In the proposed algorithm, a new diversification generation method based on a genetic algorithm is presented to generate a set of potentially diverse and high-quality initial solutions. Many methods, including reference set update, subset generation, solution combination and improvement methods, are designed to maintain the diversification of populations and to obtain high-quality ideal solutions. The proposed model and algorithm are applied and validated in a case company. The results indicate that the proposed advanced scatter search approach is significant for mixed-model assembly line sequencing in this company.

An Investigation into Spent Coffee Waste as a Renewable Source of Bioactive Compounds and Industrially Important Sugars

PubMed Central

Scully, Damhan S.; Jaiswal, Amit K.; Abu-Ghannam, Nissreen

2016-01-01

Conventional coffee brewing techniques generate vast quantities of spent espresso grounds (SEGs) rich in lignocellulose and valuable bioactives. These bioactive compounds can be exploited as a nutraceutical or used in a range of food products, while breakdown of lignocellulose generates metabolizable sugars that can be used for the production of various high-value products such as biofuels, amino acids and enzymes. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulose in SEGs following a hydrothermal pretreatment. A maximum reducing sugar yield was obtained at the following optimized hydrolysis conditions: 4.97 g of pretreated SEGs, 120 h reaction time, and 1246 and 250 µL of cellulase and hemicellulase, respectively. Industrially important sugars (glucose, galactose and mannose) were identified as the principal hydrolysis products under the studied conditions. Total flavonoids (p = 0.0002), total polyphenols (p = 0.03) and DPPH free-radical scavenging activity (p = 0.004) increased significantly after processing. A 14-fold increase in caffeine levels was also observed. This study provides insight into SEGs as a promising source of industrially important sugars and polyphenols. PMID:28952594

Integrated Process for Ethanol, Biogas, and Edible Filamentous Fungi-Based Animal Feed Production from Dilute Phosphoric Acid-Pretreated Wheat Straw.

PubMed

Nair, Ramkumar B; Kabir, Maryam M; Lennartsson, Patrik R; Taherzadeh, Mohammad J; Horváth, Ilona Sárvári

2018-01-01

Integration of wheat straw for a biorefinery-based energy generation process by producing ethanol and biogas together with the production of high-protein fungal biomass (suitable for feed application) was the main focus of the present study. An edible ascomycete fungal strain Neurospora intermedia was used for the ethanol fermentation and subsequent biomass production from dilute phosphoric acid (0.7 to 1.2% w/v) pretreated wheat straw. At optimum pretreatment conditions, an ethanol yield of 84 to 90% of the theoretical maximum, based on glucan content of substrate straw, was observed from fungal fermentation post the enzymatic hydrolysis process. The biogas production from the pretreated straw slurry showed an improved methane yield potential up to 162% increase, as compared to that of the untreated straw. Additional biogas production, using the syrup, a waste stream obtained post the ethanol fermentation, resulted in a combined total energy output of 15.8 MJ/kg wheat straw. Moreover, using thin stillage (a waste stream from the first-generation wheat-based ethanol process) as a co-substrate to the biogas process resulted in an additional increase by about 14 to 27% in the total energy output as compared to using only wheat straw-based substrates. ᅟ.

Surgical waste audit of 5 total knee arthroplasties.

PubMed

Stall, Nathan M; Kagoma, Yoan M; Bondy, Jennifer N; Naudie, Douglas

2013-04-01

Operating rooms (ORs) are estimated to generate up to one-third of hospital waste. At the London Health Sciences Centre, prosthetics and implants represent 17% of the institution's ecological footprint. To investigate waste production associated with total knee arthroplasties (TKAs), we performed a surgical waste audit to gauge the environmental impact of this procedure and generate strategies to improve waste management. We conducted a waste audit of 5 primary TKAs performed by a single surgeon in February 2010. Waste was categorized into 6 streams: regular solid waste, recyclable plastics, biohazard waste, laundered linens, sharps and blue sterile wrap. Volume and weight of each stream was quantified. We used Canadian Joint Replacement Registry data (2008-2009) to estimate annual weight and volume totals of waste from all TKAs performed in Canada. The average surgical waste (excluding laundered linens) per TKA was 13.3 kg, of which 8.6 kg (64.5%) was normal solid waste, 2.5 kg (19.2%) was biohazard waste, 1.6 kg (12.1%) was blue sterile wrap, 0.3 kg (2.2%) was recyclables and 0.3 kg (2.2%) was sharps. Plastic wrappers, disposable surgical linens and personal protective equipment contributed considerably to total waste. We estimated that landfill waste from all 47 429 TKAs performed in Canada in 2008-2009 was 407 889 kg by weight and 15 272 m3 by volume. Total knee arthroplasties produce substantial amounts of surgical waste. Environmentally friendly surgical products and waste management strategies may allow ORs to reduce the negative impacts of waste production without compromising patient care. Level IV, case series.

Contamination Analyzer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

Measurement of the total organic carbon content in water is important in assessing contamination levels in high purity water for power generation, pharmaceutical production and electronics manufacture. Even trace levels of organic compounds can cause defects in manufactured products. The Sievers Model 800 Total Organic Carbon (TOC) Analyzer, based on technology developed for the Space Station, uses a strong chemical oxidizing agent and ultraviolet light to convert organic compounds in water to carbon dioxide. After ionizing the carbon dioxide, the amount of ions is determined by measuring the conductivity of the deionized water. The new technique is highly sensitive, does not require compressed gas, and maintenance is minimal.

Anaerobic digestion of tuna waste for the production of volatile fatty acids.

PubMed

Bermúdez-Penabad, Noela; Kennes, Christian; Veiga, Maria C

2017-10-01

Fish canning industries generate a significant amount of solid waste that can be digested anaerobically into volatile fatty acids (VFA). The aim of this research was to study the effect of various pHs, ranging from 5.0 to 10.0, and percentage of total solids on the anaerobic digestion of tuna waste into VFA, both in batch assays and continuous reactor. The production of VFA was affected by pH and was significantly higher under alkaline conditions. At pH 8.0, the VFA production reached 30,611mgCOD/L. The VFA mainly consisted of acetic, propionic, n-butyric and i-valeric acids. Acetic acid was the main product at all the pHs tested. In terms of total solids (TS) the best results were obtained with 2.5% total solids, reaching 0.73gCOD VFA /gCOD waste . At higher TS concentrations (5 and 8% TS) lower yields were reached probably due to inhibition at high VFA concentration. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An ant colony optimization heuristic for an integrated production and distribution scheduling problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Yung-Chia; Li, Vincent C.; Chiang, Chia-Ju

2014-04-01

Make-to-order or direct-order business models that require close interaction between production and distribution activities have been adopted by many enterprises in order to be competitive in demanding markets. This article considers an integrated production and distribution scheduling problem in which jobs are first processed by one of the unrelated parallel machines and then distributed to corresponding customers by capacitated vehicles without intermediate inventory. The objective is to find a joint production and distribution schedule so that the weighted sum of total weighted job delivery time and the total distribution cost is minimized. This article presents a mathematical model for describing the problem and designs an algorithm using ant colony optimization. Computational experiments illustrate that the algorithm developed is capable of generating near-optimal solutions. The computational results also demonstrate the value of integrating production and distribution in the model for the studied problem.

Kentucky’s timber industry - an assessment of timber product output and use, 2009

Treesearch

Jason A. Cooper; Tony G. Johnson; Christopher G. Nevins

2011-01-01

In 2009, roundwood output from Kentucky’s forests totaled 136.3 million cubic feet, 27 percent less than in 2007. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers decreased 28 percent to 65.4 million cubic feet. Ninety-nine percent of plant residues were used for a product. Industrial fuel, charcoal/chemical wood, and miscellaneous were the primary uses of mill...

Effect of electrochemical redox reaction on growth and metabolism of Saccharomyces cerevisiae as an environmental factor.

PubMed

Na, Kwan Byung; Hwang, Tae Sik; Lee, Sung Hun; Ahn, Dae Hee; Park, Doo Hyun

2007-03-01

The effect of an electrochemically generated oxidation-reduction potential and electric pulse on ethanol production and growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 26603 was experimented and compared with effects of electron mediators (neutral red, benzyl viologen, and thionine), chemical oxidants (hydrogen peroxide and hypochlorite), chemical reductants (sulfite and nitrite), oxygen, and hydrogen. The oxidation (anodic) and reduction (cathodic) potential and electric pulse activated ethanol production and growth, and changed the total soluble protein pattern of the test strain. Neutral red electrochemically reduced activated ethanol production and growth of the test strain, but benzyl viologen and thionine did not. Nitrite inhibited ethanol production but did not influence growth of the test strain. Hydrogen peroxide, hypochlorite, and sulfite did not influence ethanol production and growth of the test strain. Hydrogen and oxygen also did not influence the growth and ethanol production. It shows that the test strain may perceive electrochemically generated oxidation-reduction potential and electric pulse as an environmental factor.

Complementary action of jasmonic acid on salicylic acid in mediating fungal elicitor-induced flavonol glycoside accumulation of Ginkgo biloba cells.

PubMed

Xu, Maojun; Dong, Jufang; Wang, Huizhong; Huang, Luqi

2009-08-01

The antagonistic action between jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) in plant defence responses has been well documented. However, their relationship in secondary metabolite production is largely unknown. Here, we report that PB90, a protein elicitor from Phytophthora boehmeriae, triggers JA generation, SA accumulation and flavonol glycoside production of Ginkgo biloba cells. JA inhibitors suppress not only PB90-triggered JA generation, but also the elicitor-induced flavonol glycoside production. However, the elicitor can still enhance flavonol glycoside production even though the JA generation is totally inhibited. Over-expression of SA hydrolase gene NahG not only abolishes SA accumulation, but also suppresses the elicitor-induced flavonol glycoside production when JA signalling is inhibited. Interestingly, expression of NahG does not inhibit the elicitor-induced flavonol glycoside accumulation in the absence of JA inhibitors. Moreover, JA levels are significantly enhanced when SA accumulation is impaired in the transgenic cells. Together, the data suggest that both JA and SA are involved in PB90-induced flavonol glycoside production. Furthermore, we demonstrate that JA signalling might be enhanced to substitute for SA to mediate the elicitor-induced flavonol glycoside accumulation when SA signalling is impaired, which reveals an unusual complementary relationship between JA and SA in mediating plant secondary metabolite production.

Nimbus 7 solar backscatter ultraviolet (SBUV) ozone products user's guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fleig, Albert J.; Mcpeters, R. D.; Bhartia, P. K.; Schlesinger, Barry M.; Cebula, Richard P.; Klenk, K. F.; Taylor, Steven L.; Heath, Donald F.

1990-01-01

Three ozone tape products from the Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SBUV) experiment aboard Nimbus 7 were archived at the National Space Science Data Center. The experiment measures the fraction of incoming radiation backscattered by the Earth's atmosphere at 12 wavelengths. In-flight measurements were used to monitor changes in the instrument sensitivity. Total column ozone is derived by comparing the measurements with calculations of what would be measured for different total ozone amounts. The altitude distribution is retrieved using an optimum statistical technique for the inversion. The estimated initial error in the absolute scale for total ozone is 2 percent, with a 3 percent drift over 8 years. The profile error depends on latitude and height, smallest at 3 to 10 mbar; the drift increases with increasing altitude. Three tape products are described. The High Density SBUV (HDSBUV) tape contains the final derived products - the total ozone and the vertical ozone profile - as well as much detailed diagnostic information generated during the retrieval process. The Compressed Ozone (CPOZ) tape contains only that subset of HDSBUV information, including total ozone and ozone profiles, considered most useful for scientific studies. The Zonal Means Tape (ZMT) contains daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly averages of the derived quantities over 10 deg latitude zones.

Surgical waste audit of 5 total knee arthroplasties

PubMed Central

Stall, Nathan M.; Kagoma, Yoan K.; Bondy, Jennifer N.; Naudie, Douglas

2013-01-01

Background Operating rooms (ORs) are estimated to generate up to one-third of hospital waste. At the London Health Sciences Centre, prosthetics and implants represent 17% of the institution’s ecological footprint. To investigate waste production associated with total knee arthroplasties (TKAs), we performed a surgical waste audit to gauge the environmental impact of this procedure and generate strategies to improve waste management. Methods We conducted a waste audit of 5 primary TKAs performed by a single surgeon in February 2010. Waste was categorized into 6 streams: regular solid waste, recyclable plastics, biohazard waste, laundered linens, sharps and blue sterile wrap. Volume and weight of each stream was quantified. We used Canadian Joint Replacement Registry data (2008–2009) to estimate annual weight and volume totals of waste from all TKAs performed in Canada. Results The average surgical waste (excluding laundered linens) per TKA was 13.3 kg, of which 8.6 kg (64.5%) was normal solid waste, 2.5 kg (19.2%) was biohazard waste, 1.6 kg (12.1%) was blue sterile wrap, 0.3 kg (2.2%) was recyclables and 0.3 kg (2.2%) was sharps. Plastic wrappers, disposable surgical linens and personal protective equipment contributed considerably to total waste. We estimated that landfill waste from all 47 429 TKAs performed in Canada in 2008–2009 was 407 889 kg by weight and 15 272 m3 by volume. Conclusion Total knee arthroplasties produce substantial amounts of surgical waste. Environmentally friendly surgical products and waste management strategies may allow ORs to reduce the negative impacts of waste production without compromising patient care. Level of evidence Level IV, case series. PMID:23351497

Development of a second generation palladium-catalyzed cycloalkenylation and its application to bioactive natural product synthesis.

PubMed

Toyota, Masahiro

2013-07-01

A novel palladium-catalyzed intramolecular oxidative alkylation of unactivated olefins is described. This protocol was devised to solve one of the drawbacks of the original palladium-catalyzed cycloalkenylation that we developed. We call this new procedure the 'second generation palladium-catalyzed cycloalkenylation'. This protocol has been applied to the total syntheses of cis-195A, trans-195A, boonein, scholareins A, C, D, and alpha-skytanthine.

A convenient route to [68Ga]Ga-MAA for use as a particulate PET perfusion tracer.

PubMed

Mathias, Carla J; Green, Mark A

2008-12-01

A convenient method is described for compounding [(68)Ga]Ga-MAA (MAA=macroaggregated human serum albumin) with the eluate of a commercially available TiO(2)-based (68)Ge/(68)Ga generator. The final [(68)Ga]Ga-MAA product was obtained with an 81.6+/-5.3% decay-corrected radiochemical yield and a radiochemical purity of 99.8+/-0.1% (n=5). Microscopic examination showed the [(68)Ga]Ga-MAA product to remain within the original particle size range. The entire procedure, from generator elution to delivery of the final [(68)Ga]Ga-MAA suspension, could be completed in 25 min. Only 4.4+/-0.9% of the total (68)Ge breakthrough remaining associated with the final [(68)Ga]Ga-MAA product. The procedure allows reasonably convenient preparation of [(68)Ga]Ga-MAA in a fashion that can be readily adapted to sterile product compounding for human use.

Natural Oil Production from Microorganisms: Bioprocess and Microbe Engineering for Total Carbon Utilization in Biofuel Production

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

2010-07-15

Electrofuels Project: MIT is using carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen generated from electricity to produce natural oils that can be upgraded to hydrocarbon fuels. MIT has designed a 2-stage biofuel production system. In the first stage, hydrogen and CO2 are fed to a microorganism capable of converting these feedstocks to a 2-carbon compound called acetate. In the second stage, acetate is delivered to a different microorganism that can use the acetate to grow and produce oil. The oil can be removed from the reactor tank and chemically converted to various hydrocarbons. The electricity for the process could be supplied frommore » novel means currently in development, or more proven methods such as the combustion of municipal waste, which would also generate the required CO2 and enhance the overall efficiency of MIT’s biofuel-production system.« less

Simulated impact of the renewable fuels standard on US Conservation Reserve Program enrollment and conversion

DOE PAGES

Hellwinckel, Chad; Clark, Christopher; Langholtz, Matthew; ...

2015-07-29

We used a socioeconomic model to estimate the land-use implications on the U.S. Conservation Reserve Program from potential increases in second-generation biofuel production. A baseline scenario with no second-generation biofuel production is compared to a scenario where the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2) volumes are met by 2022. We allow for the possibility of converting expiring CRP lands to alternative uses such as conventional crops, dedicated second-generation biofuel crops, or harvesting existing CRP grasses for biomass. Our results indicate that RFS2 volumes (RFS2-v) can be met primarily with crop residues (78% of feedstock demand) and woody residues (19% of feedstock demand)more » compared with dedicated biomass (3% of feedstock demand), with only minimal conversion of cropland (0.27 million hectares, <1% of total cropland), pastureland (0.28 million hectares of pastureland, <1% of total pastureland), and CRP lands (0.29 million hectares of CRP lands, 3% of existing CRP lands) to biomass production. Meeting RFS2 volumes would reduce CRP re-enrollment by 0.19 million hectares, or 4%, below the baseline scenario where RFS2 is not met. Yet under RFS2-v scenario, expiring CRP lands are more likely to be converted to or maintain perennial cover, with 1.78 million hectares of CRP lands converting to hay production, and 0.29 million hectares being harvested for existing grasses. A small amount of CRP is harvested for existing biomass, but no conversion of CRP to dedicated biomass crops, such as switchgrass, are projected to occur. Although less land is enrolled in CRP under RFS2-v scenario, total land in perennial cover increases by 0.15 million hectares, or 2%, under RFS2-v. Sensitivity to yield, payment and residue retention assumptions are evaluated.« less

Potentials for food waste minimization and effects on potential biogas production through anaerobic digestion.

PubMed

Schott, Anna Bernstad Saraiva; Vukicevic, Sanita; Bohn, Irene; Andersson, Tova

2013-08-01

Several treatment alternatives for food waste can result in both energy and nutrient recovery, and thereby potential environmental benefits. However, according to the European Union waste management hierarchy, waste prevention should be the prioritized strategy to decrease the environmental burdens from all solid waste management. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate the potential for food waste minimization among Swedish households through an investigation of the amount of avoidable food waste currently disposed of. A further aim was to investigate the effect on the national biogas production potential through anaerobic digestion of food waste, considering minimization potentials. A method for waste composition analyses of household food waste, where a differentiation between avoidable and unavoidable food waste is made, was used in a total of 24 waste composition analyses of household waste from Swedish residential areas. The total household food waste generation reached 3.4 kg (household and week)(-1), on average, of which 34% is avoidable. The theoretical methane (CH4) potential in unavoidable food waste reached 442 Ndm(3) (kg VS)(-1) or 128 Nm(3) tonne(-1) wet waste, while the measured (mesophilic CH4 batch tests) CH4 production reached 399 Ndm(3) (kg VS)(-1), which is lower than several previous assessments of CH4 production from household food waste. According to this study the combination of a decrease in food waste generation-in case of successful minimization-and decreased CH4 production from unavoidable food waste will thus result in lower total potential energy recovery from household food waste through anaerobic digestion CH4 potential than previously stated.

Annual impact of scribes on physician productivity and revenue in a cardiology clinic

PubMed Central

Bank, Alan J; Gage, Ryan M

2015-01-01

Objective Scribes are increasingly being used in clinics to assist physicians with documentation during patient care. The annual effect of scribes in a real-world clinic on physician productivity and revenue has not been evaluated. Methods We performed a retrospective study comparing the productivity during routine clinic visits of ten cardiologists using scribes vs 15 cardiologists without scribes. We tracked patients per hour and patients per year seen per physician. Average direct revenue (clinic visit) and downstream revenue (cardiovascular revenue in the 2 months following a clinic visit) were measured in 486 patients and used to calculate annual revenue generated as a result of increased productivity. Results Physicians with scribes saw 955 new and 4,830 follow-up patients vs 1,318 new and 7,150 follow-up patients seen by physicians without scribes. Physicians with scribes saw 9.6% more patients per hour (2.50±0.27 vs 2.28±0.15, P<0.001). This improved productivity resulted in 84 additional new and 423 additional follow-up patients seen, 3,029 additional work relative value units (wRVUs) generated, and an increased cardiovascular revenue of $1,348,437. Physicians with scribes also generated an additional revenue of $24,257 by producing clinic notes that were coded at a higher level. Total additional revenue generated was $1,372,694 at a cost of $98,588 for the scribes. Conclusion Physician productivity in a cardiology clinic was ∼10% higher for physicians using scribes. This improved productivity resulted in 84 additional new and 423 additional follow-up patients seen in 1 year. The use of scribes resulted in the generation of 3,029 additional wRVUs and an additional annual revenue of $1,372,694 at a cost of $98,588. PMID:26457055

Annual impact of scribes on physician productivity and revenue in a cardiology clinic.

PubMed

Bank, Alan J; Gage, Ryan M

2015-01-01

Scribes are increasingly being used in clinics to assist physicians with documentation during patient care. The annual effect of scribes in a real-world clinic on physician productivity and revenue has not been evaluated. We performed a retrospective study comparing the productivity during routine clinic visits of ten cardiologists using scribes vs 15 cardiologists without scribes. We tracked patients per hour and patients per year seen per physician. Average direct revenue (clinic visit) and downstream revenue (cardiovascular revenue in the 2 months following a clinic visit) were measured in 486 patients and used to calculate annual revenue generated as a result of increased productivity. Physicians with scribes saw 955 new and 4,830 follow-up patients vs 1,318 new and 7,150 follow-up patients seen by physicians without scribes. Physicians with scribes saw 9.6% more patients per hour (2.50±0.27 vs 2.28±0.15, P<0.001). This improved productivity resulted in 84 additional new and 423 additional follow-up patients seen, 3,029 additional work relative value units (wRVUs) generated, and an increased cardiovascular revenue of $1,348,437. Physicians with scribes also generated an additional revenue of $24,257 by producing clinic notes that were coded at a higher level. Total additional revenue generated was $1,372,694 at a cost of $98,588 for the scribes. Physician productivity in a cardiology clinic was ∼10% higher for physicians using scribes. This improved productivity resulted in 84 additional new and 423 additional follow-up patients seen in 1 year. The use of scribes resulted in the generation of 3,029 additional wRVUs and an additional annual revenue of $1,372,694 at a cost of $98,588.

IRIS Product Recommendations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Short, David A.

2000-01-01

This report presents the Applied Meteorology Unit's (AMU) evaluation of SIGMET Inc.'s Integrated Radar Information System (IRIS) Product Generator and recommendations for products emphasizing lightning and microburst tools. The IRIS Product Generator processes radar reflectivity data from the Weather Surveillance Radar, model 74C (WSR-74C), located on Patrick Air Force Base. The IRIS System was upgraded from version 6.12 to version 7.05 in late December 1999. A statistical analysis of atmospheric temperature variability over the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) Weather Station provided guidance for the configuration of radar products that provide information on the mixed-phase (liquid and ice) region of clouds, between 0 C and -20 C. Mixed-phase processes at these temperatures are physically linked to electrification and the genesis of severe weather within convectively generated clouds. Day-to-day variations in the atmospheric temperature profile are of sufficient magnitude to warrant periodic reconfiguration of radar products intended for the interpretation of lightning and microburst potential of convectively generated clouds. The AMU also examined the radar volume-scan strategy to determine the scales of vertical gaps within the altitude range of the 0 C to -20 C isotherms over the Kennedy Space Center (KSC)/CCAFS area. This report present's two objective strategies for designing volume scans and proposes a modified scan strategy that reduces the average vertical gap by 37% as a means for improving radar observations of cloud characteristics in the critical 0 C to -20 C layer. The AMU recommends a total of 18 products, including 11 products that require use of the IRIS programming language and the IRIS User Product Insert feature. Included is a cell trends product and display, modeled after the WSR-88D cell trends display in use by the National Weather Service.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Halvorsen, T.

The next generation subsea developments will be facing a number of new challenges which have to be solved to maintain a cost-efficient solution for production of oil and gas: (1) Smaller fields, i.e. cost reduction through volume will no longer be valid. (2) Freedom in configuration of subsea development. The current idea of standardization will not be directly applicable for cost reduction. (3) Various water depth. The same technology should be applicable for both guideline- and guideline less water depth. (4) Development in new areas of the world where drilling rig deployable system is a must. (5) Various types ofmore » fluid processing may be required as an integral part of a subsea production system. The next generation subsea production system should be universal and applicable to any subsea field development. Kongsberg Offshore a.s. (KOS) have gained extensive experience in supplying standardized total subsea systems. The paper presents the approach taken by KOS to develop the next generation subsea system, and discussed the challenges associated with this.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hang, Y.D.

Nearly 36 million tons of apples are produced annually in the US. Approximately 45% of the total US apple production is used for processing purposes. The primary by-product of apple processing is apple pomace. It consists of the presscake resulting from pressing apples for juice or cider, including the presscake obtained in pressing peel and core wastes generated in the manufacture of apple sauce or slices. More than 500 food processing plants in the US produce a total of about 1.3 million metric tons of apple pomace each year, and it is likely that annual disposal fees exceed $10 million.more » Apple pomace has the potential to be used for the production of fuels (ethanol and biogas containing 60% methane) and food-grade chemicals. These uses will be reviewed in this article.« less

Molecular analysis of fungal populations in patients with oral candidiasis using next-generation sequencing.

PubMed

Imabayashi, Yumi; Moriyama, Masafumi; Takeshita, Toru; Ieda, Shinsuke; Hayashida, Jun-Nosuke; Tanaka, Akihiko; Maehara, Takashi; Furukawa, Sachiko; Ohta, Miho; Kubota, Keigo; Yamauchi, Masaki; Ishiguro, Noriko; Yamashita, Yoshihisa; Nakamura, Seiji

2016-06-16

Oral candidiasis is closely associated with changes in oral fungal biodiversity and is caused primarily by Candida albicans. However, the widespread use of empiric and prophylactic antifungal drugs has caused a shift in fungal biodiversity towards other Candida or yeast species. Recently, next-generation sequencing (NGS) has provided an improvement over conventional culture techniques, allowing rapid comprehensive analysis of oral fungal biodiversity. In this study, we used NGS to examine the oral fungal biodiversity of 27 patients with pseudomembranous oral candidiasis (POC) and 66 healthy controls. The total number of fungal species in patients with POC and healthy controls was 67 and 86, respectively. The copy number of total PCR products and the proportion of non-C. albicans, especially C. dubliniensis, in patients with POC, were higher than those in healthy controls. The detection patterns in patients with POC were similar to those in controls after antifungal treatment. Interestingly, the number of fungal species and the copy number of total PCR products in healthy controls increased with aging. These results suggest that high fungal biodiversity and aging might be involved in the pathogenesis of oral candidiasis. We therefore conclude that NGS is a useful technique for investigating oral candida infections.

Product interactions and feedback in diffusion-controlled reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roa, Rafael; Siegl, Toni; Kim, Won Kyu; Dzubiella, Joachim

2018-02-01

Steric or attractive interactions among reactants or between reactants and inert crowders can substantially influence the total rate of a diffusion-influenced reaction in the liquid phase. However, the role of the product species, which has typically different physical properties than the reactant species, has been disregarded so far. Here we study the effects of reactant-product and product-product interactions as well as asymmetric diffusion properties on the rate of diffusion-controlled reactions in the classical Smoluchowski-setup for chemical transformations at a perfect catalytic sphere. For this, we solve the diffusion equation with appropriate boundary conditions coupled by a mean-field approach on the second virial level to account for the particle interactions. We find that all particle spatial distributions and the total rate can change significantly, depending on the diffusion and interaction properties of the accumulated products. Complex competing and self-regulating (homeostatic) or self-amplifying effects are observed for the system, leading to both decrease and increase in the rates, as the presence of interacting products feeds back to the reactant flux and thus the rate with which the products are generated.

Neutrophil hyper-responsiveness in periodontitis.

PubMed

Matthews, J B; Wright, H J; Roberts, A; Ling-Mountford, N; Cooper, P R; Chapple, I L C

2007-08-01

Peripheral neutrophil hyper-responsiveness in chronic periodontitis leads to excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. We aimed to determine whether neutrophil hyper-responsiveness was constitutive or reactive, and to discover the effect of non-surgical therapy. Peripheral blood neutrophils from patients (n = 19), before and 3 months after therapy, and matched control individuals were Fc gamma-receptor-stimulated with/without priming with P. gingivalis and F. nucleatum. Total and extracellular ROS were determined by luminol/isoluminol chemiluminescence. The high total ROS generation of patients' neutrophils compared with that of control individuals (P = 0.016) continued at a reduced level post-therapy (P = 0.059). Reduced activity post-therapy was also seen with priming. Unstimulated total ROS levels did not differ between patients and control individuals before or after therapy. However, the high unstimulated, extracellular ROS production by patients' neutrophils compared with control individuals (P < 0.05) continued post-therapy and was unaffected by priming. Therapy reduced Fc gamma-receptor-stimulated total ROS production, but not unstimulated extracellular radical release, suggesting that constitutive and reactive mechanisms underlie neutrophil hyper-responsiveness.

Next-generation cellulosic ethanol technologies and their contribution to a sustainable Africa

PubMed Central

van Zyl, W. H.; Chimphango, A. F. A.; den Haan, R.; Görgens, J. F.; Chirwa, P. W. C.

2011-01-01

The world is currently heavily dependent on oil, especially in the transport sector. However, rising oil prices, concern about environmental impact and supply instability are among the factors that have led to greater interest in renewable fuel and green chemistry alternatives. Lignocellulose is the only foreseeable renewable feedstock for sustainable production of transport fuels. The main technological impediment to more widespread utilization of lignocellulose for production of fuels and chemicals in the past has been the lack of low-cost technologies to overcome the recalcitrance of its structure. Both biological and thermochemical second-generation conversion technologies are currently coming online for the commercial production of cellulosic ethanol concomitantly with heat and electricity production. The latest advances in biological conversion of lignocellulosics to ethanol with a focus on consolidated bioprocessing are highlighted. Furthermore, integration of cellulosic ethanol production into existing bio-based industries also using thermochemical processes to optimize energy balances is discussed. Biofuels have played a pivotal yet suboptimal role in supplementing Africa's energy requirements in the past. Capitalizing on sub-Saharan Africa's total biomass potential and using second-generation technologies merit a fresh look at the potential role of bioethanol production towards developing a sustainable Africa while addressing food security, human needs and local wealth creation. PMID:22482027

Mass production of monodisperse microbubbles for real applications avoiding microfluidics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchez Quintero, Enrique Jesus; Evangelio, Alvaro; Gordillo, Jose Manuel

2017-11-01

In this presentation we report experiments showing the effect on the controlled generation of microbubbles of the pressure gradient imposed by the relative flow of a liquid stream around an airfoil-shaped solid. Taking advantage of the conclusions in, where the local pressure gradient was identified as the mechanism responsible of the generation of microbubbles in microfluidic devices and, with the purpose of overcoming the low production rates associated with these kind of microdevices, we have used the same physical principle but have applied it to a totally different geometry: a rectangular planar wing composed by symmetrical airfoils. The relative velocity field is imposed either submerging the static wing within a flowing hydraulic channel or by rotating the wings within a reservoir containing the otherwise quiescent liquid mass. We provide physical insight on the bubbling process and deduce a scaling law which expresses the diameters of the bubbles formed as a function of the gas flow rate, relative liquid velocity and the angle of attack of the incident flow. In spite of the geometry is totally different, we recover the same results obtained using microfluidic devices but with much higher production rates.

Case study of McCormick place cogeneration project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Overstreet, E.L.

1994-12-31

In the authors business of providing district energy services, competition is the key to his being able to have a positive impact on the environment, business stability, and economic activity. In the district energy industry, the competitive options are for property owners to continue to self generate energy to meet their needs, purchase energy from a company that utilizes electricity during off-peak hours to produce chilled water or take advantage of a total solution of purchasing tri-generation energy from Trigen-Peoples District Energy Company. Tri-generation is an innovative technology which involves the simultaneous production of steam, chilled water, and electricity. Themore » McCormick Place cogeneration project calls for producing steam and chilled water (co-) for use by the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA). The plant will produce electricity (tri-) to run the production equipment.« less

Influence of organic loading rate on methane production in a CSTR from physicochemical sludge generated in a poultry slaughterhouse.

PubMed

López-Escobar, Luis A; Martínez-Hernández, Sergio; Corte-Cano, Grisel; Méndez-Contreras, Juan M

2014-01-01

The influence of the increase of the organic loading rate (OLR) on methane production in a continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) from physicochemical sludge generated in a poultry slaughterhouse was evaluated. Total solid (TS) to obtain OLR of 1, 5, 10 and 15 g VS L(-1) day(-1), with hydraulic retention times of 29, 6, 6 and 4, respectively, were conditioned. The results showed a decrease in pH levels and an increase in the theoretical volatile fatty acids (VFA). While the yield of methane production decreased from 0.48 to 0.10 LCH4/g VSremoved, respectively, the OLR-10 managed on average 38% removal of volatile solids (VS) and a yield biogas production of 0.81 Lbiogas g(-1) VSremoved and 1.35 L day(-1). This suggests that the OLR increases in an anaerobic system from physicochemical sludge only inhibits the methanogenic metabolism, because there is still substrate consumption and biogas production.

Energy assessment of second generation (2G) ethanol production from wheat straw in Indian scenario.

PubMed

Mishra, Archana; Kumar, Akash; Ghosh, Sanjoy

2018-03-01

Impact of second-generation ethanol (2G) use in transportation sector mainly depends upon energy efficiency of entire production process. The objective of present study was to determine energy efficiency of a potential lignocellulosic feedstock; wheat straw and its conversion into cellulosic ethanol in Indian scenario. Energy efficiency was determined by calculating Net energy ratio (NER), i.e. ratio of output energy obtained by ethanol and input energy used in ethanol production. Energy consumption and generation at each step is calculated briefly (11,837.35 MJ/ha during Indian dwarf irrigated variety of wheat crop production and 7.1148 MJ/kg straw during ethanol production stage). Total energy consumption is calculated as 8.2988 MJ/kg straw whereas energy generation from ethanol is 15.082 MJ/kg straw; resulting into NER > 1. Major portion of agricultural energy input is contributed by diesel and fertilisers whereas refining process of wheat straw feedstock to ethanol and by-products require mainly in the form of steam and electricity. On an average, 1671.8 kg water free ethanol, 930 kg lignin rich biomass (for combustion), and 561 kg C5-molasses (for fodder) per hectare are produced. Findings of this study, net energy ratio (1.81) and figure of merit (14.8028 MJ/nil kg carbon) proves wheat straw as highest energy efficient lignocellulosic feedstock for the country.

Continuous hydrogen production from co-digestion of municipal food waste and kitchen wastewater in mesophilic anaerobic baffled reactor.

PubMed

Tawfik, A; El-Qelish, M

2012-06-01

This study was carried out to assess the impact of organic loading rate (OLR) on the performance of mesophilic anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) for H(2) production from a co-digestion of municipal food waste and kitchen wastewater. The reactor was operated at different organic loading rates (OLRs) of 29, 36 and 47 g COD(total)/Ld. The hydraulic retention time (HRT) was kept constant at 1.6d. The results showed that increasing the OLR from 29 to 36 g COD(total)/Ld, leads to a significant (p □ 0.01) drop in the H(2) production from 6.0±0.5 to 5.4±1.04 L H(2)/d, respectively. However, the H(2) production remained at the same level of 5.3±1.04 L H(2)/d at increasing the OLR from 36 to 47 g COD(total)/Ld. The H(2) generation was mainly due to conversion of COD (57%) and carbohydrate (81%). Protein and lipids conversion represents only 23.3% and 4.1% respectively for H(2) production. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bioenergy residues applied as soil amendments: N2O emissions and C sequestration potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cayuela, M.; Kuikman, P.; Oenema, O.; Bakker, R.; van Groenigen, J.

2009-12-01

Biofuels have been proposed as environmentally benign substitutes to fossil fuels. There is, however, substantial uncertainty in the scientific literature about how an expanding bioenergy sector would interact with other land uses and what could be the environmental consequences. In the particular case of greenhouse gas balance, the magnitude of discrepancy is tremendously high among different studies. Such controversy has been often attributed to the way the co-products generated were accounted for. It is likely that the intensification of bioenergy production will lead to an increased input of these co-products to the soil as alternative amendments or fertilizers. However, limited research has been done to determine how this will influence microbial transformation processes in soil and thereby the emissions of greenhouse gases. Neither have related issues such as the stabilization of soil organic matter, soil structure and soil fertility been adequately studied. Here, we report a laboratory study on the effects of the application of bioenergy residues on C and N mineralization and greenhouse gas emissions in an agricultural soil. Ten co-products were selected from different energy sectors: anaerobic digestion (digestates), first generation biofuel residues (rapeseed meal, distilled dried grains with solubles), second generation biofuel residues (non-fermentables from hydrolysis of different lignocellulosic materials) and pyrolysis (biochars). They were added at the same N rate (150 kg N ha-1) to a moist (80% water filled pore space) sandy soil and incubated at 20 C for 60 days. Most residues followed fast mineralization dynamics with a flush of CO2 respiration within the first week. The biochars were the exception: they showed very low respiration rates. After 60 days, first generation biofuel residues had emitted more than 80% of added C as CO2. Around 60% was emitted in the case of second generation biofuel residues and 40% with digestates. Biochars were the most stable residues with the lowest CO2 loss between 0.5 and 5.8 % of total added C. Regarding N2O emissions, first generation biofuel residues led to the highest total N2O emissions (between 2.5 - 6.0% of added N). Second generation biofuel residues emitted between 1.0-2.0% of added N, whereas anaerobic digestates led to emissions lower than 1% of added N. The two biochars used in this study led to negative N2O emissions, i.e. lower than the blank soil. We conclude that, at least in the short term, the effects of biofuel residues on the combined greenhouse gas balance of the soil ranges from beneficial (biochar) via mixed (digestates, second generation biofuels) to manifestly detrimental (first generation biofuels). These effects should be taken into account in life cycle analyses of biofuel production.

Household hazardous wastes as a potential source of pollution: a generation study.

PubMed

Ojeda-Benítez, Sara; Aguilar-Virgen, Quetzalli; Taboada-González, Paul; Cruz-Sotelo, Samantha E

2013-12-01

Certain domestic wastes exhibit characteristics that render them dangerous, such as explosiveness, flammability, spontaneous combustion, reactivity, toxicity and corrosiveness. The lack of information about their generation and composition hinders the creation of special programs for their collection and treatment, making these wastes a potential threat to human health and the environment. We attempted to quantify the levels of hazardous household waste (HHW) generated in Mexicali, Mexico. The analysis considered three socioeconomic strata and eight categories. The sampling was undertaken on a house-by-house basis, and hypothesis testing was based on differences between two proportions for each of the eight categories. In this study, HHW comprised 3.49% of the total generated waste, which exceeded that reported in previous studies in Mexico. The greatest quantity of HHW was generated by the middle stratum; in the upper stratum, most packages were discarded with their contents remaining. Cleaning products represent 45.86% of the HHW generated. Statistical differences were not observed for only two categories among the three social strata. The scarcity of studies on HHW generation limits direct comparisons. Any decrease in waste generation within the middle social stratum will have a large effect on the total amount of waste generated, and decrease their impact on environmental and human health.

Mercury mass flow in iron and steel production process and its implications for mercury emission control.

PubMed

Wang, Fengyang; Wang, Shuxiao; Zhang, Lei; Yang, Hai; Gao, Wei; Wu, Qingru; Hao, Jiming

2016-05-01

The iron and steel production process is one of the predominant anthropogenic sources of atmospheric mercury emissions worldwide. In this study, field tests were conducted to study mercury emission characteristics and mass flows at two iron and steel plants in China. It was found that low-sulfur flue gas from sintering machines could contribute up to 41% of the total atmospheric mercury emissions, and desulfurization devices could remarkably help reduce the emissions. Coal gas burning accounted for 17%-49% of the total mercury emissions, and therefore the mercury control of coal gas burning, specifically for the power plant burning coal gas to generate electricity, was significantly important. The emissions from limestone and dolomite production and electric furnaces can contribute 29.3% and 4.2% of the total mercury emissions from iron and steel production. More attention should be paid to mercury emissions from these two processes. Blast furnace dust accounted for 27%-36% of the total mercury output for the whole iron and steel production process. The recycling of blast furnace dust could greatly increase the atmospheric mercury emissions and should not be conducted. The mercury emission factors for the coke oven, sintering machine and blast furnace were 0.039-0.047gHg/ton steel, and for the electric furnace it was 0.021gHg/ton steel. The predominant emission species was oxidized mercury, accounting for 59%-73% of total mercury emissions to air. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Computer programs and documentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Speed, F. M.; Broadwater, S. L.

1971-01-01

Various statistical tests that were used to check out random number generators are described. A total of twelve different tests were considered, and from these, six were chosen to be used. The frequency test, max t test, run test, lag product test, gap test, and the matrix test are included.

Solid-state fermentation of Mortierella isabellina for lipid production from soybean hull.

PubMed

Zhang, Jianguo; Hu, Bo

2012-02-01

Soybean hull, generated from soybean processing, is a lignocellulosic material with limited industrial applications and little market value. This research is exploring a new application of soybean hull to be converted to fungal lipids for biodiesel production through solid-state fermentation. Mortierella isabellina was selected as the oil producer because of its high lipid content at low C/N ratio. Several cultivation factors were investigated, including moisture content, inoculums size, fungal spore age, and nutrient supplements, in an attempt to enhance the lipid production of the solid-state fermentation process. The results showed that lipid production with the increase of the moisture content and the spore age, while decreased as the size of inoculums increased. Nutrients addition (KH₂PO₄ 1.2 mg and MgSO₄ 0.6 mg/g soybean hull) improved the lipid production. The total final lipid reached 47.9 mg lipid from 1 g soybean hull after the conversion, 3.3-fold higher than initial lipid reserve in the soybean hull. The fatty acid profile analysis indicated that fatty acid content consisted of 30.0% of total lipid, and 80.4% of total fatty acid was C16 and C18. Therefore, lipid production from soybean hull is a possible option to enable soybean hull as a new resource for biodiesel production and to enhance the overall oil production from soybeans.

The gas-phase ozonolysis of α-humulene.

PubMed

Beck, M; Winterhalter, R; Herrmann, F; Moortgat, G K

2011-06-21

α-Humulene contains three double bonds (DB), and after ozonolysis of the first DB the first-generation products are still reactive towards O(3) and produce second- and third-generation products. The primary aim of this study consisted of identifying the products of the three generations, focusing on the carboxylic acids, which are known to have a high aerosol formation potential. The experiments were performed in a 570 litre spherical glass reactor at 295 K and 730 Torr. Initial mixing ratios were 260-2090 ppb for O(3) and 250-600 ppb for α-humulene in synthetic air. Reactants and gas-phase products were measured by in situ FTIR spectroscopy. Particulate products were sampled on Teflon filters, extracted with methanol and analyzed by LC-MS/MS-TOF. Using cyclohexane (10-100 ppm) as an OH-radical scavenger and by monitoring the yield of cyclohexanone by PTR-MS, an OH-yield of (10.5 ± 0.7)% was determined for the ozonolysis of the first DB, and (12.9 ± 0.7)% of the first-generation products. The rate constant of the reaction of O(3) with α-humulene is known as k(0) = 1.17 × 10(-14) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) [Y. Shu and R. Atkinson, Int. J. Chem. Kinet., 1994, 26, 1193-1205]. The reaction rate constants of O(3) with the first-generation products and the second-generation products were, respectively, determined as k(1) = (3.6 ± 0.9) × 10(-16) and k(2) = (3.0 ± 0.7) × 10(-17) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) by Facsimile-simulation of the observed ozone decay by FTIR. A total of 37 compounds in the aerosol phase and 5 products in the gas phase were tentatively identified: 25 compounds of the first-generation products contained C13-C15 species, 9 compounds of the second-generation products contained C8-C11 species, whereas 8 compounds of the third-generation products contained C4-C6 species. The products of all three generations consisted of a variety of dicarboxylic-, hydroxy-oxocarboxylic- and oxo-carboxylic acids. The formation mechanisms of some of the products are discussed. The residual FTIR spectra indicate the formation of secondary ozonides (SOZ) in the gas phase, which are formed by the intramolecular reaction of the Criegee moiety with the carbonyl endgroup. These SOZ revealed to be stable over several hours and its formation was shown not to be affected by the addition of Criegee-radical scavengers such as HCOOH or H(2)O. This suggests that in the ozonolysis of α-humulene at atmospheric pressures the POZ will decompose rapidly, and that a large fraction of the formed exited Criegee Intermediate will be stabilized to form stable SOZ, while the formation of OH-radicals via the hydroperoxide channel will be a minor process.

Studies of a Diazo Cyclopropanation Strategy for the Total Synthesis of (-)-Lundurine A.

PubMed

Huang, Hong-Xiu; Jin, Shuai-Jiang; Gong, Jin; Zhang, Dan; Song, Hao; Qin, Yong

2015-09-14

The bioactive Kopsia alkaloids lundurines A-D are the only natural products known to contain indolylcyclopropane. Achieving their syntheses can provide important insights into their biogenesis, as well as novel synthetic routes for complex natural products. Asymmetric total synthesis of (-)-lundurine A has previously been achieved through a Simmons-Smith cyclopropanation strategy. Here, the total synthesis of (-)-lundurine A was carried out using a metal-catalyzed diazo cyclopropanation strategy. In order to avoid a carbene CH insertion side reaction during cyclopropanation of α-diazo- carboxylates or cyanides, a one-pot, copper-catalyzed Bamford-Stevens diazotization/diazo decomposition/cyclopropanation cascade was developed, involving hydrazone. This approach simultaneously generates the C/D/E ring system and the two chiral quaternary centers at C2 and C7. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Total and inorganic arsenic in foods of the first Hong Kong total diet study.

PubMed

Chung, Stephen Wai-cheung; Lam, Chi-ho; Chan, Benny Tsz-pun

2014-04-01

Arsenic (As) is a metalloid that occurs in different inorganic and organic forms, which are found in the environment from both natural occurrence and anthropogenic activity. The inorganic forms of As (iAs) are more toxic as compared with the organic As, but so far most of the occurrence data in food collected in the framework of official food control are still reported as total As without differentiating the various As species. In this paper, total As and iAs contents of 600 total diet study (TDS) samples, subdivided into 15 different food groups, were quantified by high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HR-ICP/MS) and hydride generation (HG) ICP/MS respectively. The method detection limits for both total As and iAs were 3 μg As kg(-1). As the samples were prepared for TDS, food items were purchased directly from the market or prepared as for normal consumption, i.e. table ready, in the manner most representative of and consistent with cultural habits in Hong Kong as far as practicable. The highest total As and iAs content were found in 'fish, seafood and their products' and 'vegetables and their products' respectively. Besides, this paper also presents the ratios of iAs and total As content in different ready-to-eat food items. The highest ratio of iAs to total As was found in 'vegetables and their products'. It is likely that iAs in vegetables maintained its status even after cooking.

Evaluating greywater reuse potential for sustainable water resources management in Oman.

PubMed

Jamrah, Ahmad; Al-Futaisi, Ahmed; Prathapar, Sanmugan; Harrasi, Ali Al

2008-02-01

This study aims to evaluate the potential of greywater availability in Muscat Governorate in the Sultanate of Oman, to establish a methodology for greywater quantity estimation, to test greywater quality in order to assess reuse potential, and to examine public acceptance for reuse.Total fresh water consumption and greywater generation from different household sources were measured by water meters in five selected households during summer and winter. Additionally, a survey was designed and conducted in five administrative areas of Muscat Governorate, with the objective of testing a methodology for estimating greywater generation potential in these areas. Collected data were compared with that used by the Ministry of Housing, Electricity and Water, Sultanate of Oman. The survey covered a total of 169 houses and 1,365 people. Greywater samples were collected and analyzed from showers, laundries, kitchens and sinks in some of these households to determine their water quality parameters. Statistical analysis results indicated that there is no significant variance in the total fresh water consumption between data used by the ministry and those measured and estimated during this study, highlighting the applicability of the tested method. The study concluded that the average per capita greywater generation rate is 151 Lpcd. Greywater production ranged from 80 to 83% of the total fresh water consumption and most of the greywater is generated from showers. Further, 55 to 57% of the greywater generated in a typical Omani household originated from the shower, 28 to 33% originated from the kitchen, 6 to 9% originated from laundry, and 5 to 7% originated from sink, which constitutes approximately 81% of the total fresh water consumption. The physical, chemical, and biological analyses of the grab samples revealed that greywater contains significant levels of suspended solids, inorganic constituents, total organic carbon, chemical and biochemical oxygen demands, total Coliforms and Escherichia Coliform bacteria. The public acceptance survey illustrated that approximately 76% of the respondents accepted the reuse of greywater for gardening, 53% for car washing and 66% for toilet flushing.

Clams as CO2 generators: The Potamocorbula amurensis example in San Francisco Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chauvaud, Laurent; Thompson, Janet K.; Cloern, James E.; Thouzeau, Gerard

2003-01-01

Respiration and calcium carbonate production by the invasive Asian clam, Potamocorbula amurensis, were calculated to assess their importance as CO2 sources in northern San Francisco Bay. Production, calculated using monthly population density and size structure measured at three sites over 7 yr and a shell length/CaCO3 conversion factor, averaged 221(±184)g CaCO3 m−2yr−1. Net calcium carbonate production by this exotic bivalve releases CO2 at a mean rate of 18(±17)g C m−2yr−1. Respiration by P. amurensis, estimated from secondary production, releases additional CO2 at a mean rate of 37(±34)g C m−2yr−1. Therefore, total net CO2 production by P. amurensis averages 55(±51)g C m−2yr−1 in an estuarine domain where net primary production consumes only 20g inorganic C m−2yr−1. CO2 production by P. amurensis in northern San Francisco Bay is an underestimate of the total CO2 supply from the calcified zoobenthic communities of San Francisco Bay, and results from other studies have suggested that this rate is not unusual for temperate estuaries. Global extrapolation yields a gross CO2 production rate in the world's estuaries of 1x1014g C yr−1, which suggests that calcified benthic organisms in estuaries generate CO2 equal in magnitude to the CO2 emissions from the world's lakes or from planetary volcanism (the net source is determined by the highly variable rate of CO2 consumption by carbonate dissolution). This biogenic CO2 source is increasing because of the continuing global translocation of mollusks and their successful colonization of new habitats.

Clams as CO2 generators: The Potamocorbula amurensis example in San Francisco Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chauvaud, Laurent; Thompson, Janet K.; Cloern, James E.; Thouzeau, Gerard

2003-01-01

Respiration and calcium carbonate production by the invasive Asian clam, Potamocorbula amurensis, were calculated to assess their importance as CO2 sources in northern San Francisco Bay. Production, calculated using monthly population density and size structure measured at three sites over 7 yr and a shell length/CaCO3 conversion factor, averaged 221 (6184) g CaCO3 m22 yr21 . Net calcium carbonate production by this exotic bivalve releases CO2 at a mean rate of 18 (617) g C m22 yr21 . Respiration by P. amurensis, estimated from secondary production, releases additional CO2 at a mean rate of 37 (634) g C m22 yr21 . Therefore, total net CO2 production by P. amurensis averages 55 (651) g C m22 yr21 in an estuarine domain where net primary production consumes only 20 g inorganic C m22 yr21 . CO2 production by P. amurensis in northern San Francisco Bay is an underestimate of the total CO2 supply from the calcified zoobenthic communities of San Francisco Bay, and results from other studies have suggested that this rate is not unusual for temperate estuaries. Global extrapolation yields a gross CO2 production rate in the world’s estuaries of 1 3 1014 g C yr21 , which suggests that calcified benthic organisms in estuaries generate CO2 equal in magnitude to the CO2 emissions from the world’s lakes or from planetary volcanism (the net source is determined by the highly variable rate of CO2 consumption by carbonate dissolution). This biogenic CO2 source is increasing because of the continuing global translocation of mollusks and their successful colonization of new habitats.

Production patterns of packaging waste categories generated at typical Mediterranean residential building worksites.

PubMed

González Pericot, N; Villoria Sáez, P; Del Río Merino, M; Liébana Carrasco, O

2014-11-01

The construction sector is responsible for around 28% of the total waste volume generated in Europe, which exceeds the amount of household waste. This has led to an increase of different research studies focusing on construction waste quantification. However, within the research studies made, packaging waste has been analyzed to a limited extent. This article focuses on the packaging waste stream generated in the construction sector. To this purpose current on-site waste packaging management has been assessed by monitoring ten Mediterranean residential building works. The findings of the experimental data collection revealed that the incentive measures implemented by the construction company to improve on-site waste sorting failed to achieve the intended purpose, showing low segregation ratios. Subsequently, through an analytical study the generation patterns for packaging waste are established, leading to the identification of the prevailing kinds of packaging and the products responsible for their generation. Results indicate that plastic waste generation maintains a constant trend throughout the whole construction process, while cardboard becomes predominant towards the end of the construction works with switches and sockets from the electricity stage. Understanding the production patterns of packaging waste will be beneficial for adapting waste management strategies to the identified patterns for the specific nature of packaging waste within the context of construction worksites. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ecological consequences of elevated total dissolved solids associated with fossil fuel extraction in the United States

EPA Science Inventory

Fossil fuel burning is considered a major contributor to global climate change. The outlook for production and consumption of fossil fuels int he US indicates continued growth to support growing energy demands. For example, coal-generated electricity is projected ot increase from...

Comparative life cycle assessment of biogas plant configurations for a demand oriented biogas supply for flexible power generation.

PubMed

Hahn, Henning; Hartmann, Kilian; Bühle, Lutz; Wachendorf, Michael

2015-03-01

The environmental performance of biogas plant configurations for a demand - oriented biogas supply for flexible power generation is comparatively assessed in this study. Those configurations indicate an increased energy demand to operate the operational enhancements compared to conventional biogas plants supplying biogas for baseload power generation. However, findings show that in contrast to an alternative supply of power generators with natural gas, biogas supplied on demand by adapted biogas plant configurations saves greenhouse gas emissions by 54-65 g CO(2-eq) MJ(-1) and primary energy by about 1.17 MJ MJ(-1). In this regard, configurations with flexible biogas production profit from reduced biogas storage requirements and achieve higher savings compared to configurations with continuous biogas production. Using thicker biogas storage sheeting material reduces the methane permeability of up to 6m(3) d(-1) which equals a reduction of 8% of the configuration's total methane emissions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Brewer's spent grain: a valuable feedstock for industrial applications.

PubMed

Mussatto, Solange I

2014-05-01

Brewer's spent grain (BSG) is the most abundant by-product generated from the beer-brewing process, representing approximately 85% of the total by-products obtained. This material is basically constituted by the barley grain husks obtained as solid residue after the wort production. Since BSG is rich in sugars and proteins, the main and quickest alternative for elimination of this industrial by-product has been as animal feed. However, BSG is a raw material of interest for application in different areas because of its low cost, large availability throughout the year and valuable chemical composition. In the last decade, many efforts have been directed towards the reuse of BSG, taking into account the incentive that has been given to recycle the wastes and by-products generated by industrial activities. Currently, many interesting and advantageous methods for application of BSG in foods, in energy production and in chemical and biotechnological processes have been reported. The present study presents and discusses the most recent perspectives for BSG application in such areas. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Performance of continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) on fermentative biohydrogen production from melon waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cahyari, K.; Sarto; Syamsiah, S.; Prasetya, A.

2016-11-01

This research was meant to investigate performance of continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) as bioreactor for producing biohydrogen from melon waste through dark fermentation method. Melon waste are commonly generated from agricultural processing stages i.e. cultivation, post-harvesting, industrial processing, and transportation. It accounted for more than 50% of total harvested fruit. Feedstock of melon waste was fed regularly to CSTR according to organic loading rate at value 1.2 - 3.6 g VS/ (l.d). Optimum condition was achieved at OLR 2.4 g VS/ (l.d) with the highest total gas volume 196 ml STP. Implication of higher OLR value is reduction of total gas volume due to accumulation of acids (pH 4.0), and lower substrate volatile solid removal. In summary, application of this method might valorize melon waste and generates renewable energy sources.

The influence of marine microbial activities on aerosol production: A laboratory mesocosm study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alpert, Peter A.; Kilthau, Wendy P.; Bothe, Dylan W.; Radway, JoAnn C.; Aller, Josephine Y.; Knopf, Daniel A.

2015-09-01

The oceans cover most of the Earth's surface, contain nearly half the total global primary biomass productivity, and are a major source of atmospheric aerosol particles. Here we experimentally investigate links between biological activity in seawater and sea spray aerosol (SSA) flux, a relationship of potential significance for organic aerosol loading and cloud formation over the oceans and thus for climate globally. Bubbles were generated in laboratory mesocosm experiments either by recirculating impinging water jets or glass frits. Experiments were conducted with Atlantic Ocean seawater collected off the eastern end of Long Island, NY, and with artificial seawater containing cultures of bacteria and phytoplankton Thalassiosira pseudonana, Emiliania huxleyi, and Nannochloris atomus. Changes in SSA size distributions occurred during all phases of bacterial and phytoplankton growth, as characterized by cell concentrations, dissolved organic carbon, total particulate carbon, and transparent exopolymer particles (gel-forming polysaccharides representing a major component of biogenic exudate material). Over a 2 week growth period, SSA particle concentrations increased by a factor of less than 2 when only bacteria were present and by a factor of about 3 when bacteria and phytoplankton were present. Production of jet-generated SSA particles of diameter less than 200 nm increased with time, while production of all particle diameters increased with time when frits were used. The implications of a marine biological activity dependent SSA flux are discussed.

Assessment of On-Site Power Opportunities in the Industrial Sector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bryson, T.

2001-10-08

The purpose of this report is to identify the potential for on-site power generation in the U.S. industrial sector with emphasis on nine industrial groups called the ''Industries of the Future'' (IOFs) by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Through its Office of Industrial Technologies (OIT), the DOE has teamed with the IOFs to develop collaborative strategies for improving productivity, global competitiveness, energy usage and environmental performance. Total purchases for electricity and steam for the IOFs are in excess of $27 billion annually. Energy-related costs are very significant for these industries. The nine industrial groups are (1) Agriculture (SIC 1);more » (2) Forest products; (3) Lumber and wood products (SIC 24); (4) Paper and allied products (SIC 26); (5) Mining (SIC 11, 12, 14); (6) Glass (SIC 32); (7) Petroleum (SIC 29); (8) Chemicals (SIC 28); and (9) Metals (SIC 33): Steel, Aluminum, and Metal casting. Although not currently part of the IOF program, the food industry is included in this report because of its close relationship to the agricultural industry and its success with on-site power generation. On-site generation provides an alternative means to reduce energy costs, comply with environmental regulations, and ensure a reliable power supply. On-site generation can ease congestion in the local utility's electric grid. Electric market restructuring is exacerbating the price premium for peak electricity use and for reliability, creating considerable market interest in on-site generation.« less

Determination of carbonyl compounds generated from the E-cigarette using coupled silica cartridges impregnated with hydroquinone and 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine, followed by high-performance liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Uchiyama, Shigehisa; Ohta, Kazushi; Inaba, Yohei; Kunugita, Naoki

2013-01-01

Carbonyl compounds in E-cigarette smoke mist were measured using coupled silica cartridges impregnated with hydroquinone and 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine, followed by high-performance liquid chromatography. A total of 363 E-cigarettes (13 brands) were examined. Four of the 13 E-cigarette brands did not generate any carbonyl compounds, while the other nine E-cigarette brands generated various carbonyl compounds. However, the carbonyl concentrations of the E-cigarette products did not show typical distributions, and the mean values were largely different from the median values. It was elucidated that E-cigarettes incidentally generate high concentrations of carbonyl compounds.

Search for second generation scalar leptoquarks in pp collisions at $$\\sqrt{s}=7~\\mbox{TeV}$$ with the ATLAS detector

DOE PAGES

Aad, G.; Abbott, B.; Abdallah, J.; ...

2012-09-13

The results of a search for the production of second generation scalar leptoquarks are presented for final states consisting of either two muons and at least two jets or a muon plus missing transverse momentum and at least two jets. A total of 1.03 fb -1 integrated luminosity of protonproton collision data produced by the Large Hadron Collider at √s = 7 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector is used for the search. The event yields in the signal regions are found to be consistent with the Standard Model background expectations. The production of second generation leptoquarksmore » is excluded for a leptoquark mass m LQ < 594 (685) GeV at 95 % confidence level, for a branching ratio of 0.5 (1.0) for leptoquark decay to a muon and a quark.« less

Analysis of CrIS ATMS and AIRS AMSU Data Using Scientifically Equivalent Retrieval Algorithms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Susskind, Joel; Kouvaris, Louis; Iredell, Lena; Blaisdell, John

2016-01-01

Monthly mean August 2014 Version-6.28 AIRS and CrIS products agree well with OMPS and CERES, and reasonably well with each other. Version-6.28 CrIS total precipitable water is biased dry compared to AIRS. AIRS and CrIS Version-6.36 water vapor products are both improved compared to Version-6.28. Version-6.36 AIRS and CrIS total precipitable water also shows improved agreement with each other. AIRS Version-6.36 total ozone agrees even better with OMPS than does AIRS Version-6.28, and gives reasonable results during polar winter where OMPS does not generate products. CrIS and ATMS are high spectral resolution IR and Microwave atmospheric sounders currently flying on the SNPP satellite, and are also scheduled for flight on future NPOESS satellites. CrIS/ATMS have similar sounding capabilities to those of the AIRS/AMSU sounder suite flying on EOS Aqua. The objective of this research is to develop and implement scientifically equivalent AIRS/AMSU and CrIS/ATMS retrieval algorithms with the goal of generating a continuous data record of AIRS/AMSU and CrIS/ATMS level-3 data products with a seamless transition between them in time. To achieve this, monthly mean AIRS/AMSU and CrIS/ATMS retrieved products, and more importantly their interannual differences, should show excellent agreement with each other. The currently operational AIRS Science Team Version-6 retrieval algorithm has generated 14 years of level-3 data products. A scientifically improved AIRS Version-7 retrieval algorithm is expected to become operational in 2017. We see significant improvements in water vapor and ozone in Version-7 retrieval methodology compared to Version-6.We are working toward finalization and implementation of scientifically equivalent AIRS/AMSU and CrIS/ATMS Version-7 retrieval algorithms to be used for the eventual processing of all AIRS/AMSU and CrIS/ATMS data. The latest version of our retrieval algorithm is Verison-6.36, which includes almost all the improvements we want in Version-7. Version-6.28 has been used to process both AIRS and CrIS data for August 2014. This poster compares August 2014 monthly mean Version-6.28 AIRS/AMSU and CrIS/ATMS products with each other, and also with monthly mean products obtained using AIRS Version-6. AIRS and CrIS results using Version-6.36 are presented for April 15, 2016. These demonstrate further improvements since Version-6.28. The new results also show improved agreement of Version-6.36 AIRS and CrIS products with each other. Version-6.36 is not yet optimized for CrIS ozone products.

Engineering Triterpene and Methylated Triterpene Production in Plants Provides Biochemical and Physiological Insights into Terpene Metabolism1[OPEN

PubMed Central

Jiang, Zuodong; Kempinski, Chase; Bush, Caroline J.; Nybo, S. Eric; Chappell, Joe

2016-01-01

Linear, branch-chained triterpenes, including squalene (C30), botryococcene (C30), and their methylated derivatives (C31–C37), generated by the green alga Botryococcus braunii race B have received significant attention because of their utility as chemical and biofuel feedstocks. However, the slow growth habit of B. braunii makes it impractical as a production system. In this study, we evaluated the potential of generating high levels of botryococcene in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants by diverting carbon flux from the cytosolic mevalonate pathway or the plastidic methylerythritol phosphate pathway by the targeted overexpression of an avian farnesyl diphosphate synthase along with two versions of botryococcene synthases. Up to 544 µg g−1 fresh weight of botryococcene was achieved when this metabolism was directed to the chloroplasts, which is approximately 90 times greater than that accumulating in plants engineered for cytosolic production. To test if methylated triterpenes could be produced in tobacco, we also engineered triterpene methyltransferases (TMTs) from B. braunii into wild-type plants and transgenic lines selected for high-level triterpene accumulation. Up to 91% of the total triterpene contents could be converted to methylated forms (C31 and C32) by cotargeting the TMTs and triterpene biosynthesis to the chloroplasts, whereas only 4% to 14% of total triterpenes were methylated when this metabolism was directed to the cytoplasm. When the TMTs were overexpressed in the cytoplasm of wild-type plants, up to 72% of the total squalene was methylated, and total triterpene (C30+C31+C32) content was elevated 7-fold. Altogether, these results point to innate mechanisms controlling metabolite fluxes, including a homeostatic role for squalene. PMID:26603654

Analysis of operating costs for producing biodiesel from palm oil at pilot-scale in Colombia.

PubMed

Acevedo, Juan C; Hernández, Jorge A; Valdés, Carlos F; Khanal, Samir Kumar

2015-01-01

The present study aims to evaluate the operating costs of biodiesel production using palm oil in a pilot-scale plant with a capacity of 20,000 L/day (850 L/batch). The production plant uses crude palm oil as a feedstock, and methanol in a molar ratio of 1:10. The process incorporated acid esterification, basic transesterification, and dry washing with absorbent powder. Production costs considered in the analysis were feedstock, supplies, labor, electricity, quality and maintenance; amounting to $3.75/gal ($0.99/L) for 2013. Feedstocks required for biodiesel production were among the highest costs, namely 72.6% of total production cost. Process efficiency to convert fatty acids to biodiesel was over 99% and generated a profit of $1.08/gal (i.e., >22% of the total income). According to sensitivity analyses, it is more economically viable for biodiesel production processes to use crude palm oil as a feedstock and take advantage of the byproducts such as glycerine and fertilizers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biological nutrient removal with low nitrous oxide generation by cancelling the anaerobic phase and extending the idle phase in a sequencing batch reactor.

PubMed

Chen, Yinguang; Wang, Dongbo; Zheng, Xiong; Li, Xiang; Feng, Leiyu; Chen, Hong

2014-08-01

Although wastewater biological nutrient removal can be achieved by alternating the anaerobic-oxic-anoxic phases, significant amount of nitrous oxide (N2O) is generated in oxic phases, where ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) rather than heterotrophic denitrifiers are the main contributors. Here a new efficient strategy to remarkably reduce N2O generation was reported. It was found that by cancelling the anaerobic phase and extending the idle phase the N2O generation was reduced by 42% using synthetic wastewater, whereas the total nitrogen and phosphorus removals were unaffected. The mechanistic investigations revealed that the cancelling of anaerobic phase benefited heterotrophic denitrifiers instead of AOB to be responsible for nitrogen removal in the oxic phases, increased the ratio of total nitrogen removal driven by external carbon source, and decreased nitrite accumulation. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and fluorescence in situ hybridization analyses further showed that the new strategy increased the number of N2O reducing bacteria but decreased the abundance of glycogen accumulating organisms, with N2O as their primary denitrification product. It was also determined that the ratio of nitric oxide reductase activity to N2O reductase activity was significantly decreased after anaerobic phase was cancelled. All these observations were in accord with the reduction of N2O production. The feasibility of this strategy to minimize the generation of N2O was finally confirmed for a real municipal wastewater. The results reported in this paper provide a new viewpoint to reduce N2O generation from wastewater biological nutrient removal. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Convenient Route to [68Ga]Ga-MAA for Use as a Particulate PET Perfusion Tracer

PubMed Central

Mathias, Carla J.; Green, Mark A.

2008-01-01

A convenient method is described for compounding [68Ga]Ga-MAA (MAA = macroaggregated human serum albumin) with the eluate of a commercially available TiO2-based 68Ge/68Ga generator. The final [68Ga]Ga-MAA product was obtained with an 81.6 ± 5.3% decay-corrected radiochemical yield and a radiochemical purity of 99.8 ± 0.1% (n = 5). Microscopic examination showed the [68Ga]Ga-MAA product to remain within the original particle size range. The entire procedure, from generator elution to delivery of the final [68Ga]Ga-MAA suspension, could be completed in 25 minutes. Only 4.4 ± 0.9% of the total 68Ge breakthrough remaining associated with the final [68Ga]Ga-MAA product. The procedure allows reasonably convenient preparation of [68Ga]Ga-MAA in a fashion that can be readily adapted to sterile product compounding for human use. PMID:18640845

High-solid Anaerobic Co-digestion of Sewage Sludge and Cattle Manure: The Effects of Volatile Solid Ratio and pH

PubMed Central

Dai, Xiaohu; Chen, Yang; Zhang, Dong; Yi, Jing

2016-01-01

High-solid anaerobic digestion is an attractive solution to the problem of sewage sludge disposal. One method that can be used to enhance the production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and the generation of methane from anaerobic digestion involves combining an alkaline pretreatment step with the synergistic effects of sewage sludge and cattle manure co-digestion, which improves the activity of key enzymes and microorganisms in the anaerobic co-digestion system to promote the digestion of organic waste. In this study, we describe an efficient strategy that involves adjusting the volatile solid (VS) ratio (sewage sludge/cattle manure: 3/7) and initial pH (9.0) to improve VFA production and methane generation from the co-digestion of sludge and manure. The experimental results indicate that the maximum VFA production was 98.33 g/kg-TS (total solid) at the optimal conditions. Furthermore, methane generation in a long-term semi-continuously operated reactor (at a VS ratio of 3/7 and pH of 9.0) was greater than 120.0 L/kg-TS. PMID:27725704

High-solid Anaerobic Co-digestion of Sewage Sludge and Cattle Manure: The Effects of Volatile Solid Ratio and pH

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Xiaohu; Chen, Yang; Zhang, Dong; Yi, Jing

2016-10-01

High-solid anaerobic digestion is an attractive solution to the problem of sewage sludge disposal. One method that can be used to enhance the production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and the generation of methane from anaerobic digestion involves combining an alkaline pretreatment step with the synergistic effects of sewage sludge and cattle manure co-digestion, which improves the activity of key enzymes and microorganisms in the anaerobic co-digestion system to promote the digestion of organic waste. In this study, we describe an efficient strategy that involves adjusting the volatile solid (VS) ratio (sewage sludge/cattle manure: 3/7) and initial pH (9.0) to improve VFA production and methane generation from the co-digestion of sludge and manure. The experimental results indicate that the maximum VFA production was 98.33 g/kg-TS (total solid) at the optimal conditions. Furthermore, methane generation in a long-term semi-continuously operated reactor (at a VS ratio of 3/7 and pH of 9.0) was greater than 120.0 L/kg-TS.

8-Oxo-7,8-dihydroadenine and 8-Oxo-7,8-dihydroadenosine-Chemistry, Structure, and Function in RNA and Their Presence in Natural Products and Potential Drug Derivatives.

PubMed

Choi, Yu Jung; Chang, Stephanie J; Gibala, Krzysztof S; Resendiz, Marino J E

2017-05-17

A description and history of the role that 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroadenine (8-oxoAde) and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroadenosine (8-oxoA) have in various fields has been compiled. This Review focusses on 1) the formation of this oxidatively generated modification in RNA, its interactions with other biopolymers, and its potential role in the development/progression of disease; 2) the independent synthesis and incorporation of this modified nucleoside into oligonucleotides of RNA to display the progress that has been made in establishing its behavior in biologically relevant systems; 3) reported synthetic routes, which date back to 1890, along with the progress that has been made in the total synthesis of the nucleobase, nucleoside, and their corresponding derivatives; and 4) the isolation, total synthesis, and biological activity of natural products containing these moieties as the backbone. The current state of research regarding this oxidatively generated lesion as well as its importance in the context of RNA, natural products, and potential as drug derivatives is illustrated using all available examples reported to date. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The impact of compaction and leachate recirculation on waste degradation in simulated landfills.

PubMed

Ko, Jae Hac; Yang, Fan; Xu, Qiyong

2016-07-01

This study investigated the impact of compaction and leachate recirculation on anaerobic degradation of municipal solid waste (MSW) at different methane formation phases. Two stainless steel lysimeters, C1 and C2, were constructed by equipping a hydraulic cylinder to apply pressure load (42kPs) on the MSW. When MSW started to produce methane, C1 was compacted, but C2 was compacted when the methane production rate declined from the peak generation rate. Methane production of C1was inhibited by the compaction and resulted in producing a total of 106L methane (44L/kgVS). However, the compaction in C2 promoted MSW degradation resulting in producing a total of 298L methane (125L/kgVS). The concentrations of volatile fatty acids and chemical oxygen demand showed temporary increases, when pressure load was applied. It was considered that the increased substrate accessibility within MSW by compaction could cause either the inhibition or the enhancement of methane production, depending the tolerability of methanogens on the acidic inhibition. Leachate recirculation also gave positive effects on methane generation from wet waste in the decelerated methanogenic phase by increasing mass transfer and the concentrations of volatile fatty acids. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Methanogenesis from wastewater stimulated by addition of elemental manganese

PubMed Central

Qiao, Sen; Tian, Tian; Qi, Benyu; Zhou, Jiti

2015-01-01

This study presents a novel procedure for accelerating methanogenesis from wastewater by adding elemental manganese into the anaerobic digestion system. The results indicated that elemental manganese effectively enhanced both the methane yield and the production rate. Compared to the control test without elemental manganese, the total methane yield and production rate with 4 g/L manganese addition increased 3.4-fold (from 0.89 ± 0.03 to 2.99 ± 0.37 M/gVSS within 120 h) and 4.4-fold (from 6.2 ± 0.1 to 27.2 ± 2.2 mM/gVSS/h), respectively. Besides, more acetate consumption and less propionate generation were observed during the methanogenesis with manganese. Further studies demonstrated that the elemental manganese served as electron donors for the methanogenesis from carbon dioxide, and the final proportion of methane in the total generated gas with 4 g/L manganese addition reached 96.9%, which was 2.1-fold than that of the control (46.6%). PMID:26244609

Extraterrestrial fiberglass production using solar energy. [lunar plants or space manufacturing facilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ho, D.; Sobon, L. E.

1979-01-01

A conceptual design is presented for fiberglass production systems in both lunar and space environments. The raw material, of lunar origin, will be plagioclase concentrate, high silica content slag, and calcium oxide. Glass will be melted by solar energy. The multifurnace in the lunar plant and the spinning cylinder in the space plant are unique design features. Furnace design appears to be the most critical element in optimizing system performance. A conservative estimate of the total power generated by solar concentrators is 1880 kW; the mass of both plants is 120 tons. The systems will reproduce about 90 times their total mass in fiberglass in 1 year. A new design concept would be necessary if glass rods were produced in space.

Total Synthesis of (±)–Rocaglamide via Oxidation-Initiated Nazarov Cyclization

PubMed Central

Malona, John A.; Cariou, Kevin; Spencer, William T.

2012-01-01

This article describes the evolution of a Nazarov cyclization-based synthetic strategy targeting the anticancer, antiinflammatory, and insecticidal natural product (±)–rocaglamide. Initial pursuit of a polarized heteroaromatic Nazarov cyclization to construct the congested cyclopentane core revealed an unanticipated electronic bias in the pentadienyl cation. This reactivity was harnessed in a successful second-generation approach using an oxidation-initiated Nazarov cyclization of a heteroaryl alkoxyallene. Full details of these two approaches are given, as well as the characterization of undesired reaction pathways available to the Nazarov cyclization product. A sequence of experiments that led to an understanding of the unexpected reactivity of this key intermediate is described, which culminated in the successful total synthesis of (+)-rocaglamide. PMID:22283818

Particulate organic carbon mass distribution at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gundersen, Kjell; Orcutt, Karen M.; Purdie, Duncan A.; Michaels, Anthony F.; Knap, Anthony H.

Errors in total particulate organic carbon (total POC) measurements caused by particles settling in Niskin water samplers, loss of bacterial cells during filtration and undersampling of rare particles such as the diazotrophic cyanobacterium Trichodesmium spp. were investigated at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) site. Regular core samples of temperature, primary production, bacterial abundance, chlorophyll- a (Chl- a) and POC were collected at monthly intervals from 1991 to 1996. During this period of time, shorter investigations of particles settling in water samples (1991-1992), bacterial cells lost during filtration (1992-1993), and Trichodesmium abundance (1995-1996) were performed at the BATS site. The BATS site shows striking seasonal patterns in hydrography and phytoplankton primary productivity, with a strong maximum immediately following the deep winter mixing of the water column. Following the peak in primary production, bacterial abundance showed only slightly elevated levels in spring. Maxima of Chl- a and POC also were associated with the primary production peaks, but these particle concentrations became less pronounced through summer and fall. An average of 26% of total POC collected in Niskin water bottles settled below the spigot before it could be sampled. An average of 47% of all bacterial cells passed the nominal pore size of a Whatman GF/F filter, and total POC measurements generated from GF/F filtered seawater samples had to be corrected for this loss. The average integrated stocks of total POC in the upper 65 m of the water column was 32% pigmented phytoplankton, 15% microheterotrophs, 54% other detrital matter (32 : 15 : 54). Phytoplankton C equaled bacterial C in the 65-135 m depth range (16 : 19 : 65), but phytoplankton C was virtually non-existent deeper than 135 m (2 : 14 : 74). Bacterial C biomass was higher than phytoplankton in surface waters outside the spring bloom period, but carbon not accounted for by phytoplankton and bacteria (other C) showed an overall dominance throughout the year. Uncorrected, suspended POC collected on GF/F filters (POC SW) was nearly equal to the sum of phytoplankton C and bacterial C alone, and hence, the other C fraction of total POC was largely generated by the addition of settling particles (POC Dreg). Seasonal occurrences of rare particles such as Trichodesmium colonies in surface waters in late summer may account for as much as 17-56% of total POC. Settling particles and Trichodesmium colonies, seldom included in POC estimates from temperate and tropical regions, constituted more than half of total POC measured in surface waters at BATS.

Fungal-assisted algal flocculation: application in wastewater treatment and biofuel production.

PubMed

Muradov, Nazim; Taha, Mohamed; Miranda, Ana F; Wrede, Digby; Kadali, Krishna; Gujar, Amit; Stevenson, Trevor; Ball, Andrew S; Mouradov, Aidyn

2015-01-01

The microalgal-based industries are facing a number of important challenges that in turn affect their economic viability. Arguably the most important of these are associated with the high costs of harvesting and dewatering of the microalgal cells, the costs and sustainability of nutrient supplies and costly methods for large scale oil extraction. Existing harvesting technologies, which can account for up to 50% of the total cost, are not economically feasible because of either requiring too much energy or the addition of chemicals. Fungal-assisted flocculation is currently receiving increased attention because of its high harvesting efficiency. Moreover, some of fungal and microalgal strains are well known for their ability to treat wastewater, generating biomass which represents a renewable and sustainable feedstock for bioenergy production. We screened 33 fungal strains, isolated from compost, straws and soil for their lipid content and flocculation efficiencies against representatives of microalgae commercially used for biodiesel production, namely the heterotrophic freshwater microalgae Chlorella protothecoides and the marine microalgae Tetraselmis suecica. Lipid levels and composition were analyzed in fungal-algal pellets grown on media containing alternative carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus sources from wheat straw and swine wastewater, respectively. The biomass of fungal-algal pellets grown on swine wastewater was used as feedstock for the production of value-added chemicals, biogas, bio-solids and liquid petrochemicals through pyrolysis. Co-cultivation of microalgae and filamentous fungus increased total biomass production, lipid yield and wastewater bioremediation efficiency. Fungal-assisted microalgal flocculation shows significant potential for solving the major challenges facing the commercialization of microalgal biotechnology, namely (i) the efficient and cost-effective harvesting of freshwater and seawater algal strains; (ii) enhancement of total oil production and optimization of its composition; (iii) nutrient supply through recovering of the primary nutrients, nitrogen and phosphates and microelements from wastewater. The biomass generated was thermochemically converted into biogas, bio-solids and a range of liquid petrochemicals including straight-chain C12 to C21 alkanes which can be directly used as a glycerine-free component of biodiesel. Pyrolysis represents an efficient alternative strategy for biofuel production from species with tough cell walls such as fungi and fungal-algal pellets.

Solar Energy Systems for Lunar Oxygen Generation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colozza, Anthony J.; Heller, Richard S.; Wong, Wayne A.; Hepp, Aloysius F.

2010-01-01

An evaluation of several solar concentrator-based systems for producing oxygen from lunar regolith was performed. The systems utilize a solar concentrator mirror to provide thermal energy for the oxygen production process. Thermal energy to power a Stirling heat engine and photovoltaics are compared for the production of electricity. The electricity produced is utilized to operate the equipment needed in the oxygen production process. The initial oxygen production method utilized in the analysis is hydrogen reduction of ilmenite. Utilizing this method of oxygen production a baseline system design was produced. This baseline system had an oxygen production rate of 0.6 kg/hr with a concentrator mirror size of 5 m. Variations were performed on the baseline design to show how changes in the system size and process (rate) affected the oxygen production rate. An evaluation of the power requirements for a carbothermal lunar regolith reduction reactor has also been conducted. The reactor had a total power requirement between 8,320 to 9,961 W when producing 1000 kg/year of oxygen. The solar concentrator used to provide the thermal power (over 82 percent of the total energy requirement) would have a diameter of less than 4 m.

Measurement of D-7Li Neutron Production in Neutron Generators Using the Threshold Activation Foil Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coventry, M. D.; Krites, A. M.

Measurements to determine the absolute D-D and D-7Li neutron production rates with a neutron generator running at 100-200 kV acceleration potential were performed using the threshold activation foil technique. This technique provides a clear measure of fast neutron flux and with a suitable model, the neutron output. This approach requires little specialized equipment and is used to calibrate real-time neutron detectors and to verify neutron output. We discuss the activation foil measurement technique and describe its use in determining the relative contributions of D-D and D-7Li reactions to the total neutron yield and real-time detector response and compare to model predictions. The D-7Li reaction produces neutrons with a continuum of energies and a sharp peak around 13.5 MeV for measurement techniques outside of what D-D generators can perform. The ability to perform measurements with D-D neutrons alone, then add D-7Li neutrons for inelastic gamma production presents additional measurement modalities with the same neutron source without the use of tritium. Typically, D-T generators are employed for inelastic scattering applications but have a high regulatory burden from a radiological aspect (tritium inventory, liability concerns) and are export-controlled. D-D and D-7Li generators avoid these issues completely.

Evaluation of solar sludge drying alternatives by costs and area requirements.

PubMed

Kurt, Mayıs; Aksoy, Ayşegül; Sanin, F Dilek

2015-10-01

Thermal drying is a common method to reach above 90% dry solids content (DS) in sludge. However, thermal drying requires high amount of energy and can be expensive. A greenhouse solar dryer (GSD) can be a cost-effective substitute if the drying performance, which is typically 70% DS, can be increased by additional heat. In this study feasibility of GSD supported with solar panels is evaluated as an alternative to thermal dryers to reach 90% DS. Evaluations are based on capital and O&M costs as well as area requirements for 37 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) with various sludge production rates. Costs for the supported GSD system are compared to that of conventional and co-generation thermal dryers. To calculate the optimal costs associated with the drying system, an optimization model was developed in which area limitation was a constraint. Results showed that total cost was minimum when the DS in the GSD (DS(m,i)) was equal to the maximum attainable value (70% DS). On average, 58% of the total cost and 38% of total required area were associated with the GSD. Variations in costs for 37 WWTPs were due to differences in initial DS (DS(i,i)) and sludge production rates, indicating the importance of dewatering to lower drying costs. For large plants, GSD supported with solar panels provided savings in total costs especially in long term when compared to conventional and co-generation thermal dryers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Virtual industrial water usage and wastewater generation in the Middle East/North African region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakhel, S. R.; Geissen, S.-U.; Vogelpohl, A.

2013-01-01

This study deals with the quantification of volumes of water usage, wastewater generation, virtual water export, and wastewater generation from export for eight export relevant industries present in the Middle East/North Africa (MENA). It shows that about 3400 million m3 of water is used per annum while around 793 million m3 of wastewater is generated from products that are meant for domestic consumption and export. The difference between volumes of water usage and wastewater generation is due to water evaporation or injecting underground (oil wells pressure maintenance). The wastewater volume generated from production represents a population equivalent of 15.5 million in terms of wastewater quantity and 30.4 million in terms of BOD. About 409 million m3 of virtual water flows from MENA to EU27 (resulting from export of eight commodities) which is equivalent to 12.1% of the water usage of those industries and Libya is the largest virtual water exporter (about 87 million m3). Crude oil and refined petroleum products represent about 89% of the total virtual water flow, fertilizers represent around 10% and 1% remaining industries. EU27 poses the greatest indirect pressure on the Kuwaiti hydrological system where the virtual water export represents about 96% of the actual renewable water resources in this country. The Kuwaiti crude oil water use in relation to domestic water withdrawal is about 89% which is highest among MENA countries. Pollution of water bodies, in terms of BOD, due to production is very relevant for crude oil, slaughterhouses, refineries, olive oil, and tanneries while pollution due to export to EU27 is most relevant for crude oil industry and olive oil mills.

Boosting dark fermentation with co-cultures of extreme thermophiles for biohythane production from garden waste.

PubMed

Abreu, Angela A; Tavares, Fábio; Alves, Maria Madalena; Pereira, Maria Alcina

2016-11-01

Proof of principle of biohythane and potential energy production from garden waste (GW) is demonstrated in this study in a two-step process coupling dark fermentation and anaerobic digestion. The synergistic effect of using co-cultures of extreme thermophiles to intensify biohydrogen dark fermentation is demonstrated using xylose, cellobiose and GW. Co-culture of Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus and Thermotoga maritima showed higher hydrogen production yields from xylose (2.7±0.1molmol(-1) total sugar) and cellobiose (4.8±0.3molmol(-1) total sugar) compared to individual cultures. Co-culture of extreme thermophiles C. saccharolyticus and Caldicellulosiruptor bescii increased synergistically the hydrogen production yield from GW (98.3±6.9Lkg(-1) (VS)) compared to individual cultures and co-culture of T. maritima and C. saccharolyticus. The biochemical methane potential of the fermentation end-products was 322±10Lkg(-1) (CODt). Biohythane, a biogas enriched with 15% hydrogen could be obtained from GW, yielding a potential energy generation of 22.2MJkg(-1) (VS). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The stoichiometry of the cytochrome P-450-catalyzed metabolism of methoxyflurane and benzphetamine in the presence and absence of cytochrome b5.

PubMed

Gruenke, L D; Konopka, K; Cadieu, M; Waskell, L

1995-10-20

The complete stoichiometry of the metabolism of the cytochrome b5 (cyt b5)-requiring substrate, methoxyflurane, by purified cytochrome P-450 2B4 was compared to that of another substrate, benzphetamine, which does not require cyt b5 for its metabolism. Cyt b5 invariably improved the efficiency of product formation. That is, in the presence of cyt b5 a greater percentage of the reducing equivalents from NADPH were utilized to generate substrate metabolites, primarily at the expense of the side product, superoxide. With methoxyflurane, cyt b5 addition always resulted in an increased rate of product formation, while with benzphetamine the rate of product formation remained unchanged, increased or decreased. The apparently contradictory observations of increased reaction efficiency but decrease in total product formation for benzphetamine can be explained by a second effect of cyt b5. Under some experimental conditions cyt b5 inhibits total NADPH consumption. Whether stimulation, inhibition, or no change in product formation is observed in the presence of cyt b5 depends on the net effect of the stimulatory and inhibitory effects of cyt b5. When total NADPH consumption is inhibited by cyt b5, the rapidly metabolized, highly coupled (approximately equal to 50%) substrate, benzphetamine, undergoes a net decrease in metabolism not counterbalanced by the increase in the efficiency (2-20%) of the reaction. In contrast, in the presence of the slowly metabolized, poorly coupled (approximately equal to 0.5-3%) substrate, methoxyflurane, inhibition of total NADPH consumption by cyt b5 was never sufficient to overcome the stimulation of product formation due to an increase in efficiency of the reaction.

Product reliability and thin-film photovoltaics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaston, Ryan; Feist, Rebekah; Yeung, Simon; Hus, Mike; Bernius, Mark; Langlois, Marc; Bury, Scott; Granata, Jennifer; Quintana, Michael; Carlson, Carl; Sarakakis, Georgios; Ogden, Douglas; Mettas, Adamantios

2009-08-01

Despite significant growth in photovoltaics (PV) over the last few years, only approximately 1.07 billion kWhr of electricity is estimated to have been generated from PV in the US during 2008, or 0.27% of total electrical generation. PV market penetration is set for a paradigm shift, as fluctuating hydrocarbon prices and an acknowledgement of the environmental impacts associated with their use, combined with breakthrough new PV technologies, such as thin-film and BIPV, are driving the cost of energy generated with PV to parity or cost advantage versus more traditional forms of energy generation. In addition to reaching cost parity with grid supplied power, a key to the long-term success of PV as a viable energy alternative is the reliability of systems in the field. New technologies may or may not have the same failure modes as previous technologies. Reliability testing and product lifetime issues continue to be one of the key bottlenecks in the rapid commercialization of PV technologies today. In this paper, we highlight the critical need for moving away from relying on traditional qualification and safety tests as a measure of reliability and focus instead on designing for reliability and its integration into the product development process. A drive towards quantitative predictive accelerated testing is emphasized and an industrial collaboration model addressing reliability challenges is proposed.

Next Generation Biopharmaceuticals: Product Development.

PubMed

Mathaes, Roman; Mahler, Hanns-Christian

2018-04-11

Therapeutic proteins show a rapid market growth. The relatively young biotech industry already represents 20 % of the total global pharma market. The biotech industry environment has traditionally been fast-pasted and intellectually stimulated. Nowadays the top ten best selling drugs are dominated by monoclonal antibodies (mABs).Despite mABs being the biggest medical breakthrough in the last 25 years, technical innovation does not stand still.The goal remains to preserve the benefits of a conventional mAB (serum half-life and specificity) whilst further improving efficacy and safety and to open new and better avenues for treating patients, e.g., improving the potency of molecules, target binding, tissue penetration, tailored pharmacokinetics, and reduced adverse effects or immunogenicity.The next generation of biopharmaceuticals can pose specific chemistry, manufacturing, and control (CMC) challenges. In contrast to conventional proteins, next-generation biopharmaceuticals often require lyophilization of the final drug product to ensure storage stability over shelf-life time. In addition, next-generation biopharmaceuticals require analytical methods that cover different ways of possible degradation patterns and pathways, and product development is a long way from being straight forward. The element of "prior knowledge" does not exist equally for most novel formats compared to antibodies, and thus the assessment of critical quality attributes (CQAs) and the definition of CQA assessment criteria and specifications is difficult, especially in early-stage development.

Projected Growth in Small-Scale, Fossil-Fueled Distributed Generation: Potential Implications for the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eberle, Annika; Heath, Garvin A

The generation capacity of small-scale (less than one megawatt) fossil-fueled electricity in the United States is anticipated to grow by threefold to twenty-fold from 2015 to 2040. However, in adherence with internationally agreed upon carbon accounting methods, the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) U.S. Greenhouse Inventory (GHGI) does not currently attribute greenhouse gases (GHGs) from these small-scale distributed generation sources to the electric power sector and instead accounts for these emissions in the sector that uses the distributed generation (e.g., the commercial sector). In addition, no other federal electric-sector GHG emission data product produced by the EPA or the U.S. Energymore » Information Administration (EIA) can attribute these emissions to electricity. We reviewed the technical documentation for eight federal electric-sector GHG emission data products, interviewed the data product owners, collected their GHG emission estimates, and analyzed projections for growth in fossil-fueled distributed generation. We show that, by 2040, these small-scale generators could account for at least about 1%- 5% of total CO2 emissions from the U.S. electric power sector. If these emissions fall outside the electric power sector, the United States may not be able to completely and accurately track changes in electricity-related CO2 emissions, which could impact how the country sets GHG reduction targets and allocates mitigation resources. Because small-scale, fossil-fueled distributed generation is expected to grow in other countries as well, the results of this work also have implications for global carbon accounting.« less

Satellite Proving Ground for the GOES-R Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodman, Steven J.; Gurka, James; Bruning, E. C.; Blakeslee, J. R.; Rabin, Robert; Buechler, D.

2009-01-01

The key mission of the Satellite Proving Ground is to demonstrate new satellite observing data, products and capabilities in the operational environment to be ready on Day 1 to use the GOES-R suite of measurements. Algorithms, tools, and techniques must be tested, validated, and assessed by end users for their utility before they are finalized and incorporated into forecast operations. The GOES-R Proving Ground for the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) focuses on evaluating how the infusion of the new technology, algorithms, decision aids, or tailored products integrate with other available tools (weather radar and ground strike networks; nowcasting systems, mesoscale analysis, and numerical weather prediction models) in the hands of the forecaster responsible for issuing forecasts and warning products. Additionally, the testing concept fosters operation and development staff interactions which will improve training materials and support documentation development. Real-time proxy total lightning data from regional VHF lightning mapping arrays (LMA) in Northern Alabama, Central Oklahoma, Cape Canaveral Florida, and the Washington, DC Greater Metropolitan Area are the cornerstone for the GLM Proving Ground. The proxy data will simulate the 8 km Event, Group and Flash data that will be generated by GLM. Tailored products such as total flash density at 1-2 minute intervals will be provided for display in AWIPS-2 to select NWS forecast offices and national centers such as the Storm Prediction Center. Additional temporal / spatial combinations are being investigated in coordination with operational needs and case-study proxy data and prototype visualizations may also be generated from the NASA heritage Lightning Imaging Sensor and Optical Transient Detector data. End users will provide feedback on the utility of products in their operational environment, identify use cases and spatial/temporal scales of interest, and provide feedback to the developers for adjusted or new products.

Superior triacylglycerol (TAG) accumulation in starchless mutants of Scenedesmus obliquus: (I) mutant generation and characterization

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Microalgae are a promising platform for producing neutral lipids, to be used in the application for biofuels or commodities in the feed and food industry. A very promising candidate is the oleaginous green microalga Scenedesmus obliquus, because it accumulates up to 45% w/w triacylglycerol (TAG) under nitrogen starvation. Under these conditions, starch is accumulated as well. Starch can amount up to 38% w/w under nitrogen starvation, which is a substantial part of the total carbon captured. When aiming for optimized TAG production, blocking the formation of starch could potentially increase carbon allocation towards TAG. In an attempt to increase TAG content, productivity and yield, starchless mutants of this high potential strain were generated using UV mutagenesis. Previous studies in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii have shown that blocking the starch synthesis yields higher TAG contents, although these TAG contents do not surpass those of oleaginous microalgae yet. So far no starchless mutants in oleaginous green microalgae have been isolated that result in higher TAG productivities. Results Five starchless mutants have been isolated successfully from over 3,500 mutants. The effect of the mutation on biomass and total fatty acid (TFA) and TAG productivity under nitrogen-replete and nitrogen-depleted conditions was studied. All five starchless mutants showed a decreased or completely absent starch content. In parallel, an increased TAG accumulation rate was observed for the starchless mutants and no substantial decrease in biomass productivity was perceived. The most promising mutant showed an increase in TFA productivity of 41% at 4 days after nitrogen depletion, reached a TAG content of 49.4% (% of dry weight) and had no substantial change in biomass productivity compared to the wild type. Conclusions The improved S. obliquus TAG production strains are the first starchless mutants in an oleaginous green microalga that show enhanced TAG content under photoautotrophic conditions. These results can pave the way towards a more feasible microalgae-driven TAG production platform. PMID:24920957

Inhibition of polymorphonuclear leukocyte function by Legionella pneumophila exoproducts.

PubMed

Sahney, N N; Lambe, B C; Summersgill, J T; Miller, R D

1990-08-01

Total exoproducts (relative molecular mass greater than 10,000) from wild-type strains of Legionella pneumophila markedly inhibited human polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) superoxide anion generation, at sub-lethal concentrations, in response to four stimuli [1.7, 0, 0.6 and 3.4% of control for zymosan activated particles (ZAP), phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), calcium ionophore (A 23187), and formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP), respectively]. PMN chemotaxis towards fMLP and spontaneous migration, were also dramatically inhibited (2.8 and 2.9% of buffer-treated controls, respectively). In contrast, total exoproducts from the cas-1 strain of L. pneumophila, a protease-deficient mutant generated by ethyl methane sulfonate mutagenesis, failed to inhibit PMN superoxide production in response to ZAP and PMA and only partially inhibited PMN response to A 23187 and fMLP. PMN spontaneous migration was unaffected by treatment with total exoproducts from the mutant, while directed chemotaxis was partially inhibited (51.4%). These data demonstrated that L. pneumophila total exoproducts, primarily protease had significant inhibitory effects on normal PMN function and may play an important contributory role in the pathogenesis of legionnaire's disease.

Drought Resilience of Water Supplies for Shale Gas Extraction and Related Power Generation in Texas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reedy, R. C.; Scanlon, B. R.; Nicot, J. P.; Uhlman, K.

2014-12-01

There is considerable concern about water availability to support energy production in Texas, particularly considering that many of the shale plays are in semiarid areas of Texas and the state experienced the most extreme drought on record in 2011. The Eagle Ford shale play provides an excellent case study. Hydraulic fracturing water use for shale gas extraction in the play totaled ~ 12 billion gallons (bgal) in 2012, representing ~7 - 10% of total water use in the 16 county play area. The dominant source of water is groundwater which is not highly vulnerable to drought from a recharge perspective because water is primarily stored in the confined portion of aquifers that were recharged thousands of years ago. Water supply drought vulnerability results primarily from increased water use for irrigation. Irrigation water use in the Eagle Ford play was 30 billion gallons higher in the 2011 drought year relative to 2010. Recent trends toward increased use of brackish groundwater for shale gas extraction in the Eagle Ford also reduce pressure on fresh water resources. Evaluating the impacts of natural gas development on water resources should consider the use of natural gas in power generation, which now represents 50% of power generation in Texas. Water consumed in extracting the natural gas required for power generation is equivalent to ~7% of the water consumed in cooling these power plants in the state. However, natural gas production from shale plays can be overall beneficial in terms of water resources in the state because natural gas combined cycle power generation decreases water consumption by ~60% relative to traditional coal, nuclear, and natural gas plants that use steam turbine generation. This reduced water consumption enhances drought resilience of power generation in the state. In addition, natural gas combined cycle plants provide peaking capacity that complements increasing renewable wind generation which has no cooling water requirement. However, water savings related to power generation is not collocated with water used for shale gas extraction. Analysis of drought impacts on water energy interdependence should consider both water for energy extraction and power generation to assess net impacts.

Calculating the pre-consumer waste footprint: A screening study of 10 selected products.

PubMed

Laurenti, Rafael; Moberg, Åsa; Stenmarck, Åsa

2017-01-01

Knowledge about the total waste generated by the production of consumer goods can help raise awareness among policy-makers, producers and consumers of the benefits of closing loops in a future circular economy, avoiding unnecessary production and production steps and associated generation of large amounts of waste. In strict life cycle assessment practice, information on waste outputs from intermediate industrial processes of material and energy transformation is translated into and declared as potential environmental impacts, which are often not reported in the final results. In this study, a procedure to extract available intermediate data and perform a systematic pre-consumer waste footprint analysis was developed. The pre-consumer waste footprint concept was tested to analyse 10 generic products, which provided some novel and interesting results for the different product categories and identified a number of challenges that need to be resolved in development of the waste footprint concept. These challenges include standardised data declaration on waste in life cycle assessment, with a separation into waste categories illustrating the implicit environmental and scale of significance of waste types and quantities (e.g. hazardous waste, inert waste, waste for recycling/incineration) and establishment of a common definition of waste throughout sectors and nations.

Controls on Water Use for Thermoelectric Generation: Case Study Texas, U.S.

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Large-scale U.S. dependence on thermoelectric (steam electric) generation requiring water for cooling underscores the need to understand controls on this water use. The study objective was to quantify water consumption and withdrawal for thermoelectric generation, identifying controls, using Texas as a case study. Water consumption for thermoelectricity in Texas in 2010 totaled ∼0.43 million acre feet (maf; 0.53 km3), accounting for ∼4% of total state water consumption. High water withdrawals (26.2 maf, 32.3 km3) mostly reflect circulation between ponds and power plants, with only two-thirds of this water required for cooling. Controls on water consumption include (1) generator technology/thermal efficiency and (2) cooling system, resulting in statewide consumption intensity for natural gas combined cycle generators with mostly cooling towers (0.19 gal/kWh) being 63% lower than that of traditional coal, nuclear, or natural gas steam turbine generators with mostly cooling ponds (0.52 gal/kWh). The primary control on water withdrawals is cooling system, with ∼2 orders of magnitude lower withdrawals for cooling towers relative to once-through ponds statewide. Increases in natural gas combined cycle plants with cooling towers in response to high production of low-cost natural gas has greatly reduced water demand for thermoelectric cooling since 2000. PMID:23937226

Controls on water use for thermoelectric generation: case study Texas, US.

PubMed

Scanlon, Bridget R; Reedy, Robert C; Duncan, Ian; Mullican, William F; Young, Michael

2013-10-01

Large-scale U.S. dependence on thermoelectric (steam electric) generation requiring water for cooling underscores the need to understand controls on this water use. The study objective was to quantify water consumption and withdrawal for thermoelectric generation, identifying controls, using Texas as a case study. Water consumption for thermoelectricity in Texas in 2010 totaled ∼0.43 million acre feet (maf; 0.53 km(3)), accounting for ∼4% of total state water consumption. High water withdrawals (26.2 maf, 32.3 km(3)) mostly reflect circulation between ponds and power plants, with only two-thirds of this water required for cooling. Controls on water consumption include (1) generator technology/thermal efficiency and (2) cooling system, resulting in statewide consumption intensity for natural gas combined cycle generators with mostly cooling towers (0.19 gal/kWh) being 63% lower than that of traditional coal, nuclear, or natural gas steam turbine generators with mostly cooling ponds (0.52 gal/kWh). The primary control on water withdrawals is cooling system, with ∼2 orders of magnitude lower withdrawals for cooling towers relative to once-through ponds statewide. Increases in natural gas combined cycle plants with cooling towers in response to high production of low-cost natural gas has greatly reduced water demand for thermoelectric cooling since 2000.

Situation-Assessment And Decision-Aid Production-Rule Analysis System For Nuclear Plant Monitoring And Emergency Preparedness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gvillo, D.; Ragheb, M.; Parker, M.; Swartz, S.

1987-05-01

A Production-Rule Analysis System is developed for Nuclear Plant Monitoring. The signals generated by the Zion-1 Plant are considered. A Situation-Assessment and Decision-Aid capability is provided for monitoring the integrity of the Plant Radiation, the Reactor Coolant, the Fuel Clad, and the Containment Systems. A total of 41 signals are currently fed as facts to an Inference Engine functioning in the backward-chaining mode and built along the same structure as the E-Mycin system. The Goal-Tree constituting the Knowledge Base was generated using a representation in the form of Fault Trees deduced from plant procedures information. The system is constructed in support of the Data Analysis and Emergency Preparedness tasks at the Illinois Radiological Emergency Assessment Center (REAC).

Purification, characterization, and prebiotic properties of pectic oligosaccharides from orange peel wastes.

PubMed

Gómez, Belén; Gullón, Beatriz; Remoroza, Connie; Schols, Henk A; Parajó, Juan C; Alonso, José L

2014-10-08

Pectic oligosaccharides (POS) were obtained by hydrothermal treatment of orange peel wastes (OPW) and purified by membrane filtration to yield a refined product containing 90 wt % of the target products. AraOS (DP 3-21), GalOS (DP 5-12), and OGalA (DP 2-12, with variable DM) were identified in POS mixtures, but long-chain products were also present. The prebiotic potential of the concentrate was assessed by in vitro fermentation using human fecal inocula. For comparative purposes, similar experiments were performed using orange pectin and commercial fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) as substrates for fermentation. The dynamics of selected microbial populations was assessed by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). Gas generation, pH, and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production were also measured. Under the tested conditions, all of the considered substrates were utilized by the microbiota, and fermentation resulted in increased numbers of all the bacterial groups, but the final profile of the microbial population depended on the considered carbon source. POS boosted particularly the numbers of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, so that the ratio between the joint counts of both genera and the total cell number increased from 17% in the inocula to 27% upon fermentation. SCFA generation from POS fermentation was similar to that observed with FOS, but pectin fermentation resulted in reduced butyrate generation.

Short communication: development and characterization of novel transcriptome-derived microsatellites for genetic analysis of persimmon.

PubMed

Luo, C; Zhang, Q L; Luo, Z R

2014-04-16

Oriental persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) (2n = 6x = 90) is a major commercial and deciduous fruit tree that is believed to have originated in China. However, rare transcriptomic and genomic information on persimmon is available. Using Roche 454 sequencing technology, the transcriptome from RNA of the flowers of D. kaki was analyzed. A total of 1,250,893 reads were generated and 83,898 unigenes were assembled. A total of 42,711 SSR loci were identified from 23,494 unigenes and 289 polymerase chain reaction primer pairs were designed. Of these 289 primers, 155 (53.6%) showed robust PCR amplification and 98 revealed polymorphism between 15 persimmon genotypes, indicating a polymorphic rate of 63.23% of the productive primers for characterization and genotyping of the genus Diospyros. Transcriptome sequence data generated from next-generation sequencing technology to identify microsatellite loci appears to be rapid and cost-efficient, particularly for species with no genomic sequence information available.

Saving Citrus: Does the Next Generation See GM Science as a Solution?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rumble, Joy N.; Ruth, Taylor K.; Owens, Courtney T.; Lamm, Alexa J.; Taylor, Melissa R.; Ellis, Jason D.

2016-01-01

Citrus is one of Florida's most prominent commodities, providing 66% of the total United States' value for oranges. Florida's citrus production decreased 21% in 2014 from the previous season, partly due to the disease citrus greening. The science of genetic modification (GM) is one of the most promising solutions to the problem. However, a…

Transcriptome of the Antarctic brooding gastropod mollusc Margarella antarctica.

PubMed

Clark, Melody S; Thorne, Michael A S

2015-12-01

454 RNA-Seq transcriptome data were generated from foot tissue of the Antarctic brooding gastropod mollusc Margarella antarctica. A total of 6195 contigs were assembled de novo, providing a useful resource for researchers with an interest in Antarctic marine species, phylogenetics and mollusc biology, especially shell production. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

X-ray characterization of solid small molecule organic materials

DOEpatents

Billinge, Simon; Shankland, Kenneth; Shankland, Norman; Florence, Alastair

2014-06-10

The present invention provides, inter alia, methods of characterizing a small molecule organic material, e.g., a drug or a drug product. This method includes subjecting the solid small molecule organic material to x-ray total scattering analysis at a short wavelength, collecting data generated thereby, and mathematically transforming the data to provide a refined set of data.

Production patterns of packaging waste categories generated at typical Mediterranean residential building worksites

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

González Pericot, N., E-mail: natalia.gpericot@upm.es; Villoria Sáez, P., E-mail: paola.villoria@upm.es; Del Río Merino, M., E-mail: mercedes.delrio@upm.es

2014-11-15

Highlights: • On-site segregation level: 1.80%; training and motivation strategies were not effective. • 70% Cardboard waste: from switches and sockets during the building services stage. • 40% Plastic waste: generated during structures and partition works due to palletizing. • >50% Wood packaging waste, basically pallets, generated during the envelope works. - Abstract: The construction sector is responsible for around 28% of the total waste volume generated in Europe, which exceeds the amount of household waste. This has led to an increase of different research studies focusing on construction waste quantification. However, within the research studies made, packaging waste hasmore » been analyzed to a limited extent. This article focuses on the packaging waste stream generated in the construction sector. To this purpose current on-site waste packaging management has been assessed by monitoring ten Mediterranean residential building works. The findings of the experimental data collection revealed that the incentive measures implemented by the construction company to improve on-site waste sorting failed to achieve the intended purpose, showing low segregation ratios. Subsequently, through an analytical study the generation patterns for packaging waste are established, leading to the identification of the prevailing kinds of packaging and the products responsible for their generation. Results indicate that plastic waste generation maintains a constant trend throughout the whole construction process, while cardboard becomes predominant towards the end of the construction works with switches and sockets from the electricity stage. Understanding the production patterns of packaging waste will be beneficial for adapting waste management strategies to the identified patterns for the specific nature of packaging waste within the context of construction worksites.« less

Tidal wetlands of the Yaquina and Alsea River estuaries, Oregon: Geographic Information Systems layer development and recommendations for National Wetlands Inventory revisions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brophy, Laura S.; Reusser, Deborah A.; Janousek, Christopher N.

2013-01-01

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) layers of current, and likely former, tidal wetlands in two Oregon estuaries were generated by enhancing the 2010 National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) data with expert local field knowledge, Light Detection and Ranging-derived elevations, and 2009 aerial orthophotographs. Data were generated for two purposes: First, to enhance the NWI by recommending revised Cowardin classifications for certain NWI wetlands within the study area; and second, to generate GIS data for the 1999 Yaquina and Alsea River Basins Estuarine Wetland Site Prioritization study. Two sets of GIS products were generated: (1) enhanced NWI shapefiles; and (2) shapefiles of prioritization sites. The enhanced NWI shapefiles contain recommended changes to the Cowardin classification (system, subsystem, class, and/or modifiers) for 286 NWI polygons in the Yaquina estuary (1,133 acres) and 83 NWI polygons in the Alsea estuary (322 acres). These enhanced NWI shapefiles also identify likely former tidal wetlands that are classified as upland in the current NWI (64 NWI polygons totaling 441 acres in the Yaquina estuary; 16 NWI polygons totaling 51 acres in the Alsea estuary). The former tidal wetlands were identified to assist strategic planning for tidal wetland restoration. Cowardin classifications for the former tidal wetlands were not provided, because their current hydrology is complex owing to dikes, tide gates, and drainage ditches. The scope of this project did not include the field evaluation that would be needed to determine whether the former tidal wetlands are currently wetlands, and if so, determine their correct Cowardin classification. The prioritization site shapefiles contain 49 prioritization sites totaling 2,177 acres in the Yaquina estuary, and 39 prioritization sites totaling 1,045 acres in the Alsea estuary. The prioritization sites include current and former (for example, diked) tidal wetlands, and provide landscape units appropriate for basin-scale wetland restoration and conservation action planning. Several new prioritization sites (not included in the 1999 prioritization) were identified in each estuary, consisting of NWI polygons formerly classified as nontidal wetland or upland. The GIS products of this project improve the accuracy and utility of the NWI data, and provide useful tools for estuarine resource management.

Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic Technical Potential in the United States. A Detailed Assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gagnon, Pieter; Margolis, Robert; Melius, Jennifer

2016-01-01

How much energy could be generated if PV modules were installed on all of the suitable roof area in the nation? To answer this question, we first use GIS methods to process a lidar dataset and determine the amount of roof area that is suitable for PV deployment in 128 cities nationwide, containing 23% of U.S. buildings, and provide PV-generation results for a subset of those cities. We then extend the insights from that analysis to the entire continental United States. We develop two statistical models--one for small buildings and one for medium and large buildings--and populate them with geographicmore » variables that correlate with rooftop's suitability for PV. We simulate the productivity of PV installed on the suitable roof area, and present the technical potential of PV on both small buildings and medium/large buildings for every state in the continental US. Within the 128 cities covered by lidar data, 83% of small buildings have a location suitable for a PV installation, but only 26% of the total rooftop area of small buildings is suitable for development. The sheer number of buildings in this class, however, gives small buildings the greatest technical potential. Small building rooftops could accommodate 731 GW of PV capacity and generate 926 TWh/year of PV energy, approximately 65% of rooftop PV's total technical potential. We conclude by summing the PV-generation results for all building sizes and therefore answering our original question, estimating that the total national technical potential of rooftop PV is 1,118 GW of installed capacity and 1,432 TWh of annual energy generation. This equates to 39% of total national electric-sector sales.« less

Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic Technical Potential in the United States

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gagnon, Pieter; Margolis, Robert; Melius, Jennifer

2016-01-01

How much energy could we generate if PV modules were installed on all of the suitable roof area in the nation? To answer this question, we first use GIS methods to process a lidar dataset and determine the amount of roof area that is suitable for PV deployment in 128 cities nationwide, containing 23% of U.S. buildings, and provide PV-generation results for a subset of those cities. We then extend the insights from that analysis to the entire continental United States. We develop two statistical models -- one for small buildings and one for medium and large buildings -- andmore » populate them with geographic variables that correlate with rooftop's suitability for PV. We simulate the productivity of PV installed on the suitable roof area, and present the technical potential of PV on both small buildings and medium/large buildings for every state in the continental US. Within the 128 cities covered by lidar data, 83% of small buildings have a location suitable for a PV installation, but only 26% of the total rooftop area of small buildings is suitable for development. The sheer number of buildings in this class, however, gives small buildings the greatest technical potential. Small building rooftops could accommodate 731 GW of PV capacity and generate 926 TWh/year of PV energy, approximately 65% of rooftop PV's total technical potential. We conclude by summing the PV-generation results for all building sizes and therefore answering our original question, estimating that the total national technical potential of rooftop PV is 1,118 GW of installed capacity and 1,432 TWh of annual energy generation. This equates to 39% of total national electric-sector sales.« less

Ozonolysis of α-phellandrene - Part 2: Compositional analysis of secondary organic aerosol highlights the role of stabilised Criegee intermediates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mackenzie-Rae, Felix A.; Wallis, Helen J.; Rickard, Andrew R.; Pereira, Kelly L.; Saunders, Sandra M.; Wang, Xinming; Hamilton, Jacqueline F.

2018-04-01

The molecular composition of the water-soluble fraction of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) generated from the ozonolysis of α-phellandrene is investigated for the first time using high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution quadrupole-Orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry. In total, 21 prominent products or isomeric product groups were identified using both positive and negative ionisation modes, with potential formation mechanisms discussed. The aerosol was found to be composed primarily of polyfunctional first- and second-generation species containing one or more carbonyl, acid, alcohol and hydroperoxide functionalities, with the products significantly more complex than those proposed from basic gas-phase chemistry in the companion paper (Mackenzie-Rae et al., 2017). Mass spectra show a large number of dimeric products are also formed. Both direct scavenging evidence using formic acid and indirect evidence from double bond equivalency factors suggest the dominant oligomerisation mechanism is the bimolecular reaction of stabilised Criegee intermediates (SCIs) with non-radical ozonolysis products. Saturation vapour concentration estimates suggest monomeric species cannot explain the rapid nucleation burst of fresh aerosol observed in chamber experiments; hence, dimeric species are believed to be responsible for new particle formation, with detected first- and second-generation products driving further particle growth in the system. Ultimately, identification of the major constituents and formation pathways of α-phellandrene SOA leads to a greater understanding of the atmospheric processes and implications of monoterpene emissions and SCIs, especially around eucalypt forests where α-phellandrene is primarily emitted.

Methane and carbon dioxide production in soils flooded by the Belo Monte hydropower reservoir in the Amazon Basin, Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sawakuchi, H. O.; Bertassoli, D. J., Jr.; Silveira, A. M.; Bozi, B. S.; de Jesus, J. S.; Sawakuchi, A. O.; Ward, N. D.; Bastviken, D.; Krusche, A. V.; Richey, J. E.

2016-12-01

The Xingu River, one of the major tributary of the Amazon River, was recently impounded by the Belo Monte dam, a massive and controversial hydropower plant that will become the third biggest power station in generating capacity of the world. Given the limited data associated with greenhouse gas emissions from reservoirs in the Amazon basin, the impacts of hydroelectric expansion in this region to the global carbon budget remains unclear. Here, we used a bottom-up assessment to quantify a fraction of the possible emissions associated with the Belo Monte reservoir. Eighteen soil samples were collected before the impoundment from seven different locations and depths in areas that were going to be permanently flooded by the reservoir (forests and pasturelands). Soil samples were split in triplicates and incubated in anoxic conditions during two phases totaling 160 days of anoxic incubation in order to quantify the potential methane and carbon dioxide production through time. Our results showed that pasturelands soil presented higher potential production of both gases in relation to the soils from forested areas, reaching up to 0.072 mg CH4 g-¹d-1 and 0.078 mg CO2 g-¹d-1 during the first period of 65 days in the first phase of incubations. Significant differences in production were also noted through soil depth and time. In several areas, the first 15 cm of soil generated 99% of the methane volume that was being produced in the 60 cm sampled profile. The first 65 days of the second phase of incubations showed production that was 35% (CH4) and 44% (CO2) lower than the same period in the first stage. Extrapolations towards the total flooded area demonstrates that 27.3-43.3 ton CH4 d-1 may be generated from flooded soils in the Belo Monte reservoir during only the first several months of flooding, maintaining significant production rates during upcoming months as long as favorable conditions are maintained.

Products derived from olive leaves and fruits can alter in vitro ruminal fermentation and methane production.

PubMed

Shakeri, Pirouz; Durmic, Zoey; Vadhanabhuti, Joy; Vercoe, Philip E

2017-03-01

The industrial processing of olive generates a high quantity of by-products. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of products derived from olive trees, i.e. leaves, fruits or kernels as a sole substrate (part A), and crude extract from leaves combined with a substrate (part B) on rumen microbial fermentation in an in vitro batch fermentation system. In this study, total gas production, methane production, and concentrations of volatile fatty acids (VFA) and ammonia in ruminal fluid were measured. In part A, in vitro fermentation of leaves or fruits yielded a gas and total VFA production that were comparable with control substrate, while most of them produced significantly less methane (up to 55.6%) when compared to control substrate. In part B, amongst leaf extracts, only addition of chloroform extract reduced methane production, which was also associated with a decrease (P < 0.01) in gas production. This effect was associated with a significant reduction (P < 0.01) in acetate to propionate ratio and ammonia production, but not in reduction in VFA concentrations. Olive leaf and olive leaf chloroform extract reduced ammonia production and increased the molar proportion of propionate in the rumen and can assist in developing novel feed additives for methane mitigation from the rumen. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Globally sustainable manganese metal production and use.

PubMed

Hagelstein, Karen

2009-09-01

The "cradle to grave" concept of managing chemicals and wastes has been a descriptive analogy of proper environmental stewardship since the 1970s. The concept incorporates environmentally sustainable product choices-such as metal alloys utilized steel products which civilization is dependent upon. Manganese consumption is related to the increasing production of raw steel and upgrading ferroalloys. Nonferrous applications of manganese include production of dry-cell batteries, plant fertilizer components, animal feed and colorant for bricks. The manganese ore (high grade 35% manganese) production world wide is about 6 million ton/year and electrolytic manganese metal demand is about 0.7 million ton/year. The total manganese demand is consumed globally by industries including construction (23%), machinery (14%), and transportation (11%). Manganese is recycled within scrap of iron and steel, a small amount is recycled within aluminum used beverage cans. Recycling rate is 37% and efficiency is estimated as 53% [Roskill Metals and Minerals Reports, January 13, 2005. Manganese Report: rapid rise in output caused by Chinese crude steel production. Available from: http://www.roskill.com/reports/manganese.]. Environmentally sustainable management choices include identifying raw material chemistry, utilizing clean production processes, minimizing waste generation, recycling materials, controlling occupational exposures, and collecting representative environmental data. This paper will discuss two electrolytically produced manganese metals, the metal production differences, and environmental impacts cited to date. The two electrolytic manganese processes differ due to the addition of sulfur dioxide or selenium dioxide. Adverse environmental impacts due to use of selenium dioxide methodology include increased water consumption and order of magnitude greater solid waste generation per ton of metal processed. The use of high grade manganese ores in the electrolytic process also reduces the quantity of solid wastes generated during processing. Secondary aluminum facilities have reported hazardous waste generation management issues due to baghouse dusts from rotary furnaces processing selenium contaminated manganese alloys. Environmental impacts resulting from industry are represented by emission inventories of chemical releases to the air, water, and soil. The U.S. metals industry releases reported to EPA Toxic Release Inventory indicate the primary metals industry is the major source of metal air toxic emissions, exceeding electric utility air toxic emissions. The nonferrous metals industry is reported to be the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) most intensive airborne and land pollution source of bioaccumulative metals. However, total waste emissions from industries in the OECD countries have declined due to improving energy consumption. Emission registers and access are improving around the world. However, environmental databases for metal particulates have low confidence ratings since the majority of air toxic emissions are not reported, not monitored, or are estimated based on worst-case emission factors. Environmental assessments including biological monitoring are necessary to validate mandated particulate metal emission reductions and control technologies during metal processing.

Simulating secondary organic aerosol in a regional air quality model using the statistical oxidation model - Part 1: Assessing the influence of constrained multi-generational ageing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jathar, S. H.; Cappa, C. D.; Wexler, A. S.; Seinfeld, J. H.; Kleeman, M. J.

2015-09-01

Multi-generational oxidation of volatile organic compound (VOC) oxidation products can significantly alter the mass, chemical composition and properties of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) compared to calculations that consider only the first few generations of oxidation reactions. However, the most commonly used state-of-the-science schemes in 3-D regional or global models that account for multi-generational oxidation (1) consider only functionalization reactions but do not consider fragmentation reactions, (2) have not been constrained to experimental data; and (3) are added on top of existing parameterizations. The incomplete description of multi-generational oxidation in these models has the potential to bias source apportionment and control calculations for SOA. In this work, we used the Statistical Oxidation Model (SOM) of Cappa and Wilson (2012), constrained by experimental laboratory chamber data, to evaluate the regional implications of multi-generational oxidation considering both functionalization and fragmentation reactions. SOM was implemented into the regional UCD/CIT air quality model and applied to air quality episodes in California and the eastern US. The mass, composition and properties of SOA predicted using SOM are compared to SOA predictions generated by a traditional "two-product" model to fully investigate the impact of explicit and self-consistent accounting of multi-generational oxidation. Results show that SOA mass concentrations predicted by the UCD/CIT-SOM model are very similar to those predicted by a two-product model when both models use parameters that are derived from the same chamber data. Since the two-product model does not explicitly resolve multi-generational oxidation reactions, this finding suggests that the chamber data used to parameterize the models captures the majority of the SOA mass formation from multi-generational oxidation under the conditions tested. Consequently, the use of low and high NOx yields perturbs SOA concentrations by a factor of two and are probably a much stronger determinant in 3-D models than constrained multi-generational oxidation. While total predicted SOA mass is similar for the SOM and two-product models, the SOM model predicts increased SOA contributions from anthropogenic (alkane, aromatic) and sesquiterpenes and decreased SOA contributions from isoprene and monoterpene relative to the two-product model calculations. The SOA predicted by SOM has a much lower volatility than that predicted by the traditional model resulting in better qualitative agreement with volatility measurements of ambient OA. On account of its lower-volatility, the SOA mass produced by SOM does not appear to be as strongly influenced by the inclusion of oligomerization reactions, whereas the two-product model relies heavily on oligomerization to form low volatility SOA products. Finally, an unconstrained contemporary hybrid scheme to model multi-generational oxidation within the framework of a two-product model in which "ageing" reactions are added on top of the existing two-product parameterization is considered. This hybrid scheme formed at least three times more SOA than the SOM during regional simulations as a result of excessive transformation of semi-volatile vapors into lower volatility material that strongly partitions to the particle phase. This finding suggests that these "hybrid" multi-generational schemes should be used with great caution in regional models.

Simulating secondary organic aerosol in a regional air quality model using the statistical oxidation model - Part 1: Assessing the influence of constrained multi-generational ageing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jathar, S. H.; Cappa, C. D.; Wexler, A. S.; Seinfeld, J. H.; Kleeman, M. J.

2016-02-01

Multi-generational oxidation of volatile organic compound (VOC) oxidation products can significantly alter the mass, chemical composition and properties of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) compared to calculations that consider only the first few generations of oxidation reactions. However, the most commonly used state-of-the-science schemes in 3-D regional or global models that account for multi-generational oxidation (1) consider only functionalization reactions but do not consider fragmentation reactions, (2) have not been constrained to experimental data and (3) are added on top of existing parameterizations. The incomplete description of multi-generational oxidation in these models has the potential to bias source apportionment and control calculations for SOA. In this work, we used the statistical oxidation model (SOM) of Cappa and Wilson (2012), constrained by experimental laboratory chamber data, to evaluate the regional implications of multi-generational oxidation considering both functionalization and fragmentation reactions. SOM was implemented into the regional University of California at Davis / California Institute of Technology (UCD/CIT) air quality model and applied to air quality episodes in California and the eastern USA. The mass, composition and properties of SOA predicted using SOM were compared to SOA predictions generated by a traditional two-product model to fully investigate the impact of explicit and self-consistent accounting of multi-generational oxidation.Results show that SOA mass concentrations predicted by the UCD/CIT-SOM model are very similar to those predicted by a two-product model when both models use parameters that are derived from the same chamber data. Since the two-product model does not explicitly resolve multi-generational oxidation reactions, this finding suggests that the chamber data used to parameterize the models captures the majority of the SOA mass formation from multi-generational oxidation under the conditions tested. Consequently, the use of low and high NOx yields perturbs SOA concentrations by a factor of two and are probably a much stronger determinant in 3-D models than multi-generational oxidation. While total predicted SOA mass is similar for the SOM and two-product models, the SOM model predicts increased SOA contributions from anthropogenic (alkane, aromatic) and sesquiterpenes and decreased SOA contributions from isoprene and monoterpene relative to the two-product model calculations. The SOA predicted by SOM has a much lower volatility than that predicted by the traditional model, resulting in better qualitative agreement with volatility measurements of ambient OA. On account of its lower-volatility, the SOA mass produced by SOM does not appear to be as strongly influenced by the inclusion of oligomerization reactions, whereas the two-product model relies heavily on oligomerization to form low-volatility SOA products. Finally, an unconstrained contemporary hybrid scheme to model multi-generational oxidation within the framework of a two-product model in which ageing reactions are added on top of the existing two-product parameterization is considered. This hybrid scheme formed at least 3 times more SOA than the SOM during regional simulations as a result of excessive transformation of semi-volatile vapors into lower volatility material that strongly partitions to the particle phase. This finding suggests that these hybrid multi-generational schemes should be used with great caution in regional models.

Characterization of broiler cake and broiler litter, the by-products of two management practices.

PubMed

Sistani, K R; Brink, G E; McGowen, S L; Rowe, D E; Oldham, J L

2003-10-01

The application of broiler manure and bedding (litter) on land has been a long-used disposal method that benefits plant and soil. For proper manure management, factors such as nutrient content, house cleaning management, application methods, and many land, crop, and climatic factors must be considered. A study was undertaken to characterize broiler cake and broiler litter as the by-products of two management systems in Mississippi. Broiler cake and litter productions were quantified and analyzed for four flocks during 1999 and 2000. The overall means for broiler cake production were 12.50, 13.90, and 10.30 kg m(-2) for producers 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Significantly greater quantities of litter, 27.50, 29.0, and 28.30 kg m(-2) than cake were determined for the same producers. The cake and litter moisture averaged 455 and 277 g kg(-1), respectively. No significant differences were observed between cake and litter total N, NH4-N, total C, total P, and water-soluble P (WP). However, cake had significantly greater Ca, Mg, K, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn than litter. Approximately 16.8% of the broiler cake and 15.2% of the broiler litter total P were in the form of water-soluble P. The NH4-N content of the cake and the litter were 12.5% and 11.5% of the cake and litter total nitrogen, respectively. The results also showed the advantage of the decaking practice with respect to the quantity of the manure generated for land application. Approximately 57% of the litter remains in the poultry house with decaking practice after each growth cycle compared to the 0% for total cleanout practice.

Prospects for using peat and products of its processing in municipal power engineering in rural and remote areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medvedeva, E. A.; Zhenikhov, Yu. N.; Urvantsev, I. V.; Tsyba, V. E.

2017-06-01

This article presents a detailed analysis of the economic efficiency of peat utilization for generating electricity and heat in Russian rural areas and decentralized power consumption areas on the basis of the comparison of power tariffs (prices) and full costs of peat-based electricity and heat production. The research was performed using the model-information complex detailed with respect to municipal areas and major peat deposits that was developed at the Energy Institute, National Research University Higher School of Economics. It is shown that the firing of lignin helium fuel (LHF) granules that are made from peat extracted by the excavating method according to the new, patented technology is considered most efficient. In nongasified areas, the total cost of heat power that is generated in new boiler houses on the basis of LHF granules is often lower than the total heat cost for the gasification of the area and construction of gas boiler houses. In some cases, the heat cost in gasified areas is lower when using a boiler house based on LHF granules than that provided by the conversion of a boiler house to gas fuel. It is also shown that the construction of peat-based heat sources with the overall power of up to 27600 GJ/h that generate a heat power of up to 167.5 million GJ/year will be economically efficient in the coming years, provided that the tariffs for energy sources remain the same. Taking into account the supportive measures that were accepted on a legislative basis in July 2016, sources with the total power of up to 70 GW may be effective for peat-based plants with combined heat-andpower generation. To stimulate the utilization of peat in decentralized power consumption areas and rural areas located in the vicinity of deposits of this fuel type, it is also suggested to make amendments in the normative legal base.

Biodiesel production potential from fat fraction of municipal waste in Makkah

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), millions of Muslims come to perform Pilgrimage every year. Around one million ton of municipal solid waste (MSW) is generated in Makkah city annually. The collected MSW is disposed of in the landfills without any treatment or energy recovery. As a result, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and contamination of the soil and water bodies along with leachate and odors are occurring in waste disposal vicinities. The composition of MSW shows that food waste is the largest waste stream (up to 51%) of the total generated MSW. About 13% of the food waste consists of fat content that is equivalent to about 64 thousand tons per year. This study aims to estimate the production potential of biodiesel first time in Makkah city from fat/oil fractions of MSW and highlight its economic and environmental benefits. It has been estimated that 62.53, 117.15 and 6.38 thousand tons of biodiesel, meat and bone meal (MBM) and glycerol respectively could be produced in 2014. A total electricity potential of 852 Gigawatt hour (GWh) from all three sources based on their energy contents, Higher Heating Value (HHV) of 40.17, 18.33 and 19 MJ/kg, was estimated for 2014 that will increase up to 1777 GWh in 2050. The cumulative net savings from landfill waste diversion (256 to 533 million Saudi Riyal (SAR)), carbon credits (46 to 96 million SAR), fuel savings (146 to 303 million SAR) and electricity generation (273 to 569 million SAR) have a potential to add a total net revenue of 611 to 1274 million SAR every year to the Saudi economy, from 2014 to 2050 respectively. However, further studies including real-time data about annual slaughtering activities and the amount of waste generation and its management are critical to decide optimum waste management practices based on life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC) methodologies. PMID:28207856

In situ hydrogen, acetone, butanol, ethanol and microdiesel production by Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 from oleaginous fungal biomass.

PubMed

Hassan, Elhagag Ahmed; Abd-Alla, Mohamed Hemida; Bagy, Magdy Mohamed Khalil; Morsy, Fatthy Mohamed

2015-08-01

An in situ batch fermentation technique was employed for biohydrogen, acetone, butanol, ethanol and microdiesel production from oleaginous fungal biomass using the anaerobic fermentative bacterium Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824. Oleaginous fungal Cunninghamella echinulata biomass which has ability to accumulate up to 71% cellular lipid was used as the substrate carbon source. The maximum cumulative hydrogen by C. acetobutylicum ATCC 824 from crude C. echinulata biomass was 260 ml H2 l(-1), hydrogen production efficiency was 0.32 mol H2 mole(-1) glucose and the hydrogen production rate was 5.2 ml H2 h(-1). Subsequently, the produced acids (acetic and butyric acids) during acidogenesis phase are re-utilized by ABE-producing clostridia and converted into acetone, butanol, and ethanol. The total ABE produced by C. acetobutylicum ATCC 824 during batch fermentation was 3.6 g l(-1) from crude fungal biomass including acetone (1.05 g l(-1)), butanol (2.19 g l(-1)) and ethanol (0.36 g l(-1)). C. acetobutylicum ATCC 824 has ability to produce lipolytic enzymes with a specific activity 5.59 U/mg protein to hydrolyze ester containing substrates. The lipolytic potential of C. acetobutylicum ATCC 824 was used as a biocatalyst for a lipase transesterification process using the produced ethanol from ABE fermentation for microdiesel production. The fatty acid ethyl esters (microdiesel) generated from the lipase transesterification of crude C. echinulata dry mass was analyzed by GC/MS as 15.4% of total FAEEs. The gross energy content of biohydrogen, acetone, butanol, ethanol and biodiesel generated through C. acetobutylicum fermentation from crude C. echinulata dry mass was 3113.14 kJ mol(-1). These results suggest a possibility of integrating biohydrogen, acetone, butanol and ethanol production technology by C. acetobutylicum with microdiesel production from crude C. echinulata dry mass and therefore improve the feasibility and commercialization of bioenergy production. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pilot study of large-scale production of mutant pigs by ENU mutagenesis.

PubMed

Hai, Tang; Cao, Chunwei; Shang, Haitao; Guo, Weiwei; Mu, Yanshuang; Yang, Shulin; Zhang, Ying; Zheng, Qiantao; Zhang, Tao; Wang, Xianlong; Liu, Yu; Kong, Qingran; Li, Kui; Wang, Dayu; Qi, Meng; Hong, Qianlong; Zhang, Rui; Wang, Xiupeng; Jia, Qitao; Wang, Xiao; Qin, Guosong; Li, Yongshun; Luo, Ailing; Jin, Weiwu; Yao, Jing; Huang, Jiaojiao; Zhang, Hongyong; Li, Menghua; Xie, Xiangmo; Zheng, Xuejuan; Guo, Kenan; Wang, Qinghua; Zhang, Shibin; Li, Liang; Xie, Fei; Zhang, Yu; Weng, Xiaogang; Yin, Zhi; Hu, Kui; Cong, Yimei; Zheng, Peng; Zou, Hailong; Xin, Leilei; Xia, Jihan; Ruan, Jinxue; Li, Hegang; Zhao, Weiming; Yuan, Jing; Liu, Zizhan; Gu, Weiwang; Li, Ming; Wang, Yong; Wang, Hongmei; Yang, Shiming; Liu, Zhonghua; Wei, Hong; Zhao, Jianguo; Zhou, Qi; Meng, Anming

2017-06-22

N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) mutagenesis is a powerful tool to generate mutants on a large scale efficiently, and to discover genes with novel functions at the whole-genome level in Caenorhabditis elegans, flies, zebrafish and mice, but it has never been tried in large model animals. We describe a successful systematic three-generation ENU mutagenesis screening in pigs with the establishment of the Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium. A total of 6,770 G1 and 6,800 G3 pigs were screened, 36 dominant and 91 recessive novel pig families with various phenotypes were established. The causative mutations in 10 mutant families were further mapped. As examples, the mutation of SOX10 (R109W) in pig causes inner ear malfunctions and mimics human Mondini dysplasia, and upregulated expression of FBXO32 is associated with congenital splay legs. This study demonstrates the feasibility of artificial random mutagenesis in pigs and opens an avenue for generating a reservoir of mutants for agricultural production and biomedical research.

Optimization of a wet microalgal lipid extraction procedure for improved lipid recovery for biofuel and bioproduct production.

PubMed

Sathish, Ashik; Marlar, Tyler; Sims, Ronald C

2015-10-01

Methods to convert microalgal biomass to bio based fuels and chemicals are limited by several processing and economic hurdles. Research conducted in this study modified/optimized a previously published procedure capable of extracting transesterifiable lipids from wet algal biomass. This optimization resulted in the extraction of 77% of the total transesterifiable lipids, while reducing the amount of materials and temperature required in the procedure. In addition, characterization of side streams generated demonstrated that: (1) the C/N ratio of the residual biomass or lipid extracted (LE) biomass increased to 54.6 versus 10.1 for the original biomass, (2) the aqueous phase generated contains nitrogen, phosphorous, and carbon, and (3) the solid precipitate phase was composed of up to 11.2 wt% nitrogen (70% protein). The ability to isolate algal lipids and the possibility of utilizing generated side streams as products and/or feedstock material for downstream processes helps promote the algal biorefinery concept. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Composition, Production Rate and Management of Dental Solid Waste in 2017 in Birjand, Iran.

PubMed

Momeni, Habibe; Tabatabaei Fard, Seyyedeh Fatemeh; Arefinejad, Aliye; Afzali, Afsane; Talebi, Farkhonde; Rahmanpour Salmani, Elham

2018-01-01

The presence of toxic and pathogenic agents in the dental waste products has made it to be classified as "hazardous waste." To assess dental waste production rate and composition and approaches used to manage these waste products in 2017 in Birjand, Iran. 48 dental clinics were evaluated in two months of 2017. Sampling was performed from each clinic 3 times a week. Samples were manually divided into 5 categories of chemical-pharmaceutical, infectious, semi-household, sharp and cutting materials, and toxic waste products, and weighed. A checklist containing 25 questions was used to evaluate the aspects of waste management in dental clinics. The total amount of waste products generated in dental clinics was 7848.02 kg/ year in which semi-household waste had the highest quantity (4263.411 kg/year) and toxic waste had the lowest quantity (9.275 kg/year). Components with the highest amounts in dentistry waste products were nylon gloves (16.7%), paper and cardboard (13.4%), latex gloves (10.8%), and pharmaceuticals (10.2%). Waste separation was restricted to sharp and cutting waste. More than half (57%) of dental units were equipped with amalgam filter. Fixing solutions were directly discharged to sewage in 48.6% of clinics. There was no program to reduce waste generation in 54% of the clinics. Autoclave was the main tool for sterilizing dental instruments. This study showed a remarkable share of recyclable materials in the composition of dental waste and lack of special approach to manage waste in dental clinics. It is necessary to plan for minimizing generation of, separating, and recycling waste at source.

Environmental assessment of energy generation from agricultural and farm waste through anaerobic digestion.

PubMed

Nayal, Figen Sisman; Mammadov, Aydin; Ciliz, Nilgun

2016-12-15

While Turkey is one of the world's largest producers and exporters of agricultural goods, it is also, at the same time a net importer of energy carriers. This dichotomy offers a strong incentive to generate energy from agricultural and farming waste; something which could provide energy security for rural areas. Combined with the enhanced energy security for farming areas, the production of energy in this manner could conceivably contribute to the overall national effort to reduce the Turkey's carbon footprint. This study explores the environmental benefits and burdens of one such option, that is, biogas production from a mixture of agricultural and animal waste through anaerobic digestion (AD), and its subsequent use for electricity and heat generation. A life-cycle assessment methodology was used, to measure the potential environmental impact of this option, in terms of global warming and total weighed impact, and to contrast it with the impact of producing the same amount of energy via an integrated gasification combined cycle process and a hard coal power plant. This study concentrates on an AD and cogeneration pilot plant, built in the Kocaeli province of Turkey and attempts to evaluate its potential environmental impacts. The study uses laboratory-scale studies, as well as literature and LCI databases to derive the operational parameters, yield and emissions of the plant. The potential impacts were calculated with EDIP 2003 methodology, using GaBi 5 LCA software. The results indicate that N 2 O emissions, resulting from the application of liquid and solid portions of digestate (a by-product of AD), as an organic fertilizer, are by far the largest contributors to global warming among all the life cycle stages. They constitute 68% of the total, whereas ammonia losses from the same process are the leading cause of terrestrial eutrophication. The photochemical ozone formation potential is significantly higher for the cogeneration phase, compared to other life cycle stages of the proposed scenario, due to NO x being emitted from the gas engine during combustion. Overall, the total environmental impact of the option was determined to be ten times lower than that of a hard coal option and 50% lower than the gasification option, since the latter does not generate digestate that is able to replace mineral fertilizer, thus mitigating the environmental footprint. Finally, the sustainability of energy production from agricultural and farm waste, via AD, was further enhanced by eliminating it from conventional waste management system practiced in the region, i.e. landfilling. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The future of fuel cell in Mexico in the third millennium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramírez-Salgado, J.; Marín-Cruz, J.; Estrada-Martínez, A.

The warming of the earth due to green house gas emission is mainly produced by CO 2. In Mexico City, 71% of the total harmful emissions is from internal combustion engines of car and buses. Benefits from the use of fuel cells (FCs) in transportation and stationary power generating sectors will achieve satisfactory air quality standards not only in Mexico City but also throughout the country. This paper suggests a scenario for FC technology penetration in Mexico. There are two potential markets for FCs: (i) FC transportation; and (ii) stationary power plant for electrical production. In Mexico City, 3.2 million vehicles are in circulation and represent 19.5% (16.3 million) of the country's total vehicles, and 9.02 million of natural gas users are a potential market for acquiring stationary power generation by FC systems.

Designing Rules for Accounting Transaction Identification based on Indonesian NLP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iswandi, I.; Suwardi, I. S.; Maulidevi, N. U.

2017-03-01

Recording accounting transactions carried out by the evidence of the transactions. It can be invoices, receipts, letters of intent, electricity bill, telephone bill, etc. In this paper, we proposed design of rules to identify the entities located on the sales invoice. There are some entities identified in a sales invoice, namely : invoice date, company name, invoice number, product id, product name, quantity and total price. Identification this entities using named entity recognition method. The entities generated from the rules used as a basis for automation process of data input into the accounting system.

Formulation of fermentation media from flour-rich waste streams for microbial lipid production by Lipomyces starkeyi.

PubMed

Tsakona, Sofia; Kopsahelis, Nikolaos; Chatzifragkou, Afroditi; Papanikolaou, Seraphim; Kookos, Ioannis K; Koutinas, Apostolis A

2014-11-10

Flour-rich waste (FRW) and by-product streams generated by bakery, confectionery and wheat milling plants could be employed as the sole raw materials for generic fermentation media production, suitable for microbial oil synthesis. Wheat milling by-products were used in solid state fermentations (SSF) of Aspergillus awamori for the production of crude enzymes, mainly glucoamylase and protease. Enzyme-rich SSF solids were subsequently employed for hydrolysis of FRW streams into nutrient-rich fermentation media. Batch hydrolytic experiments using FRW concentrations up to 205 g/L resulted in higher than 90% (w/w) starch to glucose conversion yields and 40% (w/w) total Kjeldahl nitrogen to free amino nitrogen conversion yields. Starch to glucose conversion yields of 98.2, 86.1 and 73.4% (w/w) were achieved when initial FRW concentrations of 235, 300 and 350 g/L were employed in fed-batch hydrolytic experiments, respectively. Crude hydrolysates were used as fermentation media in shake flask cultures with the oleaginous yeast Lipomyces starkeyi DSM 70296 reaching a total dry weight of 30.5 g/L with a microbial oil content of 40.4% (w/w), higher than that achieved in synthetic media. Fed-batch bioreactor cultures led to a total dry weight of 109.8 g/L with a microbial oil content of 57.8% (w/w) and productivity of 0.4 g/L/h. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Barriers on the propagation of renewable energy sources and sustainable solid waste management practices in Greece.

PubMed

Boemi, Sn; Papadopoulos, Am; Karagiannidis, A; Kontogianni, S

2010-11-01

Renewable energy sources (RES), excluding large hydroelectric plants, currently produce 4.21% of total electricity production in Greece. Even when considering the additional production from large hydroelectric plants, which accounts for some 7.8%, the distance to be covered towards the objective of 20% electricity produced from RES by 2010 and respectively towards 20% of total energy production by 2020 is discouraging. The potential, however, does exist; unfortunately so do serious barriers. On the other hand, solid waste management (SWM) is an issue that generates continuously increasing interest due to the extra amounts of solid waste generated; the lack of existing disposal facilities with adequate infrastructure and integrated management plans, also often accompanied by legislative and institutional gaps. However, socio-economic and public awareness problems are still met in the planning and implementation of RES and SWM projects, together with the lack of a complete national cadastre and a spatial development master plan, specifying areas eligible for RES and SWM development. Specific barriers occur for individual RES and the on-going inclusion of waste-derived renewable energy in the examined palette further increases the complexity of the entire issue. The consolidated study of this broad set of barriers was a main task of the present study which was carried out within the frame of a Hellenic-Canadian research project; the main results will be discussed herein.

The Ups and Downs of Repeated Cleavage and Internal Fragment Production in Top-Down Proteomics.

PubMed

Lyon, Yana A; Riggs, Dylan; Fornelli, Luca; Compton, Philip D; Julian, Ryan R

2018-01-01

Analysis of whole proteins by mass spectrometry, or top-down proteomics, has several advantages over methods relying on proteolysis. For example, proteoforms can be unambiguously identified and examined. However, from a gas-phase ion-chemistry perspective, proteins are enormous molecules that present novel challenges relative to peptide analysis. Herein, the statistics of cleaving the peptide backbone multiple times are examined to evaluate the inherent propensity for generating internal versus terminal ions. The raw statistics reveal an inherent bias favoring production of terminal ions, which holds true regardless of protein size. Importantly, even if the full suite of internal ions is generated by statistical dissociation, terminal ions are predicted to account for at least 50% of the total ion current, regardless of protein size, if there are three backbone dissociations or fewer. Top-down analysis should therefore be a viable approach for examining proteins of significant size. Comparison of the purely statistical analysis with actual top-down data derived from ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) and higher-energy collisional dissociation (HCD) reveals that terminal ions account for much of the total ion current in both experiments. Terminal ion production is more favored in UVPD relative to HCD, which is likely due to differences in the mechanisms controlling fragmentation. Importantly, internal ions are not found to dominate from either the theoretical or experimental point of view. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Byproduct mineral commodities used for the production of photovoltaic cells

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bleiwas, Donald I.

2010-01-01

Rising fossil fuel costs, environmental concerns relating to global climate change, and Government policy to signifcantly increase our Nation's energy independence have placed greater emphasis on the generation of electricity from renewable sources, such as the Sun (light and heat), water, and wind, which for all intents and purposes are inexhaustible resources. Although the total amount of electricity generated from the direct conversion of sunlight through photovoltaic cells is relatively small compared with that from other forms of renewable energy, the rate of growth in the sector is signifcant. The total value of energy of photovoltaic cells produced worldwide increased to nearly 7 gigawatts (GW) in 2008 from 45 megawatts (MW) in 1990, a compound annual growth rate of about 30 percent. In the United States, manufacturing of photovoltaic cells has grown exponentially to about 480 MW in 2008, accounting for 6 percent of world production, from less than 10 MW of photovoltaic capacity in 1990 (Benner, 2007; U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, 2010), a compound annual growth rate of approxi-mately 23 percent. A production capacity of 1 GW of electricity [or 8,760 gigawatthours1 (GWh)] is equivalent to the annual electricity requirements for roughly 800,000 average households in the United States (U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, 2010). This estimate does not include losses of electricity, such as during transmission through power lines.

The Ups and Downs of Repeated Cleavage and Internal Fragment Production in Top-Down Proteomics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyon, Yana A.; Riggs, Dylan; Fornelli, Luca; Compton, Philip D.; Julian, Ryan R.

2018-01-01

Analysis of whole proteins by mass spectrometry, or top-down proteomics, has several advantages over methods relying on proteolysis. For example, proteoforms can be unambiguously identified and examined. However, from a gas-phase ion-chemistry perspective, proteins are enormous molecules that present novel challenges relative to peptide analysis. Herein, the statistics of cleaving the peptide backbone multiple times are examined to evaluate the inherent propensity for generating internal versus terminal ions. The raw statistics reveal an inherent bias favoring production of terminal ions, which holds true regardless of protein size. Importantly, even if the full suite of internal ions is generated by statistical dissociation, terminal ions are predicted to account for at least 50% of the total ion current, regardless of protein size, if there are three backbone dissociations or fewer. Top-down analysis should therefore be a viable approach for examining proteins of significant size. Comparison of the purely statistical analysis with actual top-down data derived from ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) and higher-energy collisional dissociation (HCD) reveals that terminal ions account for much of the total ion current in both experiments. Terminal ion production is more favored in UVPD relative to HCD, which is likely due to differences in the mechanisms controlling fragmentation. Importantly, internal ions are not found to dominate from either the theoretical or experimental point of view. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Neutron production in deuterium gas-puff z-pinch with outer plasma shell at current of 3 MA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cikhardt, J.; Klir, D.; Rezac, K.; Cikhardtova, B.; Kravarik, J.; Kubes, P.; Sila, O.; Shishlov, A. V.; Cherdizov, R. K.; Frusov, F. I.; Kokshenev, V. A.; Kurmaev, N. E.; Labetsky, A. Yu.; Ratakhin, N. A.; Dudkin, G. N.; Garapatsky, A. A.; Padalko, V. N.; Varlachev, V. A.; Turek, K.; Krasa, J.

2015-11-01

Z-pinch experiments at the current of about 3 MA were carried out on the GIT-12 generator. The outer plasma shell of deuterium gas-puff was generated by the system of 48 plasma guns. This configuration exhibits a high efficiency of the production of DD fusion neutrons with the yield of above 1012 neutrons produced in a single shot with the duration of about 20 ns. The maximum energy of the neutrons produced in this pulse exceeded 30 MeV. The neutron radiation was measured using scintillation TOF detectors, CR-39 nuclear track detectors, bubble detectors BD-PND and BDS-10000 and by several types of nuclear activation detectors. These diagnostic tools were used to measure the anisotropy of neutron fluence and neutron energy spectra. It allows us to estimate the total number of DD neutrons, the contribution of other nuclear reactions, the amount of scattered neutrons, and other parameters of neutron production. This work was supported by the MSMT grants LH13283, LD14089.

Dedicated Industrial Oilseed Crops as Metabolic Engineering Platforms for Sustainable Industrial Feedstock Production

PubMed Central

Zhu, Li-Hua; Krens, Frans; Smith, Mark A.; Li, Xueyuan; Qi, Weicong; van Loo, Eibertus N.; Iven, Tim; Feussner, Ivo; Nazarenus, Tara J.; Huai, Dongxin; Taylor, David C.; Zhou, Xue-Rong; Green, Allan G.; Shockey, Jay; Klasson, K. Thomas; Mullen, Robert T.; Huang, Bangquan; Dyer, John M.; Cahoon, Edgar B.

2016-01-01

Feedstocks for industrial applications ranging from polymers to lubricants are largely derived from petroleum, a non-renewable resource. Vegetable oils with fatty acid structures and storage forms tailored for specific industrial uses offer renewable and potentially sustainable sources of petrochemical-type functionalities. A wide array of industrial vegetable oils can be generated through biotechnology, but will likely require non-commodity oilseed platforms dedicated to specialty oil production for commercial acceptance. Here we show the feasibility of three Brassicaceae oilseeds crambe, camelina, and carinata, none of which are widely cultivated for food use, as hosts for complex metabolic engineering of wax esters for lubricant applications. Lines producing wax esters >20% of total seed oil were generated for each crop and further improved for high temperature oxidative stability by down-regulation of fatty acid polyunsaturation. Field cultivation of optimized wax ester-producing crambe demonstrated commercial utility of these engineered crops and a path for sustainable production of other industrial oils in dedicated specialty oilseeds. PMID:26916792

Ash production by attrition in volcanic conduits and plumes.

PubMed

Jones, T J; Russell, J K

2017-07-17

Tephra deposits result from explosive volcanic eruption and serve as indirect probes into fragmentation processes operating in subsurface volcanic conduits. Primary magmatic fragmentation creates a population of pyroclasts through volatile-driven decompression during conduit ascent. In this study, we explore the role that secondary fragmentation, specifically attrition, has in transforming primary pyroclasts upon transport in volcanic conduits and plumes. We utilize total grain size distributions from a suite of natural and experimentally produced tephra to show that attrition is likely to occur in all explosive volcanic eruptions. Our experimental results indicate that fine ash production and surface area generation is fast (<15 min) thereby rapidly raising the fractal dimension of tephra deposits. Furthermore, a new metric, the Entropy of Information, is introduced to quantify the degree of attrition (secondary fragmentation) from grain size data. Attrition elevates fine ash production which, in turn, has consequences for eruption column stability, tephra dispersal, aggregation, volcanic lightening generation, and has concomitant effects on aviation safety and Earth's climate.

Dedicated Industrial Oilseed Crops as Metabolic Engineering Platforms for Sustainable Industrial Feedstock Production.

PubMed

Zhu, Li-Hua; Krens, Frans; Smith, Mark A; Li, Xueyuan; Qi, Weicong; van Loo, Eibertus N; Iven, Tim; Feussner, Ivo; Nazarenus, Tara J; Huai, Dongxin; Taylor, David C; Zhou, Xue-Rong; Green, Allan G; Shockey, Jay; Klasson, K Thomas; Mullen, Robert T; Huang, Bangquan; Dyer, John M; Cahoon, Edgar B

2016-02-26

Feedstocks for industrial applications ranging from polymers to lubricants are largely derived from petroleum, a non-renewable resource. Vegetable oils with fatty acid structures and storage forms tailored for specific industrial uses offer renewable and potentially sustainable sources of petrochemical-type functionalities. A wide array of industrial vegetable oils can be generated through biotechnology, but will likely require non-commodity oilseed platforms dedicated to specialty oil production for commercial acceptance. Here we show the feasibility of three Brassicaceae oilseeds crambe, camelina, and carinata, none of which are widely cultivated for food use, as hosts for complex metabolic engineering of wax esters for lubricant applications. Lines producing wax esters >20% of total seed oil were generated for each crop and further improved for high temperature oxidative stability by down-regulation of fatty acid polyunsaturation. Field cultivation of optimized wax ester-producing crambe demonstrated commercial utility of these engineered crops and a path for sustainable production of other industrial oils in dedicated specialty oilseeds.

Protein enrichment of brewery spent grain from Rhizopus oligosporus by solid-state fermentation.

PubMed

Canedo, Marianny Silva; de Paula, Fernanda Gomes; da Silva, Flávio Alves; Vendruscolo, Francielo

2016-07-01

Brewery spent grain represents approximately 85 % of total by-products generated in a brewery. Consisting of carbohydrates, fiber, minerals and low amounts of protein, the use of brewery spent grain is limited to the feeding of ruminants; however, its potential use should be investigated. The reuse of this by-product using microorganisms by solid-state fermentation process as the case of protein enrichment by single-cell protein incorporation is an alternative to ensure sustainability and generate commercially interesting products. In this context, the aim of this study was to grow Rhizopus oligosporus in brewery spent grain under different initial moisture contents and nitrogen sources to increase the protein content of the fermented material. After 7 days of fermentation, increase of 2-4 times in the crude protein and soluble protein content was verified, respectively, compared to unfermented brewery spent grain. The kinetics of protein enrichment demonstrated the possibility of application of this technique, which can be a great alternative for use in diets for animals.

Analysis of renewable energy projects' implementation in Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ratner, S. V.; Nizhegorodtsev, R. M.

2017-06-01

With the enactment in 2013 of a renewable energy scheme by contracting qualified power generation facilities working on renewable energy sources (RES), the process of construction and connection of such facilities to the Federal Grid Company has intensified in Russia. In 2013-2015, 93 projects of solar, wind, and small hydropower energy were selected on the basis of competitive bidding in the country with the purpose of subsequent support. Despite some technical and organizational problems and a time delay of some RES projects, in 2014-2015 five solar generating facilities with total capacity of 50 MW were commissioned, including 30 MW in Orenburg oblast. However, the proportion of successful projects is low and amounts to approximately 30% of the total number of announced projects. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the experience of implementation of renewable energy projects that passed through a competitive selection and gained the right to get a partial compensation for the construction and commissioning costs of RES generating facilities in the electric power wholesale market zone. The informational background for the study is corporate reports of project promoters, analytical and information materials of the Association NP Market Council, and legal documents for the development of renewable energy. The methodological base of the study is a theory of learning curves that assumes that cost savings in the production of high-tech products depends on the production growth rate (economy of scale) and gaining manufacturing experience (learning by doing). The study has identified factors that have a positive and a negative impact on the implementation of RES projects. Improvement of promotion measures in the renewable energy development in Russia corresponding to the current socio-economic situation is proposed.

A study of waste liquid crystal display generation in mainland China.

PubMed

Liu, Zhifeng; Xu, Zeying; Huang, Haihong; Li, Bingbing

2016-01-01

The generation of liquid crystal display waste is becoming a serious social problem. Predicting liquid crystal display waste status is the foundation for establishing a recycling network; however, the difficulty in predicting liquid crystal display waste quantity lies in data mining. In order to determine the quantity and the distribution of liquid crystal display waste in China, the four top-selling liquid crystal display products (liquid crystal display TVs, desktop PCs, notebook PCs, and mobile phones) were selected as study objects. Then, the extended logistic model and market supply A method was used to predict the quantity of liquid crystal display waste products. Moreover, the distribution of liquid crystal display waste products in different regions was evaluated by examining the consumption levels of household equipment. The results revealed that the quantity of waste liquid crystal displays would increase rapidly in the next decade. In particular, the predicted quantity of waste liquid crystal displays would rise to approximately 4.262 × 10(9) pieces in 2020, and the total display area (i.e. the surface area of liquid crystal display panels) of waste liquid crystal displays would reach 5.539 × 10(7) m(2). The prediction on the display area of waste liquid crystal display TVs showed that it would account for 71.5% of the total display area by 2020. Meanwhile, the quantity of waste mobile phones would significantly grow, increasing 5.8 times from 2012 to 2020. In terms of distribution, Guangdong is the top waste liquid crystal display-generating province in China, followed by Jiangsu, Shandong, Henan, Zhejiang, and Sichuan. Considering its regional characteristics, Guangdong has been proposed to be the most important location of the recycling network. © The Author(s) 2015.

Superheat recovery system shakes savings out of A/C systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1985-09-01

One of the most productive and least expensive methods of recovering waste heat is a system that reclaims the excess energy or superheat generated by closed-loop-air conditioning or refrigeration cycles. Installed recently in 72 Steak N' Shakes restaurants as part of a total energy conservation package, it has helped cut gas bills by more than 70%.

Measurement of Scientific Productivity in R&D Sector: Changing paradigm.

PubMed

Kumar, Abhishek; Srivastava, Alpana; Kumar, R P Jeevan; Tiwari, Rajesh K

2017-01-01

Scientific Productivity is a demand of policy makers for a judicious utilization of massive R&D budget allocated and utilized. A huge mass of intellectual assets is employed, which after investing manpower, infrastructure and lab consumables demand for a major outcome which contributes towards building nation's economy. Scientific productivity was only measured through publications or patents. Patents, earmarked as a strong parameter for innovation generation, where, Word Intellectual Property Organisation generated a data on applications for the top 20 offices for patents, where Australia, Brazil and Canada occupied top 3 positions. India ranked 9th with the total patent applications rising from 39762 (2010) to 42854 (2014) i.e. 15%, whereas, it contributes around 2% Patents (innovative productivity) on global scale. Many studies have come forward interestingly within scientific and academic domains in the form of measurement of scientific performance, however, development of productivity indicators and calculation of Scientific Productivity (SP) as a holistic evaluation system is a significant demand. SP, a herculean task is envisaged for productivity analysis and would submit significant factors towards fabricating an effective measurement engine in a holistic manner viable for an individual and organization, being supplementary to each other. This review projects the significance of performance measurement system in R&D through identification and standardization of key parameters. It also includes emphasis on inclusion of standardized parameters, effective for performance measurement which is applicable for scientists, technical staff as well as lab as a facility. This review aims at providing an insight to the evaluators, policy makers, and high level scientific panels to stimulate the scientific intellects on identified indicators so that their work proceeds to generate productive outcome contributing to the economic growth. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Reach-scale stream restoration in agricultural streams of southern Minnesota alters structural and functional responses of macroinvertebrates

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dolph, Christine L.; Eggert, Susan L.; Magner, Joe; Ferrington, Leonard C.; Vondracek, Bruce C.

2015-01-01

Recent studies suggest that stream restoration at the reach scale may not increase stream biodiversity, raising concerns about the utility of this conservation practice. We examined whether reach-scale restoration in disturbed agricultural streams was associated with changes in macroinvertebrate community structure (total macroinvertebrate taxon richness, total macroinvertebrate density, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera [EPT] taxon richness, % abundance of EPT taxa) or secondary production (macroinvertebrate biomass over time). We collected macroinvertebrate samples over the course of 1 y from restored and unrestored reaches of 3 streams in southern Minnesota and used generalized least-square (GLS) models to assess whether measures of community structure were related to reach type, stream site, or sampling month. After accounting for effects of stream site and time, we found no significant difference in total taxon richness or % abundance of EPT taxa between restored and unrestored reaches. However, the number of EPT taxa and macroinvertebrate density were significantly higher in restored than in unrestored reaches. We compared secondary production estimates among study reaches based on 95th-percentile confidence intervals generated via bootstrapping. In each study stream, secondary production was significantly (2–3×) higher in the restored than in the unrestored reach. Higher productivity in the restored reaches was largely a result of the disproportionate success of a few dominant, tolerant taxa. Our findings suggest that reach-scale restoration may have ecological effects that are not detected by measures of total taxon richness alone.

Airfreight forecasting methodology and results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

A series of econometric behavioral equations was developed to explain and forecast the evolution of airfreight traffic demand for the total U.S. domestic airfreight system, the total U.S. international airfreight system, and the total scheduled international cargo traffic carried by the top 44 foreign airlines. The basic explanatory variables used in these macromodels were the real gross national products of the countries involved and a measure of relative transportation costs. The results of the econometric analysis reveal that the models explain more than 99 percent of the historical evolution of freight traffic. The long term traffic forecasts generated with these models are based on scenarios of the likely economic outlook in the United States and 31 major foreign countries.

Lignocentric analysis of a carbohydrate-producing lignocellulosic biorefinery process.

PubMed

Narron, Robert H; Han, Qiang; Park, Sunkyu; Chang, Hou-Min; Jameel, Hasan

2017-10-01

A biologically-based lignocellulosic biorefinery process for obtaining carbohydrates from raw biomass was investigated across six diverse biomasses (three hardwoods & three nonwoods) for the purpose of decoding lignin's influence on sugar production. Acknowledging that lignin could positively alter the economics of an entire process if valorized appropriately, we sought to correlate the chemical properties of lignin within the process to the traditional metrics associated with carbohydrate production-cellulolytic digestibility and total sugar recovery. Based on raw carbohydrate, enzymatic recovery ranged from 40 to 64% w/w and total recovery ranged from 70 to 87% w/w. Using nitrobenzene oxidation to quantify non-condensed lignin structures, it was found that raw hardwoods bearing increasing non-condensed S/V ratios (2.5-5.1) render increasing total carbohydrate recovery from hardwood biomasses. This finding indicates that the chemical structure of hardwood lignin influences the investigated biorefinery process' ability to generate carbohydrates from a given raw hardwood feedstock. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

"Pruning of biomolecules and natural products (PBNP)": an innovative paradigm in drug discovery.

PubMed

Bathula, Surendar Reddy; Akondi, Srirama Murthy; Mainkar, Prathama S; Chandrasekhar, Srivari

2015-06-21

The source or inspiration of many marketed drugs can be traced back to natural product research. However, the chemical structure of natural products covers a wide spectrum from very simple to complex. With more complex structures it is often desirable to simplify the molecule whilst retaining the desired biological activity. This approach seeks to identify the structural unit or pharmacophore responsible for the desired activity. Such pharmacophores have been the start point for a wide range of lead generation and optimisation programmes using techniques such as Biology Oriented Synthesis, Diversity Oriented Synthesis, Diverted Total Synthesis, and Fragment Based Drug Discovery. This review discusses the literature precedence of simplification strategies in four areas of natural product research: proteins, polysaccharides, nucleic acids, and compounds isolated from natural product extracts, and their impact on identifying therapeutic products.

Development, manufacturing, and test of graphite-epoxy composite spoilers for flight service on 737 transport aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoecklin, R. L.

1976-01-01

A total of 114 spoiler units were fabricated in a production shop environment, utilizing three graphite epoxy material systems. Production planning paper was generated for each spoiler unit to completely document each production step of each spoiler unit. The graphite epoxy skins were laid up on production tooling using both mechanical and hand layup techniques. Inspection techniques utilized MRB type assessment in the abscence of quality requirements. Each completed spoiler was subjected to ultrasonic inspection utilizing a multicolor recording system that documented each inspection result. In addition, one static test spoiler was sectioned after the test to examine the adhesive filleting to the honeycomb core. Visual examination of the cured adhesives showed excellent results.

Measuring scarce water saving from interregional virtual water flows in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, X.; Li, Y. P.; Yang, H.; Liu, W. F.; Tillotson, M. R.; Guan, D.; Yi, Y.; Wang, H.

2018-05-01

Trade of commodities can lead to virtual water flows between trading partners. When commodities flow from regions of high water productivity to regions of low water productivity, the trade has the potential to generate water saving. However, this accounting of water saving does not account for the water scarcity status in different regions. It could be that the water saving generated from this trade occurs at the expense of the intensified water scarcity in the exporting region, and exerts limited effect on water stress alleviation in importing regions. In this paper, we propose an approach to measure the scarce water saving associated with virtual water trade (measuring in water withdrawal/use). The scarce water is quantified by multiplying the water use in production with the water stress index (WSI). We assessed the scarce water saving/loss through interprovincial trade within China using a multi-region input-output table from 2010. The results show that interprovincial trade resulted in 14.2 km3 of water loss without considering water stress, but only 0.4 km3 scarce water loss using the scarce water concept. Among the 435 total connections of virtual water flows, 254 connections contributed to 20.2 km3 of scarce water saving. Most of these connections are virtual water flows from provinces with lower WSI to that with higher WSI. Conversely, 175 connections contributed to 20.6 km3 of scarce water loss. The virtual water flow connections between Xinjiang and other provinces stood out as the biggest contributors, accounting for 66% of total scarce water loss. The results show the importance of assessing water savings generated from trade with consideration of both water scarcity status and water productivity across regions. Identifying key connections of scarce water saving is useful in guiding interregional economic restructuring towards water stress alleviation, a major goal of China’s sustainable development strategy.

Biochemical production of bioenergy from agricultural crops and residue in Iran.

PubMed

Karimi Alavijeh, Masih; Yaghmaei, Soheila

2016-06-01

The present study assessed the potential for biochemical conversion of energy stored in agricultural waste and residue in Iran. The current status of agricultural residue as a source of bioenergy globally and in Iran was investigated. The total number of publications in this field from 2000 to 2014 was about 4294. Iran ranked 21st with approximately 54 published studies. A total of 87 projects have been devised globally to produce second-generation biofuel through biochemical pathways. There are currently no second-generation biorefineries in Iran and agricultural residue has no significant application. The present study determined the amount and types of sustainable agricultural residue and oil-rich crops and their provincial distribution. Wheat, barley, rice, corn, potatoes, alfalfa, sugarcane, sugar beets, apples, grapes, dates, cotton, soybeans, rapeseed, sesame seeds, olives, sunflowers, safflowers, almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts have the greatest potential as agronomic and horticultural crops to produce bioenergy in Iran. A total of 11.33million tonnes (Mt) of agricultural biomass could be collected for production of bioethanol (3.84gigaliters (Gl)), biobutanol (1.07Gl), biogas (3.15billion cubic meters (BCM)), and biohydrogen (0.90BCM). Additionally, about 0.35Gl of biodiesel could be obtained using only 35% of total Iranian oilseed. The potential production capacity of conventional biofuel blends in Iran, environmental and socio-economic impacts including well-to-wheel greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and the social cost of carbon dioxide reduction are discussed. The cost of emissions could decrease up to 55.83% by utilizing E85 instead of gasoline. The possible application of gaseous biofuel in Iran to produce valuable chemicals and provide required energy for crop cultivation is also studied. The energy recovered from biogas produced by wheat residue could provide energy input for 115.62 and 393.12 thousand hectares of irrigated and rain-fed wheat cultivation in Iran, respectively. The nitrogen requirement for 33.6% of the total wheat cultivation area could be supplied by the ammonia acquired from biohydrogen. A discussion of the logistics of collection and transportation of the biomass and sensitivity analysis are carried out to evaluate the effect of field cover factor, crop yield, and well-to-wheel GHG emission on collectable residue, biofuel production, and GHG emissions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The influence of fatty acid supply and aldehyde reductase deletion on cyanobacteria alkane generating pathway in Escherichia coli.

PubMed

Wang, Juli; Yu, Haiying; Song, Xuejiao; Zhu, Kun

2018-05-01

Cyanobacteria alkane synthetic pathway has been heterologously constructed in many microbial hosts. It is by far the most studied and reliable alkane generating pathway. Aldehyde deformylating oxygenase (i.e., ADO, key enzyme in this pathway) obtained from different cyanobacteria species showed diverse catalytic abilities. This work indicated that single aldehyde reductase deletions were beneficial to Nostoc punctiforme ADO-depended alkane production in Escherichia coli even better than double deletions. Fatty acid metabolism regulator (FadR) overexpression and low temperature increased C18:1 fatty acid supply, and in turn stimulated C18:1-derived heptadecene production, suggesting that supplying ADO with preferred substrate was important to overall alkane yield improvement. Using combinational methods, 1 g/L alkane was obtained in fed-batch fermentation with heptadecene accounting for nearly 84% of total alkane.

Carbon Abatement and Emissions Associated with the Gasification of Walnut Shells for Bioenergy and Biochar Production.

PubMed

Pujol Pereira, Engil Isadora; Suddick, Emma C; Six, Johan

2016-01-01

By converting biomass residue to biochar, we could generate power cleanly and sequester carbon resulting in overall greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) savings when compared to typical fossil fuel usage and waste disposal. We estimated the carbon dioxide (CO2) abatements and emissions associated to the concurrent production of bioenergy and biochar through biomass gasification in an organic walnut farm and processing facility in California, USA. We accounted for (i) avoided-CO2 emissions from displaced grid electricity by bioenergy; (ii) CO2 emissions from farm machinery used for soil amendment of biochar; (iii) CO2 sequestered in the soil through stable biochar-C; and (iv) direct CO2 and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from soil. The objective of these assessments was to pinpoint where the largest C offsets can be expected in the bioenergy-biochar chain. We found that energy production from gasification resulted in 91.8% of total C offsets, followed by stable biochar-C (8.2% of total C sinks), offsetting a total of 107.7 kg CO2-C eq Mg-1 feedstock. At the field scale, we monitored gas fluxes from soils for 29 months (180 individual observations) following field management and precipitation events in addition to weekly measurements within three growing seasons and two tree dormancy periods. We compared four treatments: control, biochar, compost, and biochar combined with compost. Biochar alone or in combination with compost did not alter total N2O and CO2 emissions from soils, indicating that under the conditions of this study, biochar-prompted C offsets may not be expected from the mitigation of direct soil GHG emissions. However, this study revealed a case where a large environmental benefit was given by the waste-to-bioenergy treatment, addressing farm level challenges such as waste management, renewable energy generation, and C sequestration.

Carbon Abatement and Emissions Associated with the Gasification of Walnut Shells for Bioenergy and Biochar Production

PubMed Central

Pujol Pereira, Engil Isadora; Suddick, Emma C.; Six, Johan

2016-01-01

By converting biomass residue to biochar, we could generate power cleanly and sequester carbon resulting in overall greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) savings when compared to typical fossil fuel usage and waste disposal. We estimated the carbon dioxide (CO2) abatements and emissions associated to the concurrent production of bioenergy and biochar through biomass gasification in an organic walnut farm and processing facility in California, USA. We accounted for (i) avoided-CO2 emissions from displaced grid electricity by bioenergy; (ii) CO2 emissions from farm machinery used for soil amendment of biochar; (iii) CO2 sequestered in the soil through stable biochar-C; and (iv) direct CO2 and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from soil. The objective of these assessments was to pinpoint where the largest C offsets can be expected in the bioenergy-biochar chain. We found that energy production from gasification resulted in 91.8% of total C offsets, followed by stable biochar-C (8.2% of total C sinks), offsetting a total of 107.7 kg CO2-C eq Mg-1 feedstock. At the field scale, we monitored gas fluxes from soils for 29 months (180 individual observations) following field management and precipitation events in addition to weekly measurements within three growing seasons and two tree dormancy periods. We compared four treatments: control, biochar, compost, and biochar combined with compost. Biochar alone or in combination with compost did not alter total N2O and CO2 emissions from soils, indicating that under the conditions of this study, biochar-prompted C offsets may not be expected from the mitigation of direct soil GHG emissions. However, this study revealed a case where a large environmental benefit was given by the waste-to-bioenergy treatment, addressing farm level challenges such as waste management, renewable energy generation, and C sequestration. PMID:26963623

Role of nuclear energy to a future society of shortage of energy resources and global warming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito, Shinzo

2010-03-01

Human society entered into the society of large energy consumption since the industrial revolution and consumes more than 10 billion tons of oil equivalent energy a year in the world in the present time, in which over 80% is provided by fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas. Total energy consumption is foreseen to increase year by year from now on due to significant economical and population growth in the developing countries such as China and India. However, fossil fuel resources are limited with conventional crude oil estimated to last about 40 years, and it is said that the peak oil production time has come now. On the other hand, global warming due to green house gases (GHG) emissions, especially carbon dioxide, has become a serious issue. Nuclear energy plays an important role as means to resolve energy security and global warming issues. Four hundred twenty-nine nuclear power plants are operating world widely producing 16% of the total electric power with total plant capacity of 386 GWe without emission of CO 2 as of 2006. It is estimated that another 250 GWe nuclear power is needed to keep the same level contribution of electricity generation in 2030. On the other hand, the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) developed the very high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) named high temperature gas-cooled engineering test reactor (HTTR) and carbon free hydrogen production process (IS process). Nuclear energy utilization will surely widen in, not only electricity generation, but also various industries such as steel making, chemical industries, together with hydrogen production for transportation by introduction of HTGRs. The details of development of the HTTR and IS process are also described.

Photodynamic therapy: computer modeling of diffusion and reaction phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hampton, James A.; Mahama, Patricia A.; Fournier, Ronald L.; Henning, Jeffery P.

1996-04-01

We have developed a transient, one-dimensional mathematical model for the reaction and diffusion phenomena that occurs during photodynamic therapy (PDT). This model is referred to as the PDTmodem program. The model is solved by the Crank-Nicholson finite difference technique and can be used to predict the fates of important molecular species within the intercapillary tissue undergoing PDT. The following factors govern molecular oxygen consumption and singlet oxygen generation within a tumor: (1) photosensitizer concentration; (2) fluence rate; and (3) intercapillary spacing. In an effort to maximize direct tumor cell killing, the model allows educated decisions to be made to insure the uniform generation and exposure of singlet oxygen to tumor cells across the intercapillary space. Based on predictions made by the model, we have determined that the singlet oxygen concentration profile within the intercapillary space is controlled by the product of the drug concentration, and light fluence rate. The model predicts that at high levels of this product, within seconds singlet oxygen generation is limited to a small core of cells immediately surrounding the capillary. The remainder of the tumor tissue in the intercapillary space is anoxic and protected from the generation and toxic effects of singlet oxygen. However, at lower values of this product, the PDT-induced anoxic regions are not observed. An important finding is that an optimal value of this product can be defined that maintains the singlet oxygen concentration throughout the intercapillary space at a near constant level. Direct tumor cell killing is therefore postulated to depend on the singlet oxygen exposure, defined as the product of the uniform singlet oxygen concentration and the time of exposure, and not on the total light dose.

A phycocyanin·phellandrene synthase fusion enhances recombinant protein expression and β-phellandrene (monoterpene) hydrocarbons production in Synechocystis (cyanobacteria).

PubMed

Formighieri, Cinzia; Melis, Anastasios

2015-11-01

Cyanobacteria can be exploited as photosynthetic platforms for heterologous generation of terpene hydrocarbons with industrial applications. Transformation of Synechocystis and heterologous expression of the β-phellandrene synthase (PHLS) gene alone is necessary and sufficient to confer to Synechocystis the ability to divert intermediate terpenoid metabolites and to generate the monoterpene β-phellandrene during photosynthesis. However, terpene synthases, including the PHLS, have a slow Kcat (low Vmax) necessitating high levels of enzyme concentration to enable meaningful rates and yield of product formation. Here, a novel approach was applied to increase the PHLS protein expression alleviating limitations in the rate and yield of β-phellandrene product generation. Different PHLS fusion constructs were generated with the Synechocystis endogenous cpcB sequence, encoding for the abundant in cyanobacteria phycocyanin β-subunit, expressed under the native cpc operon promoter. In one of these constructs, the CpcB·PHLS fusion protein accumulated to levels approaching 20% of the total cellular protein, i.e., substantially higher than expressing the PHLS protein alone under the same endogenous cpc promoter. The CpcB·PHLS fusion protein retained the activity of the PHLS enzyme and catalyzed β-phellandrene synthesis, yielding an average of 3.2 mg product g(-1) dry cell weight (dcw) versus the 0.03 mg g(-1)dcw measured with low-expressing constructs, i.e., a 100-fold yield improvement. In conclusion, the terpene synthase fusion-protein approach is promising, as, in this case, it substantially increased the amount of the PHLS in cyanobacteria, and commensurately improved rates and yield of β-phellandrene hydrocarbons production in these photosynthetic microorganisms. Copyright © 2015 International Metabolic Engineering Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Producing samples for the organization of proficiency tests. Study of the homogeneity of replicas produced from two atmosphere generation systems.

PubMed

Freville, Laurence; Moulut, Jean-Claude; Grzebyk, Michel; Kauffer, Edmond

2010-08-01

This article describes two atmosphere generation systems used for the production of replicas. The first, the Sputnic system, is based on the Sputnic air sampler developed by the National Institute of Occupational Health in Oslo (Norway). It is used to generate asbestos fibres or silica particles and allows the simultaneous production, by means of sampling on filters, of up to 114 replicas. The second is a multipurpose system that allows dust sampling on foams used with the CIP 10-R device. Twenty samples can be taken simultaneously. In total, 120 series of samples allowed characterization of the variability of the two generation systems used for the production of replicas loaded with asbestos fibres or silica dust. The coefficients of variation characterizing the dispersion of the filter loading in the Sputnic system are <10% for high densities asbestos fibre or silica dust samples. The coefficient of dispersion is on average higher when the asbestos fibre density is lower. The differences observed between the measurements taken on the different crowns of the Sputnic system are low and <2%. The results obtained with the multipurpose system show that replica dispersion is on average equal to 4%, which will allow proposal in the near future of a proficiency test dedicated to the quantitative analysis of crystalline silica on foams sampled with the CIP 10-R device.

CO2 Reduction Effect of the Utilization of Waste Heat and Solar Heat in City Gas System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okamura, Tomohito; Matsuhashi, Ryuji; Yoshida, Yoshikuni; Hasegawa, Hideo; Ishitani, Hisashi

We evaluate total energy consumption and CO2 emissions in the phase of the city gas utilization system from obtaining raw materials to consuming the product. First, we develop a simulation model which calculates CO2 emissions for monthly and hourly demands of electricity, heats for air conditioning and hot-water in a typical hospital. Under the given standard capacity and operating time of CGS, energy consumption in the equipments is calculated in detail considering the partial load efficiency and the control by the temperature of exhaust heat. Then, we explored the optimal size and operation of city gas system that minimizes the life cycle CO2 emissions or total cost. The cost-effectiveness is compared between conventional co-generation, solar heat system, and hybrid co-generation utilizing solar heat. We formulate a problem of mixed integer programming that includes integral parameters that express the state of system devices such as on/off of switches. As a result of optimization, the hybrid co-generation can reduce annual CO2 emissions by forty-three percent compared with the system without co-generation. Sensitivity for the scale of CGS on CO2 reduction and cost is also analyzed.

Optimization of odd chain fatty acid production by Yarrowia lipolytica.

PubMed

Park, Young-Kyoung; Dulermo, Thierry; Ledesma-Amaro, Rodrigo; Nicaud, Jean-Marc

2018-01-01

Odd chain fatty acids (odd FAs) have a wide range of applications in therapeutic and nutritional industries, as well as in chemical industries including biofuel. Yarrowia lipolytica is an oleaginous yeast considered a preferred microorganism for the production of lipid-derived biofuels and chemicals. However, it naturally produces negligible amounts of odd chain fatty acids. The possibility of producing odd FAs using Y. lipolytica was investigated. Y. lipolytica wild-type strain was shown able to grow on weak acids; acetate, lactate, and propionate. Maximal growth rate on propionate reached 0.24 ± 0.01 h -1 at 2 g/L, and growth inhibition occurred at concentration above 10 g/L. Wild-type strain accumulated lipids ranging from 7.39 to 8.14% (w/w DCW) depending on the carbon source composition, and odd FAs represented only 0.01-0.12 g/L. We here proved that the deletion of the PHD1 gene improved odd FAs production, which reached a ratio of 46.82% to total lipids. When this modification was transferred to an obese strain, engineered for improving lipid accumulation, further increase odd FAs production reaching a total of 0.57 g/L was shown. Finally, a fed-batch co-feeding strategy was optimized for further increase odd FAs production, which generated 0.75 g/L, the best production described so far in Y. lipolytica . A Y. lipolytica strain able to accumulate high level of odd chain fatty acids, mainly heptadecenoic acid, has been successfully developed. In addition, a fed-batch co-feeding strategy was optimized to further improve lipid accumulation and odd chain fatty acid content. These lipids enriched in odd chain fatty acid can (1) improve the properties of the biodiesel generated from Y. lipolytica lipids and (2) be used as renewable source of odd chain fatty acid for industrial applications. This work paves the way for further improvements in odd chain fatty acids and fatty acid-derived compound production.

A field study on the effects of dietary monensin on milk production and milk composition in dairy cows

PubMed Central

Dubuc, Jocelyn; DuTremblay, Denis; Baril, Jean; Bagg, Randy; Brodeur, Marcel; Duffield, Todd; DesCôteaux, Luc

2010-01-01

The objectives of this study were to quantify the effect of 16 ppm of dietary monensin on milk production and composition of dairy cows, and to investigate factors having a potential impact on this effect. Data were generated from a total of 3577 Holstein dairy cows (47 herds) in Quebec enrolled in a herd-level, randomized clinical trial investigating the effects of monensin supplementation. Milk production and composition data were collected from monthly dairy herd improvement (DHI) testing. Monensin increased milk production by 0.9 kg/cow/d in cows under 150 days in milk (DIM) (P < 0.05). Monensin decreased milk fat percentage by 0.18 percentage points during the whole lactation (P < 0.05). This decreasing effect was larger for component-fed cows (P < 0.05) and for cows being fed low levels of dietary physically effective particles (P < 0.05) when compared respectively to cows fed total mixed ration and cows fed high levels of dietary physically effective particles. The results of this study suggest that monensin influences milk production and milk composition of dairy cows, and that diet composition and feeding system influence those effects. PMID:20592825

Highly chlorinated unintentionally produced persistent organic pollutants generated during the methanol-based production of chlorinated methanes: A case study in China.

PubMed

Zhang, Lifei; Yang, Wenlong; Zhang, Linli; Li, Xiaoxiu

2015-08-01

The formation of unintentionally produced persistent organic pollutants (POPs) may occur during various chlorination processes. In this study, emissions of unintentionally produced POPs during the methanol-based production of chlorinated methanes were investigated. High concentrations of highly chlorinated compounds such as decachlorobiphenyl, octachloronaphthalene, octachlorostyrene, hexachlorobutadiene, hexachlorocyclopentadiene, hexachlorobenzene, and pentachlorobenzene were found in the carbon tetrachloride byproduct of the methanol-based production of chlorinated methanes. The total emission amounts of hexachlorocyclopentadiene, hexachlorobutadiene, polychlorinated benzenes, polychlorinated naphthalenes, octachlorostyrene, and polychlorinated biphenyls released during the production of chlorinated methanes in China in 2010 were estimated to be 10080, 7350, 5210, 427, 212, and 167 kg, respectively. Moreover, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) were formed unintentionally during chlorinated methanes production, the emission factor for PCDDs/DFs was 364 μg toxic equivalency quotient (TEQ) t(-1) product for residues, which should be added into the UNEP toolkit for updating. It was worth noting that a high overall toxic equivalency quotient from polychlorinated naphthalenes and PCDDs/DFs was generated from the chlorinated methanes production in China in 2010. The values reached 563 and 32.8 g TEQ, respectively. The results of the study indicate that more research and improved management systems are needed to ensure that the methanol-based production of chlorinated methanes can be achieved safely. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New by-products rich in bioactive substances from the olive oil mill processing.

PubMed

Romero, Concepción; Medina, Eduardo; Mateo, Maria Antonia; Brenes, Manuel

2018-01-01

Olive oil extraction generates a large amount of residue consisting mainly of the pomace and leaves when using a two-phase centrifugation system. The aim of this study was to assess the content of phenolic and triterpene compounds in the by-products produced in Spanish olive oil mills. Olive pomace had concentrations of phenolic and triterpene substances lower than 2 and 3 g kg -1 , respectively. The leaves contained a high concentration of these substances, although those collected from ground-picked olives had lost most of their phenolic compounds. Moreover, the sediment from the bottom of the olive oil storage tanks did not have a significant amount of these substances. By contrast, a new by-product called olive pomace skin has been revealed as a very rich source of triterpenic acids, the content of which can reach up to 120 g kg -1 in this waste product, maslinic acid comprising around 70% of total triterpenics. Among the by-products generated during extraction of olive oil, olive pomace skin has been discovered to be a very rich source of triterpenic acids, which can reach up to 120 g kg -1 of the waste. These results will contribute to the valorization of olive oil by-products. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Total synthesis of complestatin: development of a Pd(0)-mediated indole annulation for macrocyclization.

PubMed

Shimamura, Hiroyuki; Breazzano, Steven P; Garfunkle, Joie; Kimball, F Scott; Trzupek, John D; Boger, Dale L

2010-06-09

Full details of the initial development and continued examination of a powerful intramolecular palladium(0)-mediated indole annulation for macrocyclization closure of the strained 16-membered biaryl ring system found in complestatin (1, chloropeptin II) and the definition of factors impacting its intrinsic atropodiastereoselectivity are described. Its examination and use in an alternative, second-generation total synthesis of complestatin are detailed in which the order of the macrocyclization reactions was reversed from our first-generation total synthesis. In this approach and with the ABCD biaryl ether ring system in place, the key Larock cyclization was conducted with substrate 36 (containing four phenols, five secondary amides, one carbamate, and four labile aryl chlorides) and provided the product 37 (56%) exclusively as a single atropisomer (>20:1, detection limits) possessing the natural (R)-configuration. In this instance, the complexity of the substrate and the reverse macrocyclization order did not diminish the atropodiastereoselectivity; rather, it provided an improvement over the 4:1 selectivity that was observed with the analogous substrate used to provide the isolated DEF ring system in our first-generation approach. Just as significant, the atroposelectivity represents a complete reversal of the diasteroselectivity observed with analogous macrocyclizations conducted using a Suzuki biaryl coupling.

Dynamics of Total Microcystin LR Concentration in Three Subtropical Hydroelectric Generation Reservoirs in Uruguay, South America.

PubMed

González-Piana, Mauricio; Fabián, Daniel; Piccardo, Andrea; Chalar, Guillermo

2017-10-01

This study analyzed the temporal dynamics of total microcystin LR concentrations between the years of 2012 and 2015 in the Bonete, Baygorria and Palmar hydroelectric generation reservoirs in the central region of the Negro River, Uruguay. The three reservoirs showed differents total microcystin LR concentration, with no significant differences among them. Over 20 sampling dates, the three reservoirs exhibited total microcystin LR concentrations on eight occasions that corresponded to a slight to moderate human health risk according to WHO guideline values for recreational waters. By determining the concentration of microcystin LR in cyanobacterial biomass, we identified cyanobacterial populations that occurred over time with varying degrees of toxin production (maximal 85.4 µg/mm 3 ). The microcystin LR concentration in Bonete was positively correlated with temperature (r = 0.587) and cyanobacterial biomass (r = 0.736), in Baygorria with cyanobacterial biomass (r = 0.521), and in Palmar with temperature (r = 0.500) and negatively correlated with ammonia (r = -0.492). Action is needed to reduce the presence of toxic cyanobacteria in these systems. A decrease in the use of agrochemicals and management changes in the reservoir basins could be successful long-term measures.

Biogas generation in anaerobic wastewater treatment under tetracycline antibiotic pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Meiqing; Niu, Xiaojun; Liu, Wei; Zhang, Jun; Wang, Jie; Yang, Jia; Wang, Wenqi; Yang, Zhiquan

2016-06-01

The effect of tetracycline (TC) antibiotic on biogas generation in anaerobic wastewater treatment was studied. A lab-scale Anaerobic Baffled Reactor (ABR) with three compartments was used. The reactor was operated with synthetic wastewater in the absence of TC and in the presence of 250 μg/L TC for 90 days, respectively. The removal rate of TC, volatile fatty acids (VFAs), biogas compositions (hydrogen (H2), methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2)), and total biogas production in each compartment were monitored in the two operational conditions. Results showed that the removal rate of TC was 14.97-67.97% in the reactor. The presence of TC had a large negative effect on CH4 and CO2 generation, but appeared to have a positive effect on H2 production and VFAs accumulation. This response indicated that the methanogenesis process was sensitive to TC presence, but the acidogenesis process was insensitive. This suggested that the presence of TC had less influence on the degradation of organic matter but had a strong influence on biogas generation. Additionally, the decrease of CH4 and CO2 generation and the increase of H2 and VFAs accumulation suggest a promising strategy to help alleviate global warming and improve resource recovery in an environmentally friendly approach.

Biogas generation in anaerobic wastewater treatment under tetracycline antibiotic pressure

PubMed Central

Lu, Meiqing; Niu, Xiaojun; Liu, Wei; Zhang, Jun; Wang, Jie; Yang, Jia; Wang, Wenqi; Yang, Zhiquan

2016-01-01

The effect of tetracycline (TC) antibiotic on biogas generation in anaerobic wastewater treatment was studied. A lab-scale Anaerobic Baffled Reactor (ABR) with three compartments was used. The reactor was operated with synthetic wastewater in the absence of TC and in the presence of 250 μg/L TC for 90 days, respectively. The removal rate of TC, volatile fatty acids (VFAs), biogas compositions (hydrogen (H2), methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2)), and total biogas production in each compartment were monitored in the two operational conditions. Results showed that the removal rate of TC was 14.97–67.97% in the reactor. The presence of TC had a large negative effect on CH4 and CO2 generation, but appeared to have a positive effect on H2 production and VFAs accumulation. This response indicated that the methanogenesis process was sensitive to TC presence, but the acidogenesis process was insensitive. This suggested that the presence of TC had less influence on the degradation of organic matter but had a strong influence on biogas generation. Additionally, the decrease of CH4 and CO2 generation and the increase of H2 and VFAs accumulation suggest a promising strategy to help alleviate global warming and improve resource recovery in an environmentally friendly approach. PMID:27341657

Total OH reactivity in a mediterranean forest of downy oaks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zannoni, Nora; Gros, Valerie; Sarda, Roland; Lanza, Matteo; Bonsang, Bernard; Kalogridis, Cerise; Preunkert, Suzanne; Legrand, Michel; Jambert, Corinne; Boissard, Christophe; Lathiere, Juliette

2015-04-01

Forests emit large quantities of reactive molecules which can affect the concentration of the most important oxidizing agent in the atmosphere, the hydroxyl radical OH. There are still many unknowns on how biogenic compounds interact with the atmosphere. Among those, we still lack to fully understand the species that can potentially influence the atmospheric oxidative capacity and thus the OH cleansing effect over several forested areas. We conducted total OH reactivity measurements during spring 2014 inside and above the canopy height of a forest dominated at 80% by downy oaks in the Mediterranean basin (Observatoire Haute Provence site, France). Downy oak trees are capable to emit almost exclusively isoprene (~99%), the most abundant volatile organic compound and among the most reactive towards the OH radical. We measured the total OH reactivity with the Comparative Reactivity Method together with atmospheric concentrations of the primary compounds emitted by the forest, main secondary species generated from the oxidation of isoprene, and main atmospheric constituents. We then compared the OH reactivity inferred by measured compounds and their oxidation rate coefficients with the measured total OH reactivity. This approach permits to identify the presence of any primary emitted biogenic compound, unknown before and relevant for OH oxidation; or any secondary generated compound whose associated chemical mechanism is not well established. Our results show higher OH reactivity inside the canopy, with peaks up to 78 s-1, when isoprene concentration reached ~20 ppb due to temperature and PAR increase. Such high level of OH reactivity has only been observed in the tropics so far. Furthermore, our measured total OH reactivity closes the total amount of reactive species present in this specific forest, suggesting that we quantified precisely both the primary emitted species as well as the secondary generated products.

Study of oxygen gas production phenomenon during stand and discharge in silver-zinc batteries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

The effects of a number of cell process and performance variables upon the oxygen evolution rate of silver/silver oxide cathodes are studied to predict and measure the conditions which would result in the production of a minimum of oxygen. The following five tasks comprise the study: the design and fabrication of two pilot test cells to be used for electrode testing; the determination of the sensitivity and accuracy of the test cell; the determination of total volumes and rates of generation by cathodes of standard production procedures; the construction of a sequential test plan; and the construction of a series of positive formation cells in which formation process factors can be controlled.

Recent developments in the isolation, biological function, biosynthesis, and synthesis of phenazine natural products.

PubMed

Guttenberger, Nikolaus; Blankenfeldt, Wulf; Breinbauer, Rolf

2017-11-15

Phenazines are natural products which are produced by bacteria or by archaeal Methanosarcina species. The tricyclic ring system enables redox processes, which producing organisms use for oxidation of NADH or for the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), giving them advantages over other microorganisms. In this review we summarize the progress in the field since 2005 regarding the isolation of new phenazine natural products, new insights in their biological function, and particularly the now almost completely understood biosynthesis. The review is complemented by a description of new synthetic methods and total syntheses of phenazines. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Total Synthesis of Acremoauxin A and Oxazinin 3: Scope and Mechanism of Direct Indole and Pyrrole Couplings Adjacent to Carbonyl Compounds

PubMed Central

Richter, Jeremy M.; Whitefield, Brandon W.; Maimone, Thomas J.; Lin, David W.; Castroviejo, M. Pilar; Baran, Phil S.

2008-01-01

Full details are provided for a recently invented method to couple indoles and pyrroles to carbonyl compounds. The reaction is ideally suited for structurally complex substrates and exhibits high levels of chemoselectivity (functional group tolerability), regioselectivity (coupling occurs exclusively at C–3 of indole or C–2 of pyrrole), stereoselectivity (substrate control), and practicality (amenable to scale-up). In addition, quaternary stereocenters are easily and predictably generated. The reaction has been applied to a number of synthetic problems including total syntheses of members of the hapalindole family of natural products, ketorolac, acremoauxin A, and oxazinin 3. Mechanistically, this coupling protocol appears to operate by a single electron transfer process requiring generation of an electron-deficient radical adjacent to a carbonyl which is then intercepted by an indole or pyrrole anion. PMID:17900115

Greenhouse Gas and Carbon Profile of the U.S. Forest Products Industry Value Chain

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

A greenhouse gas and carbon accounting profile was developed for the U.S. forest products industry value chain for 1990 and 2004−2005 by examining net atmospheric fluxes of CO2 and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) using a variety of methods and data sources. Major GHG emission sources include direct and indirect (from purchased electricity generation) emissions from manufacturing and methane emissions from landfilled products. Forest carbon stocks in forests supplying wood to the industry were found to be stable or increasing. Increases in the annual amounts of carbon removed from the atmosphere and stored in forest products offset about half of the total value chain emissions. Overall net transfers to the atmosphere totaled 91.8 and 103.5 TgCO2-eq. in 1990 and 2005, respectively, although the difference between these net transfers may not be statistically significant. Net transfers were higher in 2005 primarily because additions to carbon stored in forest products were less in 2005. Over this same period, energy-related manufacturing emissions decreased by almost 9% even though forest products output increased by approximately 15%. Several types of avoided emissions were considered separately and were collectively found to be notable relative to net emissions. PMID:20355695

Aligning clinical compensation with clinical productivity: design and implementation of the financial value unit (FVU) system in an academic department of internal medicine.

PubMed

Stites, Steven; Steffen, Patrick; Turner, Scott; Pingleton, Susan

2013-07-01

A new metric was developed and implemented at the University of Kansas School of Medicine Department of Internal Medicine, the financial value unit (FVU). This metric analyzes faculty clinical compensation compared with clinical work productivity as a transparent means to decrease the physician compensation variability and compensate faculty equitably for clinical work.The FVU is the ratio of individual faculty clinical compensation compared with their total work relative value units (wRVUs) generated divided by Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) salary to wRVUs of a similar MGMA physician.The closer the FVU ratio is to 1.0, the closer clinical compensation is to that of an MGMA physician with similar clinical productivity. Using FVU metrics to calculate a faculty salary gap compared with MGMA median salary and wRVU productivity, a divisional production payment was established annually.From FY 2006 to FY 2011, both total faculty numbers and overall clinical activity increased. With the implementation of the FVU, both clinical productivity and compensation increased while, at the same time, physician retention rates remained high. Variability in physician compensation decreased. Dramatic clinical growth was associated with the alignment of clinical work and clinical compensation in a transparent and equable process.

The New Albany Shale Petroleum System, Illinois Basin - Data and Map Image Archive from the Material-Balance Assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Higley, Debra K.; Henry, M.E.; Lewan, M.D.; Pitman, Janet K.

2003-01-01

The data files and explanations presented in this report were used to generate published material-balance approach estimates of amounts of petroleum 1) expelled from a source rock, and the sum of 2) petroleum discovered in-place plus that lost due to 3) secondary migration within, or leakage or erosion from a petroleum system. This study includes assessment of cumulative production, known petroleum volume, and original oil in place for hydrocarbons that were generated from the New Albany Shale source rocks.More than 4.00 billion barrels of oil (BBO) have been produced from Pennsylvanian-, Mississippian-, Devonian-, and Silurian-age reservoirs in the New Albany Shale petroleum system. Known petroleum volume is 4.16 BBO; the average recovery factor is 103.9% of the current cumulative production. Known petroleum volume of oil is 36.22% of the total original oil in place of 11.45 BBO. More than 140.4 BBO have been generated from the Upper Devonian and Lower Mississippian New Albany Shale in the Illinois Basin. Approximately 86.29 billion barrels of oil that was trapped south of the Cottage Grove fault system were lost by erosion of reservoir intervals. The remaining 54.15 BBO are 21% of the hydrocarbons that were generated in the basin and are accounted for using production data. Included in this publication are 2D maps that show the distribution of production for different formations versus the Rock-Eval pyrolysis hydrogen-indices (HI) contours, and 3D images that show the close association between burial depth and HI values.The primary vertical migration pathway of oil and gas was through faults and fractures into overlying reservoir strata. About 66% of the produced oil is located within the generative basin, which is outlined by an HI contour of 400. The remaining production is concentrated within 30 miles (50 km) outside the 400 HI contour. The generative basin is subdivided by contours of progressively lower hydrogen indices that represent increased levels of thermal maturity and generative capacity of New Albany Shale source rocks. The generative basin was also divided into seven oil-migration catchments. The catchments were determined using a surface-flow hydrologic model with contoured HI values as input to the model.

Parameters of oscillation generation regions in open star cluster models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Danilov, V. M.; Putkov, S. I.

2017-07-01

We determine the masses and radii of central regions of open star cluster (OCL) models with small or zero entropy production and estimate the masses of oscillation generation regions in clustermodels based on the data of the phase-space coordinates of stars. The radii of such regions are close to the core radii of the OCL models. We develop a new method for estimating the total OCL masses based on the cluster core mass, the cluster and cluster core radii, and radial distribution of stars. This method yields estimates of dynamical masses of Pleiades, Praesepe, and M67, which agree well with the estimates of the total masses of the corresponding clusters based on proper motions and spectroscopic data for cluster stars.We construct the spectra and dispersion curves of the oscillations of the field of azimuthal velocities v φ in OCL models. Weak, low-amplitude unstable oscillations of v φ develop in cluster models near the cluster core boundary, and weak damped oscillations of v φ often develop at frequencies close to the frequencies of more powerful oscillations, which may reduce the non-stationarity degree in OCL models. We determine the number and parameters of such oscillations near the cores boundaries of cluster models. Such oscillations points to the possible role that gradient instability near the core of cluster models plays in the decrease of the mass of the oscillation generation regions and production of entropy in the cores of OCL models with massive extended cores.

Biosynthesis of Essential Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Wheat Triggered by Expression of Artificial Gene

PubMed Central

Mihálik, Daniel; Klčová, Lenka; Ondreičková, Katarína; Hudcovicová, Martina; Gubišová, Marcela; Klempová, Tatiana; Čertík, Milan; Pauk, János; Kraic, Ján

2015-01-01

The artificial gene D6D encoding the enzyme ∆6desaturase was designed and synthesized using the sequence of the same gene from the fungus Thamnidium elegans. The original start codon was replaced by the signal sequence derived from the wheat gene for high-molecular-weight glutenin subunit and the codon usage was completely changed for optimal expression in wheat. Synthesized artificial D6D gene was delivered into plants of the spring wheat line CY-45 and the gene itself, as well as transcribed D6D mRNA were confirmed in plants of T0 and T1 generations. The desired product of the wheat genetic modification by artificial D6D gene was the γ-linolenic acid. Its presence was confirmed in mature grains of transgenic wheat plants in the amount 0.04%–0.32% (v/v) of the total amount of fatty acids. Both newly synthesized γ-linolenic acid and stearidonic acid have been detected also in leaves, stems, roots, awns, paleas, rachillas, and immature grains of the T1 generation as well as in immature and mature grains of the T2 generation. Contents of γ-linolenic acid and stearidonic acid varied in range 0%–1.40% (v/v) and 0%–1.53% (v/v) from the total amount of fatty acids, respectively. This approach has opened the pathway of desaturation of fatty acids and production of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids in wheat. PMID:26694368

Paracetamol degradation intermediates and toxicity during photo-Fenton treatment using different iron species.

PubMed

Trovó, Alam G; Pupo Nogueira, Raquel F; Agüera, Ana; Fernandez-Alba, Amadeo R; Malato, Sixto

2012-10-15

The photo-Fenton degradation of paracetamol (PCT) was evaluated using FeSO(4) and the iron complex potassium ferrioxalate (FeOx) as iron source under simulated solar light. The efficiency of the degradation process was evaluated considering the decay of PCT and total organic carbon concentration and the generation of carboxylic acids, ammonium and nitrate, expressed as total nitrogen. The results showed that the degradation was favored in the presence of FeSO(4) in relation to FeOx. The higher concentration of hydroxylated intermediates generated in the presence of FeSO(4) in relation to FeOx probably enhanced the reduction of Fe(III) to Fe(II) improving the degradation efficiency. The degradation products were determined using liquid chromatography electrospray time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Although at different concentrations, the same intermediates were generated using either FeSO(4) or FeOx, which were mainly products of hydroxylation reactions and acetamide. The toxicity of the sample for Vibrio fischeri and Daphnia magna decreased from 100% to less than 40% during photo-Fenton treatment in the presence of both iron species, except for D. magna in the presence of FeOx due to the toxicity of oxalate to this organism. The considerable decrease of the sample toxicity during photo-Fenton treatment using FeSO(4) indicates a safe application of the process for the removal of this pharmaceutical. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development and validation of a portable gas phase standard generation and calibration system for volatile organic compounds

Treesearch

P. Veres; J. B. Gilman; J. M. Roberts; W. C. Kuster; C. Warneke; I. R. Burling; J. de Gouw

2010-01-01

We report on the development of an accurate, portable, dynamic calibration system for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The Mobile Organic Carbon Calibration System (MOCCS) combines the production of gas-phase VOC standards using permeation or diffusion sources with quantitative total organic carbon (TOC) conversion on a palladium surface to CO2 in the presence of...

The draft genome sequence of cork oak

PubMed Central

Ramos, António Marcos; Usié, Ana; Barbosa, Pedro; Barros, Pedro M.; Capote, Tiago; Chaves, Inês; Simões, Fernanda; Abreu, Isabl; Carrasquinho, Isabel; Faro, Carlos; Guimarães, Joana B.; Mendonça, Diogo; Nóbrega, Filomena; Rodrigues, Leandra; Saibo, Nelson J. M.; Varela, Maria Carolina; Egas, Conceição; Matos, José; Miguel, Célia M.; Oliveira, M. Margarida; Ricardo, Cândido P.; Gonçalves, Sónia

2018-01-01

Cork oak (Quercus suber) is native to southwest Europe and northwest Africa where it plays a crucial environmental and economical role. To tackle the cork oak production and industrial challenges, advanced research is imperative but dependent on the availability of a sequenced genome. To address this, we produced the first draft version of the cork oak genome. We followed a de novo assembly strategy based on high-throughput sequence data, which generated a draft genome comprising 23,347 scaffolds and 953.3 Mb in size. A total of 79,752 genes and 83,814 transcripts were predicted, including 33,658 high-confidence genes. An InterPro signature assignment was detected for 69,218 transcripts, which represented 82.6% of the total. Validation studies demonstrated the genome assembly and annotation completeness and highlighted the usefulness of the draft genome for read mapping of high-throughput sequence data generated using different protocols. All data generated is available through the public databases where it was deposited, being therefore ready to use by the academic and industry communities working on cork oak and/or related species. PMID:29786699

The draft genome sequence of cork oak.

PubMed

Ramos, António Marcos; Usié, Ana; Barbosa, Pedro; Barros, Pedro M; Capote, Tiago; Chaves, Inês; Simões, Fernanda; Abreu, Isabl; Carrasquinho, Isabel; Faro, Carlos; Guimarães, Joana B; Mendonça, Diogo; Nóbrega, Filomena; Rodrigues, Leandra; Saibo, Nelson J M; Varela, Maria Carolina; Egas, Conceição; Matos, José; Miguel, Célia M; Oliveira, M Margarida; Ricardo, Cândido P; Gonçalves, Sónia

2018-05-22

Cork oak (Quercus suber) is native to southwest Europe and northwest Africa where it plays a crucial environmental and economical role. To tackle the cork oak production and industrial challenges, advanced research is imperative but dependent on the availability of a sequenced genome. To address this, we produced the first draft version of the cork oak genome. We followed a de novo assembly strategy based on high-throughput sequence data, which generated a draft genome comprising 23,347 scaffolds and 953.3 Mb in size. A total of 79,752 genes and 83,814 transcripts were predicted, including 33,658 high-confidence genes. An InterPro signature assignment was detected for 69,218 transcripts, which represented 82.6% of the total. Validation studies demonstrated the genome assembly and annotation completeness and highlighted the usefulness of the draft genome for read mapping of high-throughput sequence data generated using different protocols. All data generated is available through the public databases where it was deposited, being therefore ready to use by the academic and industry communities working on cork oak and/or related species.

Estimation of Psychophysical Thresholds Based on Neural Network Analysis of DPOAE Input/Output Functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naghibolhosseini, Maryam; Long, Glenis

2011-11-01

The distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) input/output (I/O) function may provide a potential tool for evaluating cochlear compression. Hearing loss causes an increase in the level of the sound that is just audible for the person, which affects the cochlea compression and thus the dynamic range of hearing. Although the slope of the I/O function is highly variable when the total DPOAE is used, separating the nonlinear-generator component from the reflection component reduces this variability. We separated the two components using least squares fit (LSF) analysis of logarithmic sweeping tones, and confirmed that the separated generator component provides more consistent I/O functions than the total DPOAE. In this paper we estimated the slope of the I/O functions of the generator components at different sound levels using LSF analysis. An artificial neural network (ANN) was used to estimate psychophysical thresholds using the estimated slopes of the I/O functions. DPOAE I/O functions determined in this way may help to estimate hearing thresholds and cochlear health.

State of energy consumption and CO2 emission in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Azad, Abul K; Nashreen, S W; Sultana, J

2006-03-01

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the most important gases in the atmosphere, and is necessary for sustaining life on Earth. It is also considered to be a major greenhouse gas contributing to global warming and climate change. In this article, energy consumption in Bangladesh is analyzed and estimates are made of CO2 emission from combustion of fossil fuel (coal, gas, petroleum products) for the period 1977 to 1995. International Panel for Climate Change guidelines for national greenhouse gas inventories were used in estimating CO2 emission. An analysis of energy data shows that the consumption of fossil fuels in Bangladesh is growing by more than 5% per year. The proportion of natural gas in total energy consumption is increasing, while that of petroleum products and coal is decreasing. The estimated total CO2 release from all primary fossil fuels used in Bangladesh amounted to 5072 Gigagram (Gg) in 1977, and 14 423 Gg in 1995. The total amounts of CO2 released from petroleum products, natural gas, and coal in the period 1977-1995 were 83 026 Gg (50% of CO2 emission), 72 541 Gg (44% of CO2 emission), and 9545 Gg (6% CO2 emission), respectively. A trend in CO2 emission with projections to 2070 is generated. In 2070, total estimated CO2 emission will be 293 260 Gg with a current growth rate of 6.34% y . CO2 emission from fossil fuels is increasing. Petroleum products contribute the majority of CO2 emission load, and although the use of natural gas is increasing rapidly, its contribution to CO2 emission is less than that of petroleum products. The use of coal as well as CO2 emission from coal is expected to gradually decrease.

Valorization of glycerol through the production of biopolymers: the PHB case using Bacillus megaterium.

PubMed

Naranjo, Javier M; Posada, John A; Higuita, Juan C; Cardona, Carlos A

2013-04-01

In this work technical and economic analyses were performed to evaluate the glycerol transformation into Polyhydroxybutyrate using Bacillus megaterium. The production of PHB was compared using glycerol or glucose as substrates and similar yields were obtained. The total production costs for PHB generation with both substrates were estimated at an industrial scale. Compared to glucose, glycerol showed a 10% and 20% decrease in the PHB production costs using two different separation schemes respectively. Moreover, a 20% profit margin in the PHB sales price using glycerol as substrate resulted in a 166% valorization of crude glycerol. In this work, the feasibility of glycerol as feedstock for the production of PHB at laboratory (up to 60% PHB accumulation) and industrial (2.6US$/kgPHB) scales is demonstrated. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PHOTOCHEMICAL HEATING OF DENSE MOLECULAR GAS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Glassgold, A. E.; Najita, J. R.

2015-09-10

Photochemical heating is analyzed with an emphasis on the heating generated by chemical reactions initiated by the products of photodissociation and photoionization. The immediate products are slowed down by collisions with the ambient gas and then heat the gas. In addition to this direct process, heating is also produced by the subsequent chemical reactions initiated by these products. Some of this chemical heating comes from the kinetic energy of the reaction products and the rest from collisional de-excitation of the product atoms and molecules. In considering dense gas dominated by molecular hydrogen, we find that the chemical heating is sometimesmore » as large, if not much larger than, the direct heating. In very dense gas, the total photochemical heating approaches 10 eV per photodissociation (or photoionization), competitive with other ways of heating molecular gas.« less

Climate change impacts on thermoelectric-power generation in the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, L.

2015-12-01

Thermoelectric-power generation accounts for more than 70% of the total electricity generation in the United States, which requires large amounts of water for cooling purposes. Water withdrawals for thermoelectric-power generation accounted for 45% of total water use in the United States in 2010. Across the country, water demand from power plants is increasing due to pressures from growing populations and other needs, and is straining existing water resources. Moreover, temperature exceedance in receiving waters has increasingly caused power plants shut downs across parts of the country. Thermoelectric power is vulnerable to climate change owing to the combined effects of lower summer river flows and higher receiving water temperatures. In addition, the efficiency of production is reduced as air temperature rises, which propagates to more unfulfilled power demand during peak seasons. Therefore, a holistic modeling framework of water-energy-climate for the contiguous U.S. is presented here to quantify thermal output from power plants and estimate water use and energy production fluctuations due to ambient climate as well as environmental regulations. The model is calibrated on a plant-by-plant basis for year 2010 and 2011 using the available power plant inventory from the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Simulations were carried out for years 2012 and 2013, and results show moderate improvements in capturing thermal output variabilities after calibration. Future power plant operations under scenarios featuring different climate and regulatory settings were investigated. Results demonstrate the interplay among water, energy and climate, and that future changes in climate and socioeconomics significantly affect power plant operations, which may provide insights to climate change mitigation considerations and energy decisions.

Microbial diversity and dynamics during methane production from municipal solid waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bareither, Christopher A., E-mail: christopher.bareither@colostate.edu; Geological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706; Wolfe, Georgia L., E-mail: gwolfe@wisc.edu

2013-10-15

Highlights: ► Similar bacterial communities developed following different start-up operation. ► Total methanogens in leachate during the decelerated methane phase reflected overall methane yield. ► Created correlations between methanogens, methane yield, and available substrate. ► Predominant bacteria identified with syntrophic polysaccharide degraders. ► Hydrogenotrophic methanogens were dominant in the methane generation process. - Abstract: The objectives of this study were to characterize development of bacterial and archaeal populations during biodegradation of municipal solid waste (MSW) and to link specific methanogens to methane generation. Experiments were conducted in three 0.61-m-diameter by 0.90-m-tall laboratory reactors to simulate MSW bioreactor landfills. Pyrosequencing ofmore » 16S rRNA genes was used to characterize microbial communities in both leachate and solid waste. Microbial assemblages in effluent leachate were similar between reactors during peak methane generation. Specific groups within the Bacteroidetes and Thermatogae phyla were present in all samples and were particularly abundant during peak methane generation. Microbial communities were not similar in leachate and solid fractions assayed at the end of reactor operation; solid waste contained a more abundant bacterial community of cellulose-degrading organisms (e.g., Firmicutes). Specific methanogen populations were assessed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Methanomicrobiales, Methanosarcinaceae, and Methanobacteriales were the predominant methanogens in all reactors, with Methanomicrobiales consistently the most abundant. Methanogen growth phases coincided with accelerated methane production, and cumulative methane yield increased with increasing total methanogen abundance. The difference in methanogen populations and corresponding methane yield is attributed to different initial cellulose and hemicellulose contents of the MSW. Higher initial cellulose and hemicellulose contents supported growth of larger methanogen populations that resulted in higher methane yield.« less

Observation-Corrected Precipitation Estimates in GEOS-5

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reichle, Rolf H.; Liu, Qing

2014-01-01

Several GEOS-5 applications, including the GEOS-5 seasonal forecasting system and the MERRA-Land data product, rely on global precipitation data that have been corrected with satellite and or gauge-based precipitation observations. This document describes the methodology used to generate the corrected precipitation estimates and their use in GEOS-5 applications. The corrected precipitation estimates are derived by disaggregating publicly available, observationally based, global precipitation products from daily or pentad totals to hourly accumulations using background precipitation estimates from the GEOS-5 atmospheric data assimilation system. Depending on the specific combination of the observational precipitation product and the GEOS-5 background estimates, the observational product may also be downscaled in space. The resulting corrected precipitation data product is at the finer temporal and spatial resolution of the GEOS-5 background and matches the observed precipitation at the coarser scale of the observational product, separately for each day (or pentad) and each grid cell.

Parabanic acid is the singlet oxygen specific oxidation product of uric acid.

PubMed

Iida, Sayaka; Ohkubo, Yuki; Yamamoto, Yorihiro; Fujisawa, Akio

2017-11-01

Uric acid quenches singlet oxygen physically or reacts with it, but the oxidation product has not been previously characterized. The present study determined that the product is parabanic acid, which was confirmed by LC/TOFMS analysis. Parabanic acid was stable at acidic pH (<5.0), but hydrolyzed to oxaluric acid at neutral or alkaline pH. The total yields of parabanic acid and oxaluric acid based on consumed uric acid were ~100% in clean singlet oxygen production systems such as UVA irradiation of Rose Bengal and thermal decomposition of 3-(1,4-dihydro-1,4-epidioxy-4-methyl-1-naphthyl)propionic acid. However, the ratio of the amount of uric acid consumed to the total amount of singlet oxygen generated was less than 1/180, indicating that most of the singlet oxygen was physically quenched. The total yields of parabanic acid and oxaluric acid were high in the uric acid oxidation systems with hydrogen peroxide plus hypochlorite or peroxynitrite. They became less than a few percent in peroxyl radical-, hypochlorite- or peroxynitrite-induced oxidation of uric acid. These results suggest that parabanic acid could be an in vivo probe of singlet oxygen formation because of the wide distribution of uric acid in human tissues and extracellular spaces. In fact, sunlight exposure significantly increased human skin levels of parabanic acid.

Development, upscaling and validation of the purification process for human-cl rhFVIII (Nuwiq®), a new generation recombinant factor VIII produced in a human cell-line.

PubMed

Winge, Stefan; Yderland, Louise; Kannicht, Christoph; Hermans, Pim; Adema, Simon; Schmidt, Torben; Gilljam, Gustav; Linhult, Martin; Tiemeyer, Maya; Belyanskaya, Larisa; Walter, Olaf

2015-11-01

Human-cl rhFVIII (Nuwiq®), a new generation recombinant factor VIII (rFVIII), is the first rFVIII produced in a human cell-line approved by the European Medicines Agency. To describe the development, upscaling and process validation for industrial-scale human-cl rhFVIII purification. The purification process involves one centrifugation, two filtration, five chromatography columns and two dedicated pathogen clearance steps (solvent/detergent treatment and 20 nm nanofiltration). The key purification step uses an affinity resin (VIIISelect) with high specificity for FVIII, removing essentially all host-cell proteins with >80% product recovery. The production-scale multi-step purification process efficiently removes process- and product-related impurities and results in a high-purity rhFVIII product, with an overall yield of ∼50%. Specific activity of the final product was >9000 IU/mg, and the ratio between active FVIII and total FVIII protein present was >0.9. The entire production process is free of animal-derived products. Leaching of potential harmful compounds from chromatography resins and all pathogens tested were below the limit of quantification in the final product. Human-cl rhFVIII can be produced at 500 L bioreactor scale, maintaining high purity and recoveries. The innovative purification process ensures a high-purity and high-quality human-cl rhFVIII product with a high pathogen safety margin. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gypsum

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crangle, R.D.

2013-01-01

The United States is the world’s fifth ranked producer and consumer of gypsum. Production of crude gypsum in the United States during 2012 was estimated to be 9.9 Mt (10.9 million st), an increase of 11 percent compared with 2011 production. The average price of mined crude gypsum was $7/t ($6.35/st). Synthetic gypsum production in 2012, most of which is generated as a flue-gas desulphurization product from coal-fired electric powerplants, was estimated to be 11.8 Mt (13 million st) and priced at approximately $1.50/t ($1.36/st). Forty-seven companies produced gypsum in the United States at 54 mines and plants in 34 states. U.S. gypsum exports totaled 408 kt (450,000 st). Imports were much higher at 3.2 Mt (3.5 million st).

Enzyme-catalyzed cationic epoxide rearrangements in quinolone alkaloid biosynthesis.

PubMed

Zou, Yi; Garcia-Borràs, Marc; Tang, Mancheng C; Hirayama, Yuichiro; Li, Dehai H; Li, Li; Watanabe, Kenji; Houk, K N; Tang, Yi

2017-03-01

Epoxides are highly useful synthons and biosynthons for the construction of complex natural products during total synthesis and biosynthesis, respectively. Among enzyme-catalyzed epoxide transformations, a reaction that is notably missing, in regard to the synthetic toolbox, is cationic rearrangement that takes place under strong acid. This is a challenging transformation for enzyme catalysis, as stabilization of the carbocation intermediate upon epoxide cleavage is required. Here, we discovered two Brønsted acid enzymes that can catalyze two unprecedented epoxide transformations in biology. PenF from the penigequinolone pathway catalyzes a cationic epoxide rearrangement under physiological conditions to generate a quaternary carbon center, while AsqO from the aspoquinolone pathway catalyzes a 3-exo-tet cyclization to forge a cyclopropane-tetrahydrofuran ring system. The discovery of these new epoxide-modifying enzymes further highlights the versatility of epoxides in complexity generation during natural product biosynthesis.

Ships' Ballast Water Treatment by Chlorination Can Generate Toxic Trihalomethanes.

PubMed

Hernandez, Marco R; Ismail, Nargis; Drouillard, Ken G; MacIsaac, Hugh J

2017-08-01

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) will enforce a new abundance-based performance standard for ballast water in September, 2017. Strong oxidants, like chlorine, have been proposed as a method for achieving this standard. However chlorine treatment of ballast water can produce hazardous trihalomethanes. We assessed maximum trihalomethane production from one chlorine dose for three types of ballast water (fresh, brackish and marine) and three levels of total organic carbon (TOC) concentration (natural, filtered, enhanced). While the current standard test considers a 5 day voyage, there is a high possibility of shorter trips and sudden change of plans that will release treated waters in the environment. Water source and TOC significantly affected trihalomethane production, with the highest amounts generated in brackish waters and enhanced TOC concentration. The concentration of brominated trihalomethanes increased from background levels and was highest in brackish water, followed by marine and fresh water.

Chemical composition of biomass generated in the guava tree pruning

PubMed Central

Camarena-Tello, Julio César; Rocha-Guzmán, Nuria Elizabeth; Gallegos-Infante, José Alberto; González-Laredo, Rubén Francisco; Pedraza-Bucio, Fabiola Eugenia; López-Albarrán, Pablo; Herrera-Bucio, Rafael; Rutiaga-Quiñones, José Guadalupe

2015-01-01

Psidium guajava L. (Myrtaceae) is a native plant of Central America and is now widely cultivated in many tropical regions of the world for the fruit production. In Mexico, in the guava orchards common practices to control fruit production are: water stress, defoliation and pruning. In this study, we report the chemical composition of the biomass (branches and leaves) generated in the pruning practices. The results ranged as follows: pH (4.98-5.88), soda solubility (39.01-70.49 %), ash (1.87-8.20 %); potassium and calcium were the major inorganic elements in ash. No heavy metals were detected in the studied samples; total solubility (15.21-46.60 %), Runkel lignin (17.77-35.26 %), holocellulose (26.56 -69.49 %), α-cellulose (15.53-35.36 %), hemicelluloses (11.02-34.12 %), tannins in aqueous extracts (3.81-9.06 %), and tannins in ethanolic extracts (3.42-15.24 %). PMID:26417359

Chemical composition of biomass generated in the guava tree pruning.

PubMed

Camarena-Tello, Julio César; Rocha-Guzmán, Nuria Elizabeth; Gallegos-Infante, José Alberto; González-Laredo, Rubén Francisco; Pedraza-Bucio, Fabiola Eugenia; López-Albarrán, Pablo; Herrera-Bucio, Rafael; Rutiaga-Quiñones, José Guadalupe

2015-01-01

Psidium guajava L. (Myrtaceae) is a native plant of Central America and is now widely cultivated in many tropical regions of the world for the fruit production. In Mexico, in the guava orchards common practices to control fruit production are: water stress, defoliation and pruning. In this study, we report the chemical composition of the biomass (branches and leaves) generated in the pruning practices. The results ranged as follows: pH (4.98-5.88), soda solubility (39.01-70.49 %), ash (1.87-8.20 %); potassium and calcium were the major inorganic elements in ash. No heavy metals were detected in the studied samples; total solubility (15.21-46.60 %), Runkel lignin (17.77-35.26 %), holocellulose (26.56 -69.49 %), α-cellulose (15.53-35.36 %), hemicelluloses (11.02-34.12 %), tannins in aqueous extracts (3.81-9.06 %), and tannins in ethanolic extracts (3.42-15.24 %).

Contribution from the Yenisei River to the total radioactive contamination of the Kara Sea

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kuznetsov, Yu.V.; Revenko, Yu.A.; Legin, V.K.

1995-07-01

An attempt is made to estimate the contribution from the Yenisei River and, therefore, the Krasnoyarsk Mining and Chemical Plant (MCP), which discharged wastewaters to the Yenisei, to the total contamination of the Kara Sea using results from a study of the radioactive contamination of the Yenisei River, Yenisei Bay, Yenisei Gulf, and the Kara Sea itself. Radionuclides generated from using river water in cooling circuits of production reactors make the largest contribution to the total activity. The radioactive contamination of the river decreased by more than 20 times after two of the three operating reactors were shut down. Onlymore » several wetlands are actually affected by MCP hundreds of kilometers from the discharge point.« less

Vision-Based Sensor for Early Detection of Periodical Defects in Web Materials

PubMed Central

Bulnes, Francisco G.; Usamentiaga, Rubén; García, Daniel F.; Molleda, Julio

2012-01-01

During the production of web materials such as plastic, textiles or metal, where there are rolls involved in the production process, periodically generated defects may occur. If one of these rolls has some kind of flaw, it can generate a defect on the material surface each time it completes a full turn. This can cause the generation of a large number of surface defects, greatly degrading the product quality. For this reason, it is necessary to have a system that can detect these situations as soon as possible. This paper presents a vision-based sensor for the early detection of this kind of defects. It can be adapted to be used in the inspection of any web material, even when the input data are very noisy. To assess its performance, the sensor system was used to detect periodical defects in hot steel strips. A total of 36 strips produced in ArcelorMittal Avilés factory were used for this purpose, 18 to determine the optimal configuration of the proposed sensor using a full-factorial experimental design and the other 18 to verify the validity of the results. Next, they were compared with those provided by a commercial system used worldwide, showing a clear improvement. PMID:23112629

Waste reduction through consumer education. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harrison, E.Z.

The Waste Reduction through Consumer Education research project was conducted to determine how environmental educational strategies influence purchasing behavior in the supermarket. The objectives were to develop, demonstrate, and evaluate consumer education strategies for waste reduction. The amount of waste generated by packaging size and form, with an adjustment for local recyclability of waste, was determined for 14 product categories identified as having more waste generating and less waste generating product choices (a total of 484 products). Using supermarket scan data and shopper identification numbers, the research tracked the purchases of shoppers in groups receiving different education treatments for 9more » months. Statistical tests applied to the purchase data assessed patterns of change between the groups by treatment period. Analysis of the data revealed few meaningful statistical differences between study groups or changes in behavior over time. Findings suggest that broad brush consumer education about waste reduction is not effective in changing purchasing behaviors in the short term. However, it may help create a general awareness of the issues surrounding excess packaging and consumer responsibility. The study concludes that the answer to waste reduction in the future may be a combination of voluntary initiatives by manufacturers and retailers, governmental intervention, and better-informed consumers.« less

Novel Halomonas sp. B15 isolated from Larnaca Salt Lake in Cyprus that generates vanillin and vanillic acid from ferulic acid.

PubMed

Vyrides, Ioannis; Agathangelou, Maria; Dimitriou, Rodothea; Souroullas, Konstantinos; Salamex, Anastasia; Ioannou, Aristostodimos; Koutinas, Michalis

2015-08-01

Vanillin is a high value added product with many applications in the food, fragrance and pharmaceutical industries. A natural and low-cost method to produce vanillin is by microbial bioconversions through ferulic acid. Until now, limited microorganisms have been found capable of bioconverting ferulic acid to vanillin at high yield. This study aimed to screen halotolerant strains of bacteria from Larnaca Salt Lake which generate vanillin and vanillic acid from ferulic acid. From a total of 50 halotolenant/halophilic strains 8 grew in 1 g/L ferulic acid and only 1 Halomonas sp. B15 and 3 Halomonas elognata strains were capable of bioconverting ferulic acid to vanillic acid at 100 g NaCl/L. The highest vanillic acid (365 mg/L) at these conditions generated by Halomonas sp. B15 which corresponds to ferulic acid bioconversion yield of 36.5%. Using the resting cell technique with an initial ferulic acid concentration of 0.5 g/L at low salinity, the highest production of vanillin (245 mg/L) took place after 48 h, corresponding to a bioconversion yield of 49%. This is the first reported Halomonas sp. with high yield of vanillin production from ferulic acid at low salinity.

Budgeting in health care systems.

PubMed

Maynard, A

1984-01-01

During the last decade there has been a recognition that all health care systems, public and private, are characterised by perverse incentives (especially moral hazard and third party pays) which generate inefficiency in the use of scarce economic resources. Inefficiency is unethical: doctors who use resources inefficiently deprive potential patients of care from which they could benefit. To eradicate unethical and inefficient practices two economic rules have to be followed: (i) no service should be provided if its total costs exceed its total benefits; (ii) if total benefits exceed total costs, the level of provision should be at that level at which the additional input cost (marginal cost) is equal to the additional benefits (marginal benefit). This efficiency test can be applied to health care systems, their component parts and the individuals (especially doctors) who control resource allocation within them. Unfortunately, all health care systems neither generate this relevant decision making data nor are they flexible enough to use it to affect health care decisions. There are two basic varieties of budgeting system: resource based and production targeted. The former generates obsession with cash limits and too little regard of the benefits, particularly at the margins, of alternative patterns of resource allocation. The latter generates undue attention to the production of processes of care and scant regard for costs, especially at the margins. Consequently, one set of budget rules may lead to cost containment regardless of benefits and the other set of budget rules may lead to output maximization regardless of costs. To close this circle of inefficiency it is necessary to evolve market-like structures. To do this a system of client group (defined broadly across all existing activities public and private) budgets is advocated with an identification of the budget holder who has the capacity to shift resources and seek out cost effective policies. Negotiated output targets with defined budgets and incentives for decision makers to economise in their use of resources are being incorporated into experiments in the health care systems of Western Europe and the United States. Undue optimism about the success of these experiments must be avoided because these problems have existed in the West and in the Soviet bloc for decades and efficient solutions are noticeable by their absence.

Solid waste recycling in Rajshahi city of Bangladesh.

PubMed

Bari, Q Hamidul; Hassan, K Mahbub; Haque, M Ehsanul

2012-11-01

Efficient recycling of solid wastes is now a global concern for a sustainable and environmentally sound management. In this study, traditional recycling pattern of solid waste was investigated in Rajshahi municipality which is the fourth largest city of Bangladesh. A questionnaire survey had been carried out in various recycle shops during April 2010 to January 2011. There were 140 recycle shops and most of them were located in the vicinity of Stadium market in Rajshahi. About 1906 people were found to be involved in recycling activities of the city. The major fraction of recycled wastes were sent to capital city Dhaka for further manufacture of different new products. Only a small amount of wastes, specially plastics, were processed in local recycle factories to produce small washing pots and bottle caps. Everyday, an estimated 28.13 tons of recycled solid wastes were handled in Rajshahi city area. This recycled portion accounted for 8.25% of the daily total generated wastes (341 ton d(-1)), 54.6% of total recyclable wastes (51.49 ton d(-1)) and 68.29% of readily recyclable wastes (41.19 ton d(-1)). Major recycled materials were found to be iron, glass, plastic, and papers. Only five factories were involved in preliminary processing of recyclable wastes. Collecting and processing secondary materials, manufacturing recycled-content products, and then buying recycled products created a circle or loop that ensured the overall success of recycling and generated a host of financial, environmental, and social returns. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Regional analysis of renewable transportation fuels - production and consumption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xiaoshuai

The transportation sector contributes more than a quarter of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Replacing fossil fuels with renewable fuels can be a key solution to mitigate GHG emissions from the transportation sector. Particularly, we have focused on land-based production of renewable fuels from landfills and brownfield in the southeastern region of the United States. These so call marginal lands require no direct land-use change to avoid environmental impact and, furthermore, have rendered opportunities for carbon trading and low-carbon intensity business. The resources potential and production capacity were derived using federal and state energy databases with the aid of GIS techniques. To maximize fuels production and land-use efficiency, a scheme of co-location renewable transportation fuels for production on landfills was conducted as a case study. Results of economic modeling analysis indicate that solar panel installed on landfill sites could generate a positive return within the project duration, but the biofuel production within the landfill facility is relatively uncertain, requiring proper sizing of the onsite processing facility, economic scale of production and available tax credits. From the consumers' perspective, a life-cycle cost analysis has been conducted to determine the economic and environmental implications of different transportation choices by consumers. Without tax credits, only the hybrid electric vehicles have lifetime total costs equivalent to a conventional vehicles differing by about 1 to 7%. With tax credits, electric and hybrid electric vehicles could be affordable and attain similar lifetime total costs as compared to conventional vehicles. The dissertation research has provided policy-makers and consumers a pathway of prioritizing investment on sustainable transportation systems with a balance of environmental benefits and economic feasibility.

Unconventional shallow biogenic gas systems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shurr, G.W.; Ridgley, J.L.

2002-01-01

Unconventional shallow biogenic gas falls into two distinct systems that have different attributes. Early-generation systems have blanketlike geometries, and gas generation begins soon after deposition of reservoir and source rocks. Late-generation systems have ringlike geometries, and long time intervals separate deposition of reservoir and source rocks from gas generation. For both types of systems, the gas is dominantly methane and is associated with source rocks that are not thermally mature. Early-generation biogenic gas systems are typified by production from low-permeability Cretaceous rocks in the northern Great Plains of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Montana. The main area of production is on the southeastern margin of the Alberta basin and the northwestern margin of the Williston basin. The huge volume of Cretaceous rocks has a generalized regional pattern of thick, non-marine, coarse clastics to the west and thinner, finer grained marine lithologies to the east. Reservoir rocks in the lower part tend to be finer grained and have lower porosity and permeability than those in the upper part. Similarly, source beds in the units have higher values of total organic carbon. Patterns of erosion, deposition, deformation, and production in both the upper and lower units are related to the geometry of lineament-bounded basement blocks. Geochemical studies show that gas and coproduced water are in equilibrium and that the fluids are relatively old, namely, as much as 66 Ma. Other examples of early-generation systems include Cretaceous clastic reservoirs on the southwestern margin of Williston basin and chalks on the eastern margin of the Denver basin. Late-generation biogenic gas systems have as an archetype the Devonian Antrim Shale on the northern margin of the Michigan basin. Reservoir rocks are fractured, organic-rich black shales that also serve as source rocks. Although fractures are important for production, the relationships to specific geologic structures are not clear. Large quantities of water are coproduced with the gas, and geochemical data indicate that the water is fairly fresh and relatively young. Current thinking holds that biogenic gas was generated, and perhaps continues to be, when glacial meltwater descended into the plumbing system provided by fractures. Other examples of late-generation systems include the Devonian New Albany Shale on the eastern margin of the Illinois basin and the Tertiary coalbed methane production on the northwestern margin of the Powder River basin. Both types of biogenic gas systems have a similar resource development history. Initially, little technology is used, and gas is consumed locally; eventually, sweet spots are exploited, widespread unconventional reservoirs are developed, and transport of gas is interstate or international. However, drilling and completion techniques are very different between the two types of systems. Early-generation systems have water-sensitive reservoir rocks, and consequently water is avoided or minimized in drilling and completion. In contrast, water is an important constituent of late-generation systems; gas production is closely tied to dewatering the system during production. Existing production and resource estimates generally range from 10 to 100 tcf for both types of biogenic gas systems. Although both system types are examples of relatively continuous accumulations, the geologic frameworks constrain most-economic production to large geologic structures on the margins of basins. Shallow biogenic gas systems hold important resources to meet the increased domestic and international demands for natural gas.

A Knowledge Generation Model via the Hypernetwork

PubMed Central

Liu, Jian-Guo; Yang, Guang-Yong; Hu, Zhao-Long

2014-01-01

The influence of the statistical properties of the network on the knowledge diffusion has been extensively studied. However, the structure evolution and the knowledge generation processes are always integrated simultaneously. By introducing the Cobb-Douglas production function and treating the knowledge growth as a cooperative production of knowledge, in this paper, we present two knowledge-generation dynamic evolving models based on different evolving mechanisms. The first model, named “HDPH model,” adopts the hyperedge growth and the hyperdegree preferential attachment mechanisms. The second model, named “KSPH model,” adopts the hyperedge growth and the knowledge stock preferential attachment mechanisms. We investigate the effect of the parameters on the total knowledge stock of the two models. The hyperdegree distribution of the HDPH model can be theoretically analyzed by the mean-field theory. The analytic result indicates that the hyperdegree distribution of the HDPH model obeys the power-law distribution and the exponent is . Furthermore, we present the distributions of the knowledge stock for different parameters . The findings indicate that our proposed models could be helpful for deeply understanding the scientific research cooperation. PMID:24626143

Understanding the life cycle surface land requirements of natural gas-fired electricity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jordaan, Sarah M.; Heath, Garvin A.; Macknick, Jordan

The surface land use of fossil fuel acquisition and utilization has not been well characterized, inhibiting consistent comparisons of different electricity generation technologies. We present a method for robust estimation of the life cycle land use of electricity generated from natural gas through a case study that includes inventories of infrastructure, satellite imagery and well-level production. Approximately 500 sites in the Barnett Shale of Texas were sampled across five life cycle stages (production, gathering, processing, transmission and power generation). Total land use (0.62 m 2 MWh -1, 95% confidence intervals +/-0.01 m 2 MWh -1) was dominated by midstream infrastructure,more » particularly pipelines (74%). These results were sensitive to power plant heat rate (85-190% of the base case), facility lifetime (89-169%), number of wells per site (16-100%), well lifetime (92-154%) and pipeline right of way (58-142%). When replicated for other gas-producing regions and different fuels, our approach offers a route to enable empirically grounded comparisons of the land footprint of energy choices.« less

Understanding the life cycle surface land requirements of natural gas-fired electricity

DOE PAGES

Jordaan, Sarah M.; Heath, Garvin A.; Macknick, Jordan; ...

2017-10-02

The surface land use of fossil fuel acquisition and utilization has not been well characterized, inhibiting consistent comparisons of different electricity generation technologies. We present a method for robust estimation of the life cycle land use of electricity generated from natural gas through a case study that includes inventories of infrastructure, satellite imagery and well-level production. Approximately 500 sites in the Barnett Shale of Texas were sampled across five life cycle stages (production, gathering, processing, transmission and power generation). Total land use (0.62 m 2 MWh -1, 95% confidence intervals +/-0.01 m 2 MWh -1) was dominated by midstream infrastructure,more » particularly pipelines (74%). These results were sensitive to power plant heat rate (85-190% of the base case), facility lifetime (89-169%), number of wells per site (16-100%), well lifetime (92-154%) and pipeline right of way (58-142%). When replicated for other gas-producing regions and different fuels, our approach offers a route to enable empirically grounded comparisons of the land footprint of energy choices.« less

Understanding the life cycle surface land requirements of natural gas-fired electricity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jordaan, Sarah M.; Heath, Garvin A.; Macknick, Jordan; Bush, Brian W.; Mohammadi, Ehsan; Ben-Horin, Dan; Urrea, Victoria; Marceau, Danielle

2017-10-01

The surface land use of fossil fuel acquisition and utilization has not been well characterized, inhibiting consistent comparisons of different electricity generation technologies. Here we present a method for robust estimation of the life cycle land use of electricity generated from natural gas through a case study that includes inventories of infrastructure, satellite imagery and well-level production. Approximately 500 sites in the Barnett Shale of Texas were sampled across five life cycle stages (production, gathering, processing, transmission and power generation). Total land use (0.62 m2 MWh-1, 95% confidence intervals ±0.01 m2 MWh-1) was dominated by midstream infrastructure, particularly pipelines (74%). Our results were sensitive to power plant heat rate (85-190% of the base case), facility lifetime (89-169%), number of wells per site (16-100%), well lifetime (92-154%) and pipeline right of way (58-142%). When replicated for other gas-producing regions and different fuels, our approach offers a route to enable empirically grounded comparisons of the land footprint of energy choices.

Pilot study of large-scale production of mutant pigs by ENU mutagenesis

PubMed Central

Hai, Tang; Cao, Chunwei; Shang, Haitao; Guo, Weiwei; Mu, Yanshuang; Yang, Shulin; Zhang, Ying; Zheng, Qiantao; Zhang, Tao; Wang, Xianlong; Liu, Yu; Kong, Qingran; Li, Kui; Wang, Dayu; Qi, Meng; Hong, Qianlong; Zhang, Rui; Wang, Xiupeng; Jia, Qitao; Wang, Xiao; Qin, Guosong; Li, Yongshun; Luo, Ailing; Jin, Weiwu; Yao, Jing; Huang, Jiaojiao; Zhang, Hongyong; Li, Menghua; Xie, Xiangmo; Zheng, Xuejuan; Guo, Kenan; Wang, Qinghua; Zhang, Shibin; Li, Liang; Xie, Fei; Zhang, Yu; Weng, Xiaogang; Yin, Zhi; Hu, Kui; Cong, Yimei; Zheng, Peng; Zou, Hailong; Xin, Leilei; Xia, Jihan; Ruan, Jinxue; Li, Hegang; Zhao, Weiming; Yuan, Jing; Liu, Zizhan; Gu, Weiwang; Li, Ming; Wang, Yong; Wang, Hongmei; Yang, Shiming; Liu, Zhonghua; Wei, Hong; Zhao, Jianguo; Zhou, Qi; Meng, Anming

2017-01-01

N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) mutagenesis is a powerful tool to generate mutants on a large scale efficiently, and to discover genes with novel functions at the whole-genome level in Caenorhabditis elegans, flies, zebrafish and mice, but it has never been tried in large model animals. We describe a successful systematic three-generation ENU mutagenesis screening in pigs with the establishment of the Chinese Swine Mutagenesis Consortium. A total of 6,770 G1 and 6,800 G3 pigs were screened, 36 dominant and 91 recessive novel pig families with various phenotypes were established. The causative mutations in 10 mutant families were further mapped. As examples, the mutation of SOX10 (R109W) in pig causes inner ear malfunctions and mimics human Mondini dysplasia, and upregulated expression of FBXO32 is associated with congenital splay legs. This study demonstrates the feasibility of artificial random mutagenesis in pigs and opens an avenue for generating a reservoir of mutants for agricultural production and biomedical research. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.26248.001 PMID:28639938

A knowledge generation model via the hypernetwork.

PubMed

Liu, Jian-Guo; Yang, Guang-Yong; Hu, Zhao-Long

2014-01-01

The influence of the statistical properties of the network on the knowledge diffusion has been extensively studied. However, the structure evolution and the knowledge generation processes are always integrated simultaneously. By introducing the Cobb-Douglas production function and treating the knowledge growth as a cooperative production of knowledge, in this paper, we present two knowledge-generation dynamic evolving models based on different evolving mechanisms. The first model, named "HDPH model," adopts the hyperedge growth and the hyperdegree preferential attachment mechanisms. The second model, named "KSPH model," adopts the hyperedge growth and the knowledge stock preferential attachment mechanisms. We investigate the effect of the parameters (α,β) on the total knowledge stock of the two models. The hyperdegree distribution of the HDPH model can be theoretically analyzed by the mean-field theory. The analytic result indicates that the hyperdegree distribution of the HDPH model obeys the power-law distribution and the exponent is γ = 2 + 1/m. Furthermore, we present the distributions of the knowledge stock for different parameters (α,β). The findings indicate that our proposed models could be helpful for deeply understanding the scientific research cooperation.

Nuclear's role in 21. century Pacific rim energy use

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Singer, Clifford; Taylor, J'Tia

2007-07-01

Extrapolations contrast the future of nuclear energy use in Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) to that of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Japan can expect a gradual rise in the nuclear fraction of a nearly constant total energy use rate as the use of fossil fuels declines. ROK nuclear energy rises gradually with total energy use. ASEAN's total nuclear energy use rate can rapidly approach that of the ROK if Indonesia and Vietnam make their current nuclear energy targets by 2020, but experience elsewhere suggests that nuclear energy growth may be slower than planned. Extrapolations aremore » based on econometric calibration to a utility optimization model of the impact of growth of population, gross domestic product, total energy use, and cumulative fossil carbon use. Fractions of total energy use from fluid fossil fuels, coal, water-driven electrical power production, nuclear energy, and wind and solar electric energy sources are fit to market fractions data. Where historical data is insufficient for extrapolation, plans for non-fossil energy are used as a guide. Extrapolations suggest much more U.S. nuclear energy and spent nuclear fuel generation than for the ROK and ASEAN until beyond the first half of the twenty-first century. (authors)« less

PBDE exposure from food in Ireland: optimising data exploitation in probabilistic exposure modelling.

PubMed

Trudel, David; Tlustos, Christina; Von Goetz, Natalie; Scheringer, Martin; Hungerbühler, Konrad

2011-01-01

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a class of brominated flame retardants added to plastics, polyurethane foam, electronics, textiles, and other products. These products release PBDEs into the indoor and outdoor environment, thus causing human exposure through food and dust. This study models PBDE dose distributions from ingestion of food for Irish adults on congener basis by using two probabilistic and one semi-deterministic method. One of the probabilistic methods was newly developed and is based on summary statistics of food consumption combined with a model generating realistic daily energy supply from food. Median (intermediate) doses of total PBDEs are in the range of 0.4-0.6 ng/kg(bw)/day for Irish adults. The 97.5th percentiles of total PBDE doses lie in a range of 1.7-2.2 ng/kg(bw)/day, which is comparable to doses derived for Belgian and Dutch adults. BDE-47 and BDE-99 were identified as the congeners contributing most to estimated intakes, accounting for more than half of the total doses. The most influential food groups contributing to this intake are lean fish and salmon which together account for about 22-25% of the total doses.

Preliminary stochastic model for managing Vibrio parahaemolyticus and total viable bacterial counts in a Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) supply chain.

PubMed

Fernandez-Piquer, Judith; Bowman, John P; Ross, Tom; Estrada-Flores, Silvia; Tamplin, Mark L

2013-07-01

Vibrio parahaemolyticus can accumulate and grow in oysters stored without refrigeration, representing a potential food safety risk. High temperatures during oyster storage can lead to an increase in total viable bacteria counts, decreasing product shelf life. Therefore, a predictive tool that allows the estimation of both V. parahaemolyticus populations and total viable bacteria counts in parallel is needed. A stochastic model was developed to quantitatively assess the populations of V. parahaemolyticus and total viable bacteria in Pacific oysters for six different supply chain scenarios. The stochastic model encompassed operations from oyster farms through consumers and was built using risk analysis software. Probabilistic distributions and predictions for the percentage of Pacific oysters containing V. parahaemolyticus and high levels of viable bacteria at the point of consumption were generated for each simulated scenario. This tool can provide valuable information about V. parahaemolyticus exposure and potential control measures and can help oyster companies and regulatory agencies evaluate the impact of product quality and safety during cold chain management. If coupled with suitable monitoring systems, such models could enable preemptive action to be taken to counteract unfavorable supply chain conditions.

The potential of biogas production from municipal solid waste in a tropical climate.

PubMed

Getahun, Tadesse; Gebrehiwot, Mulat; Ambelu, Argaw; Van Gerven, Tom; Van der Bruggen, Bart

2014-07-01

The objective of this study was to estimate the potential of organic municipal solid waste generated in an urban setting in a tropical climate to produce biogas. Five different categories of wastes were considered: fruit waste, food waste, yard waste, paper waste, and mixed waste. These fractions were assessed for their efficiency for biogas production in a laboratory-scale batch digester for a total period of 8 weeks at a temperature of 15-30 °C. During this period, fruit waste, food waste, yard waste, paper waste, and mixed waste were observed to produce 0.15, 0.17, 0.10, 0.08, and 0.15 m(3) of biogas per kilogram of volatile solids, respectively. The biogas produced and caloric value of each feedstock was in the range of 1.25 × 10(-3) m(3) (17 kWh)/cap/day (paper waste) to 15 × 10(-3) m(3) (170 kWh)/cap/day (mixed waste). Paper waste produced the least (<1×10(-3)(<17.8 kWh)/cap/day), and mixed waste produced the highest methane yield (10 × 10(-3) m(3) (178 kWh)/cap/day). Thus, mixed waste was found to be more efficient than other feedstocks for biogas and methane production; this was mainly related to the better C/N ratio in mixed waste. Taking the total waste production in Jimma into account, the total mixed organic solid waste could produce 865 × 10(3) m(3) (5.4 m(3)/capita) of biogas or 537 × 10(3) m(3) (3.4 m(3)/capita) of methane per year. The total caloric value of methane production potential from mixed organic municipal solid waste was many times higher than the total energy requirement of the area.

Development of a sterilizing in-place application for a production machine using Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide.

PubMed

Mau, T; Hartmann, V; Burmeister, J; Langguth, P; Häusler, H

2004-01-01

The use of steam in sterilization processes is limited by the implementation of heat-sensitive components inside the machines to be sterilized. Alternative low-temperature sterilization methods need to be found and their suitability evaluated. Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide (VHP) technology was adapted for a production machine consisting of highly sensitive pressure sensors and thermo-labile air tube systems. This new kind of "cold" surface sterilization, known from the Barrier Isolator Technology, is based on the controlled release of hydrogen peroxide vapour into sealed enclosures. A mobile VHP generator was used to generate the hydrogen peroxide vapour. The unit was combined with the air conduction system of the production machine. Terminal vacuum pumps were installed to distribute the gas within the production machine and for its elimination. In order to control the sterilization process, different physical process monitors were incorporated. The validation of the process was based on biological indicators (Geobacillus stearothermophilus). The Limited Spearman Karber Method (LSKM) was used to statistically evaluate the sterilization process. The results show that it is possible to sterilize surfaces in a complex tube system with the use of gaseous hydrogen peroxide. A total microbial reduction of 6 log units was reached.

Enhanced polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste by using mixed microbial culture.

PubMed

Colombo, Bianca; Favini, Francesca; Scaglia, Barbara; Sciarria, Tommy Pepè; D'Imporzano, Giuliana; Pognani, Michele; Alekseeva, Anna; Eisele, Giorgio; Cosentino, Cesare; Adani, Fabrizio

2017-01-01

In Europe, almost 87.6 million tonnes of food waste are produced. Despite the high biological value of food waste, traditional management solutions do not consider it as a precious resource. Many studies have reported the use of food waste for the production of high added value molecules. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) represent a class of interesting bio-polyesters accumulated by different bacterial cells, and has been proposed for production from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW). Nevertheless, until now, no attention has been paid to the entire biological process leading to the transformation of food waste to organic acids (OA) and then to PHA, getting high PHA yield per food waste unit. In particular, the acid-generating process needs to be optimized, maximizing OA production from OFMSW. To do so, a pilot-scale Anaerobic Percolation Biocell Reactor (100 L in volume) was used to produce an OA-rich percolate from OFMSW which was used subsequently to produce PHA. The optimized acidogenic process resulted in an OA production of 151 g kg -1 from fresh OFMSW. The subsequent optimization of PHA production from OA gave a PHA production, on average, of 223 ± 28 g kg -1 total OA fed. Total mass balance indicated, for the best case studied, a PHA production per OFMSW weight unit of 33.22 ± 4.2 g kg -1 from fresh OFMSW, corresponding to 114.4 ± 14.5 g kg -1 of total solids from OFMSW. PHA composition revealed a hydroxybutyrate/hydroxyvalerate (%) ratio of 53/47 and Mw of 8∙10 5 kDa with a low polydispersity index, i.e. 1.4. This work showed how by optimizing acidic fermentation it could be possible to get a large amount of OA from OFMSW to be then transformed into PHA. This step is important as it greatly affects the total final PHA yield. Data obtained in this work can be useful as the starting point for considering the economic feasibility of PHA production from OFMSW by using mixed culture.

Transcriptome sequencing of lentil based on second-generation technology permits large-scale unigene assembly and SSR marker discovery.

PubMed

Kaur, Sukhjiwan; Cogan, Noel O I; Pembleton, Luke W; Shinozuka, Maiko; Savin, Keith W; Materne, Michael; Forster, John W

2011-05-25

Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) is a cool-season grain legume which provides a rich source of protein for human consumption. In terms of genomic resources, lentil is relatively underdeveloped, in comparison to other Fabaceae species, with limited available data. There is hence a significant need to enhance such resources in order to identify novel genes and alleles for molecular breeding to increase crop productivity and quality. Tissue-specific cDNA samples from six distinct lentil genotypes were sequenced using Roche 454 GS-FLX Titanium technology, generating c. 1.38 × 106 expressed sequence tags (ESTs). De novo assembly generated a total of 15,354 contigs and 68,715 singletons. The complete unigene set was sequence-analysed against genome drafts of the model legume species Medicago truncatula and Arabidopsis thaliana to identify 12,639, and 7,476 unique matches, respectively. When compared to the genome of Glycine max, a total of 20,419 unique hits were observed corresponding to c. 31% of the known gene space. A total of 25,592 lentil unigenes were subsequently annoated from GenBank. Simple sequence repeat (SSR)-containing ESTs were identified from consensus sequences and a total of 2,393 primer pairs were designed. A subset of 192 EST-SSR markers was screened for validation across a panel 12 cultivated lentil genotypes and one wild relative species. A total of 166 primer pairs obtained successful amplification, of which 47.5% detected genetic polymorphism. A substantial collection of ESTs has been developed from sequence analysis of lentil genotypes using second-generation technology, permitting unigene definition across a broad range of functional categories. As well as providing resources for functional genomics studies, the unigene set has permitted significant enhancement of the number of publicly-available molecular genetic markers as tools for improvement of this species.

Mathematical modeling of Kluyveromyces marxianus growth in solid-state fermentation using a packed-bed bioreactor.

PubMed

Mazutti, Marcio A; Zabot, Giovani; Boni, Gabriela; Skovronski, Aline; de Oliveira, Débora; Di Luccio, Marco; Rodrigues, Maria Isabel; Maugeri, Francisco; Treichel, Helen

2010-04-01

This work investigated the growth of Kluyveromyces marxianus NRRL Y-7571 in solid-state fermentation in a medium composed of sugarcane bagasse, molasses, corn steep liquor and soybean meal within a packed-bed bioreactor. Seven experimental runs were carried out to evaluate the effects of flow rate and inlet air temperature on the following microbial rates: cell mass production, total reducing sugar and oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide and ethanol production, metabolic heat and water generation. A mathematical model based on an artificial neural network was developed to predict the above-mentioned microbial rates as a function of the fermentation time, initial total reducing sugar concentration, inlet and outlet air temperatures. The results showed that the microbial rates were temperature dependent for the range 27-50 degrees C. The proposed model efficiently predicted the microbial rates, indicating that the neural network approach could be used to simulate the microbial growth in SSF.

Changes in chemical composition of frozen coated fish products during deep-frying.

PubMed

Pérez-Palacios, Trinidad; Petisca, Catarina; Casal, Susana; Ferreira, Isabel M P L V O

2014-03-01

This work evaluates the influence of deep-frying coated fish products on total fat, fatty acid (FA) and amino acid profile, and on the formation of volatile compounds, with special attention on furan and its derivatives due to their potential harmful characteristics. As expected, deep-frying in sunflower oil increased linoleic acid content, but total fat amount increased only by 2% on a dry basis. Eicosapentanoic and docosahexanoic acids were preserved while γ- and α-linoleic acids were oxidised. Deep-frying also induces proteolysis, releasing free AA, and the formation of volatile compounds, particularly aldehydes and ketones arising from polyunsaturated FA. In addition, high quantities of furanic compounds, particularly furan and furfuryl alcohol, are generated during deep-frying coated fish. The breaded crust formed could contribute simultaneously for the low uptake of fat, preservation of long chain n-3 FA, and for the high amounts of furanic compounds formed during the deep-frying process.

The effects of moisture on molecular sieve oxygen concentrators.

PubMed

Ikels, K G; Theis, C F

1985-01-01

Molecular sieve oxygen generating systems are receiving extensive laboratory and flight evaluation. Assessment of the molecular system has generally been conducted in the laboratory using clean dry air. In aircraft, however, the molecular sieve generator is supplied with engine bleed air which may not always be totally free of contaminants and water. Recent studies using bed washout technics have shown that the molecular sieve units, with 50% of the beds deactivated with water, still function normally with respect to product gas flow and O2 concentration. By utilizing the technics described in this paper, the moisture content or state of hydration of the molecular sieve can readily be determined.

Effective utilization of ozone in plasma-based advanced oxidation process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takeuchi, Nozomi; Ishibashi, Naoto; Sugiyama, Tsuyoshi; Kim, Hyun-Ha

2018-05-01

Decomposition of acetic acid in water was conducted using multiple plasmas generated within oxygen bubbles. Ballast capacitors were used to control the plasma input power, allowing hydrogen peroxide and ozone to be produced at different rates in each plasma by adjusting the capacitance. By using an ozone absorber connected to the plasma reactor, OH radicals, both generated by the plasmas directly and reproduced from hydrogen peroxide through reactions with ozone, could be effectively utilized for the reduction of total organic carbon (TOC). Under the condition with the highest ozone production rate, higher processing speed and energy efficiency for the TOC reduction were achieved compared with other plasma methods.

Urea degradation by electrochemically generated reactive chlorine species: products and reaction pathways.

PubMed

Cho, Kangwoo; Hoffmann, Michael R

2014-10-07

This study investigated the transformation of urea by electrochemically generated reactive chlorine species (RCS). Solutions of urea with chloride ions were electrolyzed using a bismuth doped TiO2 (BiOx/TiO2) anode coupled with a stainless steel cathode at applied anodic potentials (Ea) of either +2.2 V or +3.0 V versus the normal hydrogen electrode. In NaCl solution, the current efficiency of RCS generation was near 30% at both potentials. In divided cell experiments, the pseudo-first-order rate of total nitrogen decay was an order of magnitude higher at Ea of +3.0 V than at +2.2 V, presumably because dichlorine radical (Cl2(-)·) ions facilitate the urea transformation primary driven by free chlorine. Quadrupole mass spectrometer analysis of the reactor headspace revealed that N2 and CO2 are the primary gaseous products of the oxidation of urea, whose urea-N was completely transformed into N2 (91%) and NO3(-) (9%). The higher reaction selectivity with respect to N2 production can be ascribed to a low operational ratio of free available chlorine to N. The mass-balance analysis recovered urea-C as CO2 at 77%, while CO generation most likely accounts for the residual carbon. In light of these results, we propose a reaction mechanism involving chloramines and chloramides as reaction intermediates, where the initial chlorination is the rate-determining step in the overall sequence of reactions.

Towards a better understanding of flood generation and surface water inundation mechanisms using NASA remote sensing data products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucey, J.; Reager, J. T., II; Lopez, S. R.

2017-12-01

Floods annually cause several weather-related fatalities and financial losses. According to NOAA and FEMA, there were 43 deaths and 18 billion dollars paid out in flood insurance policies during 2005. The goal of this work is to improve flood prediction and flood risk assessment by creating a general model of predictability of extreme runoff generation using various NASA products. Using satellite-based flood inundation observations, we can relate surface water formation processes to changes in other hydrological variables, such as precipitation, storage and soil moisture, and understand how runoff generation response to these forcings is modulated by local topography and land cover. Since it is known that a flood event would cause an abnormal increase in surface water, we examine these underlying physical relationships in comparison with the Dartmouth Flood Observatory archive of historic flood events globally. Using ground water storage observations (GRACE), precipitation (TRMM or GPCP), land use (MODIS), elevation (SRTM) and surface inundation levels (SWAMPS), an assessment of geological and climate conditions can be performed for any location around the world. This project utilizes multiple linear regression analysis evaluating the relationship between surface water inundation, total water storage anomalies and precipitation values, grouped by average slope or land use, to determine their statistical relationships and influences on inundation data. This research demonstrates the potential benefits of using global data products for early flood prediction and will improve our understanding of runoff generation processes.

Characteristics of Clinical Studies Conducted Over the Total Product Life Cycle of High-Risk Therapeutic Medical Devices Receiving FDA Premarket Approval in 2010 and 2011.

PubMed

Rathi, Vinay K; Krumholz, Harlan M; Masoudi, Frederick A; Ross, Joseph S

2015-08-11

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves high-risk medical devices, those that support or sustain human life or present potential unreasonable risk to patients, via the Premarket Approval (PMA) pathway. The generation of clinical evidence to understand device safety and effectiveness is shifting from predominantly premarket to continual study throughout the total product life cycle. To characterize the clinical evidence generated for high-risk therapeutic devices over the total product life cycle. All clinical studies of high-risk therapeutic devices receiving initial market approval via the PMA pathway in 2010 and 2011 identified through ClinicalTrials.gov and publicly available FDA documents as of October 2014. Studies were characterized by type (pivotal, studies that served as the basis of FDA approval; FDA-required postapproval studies [PAS]; or manufacturer/investigator-initiated); premarket or postmarket; status (completed, ongoing, or terminated/unknown); and design features, including enrollment, comparator, and longest duration of primary effectiveness end point follow-up. In 2010 and 2011, 28 high-risk therapeutic devices received initial marketing approval via the PMA pathway. We identified 286 clinical studies of these devices: 82 (28.7%) premarket and 204 (71.3%) postmarket, among which there were 52 (18.2%) nonpivotal premarket studies, 30 (10.5%) pivotal premarket studies, 33 (11.5%) FDA-required PAS, and 171 (59.8%) manufacturer/investigator-initiated postmarket studies. Six of 33 (18.2%) PAS and 20 of 171 (11.7%) manufacturer/investigator-initiated postmarket studies were reported as completed. No postmarket studies were identified for 5 (17.9%) devices; 3 or fewer were identified for 13 (46.4%) devices overall. Median enrollment was 65 patients (interquartile range [IQR], 25-111), 241 patients (IQR, 147-415), 222 patients (IQR, 119-640), and 250 patients (IQR, 60-800) for nonpivotal premarket, pivotal, FDA-required PAS, and manufacturer/investigator-initiated postmarket studies, respectively. Approximately half of all studies used no comparator (pivotal: 13/30 [43.3%]; completed postmarket: 16/26 [61.5%]; ongoing postmarket: 70/153 [45.8%]). Median duration of primary effectiveness end point follow-up was 3.0 months (IQR, 3.0-12.0), 9.0 months (IQR, 0.3-12.0), and 12.0 months (IQR, 7.0-24.0) for pivotal, completed postmarket, and ongoing postmarket studies, respectively. Among high-risk therapeutic devices approved via the FDA PMA pathway, total product life cycle evidence generation varied in both the number and quality of premarket and postmarket studies, with approximately 13% of initiated postmarket studies completed between 3 and 5 years after FDA approval.

Variability of Power from Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Scenarios in the State of Gujarat: Preprint

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Parsons, B.; Hummon, M.; Cochran, J.

2014-04-01

India has ambitious goals for high utilization of variable renewable power from wind and solar, and deployment has been proceeding at a rapid pace. The western state of Gujarat currently has the largest amount of solar generation of any Indian state, with over 855 Megawatts direct current (MWDC). Combined with over 3,240 MW of wind, variable generation renewables comprise nearly 18% of the electric-generating capacity in the state. A new historic 10-kilometer (km) gridded solar radiation data set capturing hourly insolation values for 2002-2011 is available for India. We apply an established method for downscaling hourly irradiance data to one-minutemore » irradiance data at potential PV power production locations for one year, 2006. The objective of this report is to characterize the intra-hour variability of existing and planned photovoltaic solar power generation in the state of Gujarat (a total of 1.9 gigawatts direct current (GWDC)), and of five possible expansion scenarios of solar generation that reflect a range of geographic diversity (each scenario totals 500-1,000 MW of additional solar capacity). The report statistically analyzes one year's worth of power variability data, applied to both the baseline and expansion scenarios, to evaluate diurnal and seasonal power fluctuations, different timescales of variability (e.g., from one to 15 minutes), the magnitude of variability (both total megawatts and relative to installed solar capacity), and the extent to which the variability can be anticipated in advance. The paper also examines how Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation (GETCO) and the Gujarat State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC) could make use of the solar variability profiles in grid operations and planning.« less

The influence of total solids content and initial pH on batch biohydrogen production by solid substrate fermentation of agroindustrial wastes.

PubMed

Robledo-Narváez, Paula N; Muñoz-Páez, Karla M; Poggi-Varaldo, Hector M; Ríos-Leal, Elvira; Calva-Calva, Graciano; Ortega-Clemente, L Alfredo; Rinderknecht-Seijas, Noemí; Estrada-Vázquez, Carlos; Ponce-Noyola, M Teresa; Salazar-Montoya, J Alfredo

2013-10-15

Hydrogen is a valuable clean energy source, and its production by biological processes is attractive and environmentally sound and friendly. In México 5 million tons/yr of agroindustrial wastes are generated; these residues are rich in fermentable organic matter that can be used for hydrogen production. On the other hand, batch, intermittently vented, solid substrate fermentation of organic waste has attracted interest in the last 10 years. Thus the objective of our work was to determine the effect of initial total solids content and initial pH on H2 production in batch fermentation of a substrate that consisted of a mixture of sugarcane bagasse, pineapple peelings, and waste activated sludge. The experiment was a response surface based on 2(2) factorial with central and axial points with initial TS (15-35%) and initial pH (6.5-7.5) as factors. Fermentation was carried out at 35 °C, with intermittent venting of minireactors and periodic flushing with inert N2 gas. Up to 5 cycles of H2 production were observed; the best treatment in our work showed cumulative H2 productions (ca. 3 mmol H2/gds) with 18% and 6.65 initial TS and pH, respectively. There was a significant effect of TS on production of hydrogen, the latter decreased with initial TS increase from 18% onwards. Cumulative H2 productions achieved in this work were higher than those reported for organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) and mixtures of OFMSW and fruit peels waste from fruit juice industry, using the same process. Specific energetic potential due to H2 in our work was attractive and fell in the high side of the range of reported results in the open literature. Batch dark fermentation of agrowastes as practiced in our work could be useful for future biorefineries that generate biohydrogen as a first step and could influence the management of this type of agricultural wastes in México and other countries and regions as well. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wastewater reuse in liquid sodium silicate manufacturing in alexandria, egypt.

PubMed

Ismail, Gaber A; Abd El-Salam, Magda M; Arafa, Anwar K

2009-01-01

Soluble sodium silicates (waterglass) are liquids containing dissolved glass which have some water like properties. They are widely used in industry as sealants, binders, deflocculants, emulsifiers and buffers. Their most common applications in Egypt are in the pulp and paper industry (where they improve the brightness and efficiency of peroxide bleaching) and the detergent industry, in which they improve the action of the detergent and lower the viscosity of liquid soaps. The survey results showed that the production was carried out batch-wise, in an autoclave (dissolver). Sodium silicate in the state of crushed glass was charged in an autoclave (dissolver) with sodium hydroxide and water. The product is filtered through a press. The left over sludge (mud and silicates impurities) is emptied into the local sewer system. Also, sludge (silica gel) was discharged from the neutralization process of the generated alkaline wastewater and consequently clogging the sewerage system. So this study was carried out to modify the current wastewater management system which eliminates sludge formation, the discharge of higher pH wastewater to the sewer system, and to assess its environmental and economic benefits. To assess the characteristics of wastewater to be reused, physico-chemical parameters of 12 samples were tested using standard methods. The survey results showed that a total capacity of the selected enterprise was 540 tons of liquid sodium silicates monthly. The total amount of wastewater being discharged was 335 m3/month. Reusing of wastewater as feed autoclave water reduced water consumption of 32.1% and reduced wastewater discharge/month that constitutes 89.6% as well as saving in final product of 6 ton/month. It was concluded that reusing of wastewater generated from liquid sodium silicate manufacturing process resulted in cheaper and environmental-friendly product.

Strain selection of microalgae isolated from Tunisian coast: characterization of the lipid profile for potential biodiesel production.

PubMed

Gnouma, Asma; Sehli, Emna; Medhioub, Walid; Ben Dhieb, Rym; Masri, Mahmoud; Mehlmer, Norbert; Slimani, Wissem; Sebai, Khaled; Zouari, Amel; Brück, Thomas; Medhioub, Amel

2018-06-26

Microalgae could be of importance for future biodiesel production as an alternative for a third generation of biofuels. To select the most appropriate strain for biodiesel production, three microalgae species, namely Isochrysis sp., Nannochloropsis maritima and Tetraselmis sp., isolated from Tunisian coast, were biochemically characterized. Initially, gas chromatography analysis showed that Isochrysis sp. and N. maritima contained 5- and 10-fold total fatty acids, respectively, more than Tetraselmis sp. Then, the two microalgae Isochrysis sp. and N. maritima were subject to random mutagenesis using ultraviolet-C radiation. Subsequently, a total of 18 mutants were obtained from both species. The neutral lipid evaluation on said 18 mutants allowed the retention of only 7 to further fatty acid characterization. Finally, gas chromatography revealed that the mutant 5c Isochrysis sp. was characterized by a high level of saturated fatty acids (52.3%), higher amount of monounsaturated fatty acids (29.3%), lower level of polyunsaturated fatty acids (18.4%) and a significant 1.3-fold increase in its C16-C18 content compared to the wild-type strain, which would make it an interesting candidate for biofuel production.

Phenomenology of the Higgs effective Lagrangian via F eynR ules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alloul, Adam; Fuks, Benjamin; Sanz, Verónica

2014-04-01

The Higgs discovery and the lack of any other hint for new physics favor a description of non-standard Higgs physics in terms of an effective field theory. We present an implementation of a general Higgs effective Lagrangian containing operators up to dimension six in the framework of F eynR ules and provide details on the translation between the mass and interaction bases, in particular for three- and four-point interaction vertices involving Higgs and gauge bosons. We illustrate the strengths of this implementation by using the UFO interface of F eynR ules capable to generate model files that can be understood by the M adG raph 5 event generator and that have the specificity to contain all interaction vertices, without any restriction on the number of external legs or on the complexity of the Lorentz structures. We then investigate several new physics effects in total rates and differential distributions for different Higgs production modes, including gluon fusion, associated production with a gauge boson and di-Higgs production. We finally study contact interactions of gauge and Higgs bosons to fermions.

Learning from examples - Generation and evaluation of decision trees for software resource analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Selby, Richard W.; Porter, Adam A.

1988-01-01

A general solution method for the automatic generation of decision (or classification) trees is investigated. The approach is to provide insights through in-depth empirical characterization and evaluation of decision trees for software resource data analysis. The trees identify classes of objects (software modules) that had high development effort. Sixteen software systems ranging from 3,000 to 112,000 source lines were selected for analysis from a NASA production environment. The collection and analysis of 74 attributes (or metrics), for over 4,700 objects, captured information about the development effort, faults, changes, design style, and implementation style. A total of 9,600 decision trees were automatically generated and evaluated. The trees correctly identified 79.3 percent of the software modules that had high development effort or faults, and the trees generated from the best parameter combinations correctly identified 88.4 percent of the modules on the average.

Total petroleum hydrocarbon degradation by hybrid electrobiochemical reactor in oilfield produced water.

PubMed

Mousa, Ibrahim E

2016-08-15

The crude oil drilling and extraction operations are aimed to maximize the production may be counterbalanced by the huge production of contaminated produced water (PW). PW is conventionally treated through different physical, chemical, and biological technologies. The efficiency of suggested hybrid electrobiochemical (EBC) methods for the simultaneous removal of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) and sulfate from PW generated by petroleum industry is studied. Also, the factors that affect the stability of PW quality are investigated. The results indicated that the effect of biological treatment is very important to keep control of the electrochemical by-products and more TPH removal in the EBC system. The maximum TPH and sulfate removal efficiency was achieved 75% and 25.3%, respectively when the detention time was about 5.1min and the energy consumption was 32.6mA/cm(2). However, a slight increasing in total bacterial count was observed when the EBC compact unit worked at a flow rate of average 20L/h. Pseudo steady state was achieved after 30min of current application in the solution. Also, the results of the study indicate that when the current intensity was increased above optimum level, no significant results occurred due to the release of gases. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Historical trends in human resource issues of hospital nursing in the past generation.

PubMed

Tzeng, Huey-Ming; Yin, Chang-Yi

2009-01-01

Strategic management of human resource in health care is indeed important to delivering high-quality care. Despite the fact that the nursing profession is growing and becoming more and more sophisticated, human resource issues have not changed in a dramatically significant way in the past generation. The aim of this study was to identify the historical trends in human resource issues related to hospital nursing in the past generation from 1977 to 2006. A total of 10,691 records were reviewed, resulting in 1,799 valid records that addressed human resource issues related to hospital nursing. Content analyses were conducted and a typology of human resource issues was developed. Productivity, work content and flow, and occupational hazards were the three most often reported themes.

Electrolytic extraction drives volatile fatty acid chain elongation through lactic acid and replaces chemical pH control in thin stillage fermentation.

PubMed

Andersen, Stephen J; Candry, Pieter; Basadre, Thais; Khor, Way Cern; Roume, Hugo; Hernandez-Sanabria, Emma; Coma, Marta; Rabaey, Korneel

2015-01-01

Volatile fatty acids (VFA) are building blocks for the chemical industry. Sustainable, biological production is constrained by production and recovery costs, including the need for intensive pH correction. Membrane electrolysis has been developed as an in situ extraction technology tailored to the direct recovery of VFA from fermentation while stabilizing acidogenesis without caustic addition. A current applied across an anion exchange membrane reduces the fermentation broth (catholyte, water reduction: H2O + e(-) → ½ H2 + OH(-)) and drives carboxylate ions into a clean, concentrated VFA stream (anolyte, water oxidation: H2O → 2e(-) + 2 H(+) + O2). In this study, we fermented thin stillage to generate a mixed VFA extract without chemical pH control. Membrane electrolysis (0.1 A, 3.22 ± 0.60 V) extracted 28 ± 6 % of carboxylates generated per day (on a carbon basis) and completely replaced caustic control of pH, with no impact on the total carboxylate production amount or rate. Hydrogen generated from the applied current shifted the fermentation outcome from predominantly C2 and C3 VFA (64 ± 3 % of the total VFA present in the control) to majority of C4 to C6 (70 ± 12 % in the experiment), with identical proportions in the VFA acid extract. A strain related to Megasphaera elsdenii (maximum abundance of 57 %), a bacteria capable of producing mid-chain VFA at a high rate, was enriched by the applied current, alongside a stable community of Lactobacillus spp. (10 %), enabling chain elongation of VFA through lactic acid. A conversion of 30 ± 5 % VFA produced per sCOD fed (60 ± 10 % of the reactive fraction) was achieved, with a 50 ± 6 % reduction in suspended solids likely by electro-coagulation. VFA can be extracted directly from a fermentation broth by membrane electrolysis. The electrolytic water reduction products are utilized in the fermentation: OH(-) is used for pH control without added chemicals, and H2 is metabolized by species such as Megasphaera elsdenii to produce greater value, more reduced VFA. Electro-fermentation displays promise for generating added value chemical co-products from biorefinery sidestreams and wastes.

Titanium recycling in the United States in 2004, chap. Y of Sibley, S.F., ed., Flow studies for recycling metal commodities in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Goonan, Thomas G.

2010-01-01

As one of a series of reports that describe the recycling of metal commodities in the United States, this report discusses the titanium metal fraction of the titanium economy, which generates and uses titanium metal scrap in its operations. Data for 2004 were selected to demonstrate the titanium flows associated with these operations. This report includes a description of titanium metal supply and demand in the United States to illustrate the extent of titanium recycling and to identify recycling trends. In 2004, U.S. apparent consumption of titanium metal (contained in various titanium-bearing products) was 45,000 metric tons (t) of titanium, which was distributed as follows: 25,000 t of titanium recovered as new scrap, 9,000 t of titanium as titanium metal and titanium alloy products delivered to the U.S. titanium products reservoir, 7,000 t of titanium consumed by steelmaking and other industries, and 4,000 t of titanium contained in unwrought and wrought products exported. Titanium recycling is concentrated within the titanium metals sector of the total titanium market. The titanium market is otherwise dominated by pigment (titanium oxide) products, which generate dissipative losses instead of recyclable scrap. In 2004, scrap (predominantly new scrap) was the source of roughly 54 percent of the titanium metal content of U.S.-produced titanium metal products.

Greening the Grid: Advances in Production Cost Modeling for India Renewable Energy Grid Integration Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cochran, Jaquelin; Palchak, David

The Greening the Grid: Pathways to Integrate 175 Gigawatts of Renewable Energy into India's Electric Grid study uses advanced weather and power system modeling to explore the operational impacts of meeting India's 2022 renewable energy targets and identify actions that may be favorable for integrating high levels of renewable energy into the Indian grid. The study relies primarily on a production cost model that simulates optimal scheduling and dispatch of available generation in a future year (2022) by minimizing total production costs subject to physical, operational, and market constraints. This fact sheet provides a detailed look at each of thesemore » models, including their common assumptions and the insights provided by each.« less

Effects of dehydration methods on quality characteristics of yellow passion fruit co-products.

PubMed

Silva, Neiton C; Duarte, Claudio R; Barrozo, Marcos As

2017-11-01

The production and processing of fruits generate a large amount of residues, which are usually disposed of or under-used, representing losses of raw material and energy. The present paper investigates the effect of four dehydration techniques (convective, infrared, microwave and freeze-drying) on yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa) co-products and the influence of the main variables on moisture removal and bioactive compounds. The compounds analyzed were total phenolics, total flavonoids, ascorbic acid and pectin. The content of phenolics and flavonoids increased after dehydration in all techniques investigated and the process temperatures directly affected the ascorbic acid content. Microwave dehydration showed the best results for most bioactive compounds analyzed, if performed in suitable process conditions. However, the highest levels of pectin content were obtained by freeze-drying and convective dehydration. This study reinforces the importance of the adequate use of passion fruit co-products due to the high levels of bioactive compounds in this material. Microwave dehydration presented the best results, which indicates the potential use of this technique for a better exploitation of fruit co-products. Larger quantities of pectin were extracted from samples dehydrated through methodologies with long-time process and low temperatures, such as convective drying and freeze-drying. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Complete Nutrient Removal Coupled to Nitrous Oxide Production as a Bioenergy Source by Denitrifying Polyphosphate-Accumulating Organisms.

PubMed

Gao, Han; Liu, Miaomiao; Griffin, James S; Xu, Longcheng; Xiang, Da; Scherson, Yaniv D; Liu, Wen-Tso; Wells, George F

2017-04-18

Coupled aerobic-anoxic nitrous decomposition operation (CANDO) is a promising emerging bioprocess for wastewater treatment that enables direct energy recovery from nitrogen (N) in three steps: (1) ammonium oxidation to nitrite; (2) denitrification of nitrite to nitrous oxide (N 2 O); and (3) N 2 O conversion to N 2 with energy generation. However, CANDO does not currently target phosphorus (P) removal. Here, we demonstrate that denitrifying polyphosphate-accumulating organism (PAO) enrichment cultures are capable of catalyzing simultaneous biological N and P removal coupled to N 2 O generation in a second generation CANDO process, CANDO+P. Over 7 months (>300 cycles) of operation of a prototype lab-scale CANDO+P sequencing batch reactor treating synthetic municipal wastewater, we observed stable and near-complete N removal accompanied by sustained high-rate, high-yield N 2 O production with partial P removal. A substantial increase in abundance of the PAO Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis was observed, increasing from 5% of the total bacterial community in the inoculum to over 50% after 4 months. PAO enrichment was accompanied by a strong shift in the dominant Accumulibacter population from clade IIC to clade IA, based on qPCR monitoring of polyphosphate kinase 1 (ppk1) gene variants. Our work demonstrates the feasibility of combining high-rate, high-yield N 2 O production for bioenergy production with combined N and P removal from wastewater, and it further suggests a putative denitrifying PAO niche for Accumulibacter clade IA.

Production costs and operative margins in electric energy generation from biogas. Full-scale case studies in Italy.

PubMed

Riva, C; Schievano, A; D'Imporzano, G; Adani, F

2014-08-01

The purpose of this study was to observe the economic sustainability of three different biogas full scale plants, fed with different organic matrices: energy crops (EC), manure, agro-industrial (Plants B and C) and organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) (Plant A). The plants were observed for one year and total annual biomass feeding, biomass composition and biomass cost (€ Mg(-1)), initial investment cost and plant electric power production were registered. The unit costs of biogas and electric energy (€ Sm(-3)biogas, € kWh(-1)EE) were differently distributed, depending on the type of feed and plant. Plant A showed high management/maintenance cost for OFMSW treatment (0.155 € Sm(-3)biogas, 45% of total cost), Plant B suffered high cost for EC supply (0.130 € Sm(-3)biogas, 49% of total cost) and Plant C showed higher impact on the total costs because of the depreciation charge (0.146 € Sm(-3)biogas, 41% of total costs). The breakeven point for the tariff of electric energy, calculated for the different cases, resulted in the range 120-170 € MWh(-1)EE, depending on fed materials and plant scale. EC had great impact on biomass supply costs and should be reduced, in favor of organic waste and residues; plant scale still heavily influences the production costs. The EU States should drive incentives in dependence of these factors, to further develop this still promising sector. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Analysis of productivity, quality and cost of first grade laboratories: blood biometry].

PubMed

Avila, L; Hernández, P; Cruz, A; Zurita, B; Terres, A M; Cruz, C

1999-04-01

Assessment of productivity, quality and production costs and determination of the efficiency of top grade clinical laboratories in Mexico. Ten laboratories were selected from among the total number (52) existing in Mexico City, and the Donabedian model of structure, process and results were applied. Blood count was selected as a tracer. The principal problems found were: inadequate distribution of trained human resources, poor glass material, inadequate analytic process and low productivity. These factors are reflected in the unit costs, which exceed reference laboratory costs by 200%. Only 50% of the laboratories analyzed generate reliable results. Only 20% of the laboratories studied operate efficiently. To solve the problems identified requires integral strategies at different levels. A specific recomendation for the improvement of quality and productivity is an assessment of the cost/benefit of creating a central laboratory and using the remaining sites exclusively for the collection of samples.

Total quality management: Strengths and barriers to implementation and cultural adaptation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Siegfeldt, Denise V.; Glenn, Michael; Hamilton, Louise

1992-01-01

NASA/Langley Research Center (LaRC) is in the process of implementing Total Quality Management (TQM) throughout the organization in order to improve productivity and make the Center an even better place to work. The purpose of this project was to determine strengths and barriers to TQM being implemented and becoming a part of the organizational culture of the Human Resources Management Division (HRMD) at Langley. The target population for this project was both supervisory and nonsupervisory staff of the HMRD. In order to generate data on strengths and barriers to TQM implementation and cultural adaptation, a modified nominal group technique was used.

The Determination of Production and Distribution Policy in Push-Pull Production Chain with Supply Hub as the Junction Point

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinaga, A. T.; Wangsaputra, R.

2018-03-01

The development of technology causes the needs of products and services become increasingly complex, diverse, and fluctuating. This causes the level of inter-company dependencies within a production chains increased. To be able to compete, efficiency improvements need to be done collaboratively in the production chain network. One of the efforts to increase efficiency is to harmonize production and distribution activities in the production chain network. This paper describes the harmonization of production and distribution activities by applying the use of push-pull system and supply hub in the production chain between two companies. The research methodology begins with conducting empirical and literature studies, formulating research questions, developing mathematical models, conducting trials and analyses, and taking conclusions. The relationship between the two companies is described in the MINLP mathematical model with the total cost of production chain as the objective function. Decisions generated by the mathematical models are the size of production lot, size of delivery lot, number of kanban, frequency of delivery, and the number of understock and overstock lot.

Consumption patterns and household hazardous solid waste generation in an urban settlement in México.

PubMed

Otoniel, Buenrostro Delgado; Liliana, Márquez-Benavides; Francelia, Pinette Gaona

2008-01-01

Mexico is currently facing a crisis in the waste management field. Some efforts have just commenced in urban and in rural settlements, e.g., conversion of open dumps into landfills, a relatively small composting culture, and implementation of source separation and plastic recycling strategies. Nonetheless, the high heterogeneity of components in the waste, many of these with hazardous properties, present the municipal collection services with serious problems, due to the risks to the health of the workers and to the impacts to the environment as a result of the inadequate disposition of these wastes. A generation study in the domestic sector was undertaken with the aim of finding out the composition and the generation rate of household hazardous waste (HHW) produced at residences. Simultaneously to the generation study, a socioeconomic survey was applied to determine the influence of income level on the production of HHW. Results from the solid waste generation analysis indicated that approximately 1.6% of the waste stream consists of HHW. Correspondingly, it was estimated that in Morelia, a total amount of 442ton/day of domestic waste are produced, including 7.1ton of HHW per day. Furthermore, the overall amount of HHW is not directly related to income level, although particular byproducts do correlate. However, an important difference was observed, as the brands and the presentation sizes of goods and products used in each socioeconomic stratum varied.

Micro-hydrokinetic turbine potential for sustainable power generation in Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salleh, M. B.; Kamaruddin, N. M.; Mohamed-Kassim, Z.

2018-05-01

Micro-hydrokinetic turbine (μ-HKT) technology is considered a viable option for sustainable, green and low cost power production. In recent years, there is growing number of research and development on this technology to replace conventional power production systems such as fossil fuel as well as to provide off-grid electrification to communities in remote areas. This paper provides an overview of μ-HKT system, the implementation of the technology and the potential of using μ-HKT in Malaysia. A review on the climate in Malaysia shows that its average annual rainfall is higher than the world’s average annual rainfall. It contributes to the total hydropower resource of about 29,000 MW which is available all year-round. Currently, hydropower resource contributes only 7.4% of the total electrical power production in Malaysia but is expected to increase with the main contribution coming from μ-HKT. However, the μ-HKT technology has not been adopted in Malaysia due to some challenges that hinder the development of the system. This paper reviews the μ-HKT technology and its potential for application in Malaysia, particularly in remote areas.

Updates to the Corn Ethanol Pathway and Development of an Integrated Corn and Corn Stover Ethanol Pathway in the GREET™ Model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Zhichao; Dunn, Jennifer B.; Wang, Michael Q.

Corn ethanol, a first-generation biofuel, is the predominant biofuel in the United States. In 2013, the total U.S. ethanol fuel production was 13.3 billion gallons, over 95% of which was produced from corn (RFA, 2014). The 2013 total renewable fuel mandate was 16.6 billion gallons according to the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) (U.S. Congress, 2007). Furthermore, until 2020, corn ethanol will make up a large portion of the renewable fuel volume mandated by Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2). For the GREET1_2014 release, the corn ethanol pathway was subject to updates reflecting changes in corn agriculture and at corn ethanolmore » plants. In the latter case, we especially focused on the incorporation of corn oil as a corn ethanol plant co-product. Section 2 covers these updates. In addition, GREET now includes options to integrate corn grain and corn stover ethanol production on the field and at the biorefinery. These changes are the focus of Section 3.« less

Photochemical generation and decay kinetics of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide in the presence of standard humic and fulvic acids.

PubMed

Fujii, Manabu; Otani, Erika

2017-10-15

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide (O 2 - ) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) can be photochemically generated in aerobic waters containing natural organic matters (NOM) such as humic substances (HS). To investigate the effect of NOM molecular composition on the kinetics and mechanism of ROS transformation, photochemical O 2 - generation and subsequent H 2 O 2 production via catalyzed and uncatalyzed (bimolecular dismutation) O 2 - decay were examined in the presence of 14 types of HS (pH 8.0). By using chemiluminescence and colorimetric techniques, the photochemical O 2 - generation rate, quasi-steady-state O 2 - concentration, catalyzed and uncatalyzed O 2 - decay rates, and H 2 O 2 production rate were found to vary significantly by factors of 72, 18, 14, 320, and 7.7, respectively, depending on the type of HS and degree of photolysis. For more than half of the HS samples, both uncatalyzed and catalyzed reductive decay of photogenerated O 2 - were significantly involved in H 2 O 2 generation, and their rates were comparable to those for O 2 - oxidative decay in which H 2 O 2 is not generated. These results suggest that the chemical quality of HS influenced the H 2 O 2 generation pathway. Correlation analyses indicated that rate constants associated with HS-mediated photochemical O 2 - and H 2 O 2 generation are significantly correlated with HS molecular composition including total and aromatic C contents. In particular, practical indices representing NOM aromaticity including specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA) can be useful for predicting NOM-mediated ROS generation and decay kinetics. Overall, the present work suggests that NOM concentration and its quality influence NOM-mediated ROS dynamics in aqueous systems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nitrous oxide production from soils amended with biogas residues and cattle slurry.

PubMed

Abubaker, J; Odlare, M; Pell, M

2013-07-01

The amount of residues generated from biogas production has increased dramatically due to the worldwide interest in renewable energy. A common way to handle the residues is to use them as fertilizers in crop production. Application of biogas residues to agricultural soils may be accompanied with environmental risks, such as increased NO emission. In 24-d laboratory experiments, NO dynamics and total production were studied in arable soils (sandy, clay, and organic) amended with one of two types of anaerobically digested biogas residues (BR-A and BR-B) generated from urban and agricultural waste and nondigested cattle slurry (CS) applied at rates corresponding to 70 kg NH-N ha. Total NO-N losses from the sandy soil were higher after amendment with BR-B (0.32 g NO-N m) than BR-A or CS (0.02 and 0.18 g NO-N m, respectively). In the clay soil, NO-N losses were very low for CS (0.02 g NO-N m) but higher for BR-A and BR-B (0.25 and 0.15 g NO-N m, respectively). In the organic soil, CS gave higher total NO-N losses (0.31 g NO-N m) than BR-A or BR-B (0.09 and 0.08 g NO-N m, respectively). Emission peaks differed considerably between soils, occurring on Day 1 in the organic soil and on Days 11 to 15 in the sand, whereas in the clay the peak varied markedly (Days 1, 6, and 13) depending on residue type. In all treatments, NH concentration decreased with time, and NO concentration increased. Potential ammonium oxidation and potential denitrification activity increased significantly in the amended sandy soil but not in the organic soil and only in the clay amended with CS. The results showed that fertilization with BR can increase NO emissions and that the size is dependent on the total N and organic C content of the slurry and on soil type. In conclusion, the two types of BR and the CS are not interchangeable regarding their effects on NO production in different soils, and, hence, matching fertilizer type to soil type could reduce NO emissions. For instance, it could be advisable to avoid fertilization of organic soils with CS containing high amounts or organic C and instead use BR. In clay soil, however, the risk of NO emissions could be lowered by choosing a CS. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Capacity of biochar application to maintain energy crop productivity: soil chemistry, sorghum growth, and runoff water quality effects.

PubMed

Schnell, Ronnie W; Vietor, Donald M; Provin, Tony L; Munster, Clyde L; Capareda, Sergio

2012-01-01

Pyrolysis of crop biomass generates a by-product, biochar, which can be recycled to sustain nutrient and organic C concentrations in biomass production fields. We evaluated effects of biochar rate and application method on soil properties, nutrient balance, biomass production, and water quality. Three replications of eight sorghum [ (L.) Moench] treatments were installed in box lysimeters under greenhouse conditions. Treatments comprised increasing rates (0, 1.5, and 3.0 Mg ha) of topdressed or incorporated biochar supplemented with N fertilizer or N, P, and K fertilizer. Simulated rain was applied at 21 and 34 d after planting, and mass runoff loss of N, P, and K was measured. A mass balance of total N, P, and K was performed after 45 d. Returning 3.0 Mg ha of biochar did not affect sorghum biomass, soil total, or Mehlich-3-extractable nutrients compared to control soil. Yet, biochar contributed to increased concentration of dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) and mass loss of total phosphorus (TP) in simulated runoff, especially if topdressed. It was estimated that up to 20% of TP in topdressed biochar was lost in surface runoff after two rain events. Poor recovery of nutrients during pyrolysis and excessive runoff loss of nutrients for topdressed biochar, especially K, resulted in negative nutrient balances. Efforts to conserve nutrients during pyrolysis and incorporation of biochar at rates derived from annual biomass yields will be necessary for biochar use in sustainable energy crop production. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Application of geographic information systems to the analysis of the solid waste production on the city of Bogotá (Colombia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solano Meza, Johanna; Romero Hernandez, Claudia; Rodrigo Ilarri, Javier

2017-04-01

One of the main environmental issues to address in the Capital City of Bogotá (Colombia) is the increasing production of solid waste. Despite significant efforts have been made to implement an integral solid waste system management, the current management methods do not provide a permanent alternative to minimize waste production. According to the most recent data, Bogotá is producing almost 2,7 Mt/year of solid waste and only 17,12% of this amount is reused. This means that 82,88% of the waste production has to be disposed on the municipal landfill which has an estimated life of 7,6 years [1]. Bogotá is nowadays running the so-called Zero Waste Program, which tries to run an adequate solid waste management scheme while updating the most recent Integral Solid Waste Management Plan (ISWMP). However, various strategies and methodologies are still needed to fulfill their objetives. The analysis of the solid waste production inside the city using geographic information systems (GIS) is one of the available strategies that may contribute to the environmental impacts minimization, acting at the same time as a decission support tool. These techniques have already been used to the analysis and optimization of the waste collection routes and the location of waste disposal sites. They allow to visualize the critical urban zones with increasing waste production so the next steps of the management process can be properly designed (collection, trasnport routes design, location of treatment facilities and final waste disposal sites). The estimation of the urban solid waste generation is done applying different mathematical and statistical methods, which are based on the relation between the total population of the city and the per capita waste production. GIS methods allow i) to determine the total amount of waste generated as a function of the population increasement and ii) provide a full view of the zones where priority actions are needed as they take into account both the geographical and spatial component. The behaviour of the waste generation is explained considering also the socieconomic stratiphication. Results show in this research are obtained using ArcGIS considering the official 2005 census population, the population estimation in 2020, the amount of waste recycled and disposed on the municipal landfill and the socioeconomical of the different urban areas following the local waste management plans and programs. [1]Technical Support document, Solid Waste Management Plan of Bogotá D.C. Alcaldía Mayor de Bogotá, November 2016.

Linking the Agricultural Production and Climate Change in Central Asia: 1991-2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tatarskii, V.; Shemyakina, O.; Sokolik, I. N.

2016-12-01

We present results of the impact of climate change on the agricultural output in Central Asia (CA) since 1991. While profit-maximizing farmers in the market based economies would be expected to change their cropping patterns fairly fast in response to climate change, we do not expect that to happen in the CA region that was for a long time driven by Soviet production plans with a limited room for personal choice. We explore the relationship between the agricultural productivity (measured by the actual output) and the variations in average monthly temperatures during growing seasons and precipitation. The climate data for Central Asia are generated using the Weather Research (WRF) Model for 1985-2012. We make use of data on air temperature on 2m height, C, and total precipitation. The data on the agricultural production comes from the State Statistical Agencies of the three Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Data on agricultural production for Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are not available from online government sources. We model the agricultural production as a function of annual realization of weather in a specific region. This economic approach includes converting daily temperature into degree days, which represents heating units. The two key weather variables are a measure of heat (degree days) and total precipitation in the growing season, April 1st to October 30th. Preliminary regression results estimated for Kazakhstan, indicate that degree days during growing season is negatively and total precipitation is positively associated with the agricultural output. Both coefficients are not statistically significant. Further analysis will include data from other countries and also by the region.

Coordinated release of acylation stimulating protein (ASP) and triacylglycerol clearance by human adipose tissue in vivo in the postprandial period.

PubMed

Saleh, J; Summers, L K; Cianflone, K; Fielding, B A; Sniderman, A D; Frayn, K N

1998-04-01

The objective of this study was to determine whether Acylation Stimulating Protein (ASP) is generated in vivo by human adipose tissue during the postprandial period. After a fat meal, samples from 12 subjects were obtained (up to 6 h) from an arterialized hand vein and an anterior abdominal wall vein that drains adipose tissue. Veno-arterial (V-A) gradients across the subcutaneous adipose tissue bed were calculated. The data demonstrate that ASP is produced in vivo (positive V-A gradient) With maximal production at 3-5 h postprandially. The plasma triacylglycerol (TAG) clearance was evidenced by a negative V-A gradient. It increased substantially after 3 h and remained prominent until the final time point. There was, therefore, a close temporal coordination between ASP generation and TAG clearance. In contrast, plasma insulin and non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) had an early (1-2 h) postprandial change. Fatty acid incorporation into adipose tissue (FIAT) was calculated from V-A glycerol and non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) differences postprandially. FIAT was negative during the first hour, implying net fat mobilization. FIAT then became increasingly positive, implying net fat deposition, and overall followed the same time course as ASP and TAG clearance. There was a direct positive correlation between total ASP production and total FIAT (r = 0.566, P < 0.05). These data demonstrate that ASP is generated in vivo by human adipocytes and that this process is accentuated postprandially, supporting the concept that ASP plays an important role in clearance of TAG from plasma and fatty acid storage in adipose tissue.

Community pediatric hospitalists providing care in the emergency department: an analysis of physician productivity and financial performance.

PubMed

Dudas, Robert A; Monroe, David; McColligan Borger, Melissa

2011-11-01

Community hospital pediatric inpatient programs are being threatened by current financial and demographic trends. We describe a model of care and report on the financial implications associated with combining emergency department (ED) and inpatient care of pediatric patients. We determine whether this type of model could generate sufficient revenue to support physician salaries for continuous in-house coverage in community hospitals. Financial productivity and selected performance indicators were obtained from a retrospective review of registration and billing records. Data were obtained from 2 community-based pediatric hospitalist programs, which are part of a single health system and included care delivered in the ED and inpatient settings during a 1-year period from July 1, 2008, to July 1, 2009. Together, the combined programs were able to generate 6079 total relative value units and collections of $244,828 annually per full-time equivalent (FTE). Salary, benefits, and practice expenses totaled $235,674 per FTE. Thus, combined daily revenues exceeded expenses and provided 104% of physician salary, benefits, and practice expenses. However, 1 program generated a net profit of $329,715 ($40,706 per FTE), whereas the other recorded a loss of $207,969 ($39,994 per FTE). Emergency department throughput times and left-without-being-seen rates at both programs were comparable to national benchmarks. Incorporating ED care into a pediatric hospitalist program can be an effective strategy to maintain the financial viability of pediatric services at community hospitals with low inpatient volumes that seek to provide 24-hour pediatric staffing.

Fresh, frozen, or ambient food equivalents and their impact on food waste generation in Dutch households.

PubMed

Janssen, Anke M; Nijenhuis-de Vries, Mariska A; Boer, Eric P J; Kremer, Stefanie

2017-09-01

In Europe, it is estimated that more than 50% of total food waste - of which most is avoidable - is generated at household level. Little attention has been paid to the impact on food waste generation of consuming food products that differ in their method of food preservation. This exploratory study surveyed product-specific possible impacts of different methods of food preservation on food waste generation in Dutch households. To this end, a food waste index was calculated to enable relative comparisons of the amounts of food waste from the same type of foods with different preservation methods on an annual basis. The results show that, for the majority of frozen food equivalents, smaller amounts were wasted compared to their fresh or ambient equivalents. The waste index (WI) proposed in the current paper confirms the hypothesis that it may be possible to reduce the amount of food waste at household level by encouraging Dutch consumers to use (certain) foods more frequently in a frozen form (instead of fresh or ambient). However, before this approach can be scaled to population level, a more detailed understanding of the underlying behavioural causes with regard to food provisioning and handling and possible interactions is required. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Is semantic verbal fluency impairment explained by executive function deficits in schizophrenia?

PubMed

Berberian, Arthur A; Moraes, Giovanna V; Gadelha, Ary; Brietzke, Elisa; Fonseca, Ana O; Scarpato, Bruno S; Vicente, Marcella O; Seabra, Alessandra G; Bressan, Rodrigo A; Lacerda, Acioly L

2016-04-19

To investigate if verbal fluency impairment in schizophrenia reflects executive function deficits or results from degraded semantic store or inefficient search and retrieval strategies. Two groups were compared: 141 individuals with schizophrenia and 119 healthy age and education-matched controls. Both groups performed semantic and phonetic verbal fluency tasks. Performance was evaluated using three scores, based on 1) number of words generated; 2) number of clustered/related words; and 3) switching score. A fourth performance score based on the number of clusters was also measured. SZ individuals produced fewer words than controls. After controlling for the total number of words produced, a difference was observed between the groups in the number of cluster-related words generated in the semantic task. In both groups, the number of words generated in the semantic task was higher than that generated in the phonemic task, although a significant group vs. fluency type interaction showed that subjects with schizophrenia had disproportionate semantic fluency impairment. Working memory was positively associated with increased production of words within clusters and inversely correlated with switching. Semantic fluency impairment may be attributed to an inability (resulting from reduced cognitive control) to distinguish target signal from competing noise and to maintain cues for production of memory probes.

Techno-economics of integrating bioethanol production from spent sulfite liquor for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from sulfite pulping mills.

PubMed

Petersen, Abdul M; Haigh, Kate; Görgens, Johann F

2014-01-01

Flow sheet options for integrating ethanol production from spent sulfite liquor (SSL) into the acid-based sulfite pulping process at the Sappi Saiccor mill (Umkomaas, South Africa) were investigated, including options for generation of thermal and electrical energy from onsite bio-wastes, such as bark. Processes were simulated with Aspen Plus® for mass- and energy-balances, followed by an estimation of the economic viability and environmental impacts. Various concentration levels of the total dissolved solids in magnesium oxide-based SSL, which currently fuels a recovery boiler, prior to fermentation was considered, together with return of the fermentation residues (distillation bottoms) to the recovery boiler after ethanol separation. The generation of renewable thermal and electrical energy from onsite bio-wastes were also included in the energy balance of the combined pulping-ethanol process, in order to partially replace coal consumption. The bio-energy supplementations included the combustion of bark for heat and electricity generation and the bio-digestion of the calcium oxide SSL to produce methane as additional energy source. Ethanol production from SSL at the highest substrate concentration was the most economically feasible when coal was used for process energy. However this solution did not provide any savings in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the concentration-fermentation-distillation process. Maximizing the use of renewable energy sources to partially replace coal consumption yielded a satisfactory economic performance, with a minimum ethanol selling price of 0.83 US$/l , and a drastic reduction in the overall greenhouse gas emissions for the entire facility. High substrate concentrations and conventional distillation should be used when considering integrating ethanol production at sulfite pulping mills. Bio-wastes generated onsite should be utilized at their maximum potential for energy generation in order to maximize the GHG emissions reduction.

Total arsenic in selected food samples from Argentina: Estimation of their contribution to inorganic arsenic dietary intake.

PubMed

Sigrist, Mirna; Hilbe, Nandi; Brusa, Lucila; Campagnoli, Darío; Beldoménico, Horacio

2016-11-01

An optimized flow injection hydride generation atomic absorption spectroscopy (FI-HGAAS) method was used to determine total arsenic in selected food samples (beef, chicken, fish, milk, cheese, egg, rice, rice-based products, wheat flour, corn flour, oats, breakfast cereals, legumes and potatoes) and to estimate their contributions to inorganic arsenic dietary intake. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) values obtained were 6μgkg(-)(1) and 18μgkg(-)(1), respectively. The mean recovery range obtained for all food at a fortification level of 200μgkg(-)(1) was 85-110%. Accuracy was evaluated using dogfish liver certified reference material (DOLT-3 NRC) for trace metals. The highest total arsenic concentrations (in μgkg(-)(1)) were found in fish (152-439), rice (87-316) and rice-based products (52-201). The contribution to inorganic arsenic (i-As) intake was calculated from the mean i-As content of each food (calculated by applying conversion factors to total arsenic data) and the mean consumption per day. The primary contributors to inorganic arsenic intake were wheat flour, including its proportion in wheat flour-based products (breads, pasta and cookies), followed by rice; both foods account for close to 53% and 17% of the intake, respectively. The i-As dietary intake, estimated as 10.7μgday(-)(1), was significantly lower than that from drinking water in vast regions of Argentina. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Status and Outreach Activities of NIES GOSAT and GOSAT-2 Projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsunaga, T.; Kamei, A.; Maksyutov, S. S.; Morino, I.; Yoshida, Y.; Saito, M.; Noda, H.; Ohyama, H.; Kawazoe, F.; Yokota, T.

2017-12-01

GOSAT (Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite) and GOSAT-2 are Japanese Earth observation satellites for greenhouse gas observation from space and jointly promoted by Ministry of the Environment, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and NIES ((National Institute for Environmental Studies). GOSAT was launched in January 2009 and has been operating for more than eight years. GOSAT-2 will be launched in FY2018. NIES is responsible for generation, archiving, validation, and distribution of higher level standard and research products of GOSAT and GOSAT-2. GOSAT's standard products such as FTS SWIR level 2 CO2 / CH4 / H2O column amount products (V02.21 - V02.60, April 2009 - February 2017), FTS TIR level 2 CO2 / CH4 profile products (V01.20, April 2009 - May 2014), and level 4A CO2 / CH4 flux products (CO2: V02.05, June 2009 - October 2015, CH4: V01.03, June 2009 - September 2013) are freely available from GDAS (GOSAT Data Archive Service). FTS SWIR level 2 standard products are validated using data from TCCON (Total Carbon Column Observing Network). GOSAT-2's standard and research products similar to those of GOSAT will be generated by G2DPS (GOSAT-2 Data Processing System) and available from a dedicate website, GOSAT-2 Product Archive. GOSAT RAs (Research Announcements) were issued eleven times in 2008 - 2017 to promote scientific researches using GOSAT data. GOSAT RA PIs (Principal Investigators) have several privileges such as access to GOSAT standard products earlier than general users, access to research products and other technical information, and a right to submit FTS observation requests. In total, more than 120 joint research contracts with scientists from more than twenty countries were concluded under GOSAT RA framework. GOSAT-2 RA is now being prepared and will be issued before GOSAT-2 launch. To expand the use of GOSAT and GOSAT-2 data in wider communities, NIES is preparing a guidebook that describes how to use satellite-based greenhouse gas concentration and flux data in verification of national greenhouse gas emission inventories related to the Paris Agreement. Its draft version will be available for public review in September 2017. Its 1st edition will be released in March 2018.

Current EU-27 technical potential of organic waste streams for biogas and energy production.

PubMed

Lorenz, Helge; Fischer, Peter; Schumacher, Britt; Adler, Philipp

2013-11-01

Anaerobic digestion of organic waste generated by households, businesses, agriculture, and industry is an important approach as method of waste treatment - especially with regard to its potential as an alternative energy source and its cost-effectiveness. Separate collection of biowaste from households or vegetal waste from public green spaces is already established in some EU-27 countries. The material recovery in composting plants is common for biowaste and vegetal waste. Brewery waste fractions generated by beer production are often used for animal feeding after a suitable preparation. Waste streams from paper industry generated by pulp and paper production such as black liquor or paper sludge are often highly contaminated with toxic substances. Recovery of chemicals and the use in thermal processes like incineration, pyrolysis, and gasification are typical utilization paths. The current utilization of organic waste from households and institutions (without agricultural waste) was investigated for EU-27 countries with Germany as an in-depth example. Besides of biowaste little is known about the suitability of waste streams from brewery and paper industry for anaerobic digestion. Therefore, an evaluation of the most important biogas process parameters for different substrates was carried out, in order to calculate the biogas utilization potential of these waste quantities. Furthermore, a calculation of biogas energy potentials was carried out for defined waste fractions which are most suitable for anaerobic digestion. Up to 1% of the primary energy demand can be covered by the calculated total biogas energy potential. By using a "best-practice-scenario" for separately collected biowaste, the coverage of primary energy demand may be increased above 2% for several countries. By using sector-specific waste streams, for example the German paper industry could cover up to 4.7% and the German brewery industry up to 71.2% of its total energy demand. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Energy recovery from thermal treatment of dewatered sludge in wastewater treatment plants.

PubMed

Yang, Qingfeng; Dussan, Karla; Monaghan, Rory F D; Zhan, Xinmin

Sewage sludge is a by-product generated from municipal wastewater treatment (WWT) processes. This study examines the conversion of sludge via energy recovery from gasification/combustion for thermal treatment of dewatered sludge. The present analysis is based on a chemical equilibrium model of thermal conversion of previously dewatered sludge with moisture content of 60-80%. Prior to combustion/gasification, sludge is dried to a moisture content of 25-55% by two processes: (1) heat recovered from syngas/flue gas cooling and (2) heat recovered from syngas combustion. The electricity recovered from the combined heat and power process can be reused in syngas cleaning and in the WWT plant. Gas temperature, total heat and electricity recoverable are evaluated using the model. Results show that generation of electricity from dewatered sludge with low moisture content (≤ 70%) is feasible within a self-sufficient sludge treatment process. Optimal conditions for gasification correspond to an equivalence ratio of 2.3 and dried sludge moisture content of 25%. Net electricity generated from syngas combustion can account for 0.071 kWh/m(3) of wastewater treated, which is up to 25.4-28.4% of the WWT plant's total energy consumption.

Ineffective initiation contributes to deficient verbal and non-verbal fluency in patients with schizophrenia.

PubMed

Krukow, Paweł; Harciarek, Michał; Morylowska-Topolska, Justyna; Karakuła-Juchnowicz, Hanna; Jonak, Kamil

2017-09-01

Patients with schizophrenia (SCH) show impaired verbal and non-verbal fluency. However, these individuals' fluctuations in words or designs generation efficiency over time, a phenomenon that may significantly affect fluency, have never been studied. Thus, the aim of this research was to investigate if individuals with SCH may present with alternations in the dynamics of the information production and its control as well as to test if the potential abnormalities in this regard might affect these patients' overall performance on both verbal and non-verbal fluency tasks. Forty-four patients with SCH and 40 healthy controls (HC) completed both verbal (phonological, semantic) and non-verbal fluency tests. To analyse processing efficiency changes over time, the period in which subjects had to generate words or designs (60 s) has been divided into 15-s sections. In comparison to HCs, individuals with SCH obtained significantly lower total scores for all fluency measures. Furthermore, group differences in the dynamics of the test performance also emerged, with SCH patients having a significantly worse production during the initial 15 s of each fluency task. Additionally, the initial production deficiency seen in patients with SCH has accounted for these individuals' total performance. Moreover, comparisons of errors distribution over time during the phonemic and figural fluency performance also revealed differences, suggesting there was a rapid depletion in maintaining of cognitive control in the SCH sample. Inefficient fluency in SCH may arise from a more general initiation deficits that may partly account for these patients' cognitive problems.

Influence of solid-liquid separation strategy on biogas yield from a stratified swine production system.

PubMed

Cestonaro do Amaral, André; Kunz, Airton; Radis Steinmetz, Ricardo Luis; Scussiato, Lucas Antunes; Tápparo, Deisi Cristina; Gaspareto, Taís Carla

2016-03-01

As the fourth largest swine producer and exporter, Brazil has increased its participation in the global swine production market. Generally, these units concentrate a large number of animals and generate effluents that must be correctly managed to prevent environmental impacts, being anaerobic digestion is an interesting alternative for treating these effluents. The low-volatile solid concentration in the manure suggests the need for solid-liquid separation as a tool to improve the biogas generation capacity. This study aimed to determine the influence of simplified and inexpensive solid-liquid separation strategies (screening and settling) and the different manures produced during each swine production phase (gestating and farrowing sow houses, nursery houses and finishing houses) on biogas and methane yield. We collected samples in two gestating sow houses (GSH-a and GSH-b), two farrowing sow houses (FSH-a and FSH-b), a nursery house (NH) and a finishing house (FH). Biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests were performed according to international standard procedures. The settled sludge fraction comprised 20-30% of the raw manure volume, which comprises 40-60% of the total methane yield. The methane potential of the settled sludge fraction was approximately two times higher than the methane potential of the supernatant fraction. The biogas yield differed among the raw manures from different swine production phases (GSH-a 326.4 and GSH-b 577.1; FSH-a 860.1 and FSH-b 479.2; NH -970.2; FH 474.5 NmLbiogas.gVS(-1)). The differences were relative to the production phase (feed type and feeding techniques) and the management of the effluent inside the facilities (water management). Brazilian swine production has increased his participation in the global market, been the fourth producer and the fourth exporter. The segregation of swine production in multiple sites has increased its importance, due to the possibilities to have more specialized units. Generally, these units concentrate a large number of animals and generate effluents that must be correctly managed to avoid environmental impact. Due to the biodegradability of manure, anaerobic digestion is an interesting alternative to treat these effluents. The low volatile solid concentration in the swine manure suggests the need for solid-liquid separation as a tool to improve biogas generation capacity. The present study aimed to determine the influence of simplified and cheap solid-liquid separation strategies (based on screening and settling) and different manure of each swine production phases (gestating and farrowing sows houses, nursery houses and finishing houses) on biogas and methane yield. We collected samples in two gestating sows house (GSH-a and GSH-b), two farrowing sows house (FSH-a and FSH-b), a nursery house (NH) and a finishing house (FH). The Biochemical Methane Production (BMP) tests were performed according to international standard procedure (VDI 4630). The settled sludge fraction responds for 20-30% of raw manure volume, producing 40-60% of the total methane yield. The methane potential of settled sludge fraction was about 2 times higher than the supernatant fraction. There are differences on biogas yield between the raw manure of different swine production phases (GSH-a 326.4 and GSH-b 577.1; FSH-a 860.1 and FSH-b 479.2; NH 970.2; FH 474.5 NmLbiogas.gVS(-1)). The differences are relative to production phase (feed type, feeding techniques, etc.), but also the management of the effluent inside the facilities (water management). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An SOA model for toluene oxidation in the presence of inorganic aerosols.

PubMed

Cao, Gang; Jang, Myoseon

2010-01-15

A predictive model for secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation including both partitioning and heterogeneous reactions is explored for the SOA produced from the oxidation of toluene in the presence of inorganic seed aerosols. The predictive SOA model comprises the explicit gas-phase chemistry of toluene, gas-particle partitioning, and heterogeneous chemistry. The resulting products from the explicit gas phase chemistry are lumped into several classes of chemical species based on their vapor pressure and reactivity for heterogeneous reactions. Both the gas-particle partitioning coefficient and the heterogeneous reaction rate constant of each lumped gas-phase product are theoretically determined using group contribution and molecular structure-reactivity. In the SOA model, the predictive SOA mass is decoupled into partitioning (OM(P)) and heterogeneous aerosol production (OM(H)). OM(P) is estimated from the SOA partitioning model developed by Schell et al. (J. Geophys. Res. 2001, 106, 28275-28293 ) that has been used in a regional air quality model (CMAQ 4.7). OM(H) is predicted from the heterogeneous SOA model developed by Jang et al. (Environ. Sci. Technol. 2006, 40, 3013-3022 ). The SOA model is evaluated using a number of the experimental SOA data that are generated in a 2 m(3) indoor Teflon film chamber under various experimental conditions (e.g., humidity, inorganic seed compositions, NO(x) concentrations). The SOA model reasonably predicts not only the gas-phase chemistry, such as the ozone formation, the conversion of NO to NO(2), and the toluene decay, but also the SOA production. The model predicted that the OM(H) fraction of the total toluene SOA mass increases as NO(x) concentrations decrease: 0.73-0.83 at low NO(x) levels and 0.17-0.47 at middle and high NO(x) levels for SOA experiments with high initial toluene concentrations. Our study also finds a significant increase in the OM(H) mass fraction in the SOA generated with low initial toluene concentrations, compared to those with high initial toluene concentrations. On average, more than a 1-fold increase in OM(H) fraction is observed when the comparison is made between SOA experiments with 40 ppb toluene to those with 630 ppb toluene. Such an observation implies that heterogeneous reactions of the second-generation products of toluene oxidation can contribute considerably to the total SOA mass under atmospheric relevant conditions.

Monitoring peroxides generation during model wine fermentation by FOX-1 assay.

PubMed

Bridi, Raquel; González, Alvaro; Bordeu, Edmundo; López-Alarcón, Camilo; Aspée, Alexis; Diethelm, Benjamin; Lissi, Eduardo; Parpinello, Giuseppina Paola; Versari, Andrea

2015-05-15

The quality of wine is mainly determined during the alcoholic fermentation that gradually transforms the grape juice into wine. Along this process the yeast goes through several stressful stages which can affect its fermentative ability and industrial performance, affecting wine quality. Based on their actual application on industrial winemaking, commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains (EC1118, QA23, VIN7 and VL3) were used. They were inoculated in batch laboratory fermentations in a model wine solution for evaluating the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during the yeast's alcoholic fermentation. For first time total hydroperoxides were determined by FOX-1 assay to follow ROS generation. The total hydroperoxides accumulated along the 10 days of fermentation peaked up to 10.0 μM in yeast EC1118, of which 1.3 μM was hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The FOX-1 based analytical approach herein presented is a valuable tool for the quantification of ROS oxidative damage during winemaking. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Source apportionment of exposures to volatile organic compounds. I. Evaluation of receptor models using simulated exposure data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Shelly L.; Anderson, Melissa J.; Daly, Eileen P.; Milford, Jana B.

Four receptor-oriented source apportionment models were evaluated by applying them to simulated personal exposure data for select volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that were generated by Monte Carlo sampling from known source contributions and profiles. The exposure sources modeled are environmental tobacco smoke, paint emissions, cleaning and/or pesticide products, gasoline vapors, automobile exhaust, and wastewater treatment plant emissions. The receptor models analyzed are chemical mass balance, principal component analysis/absolute principal component scores, positive matrix factorization (PMF), and graphical ratio analysis for composition estimates/source apportionment by factors with explicit restriction, incorporated in the UNMIX model. All models identified only the major contributors to total exposure concentrations. PMF extracted factor profiles that most closely represented the major sources used to generate the simulated data. None of the models were able to distinguish between sources with similar chemical profiles. Sources that contributed <5% to the average total VOC exposure were not identified.

Use of Balanced Indicators as a Management Tool in Nursing.

PubMed

Fugaça, Neidamar Pedrini Arias; Cubas, Marcia Regina; Carvalho, Deborah Ribeiro

2015-01-01

To develop a proposal for a nursing panel of indicators based on the guiding principles of Balanced Scorecard. A single case study that ranked 200 medical records of patients, management reports and protocols, which are capable of generating indicators. We identified 163 variables that resulted in 72 indicators; of these, 32 nursing-related: two financial indicators (patient's average revenue per day and patient's revenue per day by product used); two client indicators (overall satisfaction rate of patient with nursing care and adherence rate to the patient satisfaction survey); 23 process indicators, and five learning and growth indicators (average total hours of training, total of approved nursing professionals in the internal selection process, absenteeism rate, turnover rate and index of performance evaluation). Although there is a limit related to the amount of data generated, the methodology of Balanced Scorecard has proved to be flexible and adaptable to incorporate nursing services. It was possible to identify indicators with adherence to more than one area. Internal processes was the area with the higher number of indicators.

Effects of Extrusion Pretreatment Parameters on Sweet Sorghum Bagasse Enzymatic Hydrolysis and Its Subsequent Conversion into Bioethanol

PubMed Central

Heredia-Olea, Erick; Pérez-Carrillo, Esther; Serna-Saldívar, Sergio O.

2015-01-01

Second-generation bioethanol production from sweet sorghum bagasse first extruded at different conditions and then treated with cell wall degrading enzymes and fermented with I. orientalis was determined. The twin extruder parameters tested were barrel temperature, screws speed, and feedstock moisture content using surface response methodology. The best extrusion conditions were 100°C, 200 rpm, and 30% conditioning moisture content. This nonchemical and continuous pretreatment did not generate inhibitory compounds. The extruded feedstocks were saccharified varying the biocatalysis time and solids loading. The best conditions were 20% solids loading and 72 h of enzymatic treatment. These particular conditions converted 70% of the total fibrous carbohydrates into total fermentable C5 and C6 sugars. The extruded enzymatically hydrolyzed sweet sorghum bagasse was fermented with the strain I. orientalis at 12% solids obtaining a yield of 198.1 mL of ethanol per kilogram of bagasse (dw). PMID:25866776

The use of urban wood waste as an energy resource

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khudyakova, G. I.; Danilova, D. A.; Khasanov, R. R.

2017-06-01

The capabilities use of wood waste in the Ekaterinburg city, generated during the felling of trees and sanitation in the care of green plantations in the streets, parks, squares, forest parks was investigated in this study. In the cities at the moment, all the wood, that is removed from city streets turns into waste completely. Wood waste is brought to the landfill of solid household waste, and moreover sorting and evaluation of the quantitative composition of wood waste is not carried out. Several technical solutions that are used in different countries have been proposed for the energy use of wood waste: heat and electrical energy generation, liquid and solid biofuel production. An estimation of the energy potential of the city wood waste was made, for total and for produced heat and electrical energy based on modern engineering developments. According to our estimates total energy potential of wood waste in the city measure up more 340 thousand GJ per year.

Influence of enzymatic extrusion liquefaction pretreatment for Chinese rice wine on the volatiles generated from extruded rice.

PubMed

Xu, Enbo; Li, Hongyan; Wu, Zhengzong; Wang, Fang; Xu, Xueming; Jin, Zhengyu; Jiao, Aiquan

2015-01-01

Volatile compounds in enzymatic extruded rice, produced under different conditions of varying barrel temperature (BT), α-amylase concentration (AC) and moisture content (MC), were extracted and identified by headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography-linked mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Statistical analyses reflected that the Maillard reaction could be inhibited both by the mild extrusion conditions and the enhanced hydrolysis caused by thermostable α-amylase. Relative amounts of total volatiles in enzymatic extruded rice were far less than those in severe processed extruded rice. Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) showed that the amino acids (AAs) involved in Maillrad reaction were utmostly preserved in extruded rice with highest amylase concentration by comparison of total AA content of different extrudates. These results suggest that enzymatic extrusion liquefaction is an effective way to control the generation of volatiles from extruded rice for Chinese rice wine production. © 2014 Institute of Food Technologists®

MIPs and Aptamers for Recognition of Proteins in Biomimetic Sensing.

PubMed

Menger, Marcus; Yarman, Aysu; Erdőssy, Júlia; Yildiz, Huseyin Bekir; Gyurcsányi, Róbert E; Scheller, Frieder W

2016-07-18

Biomimetic binders and catalysts have been generated in order to substitute the biological pendants in separation techniques and bioanalysis. The two major approaches use either "evolution in the test tube" of nucleotides for the preparation of aptamers or total chemical synthesis for molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). The reproducible production of aptamers is a clear advantage, whilst the preparation of MIPs typically leads to a population of polymers with different binding sites. The realization of binding sites in the total bulk of the MIPs results in a higher binding capacity, however, on the expense of the accessibility and exchange rate. Furthermore, the readout of the bound analyte is easier for aptamers since the integration of signal generating labels is well established. On the other hand, the overall negative charge of the nucleotides makes aptamers prone to non-specific adsorption of positively charged constituents of the sample and the "biological" degradation of non-modified aptamers and ionic strength-dependent changes of conformation may be challenging in some application.

Integrated versus stand-alone second generation ethanol production from sugarcane bagasse and trash.

PubMed

Dias, Marina O S; Junqueira, Tassia L; Cavalett, Otávio; Cunha, Marcelo P; Jesus, Charles D F; Rossell, Carlos E V; Maciel Filho, Rubens; Bonomi, Antonio

2012-01-01

Ethanol production from lignocellulosic materials is often conceived considering independent, stand-alone production plants; in the Brazilian scenario, where part of the potential feedstock (sugarcane bagasse) for second generation ethanol production is already available at conventional first generation production plants, an integrated first and second generation production process seems to be the most obvious option. In this study stand-alone second generation ethanol production from surplus sugarcane bagasse and trash is compared with conventional first generation ethanol production from sugarcane and with integrated first and second generation; simulations were developed to represent the different technological scenarios, which provided data for economic and environmental analysis. Results show that the integrated first and second generation ethanol production process from sugarcane leads to better economic results when compared with the stand-alone plant, especially when advanced hydrolysis technologies and pentoses fermentation are included. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Contribution of TOMS and UARS Data to Our Understanding of Ozone Change

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bhartia, Pawan K.; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Both TOMS (Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer) and UARS (Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite) have operated over an extended period, and generated data sets of sufficient accuracy to be of use in determining ozone change (TOMS) and some of the underlying causes (UARS). The basic scientific products have been used for model validation and assimilation to extend our understanding of stratospheric processes. TOMS on Nimbus-7, Earth-Probe, and QuikTOMS, and UARS have led to the next generation of instruments onboard the EOS platforms. Algorithms used for TOMS and UARS are being applied to the new data sets and extended to analysis of European satellite data (e.g., GOME)

Quantifying intracellular rates of glycolytic and oxidative ATP production and consumption using extracellular flux measurements

PubMed Central

Mookerjee, Shona A.; Gerencser, Akos A.; Nicholls, David G.; Brand, Martin D.

2017-01-01

Partitioning of ATP generation between glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation is central to cellular bioenergetics but cumbersome to measure. We describe here how rates of ATP generation by each pathway can be calculated from simultaneous measurements of extracellular acidification and oxygen consumption. We update theoretical maximum ATP yields by mitochondria and cells catabolizing different substrates. Mitochondrial P/O ratios (mol of ATP generated per mol of [O] consumed) are 2.73 for oxidation of pyruvate plus malate and 1.64 for oxidation of succinate. Complete oxidation of glucose by cells yields up to 33.45 ATP/glucose with a maximum P/O of 2.79. We introduce novel indices to quantify bioenergetic phenotypes. The glycolytic index reports the proportion of ATP production from glycolysis and identifies cells as primarily glycolytic (glycolytic index > 50%) or primarily oxidative. The Warburg effect is a chronic increase in glycolytic index, quantified by the Warburg index. Additional indices quantify the acute flexibility of ATP supply. The Crabtree index and Pasteur index quantify the responses of oxidative and glycolytic ATP production to alterations in glycolysis and oxidative reactions, respectively; the supply flexibility index quantifies overall flexibility of ATP supply; and the bioenergetic capacity quantifies the maximum rate of total ATP production. We illustrate the determination of these indices using C2C12 myoblasts. Measurement of ATP use revealed no significant preference for glycolytic or oxidative ATP by specific ATP consumers. Overall, we demonstrate how extracellular fluxes quantitatively reflect intracellular ATP turnover and cellular bioenergetics. We provide a simple spreadsheet to calculate glycolytic and oxidative ATP production rates from raw extracellular acidification and respiration data. PMID:28270511

Improved hypocrellin A production in Shiraia bambusicola by light-dark shift.

PubMed

Sun, Chun Xiao; Ma, Yan Jun; Wang, Jian Wen

2018-05-01

Hypocrellin A (HA) is a major bioactive perylenequinone from the fruiting body of Shiraia bambusicola used for the treatment of skin diseases and developed as a photodynamic therapy (PDT) agent against cancers and viruses. The mycelial culture of S. bambusicola under dark is a biotechnological alternative for HA production but with low yield. In this study, light and dark conditions were investigated to develop effective elicitation on HA production in the cultures. Our results showed the constant light at 200 lx stimulated HA production without any growth retardation of mycelia. A light/dark shift (24: 24 h) not only increased HA content in mycelia by 65%, but stimulated HA release into the medium with the highest total HA production 181.67 mg/L on day 8, about 73% increase over the dark control. Moreover, light/dark shifting induced the formation of smaller and more compact fungal pellets, suggesting a new effective strategy for large-scale production of HA in mycelium cultures. The light/dark shift up-regulated the expression levels of two reactive oxygen species (ROS) related genes including superoxide-generating NADPH oxidase (Nox) and cytochrome c peroxidase (CCP), and induced the generation of ROS. With the treatment of vitamin C, we found that ROS was involved in the up-regulated expression of key biosynthetical genes for hypocrellins and improved HA production. These results provide a basis for understanding the influence of light/dark shift on fungal metabolism and the application of a novel strategy for enhancing HA production in submerged Shiraia cultures. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yang, Yanbo; Thyagarajan, Narmadaa; Coady, Breanne M.

Highlights: • Lipoprotein hydrolysis products were produced by lipoprotein lipase. • Hydrolysis products lowers expression of macrophage cholesterol transporters. • Hydrolysis products reduces expression of select nuclear receptors. • Fatty acid products lowers cholesterol transporters and select nuclear receptors. • Fatty acid products reduces cholesterol efflux from macrophages. - Abstract: Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is an extracellular lipase that primarily hydrolyzes triglycerides within circulating lipoproteins. Macrophage LPL contributes to atherogenesis, but the mechanisms behind it are poorly understood. We hypothesized that the products of lipoprotein hydrolysis generated by LPL promote atherogenesis by inhibiting the cholesterol efflux ability by macrophages. To testmore » this hypothesis, we treated human THP-1 macrophages with total lipoproteins that were hydrolyzed by LPL and we found significantly reduced transcript levels for the cholesterol transporters ATP binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), ABCG1, and scavenger receptor BI. These decreases were likely due to significant reductions for the nuclear receptors liver-X-receptor-α, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR)-α, and PPAR-γ. We prepared a mixture of free fatty acids (FFA) that represented the ratios of FFA species within lipoprotein hydrolysis products, and we found that the FFA mixture also significantly reduced cholesterol transporters and nuclear receptors. Finally, we tested the efflux of cholesterol from THP-1 macrophages to apolipoprotein A-I, and we found that the treatment of THP-1 macrophages with the FFA mixture significantly attenuated cholesterol efflux. Overall, these data show that the FFA component of lipoprotein hydrolysis products generated by LPL may promote atherogenesis by inhibiting cholesterol efflux, which partially explains the pro-atherogenic role of macrophage LPL.« less

New insight into atmospheric mercury emissions from zinc smelters using mass flow analysis.

PubMed

Wu, Qingru; Wang, Shuxiao; Hui, Mulin; Wang, Fengyang; Zhang, Lei; Duan, Lei; Luo, Yao

2015-03-17

The mercury (Hg) flow paths from three zinc (Zn) smelters indicated that a large quantity of Hg, approximately 38.0-57.0% of the total Hg input, was stored as acid slag in the landfill sites. Approximately 15.0-27.1% of the Hg input was emitted into water or stored as open-dumped slags, and 3.3-14.5% of the Hg input ended in sulfuric acid. Atmospheric Hg emissions, accounting for 1.4-9.6% of the total Hg input, were from both the Zn production and waste disposal processes. Atmospheric Hg emissions from the waste disposal processes accounted for 40.6, 89.6, and 94.6% of the total atmospheric Hg emissions of the three studied smelters, respectively. The Zn production process mainly contributed to oxidized Hg (Hg2+) emissions, whereas the waste disposal process generated mostly elemental Hg (Hg0) emissions. When the emissions from these two processes are considered together, the emission proportion of the Hg2+ mass was 51, 46, and 29% in smelters A, B, and C, respectively. These results indicated that approximately 10.8±5.8 t of atmospheric Hg emissions from the waste disposal process were ignored in recent inventories. Therefore, the total atmospheric Hg emissions from the Zn industry of China should be approximately 50 t.

Human Freshwater Demand for Economic Activity and Ecosystems in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferng, Jiun-Jiun

2007-12-01

Freshwater is necessary to economic activity, and humans depend on goods and services generated by water-dependent ecosystems. However, national freshwater management usually focuses on direct use of domestic freshwater. With an increasing scarcity of freshwater, attention has turned to two indirect uses of freshwater by humans. The first indirect use is freshwater used by foreign countries when producing products for export. The second use is freshwater required by local ecosystems: human survival and development depend on goods and services generated in these ecosystems. This work adopted Taiwan as a case study. In addition to two widely recognized ecosystem freshwater demands, evapotranspiration and reversed river flow, this study suggests that freshwater is a constituent of some abiotic components, such as groundwater in aquifers, because excessive withdrawal has already caused significant land subsidence in Taiwan. Moreover, the estimated results show that Taiwan’s net imports of freshwater through trade amounts to approximately 25% of its total freshwater use for economic production. Integrating industrial policy, trade policy, and national freshwater management is a useful approach for developing strategies to limit the growing use of freshwater in Taiwan. Policy implications are then developed by further analyzing withdrawal sources of freshwater (domestic and foreign) for supporting economic production in Taiwan and identifying the factors (domestic final demand and export) driving freshwater-intensive products.

Enantioselective ProPhenol-catalyzed addition of 1,3-diynes to aldehydes to generate synthetically versatile building blocks and diyne natural products.

PubMed

Trost, Barry M; Chan, Vincent S; Yamamoto, Daisuke

2010-04-14

A highly enantioselective method for the catalytic addition of terminal 1,3-diynes to aldehydes was developed using our dinuclear zinc ProPhenol (1) system. Furthermore, triphenylphosphine oxide was found to interact synergistically with the catalyst to substantially enhance the chiral recognition. The generality of this catalytic transformation was demonstrated with aryl, alpha,beta-unsaturated and saturated aldehydes, of which the latter were previously limited in alkynyl zinc additions. The chiral diynol products are also versatile building blocks that can be readily elaborated; this was illustrated through highly selective trans-hydrosilylations, which enabled the synthesis of a beta-hydroxyketone and enyne. Additionally, the development of this method allowed for the rapid total syntheses of several biologically important diynol-containing natural products.

Chemical composition and physicochemical properties of Phaeodactylum tricornutum microalgal residual biomass.

PubMed

German-Báez, L J; Valdez-Flores, M A; Félix-Medina, J V; Norzagaray-Valenzuela, C D; Santos-Ballardo, D U; Reyes-Moreno, C; Shelton, L M; Valdez-Ortiz, A

2017-12-01

The production of photosynthetic biofuels using microalgae is a promising strategy to combat the use of non-renewable energy sources. The microalgae residual biomass is a waste by-product of biofuel production; however, it could prove to have utility in the development of sustainable nutraceuticals and functional foods. In this study, a comprehensive characterisation of the under-utilised Phaeodactylum tricornutum microalgae residual biomass is presented. Proximal composition, antioxidant capacity (using three different antioxidant assays; oxygen radical absorbance capacity; radical cation activity, ABTS; and radical scavenging activity, DPPH), and total phenolic content of free and bound polyphenols were determined. Additionally, the physicochemical properties of water activity, pH, water absorption index, water solubility index, and dispersibility were evaluated. Results revealed that P. tricornutum microalgae residual biomass exhibits a relatively high protein and carbohydrate content, with values of 36.67% and 46.78%, respectively; and most carbohydrates were found as total dietary fibre (45.57%), of which insoluble dietary fibre was the most predominant (43.54%). Antioxidant capacity values for total phytochemicals of 106.22, 67.93, 9.54 µM TE g -1 dw were determined by oxygen radical absorbance capacity, ABTS, and DPPH assays, respectively. Total phenolic content was found to be 2.90 mg GAE g -1 dw. Interestingly, antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content were higher in bound than in free phytochemical extracts. The physicochemical analysis showed P. tricornutum microalgae residual biomass to have suitable properties for the generation of a beverage with Aw, pH, water absorption index, water solubility index, and dispersibility values of 0.45, 7.12, 3.40 g gel g -1  dw, 2.5 g solids 100 g -1  dw, and 90%, respectively. Hence, P. tricornutum microalgae residual biomass could be considered a potential source of bioactive compounds suitable for the production of functional food exhibiting antioxidant capacity and high dietary fibre content.

Chemical analysis and biorefinery of red algae Kappaphycus alvarezii for efficient production of glucose from residue of carrageenan extraction process.

PubMed

Masarin, Fernando; Cedeno, Fernando Roberto Paz; Chavez, Eddyn Gabriel Solorzano; de Oliveira, Levi Ezequiel; Gelli, Valéria Cress; Monti, Rubens

2016-01-01

Biorefineries serve to efficiently utilize biomass and their by-products. Algal biorefineries are designed to generate bioproducts for commercial use. Due to the high carbohydrate content of algal biomass, biorefinery to generate biofuels, such as bioethanol, is of great interest. Carrageenan is a predominant polysaccharide hydrocolloid found in red macroalgae and is widely used in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. In this study, we report the biorefinery of carrageenan derived from processing of experimental strains of the red macroalgae Kappaphycus alvarezii. Specifically, the chemical composition and enzymatic hydrolysis of the residue produced from carrageenan extraction were evaluated to determine the conditions for efficient generation of carbohydrate bioproducts. The productivity and growth rates of K. alvarezii strains were assessed along with the chemical composition (total carbohydrates, ash, sulfate groups, proteins, insoluble aromatics, galacturonic acid, and lipids) of each strain. Two strains, brown and red, were selected based on their high growth rates and productivity and were treated with 6 % KOH for extraction of carrageenan. The yields of biomass from treatment with 6 % KOH solution of the brown and red strains were 89.3 and 89.5 %, respectively. The yields of carrageenan and its residue were 63.5 and 23 %, respectively, for the brown strain and 60 and 27.8 %, respectively, for the red strain. The residues from the brown and red strains were assessed to detect any potential bioproducts. The galactan, ash, protein, insoluble aromatics, and sulfate groups of the residue were reduced to comparable extents for the two strains. However, KOH treatment did not reduce the content of glucan in the residue from either strain. Glucose was produced by enzymatic hydrolysis for 72 h using both strains. The glucan conversion was 100 % for both strains, and the concentrations of glucose from the brown and red strains were 13.7 and 11.5 g L(-1), respectively. The present results highlight the efficiency of generating a key bioproduct from carrageenan residue. This study demonstrates the potential for glucose production using carrageenan residue. Thus, the biorefinery of K. alvarezii can be exploited not only to produce carrageenan, but also to generate glucose for future use in biofuel production.

Conversion of municipal solid wastes to carboxylic acids by thermophilic fermentation.

PubMed

Chan, Wen Ning; Holtzapple, Mark T

2003-11-01

The purpose of this research is to generate carboxylic acids from the biodegradable fraction of municipal solid wastes (MSW) and municipal sewage sludge (MSS) by using a thermophilic (55 degrees C), anaerobic, high-solid fermentation. With terrestrial inocula, the highest total carboxylic acid concentration achieved was 20.5 g/L, the highest conversion obtained was 69%, and the highest acetic acid selectivity was 86.4%. Marine inocula were also used to compare against terrestrial sources. Continuum particle distribution modeling (CPDM) was used to predict the final acid product concentrations and substrate conversions at a wide range of liquid residence times (LRT) and volatile solid loading rates (VSLR). "Maps" showing the product concentration and conversion for various LRT and VSLR were generated from CPDM. The predictions were compared to the experimental results. On average, the difference between the predicted and experimental values were 13% for acid concentration and 10% for conversion. CPDM "maps" show that marine inocula produce higher concentrations than terrestrial inocula.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kuznetsov, Yury N.

The co-generation nuclear power plant (CNPP) producing electricity and district heating heat is planned to be constructed in Archangelsk Region of Russia. Following the 'Letter of Intent' signed by Governor of Archangelsk region and by Minister of the Russian Federation for atomic energy the feasibility study of the Project has been done. The NPP will be based on the four co-generation nuclear power units with the Russian VK-300 SBWR. The innovative passive VK-300 reactor facility has been designed on the basis of well-established nuclear technologies, proven major components, the operating experience of the prototype VK-50 reactor in RIAR, Dimitrovgrad, andmore » the experience in designing such reactors as SBWR (GE) and SWR-1000 (Siemens). The CNPP's total power is planned to be 1000 MW(e) and district-heating heat production capacity 1600 Gcal/h. A detailed description of the results of the feasibility study is presented in the report. The results of the feasibility study have shown that the Archangelsk CGNP is feasible in terms of engineering, economics and production. (authors)« less

Thermal modeling of cometary nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weissman, P. R.; Kieffer, H. H.

1981-09-01

A model of the sublimation of volatile ices from a cometary nucleus is presented which includes the effects of (1) diurnal heating and cooling, (2) rotation period and pole orientation, (3) the thermal properties of the ice and subsurface layers, and (4) the contributions from coma opacity, scattering and thermal emission where the properties of the coma are derived from the integrated rate of volatile production by the nucleus. In applying the model to the case of the 1986 apparition of Halley's comet, it is found that the generation of a cometary dust coma increases the total energy reaching the Halley nucleus due to the greater geometrical cross-section of the coma as compared with the bare nucleus. The calculated coma opacity of Halley is about 0.2 at 1 AU from the sun and 1.2 at perihelion. Possible consequences of the results obtained for the generation of nongravitational forces, volatile production rates for comets and cometary lifetimes against sublimation are discussed.

Knowledge Representation Of CT Scans Of The Head

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ackerman, Laurens V.; Burke, M. W.; Rada, Roy

1984-06-01

We have been investigating diagnostic knowledge models which assist in the automatic classification of medical images by combining information extracted from each image with knowledge specific to that class of images. In a more general sense we are trying to integrate verbal and pictorial descriptions of disease via representations of knowledge, study automatic hypothesis generation as related to clinical medicine, evolve new mathematical image measures while integrating them into the total diagnostic process, and investigate ways to augment the knowledge of the physician. Specifically, we have constructed an artificial intelligence knowledge model using the technique of a production system blending pictorial and verbal knowledge about the respective CT scan and patient history. It is an attempt to tie together different sources of knowledge representation, picture feature extraction and hypothesis generation. Our knowledge reasoning and representation system (KRRS) works with data at the conscious reasoning level of the practicing physician while at the visual perceptional level we are building another production system, the picture parameter extractor (PPE). This paper describes KRRS and its relationship to PPE.

Colour and surface fluorescence development and their relationship with Maillard reaction markers as influenced by structural changes during cornflakes production.

PubMed

Farroni, Abel; Buera, María Del Pilar

2012-12-01

The aim of this work was to study colour and surface fluorescence development in relation to the chemical markers for the Maillard reaction at the cooking, flaking and toasting stages of cornflake production process. Colour was measured by a calibrated computer vision system. Surface fluorescence was measured on compressed samples. Aqueous extracted Maillard reaction markers (hydroxymethylfurfural, carboxymethyl-lysine, absorbance at 420nm and total fluorescence) were measured on protease hydrolyzed samples. Sample microstructure was observed by scanning electron microscopy. During cooking the colour coordinates L(∗) and b(∗) decreased and a(∗) increased. After flaking, the samples appeared lighter, while the pigment concentration, fluorescence and hydroxymethylfurfural did not change. Toasting generated bubbles in the matrix and L(∗) apparently increased, although brown pigment concentration increased. Pigment concentration did not correlate with surface colour due to the destruction or generation of interfaces. Surface and microstructure effects can be avoided by milling and compressing the samples. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spatial and temporal variation in reef-scale carbonate storage of large benthic foraminifera: a case study on One Tree Reef

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doo, Steve S.; Hamylton, Sarah; Finfer, Joshua; Byrne, Maria

2017-03-01

Large benthic foraminifera (LBFs) are a vital component of coral reef carbonate production, often overlooked due to their small size. These super-abundant calcifiers are crucial to reef calcification by generation of lagoon and beach sands. Reef-scale carbonate production by LBFs is not well understood, and seasonal fluctuations in this important process are largely unquantified. The biomass of five LBF species in their algal flat habitat was quantified in the austral winter (July 2013), spring (October 2013), and summer (February 2014) at One Tree Reef. WorldView-2 satellite images were used to characterize and create LBF habitat maps based on ground-referenced photographs of algal cover. Habitat maps and LBF biomass measurements were combined to estimate carbonate storage across the entire reef flat. Total carbonate storage of LBFs on the reef flat ranged from 270 tonnes (winter) to 380 tonnes (summer). Satellite images indicate that the habitat area used by LBFs ranged from 0.6 (winter) to 0.71 km2 (spring) of a total possible area of 0.96 km2. LBF biomass was highest in the winter when algal habitat area was lowest, but total carbonate storage was the highest in the summer, when algal habitat area was intermediate. Our data suggest that biomass measurements alone do not capture total abundance of LBF populations (carbonate storage), as the area of available habitat is variable. These results suggest LBF carbonate production studies that measure biomass in discrete locations and single time points fail to capture accurate reef-scale production by not incorporating estimates of the associated algal habitat. Reef-scale measurements in this study can be incorporated into carbonate production models to determine the role of LBFs in sedimentary landforms (lagoons, beaches, etc.). Based on previous models of entire reef metabolism, our estimates indicate that LBFs contribute approximately 3.9-5.4% of reef carbonate budgets, a previously underappreciated carbon sink.

Identification of Organic Iodine Compounds and Their Transformation Products in Edible Iodized Salt Using Liquid Chromatography-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry.

PubMed

Yun, Lifen; Peng, Yue'e; Chang, Qing; Zhu, Qingxin; Guo, Wei; Wang, Yanxin

2017-07-05

The consumption of edible iodized salt is a key strategy to control and eliminate iodine deficiency disorders worldwide. We herein report the identification of the organic iodine compounds present in different edible iodized salt products using liquid chromatography combined with high resolution mass spectrometry. A total of 38 organic iodine compounds and their transformation products (TPs) were identified in seaweed iodine salt from China. Our experiments confirmed that the TPs were generated by the replacement of I atoms from organic iodine compounds with Cl atoms. Furthermore, the organic iodine compound contents in 4 seaweed iodine salt samples obtained from different manufacturers were measured, with significant differences in content being observed. We expect that the identification of organic iodine compounds in salt will be important for estimating the validity and safety of edible iodized salt products.

Multifaceted metabolomics approaches for characterization of lignocellulosic biomass degradation products formed during ammonia fiber expansion pretreatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vismeh, Ramin

Lignocellulosic biomass represents a rather unused resource for production of biofuels, and it offers an alternative to food sources including corn starch. However, structural and compositional impediments limit the digestibility of sugar polymers in biomass cell walls. Thermochemical pretreatments improve accessibility of cellulose and hemicellulose to hydrolytic enzymes. However, most pretreatment methods generate compounds that either inhibit enzymatic hydrolysis or exhibit toxicity to fermentive microorganisms. Characterization and quantification of these products are essential for understanding chemistry of the pretreatment and optimizing the process efficiency to achieve higher ethanol yields. Identification of oligosaccharides released during pretreatment is also critical for choosing hydrolases necessary for cost-effective hydrolysis of cellulose and hemicellulose to fermentable monomeric sugars. Two chapters in this dissertation describe new mass spectrometry-based strategies for characterization and quantification of products that are formed during ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX) pretreatment of corn stover. Comparison of Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS) profiles of AFEX-treated corn stover (AFEXTCS) and untreated corn stover (UTCS) extract shows that ammonolysis of lignin carbohydrate ester linkages generates a suite of nitrogenous compounds that are present only in the AFEXTCS extract and represent a loss of ammonia during processing. Several of these products including acetamide, feruloyl, coumaroyl and diferuloyl amides were characterized and quantified in the AFEXTCS extracts. The total amount of characterized and uncharacterized phenolic amides measured 17.4 mg/g AFEXTCS. Maillard reaction products including pyrazines and imidazoles were also identified and measured in the AFEXTCS extract totaling almost 1 mg/g AFEXTCS. The total of quantified nitrogenous products that are formed during AFEX was 43.4 mg/g AFEXTCS which was equivalent to 45-50 % of ammonia that is lost during the pretreatment. Methodology for identification, detection and quantification of various diferulate cross-linkers in forms of Di-Acids (Di-Ac), Acid-Amide (Ac-Am), and Di-Amides (Di-Am) in AFEX and NaOH treated corn stover using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) is presented. Characterization of isomeric diferulates was based on the distinguishing fragments formed upon collision induced dissociation (CID) of [M+H]+ ions of each diferulate isomer. LC separations combined with quasi-simultaneous acquisition of mass spectra at multiple collision energies provide fast spectrum acquisition using a time-of-flight (TOF) mass analyzer. This approach, called mux-CID, generates molecular and fragment ion mass information at different collision energies for molecular and adduct ions of oligosaccharides in a single analysis. Non-selective CID facilitated characterization of glucans and arabinoxylans in the AFEXTCS extracts. A LC/MS gradient based on multiplexed-CID detection was developed and applied to profile oligosaccharides in AFEXTCS extract. This method detected glucans with degree of polymerization (DP) from 2 to 22 after solid phase extraction (SPE) enrichment using porous graphitized carbon (PGC), which proved essential for recoveries of specific oligosaccharides. Arabinoxylans were also detected and partially characterized using this strategy after hydrolysis using xylanase. A relative quantification based on peak areas showed removal of almost 85% of the acetate esters of arabinoxylans after AFEX.

An integrated Biophysical CGE model to provide Sustainable Development Goal insights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchez, Marko; Cicowiez, Martin; Howells, Mark; Zepeda, Eduardo

2016-04-01

Future projected changes in the energy system will inevitably result in changes to the level of appropriation of environmental resources, particularly land and water, and this will have wider implications for environmental sustainability, and may affect other sectors of the economy. An integrated climate, land, energy and water (CLEW) system will provide useful insights, particularly with regard to the environmental sustainability. However, it will require adequate integration with other tools to detect economic impacts and broaden the scope for policy analysis. A computable general equilibrium (CGE) model is a well suited tool to channel impacts, as detected in a CLEW analysis, onto all sectors of the economy, and evaluate trade-offs and synergies, including those of possible policy responses. This paper will show an application of such integration in a single-country CGE model with the following key characteristics. Climate is partly exogenous (as proxied by temperature and rainfall) and partly endogenous (as proxied by emissions generated by different sectors) and has an impact on endogenous variables such as land productivity and labor productivity. Land is a factor of production used in agricultural and forestry activities which can be of various types if land use alternatives (e.g., deforestation) are to be considered. Energy is an input to the production process of all economic sectors and a consumption good for households. Because it is possible to allow for substitution among different energy sources (e.g. renewable vs non-renewable) in the generation of electricity, the production process of energy products can consider the use of natural resources such as oil and water. Water, data permitting, can be considered as an input into the production process of agricultural sectors, which is particularly relevant in case of irrigation. It can also be considered as a determinant of total factor productivity in hydro-power generation. The integration of a CLEW system and a CGE model can be critical to inform analyses on different climate impacts and ways to "secure" pathways of sustainable natural resource use and energy generation. Cost and benefits for establishing sustainable pathways through different investments and their macroeconomic feasibility and impacts on economic growth and employment are also captured. This information is critical to inform strategies to achieve sustainable development goals.

Evaluation of the biomass potential for the production of lignocellulosic bioethanol from various agricultural residues in Austria and Worldwide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kahr, Heike; Steindl, Daniel; Wimberger, Julia; Schürz, Daniel; Jäger, Alexander

2013-04-01

Due to the fact that the resources of fossil fuels are steadily decreasing, researchers have been trying to find alternatives over the past few years. As bioethanol of the first generation is based on potential food, its production has become an increasingly controversial topic. Therefore the focus of research currently is on the production of bioethanol of the second generation, which is made from cellulosic and lignocellulosic materials. However, for the production of bioethanol of the second generation the fibres have to be pre-treated. In this work the mass balances of various agricultural residues available in Austria were generated and examined in lab scale experiments for their bioethanol potential. The residues were pretreatment by means of state of the art technology (steam explosion), enzymatically hydrolysed and fermented with yeast to produce ethanol. Special attention was paid the mass balance of the overall process. Due to the pretreatment the proportion of cellulose increases with the duration of the pre-treatment, whereby the amount of hemicellulose decreases greatly. However, the total losses were increasing with the duration of the pre-treatment, and the losses largely consist of hemicellulose. The ethanol yield varied depending on the cellulose content of the substrates. So rye straw 200 °C 20 min reaches an ethanol yield of 169 kg/t, by far the largest yield. As result on the basis of the annual straw yield in Austria, approximately 210 000 t of bioethanol (266 million litres) could be produced from the straw of wheat (Triticum vulgare), rye (Secale cereale), oat (Avena sativa) and corn (Zea mays) as well as elephant grass (Miscanthus sinensis) using appropriate pre-treatment. So the greenhouse gas emissions produced by burning fossil fuels could be reduced significantly. About 1.8 million tons of motor gasoline are consumed in Austria every year. The needed quantity for a transition to E10 biofuels could thus be easily provided by bioethanol from straw. We also evaluated the production of world's most important grains (wheat, corn, rice, sugar cain) and we calculated the worldwide production of the relevant lignocellulosic residues. On the basis of our labs scale experiments on bioethanol production, the possible lignocellulosic bioethanol production word wide was determined.

A Comparison of Air Force Data Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-08-01

a software cost model, SPQR . This model was chosen because it provides a straightforward means of modeling the enhancements as they V i VII-25 I would...estimated by SPQR (23,917) by $69 per hour for a total of $1,650,273. An additional 10 percent was added for generating or modifying the Middleware...equipment3 SLOC source lines of code SPO System Program Office SPQR System Product Quality Reporting SSC Standard Systems Center SSI system-to-system

Strategic Defense Initiative Program: Extent of Foreign Participation

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-02-07

the Air Force to a West German company, . Chemical Lasers project, for fabrication of a lightweight hig mirror . The firished product will be a 70...centimeter mirror lightweight, uncool"P glass ceramic material with no tus.rm. Two contracts, totaling $1.7 million, were au-arded under th Definition...Ground-Based Free The ground-based laser system concept is to fire a free electrru Electron Laser Project beam generated on the ground to a mirror relay

The spatio-temporal responses of the carbon cycle to climate and land use/land cover changes between 1981-2000 in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Zhiqiang; Cao, Xiaoming; Gao, Wei

2013-03-01

This paper represents the first national effort of its kind to systematically investigate the impact of changes in climate and land use and land cover (LULC) on the carbon cycle with high-resolution dynamic LULC data at the decadal scale (1990s and 2000s). Based on simulations using well calibrated and validated Carbon Exchanges in the Vegetation-Soil-Atmosphere (CEVSA) model, temporal and spatial variations in carbon storage and fluxes in China may be generated empower us to relate these variations to climate variability and LULC with respect to net primary productivity (NPP), heterotrophic respiration (HR), net ecosystem productivity (NEP), storage and soil carbon (SOC), and vegetation carbon (VEGC) individually or collectively. Overall, the increases in NPP were greater than HR in most cases due to the effect of global warming with more precipitation in China from 1981 to 2000. With this trend, the NEP remained positive during that period, resulting in a net increase of total amount of carbon being stored by about 0.296 PgC within a 20-year time frame. Because the climate effect was much greater than that of changes of LULC, the total carbon storage in China actually increased by about 0.17 PgC within the 20-year time period. Such findings will contribute to the generation of carbon emissions control policies under global climate change impacts.

Carotenoid content of the varieties Jaranda and Jariza (Capsicumannuum L.) and response during the industrial slow drying and grinding steps in paprika processing.

PubMed

Mínguez-Mosquera, M I; Pérez-Gálvez, A; Garrido-Fernández, J

2000-07-01

Fruits of the pepper varieties Jaranda and Jariza (Capsicum annuum L. ) ripen as a group, enabling a single harvesting, showed a uniform carotenoid content that is high enough (7.9 g/kg) for the production of paprika. The drying system at mild temperature showed that fruits with moisture content of 85-88% generated a dry product with carotenoid content equal to or higher than the initial one. Those high moisture levels allowed the fruits to have a longer period of metabolic activity, increasing the yellow fraction, the red fraction, or both as a function of what biosynthetic process was predominant. This fact indicates under-ripeness of the fruits in the drying step. The results obtained allow us to establish that both varieties, Jaranda and Jariza, fit the dehydration process employed, yielding a dry fruit with carotenoid concentration similar to that the initial one. During the grinding step of the dry fruit, the heat generated by the hammers of the mill caused degradation of the yellow fraction, while the red fraction is maintained. The ripeness state of the harvested fruits and the appropriateness or severity of the processing steps are indicated by the ratio of red to yellow (R/Y) and/or red to total (R/T) pigments, since fluctuations in both fractions and in total pigments are reflected in and monitored by these parameters.

Net Energetics Analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Underhill, Gary K.; Carlson, Ronald A.; Clendinning, William A.

1976-01-01

Econimic analysis, next to technical analysis, has traditionally constituted the major decision-making tool of the capitalist economic system. As lon as capitalism survives, this will remain to be the case. However, during the current period of increasing scarcity and cost of energy -- a period accompanied by higher than normal inflation rates -- a proposed project may appear attractive and economic when, in fact, its demands on energy resources are extraordinarily high. Such a conclusion could well be the case when the major energy expenditure in construction or operation is directed toward a fuel, the price of which is heldmore » unusually low by legal regulation. Net energetics analysis, as applied to energy generation facilities, is a method for determining the total amount of energy, IE, required to construct, operate, and maintain the energy generation facility compared to the total energy, TE, generated (or converted) throughout the facility's lifetime. Fuel consumed by the facility as direct input to the conversion or utiliztion process is not considered a debit while energy generated is not considered a credit in the calculation of the construction, operation, and maintenance energy account, IE. Energy required to run equipment auxiliary to the conversion process is, on the other hand, considered a debit to IE. The latter considerations apply to the production, processing, and transport of fuel but not to the energy content of the fuel itself.« less

L-lactic acid production from apple pomace by sequential hydrolysis and fermentation.

PubMed

Gullón, Beatriz; Yáñez, Remedios; Alonso, José Luis; Parajó, J C

2008-01-01

The potential of apple pomace (a solid waste from cider and apple juice making factories) as a source of sugars and other compounds for fermentation was evaluated. The effect of the cellulase-to-solid ratio (CSR) and the liquor-to-solid ratio (LSR) on the kinetics of glucose and total monosaccharide generation was studied. Mathematical models suitable for reproducing and predicting the hydrolyzate composition were developed. When samples of apple pomace were subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis, the glucose and fructose present in the raw material as free monosaccharides were extracted at the beginning of the process. Using low cellulase and cellobiase charges (8.5 FPU/g-solid and 8.5 IU/g-solid, respectively), 79% of total glucan was saccharified after 12 h, leading to solutions containing up to 43.8 g monosaccharides/L (glucose, 22.8 g/L; fructose, 14.8 g/L; xylose+mannose+galactose, 2.5 g/L; arabinose+rhamnose, 2.8g/L). These results correspond to a monosaccharide/cellulase ratio of 0.06 g/FPU and to a volumetric productivity of 3.65 g of monosaccharides/L h. Liquors obtained under these conditions were used for fermentative lactic acid production with Lactobacillus rhamnosus CECT-288, leading to media containing up to 32.5 g/L of L-lactic acid after 6 h (volumetric productivity=5.41 g/L h, product yield=0.88 g/g).

Growth, antioxidant capacity and total carotene of Dunaliella salina DCCBC15 in a low cost enriched natural seawater medium.

PubMed

Tran, Duc; Doan, Nguyen; Louime, Clifford; Giordano, Mario; Portilla, Sixto

2014-01-01

Dunaliella is currently drawing worldwide attention as an alternative source of nutraceuticals. Commercially, β-carotene making up over 10% of Dunaliella biomass is generating the most interest. These compounds, because of their non-toxic properties, have found applications in the food, drug and cosmetic industry. The β-carotene content of Dunaliella cells, however, depends heavily on the growth conditions and especially on the availability of nutrients, salinity, irradiance and temperature in the growth medium. A chemically well defined medium is usually required, which significantly contributes to the cost of pigment production; hence a desire for low cost marine media. The present study aimed at evaluating the suitability of six different media, especially exploiting local potential resources, for the mass production of Dunaliella salina DCCBC15 as functional food and medicine. The efficacy of a new selected low-cost enriched natural seawater medium (MD4), supplemented with industrial N-P-K fertilizer, was investigated with respect to biomass production, chlorophyll, antioxidant capacity, and total carotene by Dunaliella though culture conditions were not optimized yet. This new medium (MD4) appears extremely promising, since it affords a higher production of Dunaliella biomass and pigments compared with the control, a common artificial medium (MD1), while allowing a substantial reduction in the production costs. The medium is also recommended for culturing other marine algae.

Exposure assessment of the population in Poland to the toxic effects of arsenic compounds present in rice and rice based products

PubMed

Mania, Monika; Rebeniak, Małgorzata; Szynal, Tomasz; Starska, Krystyna; Wojciechowska-Mazurek, Maria; Postupolski, Jacek

Rice is a staple food for many people in the world and an important ingredient for production of food for infants and young children. According to European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), cereals, primarily rice and rice products, are an important source of human exposure to inorganic arsenic, which has been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as group I carcinogen. Arsenic is present in rice and rice products mainly as an inorganic form being more toxic than organic compounds The aim of the study was to determine the total and inorganic arsenic content in rice, rice-based products including food for infants and young children available on the market in Poland and thus to estimate consumer exposure to inorganic arsenic from these groups of foodstuffs A total of 62 samples of rice and rice products from trade, including a group of rice products for infants and young children, were tested. Contents of total and inorganic arsenic were determined by using hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HGAAS), after dry mineralization of samples and reduction of arsenic to arsenic hydride with sodium borohydride. To extract the inorganic arsenic forms, the samples were subjected to hydrolysis in concentrated HCl and then reduced in the presence of hydrobromic acid and hydrazine sulphate after which triple chloroform extractions and triple 1M HCl re-extractions were performed. Exposure of different groups of populations (adults and children), was estimated in relation to the Benchmark Dose Lower Confidence Limit (BMDL05) as set by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) that resulted in a 0.5% increase in lung cancer (3.0 µg/kg body weight (b.w.) per day) Mean content of total and inorganic arsenic in investigated rice samples was 0.12 mg/kg (median: 0.09 mg/kg; 90th percentile 0.22 mg/kg) and 0.04 mg/kg (median: 0.03 mg/kg, 90th percentile 0.07 mg/kg). Brown rice was found to be more highly contaminated with both total and inorganic arsenic than white rice. Mean contamination of brown rice with total arsenic and inorganic arsenic was: 0.18 mg/kg (median: 0.12 mg/kg, 90th percentile: 0.32 mg/kg) and 0.05 mg/kg (median: 0.05 mg/kg, 90th percentile: 0.07 mg/kg). In turn for the white rice contamination was lower, mean total arsenic content: 0.10 mg/kg (median: 0.08 mg/kg, 90th percentile: 0.19 mg/kg) and mean inorganic arsenic: 0.03 mg/kg (median: 0.03 mg/kg, 90th percentile: 0.06 mg/kg). Contamination of rice-based products both total and inorganic arsenic was similar to those reported for rice, except rice wafers (mean: 0.24 mg/kg and 0.13 mg/kg). In the group of products for infants and young children obtained results were low – mean total arsenic content was 0.06 mg/kg and inorganic arsenic 0.02 mg/kg. The estimated average adult and children’s exposure to inorganic arsenic with rice and rice products was less than 1% of the BMDL05. Intake of inorganic arsenic by 12-month-old infants with ricebased products intended for this group of population was at 6% BMDL05 Based on the obtained results, it was found that the content of total and inorganic arsenic in investigated samples of rice and rice products did not pose a health risk even though contamination levels in some individual samples were significant

Beam-induced back-streaming electron suppression analysis for an accelerator type neutron generator designed for 40Ar/39Ar geochronology.

PubMed

Waltz, Cory; Ayllon, Mauricio; Becker, Tim; Bernstein, Lee; Leung, Ka-Ngo; Kirsch, Leo; Renne, Paul; Bibber, Karl Van

2017-07-01

A facility based on a next-generation, high-flux D-D neutron generator has been commissioned and it is now operational at the University of California, Berkeley. The current generator designed for 40 Ar/ 39 Ar dating of geological materials produces nearly monoenergetic 2.45MeV neutrons at outputs of 10 8 n/s. The narrow energy range is advantageous relative to the 235 U fission spectrum neutrons due to (i) reduced 39 Ar recoil energy, (ii) minimized production of interfering argon isotopes from K, Ca, and Cl, and (iii) reduced total activity for radiological safety and waste generation. Calculations provided show that future conditioning at higher currents and voltages will allow for a neutron output of over 10 10 n/s, which is a necessary requirement for production of measurable quantities of 39 Ar through the reaction 39 K(n,p) 39 Ar. A significant problem encountered with increasing deuteron current was beam-induced electron backstreaming. Two methods of suppressing secondary electrons resulting from the deuterium beam striking the target were tested: the application of static electric and magnetic fields. Computational simulations of both techniques were done using a finite element analysis in COMSOL Multiphysics ® . Experimental tests verified these simulations. The most reliable suppression was achieved via the implementation of an electrostatic shroud with a voltage offset of -800V relative to the target. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Hexavalent Chromium Generation within Naturally Structured Soils and Sediments

DOE PAGES

Hausladen, Debra M.; Fendorf, Scott

2017-01-13

Chromium(VI) produced from the oxidation of indigenous Cr(III) minerals is increasingly being recognized as a threat to groundwater quality. A critical determinant of Cr(VI) generation within soils and sediments is the necessary interaction of two low-solubility phases$-$Cr(III) silicates or (hydr)oxides and Mn(III/IV) oxides—that lead to its production. Here in this paper, we investigate the potential for Cr(III) oxidation by Mn oxides within fixed solid matrices common to soils and sediments. Artificial aggregates were constructed from Cr(OH) 3- and Cr 0.25Fe 0.75(OH) 3-coated quartz grains and either mixed with synthetic birnessite or inoculated with the Mn(II)-oxidizing bacterium Leptothrix cholodnii. In aggregatesmore » simulating low organic carbon environments, we observe Cr(VI) concentrations within advecting solutes at levels more than twenty-times the California drinking water standard. Chromium(VI) production is highly dependent on Cr-mineral solubility; increasing Fe-substitution (x = 0 to x = 0.75) decreases the solubility of the solid and concomitantly decreases total Cr(VI) generation by 37%. In environments with high organic carbon, reducing conditions within aggregate cores (microbially) generate sufficient Fe(II) to suppress Cr(VI) efflux. Our results illustrate Cr(VI) generation from reaction with Mn oxides within structured media simulating soils and sediments and provide insight into how fluctuating hydrologic and redox conditions impact coupled processes controlling Cr and Mn cycling.« less

Hexavalent Chromium Generation within Naturally Structured Soils and Sediments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hausladen, Debra M.; Fendorf, Scott

Chromium(VI) produced from the oxidation of indigenous Cr(III) minerals is increasingly being recognized as a threat to groundwater quality. A critical determinant of Cr(VI) generation within soils and sediments is the necessary interaction of two low-solubility phases$-$Cr(III) silicates or (hydr)oxides and Mn(III/IV) oxides—that lead to its production. Here in this paper, we investigate the potential for Cr(III) oxidation by Mn oxides within fixed solid matrices common to soils and sediments. Artificial aggregates were constructed from Cr(OH) 3- and Cr 0.25Fe 0.75(OH) 3-coated quartz grains and either mixed with synthetic birnessite or inoculated with the Mn(II)-oxidizing bacterium Leptothrix cholodnii. In aggregatesmore » simulating low organic carbon environments, we observe Cr(VI) concentrations within advecting solutes at levels more than twenty-times the California drinking water standard. Chromium(VI) production is highly dependent on Cr-mineral solubility; increasing Fe-substitution (x = 0 to x = 0.75) decreases the solubility of the solid and concomitantly decreases total Cr(VI) generation by 37%. In environments with high organic carbon, reducing conditions within aggregate cores (microbially) generate sufficient Fe(II) to suppress Cr(VI) efflux. Our results illustrate Cr(VI) generation from reaction with Mn oxides within structured media simulating soils and sediments and provide insight into how fluctuating hydrologic and redox conditions impact coupled processes controlling Cr and Mn cycling.« less

Paid expenditures and productivity costs associated with permanent disability pensions in patients with spinal disorders: Nationwide Finnish Register-based Study, 1990-2010.

PubMed

Asklöf, Tom; Martikainen, Janne; Kautiainen, Hannu; Haanpää, Maija; Kiviranta, Ilkka; Pohjolainen, Timo

2016-01-01

The objective of this study is to present the paid expenditures and productivity costs of disability pensions (DP) due to spinal disorders (SD) in Finland during 1990-2010. This study is a register-based national study. All new cases aged 20-64 that were granted a DP due to SD were identified from the nationwide register maintained by the Finnish Centre of Pensions. The data included sex, age group, year of the DP decision, main cause of incapacity (diagnosis) leading to permanent DP and yearly paid expenditures for DPs. Annual productivity costs were estimated based on labour force participation rate and the employment rate adjusted gross domestic product. A total of 39,107 individuals (18,072 females, 21,035 males) received DPs during the study period. SDs generated 9,372 million euros extra cost during this period due to DP (females 3.5 billion, males 5.9 billion). The total DP expenditures paid increased during the first half of 1990s but decreased during the second half of 1990s (-44.8 %). For degenerative SD cases, the DP expenditure was 5.1 billion €, disc disease 3.5 billion € and for other SDs 0.7 billion €. Males, compared to females, were expected to have a rate 1.22 times greater costs due to DPs. The estimated total annual productivity costs due to SDs have been over six times higher than expenditures paid for DPs per year. The costs of DPs are different compared to occurrence rates due to salary and early retirement age differences between genders. Despite a significant decrease in DP-associated expenditures due to SDs after 1993, the annual expenditures have stayed on a high level in Finland.

Development and bottlenecks of renewable electricity generation in China: a critical review.

PubMed

Hu, Yuanan; Cheng, Hefa

2013-04-02

This review provides an overview on the development and status of electricity generation from renewable energy sources, namely hydropower, wind power, solar power, biomass energy, and geothermal energy, and discusses the technology, policy, and finance bottlenecks limiting growth of the renewable energy industry in China. Renewable energy, dominated by hydropower, currently accounts for more than 25% of the total electricity generation capacity. China is the world's largest generator of both hydropower and wind power, and also the largest manufacturer and exporter of photovoltaic cells. Electricity production from solar and biomass energy is at the early stages of development in China, while geothermal power generation has received little attention recently. The spatial mismatch in renewable energy supply and electricity demand requires construction of long-distance transmission networks, while the intermittence of renewable energy poses significant technical problems for feeding the generated electricity into the power grid. Besides greater investment in research and technology development, effective policies and financial measures should also be developed and improved to better support the healthy and sustained growth of renewable electricity generation. Meanwhile, attention should be paid to the potential impacts on the local environment from renewable energy development, despite the wider benefits for climate change.

The categorisation of swimming start performance with reference to force generation on the main block and footrest components of the Omega OSB11 start blocks.

PubMed

Slawson, Sian E; Conway, Paul P; Cossor, Jodi; Chakravorti, Nandini; West, Andrew A

2013-01-01

Work presented in this paper provides a methodology for categorising swimming start performance based on peak force production on the main block and footrest components of the Omega OSB11 starting block. A total of 46 elite British swimmers were tested, producing over 1000 start trials. Overwater cameras were synchronised to a specifically designed start block that allowed the measurement of force production via two sets of four, tri-axis, force transducers; one set in the main block and one in the footrest. Data were then analysed, segregating trials for gender. Each start was categorised, with respect to the peak force production in horizontal and vertical components, into one of nine categories. Three performance indicators, i.e. block time, take-off velocity and distance of entry, were used to assess whether differences in performance could be correlated with these categories. Results from these data suggest that swimmers generating higher than average peak forces were more likely to produce a better overall start performance than those who produced forces lower than the average, for this population of athletes.

Kinetics of sugars consumption and ethanol inhibition in carob pulp fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae in batch and fed-batch cultures.

PubMed

Lima-Costa, Maria Emília; Tavares, Catarina; Raposo, Sara; Rodrigues, Brígida; Peinado, José M

2012-05-01

The waste materials from the carob processing industry are a potential resource for second-generation bioethanol production. These by-products are small carob kibbles with a high content of soluble sugars (45-50%). Batch and fed-batch Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentations of high density sugar from carob pods were analyzed in terms of the kinetics of sugars consumption and ethanol inhibition. In all the batch runs, 90-95% of the total sugar was consumed and transformed into ethanol with a yield close to the theoretical maximum (0.47-0.50 g/g), and a final ethanol concentration of 100-110 g/l. In fed-batch runs, fresh carob extract was added when glucose had been consumed. This addition and the subsequent decrease of ethanol concentrations by dilution increased the final ethanol production up to 130 g/l. It seems that invertase activity and yeast tolerance to ethanol are the main factors to be controlled in carob fermentations. The efficiency of highly concentrated carob fermentation makes it a very promising process for use in a second-generation ethanol biorefinery.

Industrial waste recycling strategies optimization problem: mixed integer programming model and heuristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Jiafu; Liu, Yang; Fung, Richard; Luo, Xinggang

2008-12-01

Manufacturers have a legal accountability to deal with industrial waste generated from their production processes in order to avoid pollution. Along with advances in waste recovery techniques, manufacturers may adopt various recycling strategies in dealing with industrial waste. With reuse strategies and technologies, byproducts or wastes will be returned to production processes in the iron and steel industry, and some waste can be recycled back to base material for reuse in other industries. This article focuses on a recovery strategies optimization problem for a typical class of industrial waste recycling process in order to maximize profit. There are multiple strategies for waste recycling available to generate multiple byproducts; these byproducts are then further transformed into several types of chemical products via different production patterns. A mixed integer programming model is developed to determine which recycling strategy and which production pattern should be selected with what quantity of chemical products corresponding to this strategy and pattern in order to yield maximum marginal profits. The sales profits of chemical products and the set-up costs of these strategies, patterns and operation costs of production are considered. A simulated annealing (SA) based heuristic algorithm is developed to solve the problem. Finally, an experiment is designed to verify the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method. By comparing a single strategy to multiple strategies in an example, it is shown that the total sales profit of chemical products can be increased by around 25% through the simultaneous use of multiple strategies. This illustrates the superiority of combinatorial multiple strategies. Furthermore, the effects of the model parameters on profit are discussed to help manufacturers organize their waste recycling network.

Wire array Z-pinch insights for enhanced x-ray production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanford, T. W. L.; Mock, R. C.; Spielman, R. B.; Haines, M. G.; Chittenden, J. P.; Whitney, K. G.; Apruzese, J. P.; Peterson, D. L.; Greenly, J. B.; Sinars, D. B.; Reisman, D. B.; Mosher, D.

1999-05-01

Comparisons of measured total radiated x-ray power from annular wire-array z-pinches with a variety of models as a function of wire number, array mass, and load radius are reviewed. The data, which are comprehensive, have provided important insights into the features of wire-array dynamics that are critical for high x-ray power generation. Collectively, the comparisons of the data with the model calculations suggest that a number of underlying dynamical mechanisms involving cylindrical asymmetries and plasma instabilities contribute to the measured characteristics. For example, under the general assumption that the measured risetime of the total-radiated-power pulse is related to the thickness of the plasma shell formed on axis, the Heuristic Model [IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 26, 1275 (1998)] agrees with the measured risetime under a number of specific assumptions about the way the breakdown of the wires, the wire-plasma expansion, and the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in the r-z plane, develop. Likewise, in the high wire-number regime (where the wires are calculated to form a plasma shell prior to significant radial motion of the shell) the comparisons show that the variation in the power of the radiation generated as a function of load mass and array radius can be simulated by the two-dimensional Eulerian-radiation- magnetohydrodynamics code (E-RMHC) [Phys. Plasmas 3, 368 (1996)], using a single random-density perturbation that seeds the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in the r-z plane. For a given pulse-power generator, the comparisons suggest that (1) the smallest interwire gaps compatible with practical load construction and (2) the minimum implosion time consistent with the optimum required energy coupling of the generator to the load should produce the highest total-radiated-power levels.

Operational surface UV radiation product from GOME-2 and AVHRR/3 data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kujanpää, J.; Kalakoski, N.

2015-05-01

The surface ultraviolet (UV) radiation product, version 1.20, generated operationally in the framework of the Satellite Application Facility on Ozone and Atmospheric Chemistry Monitoring (O3M SAF) of the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) is described. The product is based on the total ozone column derived from the measurements of the second Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME-2) instrument aboard EUMETSAT's polar orbiting meteorological operational (Metop) satellites. The input total ozone product is generated by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) also within the O3M SAF framework. Polar orbiting satellites provide global coverage but infrequent sampling of the diurnal cloud cover. The diurnal variation of the surface UV radiation is extremely strong due to modulation by solar elevation and rapidly changing cloud cover. At the minimum, one sample of the cloud cover in the morning and another in the afternoon are needed to derive daily maximum and daily integrated surface UV radiation quantities. This is achieved by retrieving cloud optical depth from the channel 1 reflectance of the third Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR/3) instrument aboard both Metop in the morning orbit (daytime descending node around 09:30 LT) and Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellites (POES) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the afternoon orbit (daytime ascending node around 14:30 LT). In addition, more overpasses are used at high latitudes where the swaths of consecutive orbits overlap. The input satellite data are received from EUMETSAT's Multicast Distribution System (EUMETCast) using commercial telecommunication satellites for broadcasting the data to the user community. The surface UV product includes daily maximum dose rates and integrated daily doses with different biological weighting functions, integrated UVB and UVA radiation, solar noon UV Index and daily maximum photolysis frequencies of ozone and nitrogen dioxide at the surface level. The quantities are computed in a 0.5° × 0.5° regular latitude-longitude grid and stored as daily files in the hierarchical data format (HDF5) within two weeks from sensing. The product files are archived in the O3M SAF distributed archive and can be ordered via the EUMETSAT Data Centre.

Projections of NH3 emissions from manure generated by livestock production in China to 2030 under six mitigation scenarios.

PubMed

Xu, Peng; Koloutsou-Vakakis, Sotiria; Rood, Mark J; Luan, Shengji

2017-12-31

China's rapid urbanization, large population, and increasing consumption of calorie-and meat-intensive diets, have resulted in China becoming the world's largest source of ammonia (NH 3 ) emissions from livestock production. This is the first study to use provincial, condition-specific emission factors based on most recently available studies on Chinese manure management and environmental conditions. The estimated NH 3 emission temporal trends and spatial patterns are interpreted in relation to government policies affecting livestock production. Scenario analysis is used to project emissions and estimate mitigation potential of NH 3 emissions, to year 2030. We produce a 1km×1km gridded NH 3 emission inventory for 2008 based on county-level activity data, which can help identify locations of highest NH 3 emissions. The total NH 3 emissions from manure generated by livestock production in 2008 were 7.3TgNH 3 ·yr -1 (interquartile range from 6.1 to 8.6TgNH 3 ·yr -1 ), and the major sources were poultry (29.9%), pigs (28.4%), other cattle (27.9%), and dairy cattle (7.0%), while sheep and goats (3.6%), donkeys (1.3%), horses (1.2%), and mules (0.7%) had smaller contributions. From 1978 to 2008, annual NH 3 emissions fluctuated with two peaks (1996 and 2006), and total emissions increased from 2.2 to 7.3Tg·yr -1 increasing on average 4.4%·yr -1 . Under a business-as-usual (BAU) scenario, NH 3 emissions in 2030 are expected to be 13.9TgNH 3 ·yr -1 (11.5-16.3TgNH 3 ·yr -1 ). Under mitigation scenarios, the projected emissions could be reduced by 18.9-37.3% compared to 2030 BAU emissions. This study improves our understanding of NH 3 emissions from livestock production, which is needed to guide stakeholders and policymakers to make well informed mitigation decisions for NH 3 emissions from livestock production at the country and regional levels. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hypophosphite/Graphitic Carbon Nitride Hybrids: Preparation and Flame-Retardant Application in Thermoplastic Polyurethane

PubMed Central

Shi, Yongqian; Fu, Libi; Chen, Xilei; Guo, Jin; Yang, Fuqiang; Wang, Jingui; Zheng, Yuying; Hu, Yuan

2017-01-01

A series of aluminum hypophosphite (AHPi)/graphite-like carbon nitride (g-C3N4) (designated as CAHPi) hybrids were prepared, followed by incorporation into thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). The introduction of CAHPi hybrids into TPU led to a marked reduction in the peak of the heat release rate (pHRR), total heat release, weight loss rate, smoke production rate and total smoke production (TSP). For instance, pHRR and TSP decreased by 40% and 50% for TPU/CAHPi20. Furthermore, the increasing fire growth index and decreasing fire performance index were obtained for TPU/CAHPi systems, suggesting reduced fire hazards. It was found that improved fire safety of TPU nanocomposites was contributed by condensed phase and gas phase mechanisms. On one hand, g-C3N4 accelerated the thermal decomposition of AHPi for the formation of more char layers. On the other hand, g-C3N4 induced AHPi to generate more free radical capture agents when exposed to flame, besides protecting AHPi against thermal oxidation. PMID:28872606

Second-generation ethanol production from elephant grass at high total solids.

PubMed

Menegol, Daiane; Fontana, Roselei Claudete; Dillon, Aldo José Pinheiro; Camassola, Marli

2016-07-01

The enzymatic hydrolysis of Pennisetum purpureum (elephant grass) was evaluated at high total solid levels (from 4% to 20% (w/v)) in a concomitant ball milling treatment in a rotating hydrolysis reactor (RHR). The greatest glucose yield was 20.17% when 4% (w/v) untreated biomass was employed. When sugars obtained from enzymatic hydrolysis were submitted to fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the greatest ethanol yield was 22.61% when 4% (w/v) untreated biomass was employed; however, the highest glucose concentration (12.47g/L) was obtaining using 20% (w/v) solids and highest ethanol concentration (6.1g/L) was obtained using 16% (w/v) solids. When elephant grass was hydrolyzed in the rotating hydrolysis reactor, ethanol production was about double that was produced when the biomass was hydrolyzed in a static reactor (SR). These data indicate that it is possible to produce ethanol from elephant grass when milling treatment and enzymatic hydrolysis are performed at the same time. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Global manure nitrogen production and application in cropland during 1860-2014: a 5 arcmin gridded global dataset for Earth system modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Bowen; Tian, Hanqin; Lu, Chaoqun; Dangal, Shree R. S.; Yang, Jia; Pan, Shufen

2017-09-01

Given the important role of nitrogen input from livestock systems in terrestrial nutrient cycles and the atmospheric chemical composition, it is vital to have a robust estimation of the magnitude and spatiotemporal variation in manure nitrogen production and its application to cropland across the globe. In this study, we used the dataset from the Global Livestock Impact Mapping System (GLIMS) in conjunction with country-specific annual livestock populations to reconstruct the manure nitrogen production during 1860-2014. The estimated manure nitrogen production increased from 21.4 Tg N yr-1 in 1860 to 131.0 Tg N yr-1 in 2014 with a significant annual increasing trend (0.7 Tg N yr-1, p < 0.01). Changes in manure nitrogen production exhibited high spatial variability and concentrated in several hotspots (e.g., Western Europe, India, northeastern China, and southeastern Australia) across the globe over the study period. In the 1860s, the northern midlatitude region was the largest manure producer, accounting for ˜ 52 % of the global total, while low-latitude regions became the largest share (˜ 48 %) in the most recent 5 years (2010-2014). Among all the continents, Asia accounted for over one-fourth of the global manure production during 1860-2014. Cattle dominated the manure nitrogen production and contributed ˜ 44 % of the total manure nitrogen production in 2014, followed by goats, sheep, swine, and chickens. The manure nitrogen application to cropland accounts for less than one-fifth of the total manure nitrogen production over the study period. The 5 arcmin gridded global dataset of manure nitrogen production generated from this study could be used as an input for global or regional land surface and ecosystem models to evaluate the impacts of manure nitrogen on key biogeochemical processes and water quality. To ensure food security and environmental sustainability, it is necessary to implement proper manure management practices on cropland across the globe. Datasets are available at https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.871980 (Zhang et al., 2017).

Anaerobic Digestion Performance in the Energy Recovery of Kiwi Residues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martins, Ramiro; Boaventura, Rui; Paulista, Larissa

2017-12-01

World production and trade of fruits generate losses in the harvest, post-harvest, handling, distribution and consumption phases, corresponding to 6.8% of total production. These residues present high potential as a substrate for the anaerobic digestion process and biogas generation. Thus, the energy valuation of the agro-industrial residues of kiwi production was evaluated by anaerobic digestion, aiming at optimizing the biogas production and its quality. Ten assays were carried out in a batch reactor (500 mL) under mesophilic conditions and varying a number of operational factors: different substrate/inoculum ratios; four distinct values for C: N ratio; inoculum from different digesters; and inoculum collected at different times of the year. The following parameters were used to control and monitor the process: pH, alkalinity, volatile fatty acids (VFA), volatile solids (VS) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). Among the tests performed, the best result obtained for the biogas production corresponded to the use of 2 g of substrate and 98 mL of inoculum of the anaerobic digester of the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) of Bragança, with addition of 150 mg of bicarbonate leading to a production of 1628 L biogas.kg-1 VS (57% methane). In relation to the biogas quality, the best result was obtained with 20 g of substrate and 380 mL of inoculum from the anaerobic digester sludge of WWTP of Ave (with addition 600 mg of sodium bicarbonate), presenting a value of 85% of CH4, with a production of 464 L biogas.kg-1 VS.

A decision support tool for landfill methane generation and gas collection.

PubMed

Emkes, Harriet; Coulon, Frédéric; Wagland, Stuart

2015-09-01

This study presents a decision support tool (DST) to enhance methane generation at individual landfill sites. To date there is no such tool available to provide landfill decision makers with clear and simplified information to evaluate biochemical processes within a landfill site, to assess performance of gas production and to identify potential remedies to any issues. The current lack in understanding stems from the complexity of the landfill waste degradation process. Two scoring sets for landfill gas production performance are calculated with the tool: (1) methane output score which measures the deviation of the actual methane output rate at each site which the prediction generated by the first order decay model LandGEM; and (2) landfill gas indicators' score, which measures the deviation of the landfill gas indicators from their ideal ranges for optimal methane generation conditions. Landfill gas indicators include moisture content, temperature, alkalinity, pH, BOD, COD, BOD/COD ratio, ammonia, chloride, iron and zinc. A total landfill gas indicator score is provided using multi-criteria analysis to calculate the sum of weighted scores for each indicator. The weights for each indicator are calculated using an analytical hierarchical process. The tool is tested against five real scenarios for landfill sites in UK with a range of good, average and poor landfill methane generation over a one year period (2012). An interpretation of the results is given for each scenario and recommendations are highlighted for methane output rate enhancement. Results demonstrate how the tool can help landfill managers and operators to enhance their understanding of methane generation at a site-specific level, track landfill methane generation over time, compare and rank sites, and identify problems areas within a landfill site. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spatially distributed potential of landfill biogas production and electric power generation in Brazil.

PubMed

Lima, Rodolfo M; Santos, Afonso H M; Pereira, Camilo R S; Flauzino, Bárbara K; Pereira, Ana Cristina O S; Nogueira, Fábio J H; Valverde, José Alfredo R

2018-04-01

Due to the relatively low investment, operation costs, and technical requirements, landfills are still the most widespread alternative for final disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW). The biogas produced in the landfill, a renewable energy source, may be an important alternative for electric power generation. Brazil has a significant number of operating landfills, which receive the most part of the collected MSW. However, the country has only 17 landfill biogas power plants (LBPPs), resulting in about 122 MW of capacity. The United Kingdom, for instance, which is about 3 times smaller than Brazil in population, has 442 LBPPs (corresponding to 1051 MW of capacity). This fact highlights a considerable unexplored potential of landfill biogas in Brazil. It is also important to estimate this potential throughout the country to provide information for the government, researchers and companies in decision making, planning and formulation of public policies regarding this use of landfill biogas. Therefore, this study aims at estimating the spatially distributed potential of landfill biogas production that can be used for electric power generation in Brazil from 2015 to 2045, considering two scenarios: (i) operating sanitary landfills and (ii) hypothetical scenario of Territorial Arrangements (TA) comprising every Brazilian city, considering one landfill per TA. The total installed capacity estimated in 2018 for scenario 1 is about 523 MW and 87% of this number are related to LBPPs bigger than 1 MW. In this same year, the total installed capacity estimated for scenario 2 is 768 MW and 95% of this number are related to LBPPs bigger than 1 MW. These results emphasize that Brazil has a considerable unexplored potential of landfill biogas and the importance of municipal consortiums for MSW management. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gypsum

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crangle, R.D.

2012-01-01

The United States is the world's fourth leading producer and consumer of gypsum. Production of gypsum in the U.S. during 2011 was estimated to be 9.4 Mt (103 million st), an increase of 6 percent compared with 2010 production. The average price of mined crude gypsum was $7/t ($6.35/st). Synthetic gypsum, most of which is generated as a fluegas desulfurization process from coal-fired electric powerplants, was priced at approximately $1.50/t (1.36/st). Forty-seven companies produced gypsum in the U.S. at 54 mines and plants in 34 states. U.S. gypsum exports totaled about 300 kt (330,000 st). Imports were much higher at approximately 3.3 Mt (3.6 million st).

Water use in Kentucky, 1990

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sholar, C.J.; Wood, P.A.

1995-01-01

Water-use information for 1990 was collected and reported, by county, for eight major categories of use. Seven of the categories were offstream uses, which included public supply, commercial, domestic, industrial, mining, thermoelectric, and agricultural uses. The agricultural category was subdivided into irrigation and livestock water use. Instream water- use data also were collected for hydroelectric-power generation. Estimated average water use in Kentucky exceeded 4,300 million gallons per day during 1990 for all offstream uses. About 94 percent of this amount was from surface-water sources, and about 6 percent was from ground-water sources. Per capita use for all offstream uses was almost 1,200 gallons per day. Estimated average consumptive use was 309 million gallons per day. Estimated average instream water use for hydroelectric-power generation was 83,000 million gallons per day. Ninety-seven percent of the offstream water withdrawals during 1990 were withdrawn for thermoelectric, public supply, and industrial use. Cooling water used in the production of thermoelectric power accounted for about 80 percent of the total offstream water use during 1990. Water withdrawn for public supplies was second largest at almost 10 percent of the total, and industrial water withdrawals were about 7 percent of the total. Thermoelectric, domestic, and livestock uses accounted for almost 90 percent of the consumptive use during 1990. The thermoelectric category accounted for almost two-thirds of the total consumptive use in the State for all uses.

Electrostatic Hazard Considerations for ODC Solvent Replacement Selection Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fairbourn, Brad

1999-01-01

ODC solvents are used to clean many critical substrates during solid rocket motor production operations. Electrostatic charge generation incidental to these cleaning operations can pose a major safety issue. Therefore, while determining the acceptability of various ODC replacement cleaners, one aspect of the selection criteria included determining the extent of electric charge generation during a typical solvent cleaning operation. A total of six candidate replacement cleaners, sixteen critical substrates, and two types of cleaning swatch materials were studied in simulated cleaning operations. Charge generation and accumulation effects were investigated by measuring the peak voltage and brush discharging effects associated with each cleaning process combination. In some cases, charge generation was found to be very severe. Using the conductivity information for each cleaner, the peak voltage data could in some cases, be qualitatively predicted. Test results indicated that severe charging effects could result in brush discharges that could potentially result in flash fire hazards when occurring in close proximity to flammable vapor/air mixtures. Process controls to effectively mitigate these hazards are discussed.

Micropropagation of Agave salmiana: Means to Production of Antioxidant and Bioactive Principles

PubMed Central

Puente-Garza, César A.; Gutiérrez-Mora, Antonia; García-Lara, Silverio

2015-01-01

Maguey, Agave salmiana, is an important plant for the “pulque” beverage and functional food industries; however, it has several constraints for elite and homogeneous plant production. In this study, a micropropagation process was established to generate in vitro plants. The effect of the method on metabolite content and antioxidant (AOX) activity in regenerated plants was evaluated. Young germinated plantlets were micropropagated from axillary shoots using Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with L2 vitamins, 0.04 mg/L 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 10 mg/L 6-benzylaminopurine. Total soluble sugars from the aqueous fraction and total phenolic acids, total saponins, and AOX activity of the methanol fraction were determined in wild-type (WT) plants, in in vitro (IN) plants, and ex vitro acclimated plants (EN). The results showed that IN plants have a 50% lower soluble sugar content compared to WT, and EN. The total phenolic acids content was at least 30% higher in micropropagated (IN) and regenerated (EN) plants compared to WT. The total saponin content in IN, and EN plants was 36 and 25 times higher compared to WT. The AOX capacity of IN plants was on average three times higher compared to other treatments. However, no correlation was found between the AOX activity and total phenolic acids or total saponins. A negative and significant correlation (r = –0.927; p = 0.003) was found between the AOX activity and the total soluble sugars content. Micropropagated plants of A. salmiana have a different phytochemical content and bioactivity after the in vitro process compared to WT plants. The micropropagation process could be used as a platform for phytochemical enhancement of Agave plants. PMID:26635850

Micropropagation of Agave salmiana: Means to Production of Antioxidant and Bioactive Principles.

PubMed

Puente-Garza, César A; Gutiérrez-Mora, Antonia; García-Lara, Silverio

2015-01-01

Maguey, Agave salmiana, is an important plant for the "pulque" beverage and functional food industries; however, it has several constraints for elite and homogeneous plant production. In this study, a micropropagation process was established to generate in vitro plants. The effect of the method on metabolite content and antioxidant (AOX) activity in regenerated plants was evaluated. Young germinated plantlets were micropropagated from axillary shoots using Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with L2 vitamins, 0.04 mg/L 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 10 mg/L 6-benzylaminopurine. Total soluble sugars from the aqueous fraction and total phenolic acids, total saponins, and AOX activity of the methanol fraction were determined in wild-type (WT) plants, in in vitro (IN) plants, and ex vitro acclimated plants (EN). The results showed that IN plants have a 50% lower soluble sugar content compared to WT, and EN. The total phenolic acids content was at least 30% higher in micropropagated (IN) and regenerated (EN) plants compared to WT. The total saponin content in IN, and EN plants was 36 and 25 times higher compared to WT. The AOX capacity of IN plants was on average three times higher compared to other treatments. However, no correlation was found between the AOX activity and total phenolic acids or total saponins. A negative and significant correlation (r = -0.927; p = 0.003) was found between the AOX activity and the total soluble sugars content. Micropropagated plants of A. salmiana have a different phytochemical content and bioactivity after the in vitro process compared to WT plants. The micropropagation process could be used as a platform for phytochemical enhancement of Agave plants.

Amyloid-β Production Via Cleavage of Amyloid-β Protein Precursor is Modulated by Cell Density

PubMed Central

Zhang, Can; Browne, Andrew; DiVito, Jason R.; Stevenson, Jesse A.; Romano, Donna; Dong, Yuanlin; Xie, Zhongcong; Tanzi, Rudolph E.

2012-01-01

Mounting evidence suggests that Alzheimer disease (AD) is caused by the accumulation of the small peptide, Aβ, a proteolytic cleavage product of amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP; or APP). Aβ is generated through a serial cleavage of APP by β- and γ-secretase. Aβ40 and Aβ42 are the two main components of amyloid plaques in AD brains, with Aβ42 being more prone to aggregation. APP can also be processed by α-secretase, which cleaves APP within the Aβ sequence, thereby preventing the generation of Aβ. Little is currently known regarding the effects of cell density on APP processing and Aβ generation. Here we assessed the effects of cell density on APP processing in neuronal and non-neuronal cell lines, as well as mouse primary cortical neurons. We found that decreased cell density significantly increases levels of Aβ40, Aβ42, total Aβ, and the ratio of Aβ42:Aβ40. These results also indicate that cell density is a significant modulator of APP processing. Overall, these findings carry profound implications for both previous and forthcoming studies aiming to assess the effects of various conditions and genetic/chemical factors, e.g. novel drugs on APP processing and Aβ generation in cell-based systems. Moreover, it is interesting to speculate whether cell density changes in vivo may also affect APP processing and Aβ levels in the AD brain. PMID:20847415

Co-digestion of solid waste: Towards a simple model to predict methane production.

PubMed

Kouas, Mokhles; Torrijos, Michel; Schmitz, Sabine; Sousbie, Philippe; Sayadi, Sami; Harmand, Jérôme

2018-04-01

Modeling methane production is a key issue for solid waste co-digestion. Here, the effect of a step-wise increase in the organic loading rate (OLR) on reactor performance was investigated, and four new models were evaluated to predict methane yields using data acquired in batch mode. Four co-digestion experiments of mixtures of 2 solid substrates were conducted in semi-continuous mode. Experimental methane yields were always higher than the BMP values of mixtures calculated from the BMP of each substrate, highlighting the importance of endogenous production (methane produced from auto-degradation of microbial community and generated solids). The experimental methane productions under increasing OLRs corresponded well to the modeled data using the model with constant endogenous production and kinetics identified at 80% from total batch time. This model provides a simple and useful tool for technical design consultancies and plant operators to optimize the co-digestion and the choice of the OLRs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ciência & Saúde Coletiva: scientific production analysis and collaborative research networks.

PubMed

Conner, Norma; Provedel, Attilio; Maciel, Ethel Leonor Noia

2017-03-01

The purpose of this metric and descriptive study was to identify the most productive authors and their collaborative research networks from articles published in Ciência & Saúde Coletiva between, 2005, and 2014. Authors meeting the cutoff criteria of at least 10 articles were considered the most productive authors. VOSviewer and Network Workbench technologies were applied for visual representations of collaborative research networks involving the most productive authors in the period. Initial analysis recovered 2511 distinct articles, with 8920 total authors with an average of 3.55 authors per article. Author analysis revealed 6288 distinct authors, 24 of these authors were identified as the most productive. These 24 authors generated 287 articles with an average of 4.31 authors per article, and represented 8 separate collaborative partnerships, the largest of which had 14 authors, indicating a significant degree of collaboration among these authors. This analysis provides a visual representation of networks of knowledge development in public health and demonstrates the usefulness of VOSviewer and Network Workbench technologies in future research.

Flavin-catalyzed redox tailoring reactions in natural product biosynthesis.

PubMed

Teufel, Robin

2017-10-15

Natural products are distinct and often highly complex organic molecules that constitute not only an important drug source, but have also pushed the field of organic chemistry by providing intricate targets for total synthesis. How the astonishing structural diversity of natural products is enzymatically generated in biosynthetic pathways remains a challenging research area, which requires detailed and sophisticated approaches to elucidate the underlying catalytic mechanisms. Commonly, the diversification of precursor molecules into distinct natural products relies on the action of pathway-specific tailoring enzymes that catalyze, e.g., acylations, glycosylations, or redox reactions. This review highlights a selection of tailoring enzymes that employ riboflavin (vitamin B2)-derived cofactors (FAD and FMN) to facilitate unusual redox catalysis and steer the formation of complex natural product pharmacophores. Remarkably, several such recently reported flavin-dependent tailoring enzymes expand the classical paradigms of flavin biochemistry leading, e.g., to the discovery of the flavin-N5-oxide - a novel flavin redox state and oxygenating species. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Scientific production from public hospitals of the City of Buenos Aires, 2017].

PubMed

Ibarra, Mariano; Torrents, Milagros; Ossorio, María Fabiana; Ferrero, Fernando

2018-01-01

The number of publications in the scientific literature coming from an institution is an indicator of its scientific production. The scientific production of the hospitals of the Government of the City of Buenos Aires (GCBA) has been evaluated previously, but without discriminating how much of that production corresponded to other academic institutions settled there (University of Buenos Aires, UBA, National Council of Scientific Research and Techniques, CONICET). Our objective was to evaluate the publications included in PubMed that correspond to hospitals of the GCBA, describe their main characteristics, and discriminate the contribution of other academic institutions (UBA and CONICET). It is a cross-sectional study based on a PubMed search, using the name of each of the 34 GCBA hospitals, CONICET and UBA in the "affiliation" field. In total, 2727 publications from GCBA hospitals were identified (4.6% of Argentine publications); 73.9% in English, 78.9% in relation to humans, 37.2% in the last 5 years; 6.4% with high level of evidence (clinical trials and meta-analysis), and 28.4% including children. Compared to the national total, the GCBA publications include fewer works in English, more research in humans, more clinical trials and more research in children. Of the publications corresponding to hospitals of the GCBA, 90.4% did not share the affiliation with CONICET or with UBA. In conclusion, the GCBA hospitals generated 4.6% of the total Argentine publications in PubMed; and 90% of these was not shared with UBA or CONICET. Publications from GCBA institutions include more clinical trials and research in children.

The Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) for the GOES-R Series Next Generation Operational Environmental Satellite Constellation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodman, Steven J.; Blakeslee, Richard; Koshak, William; Petersen, Walter; Carey, Larry; Mach, Douglas; Buechler, Dennis; Bateman, Monte; McCaul, Eugene; Bruning, Eric;

Identification of genes related to high royal jelly production in the honey bee (Apis mellifera) using microarray analysis

PubMed Central

Nie, Hongyi; Liu, Xiaoyan; Pan, Jiao; Li, Wenfeng; Li, Zhiguo; Zhang, Shaowu; Chen, Shenglu; Miao, Xiaoqing; Zheng, Nenggan; Su, Songkun

2017-01-01

Abstract China is the largest royal jelly producer and exporter in the world, and high royal jelly-yielding strains have been bred in the country for approximately three decades. However, information on the molecular mechanism underlying high royal jelly production is scarce. Here, a cDNA microarray was used to screen and identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) to obtain an overview on the changes in gene expression levels between high and low royal jelly producing bees. We developed a honey bee gene chip that covered 11,689 genes, and this chip was hybridised with cDNA generated from RNA isolated from heads of nursing bees. A total of 369 DEGs were identified between high and low royal jelly producing bees. Amongst these DEGs, 201 (54.47%) genes were up-regulated, whereas 168 (45.53%) were down-regulated in high royal jelly-yielding bees. Gene ontology (GO) analyses showed that they are mainly involved in four key biological processes, and pathway analyses revealed that they belong to a total of 46 biological pathways. These results provide a genetic basis for further studies on the molecular mechanisms involved in high royal jelly production. PMID:28981563

Identification of genes related to high royal jelly production in the honey bee (Apis mellifera) using microarray analysis.

PubMed

Nie, Hongyi; Liu, Xiaoyan; Pan, Jiao; Li, Wenfeng; Li, Zhiguo; Zhang, Shaowu; Chen, Shenglu; Miao, Xiaoqing; Zheng, Nenggan; Su, Songkun

2017-01-01

China is the largest royal jelly producer and exporter in the world, and high royal jelly-yielding strains have been bred in the country for approximately three decades. However, information on the molecular mechanism underlying high royal jelly production is scarce. Here, a cDNA microarray was used to screen and identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) to obtain an overview on the changes in gene expression levels between high and low royal jelly producing bees. We developed a honey bee gene chip that covered 11,689 genes, and this chip was hybridised with cDNA generated from RNA isolated from heads of nursing bees. A total of 369 DEGs were identified between high and low royal jelly producing bees. Amongst these DEGs, 201 (54.47%) genes were up-regulated, whereas 168 (45.53%) were down-regulated in high royal jelly-yielding bees. Gene ontology (GO) analyses showed that they are mainly involved in four key biological processes, and pathway analyses revealed that they belong to a total of 46 biological pathways. These results provide a genetic basis for further studies on the molecular mechanisms involved in high royal jelly production.

Accurate determination of residual acrylic acid in superabsorbent polymer of hygiene products by headspace gas chromatography.

PubMed

Zhang, Shu-Xin; Chai, Xin-Sheng; Jiang, Ran

2017-02-17

This work reports on a method for the determination of residual acrylic acid (AA) in the superabsorbent polymers for hygiene products by headspace analysis. It was based on water extraction for the polymer sample at a room temperature for 50min. Then, the AA in the extractant reacted with bicarbonate solution in a closed headspace sample vial, from which the carbon dioxide generated from the reaction (within 20min at 70°C) was detected by gas chromatography (GC). It was found that there is adsorption partition equilibrium of AA between solid-liquid phases. Therefore, an equation for calculating the total AA content in the original polymers sample was derived based on the above phase equilibrium. The results show that the HS-GC method has good precision (RSD<2.51%) and good accuracy (recoveries from 93 to 105%); the limit of quantification (LOQ) was 373mg/kg. The present method is rapid, accurate, and suitable for determining total residual acrylic acid in a wide variety of applications from processing of superabsorbent polymer to commercial products quality control. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Performance of Mentik Wangi rice (Oryza sativa, L.) M2 generation from gamma ray irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yunus, A.; Parjanto; Nandariyah; Wulandari, S.

2018-03-01

The objective of this research is to produce Mentik Wangi rice with shorter flowering age, shorter rice stem and high yield. This research was conducted in Palur Village, Mojolaban Sub-district, Sukoharjo District, from April to August 2016. This research used descriptive method, performed by observing each individual and comparing to the control average. Observational variables included plant height, total number of tillers, number of productive tillers, panicle length, number of grain per panicle, panicle density index, 1,000 filled seed weight, seed weight of cluster, flowering age and M2 mutant selection. The results showed that there were several plants indicated mutation, there were 7 plants indicate short stem mutation with height 85 cm to 97 cm. The plants which indicated short flowering age were 5 weeks after planting up to 6 weeks after planting. The mutated plants indicating of the highest number of productive tillers which were 27 up to 36. Each component result includes total number of tillers, number of productive tillers, number of grain of panicle as well as the weight of 1000 seeds in the plant indicated some mutation that has a high level of diversity in each treatment.

First measurement of the muon neutrino charged current single pion production cross section on water with the T2K near detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abe, K.; Andreopoulos, C.; Antonova, M.; Aoki, S.; Ariga, A.; Assylbekov, S.; Autiero, D.; Ban, S.; Barbi, M.; Barker, G. J.; Barr, G.; Bartet-Friburg, P.; Batkiewicz, M.; Bay, F.; Berardi, V.; Berkman, S.; Bhadra, S.; Bienstock, S.; Blondel, A.; Bolognesi, S.; Bordoni, S.; Boyd, S. B.; Brailsford, D.; Bravar, A.; Bronner, C.; Buizza Avanzini, M.; Calland, R. G.; Campbell, T.; Cao, S.; Caravaca Rodríguez, J.; Cartwright, S. L.; Castillo, R.; Catanesi, M. G.; Cervera, A.; Cherdack, D.; Chikuma, N.; Christodoulou, G.; Clifton, A.; Coleman, J.; Collazuol, G.; Coplowe, D.; Cremonesi, L.; Dabrowska, A.; De Rosa, G.; Dealtry, T.; Denner, P. F.; Dennis, S. R.; Densham, C.; Dewhurst, D.; Di Lodovico, F.; Di Luise, S.; Dolan, S.; Drapier, O.; Duffy, K. E.; Dumarchez, J.; Dytman, S.; Dziewiecki, M.; Emery-Schrenk, S.; Ereditato, A.; Feusels, T.; Finch, A. J.; Fiorentini, G. A.; Friend, M.; Fujii, Y.; Fukuda, D.; Fukuda, Y.; Furmanski, A. P.; Galymov, V.; Garcia, A.; Giffin, S. G.; Giganti, C.; Gilje, K.; Gizzarelli, F.; Gonin, M.; Grant, N.; Hadley, D. R.; Haegel, L.; Haigh, M. D.; Hamilton, P.; Hansen, D.; Harada, J.; Hara, T.; Hartz, M.; Hasegawa, T.; Hastings, N. C.; Hayashino, T.; Hayato, Y.; Helmer, R. L.; Hierholzer, M.; Hillairet, A.; Himmel, A.; Hiraki, T.; Hirota, S.; Hogan, M.; Holeczek, J.; Horikawa, S.; Hosomi, F.; Huang, K.; Ichikawa, A. K.; Ieki, K.; Ikeda, M.; Imber, J.; Insler, J.; Intonti, R. A.; Irvine, T. J.; Ishida, T.; Ishii, T.; Iwai, E.; Iwamoto, K.; Izmaylov, A.; Jacob, A.; Jamieson, B.; Jiang, M.; Johnson, S.; Jo, J. H.; Jonsson, P.; Jung, C. K.; Kabirnezhad, M.; Kaboth, A. C.; Kajita, T.; Kakuno, H.; Kameda, J.; Karlen, D.; Karpikov, I.; Katori, T.; Kearns, E.; Khabibullin, M.; Khotjantsev, A.; Kielczewska, D.; Kikawa, T.; Kim, H.; Kim, J.; King, S.; Kisiel, J.; Knight, A.; Knox, A.; Kobayashi, T.; Koch, L.; Koga, T.; Konaka, A.; Kondo, K.; Kopylov, A.; Kormos, L. L.; Korzenev, A.; Koshio, Y.; Kropp, W.; Kudenko, Y.; Kurjata, R.; Kutter, T.; Lagoda, J.; Lamont, I.; Larkin, E.; Lasorak, P.; Laveder, M.; Lawe, M.; Lazos, M.; Lindner, T.; Liptak, Z. J.; Litchfield, R. P.; Li, X.; Longhin, A.; Lopez, J. P.; Lou, T.; Ludovici, L.; Lu, X.; Magaletti, L.; Mahn, K.; Malek, M.; Manly, S.; Marino, A. D.; Marteau, J.; Martin, J. F.; Martins, P.; Martynenko, S.; Maruyama, T.; Matveev, V.; Mavrokoridis, K.; Ma, W. Y.; Mazzucato, E.; McCarthy, M.; McCauley, N.; McFarland, K. S.; McGrew, C.; Mefodiev, A.; Metelko, C.; Mezzetto, M.; Mijakowski, P.; Miller, C. A.; Minamino, A.; Mineev, O.; Mine, S.; Missert, A.; Miura, M.; Moriyama, S.; Mueller, Th. A.; Murphy, S.; Myslik, J.; Nakadaira, T.; Nakahata, M.; Nakamura, K. G.; Nakamura, K.; Nakamura, K. D.; Nakayama, S.; Nakaya, T.; Nakayoshi, K.; Nantais, C.; Nielsen, C.; Nirkko, M.; Nishikawa, K.; Nishimura, Y.; Novella, P.; Nowak, J.; O'Keeffe, H. M.; Ohta, R.; Okumura, K.; Okusawa, T.; Oryszczak, W.; Oser, S. M.; Ovsyannikova, T.; Owen, R. A.; Oyama, Y.; Palladino, V.; Palomino, J. L.; Paolone, V.; Patel, N. D.; Pavin, M.; Payne, D.; Perkin, J. D.; Petrov, Y.; Pickard, L.; Pickering, L.; Pinzon Guerra, E. S.; Pistillo, C.; Popov, B.; Posiadala-Zezula, M.; Poutissou, J.-M.; Poutissou, R.; Przewlocki, P.; Quilain, B.; Radermacher, T.; Radicioni, E.; Ratoff, P. N.; Ravonel, M.; Rayner, M. A. M.; Redij, A.; Reinherz-Aronis, E.; Riccio, C.; Rojas, P.; Rondio, E.; Roth, S.; Rubbia, A.; Rychter, A.; Sacco, R.; Sakashita, K.; Sánchez, F.; Sato, F.; Scantamburlo, E.; Scholberg, K.; Schoppmann, S.; Schwehr, J.; Scott, M.; Seiya, Y.; Sekiguchi, T.; Sekiya, H.; Sgalaberna, D.; Shah, R.; Shaikhiev, A.; Shaker, F.; Shaw, D.; Shiozawa, M.; Shirahige, T.; Short, S.; Smy, M.; Sobczyk, J. T.; Sobel, H.; Sorel, M.; Southwell, L.; Stamoulis, P.; Steinmann, J.; Stewart, T.; Stowell, P.; Suda, Y.; Suvorov, S.; Suzuki, A.; Suzuki, K.; Suzuki, S. Y.; Suzuki, Y.; Tacik, R.; Tada, M.; Takahashi, S.; Takeda, A.; Takeuchi, Y.; Tanaka, H. K.; Tanaka, H. A.; Terhorst, D.; Terri, R.; Thakore, T.; Thompson, L. F.; Tobayama, S.; Toki, W.; Tomura, T.; Touramanis, C.; Tsukamoto, T.; Tzanov, M.; Uchida, Y.; Vacheret, A.; Vagins, M.; Vallari, Z.; Vasseur, G.; Wachala, T.; Wakamatsu, K.; Walter, C. W.; Wark, D.; Warzycha, W.; Wascko, M. O.; Weber, A.; Wendell, R.; Wilkes, R. J.; Wilking, M. J.; Wilkinson, C.; Wilson, J. R.; Wilson, R. J.; Yamada, Y.; Yamamoto, K.; Yamamoto, M.; Yanagisawa, C.; Yano, T.; Yen, S.; Yershov, N.; Yokoyama, M.; Yoo, J.; Yoshida, K.; Yuan, T.; Yu, M.; Zalewska, A.; Zalipska, J.; Zambelli, L.; Zaremba, K.; Ziembicki, M.; Zimmerman, E. D.; Zito, M.; Żmuda, J.; T2K Collaboration

2017-01-01

The T2K off-axis near detector, ND280, is used to make the first differential cross section measurements of muon neutrino charged current single positive pion production on a water target at energies ˜0.8 GeV . The differential measurements are presented as a function of the muon and pion kinematics, in the restricted phase space defined by pπ+>200 MeV /c , pμ>200 MeV /c , cos (θπ+) >0.3 and cos (θμ) >0.3 . The total flux integrated νμ charged current single positive pion production cross section on water in the restricted phase space is measured to be ⟨σ ⟩ϕ =4.25 ±0.48 (stat )±1.56 (syst )×10-40 cm2/nucleon . The total cross section is consistent with the NEUT prediction (5.03 ×10-40 cm2/nucleon ) and 2 σ lower than the GENIE prediction (7.68 ×10-40 cm2/nucleon ). The differential cross sections are in good agreement with the NEUT generator. The GENIE simulation reproduces well the shapes of the distributions, but overestimates the overall cross section normalization.

Global Patterns in Human Consumption of Net Primary Production

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Imhoff, Marc L.; Bounoua, Lahouari; Ricketts, Taylor; Loucks, Colby; Harriss, Robert; Lawrence William T.

2004-01-01

The human population and its consumption profoundly affect the Earth's ecosystems. A particularly compelling measure of humanity's cumulative impact is the fraction of the planet's net primary production that we appropriate for our Net primary production-the net amount of solar energy converted to plant organic matter through photosynthesis-can be measured in units of elemental carbon and represents the primary food energy source for the world's ecosystems. Human appropriation of net primary production, apart from leaving less for other species to use, alters the composition of the atmosphere, levels of biodiversity, flows within food webs and the provision of important primary production required by humans and compare it to the total amount generated on the landscape. We then derive a spatial ba!mce sheet of net primary production supply and demand for the world. We show that human appropriation of net primary production varies spatially from almost zero to many times the local primary production. These analyses reveal the uneven footprint of human consumption and related environmental impacts, indicate the degree to which human populations depend on net primary production "imports" and suggest policy options for slowing future growth of human appropriation of net primary production.

Determination of Nicotine Absorption from Multiple Tobacco Products and Nicotine Gum

PubMed Central

Digard, Helena; Proctor, Christopher; Kulasekaran, Anuradha; Malmqvist, Ulf

2013-01-01

Introduction: Snus is a smokeless tobacco product traditionally used in Scandinavia and available in pouched or loose forms. The objective of this study was to determine nicotine absorption for current pouched and loose snus products in comparison with a cigarette and an over-the-counter nicotine gum. Methods: We conducted an open-label, randomized, 6-way, crossover study involving 20 healthy snus and cigarette users. One of 6 products (2 pouched snus, 2 weights of loose snus, a cigarette, and a nicotine gum) was administered at each of 6 visits. Blood samples were taken at intervals over 120 min and sensory perception assessed by questionnaire. Results: For the 4 smokeless tobacco products and the nicotine gum, blood plasma levels of nicotine were ranked according to total nicotine content as follows: loose snus (27.1 mg nicotine) > pouched snus (14.7 mg nicotine) > loose snus (10.8 mg nicotine) = pouched snus (10.7 mg nicotine) > nicotine gum (4.2 mg nicotine). The area under the plasma concentration–time curve (AUC) and maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) of nicotine ranged from 26.9 to 13.1 ng.h/ml and 17.9 to 9.1 ng.h/ml, respectively across all the products. Nicotine was absorbed more rapidly from the cigarette but systemic exposure was within the range of the smokeless tobacco products (AUC = 14.8 ng.h/ml; Cmax = 12.8 ng.h/ml). Conclusions: This study has generated new information on comparative nicotine absorption from a cigarette, loose snus, and pouched snus typical of products sold in Scandinavia. The similar nicotine absorption for 1 g portions of loose and pouched snus with approximately 11 mg of nicotine indicate that absorption kinetics were dependent on quantity of tobacco by weight and total nicotine content rather than product form. PMID:22585541

Linking phenology and biomass productivity in South Dakota mixed-grass prairie

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rigge, Matthew; Smart, Alexander; Wylie, Bruce; Gilmanov, Tagir; Johnson, Patricia

2013-01-01

Assessing the health of rangeland ecosystems based solely on annual biomass production does not fully describe plant community condition; the phenology of production can provide inferences on species composition, successional stage, and grazing impacts. We evaluate the productivity and phenology of western South Dakota mixed-grass prairie using 2000 to 2008 Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) satellite imagery at 250 m spatial resolution. Growing season NDVI images were integrated weekly to produce time-integrated NDVI (TIN), a proxy of total annual biomass production, and integrated seasonally to represent annual production by cool (C3) and warm (C4) season species. Additionally, a variety of phenological indicators including cool season percentage of TIN were derived from the seasonal profiles of NDVI. Cool season percentage and TIN were combined to generate vegetation classes, which served as proxies of plant community condition. TIN decreased with precipitation from east to west across the study area. Alternatively, cool season percentage increased from east to west, following patterns related to the reliability (interannual coefficient of variation [CV]) and quantity of mid-summer precipitation. Cool season TIN averaged 76.8% of total. Seasonal accumulation of TIN corresponded closely (R2 > 0.90) to that of gross photosynthesis data from a carbon flux tower. Field-collected biomass and community composition data were strongly related to the TIN and cool season percentage products. The patterns of vegetation classes were responsive to topographic, edaphic, and land management influences on plant communities. Accurate maps of biomass production, cool/warm season composition, and vegetation classes can improve the efficiency of land management by adjusting stocking rates and season of use to maximize rangeland productivity and achieve conservation objectives. Further, our results clarify the spatial and temporal dynamics of phenology and TIN in mixed-grass prairie.

Demonstration of AIRS Total Ozone Products to Operations to Enhance User Readiness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berndt, Emily; Zavodsky, Bradley; Jedlovec, Gary

2014-01-01

Cyclogenesis is a key forecast challenge at operational forecasting centers such as WPC and OPC, so these centers have a particular interest in unique products that can identify key storm features. In some cases, explosively developing extratropical cyclones can produce hurricane force, non-convective winds along the East Coast and north Atlantic as well as the Pacific Ocean, with the potential to cause significant damage to life and property. Therefore, anticipating cyclogenesis for these types of storms is crucial for furthering the NOAA goal of a "Weather Ready Nation". Over the last few years, multispectral imagery (i.e. RGB) products have gained popularity among forecasters. The GOES-R satellite champion at WPC/OPC has regularly evaluated the Air Mass RGB products from GOES Sounder, MODIS, and SEVIRI to aid in forecasting cyclogenesis as part of ongoing collaborations with SPoRT within the framework of the GOES-R Proving Ground. WPC/OPC has used these products to identify regions of stratospheric air associated with tropopause folds that can lead to cyclogenesis and hurricane force winds. RGB products combine multiple channels or channel differences into multi-color imagery in which different colors represent a particular cloud or air mass type. Initial interaction and feedback from forecasters evaluating the legacy Air Mass RGBs revealed some uncertainty regarding what physical processes the qualitative RGB products represent and color interpretation. To enhance forecaster confidence and interpretation of the Air Mass RGB, NASA SPoRT has transitioned a total column ozone product from AIRS retrievals to the WPC/OPC. The use of legacy AIRS demonstrates future JPSS capabilities possible with CrIS or OMPS. Since stratospheric air can be identified by anomalous potential vorticity and warm, dry, ozone-rich air, hyperspectral infrared sounder ozone products can be used in conjunction with the Air Mass RGB for identifying the role of stratospheric air in explosive cyclogenesis and hurricane force wind events. Currently, forecasters at WPC/OPC are evaluating the Air Mass RGB imagery in conjunction with the AIRS total column ozone to aid forecasting cyclogenesis and high wind forecasts. One of the limitations of the total ozone product is that it is difficult for forecasters to determine whether elevated ozone concentrations are related to stratospheric air or climatologically high values of ozone in certain regions. To address this limitation, SPoRT created an AIRS ozone anomaly product which calculates the percent of normal ozone based on a global stratospheric ozone mean climatology. With the knowledge that ozone values 125 percent of normal and greater typically represent stratospheric air; the anomaly product can be used with the total column ozone product to confirm regions of stratospheric air on the Air Mass RGB. This presentation describes the generation of these products along with forecaster feedback concerning the use of the AIRS ozone products in conjunction with the Air Mass RGB product for the unique forecast challenges WPC/OPC face. Additionally examples of CrIS ozone and anomaly products will be shown to further demonstrate the utility and capability of JPSS in forecasting unique events.

Estimating the indirect costs associated with the expected number of cancer cases in Mexico by 2020.

PubMed

Gutiérrez-Delgado, Cristina; Armas-Texta, Daniel; Reynoso-Noverón, Nancy; Meneses-García, Abelardo; Mohar-Betancourt, Alejandro

2016-04-01

To estimate the indirect costs generated by adults with cancer in Mexico from 2002-2020. Using information from national sources and the national cancer incidence from GLOBOCAN, we estimated income lost due to premature death (ILPD), short-term benefits (STBs), disability pensions (DPs), and opportunity costs for the carer (OCCs) generated by patients with cancer. Amounts were reported in Mexican pesos. We estimated 23 359 deaths and 216 679 new cases of cancer by 2020, which would be associated with a total indirect cost of 20.15 billion Mexican pesos. Men are expected to generate 54.9% of these costs. ILPD is expected to comprise the highest percentage of the cost (60%), followed by OCCs (22%), STBs (17%) and DPs (1%). From an economic perspective, the results emphasize the need to strengthen preventive interventions and early detection of cancer among adults to reduce its effect on the productivity of Mexico.

Limb-Nadir Matching Using Non-Coincident NO2 Observations: Proof of Concept and the OMI-minus-OSIRIS Prototype Product

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, Cristen; Normand, Elise N.; Mclinden, Chris A.; Bourassa, Adam E.; Lloyd, Nicholas D.; Degenstein, Douglas A.; Krotkov, Nickolay A.; Rivas, Maria Belmonte; Boersma, K. Folkert; Eskes, Henk

2016-01-01

A variant of the limb-nadir matching technique for deriving tropospheric NO2 columns is presented in which the stratospheric component of the NO2 slant column density (SCD) measured by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) is removed using non-coincident profiles from the Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imaging System (OSIRIS). In order to correct their mismatch in local time and the diurnal variation of stratospheric NO2, OSIRIS profiles, which were measured just after sunrise, were mapped to the local time of OMI observations using a photochemical boxmodel. Following the profile time adjustment, OSIRIS NO2 stratospheric vertical column densities (VCDs) were calculated. For profiles that did not reach down to the tropopause, VCDs were adjusted using the photochemical model. Using air mass factors from the OMI Standard Product (SP), a new tropospheric NO2 VCD product - referred to as OMI-minus-OSIRIS (OmO) - was generated through limb-nadir matching. To accomplish this, the OMI total SCDs were scaled using correction factors derived from the next-generation SCDs that improve upon the spectral fitting used for the current operational products. One year, 2008, of OmO was generated for 60 deg S to 60 deg N and a cursory evaluation was performed. The OmO product was found to capture the main features of tropospheric NO2, including a background value of about 0.3 x 10(exp 15) molecules per sq cm over the tropical Pacific and values comparable to the OMI operational products over anthropogenic source areas. While additional study is required, these results suggest that a limb-nadir matching approach is feasible for the removal of stratospheric NO2 measured by a polar orbiter from a nadir-viewing instrument in a geostationary orbit such as Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) or Sentinel-4.

Characteristics and risks of secondary pollutants generation during compression and transfer of municipal solid waste in Shanghai.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaoyuan; Xie, Bing; Wu, Dong; Hassan, Muhammad; Huang, Changying

2015-09-01

The generation and seasonal variations of secondary pollutants were investigated during three municipal solid waste (MSW) compression and transfer in Shanghai, China. The results showed that the raw wastewater generated from three MSW transfer stations had pH of 4.2-6.0, COD 40,000-70,000mg/L, BOD5 15,000-25,000mg/L, ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) 400-700mg/L, total nitrogen (TN) 600-1500mg/L, total phosphorus (TP) 50-200mg/L and suspended solids (SS) 1000-80,000mg/L. The pH, COD, BOD5 and NH3-N did not show regular change throughout the year while the concentration of TN, TP and SS were higher in summer and autumn. The animal and vegetable oil content was extremely high. The average produced raw wastewater of three transfer stations ranged from 2.3% to 8.4% of total refuse. The major air pollutants of H2S 0.01-0.17mg/m(3), NH3 0.75-1.8mg/m(3) in transfer stations, however, the regular seasonal change was not discovered. During the transfer process, the generated leachate in container had pH of 5.7-6.4, SS of 9120-32,475mg/L. The COD and BOD5 were 41,633-89,060mg/L and 18,116-34,130mg/L respectively, higher than that in the compress process. The concentration of NH3-N and TP were 587-1422mg/L and 80-216mg/L, respectively, and both increased during transfer process. H2S, VOC, CH4 and NH3 were 0.4-4mg/m(3), 7-19mg/m(3), 0-3.4% and 1-4mg/m(3), respectively. The PCA analysis showed that the production of secondary pollutants is closely related to temperature, especially CH4. Therefore, avoiding high temperature is a key means of reducing the production of gaseous pollutants. And above all else, refuse classification in source, deodorization and anti-acid corrosion are the important processes to control the secondary pollutants during compression and transfer of MSW. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Global Economic Burden of Norovirus Gastroenteritis

PubMed Central

Bartsch, Sarah M.; Lopman, Benjamin A.; Ozawa, Sachiko; Hall, Aron J.; Lee, Bruce Y.

2016-01-01

Background Despite accounting for approximately one fifth of all acute gastroenteritis illnesses, norovirus has received comparatively less attention than other infectious pathogens. With several candidate vaccines under development, characterizing the global economic burden of norovirus could help funders, policy makers, public health officials, and product developers determine how much attention and resources to allocate to advancing these technologies to prevent and control norovirus. Methods We developed a computational simulation model to estimate the economic burden of norovirus in every country/area (233 total) stratified by WHO region and globally, from the health system and societal perspectives. We considered direct costs of illness (e.g., clinic visits and hospitalization) and productivity losses. Results Globally, norovirus resulted in a total of $4.2 billion (95% UI: $3.2–5.7 billion) in direct health system costs and $60.3 billion (95% UI: $44.4–83.4 billion) in societal costs per year. Disease amongst children <5 years cost society $39.8 billion, compared to $20.4 billion for all other age groups combined. Costs per norovirus illness varied by both region and age and was highest among adults ≥55 years. Productivity losses represented 84–99% of total costs varying by region. While low and middle income countries and high income countries had similar disease incidence (10,148 vs. 9,935 illness per 100,000 persons), high income countries generated 62% of global health system costs. In sensitivity analysis, the probability of hospitalization had the largest impact on health system cost estimates ($2.8 billion globally, assuming no hospitalization costs), while the probability of missing productive days had the largest impact on societal cost estimates ($35.9 billion globally, with a 25% probability of missing productive days). Conclusions The total economic burden is greatest in young children but the highest cost per illness is among older age groups in some regions. These large costs overwhelmingly are from productivity losses resulting from acute illness. Low, middle, and high income countries all have a considerable economic burden, suggesting that norovirus gastroenteritis is a truly global economic problem. Our findings can help identify which age group(s) and/or geographic regions may benefit the most from interventions. PMID:27115736

Global Economic Burden of Norovirus Gastroenteritis.

PubMed

Bartsch, Sarah M; Lopman, Benjamin A; Ozawa, Sachiko; Hall, Aron J; Lee, Bruce Y

2016-01-01

Despite accounting for approximately one fifth of all acute gastroenteritis illnesses, norovirus has received comparatively less attention than other infectious pathogens. With several candidate vaccines under development, characterizing the global economic burden of norovirus could help funders, policy makers, public health officials, and product developers determine how much attention and resources to allocate to advancing these technologies to prevent and control norovirus. We developed a computational simulation model to estimate the economic burden of norovirus in every country/area (233 total) stratified by WHO region and globally, from the health system and societal perspectives. We considered direct costs of illness (e.g., clinic visits and hospitalization) and productivity losses. Globally, norovirus resulted in a total of $4.2 billion (95% UI: $3.2-5.7 billion) in direct health system costs and $60.3 billion (95% UI: $44.4-83.4 billion) in societal costs per year. Disease amongst children <5 years cost society $39.8 billion, compared to $20.4 billion for all other age groups combined. Costs per norovirus illness varied by both region and age and was highest among adults ≥55 years. Productivity losses represented 84-99% of total costs varying by region. While low and middle income countries and high income countries had similar disease incidence (10,148 vs. 9,935 illness per 100,000 persons), high income countries generated 62% of global health system costs. In sensitivity analysis, the probability of hospitalization had the largest impact on health system cost estimates ($2.8 billion globally, assuming no hospitalization costs), while the probability of missing productive days had the largest impact on societal cost estimates ($35.9 billion globally, with a 25% probability of missing productive days). The total economic burden is greatest in young children but the highest cost per illness is among older age groups in some regions. These large costs overwhelmingly are from productivity losses resulting from acute illness. Low, middle, and high income countries all have a considerable economic burden, suggesting that norovirus gastroenteritis is a truly global economic problem. Our findings can help identify which age group(s) and/or geographic regions may benefit the most from interventions.

Exploration of student's creativity by integrating STEM knowledge into creative products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayasari, Tantri; Kadarohman, Asep; Rusdiana, Dadi; Kaniawati, Ida

2016-02-01

Creativity is an important capability that should be held to competitive standards in the 21st century in entering the era of information and knowledge. It requires a creative generation that is able to innovate to meet the challenges of an increasingly complex future. This study examines the student's creativity level by integrating STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) knowledge to make creative products in renewable energy (solar energy). Total respondents in this study were 29 students who take applied science course. This research used qualitative and quantitative method (mixed methods), and used "4P" dimension of creativity to assess student's creativity level. The result showed a creative product is influenced by STEM knowledge that can support student's creativity while collaborating an application of knowledge, skills, and ability to solve daily problems associated with STEM.

Low Cost Anti-Jam Digital Data-Links Techniques Investigations. Volume II.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-05-01

to spectrum-spreading factors of the order of lO 3 to 104. It is also shown that the amount of gain is a function not only of the interference to...from a standard coherent product demodulation of the band-pass radio-frequency signal. A vector-Markov data generating model is hypothesized, as in...E/N( where S is total carrier power, K is number of samples per symbol, and L(AO) is a modulation loss factor of the modulation index, A . L(AO

Fabrication and Performance of Zirconia Electrolysis Cells for Carbon Dioxide Reduction for Mars In Situ Resource Utilization Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Minh, N. Q.; Chung, B. W.; Doshi, R.; Lear, G. R.; Montgomery, K.; Ong, E. T.

1999-01-01

The use of the Martian atmosphere (95% CO2) to produce oxygen (for propellant and life support) can significantly lower the required launch mass and dramatically reduce the total cost for Mars missions. Zirconia electrolysis cells are one of the technologies being considered for oxygen generation from carbon dioxide in Mars In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) production plants. The attractive features of the zirconia cell for this application include simple operation and lightweight, low volume system.

Measurement of the $s$-channel Single Top Quark Cross Section at the CDF Experiment and Contributions to the Evidence of $$H\\rightarrow bb$$ at the Tevatron

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Hao

2014-08-01

In this thesis, we present the measurement of the s-channel single top quark production cross section. In the cross section measurement we use data generated by protonantiproton collisions at the center-of-mass energy √s = 1.96 TeV and collected by the CDF Run II detector. The total data set corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 9.4 fb -1.

Chemical Characterization of Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) in Seawater: Structure, Cycling and the Role of Biology

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-02-01

concentration, excluding hydrocarbons , was less than 2% of the total organic carbon present in the samples, and the samples had not been pre-extracted to...carbon chains that make up the separation phase of the C18 134 column. This carbon chain was most likely generated from petroleum products, and had a...produced, bioaccumulating halogenated organic compound. Environmental Science and Technology 38: 1992-1997. Silfer, J. A., M. H. Engel and S. A

Ethanol exerts dual effects on calcium homeostasis in CCK-8-stimulated mouse pancreatic acinar cells.

PubMed

Fernández-Sánchez, Marcela; del Castillo-Vaquero, Angel; Salido, Ginés M; González, Antonio

2009-10-30

A significant percentage of patients with pancreatitis often presents a history of excessive alcohol consumption. Nevertheless, the patho-physiological effect of ethanol on pancreatitis remains poorly understood. In the present study, we have investigated the early effects of acute ethanol exposure on CCK-8-evoked Ca2+ signals in mouse pancreatic acinar cells. Changes in [Ca2+]i and ROS production were analyzed employing fluorescence techniques after loading cells with fura-2 or CM-H2DCFDA, respectively. Ethanol, in the concentration range from 1 to 50 mM, evoked an oscillatory pattern in [Ca2+]i. In addition, ethanol evoked reactive oxygen species generation (ROS) production. Stimulation of cells with 1 nM or 20 pM CCK-8, respectively led to a transient change and oscillations in [Ca2+]i. In the presence of ethanol a transformation of 20 pM CCK-8-evoked physiological oscillations into a single transient increase in [Ca2+]i in the majority of cells was observed. Whereas, in response to 1 nM CCK-8, the total Ca2+ mobilization was significantly increased by ethanol pre-treatment. Preincubation of cells with 1 mM 4-MP, an inhibitor of alcohol dehydrogenase, or 10 microM of the antioxidant cinnamtannin B-1, reverted the effect of ethanol on total Ca2+ mobilization evoked by 1 nM CCK-8. Cinnamtannin B-1 blocked ethanol-evoked ROS production. ethanol may lead, either directly or through ROS generation, to an over stimulation of pancreatic acinar cells in response to CCK-8, resulting in a higher Ca2+ mobilization compared to normal conditions. The actions of ethanol on CCK-8-stimulation of cells create a situation potentially leading to Ca2+ overload, which is a common pathological precursor that mediates pancreatitis.

Solving a Production Scheduling Problem by Means of Two Biobjective Metaheuristic Procedures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toncovich, Adrián; Oliveros Colay, María José; Moreno, José María; Corral, Jiménez; Corral, Rafael

2009-11-01

Production planning and scheduling problems emphasize the need for the availability of management tools that can help to assure proper service levels to customers, maintaining, at the same time, the production costs at acceptable levels and maximizing the utilization of the production facilities. In this case, a production scheduling problem that arises in the context of the activities of a company dedicated to the manufacturing of furniture for children and teenagers is addressed. Two bicriteria metaheuristic procedures are proposed to solve the sequencing problem in a production equipment that constitutes the bottleneck of the production process of the company. The production scheduling problem can be characterized as a general flow shop with sequence dependant setup times and additional inventory constraints. Two objectives are simultaneously taken into account when the quality of the candidate solutions is evaluated: the minimization of completion time of all jobs, or makespan, and the minimization of the total flow time of all jobs. Both procedures are based on a local search strategy that responds to the structure of the simulated annealing metaheuristic. In this case, both metaheuristic approaches generate a set of solutions that provides an approximation to the optimal Pareto front. In order to evaluate the performance of the proposed techniques a series of experiments was conducted. After analyzing the results, it can be said that the solutions provided by both approaches are adequate from the viewpoint of the quality as well as the computational effort involved in their generation. Nevertheless, a further refinement of the proposed procedures should be implemented with the aim of facilitating a quasi-automatic definition of the solution parameters.

The economic burden of HIV/AIDS on individuals and households in Nepal: a quantitative study.

PubMed

Poudel, Ak Narayan; Newlands, David; Simkhada, Padam

2017-01-24

There have been only limited studies assessing the economic burden of HIV/AIDS in terms of direct costs, and there has been no published study related to productivity costs in Nepal. Therefore, this study explores in detail the economic burden of HIV/AIDS, including direct costs and productivity costs. This paper focuses on the direct costs of seeking treatment, productivity costs, and related factors affecting direct costs, and productivity costs. This study was a cross-sectional, quantitative study. The primary data were collected through a structured face-to-face survey from 415 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV). The study was conducted in six representative treatment centres of six districts of Nepal. The data analysis regarding the economic burden (direct costs and productivity costs) was performed from the household's perspective. Descriptive statistics have been used, and regression analyses were applied to examine the extent, nature and determinants of the burden of the disease, and its correlations. Average total costs due to HIV/AIDS (the sum of average total direct and average productivity costs before adjustment for coping strategies) were Nepalese Rupees (NRs) 2233 per month (US$ 30.2/month), which was 28.5% of the sample households' average monthly income. The average total direct costs for seeking HIV/AIDS treatment were NRs 1512 (US$ 20.4), and average productivity costs (before adjustment for coping strategies) were NRs 721 (US$ 9.7). The average monthly productivity losses (before adjustment for coping strategies) were 5.05 days per person. The major determinants for the direct costs were household income, occupation, health status of respondents, respondents accompanied or not, and study district. Health status of respondents, ethnicity, sexual orientation and study district were important determinants for productivity costs. The study concluded that HIV/AIDS has caused a significant economic burden for PLHIV and their families in Nepal. The study has a number of policy implications for different stakeholders. Provision of social support and income generating programmes to HIV-affected individuals and their families, and decentralising treatment services in each district seem to be viable solutions to reduce the economic burden of HIV-affected individuals and households.

Disease activity, quality of life and indirect costs of reduced productivity at work, generated by Polish patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

PubMed

Kawalec, Paweł; Malinowski, Krzysztof

2015-01-01

The aim of the study was to investigate the association between activity of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and decrease in quality of life as well as productivity loss of affected patients in a specified group of patients in the Polish setting. An questionnaire survey was conducted using the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) to assess disease activity, as well as the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaires to assess productivity loss; quality of life was presented as utility calculated using the EuroQol 5 questionnaire and also measured on a visual analogue scale (VAS). Indirect costs were assessed with the human capital approach implying gross domestic product per capita or gross value added per worker in Poland in 2014 and were expressed in Polish zlotys (PLN) as well as in euros. Correlation was presented using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. We performed our analysis based on 78 full questionnaires collected. A mean BASDAI score of 5.91 in the analysed group of patients was detected and mean utility of 0.5135 was observed. Average quality of life measured on the visual analogue scale was 46.55. Mean number of days off work was 45.26 days per year and mean on-the-job productivity loss was 49.29%. Average annual indirect costs per patient were €4241 (17 686 PLN) calculated using gross domestic product and €10 172 (42 417 PLN) estimated using gross value added. Total productivity loss was significantly correlated with disease activity (strong correlation of 0.6005) and utility (moderate correlation of -0.3698). Ankylosing spondylitis causes a great decrease in quality of life as well as patients' productivity loss associated with both absenteeism and presenteeism. The greater the disease activity is, the lower is the utility, the lower is the quality of life measured on the VAS, and the greater are the total annual indirect costs. Total indirect costs were negatively correlated with utility; although the association was moderate, it was significant.

Vitamin K3 induces antiproliferative effect in cervical epithelial cells transformed by HPV 16 (SiHa cells) through the increase in reactive oxygen species production.

PubMed

de Carvalho Scharf Santana, Natália; Lima, Natália Alves; Desoti, Vânia Cristina; Bidóia, Danielle Lazarin; de Souza Bonfim Mendonça, Patrícia; Ratti, Bianca Altrão; Nakamura, Tânia Ueda; Nakamura, Celso Vataru; Consolaro, Marcia Edilaine Lopes; Ximenes, Valdecir Farias; de Oliveira Silva, Sueli

2016-10-01

Cervical cancer is characterized as an important public health problem. According to latest estimates, cancer of the cervix is the fourth most common cancer among women. Due to its high prevalence, the search for new and efficient drugs to treat this infection is continuous. The progression of HPV-associated cervical cancer involves the expression of two viral proteins, E6 and E7, which are rapidly degraded by the ubiquitin-proteasome system through the increase in reactive oxygen species generation. Vitamins are essential to human substances, participate in the regulation of metabolism, and facilitate the process of energy transfer. Some early studies have indicated that vitamin K3 exerts antitumor activity by inducing cell death by apoptosis through an increase in the generation of reactive oxygen species. Thus, we evaluated the antiproliferative effect and a likely mechanism of action of vitamin K3 against cervical epithelial cells transformed by HPV 16 (SiHa cells) assessing the production of total ROS, the mitochondrial membrane potential, the cell morphology, the cell volume, and the cell membrane integrity. Our results show that vitamin K3 induces an increase in ROS production in SiHa cells, triggering biochemical and morphological events, such as depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential and decreasing cell volume. Our data showed that vitamin K3 generates an oxidative imbalance in SiHa cells, leading to mechanisms that induce cell death by apoptosis.

Valorization of horse manure through catalytic supercritical water gasification.

PubMed

Nanda, Sonil; Dalai, Ajay K; Gökalp, Iskender; Kozinski, Janusz A

2016-06-01

The organic wastes such as lignocellulosic biomass, municipal solid waste, sewage sludge and livestock manure have attracted attention as alternative sources of energy. Cattle manure, a waste generated in surplus amounts from the feedlot, has always been a chief environmental concern. This study is focused on identifying the candidacy of horse manure as a next generation feedstock for biofuel production through supercritical water gasification. The horse manure was gasified in supercritical water to examine the effects of temperature (400-600°C), biomass-to-water ratio (1:5 and 1:10) and reaction time (15-45min) at a pressure range of 23-25MPa. The horse manure and resulting biochar were characterized through carbon-hydrogen-nitrogen-sulfur (CHNS), inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effects of alkali catalysts such as NaOH, Na2CO3 and K2CO3 at variable concentrations (1-2wt%) were investigated to maximize the hydrogen yields. Supercritical water gasification of horse manure with 2wt% Na2CO3 at 600°C and 1:10 biomass-to-water ratio for 45min revealed maximum hydrogen yields (5.31mmol/g), total gas yields (20.8mmol/g) with greater carbon conversion efficiency (43.1%) and enhanced lower heating value of gas products (2920kJ/Nm(3)). The manure-derived biochars generated at temperatures higher than 500°C also demonstrated higher thermal stability (weight loss <34%) and larger carbon content (>70wt%) suggesting their application in enhancing soil fertility and carbon sequestration. The results propose that supercritical water gasification could be a proficient remediation technology for horse manure to generate hydrogen-rich gas products. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Immunization with antigenic extracts of Leishmania associated with Montanide ISA 763 adjuvant induces partial protection in BALB/c mice against Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis infection.

PubMed

Cargnelutti, Diego Esteban; Salomón, María Cristina; Celedon, Verónica; García Bustos, María Fernanda; Morea, Gastón; Cuello-Carrión, Fernando Darío; Scodeller, Eduardo Alberto

2016-02-01

A proper adjuvant has a relevant role in vaccine formulations to generate an effective immune response. In this study, total Leishmania antigen (TLA) formulated with Montanide ISA 763 or R848 as adjuvants were evaluated as a first generation Leishmania vaccine in a murine model. Immunization protocols were tested in BALB/c mice with a subcutaneous prime/boost regimen with an interval of 3 weeks. Mice immunized with unadjuvanted TLA and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) served as control groups. On Day 21 and Day 36 of the protocol, we evaluated the humoral immune response induced by each formulation. Fifteen days after the boost, the immunized mice were challenged with 1 × 10(5) promastigotes of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis in the right footpad (RFP). The progress of the infection was followed for 10 weeks; at the end of this period, histopathological studies were performed in the RFP. Vaccines formulated with Montanide ISA 763 generated an increase in the production of immunoglobulin G (IgG; p < 0.05) compared with the control group. There were no statistically significant differences in IgG1 production between the study groups. However, immunization with TLA-Montanide ISA 763 resulted in an increase in IgG2a compared to the unadjuvanted control (p < 0.001). Also noteworthy was the fact that a significant reduction in swelling and histopathological damage of the RFP was recorded with the Montanide ISA 763 formulation. We conclude that the immunization of BALB/c mice with a vaccine formulated with TLA and Montanide ISA 763 generated a protective immune response against L. (L.) amazonensis, characterized by an intense production of IgG2a. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Exposure to tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate for Two generations decreases fecundity of zebrafish at environmentally relevant concentrations.

PubMed

Zhang, Yongkang; Li, Meng; Li, Shuying; Wang, Qiangwei; Zhu, Guonian; Su, Guanyong; Letcher, Robert J; Liu, Chunsheng

2018-05-14

Previous studies reported that exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of TDCIPP significantly decreased the number of cumulative eggs in zebrafish, but effects on the quantity of eggs and sperms remained unknown. Therefore, in this study, effects of TDCIPP on yolk diameter, surface morphology of eggs, sperm density and total motility were evaluated. First generation (F0) zebrafish larvae (Danio rerio) were exposed to 0, 50, 500 or 5000 ng/L tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) from 14 days post fertilization (dpf) to 120 dpf. The F0 generation of zebrafish were paired and F1 generation of embryos were collected and continuously exposed to the same concentrations of TDCIPP until 150 dpf. TDCIPP bioconcentration in the whole body as well as effects on survival and fecundity were evaluated in F1 generation. Exposure to TDCIPP resulted in an accumulation of the chemical and decreased survival of F1 generation of zebrafish. TDCIPP decreased cumulative production and changed surface morphology of eggs in females. In males, TDCIPP decreased total motility of sperm but did not affect sperm density. These effects on quality of egg and sperm might be responsible for the decreased hatching rates observed in cross mating experiments. Furthermore, TDCIPP exposure resulted in down-regulated gene expression related to gonadal development and maturation of germ cells in females or/and males, and the down-regulation was correlated to decreased fecundity. Taken together, the results suggested that exposure to TDCIPP could decrease the quantity of eggs and sperms by down-regulating the expression of genes related to gonadal development and maturation of germ cells in zebrafish. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microbial production of next-generation stevia sweeteners.

PubMed

Olsson, Kim; Carlsen, Simon; Semmler, Angelika; Simón, Ernesto; Mikkelsen, Michael Dalgaard; Møller, Birger Lindberg

2016-12-07

The glucosyltransferase UGT76G1 from Stevia rebaudiana is a chameleon enzyme in the targeted biosynthesis of the next-generation premium stevia sweeteners, rebaudioside D (Reb D) and rebaudioside M (Reb M). These steviol glucosides carry five and six glucose units, respectively, and have low sweetness thresholds, high maximum sweet intensities and exhibit a greatly reduced lingering bitter taste compared to stevioside and rebaudioside A, the most abundant steviol glucosides in the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana. In the metabolic glycosylation grid leading to production of Reb D and Reb M, UGT76G1 was found to catalyze eight different reactions all involving 1,3-glucosylation of steviol C 13 - and C 19 -bound glucoses. Four of these reactions lead to Reb D and Reb M while the other four result in formation of side-products unwanted for production. In this work, side-product formation was reduced by targeted optimization of UGT76G1 towards 1,3 glucosylation of steviol glucosides that are already 1,2-diglucosylated. The optimization of UGT76G1 was based on homology modelling, which enabled identification of key target amino acids present in the substrate-binding pocket. These residues were then subjected to site-saturation mutagenesis and a mutant library containing a total of 1748 UGT76G1 variants was screened for increased accumulation of Reb D or M, as well as for decreased accumulation of side-products. This screen was performed in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain expressing all enzymes in the rebaudioside biosynthesis pathway except for UGT76G1. Screening of the mutant library identified mutations with positive impact on the accumulation of Reb D and Reb M. The effect of the introduced mutations on other reactions in the metabolic grid was characterized. This screen made it possible to identify variants, such as UGT76G1 Thr146Gly and UGT76G1 His155Leu , which diminished accumulation of unwanted side-products and gave increased specific accumulation of the desired Reb D or Reb M sweeteners. This improvement in a key enzyme of the Stevia sweetener biosynthesis pathway represents a significant step towards the commercial production of next-generation stevia sweeteners.

Analysis of Modeling Assumptions used in Production Cost Models for Renewable Integration Studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stoll, Brady; Brinkman, Gregory; Townsend, Aaron

2016-01-01

Renewable energy integration studies have been published for many different regions exploring the question of how higher penetration of renewable energy will impact the electric grid. These studies each make assumptions about the systems they are analyzing; however the effect of many of these assumptions has not been yet been examined and published. In this paper we analyze the impact of modeling assumptions in renewable integration studies, including the optimization method used (linear or mixed-integer programming) and the temporal resolution of the dispatch stage (hourly or sub-hourly). We analyze each of these assumptions on a large and a small systemmore » and determine the impact of each assumption on key metrics including the total production cost, curtailment of renewables, CO2 emissions, and generator starts and ramps. Additionally, we identified the impact on these metrics if a four-hour ahead commitment step is included before the dispatch step and the impact of retiring generators to reduce the degree to which the system is overbuilt. We find that the largest effect of these assumptions is at the unit level on starts and ramps, particularly for the temporal resolution, and saw a smaller impact at the aggregate level on system costs and emissions. For each fossil fuel generator type we measured the average capacity started, average run-time per start, and average number of ramps. Linear programming results saw up to a 20% difference in number of starts and average run time of traditional generators, and up to a 4% difference in the number of ramps, when compared to mixed-integer programming. Utilizing hourly dispatch instead of sub-hourly dispatch saw no difference in coal or gas CC units for either start metric, while gas CT units had a 5% increase in the number of starts and 2% increase in the average on-time per start. The number of ramps decreased up to 44%. The smallest effect seen was on the CO2 emissions and total production cost, with a 0.8% and 0.9% reduction respectively when using linear programming compared to mixed-integer programming and 0.07% and 0.6% reduction, respectively, in the hourly dispatch compared to sub-hourly dispatch.« less

A next generation semiconductor based sequencing approach for the identification of meat species in DNA mixtures.

PubMed

Bertolini, Francesca; Ghionda, Marco Ciro; D'Alessandro, Enrico; Geraci, Claudia; Chiofalo, Vincenzo; Fontanesi, Luca

2015-01-01

The identification of the species of origin of meat and meat products is an important issue to prevent and detect frauds that might have economic, ethical and health implications. In this paper we evaluated the potential of the next generation semiconductor based sequencing technology (Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine) for the identification of DNA from meat species (pig, horse, cattle, sheep, rabbit, chicken, turkey, pheasant, duck, goose and pigeon) as well as from human and rat in DNA mixtures through the sequencing of PCR products obtained from different couples of universal primers that amplify 12S and 16S rRNA mitochondrial DNA genes. Six libraries were produced including PCR products obtained separately from 13 species or from DNA mixtures containing DNA from all species or only avian or only mammalian species at equimolar concentration or at 1:10 or 1:50 ratios for pig and horse DNA. Sequencing obtained a total of 33,294,511 called nucleotides of which 29,109,688 with Q20 (87.43%) in a total of 215,944 reads. Different alignment algorithms were used to assign the species based on sequence data. Error rate calculated after confirmation of the obtained sequences by Sanger sequencing ranged from 0.0003 to 0.02 for the different species. Correlation about the number of reads per species between different libraries was high for mammalian species (0.97) and lower for avian species (0.70). PCR competition limited the efficiency of amplification and sequencing for avian species for some primer pairs. Detection of low level of pig and horse DNA was possible with reads obtained from different primer pairs. The sequencing of the products obtained from different universal PCR primers could be a useful strategy to overcome potential problems of amplification. Based on these results, the Ion Torrent technology can be applied for the identification of meat species in DNA mixtures.

A Next Generation Semiconductor Based Sequencing Approach for the Identification of Meat Species in DNA Mixtures

PubMed Central

Bertolini, Francesca; Ghionda, Marco Ciro; D’Alessandro, Enrico; Geraci, Claudia; Chiofalo, Vincenzo; Fontanesi, Luca

2015-01-01

The identification of the species of origin of meat and meat products is an important issue to prevent and detect frauds that might have economic, ethical and health implications. In this paper we evaluated the potential of the next generation semiconductor based sequencing technology (Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine) for the identification of DNA from meat species (pig, horse, cattle, sheep, rabbit, chicken, turkey, pheasant, duck, goose and pigeon) as well as from human and rat in DNA mixtures through the sequencing of PCR products obtained from different couples of universal primers that amplify 12S and 16S rRNA mitochondrial DNA genes. Six libraries were produced including PCR products obtained separately from 13 species or from DNA mixtures containing DNA from all species or only avian or only mammalian species at equimolar concentration or at 1:10 or 1:50 ratios for pig and horse DNA. Sequencing obtained a total of 33,294,511 called nucleotides of which 29,109,688 with Q20 (87.43%) in a total of 215,944 reads. Different alignment algorithms were used to assign the species based on sequence data. Error rate calculated after confirmation of the obtained sequences by Sanger sequencing ranged from 0.0003 to 0.02 for the different species. Correlation about the number of reads per species between different libraries was high for mammalian species (0.97) and lower for avian species (0.70). PCR competition limited the efficiency of amplification and sequencing for avian species for some primer pairs. Detection of low level of pig and horse DNA was possible with reads obtained from different primer pairs. The sequencing of the products obtained from different universal PCR primers could be a useful strategy to overcome potential problems of amplification. Based on these results, the Ion Torrent technology can be applied for the identification of meat species in DNA mixtures. PMID:25923709

Pollution prevention applications in batch manufacturing operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sykes, Derek W.; O'Shaughnessy, James

2004-02-01

Older, "low-tech" batch manufacturing operations are often fertile grounds for gains resulting from pollution prevention techniques. This paper presents a pollution prevention technique utilized for wastewater discharge permit compliance purposes at a batch manufacturer of detergents, deodorants, and floor-care products. This manufacturer generated industrial wastewater as a result of equipment rinses required after each product batch changeover. After investing a significant amount of capital on end of pip-line wastewater treatment technology designed to address existing discharge limits, this manufacturer chose to investigate alternate, low-cost approaches to address anticipated new permit limits. Mass balances using spreadsheets and readily available formulation and production data were conducted on over 300 products to determine how each individual product contributed to the total wastewater pollutant load. These mass balances indicated that 22 products accounted for over 55% of the wastewater pollutant. Laboratory tests were conducted to determine whether these same products could accept their individual changeover rinse water as make-up water in formulations without sacrificing product quality. This changeover reuse technique was then implement at the plant scale for selected products. Significant reductions in wastewater volume (25%) and wastewater pollutant loading (85+%) were realized as a direct result of this approach.

Applications of the Renewable Energy Network Optimization Tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alliss, R.; Link, R.; Apling, D.; Kiley, H.; Mason, M.; Darmenova, K.

2010-12-01

As the renewable energy industry continues to grow so does the requirement for atmospheric modeling and analysis tools to maximize both wind and solar power. Renewable energy generation is variable however; presenting challenges for electrical grid operation and requires a variety of measures to adequately firm power. These measures include the production of non-renewable generation during times when renewables are not available. One strategy for minimizing the variability of renewable energy production is site diversity. Assuming that a network of renewable energy systems feed a common electrical grid, site diversity ensures that when one system on the network has a reduction in generation others on the same grid make up the difference. The site-diversity strategy can be used to mitigate the intermittency in alternative energy production systems while still maximizing saleable energy. The Renewable Energy Network Optimization Tool (ReNOT) has recently been developed to study the merits of site optimization for wind farms. The modeling system has a plug-in architecture that allows us to accommodate a wide variety of renewable energy system designs and performance metrics. The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale model is applied to generate high-resolution wind databases to support the site selection of wind farms. These databases are generated on High Performance Computing systems such as the Rocky Mountain Supercomputing Center (RMSC). The databases are then accessed by ReNOT and an optimized site selection is developed. We can accommodate numerous constraints (e.g., number of sites, the geographic extent of the optimization, proximity to high-voltage transport lines, etc.). As part of our collaboration with RMSC and the State of Montana a study was performed to estimate the optimal locations of a network of wind farms. Comparisons were made to four existing wind farm locations in Montana including Glacier with a 210 MW name plate capacity, Horseshoe Bend with a total capacity of 9 MW, Diamond Willow with a capacity of 20MW and Judith Gap with a total capacity of 135 MW. The goal of this study was to see if ReNOT could find a four site network that made more effective use of the existing four site network of wind farms' 374 MW nameplate capacity. We developed three different metrics in which to pick sites. Metric 3 (M3) picks sites based on the previous day's mean power, and accounts for short-term variability (i.e., 1 hour). M3 attempts to approximate usable power by minimizing ramping events which are so important to industry. In addition we investigated several performance metrics including Mean Power, Usable Power, and ramping event frequency. A ramping event is defined as an increase or decrease in power production over the course of one hour. Of interest was the frequency of ramping events that exceeded 10% of total capacity for the network. Networks with few ramping events are markedly superior to networks producing otherwise identical aggregate power. The optimization was run over the 15-year period of hub-height wind data (40 meters AGL). The ReNOT derived network produces 58% more usable power than the four existing and operating wind farms. In addition, the optimized four site network produces three times fewer significant ramping events.

Hydrogen peroxide generation in a model paediatric parenteral amino acid solution.

PubMed

Brawley, V; Bhatia, J; Karp, W B

1993-12-01

1. Parenteral amino acid solutions undergo photooxidation, which may be an important factor in total parenteral nutrition-associated hepatic dysfunction. Light-exposed parenteral solutions containing amino acids, in addition to vitamins and trace minerals, generate free radicals, which, in turn, may contribute to this type of injury. This study examined the characteristics of H2O2 production in a parenteral amino acid solution modelled on a commercially available paediatric parenteral amino acid solution. 2. The solution was exposed to light in the presence of riboflavin-5'-monophosphate (riboflavin), and peroxide formation in the presence and absence of catalase (H2O2 formation) was assayed using potassium iodide/molybdate. 3. Peak H2O2 production occurred at a light intensity of 8 microW cm-2 nm-1 in the 425-475 nm waveband and was linear to 2 h of light exposure. H2O2 production reached 500 mumol/l at 24 h. 4. H2O2 was directly related to a riboflavin concentration of up to 20 mumol/l and was maximal at 30 mumol/l. 5. H2O2 production was greatest in the amino acid/riboflavin solution at a pH of between 5 and 6. 6. Under the conditions of light exposure intensity, light exposure time, riboflavin concentration and pH found during the administration of parenteral nutrition in neonatal intensive care units, net H2O2 production occurs in solutions modelled on a paediatric parenteral amino acid preparation.

Development and use of tuf gene-based primers for the multiplex PCR detection of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei group, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, and Bifidobacterium longum in commercial dairy products.

PubMed

Sheu, Sen-Je; Hwang, Wen-zhe; Chen, Hsin-Chih; Chiang, Yu-Cheng; Tsen, Hau-Yang

2009-01-01

PCR primers specific for the detection of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei group, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, and Bifidobacterium longum were designed based on the elongation factor Tu gene (tuf). The specificity of these four primer sets were confirmed by PCR with 88 bacterial strains of Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, Bifidobacterium, and other bacterial species. Results indicated that these primer sets generated predicted PCR products of 397, 230, 202, and 161 bp for L. acidophilus, L. delbrueckii, L. casei group, and B. longum, respectively. Bacterial species other than the target organisms tested did not generate false-positive results. When these four primer sets were combined for the simultaneous detection of the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in fermented milk products including yogurt, the LAB species listed on the labels of these products could be identified without the preenrichment step. The identification limit for each LAB strain with this multiplex PCR method was N X 10(3) CFU/ml in milk samples. The results of our multiplex PCR method were confirmed by PCR assay using primers based on the 16S rDNA or the 16S-23S intergenic spacer region and by biochemical tests using the API 50 CHL kit. When this multiplex PCR method was used with the determination of counts of total viable LAB and bifidobacteria, the quality of commercial fermented milk products could be assured.

Critical factors determining the variation in SOA yields from terpene ozonolysis: a combined experimental and computational study.

PubMed

Donahue, Neil M; Hartz, Kara E Huff; Chuong, Bao; Presto, Albert A; Stanier, Charles O; Rosenhørn, Thomas; Robinson, Allen L; Pandis, Spyros N

2005-01-01

A substantial fraction of the total ultrafine particulate mass is comprised of organic compounds. Of this fraction, a significant subfraction is secondary organic aerosol (SOA), meaning that the compounds are a by-product of chemistry in the atmosphere. However, our understanding of the kinetics and mechanisms leading to and following SOA formation is in its infancy. We lack a clear description of critical phenomena; we often don't know the key, rate limiting steps in SOA formation mechanisms. We know almost nothing about aerosol yields past the first generation of oxidation products. Most importantly, we know very little about the derivatives in these mechanisms; we do not understand how changing conditions, be they precursor levels, oxidant concentrations, co-reagent concentrations (i.e., the VOC/NOx ratio) or temperature will influence the yields of SOA. In this paper we explore the connections between fundamental details of physical chemistry and the multitude of steps associated with SOA formation, including the initial gas-phase reaction mechanisms leading to condensible products, the phase partitioning itself, and the continued oxidation of the condensed-phase organic products. We show that SOA yields in the alpha-pinene + ozone are highly sensitive to NOx, and that SOA yields from beta-caryophylene + ozone appear to increase with continued ozone exposure, even as aerosol hygroscopicity increases as well. We suggest that SOA yields are likely to increase substantially through several generations of oxidative processing of the semi-volatile products.

Comparison of the recently proposed super-Marx generator approach to thermonuclear ignition with the deuterium-tritium laser fusion-fission hybrid concept by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

DOE PAGES

Winterberg, F.

2009-01-01

The recently proposed super-Marx generator pure deuterium microdetonation ignition concept is compared to the Lawrence Livermore National Ignition Facility (NIF) Laser deuterium-tritium fusion-fission hybrid concept (LIFE). In a super-Marx generator, a large number of ordinary Marx generators charge up a much larger second stage ultrahigh voltage Marx generator from which for the ignition of a pure deuterium microexplosion an intense GeV ion beam can be extracted. Typical examples of the LIFE concept are a fusion gain of 30 and a fission gain of 10, making up a total gain of 300, with about ten times more energy released into fissionmore » as compared to fusion. This means the substantial release of fission products, as in fissionless pure fission reactors. In the super-Marx approach for the ignition of pure deuterium microdetonation, a gain of the same magnitude can, in theory, be reached. If feasible, the super-Marx generator deuterium ignition approach would make lasers obsolete as a means for the ignition of thermonuclear microexplosions.« less

An experimental investigation of S-duct flow control using arrays of low-profile vortex generators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reichert, Bruce A.; Wendt, Bruce J.

1993-01-01

An experimental investigation was undertaken to measure the effect of various configurations of low-profile vortex generator arrays on the flow in a diffusing S-duct. Three parameters that characterize the vortex generator array were systematically varied to determine their effect: (1) the vortex generator height; (2) the streamwise location of the vortex generator array; and (3) the vortex generator spacing. Detailed measurements of total pressure at the duct exit, surface static pressure, and surface flow visualization were gathered for each vortex generator configuration. These results are reported here along with total pressure recovery and distortion coefficients determined from the experimental data. Each array of vortex generators tested improved total pressure recovery. The configuration employing the largest vortex generators was the most effective in reducing total pressure recovery. No configuration of vortex generators completely eliminated the flow separation that naturally occurs in the S-duct, however the extent of the separated flow region was reduced.

Manganese oxide octahedral molecular sieve K-OMS-2 as catalyst in post plasma-catalysis for trichloroethylene degradation in humid air.

PubMed

Nguyen Dinh, M T; Giraudon, J-M; Vandenbroucke, A M; Morent, R; De Geyter, N; Lamonier, J-F

2016-08-15

The total oxidation of trichloroethylene (TCE) in air at low relative humidity (RH=10%) in the presence of CO2 (520ppmv) was investigated in function of energy density using an atmospheric pressure negative DC luminescent glow discharge combined with a cryptomelane catalyst positioned downstream of the plasma reactor at a temperature of 150°C. When using Non-Thermal Plasma (NTP) alone, it is found a low COx (x=1-2) yield in agreement with the detection of gaseous polychlorinated by-products in the outlet stream as well as ozone which is an harmful pollutant. Introduction of cryptomelane enhanced trichloroethylene removal, totally inhibited plasma ozone formation and increased significantly the COx yield. The improved performances of the hybrid system were mainly ascribed to the total destruction of plasma generated ozone on cryptomelane surface to produce active oxygen species. Consequently these active oxygen species greatly enhanced the abatement of the plasma non-reacted TCE and completely destroyed the hazardous plasma generated polychlorinated intermediates. The facile redox of Mn species associated with oxygen vacancies and mobility as well as the textural properties of the catalyst might also contribute as a whole to the efficiency of the process. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quantification of nitrogen in the liquid fraction and in vitro assessment of lysine bioavailability in the solid fraction of soybean meal hydrolysates.

PubMed

Luján-Rhenals, D; Morawicki, R; Shi, Z; Ricke, S C

2018-01-02

Soybean meal (SBM) is a product generated from the manufacture of soybean oil and has the potential for use as a source of fermentable sugars for ethanol production or as a protein source for animal feeds. Knowing the levels of nitrogen available from ammonium is a necessary element of the ethanolic fermentation process while identifying the levels of essential amino acids such as lysine is important in determining usage as a feed source. As such the purpose of this study was to quantify total nitrogen and ammonium in the liquid fraction of hydrolyzed SBM and to evaluate total and bioavailable lysine in the solid fraction of the hydrolyzed SBM. The effects of acid concentration, cellulase and β-glucosidase on total and ammonium nitrogen were studied with analysis indicating that higher acid concentrations increased nitrogen compounds with ammonium concentrations ranging from 0.20 to 1.24 g L -1 while enzymatic treatments did not significantly increase nitrogen levels. Total and bioavailable lysine was quantified by use of an auxotrophic gfpmut3 E.coli whole-cell bioassay organism incapable of lysine biosynthesis. Acid and enzymatic treatments were applied with lysine bioavailability increasing from a base of 82% for untreated SBM to up to 97%. Our results demonstrated that SBM has the potential to serve in ethanolic fermentation and as an optimal source essential amino acid lysine.

Air emissions assessment from offshore oil activities in Sonda de Campeche, Mexico.

PubMed

Schifter, I; González-Macías, C; Miranda, A; López-Salinas, E

2005-10-01

Air emission data from offshore oil platforms, gas and oil processing installations and contribution of marine activities at the Sonda de Campeche, located at the Gulf of Mexico, were compiled and integrated to facilitate the study of long range transport of pollutants into the region. From this important region, roughly 76% of the total Mexican oil and gas production is obtained. It was estimated that the total air emissions of all contaminants are approximately 821,000 tons per year. Hydrocarbons are the largest pollutant emissions with 277,590 tons per year, generated during flaring activities, and SOx in second place with 185,907 tons per year. Marine and aviation activities contribute with less than 2% of total emissions. Mass of pollutants emitted per barrel of petroleum produced calculated in this work, are in the range reported by similar oil companies.

Building the Fire Energetics and Emissions Research (FEER) Smoke Emissions Inventory Version 1.0

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ellison, Luke; Ichoku, Charles; Zhang, Feng; Wang, Jun

2014-01-01

The Fire Energetics and Emissions Research (FEER) group's new coefficient of emission global gridded product at 1x1 resolution that directly relates fire readiative energy (FRE) to smoke aerosol release, FEERv1.0 Ce, made its public debut in August 2013. Since then, steps have been taken to generate corresponding maps and totals of total particulate matter (PM) emissions using different sources of FRE, and subsequently to simulate the resulting PM(sub 2.5) in the WRF-Chem 3.5 model using emission rates from FEERv1.0 as well as other standard biomass burning emission inventories. An flowchart of the FEER algorithm to calculate Ce is outlined here along with a display of the resulting emissions of total PM globally and also regionally. The modeling results from the WRF-Chem3.5 simulations are also shown.

Pre-produsage and the remediation of virtual products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skågeby, Jörgen

2011-04-01

This paper introduces and explores cycles of pre-produsage and produsage. It reports on the results from an online ethnographical study of the Apple iPad conducted before the public release of the material product. Consequently, most users had not physically interacted with the device in question. Nevertheless, the release of the technical specifications and marketing material generated a massive amount of produsage-related online discussion. As such this paper explores the concept of pre-produsage. Pre-produsage is a form of predicted or expected use, relating to products or services that are only accessible to users as a form of representation (e.g. technical specification, virtual prototype, and design sketch), but with an added element of user-generated design suggestions, conflict coordination, and software development. Remediation-the process by which new digital media technologies reuses qualities of previous technologies and enters an existing media ecology-is a prevalent theme in pre-produsage and involves a tension between features that support protracted use and features that provide total innovation. The paper argues that an analysis of pre-produsage can provide insights that relate to both anticipated and actual user experience (UX). More specifically, pre-produsage analysis can trace the underlying reasons for a certain problem, intention, or concern and connect it to a specific set of features and potential solutions. Finally, the paper shows how proprietary products become subject to produsage, resulting in artifacts negotiated by cycles of produsage.

Liberian energy consumption and sectoral distribution for 1981

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Samuels, G.

1985-02-01

This report is one of a series of project papers providing background information for an assessment of energy options for Liberia, West Africa; it summarizes 1981 Liberian energy consumption data collected during 1982. Total Liberian primary energy consumption in 1981 was equivalent to 11,400,000 barrels of crude oil (BCOE) - 64% from wood, 31% from petroleum, and 5% from hydro. About 71% (8,100,000 BCOE) entered the domestic market. The difference represents exports (400,000 BCOE), refining losses (200,000 BCOE), and losses in converting wood to charcoal (2,600,000 BCOE). Of the 8,100,000 BCOE entering the domestic market, 58% was in the formmore » of wood and charcoal, 35% petroleum products, and 7% hydro. Excluding wood and charcoal, electricity generation consumed 59% of the energy entering the domestic market. The three iron ore mining companies accounted for 60% of all electricity production; the Liberia Electricity Corporation for 35%, and private organizations and individuals for 5%. The mining operations (including electricity generation and transportation uses) consumed about 60% of all petroleum products. The transportation sector consumed 30% of all petroleum of which 85% was for road transport, 12% for the railroads owned and operated by the mining companies, and 3% for sea and air transport. Nontransportation energy use in the industrial, commercial, government, and agriculture and forestry sectors is small. Together, these sectors account for less than 10% of the petroleum products consumed. Wood and charcoal were used almost entirely by the residential sector, which also consumed an additional 530,000 BCOE of other fuels. Over 90% of the 530,000 BCOE was for electricity and 290,000 (56%) was from petroleum. Over half of the petroleum (150,000 BCOE) was for generation at the mines for their associated communities. 8 references, 10 tables.« less

Sustainable heterologous production of terpene hydrocarbons in cyanobacteria.

PubMed

Formighieri, Cinzia; Melis, Anastasios

2016-12-01

Cyanobacteria can be exploited as photosynthetic platforms for heterologous generation of terpene hydrocarbons with industrial application. However, the slow catalytic activity of terpene synthases (k cat  = 4 s -1 or slower) makes them noncompetitive for the pool of available substrate, thereby limiting the rate and yield of product generation. Work in this paper applied transformation technologies in Synechocystis for the heterologous production of β-phellandrene (monoterpene) hydrocarbons. Conditions were defined whereby expression of the β-phellandrene synthase (PHLS), as a CpcB·PHLS fusion protein with the β-subunit of phycocyanin, accounted for up to 20 % of total cellular protein. Moreover, CpcB·PHLS was heterologously co-expressed with enzymes of the mevalonic acid (MVA) pathway and geranyl-diphosphate synthase, increasing carbon flux toward the terpenoid biosynthetic pathway and enhancing substrate availability. These improvements enabled yields of 10 mg of β-phellandrene per g of dry cell weight generated in the course of a 48-h incubation period, or the equivalent of 1 % β-phellandrene:biomass (w:w) carbon-partitioning ratio. The work helped to identify prerequisites for the efficient heterologous production of terpene hydrocarbons in cyanobacteria: (i) requirement for overexpression of the heterologous terpene synthase, so as to compensate for the slow catalytic turnover of the enzyme, and (ii) enhanced endogenous carbon partitioning toward the terpenoid biosynthetic pathway, e.g., upon heterologous co-expression of the MVA pathway, thereby supplementing the native metabolic flux toward the universal isopentenyl-diphosphate and dimethylallyl-diphosphate terpenoid precursors. The two prerequisites are shown to be critical determinants of yield in the photosynthetic CO 2 to terpene hydrocarbons conversion process.

A Framework for the Generation and Dissemination of Drop Size Distribution (DSD) Characteristics Using Multiple Platforms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolf, David B.; Tokay, Ali; Petersen, Walt; Williams, Christopher; Gatlin, Patrick; Wingo, Mathew

2010-01-01

Proper characterization of the precipitation drop size distribution (DSD) is integral to providing realistic and accurate space- and ground-based precipitation retrievals. Current technology allows for the development of DSD products from a variety of platforms, including disdrometers, vertical profilers and dual-polarization radars. Up to now, however, the dissemination or availability of such products has been limited to individual sites and/or field campaigns, in a variety of formats, often using inconsistent algorithms for computing the integral DSD parameters, such as the median- and mass-weighted drop diameter, total number concentration, liquid water content, rain rate, etc. We propose to develop a framework for the generation and dissemination of DSD characteristic products using a unified structure, capable of handling the myriad collection of disdrometers, profilers, and dual-polarization radar data currently available and to be collected during several upcoming GPM Ground Validation field campaigns. This DSD super-structure paradigm is an adaptation of the radar super-structure developed for NASA s Radar Software Library (RSL) and RSL_in_IDL. The goal is to provide the DSD products in a well-documented format, most likely NetCDF, along with tools to ingest and analyze the products. In so doing, we can develop a robust archive of DSD products from multiple sites and platforms, which should greatly benefit the development and validation of precipitation retrieval algorithms for GPM and other precipitation missions. An outline of this proposed framework will be provided as well as a discussion of the algorithms used to calculate the DSD parameters.

S-Duct Engine Inlet Flow Control Using SDBD Plasma Streamwise Vortex Generators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelley, Christopher; He, Chuan; Corke, Thomas

2009-11-01

The results of a numerical simulation and experiment characterizing the performance of plasma streamwise vortex generators in controlling separation and secondary flow within a serpentine, diffusing duct are presented. A no flow control case is first run to check agreement of location of separation, development of secondary flow, and total pressure recovery between the experiment and numerical results. Upon validation, passive vane-type vortex generators and plasma streamwise vortex generators are implemented to increase total pressure recovery and reduce flow distortion at the aerodynamic interface plane: the exit of the S-duct. Total pressure recovery is found experimentally with a pitot probe rake assembly at the aerodynamic interface plane. Stagnation pressure distortion descriptors are also presented to show the performance increase with plasma streamwise vortex generators in comparison to the baseline no flow control case. These performance parameters show that streamwise plasma vortex generators are an effective alternative to vane-type vortex generators in total pressure recovery and total pressure distortion reduction in S-duct inlets.

Assessment of the direct cyclotron production of (99m)Tc: An approach to crisis management of (99m)Tc shortage.

PubMed

Rovais, Mohammad Reza Aboudzadeh; Aardaneh, Khosro; Aslani, Gholamreza; Rahiminejad, Ali; Yousefi, Kamran; Boulouri, Fatemeh

2016-06-01

Nowadays, the cyclotron production of technetium-99m ((99m)Tc) has been increased, due to the worldwide (99m)Tc generator shortage. In the present work, an improved strategy for the production of (99m)Tc, using the proton irradiation of the enriched (100)Mo was developed. The performance of this method in terms of the production yield, chemical purity, radiochemical purity, as well as radionuclide purity was evaluated. The average production yield was measured to be 356MBqμA(-1)h(-1). A good agreement was found between the calculated production yield and the experimental one. The radiochemical separation and total recovery yields of (99m)Tc were 92% and 69%, respectively. The radiochemical and the radionuclide purities of the (99m)Tc were 99% and >99.99% at the end of purification, respectively. The results of quality control tests (QC) support the concept that cyclotron-produced (99m)Tc is suitable for preparation of USP-compliant. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

SPoRT Participation in the GOES-R and JPSS Proving Grounds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jedlovec, Gary; Fuell, Kevin; Smith, Matthew

2013-01-01

For the last several years, the NASA Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) project at has been working with the various algorithm working groups and science teams to demonstrate the utility of future operational sensors for GOES-R and the suite of instruments for the JPSS observing platforms. For GOES-R, imagery and products have been developed from polar-orbiting sensors such as MODIS and geostationary observations from SEVIRI, simulated imagery, enhanced products derived from existing GOES satellites, and data from ground-based observing systems to generate pseudo or proxy products for the ABI and GLM instruments. The suite of products include GOES-POES basic and RGB hybrid imagery, total lightning flash products, quantitative precipitation estimates, and convective initiation products. SPoRT is using imagery and products from VIIRS, CrIS, ATMS, and OMPS to show the utility of data and products from their operational counterparts on JPSS. The products include VIIRS imagery in swath form, the GOES-POES hybrid, a suite of RGB products including the air mass RGB using water vapor and ozone channels from CrIS, and several DNB products. Over a dozen SPoRT collaborative WFOs and several National Centers are involved in an intensive evaluation of the operational utility of these products.

Planification de la maintenance d'un parc de turbines-alternateurs par programmation mathematique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aoudjit, Hakim

A growing number of Hydro-Quebec's hydro generators are at the end of their useful life and maintenance managers fear to face a number of overhauls exceeding what can be handled. Maintenance crews and budgets are limited and these withdrawals may take up to a full year and mobilize significant resources in addition to the loss of electricity production. In addition, increased export sales forecasts and severe production patterns are expected to speed up wear that can lead to halting many units at the same time. Currently, expert judgment is at the heart of withdrawals which rely primarily on periodic inspections and in-situ measurements and the results are sent to the maintenance planning team who coordinate all the withdrawals decisions. The degradations phenomena taking place is random in nature and the prediction capability of wear using only inspections is limited to short-term at best. A long term planning of major overhauls is sought by managers for the sake of justifying and rationalizing budgets and resources. The maintenance managers are able to provide a huge amount of data. Among them, is the hourly production of each unit for several years, the repairs history on each part of a unit as well as major withdrawals since the 1950's. In this research, we tackle the problem of long term maintenance planning for a fleet of 90 hydro generators at Hydro-Quebec over a 50 years planning horizon period. We lay a scientific and rational framework to support withdrawals decisions by using part of the available data and maintenance history while fulfilling a set of technical and economic constraints. We propose a planning approach based on a constrained optimization framework. We begin by decomposing and sorting hydro generator components to highlight the most influential parts. A failure rate model is developed to take into account the technical characteristics and unit utilization. Then, replacement and repair policies are evaluated for each of the components then strategies are derived for the whole unit. Traditional univariate policies such as the age replacement policy and the minimal repair policy are calculated. These policies are extended to build alternative bivariate maintenance policy as well as a repair strategy where the state of a component after a repair is rejuvenated by a constant coefficient. These templates form the basis for the calculation of objective function for the scheduling problem. On one hand, this issue is treated as a nonlinear problem where the objective is to minimize the average total maintenance cost per unit of time on an infinite horizon for the fleet with technical and economic constraints. A formulation is also proposed in the case of a finite time horizon. In the event of electricity production variation, and given that the usage profile is known, the influence of production scenarios is reflected on the unit's components through their failure rate. In this context, prognoses on possible resources problems are made by studying the characteristics of the generated plans. On the second hand, the withdrawals are now subjected to two decision criteria. In addition to minimizing the average total maintenance cost per unit of time on an infinite time horizon, the best achievable reliability of remaining turbo generators is sought. This problem is treated as a biobjective nonlinear optimization problem. Finally a series of problems describing multiple contexts are solved for planning renovations of 90 turbo generators units considering 3 major components in each unit and 2 types of maintenance policies for each component.

Use of Balanced Indicators as a Management Tool in Nursing1

PubMed Central

Fugaça, Neidamar Pedrini Arias; Cubas, Marcia Regina; Carvalho, Deborah Ribeiro

2015-01-01

Objective: to develop a proposal for a nursing panel of indicators based on the guiding principles of Balanced Scorecard. Method: a single case study that ranked 200 medical records of patients, management reports and protocols, which are capable of generating indicators. Results: we identified 163 variables that resulted in 72 indicators; of these, 32 nursing-related: two financial indicators (patient's average revenue per day and patient's revenue per day by product used); two client indicators (overall satisfaction rate of patient with nursing care and adherence rate to the patient satisfaction survey); 23 process indicators, and five learning and growth indicators (average total hours of training, total of approved nursing professionals in the internal selection process, absenteeism rate, turnover rate and index of performance evaluation). Conclusion: although there is a limit related to the amount of data generated, the methodology of Balanced Scorecard has proved to be flexible and adaptable to incorporate nursing services. It was possible to identify indicators with adherence to more than one area. Internal processes was the area with the higher number of indicators. PMID:26625995

Progress of fossil fuel science

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Demirbas, M.F.

2007-07-01

Coal is the most abundant and widely distributed fossil fuel. More than 45% of the world's electricity is generated from coal, and it is the major fuel for generating electricity worldwide. The known coal reserves in the world are enough for more than 215 years of consumption, while the known oil reserves are only about 39 times of the world's consumption and the known natural gas reserves are about 63 times of the world's consumption level in 1998. In recent years, there have been effective scientific investigations on Turkish fossil fuels, which are considerable focused on coal resources. Coal ismore » a major fossil fuel source for Turkey. Turkish coal consumption has been stable over the past decade and currently accounts for about 24% of the country's total energy consumption. Lignite coal has had the biggest share in total fossil fuel production, at 43%, in Turkey. Turkish researchers may investigate ten broad pathways of coal species upgrading, such as desulfurization and oxydesulfurization, pyrolysis and hydropyrolysis, liquefaction and hydroliquefaction, extraction and supercritical fluid extraction, gasification, oxidation, briquetting, flotation, and structure identification.« less

Oligonucleotide treatment causes flax β-glucanase up-regulation via changes in gene-body methylation.

PubMed

Wojtasik, Wioleta; Kulma, Anna; Boba, Aleksandra; Szopa, Jan

2014-10-05

Nowadays, the challenge for biotechnology is to develop tools for agriculture and industry to provide plants characterized by productivity and quality that will satisfy the growing demand for different kinds of natural products. To meet the challenge, the generation and application of genetically modified plants is justified. However, the strong social resistance to genetically modified organisms and restrictive regulations in European Union countries necessitated the development of a new technology for new plant types generation which uses the knowledge resulting from analysis of genetically modified plants to generate favourably altered plants while omitting the introduction of heterologous genes to their genome. Four-year experiments led to the development of a technology inducing heritable epigenetic gene activation without transgenesis. The method comprises the induction of changes in methylation/demethylation of the endogenous gene by the plant's treatment with short oligodeoxynucleotides antisense to the coding region. In vitro cultured plants and F3 generation flax plants overproducing the β-1,3-glucanase gene (EMO-βGlu flax) were characterized by up-regulation of β-glucanase and chitinase genes, decreases in the methylation of CCGG sequences in the β-glucanase gene and in total DNA methylation and, more importantly, reasonable resistance against Fusarium infection. In addition, EMO-βGlu flax obtained by this technology showed similar features as those obtained by genetic engineering. To our best knowledge, this is the first report on plant gene activation by treatment with oligodeoxynucleotides homologous to the coding region of the gene. Apart from the evident effectiveness, the most important issue is that the EMO method allows generation of favourably altered plants, whose cultivation makes the plant producer independent from the complicated procedure of obtaining an agreement on GMO release into the environment and whose products might be more easily introduced to the global market.

Potential land competition between open-pond microalgae production and terrestrial dedicated feedstock supply systems in the U.S.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Langholtz, Matthew H.; Coleman, Andre M.; Eaton, Laurence M.

Biofuels produced from both terrestrial and algal biomass feedstocks can contribute to energy security while providing economic, environmental, and social benefits. To assess the potential for land competition between these two feedstock types in the United States, we evaluate a scenario in which 41.5 x 109 L yr-1 of second-generation biofuels are produced on pastureland, the most likely land base where both feedstock types may be deployed. This total includes 12.0 x 109 L yr-1 of biofuels from open-pond microalgae production and 29.5 x 109 L yr-1 of biofuels from terrestrial dedicated feedstock supply systems. Under these scenarios, open-pond microalgaemore » production is projected to use 1.2 million ha of private pastureland, while terrestrial dedicated feedstock supply systems would use 14.0 million ha of private pastureland. A spatial meta-analysis indicates that potential competition for land under these scenarios would be concentrated in 110 counties, containing 1.0 and 1.7 million hectares of algal and terrestrial dedicated feedstock production, respectively. A land competition index applied to these 110 counties suggests that 38 to 59 counties could experience competition for upwards of 40% of a county’s pastureland. However, this combined 2.7 million ha represents only 2%-5% of total pastureland in the U.S., with the remaining 12.5 million ha of algal or terrestrial dedicated feedstock production on pastureland in non-competing areas.« less

Second generation γ-secretase modulators exhibit different modulation of Notch β and Aβ production.

PubMed

Wanngren, Johanna; Ottervald, Jan; Parpal, Santiago; Portelius, Erik; Strömberg, Kia; Borgegård, Tomas; Klintenberg, Rebecka; Juréus, Anders; Blomqvist, Jenny; Blennow, Kaj; Zetterberg, Henrik; Lundkvist, Johan; Rosqvist, Susanne; Karlström, Helena

2012-09-21

The γ-secretase complex is an appealing drug target when the therapeutic strategy is to alter amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) aggregation in Alzheimer disease. γ-Secretase is directly involved in Aβ formation and determines the pathogenic potential of Aβ by generating the aggregation-prone Aβ42 peptide. Because γ-secretase mediates cleavage of many substrates involved in cell signaling, such as the Notch receptor, it is crucial to sustain these pathways while altering the Aβ secretion. A way of avoiding interference with the physiological function of γ-secretase is to use γ-secretase modulators (GSMs) instead of inhibitors of the enzyme. GSMs modify the Aβ formation from producing the amyloid-prone Aβ42 variant to shorter and less amyloidogenic Aβ species. The modes of action of GSMs are not fully understood, and even though the pharmacology of GSMs has been thoroughly studied regarding Aβ generation, knowledge is lacking about their effects on other substrates, such as Notch. Here, using immunoprecipitation followed by MALDI-TOF MS analysis, we found that two novel, second generation GSMs modulate both Notch β and Aβ production. Moreover, by correlating S3-specific Val-1744 cleavage of Notch intracellular domain (Notch intracellular domain) to total Notch intracellular domain levels using immunocytochemistry, we also demonstrated that Notch intracellular domain is not modulated by the compounds. Interestingly, two well characterized, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug), R-flurbiprofen and sulindac sulfide, affect only Aβ and not Notch β formation, indicating that second generation GSMs and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-based GSMs have different modes of action regarding Notch processing.

Vortex Generators in a Two-Dimensional, External-Compression Supersonic Inlet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baydar, Ezgihan; Lu, Frank K.; Slater, John W.

2016-01-01

Vortex generators within a two-dimensional, external-compression supersonic inlet for Mach 1.6 were investigated to determine their ability to increase total pressure recovery, reduce total pressure distortion, and improve the boundary layer. The vortex generators studied included vanes and ramps. The geometric factors of the vortex generators studied included height, length, spacing, and positions upstream and downstream of the inlet terminal shock. The flow through the inlet was simulated through the computational solution of the steady-state Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations on multi-block, structured grids. The vortex generators were simulated by either gridding the geometry of the vortex generators or modeling the vortices generated by the vortex generators. The inlet performance was characterized by the inlet total pressure recovery, total pressure distortion, and incompressible shape factor of the boundary-layer at the engine face. The results suggested that downstream vanes reduced the distortion and improved the boundary layer. The height of the vortex generators had the greatest effect of the geometric factors.

Trends in Scientific Literature on Atypical Antipsychotics in South Korea: A Bibliometric Study

PubMed Central

Shen, Winston W.; Pae, Chi-Un; Moreno, Raquel; Rubio, Gabriel; Molina, Juan D.; Noriega, Concha; Pérez-Nieto, Miguel A.; Huelves, Lorena; Álamo, Cecilio

2013-01-01

Objective We have carried out a bibliometric study on the scientific publications in relation to atypical or second-generation antipsychotic drugs (SGAs) in South Korea. Methods With the EMBASE and MEDLINE databases, we selected those publications made in South Korea whose title included the descriptors atypic* (atypical*) antipsychotic*, second-generation antipsychotic*, clozapine, risperidone, olanzapine, ziprasidone, quetiapine, sertindole, aripiprazole, paliperidone, amisulpride, zotepine, asenapine, iloperidone, lurasidone, perospirone and blonanserin. We applied some bibliometric indicators of paper production and dispersion with Price's law and Bradford's law, respectively. We also calculated the participation index (PI) of the different countries, and correlated the bibliometric data with some social and health data from Korea (such as total per capita expenditure on health and gross domestic expenditure on research and development). Results We collected 326 original papers published between 1993 and 2011. Our results state fulfilment of fulfilled Price's law, with scientific production on SGAs showing exponential growth (correlation coefficient r=0.8978, as against an r=0.8149 after linear adjustment). The most widely studied drugs were risperidone (91 papers), aripiprazole (77), olanzapine (53), and clozapine (43). Division into Bradford zones yielded a nucleus occupied by the Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry (36 articles). A total of 86 different journals were published, with 4 of the first 10 used journals having an impact factor being greater than 4. Conclusion The publications on SGAs in South Korea have undergone exponential growth over the studied period, without evidence of reaching a saturation point. PMID:23482954

Energy and environmental impact analysis of rice cultivation and straw management in northern Thailand.

PubMed

Yodkhum, Sanwasan; Sampattagul, Sate; Gheewala, Shabbir H

2018-04-17

Rice cultivation and energy use for rice production can produce the environmental impacts, especially related to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Also, rice straw open burning by farmers generally practiced after harvesting stage in Thailand for removing the residues in the rice field is associated with emissions of air pollutants, especially particulate matter formation that affects human health and global climate. This study assessed the environmental burdens, consisting of GHG emissions, energy use, and particulate matter formation (PM10), from rice cultivation in Thailand by life cycle assessment (LCA) and compared the environmental burdens of rice straw management scenarios: open burning, incorporation into soil, and direct combustion for electricity generation. The data were collected from the rice production cooperative in Chiang Mai province, northern Thailand, via onsite records and face-to-face questionnaires in 2016. The environmental impacts were evaluated from cradle-to-farm gate. The results showed that the total GHG emissions were 0.64 kg CO 2 -eq per kilogram of paddy rice, the total energy use was 1.80 MJ per kilogram of paddy rice and the PM10 emissions were 0.42 g PM10-eq per kilogram of paddy rice. The results of rice straw management scenarios showed that rice straw open burning had the highest GHG and PM10 emissions. However, rice straw utilization by incorporation into soil and direct combustion for electricity generation could reduce these impacts substantially.

Improvement of DGGE analysis by modifications of PCR protocols for analysis of microbial community members with low abundance.

PubMed

Wang, Yong-Feng; Zhang, Fang-Qiu; Gu, Ji-Dong

2014-06-01

Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) is a powerful technique to reveal the community structures and composition of microorganisms in complex natural environments and samples. However, positive and reproducible polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products, which are difficult to acquire for some specific samples due to low abundance of the target microorganisms, significantly impair the effective applications of DGGE. Thus, nested PCR is often introduced to generate positive PCR products from the complex samples, but one problem is also introduced: The total number of thermocycling in nested PCR is usually unacceptably high, which results in skewed community structures by generation of random or mismatched PCR products on the DGGE gel, and this was demonstrated in this study. Furthermore, nested PCR could not resolve the uneven representative issue with PCR products of complex samples with unequal richness of microbial population. In order to solve the two problems in nested PCR, the general protocol was modified and improved in this study. Firstly, a general PCR procedure was used to amplify the target genes with the PCR primers without any guanine cytosine (GC) clamp, and then, the resultant PCR products were purified and diluted to 0.01 μg ml(-1). Subsequently, the diluted PCR products were utilized as templates to amplify again with the same PCR primers with the GC clamp for 17 cycles, and the products were finally subjected to DGGE analysis. We demonstrated that this is a much more reliable approach to obtain a high quality DGGE profile with high reproducibility. Thus, we recommend the adoption of this improved protocol in analyzing microorganisms of low abundance in complex samples when applying the DGGE fingerprinting technique to avoid biased results.

Land-Energy Nexus: Life Cycle Land Use of Natural Gas-Fired Electricity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heath, G.; Jordaan, S.; Macknick, J.; Mohammadi, E.; Ben-Horin, D.; Urrea, V.

2014-12-01

Comparisons of the land required for different types of energy are challenging due to the fact that upstream land use of fossil fuel technologies is not well characterized. This research focuses on improving estimates of the life cycle land use of natural gas-fired electricity through the novel combination of inventories of the location of natural gas-related infrastructure, satellite imagery analysis and gas production data. Land area per unit generation is calculated as the sum of natural gas life cycle stages divided by the throughput of natural gas, combined with the land use of the power plant divided by the generation of the power plant. Five natural gas life cycle stages are evaluated for their area: production, gathering, processing, transmission and disposal. The power plant stage is characterized by a thermal efficiency ηth, which converts MegaJoules (MJ) to kilowatt hours (kWh). We focus on seven counties in the Barnett shale region in Texas that represent over 90% of total Barnett Shale gas production. In addition to assessing the gathering and transmission pipeline network, approximately 500 sites are evaluated from the five life cycle stages plus power plants. For instance, assuming a 50 foot right-of-way for transmission pipelines, this part of the Barnett pipeline network occupies nearly 26,000 acres. Site, road and water components to total area are categorized. Methods are developed to scale up sampled results for each component type to the full population of sites within the Barnett. Uncertainty and variability are charaterized. Well-level production data are examined by integrating commercial datasets with advanced methods for quantifying estimated ultimate recovery (EUR) for wells, then summed to estimate natural gas produced in an entire play. Wells that are spatially coincident are merged using ArcGIS. All other sites are normalized by an estimate of gas throughput. Prior land use estimates are used to validate the satellite imagery analysis. Results of this research will provide a step towards better quantifying the land footprint of energy production activities and a methodologically consistent baseline from which more robust comparisons with alternative energy choices can be made.

Near real-time estimation of ionosphere vertical total electron content from GNSS satellites using B-splines in a Kalman filter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erdogan, Eren; Schmidt, Michael; Seitz, Florian; Durmaz, Murat

2017-02-01

Although the number of terrestrial global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers supported by the International GNSS Service (IGS) is rapidly growing, the worldwide rather inhomogeneously distributed observation sites do not allow the generation of high-resolution global ionosphere products. Conversely, with the regionally enormous increase in highly precise GNSS data, the demands on (near) real-time ionosphere products, necessary in many applications such as navigation, are growing very fast. Consequently, many analysis centers accepted the responsibility of generating such products. In this regard, the primary objective of our work is to develop a near real-time processing framework for the estimation of the vertical total electron content (VTEC) of the ionosphere using proper models that are capable of a global representation adapted to the real data distribution. The global VTEC representation developed in this work is based on a series expansion in terms of compactly supported B-spline functions, which allow for an appropriate handling of the heterogeneous data distribution, including data gaps. The corresponding series coefficients and additional parameters such as differential code biases of the GNSS satellites and receivers constitute the set of unknown parameters. The Kalman filter (KF), as a popular recursive estimator, allows processing of the data immediately after acquisition and paves the way of sequential (near) real-time estimation of the unknown parameters. To exploit the advantages of the chosen data representation and the estimation procedure, the B-spline model is incorporated into the KF under the consideration of necessary constraints. Based on a preprocessing strategy, the developed approach utilizes hourly batches of GPS and GLONASS observations provided by the IGS data centers with a latency of 1 h in its current realization. Two methods for validation of the results are performed, namely the self consistency analysis and a comparison with Jason-2 altimetry data. The highly promising validation results allow the conclusion that under the investigated conditions our derived near real-time product is of the same accuracy level as the so-called final post-processed products provided by the IGS with a latency of several days or even weeks.

A bibliometric study of scientific research conducted on second-generation antipsychotic drugs in Singapore.

PubMed

López-Muñoz, Francisco; Sim, Kang; Shen, Winston Wu; Huelves, Lorena; Moreno, Raquel; Molina, Juan de Dios; Rubio, Gabriel; Noriega, Concha; Pérez-Nieto, Miguel Ángel; Alamo, Cecilio

2014-01-01

A bibliometric study was carried out to ascertain the volume and impact of scientific literature published on second-generation antipsychotic drugs (SGAs) in Singapore from 1997 to 2011. A search of the EMBASE and MEDLINE databases was performed to identify articles originating from Singapore that included the descriptors 'atypic* antipsychotic*', 'second-generation antipsychotic*', 'clozapine', 'risperidone', 'olanzapine', 'ziprasidone', 'quetiapine', 'sertindole', 'aripiprazole', 'paliperidone', 'amisulpride', 'zotepine', 'asenapine', 'iloperidone', 'lurasidone', 'perospirone' and 'blonanserin' in the article titles. Certain bibliometric indicators of production and dispersion (e.g. Price's Law on the increase of scientific literature, and Bradford's Law) were applied, and the participation index of various countries was calculated. The bibliometric data was also correlated with some social and health data from Singapore, such as the total per capita expenditure on health and gross domestic expenditure on research and development. From 1997 to 2011, a total of 51 articles on SGAs in Singapore were published. Our results suggested non-fulfilment of Price's Law (r = 0.0648 after exponential adjustment vs. r = 0.2140 after linear adjustment). The most widely studied drugs were clozapine (21 articles), risperidone (16 articles) and olanzapine (8 articles). Division into Bradford zones yielded a nucleus occupied by the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology (6 articles) and the Singapore Medical Journal(4 articles). The analysed material was published in a total of 30 journals, with the majority from six journals. Four of these six journals have an impact factor greater than 2. Publications on SGAs in Singapore are still too few to confirm an exponential growth of scientific literature.

Next-to-leading order predictions for WW + jet production

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Campbell, John M.; Miller, David J.; Robens, Tania

2015-07-28

In this study we report on a next-to-leading order calculation of WW + jet production at hadron colliders, with subsequent leptonic decays of the W bosons included. The calculation of the one-loop contributions is performed using generalized unitarity methods in order to derive analytic expressions for the relevant amplitudes. These amplitudes have been implemented in the parton-level Monte Carlo generator mcfm, which we use to provide a complete next-to-leading order calculation. Predictions for total cross sections, as well as differential distributions for several key observables, are computed both for the LHC operating at 14 TeV as well as for amore » possible future 100 TeV proton-proton collider.« less

The Orbital Workshop Waste Management Compartment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

This image is a wide-angle view of the Orbital Workshop waste management compartment. The waste management facilities presented a unique challenge to spacecraft designers. In addition to collection of liquid and solid human wastes, there was a medical requirement to dry all solid human waste products and to return the residue to Earth for examination. Liquid human waste (urine) was frozen for return to Earth. Total quantities of each astronaut's liquid and solid wastes were precisely measured. Cabin air was drawn into the toilet, shown on the wall at right in this photograph, and over the waste products to generate a flow of the waste in the desired direction. The air was then filtered for odor control and antiseptic purposes prior to being discharged back into the cabin.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cox, David J.

We present the results of a search for pair production of a heavy top-like (t') quark decaying to Wq final states using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.6 fb -1 collected by the CDF II detector in pp collisions atmore » $$\\sqrt{s} = 1.96$$ TeV center of mass energy. A search for t' → Wb in events containing a lepton and four or more jets is conducted. By performing a fit to the two-dimensional distribution of total transverse energy versus reconstructed t' quark mass, we set upper limits on the t't' pair production cross section and exclude a standard model fourth-generation t' quark decaying to Wb with mass below 358 GeV/c 2 at 95% CL.« less

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-05-01

This image is a wide-angle view of the Orbital Workshop waste management compartment. The waste management facilities presented a unique challenge to spacecraft designers. In addition to collection of liquid and solid human wastes, there was a medical requirement to dry all solid human waste products and to return the residue to Earth for examination. Liquid human waste (urine) was frozen for return to Earth. Total quantities of each astronaut's liquid and solid wastes were precisely measured. Cabin air was drawn into the toilet, shown on the wall at right in this photograph, and over the waste products to generate a flow of the waste in the desired direction. The air was then filtered for odor control and antiseptic purposes prior to being discharged back into the cabin.

Using OpenOffice as a Portable Interface to JAVA-Based Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Comeau, T.; Garrett, B.; Richon, J.; Romelfanger, F.

2004-07-01

STScI previously used Microsoft Word and Microsoft Access, a Sybase ODBC driver, and the Adobe Acrobat PDF writer, along with a substantial amount of Visual Basic, to generate a variety of documents for the internal Space Telescope Grants Administration System (STGMS). While investigating an upgrade to Microsoft Office XP, we began considering alternatives, ultimately selecting an open source product, OpenOffice.org. This reduces the total number of products required to operate the internal STGMS system, simplifies the build system, and opens the possibility of moving to a non-Windows platform. We describe the experience of moving from Microsoft Office to OpenOffice.org, and our other internal uses of OpenOffice.org in our development environment.

Accurate costs of blood transfusion: a microcosting of administering blood products in the United Kingdom National Health Service.

PubMed

Stokes, Elizabeth A; Wordsworth, Sarah; Staves, Julie; Mundy, Nicola; Skelly, Jane; Radford, Kelly; Stanworth, Simon J

2018-04-01

In an environment of limited health care resources, it is crucial for health care systems which provide blood transfusion to have accurate and comprehensive information on the costs of transfusion, incorporating not only the costs of blood products, but also their administration. Unfortunately, in many countries accurate costs for administering blood are not available. Our study aimed to generate comprehensive estimates of the costs of administering transfusions for the UK National Health Service. A detailed microcosting study was used to cost two key inputs into transfusion: transfusion laboratory and nursing inputs. For each input, data collection forms were developed to capture staff time, equipment, and consumables associated with each step in the transfusion process. Costing results were combined with costs of blood product wastage to calculate the cost per unit transfused, separately for different blood products. Data were collected in 2014/15 British pounds and converted to US dollars. A total of 438 data collection forms were completed by 74 staff. The cost of administering blood was $71 (£49) per unit for red blood cells, $84 (£58) for platelets, $55 (£38) for fresh-frozen plasma, and $72 (£49) for cryoprecipitate. Blood administration costs add substantially to the costs of the blood products themselves. These are frequently incurred costs; applying estimates to the blood components supplied to UK hospitals in 2015, the annual cost of blood administration, excluding blood products, exceeds $175 (£120) million. These results provide more accurate estimates of the total costs of transfusion than those previously available. © 2018 AABB.

Technical assessment of processing plants as exemplified by the sorting of beverage cartons from lightweight packaging wastes.

PubMed

Feil, A; Thoden van Velzen, E U; Jansen, M; Vitz, P; Go, N; Pretz, T

2016-02-01

The recovery of beverage cartons (BC) in three lightweight packaging waste processing plants (LP) was analyzed with different input materials and input masses in the area of 21-50Mg. The data was generated by gravimetric determination of the sorting products, sampling and sorting analysis. Since the particle size of beverage cartons is larger than 120mm, a modified sampling plan was implemented and targeted multiple sampling (3-11 individual samplings) and a total sample size of respectively 1200l (ca. 60kg) for the BC-products and of about 2400l (ca. 120kg) for material-heterogeneous mixed plastics (MP) and sorting residue products. The results infer that the quantification of the beverage carton yield in the process, i.e., by including all product-containing material streams, can be specified only with considerable fluctuation ranges. Consequently, the total assessment, regarding all product streams, is rather qualitative than quantitative. Irregular operation conditions as well as unfavorable sampling conditions and capacity overloads are likely causes for high confidence intervals. From the results of the current study, recommendations can basically be derived for a better sampling in LP-processing plants. Despite of the suboptimal statistical results, the results indicate very clear that the plants show definite optimisation potentials with regard to the yield of beverage cartons as well as the required product purity. Due to the test character of the sorting trials the plant parameterization was not ideal for this sorting task and consequently the results should be interpreted with care. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigation of the feasibility of a small scale transmutation device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sit, Roger Carson

This dissertation presents the design and feasibility of a small-scale, fusion-based transmutation device incorporating a commercially available neutron generator. It also presents the design features necessary to optimize the device and render it practical for the transmutation of selected long-lived fission products and actinides. Four conceptual designs of a transmutation device were used to study the transformation of seven radionuclides: long-lived fission products (Tc-99 and I-129), short-lived fission products (Cs-137 and Sr-90), and selective actinides (Am-241, Pu-238, and Pu-239). These radionuclides were chosen because they are major components of spent nuclear fuel and also because they exist as legacy sources that are being stored pending a decision regarding their ultimate disposition. The four designs include the use of two different devices; a Deuterium-Deuterium (D-D) neutron generator (for one design) and a Deuterium-Tritium (D-T) neutron generator (for three designs) in configurations which provide different neutron energy spectra for targeting the radionuclide for transmutation. Key parameters analyzed include total fluence and flux requirements; transmutation effectiveness measured as irradiation effective half-life; and activation products generated along with their characteristics: activity, dose rate, decay, and ingestion and inhalation radiotoxicity. From this investigation, conclusions were drawn about the feasibility of the device, the design and technology enhancements that would be required to make transmutation practical, the most beneficial design for each radionuclide, the consequence of the transmutation, and radiation protection issues that are important for the conceptual design of the transmutation device. Key conclusions from this investigation include: (1) the transmutation of long-lived fission products and select actinides can be practical using a small-scale, fusion driven transmutation device; (2) the transmutation of long-lived fission products could result in an irradiation effective half-life of a few years with a three order magnitude increase in the on-target neutron flux accomplishable through a combination of technological enhancements to the source and system design optimization; (3) the transmutation of long-lived fission products requires a thermal-slow energy spectrum to prevent the generation of activation products with half-lives even longer than the original radionuclide; (4) there is no benefit in trying to transmute short-lived fission products due to the ineffectiveness of the transmutation process and the generation of a multiplicity of counterproductive activation products; (5) for actinides, irradiation effective half-lives of < 1 year can be achieved with a four orders magnitude increase in the on-target flux; (6) the ideal neutron energy spectra for transmuting actinides is highly dependent on the particular radionuclide and its fission-to-capture ratio as they determine the generationrate of other actinides; and (7) the methodology developed in this dissertation provides a mechanism that can be used for studying the feasibility of transmuting other radionuclides, and its application can be extended to studying the production of radionuclides of interest in a transmutation process. Although large-scale transmutation technology is presently being researched world-wide for spent fuel management applications, such technology will not be viable for a couple of decades. This dissertation investigated the concept of a small-scale transmutation device using present technology. The results of this research show that with reasonable enhancements, transmutation of specific radionuclides can be practical in the near term.

Investigation of the β-pinene photooxidation by OH in the atmosphere simulation chamber SAPHIR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaminski, Martin; Fuchs, Hendrik; Acir, Ismail-Hakki; Bohn, Birger; Brauers, Theo; Dorn, Hans-Peter; Häseler, Rolf; Hofzumahaus, Andreas; Li, Xin; Lutz, Anna; Nehr, Sascha; Rohrer, Franz; Tillmann, Ralf; Vereecken, Luc; Wegener, Robert; Wahner, Andreas

2017-06-01

Besides isoprene, monoterpenes are the non-methane volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with the highest global emission rates. Due to their high reactivity towards OH, monoterpenes can dominate the radical chemistry of the atmosphere in forested areas. In the present study the photochemical degradation mechanism of β-pinene was investigated in the Jülich atmosphere simulation chamber SAPHIR (Simulation of Atmospheric PHotochemistry In a large Reaction Chamber). One focus of this study is on the OH budget in the degradation process. Therefore, the SAPHIR chamber was equipped with instrumentation to measure radicals (OH, HO2, RO2), the total OH reactivity, important OH precursors (O3, HONO, HCHO), the parent VOC β-pinene, its main oxidation products, acetone and nopinone and photolysis frequencies. All experiments were carried out under low-NO conditions ( ≤ 300 ppt) and at atmospheric β-pinene concentrations ( ≤ 5 ppb) with and without addition of ozone. For the investigation of the OH budget, the OH production and destruction rates were calculated from measured quantities. Within the limits of accuracy of the instruments, the OH budget was balanced in all β-pinene oxidation experiments. However, even though the OH budget was closed, simulation results from the Master Chemical Mechanism (MCM) 3.2 showed that the OH production and destruction rates were underestimated by the model. The measured OH and HO2 concentrations were underestimated by up to a factor of 2, whereas the total OH reactivity was slightly overestimated because the model predicted a nopinone mixing ratio which was 3 times higher than measured. A new, theory-derived, first-generation product distribution by Vereecken and Peeters (2012) was able to reproduce the measured nopinone time series and the total OH reactivity. Nevertheless, the measured OH and HO2 concentrations remained underestimated by the numerical simulations. These observations together with the fact that the measured OH budget was closed suggest the existence of unaccounted sources of HO2. Although the mechanism of additional HO2 formation could not be resolved, our model studies suggest that an activated alkoxy radical intermediate proposed in the model of Vereecken and Peeters (2012) generates HO2 in a new pathway, whose importance has been underestimated so far. The proposed reaction path involves unimolecular rearrangement and decomposition reactions and photolysis of dicarbonyl products, yielding additional HO2 and CO. Further experiments and quantum chemical calculations have to be made to completely unravel the pathway of HO2 formation.

A New Electrospray Aerosol Generator with High Particle Transmission Efficiency

PubMed Central

Fu, Huijing; Patel, Anand C.; Holtzman, Michael J.; Chen, Da-Ren

2012-01-01

A new single-capillary electrospray (ES) aerosol generator has been developed for monodisperse particle production with maximal transmission efficiency. The new generator consists of both a spray chamber in a point-to-orifice-plate configuration and a charge reduction chamber that can hold up to 4 Nuclespot ionizers (Model P-2042, NRD Inc.). The 2 chambers are partitioned by an orifice plate. To optimize the particle transmission efficiency of the prototype, a systematic study was performed on the generator by varying the system setup and operation. Two key dimensions of the generator setup, the orifice diameter and the distance from the capillary tip to the orifice plate, were varied. Fluorescence analysis was applied to characterize the loss of ES-generated particles at different locations of the prototype. It was found that particle loss in the generator could be reduced by either increasing the orifice diameter or decreasing the distance between the capillary tip and the orifice plate. Increasing either the total radioactivity of the ionizers or the flowrate of the particle carrier gas also further decreased the particle loss in the system. The maximum particle transmission efficiency of 88.0% was obtained with the spray chamber fully opened to the charge reduction chamber, the capillary tip at the same level as the orifice plate, and 4 bipolar ionizers installed. PMID:22829715

Metal interferences and their removal prior to the determination of As(T) and As(III) in acid mine waters by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCleskey, R. Blaine; Nordstrom, D. Kirk; Ball, James W.

2003-01-01

Hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HGAAS) is a sensitive and selective method for the determination of total arsenic (arsenic(III) plus arsenic(V)) and arsenic(III); however, it is subject to metal interferences for acid mine waters. Sodium borohydride is used to produce arsine gas, but high metal concentrations can suppress arsine production. This report investigates interferences of sixteen metal species including aluminum, antimony(III), antimony(V), cadmium, chromium(III), chromium(IV), cobalt, copper(II), iron(III), iron(II), lead, manganese, nickel, selenium(IV), selenium(VI), and zinc ranging in concentration from 0 to 1,000 milligrams per liter and offers a method for removing interfering metal cations with cation exchange resin. The degree of interference for each metal without cation-exchange on the determination of total arsenic and arsenic(III) was evaluated by spiking synthetic samples containing arsenic(III) and arsenic(V) with the potential interfering metal. Total arsenic recoveries ranged from 92 to 102 percent for all metals tested except antimony(III) and antimony(V) which suppressed arsine formation when the antimony(III)/total arsenic molar ratio exceeded 4 or the antimony(V)/total arsenic molar ratio exceeded 2. Arsenic(III) recoveries for samples spiked with aluminum, chromium(III), cobalt, iron(II), lead, manganese, nickel, selenium(VI), and zinc ranged from 84 to 107 percent over the entire concentration range tested. Low arsenic(III) recoveries occurred when the molar ratios of metals to arsenic(III) were copper greater than 120, iron(III) greater than 70, chromium(VI) greater than 2, cadmium greater than 800, antimony(III) greater than 3, antimony(V) greater than 12, or selenium(IV) greater than 1. Low recoveries result when interfering metals compete for available sodium borohydride, causing incomplete arsine production, or when the interfering metal oxidizes arsenic(III). Separation of interfering metal cations using cation-exchange prior to hydridegeneration permits accurate arsenic(III) determinations in acid mine waters containing high concentrations of interfering metals. Stabilization of the arsenic redox species for as many as 15 months is demonstrated for samples that have been properly filtered and acidified with HCl in the field. The detection limits for the method described in this report are 0.1 micrograms per liter for total arsenic and 0.8 micrograms per liter for arsenic(III).

The value of improved wind power forecasting: Grid flexibility quantification, ramp capability analysis, and impacts of electricity market operation timescales

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Qin; Wu, Hongyu; Florita, Anthony R.

The value of improving wind power forecasting accuracy at different electricity market operation timescales was analyzed by simulating the IEEE 118-bus test system as modified to emulate the generation mixes of the Midcontinent, California, and New England independent system operator balancing authority areas. The wind power forecasting improvement methodology and error analysis for the data set were elaborated. Production cost simulation was conducted on the three emulated systems with a total of 480 scenarios, considering the impacts of different generation technologies, wind penetration levels, and wind power forecasting improvement timescales. The static operational flexibility of the three systems was comparedmore » through the diversity of generation mix, the percentage of must-run baseload generators, as well as the available ramp rate and the minimum generation levels. The dynamic operational flexibility was evaluated by the real-time upward and downward ramp capacity. Simulation results show that the generation resource mix plays a crucial role in evaluating the value of improved wind power forecasting at different timescales. In addition, the changes in annual operational electricity generation costs were mostly influenced by the dominant resource in the system. Lastly, the impacts of pumped-storage resources, generation ramp rates, and system minimum generation level requirements on the value of improved wind power forecasting were also analyzed.« less

The value of improved wind power forecasting: Grid flexibility quantification, ramp capability analysis, and impacts of electricity market operation timescales

DOE PAGES

Wang, Qin; Wu, Hongyu; Florita, Anthony R.; ...

2016-11-11

The value of improving wind power forecasting accuracy at different electricity market operation timescales was analyzed by simulating the IEEE 118-bus test system as modified to emulate the generation mixes of the Midcontinent, California, and New England independent system operator balancing authority areas. The wind power forecasting improvement methodology and error analysis for the data set were elaborated. Production cost simulation was conducted on the three emulated systems with a total of 480 scenarios, considering the impacts of different generation technologies, wind penetration levels, and wind power forecasting improvement timescales. The static operational flexibility of the three systems was comparedmore » through the diversity of generation mix, the percentage of must-run baseload generators, as well as the available ramp rate and the minimum generation levels. The dynamic operational flexibility was evaluated by the real-time upward and downward ramp capacity. Simulation results show that the generation resource mix plays a crucial role in evaluating the value of improved wind power forecasting at different timescales. In addition, the changes in annual operational electricity generation costs were mostly influenced by the dominant resource in the system. Lastly, the impacts of pumped-storage resources, generation ramp rates, and system minimum generation level requirements on the value of improved wind power forecasting were also analyzed.« less

Mouse forepaw lumbrical muscles are resistant to age-related declines in force production.

PubMed

Russell, Katelyn A; Ng, Rainer; Faulkner, John A; Claflin, Dennis R; Mendias, Christopher L

2015-05-01

A progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and force generating capacity occurs with aging. Mice are commonly used in the study of aging-associated changes in muscle size and strength, with most models of aging demonstrating 15-35% reductions in muscle mass, cross-sectional area (CSA), maximum isometric force production (Po) and specific force (sPo), which is Po/CSA. The lumbrical muscle of the mouse forepaw is exceptionally small, with corresponding short diffusion distances that make it ideal for in vitro pharmacological studies and measurements of contractile properties. However, the aging-associated changes in lumbrical function have not previously been reported. To address this, we tested the hypothesis that compared to adult (12month old) mice, the forepaw lumbrical muscles of old (30month old) mice exhibit aging-related declines in size and force production similar to those observed in larger limb muscles. We found that the forepaw lumbricals were composed exclusively of fibers with type II myosin heavy chain isoforms, and that the muscles accumulated connective tissue with aging. There were no differences in the number of fibers per whole-muscle cross-section or in muscle fiber CSA. The whole muscle CSA in old mice was increased by 17%, but the total CSA of all muscle fibers in a whole-muscle cross-section was not different. No difference in Po was observed, and while sPo normalized to total muscle CSA was decreased in old mice by 22%, normalizing Po by the total muscle fiber CSA resulted in no difference in sPo. Combined, these results indicate that forepaw lumbrical muscles from 30month old mice are largely protected from the aging-associated declines in size and force production that are typically observed in larger limb muscles. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Using GIS data and satellite derived irradiance to optimize siting of PV installations in Switzerland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kahl, Annelen; Nguyen, Viet-Anh; Bartlett, Stuart; Sossan, Fabrizio; Lehning, Michael

2016-04-01

For a successful distribution strategy of PV installations, it does not suffice to choose the locations with highest annual total irradiance. Attention needs to be given to spatial correlation patterns of insolation to avoid large system-wide variations, which can cause extended deficits in supply or might even damage the electrical network. One alternative goal instead is to seek configurations that provide the smoothest energy production, with the most reliable and predictable supply. Our work investigates several scenarios, each pursuing a different strategy for a future renewable Switzerland without nuclear power. Based on an estimate for necessary installed capacity for solar power [Bartlett, 2015] we first use heuristics to pre-select realistic placements for PV installations. Then we apply optimization methods to find a subset of locations that provides the best possible combined electricity production. For the first part of the selection process, we use a DEM to exclude high elevation zones which would be difficult to access and which are prone to natural hazards. Then we use land surface cover information to find all zones with potential roof area, deemed suitable for installation of solar panels. The optimization employs Principal Component Analysis of satellite derived irradiance data (Surface Incoming Shortwave Radiation (SIS), based on Meteosat Second Generation sensors) to incorporate a spatial aspect into the selection process that does not simply maximize annual total production but rather provides the most robust supply, by combining regions with anti-correlated cloud cover patterns. Depending on the initial assumptions and constraints, the resulting distribution schemes for PV installations vary with respect to required surface area, annual total and lowest short-term production, and illustrate how important it is to clearly define priorities and policies for a future renewable Switzerland.

Lipid production in association of filamentous fungi with genetically modified cyanobacterial cells.

PubMed

Miranda, Ana F; Taha, Mohamed; Wrede, Digby; Morrison, Paul; Ball, Andrew S; Stevenson, Trevor; Mouradov, Aidyn

2015-01-01

Numerous strategies have evolved recently for the generation of genetically modified or synthetic microalgae and cyanobacteria designed for production of ethanol, biodiesel and other fuels. In spite of their obvious attractiveness there are still a number of challenges that can affect their economic viability: the high costs associated with (1) harvesting, which can account for up to 50 % of the total biofuel's cost, (2) nutrients supply and (3) oil extraction. Fungal-assisted bio-flocculation of microalgae is gaining increasing attention due to its high efficiency, no need for added chemicals and low energy inputs. The implementation of renewable alternative carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus sources from agricultural wastes and wastewaters for growing algae and fungi makes this strategy economically attractive. This work demonstrates that the filamentous fungi, Aspergillus fumigatus can efficiently flocculate the unicellular cyanobacteria Synechocystis PCC 6803 and its genetically modified derivatives that have been altered to enable secretion of free fatty acids into growth media. Secreted free fatty acids are potentially used by fungal cells as a carbon source for growth and ex-novo production of lipids. For most of genetically modified strains the total lipid yields extracted from the fungal-cyanobacterial pellets were found to be higher than additive yields of lipids and total free fatty acids produced by fungal and Synechocystis components when grown in mono-cultures. The synergistic effect observed in fungal-Synechocystis associations was also found in bioremediation rates when animal husbandry wastewater was used an alternative source of nitrogen and phosphorus. Fungal assisted flocculation can complement and assist in large scale biofuel production from wild-type and genetically modified Synechocystis PCC 6803 strains by (1) efficient harvesting of cyanobacterial cells and (2) producing of high yields of lipids accumulated in fungal-cyanobacterial pellets.

Deep geothermal resources in the Yangbajing Field, Tibet

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhao Ping; Jin Jian; Duo Ji

1997-12-31

Since the first well was bored in July 1997 in the Yangbajing geothermal field, more than 80 wells have been drilled. The total of installed capacity is 25.18MWe for geothermal power plant that has generated about 1.0 x 10{sup 9} kWh electricity in all. Temperatures inside shallow reservoir are in the range from 150{degrees}C to 165{degrees}C. No high-temperature field if found below the shallow reservoir in the southern part. In order to enlarge the installed capacity and solve pressure decline in current productive wells, an exploration project of deep geothermal resources has been carried out in the northern part. Themore » highest temperature of 329{degrees}C was detected in well ZK4002 at 1850m depth in 1994. Well ZK4001 drilled in 1996 flows out high-enthalpy thermal fluid at the wellhead, in which the average temperature is 248{degrees}C in the feeding zones. There is a great potential for power generation in the northern part. The exploitation of deep geothermal resources would effect the production of existing wells.« less

Boron ion beam generation utilizing lanthanum hexaboride cathodes: Comparison of vacuum arc and planar magnetron glow

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nikolaev, A. G.; Vizir, A. V.; Yushkov, G. Yu., E-mail: gyushkov@mail.ru

Boron ion beams are widely used for semiconductor ion implantation and for surface modification for improving the operating parameters and increasing the lifetime of machine parts and tools. For the latter application, the purity requirements of boron ion beams are not as stringent as for semiconductor technology, and a composite cathode of lanthanum hexaboride may be suitable for the production of boron ions. We have explored the use of two different approaches to boron plasma production: vacuum arc and planar high power impulse magnetron in self-sputtering mode. For the arc discharge, the boron plasma is generated at cathode spots, whereasmore » for the magnetron discharge, the main process is sputtering of cathode material. We present here the results of comparative test experiments for both kinds of discharge, aimed at determining the optimal discharge parameters for maximum yield of boron ions. For both discharges, the extracted ion beam current reaches hundreds of milliamps and the fraction of boron ions in the total extracted ion beam is as high as 80%.« less

A Numerical Model for Two-Plasmon-Decay Hot-Electron Production and Mitigation in Direct-Drive Implosions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myatt, J. F.; Shaw, J. G.; Solodov, A. A.; Maximov, A. V.; Short, R. W.; Seka, W.; Follett, R. K.; Edgell, D. H.; Froula, D. H.; Goncharov, V. N.

2015-11-01

Hot-electron preheat, caused by laser-plasma instabilities, can impair the performance of inertial confinement fusion implosions. It is therefore imperative to understand processes that can generate hot electrons and to design mitigation strategies should preheat be found to be excessive at the ignition scale (laser-plasma interactions do not follow hydrodynamic scaling). For this purpose, a new 3-D model [laser-plasma simulation environment (LPSE)] has been constructed that computes hot-electron generation in direct-drive plasmas based on the assumption that two-plasmon decay is the dominant, hot-electron-producing instability. It uses an established model of TPD-driven turbulence together with a new GPU based hybrid particle method of hot-electron production. The time-dependent hot-electron power, total energy, and energy spectrum are computed and compared with data from recent OMEGA implosion experiments that have sought to mitigate TPD by the use of multilayered (mid- Z) ablators. This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration under Award Number DE-NA0001944.

Economic production quantity model for items with continuous quality characteristic, rework and reject

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsou, Jia-Chi; Hejazi, Seyed Reza; Rasti Barzoki, Morteza

2012-12-01

The economic production quantity (EPQ) model is a well-known and commonly used inventory control technique. However, the model is built on an unrealistic assumption that all the produced items need to be of perfect quality. Having relaxed this assumption, some researchers have studied the effects of the imperfect products on the inventory control techniques. This article, thus, attempts to develop an EPQ model with continuous quality characteristic and rework. To this end, this study assumes that a produced item follows a general distribution pattern, with its quality being perfect, imperfect or defective. The analysis of the model developed indicates that there is an optimal lot size, which generates minimum total cost. Moreover, the results show that the optimal lot size of the model equals that of the classical EPQ model in case imperfect quality percentage is zero or even close to zero.

Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS): What Nurses Need to Know.

PubMed

Essenmacher, Carol; Naegle, Madeline; Baird, Carolyn; Vest, Bridgette; Spielmann, Rene; Smith-East, Marie; Powers, Leigh

Efforts to decrease adverse effects of tobacco use are affected by emergence of new nicotine delivery products. Advertising, product promotion, and social media promote use of these products, yet a lack of evidence regarding safety leaves nurses unprepared to counsel patients. To critically evaluate current research, reviews of literature, expert opinion, and stakeholder policy proposals on use and safety of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). A targeted examination of literature generated by key stakeholders and subject matter experts was conducted using key words, modified by risk factors, and limited to the past 8 years. Current knowledge gaps in research literature and practice implications of the literature are discussed. The safety of ENDS is questionable and unclear. There are clear health risks of nicotine exposure to developing brains. Potential health risks of ENDS secondhand emissions exposure exist. Using ENDS to facilitate total tobacco cessation is not proven.

Metabolic Engineering toward Sustainable Production of Nylon-6.

PubMed

Turk, Stefan C H J; Kloosterman, Wigard P; Ninaber, Dennis K; Kolen, Karin P A M; Knutova, Julia; Suir, Erwin; Schürmann, Martin; Raemakers-Franken, Petronella C; Müller, Monika; de Wildeman, Stefaan M A; Raamsdonk, Leonie M; van der Pol, Ruud; Wu, Liang; Temudo, Margarida F; van der Hoeven, Rob A M; Akeroyd, Michiel; van der Stoel, Roland E; Noorman, Henk J; Bovenberg, Roel A L; Trefzer, Axel C

2016-01-15

Nylon-6 is a bulk polymer used for many applications. It consists of the non-natural building block 6-aminocaproic acid, the linear form of caprolactam. Via a retro-synthetic approach, two synthetic pathways were identified for the fermentative production of 6-aminocaproic acid. Both pathways require yet unreported novel biocatalytic steps. We demonstrated proof of these bioconversions by in vitro enzyme assays with a set of selected candidate proteins expressed in Escherichia coli. One of the biosynthetic pathways starts with 2-oxoglutarate and contains bioconversions of the ketoacid elongation pathway known from methanogenic archaea. This pathway was selected for implementation in E. coli and yielded 6-aminocaproic acid at levels up to 160 mg/L in lab-scale batch fermentations. The total amount of 6-aminocaproic acid and related intermediates generated by this pathway exceeded 2 g/L in lab-scale fed-batch fermentations, indicating its potential for further optimization toward large-scale sustainable production of nylon-6.

Selection of oleaginous yeasts for fatty acid production.

PubMed

Lamers, Dennis; van Biezen, Nick; Martens, Dirk; Peters, Linda; van de Zilver, Eric; Jacobs-van Dreumel, Nicole; Wijffels, René H; Lokman, Christien

2016-05-27

Oleaginous yeast species are an alternative for the production of lipids or triacylglycerides (TAGs). These yeasts are usually non-pathogenic and able to store TAGs ranging from 20 % to 70 % of their cell mass depending on culture conditions. TAGs originating from oleaginous yeasts can be used as the so-called second generation biofuels, which are based on non-food competing "waste carbon sources". In this study the selection of potentially new interesting oleaginous yeast strains is described. Important selection criteria were: a broad maximum temperature and pH range for growth (robustness of the strain), a broad spectrum of carbon sources that can be metabolized (preferably including C-5 sugars), a high total fatty acid content in combination with a low glycogen content and genetic accessibility. Based on these selection criteria, among 24 screened species, Schwanniomyces occidentalis (Debaromyces occidentalis) CBS2864 was selected as a promising strain for the production of high amounts of lipids.

Manufacturing Cost Levelization Model – A User’s Guide

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Morrow, William R.; Shehabi, Arman; Smith, Sarah Josephine

The Manufacturing Cost Levelization Model is a cost-performance techno-economic model that estimates total large-scale manufacturing costs for necessary to produce a given product. It is designed to provide production cost estimates for technology researchers to help guide technology research and development towards an eventual cost-effective product. The model presented in this user’s guide is generic and can be tailored to the manufacturing of any product, including the generation of electricity (as a product). This flexibility, however, requires the user to develop the processes and process efficiencies that represents a full-scale manufacturing facility. The generic model is comprised of several modulesmore » that estimate variable costs (material, labor, and operating), fixed costs (capital & maintenance), financing structures (debt and equity financing), and tax implications (taxable income after equipment and building depreciation, debt interest payments, and expenses) of a notional manufacturing plant. A cash-flow method is used to estimate a selling price necessary for the manufacturing plant to recover its total cost of production. A levelized unit sales price ($ per unit of product) is determined by dividing the net-present value of the manufacturing plant’s expenses ($) by the net present value of its product output. A user defined production schedule drives the cash-flow method that determines the levelized unit price. In addition, an analyst can increase the levelized unit price to include a gross profit margin to estimate a product sales price. This model allows an analyst to understand the effect that any input variables could have on the cost of manufacturing a product. In addition, the tool is able to perform sensitivity analysis, which can be used to identify the key variables and assumptions that have the greatest influence on the levelized costs. This component is intended to help technology researchers focus their research attention on tasks that offer the greatest opportunities for cost reduction early in the research and development stages of technology invention.« less

University coal research/historically black colleges and universities and other minority institutions contractors review meeting

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

2006-07-01

A variety of papers/posters were presented on topics concerning power generation, including solid oxide fuel cells, hydrogen production, mercury as a combustion product, carbon dioxide separation from flue gas. A total of 31 presentations in slide/overview/viewgraph form and with a separate abstract are available online (one in abstract form only) and 24 poster papers (text). In addition 41 abstracts only are available. Papers of particular interest include: Hydrogen production from hydrogen sulfide in IGCC power plants; Oxidation of mercury in products of coal combustion; Computer aided design of advanced turbine aerofoil alloys for industrial gas turbines in coal fired environments;more » Developing engineered fuel using flyash and biomass; Conversion of hydrogen sulfide in coal gases to elemental sulfur with monolithic catalysts; Intelligent control via wireless sensor networks for advanced coal combustion systems; and Investment of fly ash and activated carbon obtained from pulverized coal boilers (poster).« less

Fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions of world fisheries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parker, Robert W. R.; Blanchard, Julia L.; Gardner, Caleb; Green, Bridget S.; Hartmann, Klaas; Tyedmers, Peter H.; Watson, Reg A.

2018-04-01

Food production is responsible for a quarter of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally. Marine fisheries are typically excluded from global assessments of GHGs or are generalized based on a limited number of case studies. Here we quantify fuel inputs and GHG emissions for the global fishing fleet from 1990-2011 and compare emissions from fisheries to those from agriculture and livestock production. We estimate that fisheries consumed 40 billion litres of fuel in 2011 and generated a total of 179 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent GHGs (4% of global food production). Emissions from the global fishing industry grew by 28% between 1990 and 2011, with little coinciding increase in production (average emissions per tonne landed grew by 21%). Growth in emissions was driven primarily by increased harvests from fuel-intensive crustacean fisheries. The environmental benefit of low-carbon fisheries could be further realized if a greater proportion of landings were directed to human consumption rather than industrial uses.

Enhancement of Anaerobic Digestion to Treat Saline Sludge from Recirculating Aquaculture Systems

PubMed Central

Luo, Guo-zhi; Ma, Niannian; Li, Ping; Tan, Hong-xin; Liu, Wenchang

2015-01-01

The effectiveness of carbohydrate addition and the use of ultrasonication as a pretreatment for the mesophilic anaerobic digestion of saline aquacultural sludge was assessed. Analyses were conducted using an anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR), which included stopped gas production attributed to the saline inhibition. After increasing the C : N ratio, gas production was observed, and the total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD) removal efficiency increased from 75% to 80%. The TCOD removal efficiency of the sonication period was approximately 85%, compared to 75% for the untreated waste. Ultrasonication of aquaculture sludge was also found to enhance the gas production rate and the TCOD removal efficiency. The average volatile fatty acid (VFA) to alkalinity ratios ranged from 0.1 to 0.05, confirming the stability of the digesters. Furthermore, soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD), VFA, and PO4 3− concentrations increased in the effluents. There was a 114% greater gas generation during the ultrasonication period, with an average production of 0.08 g COD/L·day−1. PMID:26301258

Conceptual Design of Low-Temperature Hydrogen Production and High-Efficiency Nuclear Reactor Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukushima, Kimichika; Ogawa, Takashi

Hydrogen, a potential alternative energy source, is produced commercially by methane (or LPG) steam reforming, a process that requires high temperatures, which are produced by burning fossil fuels. However, as this process generates large amounts of CO2, replacement of the combustion heat source with a nuclear heat source for 773-1173K processes has been proposed in order to eliminate these CO2 emissions. In this paper, a novel method of nuclear hydrogen production by reforming dimethyl ether (DME) with steam at about 573K is proposed. From a thermodynamic equilibrium analysis of DME steam reforming, the authors identified conditions that provide high hydrogen production fraction at low pressure and temperatures of about 523-573K. By setting this low-temperature hydrogen production process upstream from a turbine and nuclear reactor at about 573K, the total energy utilization efficiency according to equilibrium mass and heat balance analysis is about 50%, and it is 75%for a fast breeder reactor (FBR), where turbine is upstream of the reformer.

Exergy analysis of integrated waste management in the recovery and recycling of used cooking oils.

PubMed

Talens Peiró, Laura; Villalba Méndez, Gara; Gabarrell i Durany, Xavier

2008-07-01

Used cooking oil (UCO) is a domestic waste generated daily by food industries, restaurants, and households. It is estimated that in Europe 5 kg of UCO are generated per inhabitant, totalling 2.5 million metric tons per year. Recovering UCO for the production of biodiesel offers a way of minimizing and avoiding this waste and related pollution. An exergy analysis of the integrated waste management (IWM) scheme for UCO is used to evaluate such a possibility by accounting for inputs and outputs in each stage, calculating the exergy loss and the resource input and quantifying the possible improvements. The IWM includes the collection, pretreatment, and delivery of UCO and the production of biodiesel. The results show that the greatest exergy loss occurs during the transport stages (57%). Such exergy loss can be minimized to 20% by exploiting the full capacity of collecting vans and using biodiesel in the transport stages. Further, the cumulative exergy consumption helps study how the exergy consumption of biodiesel can be further reduced by using methanol obtained from biogas in the transesterification stage. Finally, the paper discusses how increasing the collection of UCO helps minimize uncontrolled used oil disposal and consequently provides a sustainable process for biodiesel production.

Integrated modeling approach for optimal management of water, energy and food security nexus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiaodong; Vesselinov, Velimir V.

2017-03-01

Water, energy and food (WEF) are inextricably interrelated. Effective planning and management of limited WEF resources to meet current and future socioeconomic demands for sustainable development is challenging. WEF production/delivery may also produce environmental impacts; as a result, green-house-gas emission control will impact WEF nexus management as well. Nexus management for WEF security necessitates integrated tools for predictive analysis that are capable of identifying the tradeoffs among various sectors, generating cost-effective planning and management strategies and policies. To address these needs, we have developed an integrated model analysis framework and tool called WEFO. WEFO provides a multi-period socioeconomic model for predicting how to satisfy WEF demands based on model inputs representing productions costs, socioeconomic demands, and environmental controls. WEFO is applied to quantitatively analyze the interrelationships and trade-offs among system components including energy supply, electricity generation, water supply-demand, food production as well as mitigation of environmental impacts. WEFO is demonstrated to solve a hypothetical nexus management problem consistent with real-world management scenarios. Model parameters are analyzed using global sensitivity analysis and their effects on total system cost are quantified. The obtained results demonstrate how these types of analyses can be helpful for decision-makers and stakeholders to make cost-effective decisions for optimal WEF management.

Physio-chemical reactions in recycle aggregate concrete.

PubMed

Tam, Vivian W Y; Gao, X F; Tam, C M; Ng, K M

2009-04-30

Concrete waste constitutes the major proportion of construction waste at about 50% of the total waste generated. An effective way to reduce concrete waste is to reuse it as recycled aggregate (RA) for the production of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC). This paper studies the physio-chemical reactions of cement paste around aggregate for normal aggregate concrete (NAC) and RAC mixed with normal mixing approach (NMA) and two-stage mixing approach (TSMA) by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Four kinds of physio-chemical reactions have been recorded from the concrete samples, including the dehydration of C(3)S(2)H(3), iron-substituted ettringite, dehydroxylation of CH and development of C(6)S(3)H at about 90 degrees C, 135 degrees C, 441 degrees C and 570 degrees C, respectively. From the DSC results, it is confirmed that the concrete samples with RA substitution have generated less amount of strength enhancement chemical products when compared to those without RA substitution. However, the results from the TSMA are found improving the RAC quality. The pre-mix procedure of the TSMA can effectively develop some strength enhancing chemical products including, C(3)S(2)H(3), ettringite, CH and C(6)S(3)H, which shows that RAC made from the TSMA can improve the hydration processes.

Evaluating a New Homogeneous Total Ozone Climate Data Record from GOME/ERS-2, SCIAMACHY/Envisat, and GOME-2/MetOp-A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koukouli, M.E.; Lerot, C.; Granville, J.; Goutail, F.; Lambert, J.-C.; Pommereau, J.-P.; Balis, D.; Zyrichidou, I.; Van Roozendael, M.; Coldewey-Egbers, M.;

Three essays on the causes and consequences of government spending and regulatory programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bee, C. Adam

Chapter 1 assesses the impact of household car ownership on individual labor supply. Various economic theories suggest one reason for low rates of employment among low-skill, inner-city residents is that their residences are spatially separated from suburban jobs. To measure this, I exploit changes in state insurance rate regulation which has been shown to suppress auto insurance prices, thereby decreasing the cost of owning a car. I find that rate regulation increases multi-car ownership among married couples with children. I find that the additional car in the household consequently encourages married mothers to decrease their labor supply while their husbands increase their labor supply. One possible explanation of this result is that second cars are stronger complements to time spent in home production (and especially childrearing) than they are to time spent in the labor market. Chapter 2 (with Shawn Moulton) tests for political budget cycles among US municipalities. According to the political budget cycle hypothesis, in election years government officials engage in opportunistic fiscal policy manipulation for electoral gains. This chapter tests that hypothesis using data on taxes and spending for a panel of 268 US cities over the period 1970-2004. While our estimates provide no evidence of altered total expenditures or taxes in election years, we do find a 0.7 percent increase in total municipal employment, including increases in police, education, and sanitation employment. Chapter 3 (with Andrew Deines, David Lodge, and Richard Jensen) assesses trade-offs between fisheries and hydropower production in a tropical floodplain fishery. We compile catch per unit effort, total harvest, and monthly-mean hydrographs from the Kafue River in Zambia for the years 1955-1996 and develop population growth models to test for effects of density, total fisheries harvest, and water regime. We find that alteration of the flood regime has reduced fish density but enhanced hydroelectric production. The total cost of replacing this hydroelectricity is less than a third of the additional surplus generated by a natural flood regime's impact on fisheries production, implying changes in dam operation to provide environmental flows can be a cost-effective means of improving the material well-being of subsistence fishermen.