A New Species of Rhipsalis (Cactaceae) from Brazil

A new species of Rhipsalis (Cactaceae) from Rio de Janeiro State, in southwestern Brazil, is described and illustrated. The new Rhipsalis aurea is circumscribed in the subgenus Eryhtrorhipsalis and is morphologically most similar to R. pulchra Loefgr., but is distinct by the smaller, suberect habit, smaller secondary stem segments of determinated growth, golden yellow flowers, depressed-globose fruit, and epidermis and pollen grain features. Following the IUCN criteria this new species is vulnerable due to its restricted area of occurrence and reduction of the quality of habitat observed in the present and projected for the future. A taxonomic key to the subgenus Erythrorhipsalis is included.

Use of L-Proline and ATP Production by Trypanosoma cruzi Metacyclic Forms as Requirements for Host Cell Invasion

The process of host cell invasion by Trypanosoma cruzi depends on parasite energy. What source of energy is used for that event is not known. To address this and other questions related to T. cruzi energy requirements and cell invasion, we analyzed metacyclic trypomastigote forms of the phylogenetically distant CL and G strains. For both strains, the nutritional stress experienced by cells starved for 24, 36, or 48 h in phosphate-buffered saline reduced the ATP content and the ability of the parasite to invade HeLa cells proportionally to the starvation time. Inhibition of ATP production by treating parasites with rotenone plus antimycin A also diminished the infectivity. Nutrient depletion did not alter the expression of gp82, the surface molecule that mediates CL strain internalization, but increased the expression of gp90, the negative regulator of cell invasion, in the G strain. When L-proline was given to metacyclic forms starved for 36 h, the ATP levels were restored to those of nonstarved controls for both strains. Glucose had no such effect, although this carbohydrate and L-proline were transported in similar fashions. Recovery of infectivity promoted by L-proline treatment of starved parasites was restricted to the CL strain. The profile of restoration of ATP content and gp82-mediated invasion capacity by L-proline treatment of starved Y-strain parasites was similar to that of the CL strain, whereas the Dm28 and Dm30 strains, whose infectivity is downregulated by gp90, behaved like the G strain. L-Proline was also found to increase the ability of the CL strain to traverse a gastric mucin layer, a property important for the establishment of T. cruzi infection by the oral route. Efficient translocation of parasites through gastric mucin toward the target epithelial cells in the stomach mucosa is an essential requirement for subsequent cell invasion. By relying on these closely associated ATP-driven processes, the metacyclic trypomastigotes effectively accomplish their internalization.

Using national input-output data for embodied energy analysis of individual residential buildings

Embodied energy (EE) analysis has become an important area of energy research, in attempting to trace the direct and indirect energy requirements of products and services throughout their supply chain. Typically, input-output (I-O) models have been used to calculate EE because they are considered to be comprehensive in their analysis. However, a major deficiency of using I-O models is that they have inherent errors and therefore cannot be reliably applied to individual cases. Thus, there is a need for the ability to disaggregate an I-O model into its most important 'energy paths', for the purpose of integrating case-specific data. This paper presents a new hybrid method for conducting EE analyses for individual buildings, which retains the completeness of the I-O model. This new method is demonstrated by application to an Australian residential building. Only 52% of the energy paths derived from the I-O model were substituted using case-specific data. This indicates that previous system boundaries for EE studies of individual residential buildings are less than optimal. It is envisaged that the proposed method will provide construction professionals with more accurate and reliable data for conducting life cycle energy analysis of buildings. Furthermore, by analysing the unmodified energy paths, further data collection can be prioritized effectively.

Energy system interaction and relative contribution during maximal exercise

There are 3 distinct yet closely integrated processes that operate together to satisfy the energy requirements of muscle. The anaerobic energy system is divided into alactic and lactic components, referring to the processes  involved in the splitting of the stored phosphagens, ATP and  phosphocreatine (PCr), and the nonaerobic breakdown of carbohydrate to lactic acid through glycolysis. The aerobic energy system refers to the combustion of carbohydrates and fats in the presence of oxygen. The anaerobic pathways are capable of regenerating ATP at high rates yet are limited by the amount of energy that can be released in a single bout of intense exercise. In contrast, the aerobic system has an enormous capacity yet is somewhat hampered in its ability to delivery energy quickly. The focus of this review is on the interaction and relative contribution of the energy systems during single bouts of maximal exercise. A particular emphasis has been placed on the role of the aerobic energy system during high intensity exercise.

Attempts to depict the interaction and relative contribution of the energy systems during maximal exercise first appeared in the 1960s and 1970s. While insightful at the time, these representations were based on calculations of anaerobic energy release that now appear questionable. Given repeated reproduction over the years, these early attempts have lead to 2 common misconceptions in the exercise science and coaching professions. First, that the energy systems respond to the demands of intense exercise in an almost sequential manner, and secondly, that the aerobic system responds slowly to these energy demands, thereby playing little role in determining performance over short durations. More recent research suggests that energy is derived from each of the energy-producing pathways during almost all exercise activities. The duration of maximal exercise at which equal contributions are derived from the anaerobic and aerobic energy systems appears to occur between 1 to 2 minutes and most probably around 75 seconds, a time that is considerably earlier than has traditionally been suggested.

Embodied energy analysis of the refurbishment of a small detached building

Energy efficient design principles and the minimisation of operational energy requirements have been demonstrated in the refurbishment of a small existing residential building. Significant thought has been given to these areas, together with an emphasis on the minimisation of resource consumption and material wastage. However, less consideration has been given to the embodied energy of the additional materials, components and systems required to meet these aims. The additional embodied energy may reduce the advantages of minimising the operational energy consumption by extending the energy payback period beyond the life of the building. In general, the embodied energy of buildings and their products has been found to be significant, when national average input-output data is used to fill gaps in traditional life-cycle assessment inventories. Through the use of an input-outputbased hybrid embodied energy analysis, the embodied energy of this refurbished building has increased by 63% compared to the existing building, showing the impact that filling the gaps in traditional inventories can have on energy payback periods.

Net energy analysis of solar and conventional domestic hot water systems in Melbourne, Australia

It is commonly assumed that solar hot water systems save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Very rarely has the life-cycle energy requirements of solar hot water systems been analysed, including their embodied energy. The extent to which solar hot water systems save energy compared to conventional systems in Melbourne, Australia, is shown through a comparative net energy analysis. The solar systems provided a net energy saving compared to the conventional systems after 0.5 to 2 years, for electricity and gas systems respectively.

Embodied energy in buildings : wood versus concrete - reply to Börjesson and Gustavsson

We analyse the wood and concrete designs of the Wälludden building described by Börjesson et al. (Energy Policy 28 (2000) 575) in terms of their embodied energy, employing an environmentally extended input–output framework in a tiered hybrid life-cycle assessment, and in a structural path analysis. We illustrate the complexity of the inter-industry supply chains underlying the upstream energy requirements for the building options, and demonstrate that higher-order inputs are difficult to capture in a conventional process analysis. Our calculations show that Börjesson and Gustavsson's estimates of energy requirements and greenhouse gas emissions are underestimated by a factor of about 2, and that corresponding greenhouse gas balances are positive at about 30 t C-eq. Nevertheless, Börjesson and Gustavsson's general result—the concrete-framed building causing higher emissions—still holds.

Energy expenditure and the body cell mass in Cystic Fibrosis

Poor nutritional status in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) is associated with severe lung disease, and possible causative factors include inadequate intake, malabsorption, and increased energy requirements. Body cell mass (which can be quantified by measurement of total body potassium) provides an ideal standard for measurements of energy expenditure. The aim of this study was to compare resting energy expenditure (REE) in patients with CF with both predicted values and age-matched healthy children and to    determine whether REE was related to either nutritional status or pulmonary function. REE was measured by indirect calorimetry and body cell mass by scanning with total body potassium in 30 patients with CF (12 male, mean AGE = 13.07 ± 0.55 y) and 18 healthy children (six male, mean AGE = 12.56 ± 1.25 y). Nutritional status was expressed as a percentage of predicted total body potassium. Lung function was measured in the CF group by spirometry and expressed as the percentage of predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s. Mean REE was significantly increased in the patients with CF compared with healthy children (119.3 ± 3.1% predicted versus 103.6 ± 5% predicted, P < 0.001) and, using multiple regression techniques, REE for total body potassium was significantly increased in patients with CF (P = 0.0001). There was no relation between REE and nutritional status or pulmonary disease status in the CF group. In conclusion, REE is increased in children and adolescents with CF but is not directly related to nutritional status or pulmonary disease.

Solar versus fossil fuels : A net energy analysis of domestic solar hot water systems in Australia

It is commonly assumed that solar hot water systems save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional electric and gas hot water systems. Very rarely has the life-cycle energy requirements (including the embodied energy of manufacture) of solar hot water systems been analysed. The extent to which solar hot water systems can save energy compared to conventional electric or gas hot water systems can be shown through a comparative net energy analysis. This method determines the ‘energy payback period’, including consideration of the difference in operational energy savings and energy embodied in the devices relative to a base case. Dr Robert Crawford, Deakin University, Australia presents the results of a net energy analysis that compared solar and conventional hot water systems for a southern (Melbourne) and a northern (Brisbane) Australian climate.

A comprehensive framework for assessing the life cycle energy of building construction assemblies

Environmental decision making during the building design process has typically focused on improvements to operational efficiencies. Improvements to thermal performance and efficiency of appliances and systems within buildings both aim to reduce resource consumption and environmental impacts associated with the operation of buildings. Significant reductions in building energy and water consumption are possible; however often the impacts occurring across the other stages of a building‘s life are not considered or are seen as insignificant in comparison.

Previous research shows that embodied impacts (raw material extraction, processing, manufacture, transportation and construction) can be as significant as those related to building operation. There is, however, limited consistent and comprehensive information available for building designers to make informed decisions in this area. Often the information that is available is from disparate sources, which makes comparison of alternative solutions unreliable and risky. lt is also important that decisions are made from a life cycle perspective, ensuring that strategies to reduce environmental impacts from one life cycle stage do not come at the expense of an increase in overall life cycle impacts

A consistent and comprehensive framework for assessing and specifying building assemblies for enhanced environmental outcomes does not currently exist. This paper presents the initial findings of a project that aims to establish a database of the life cycle energy requirements of a broad range of construction assemblies, based on a comprehensive assessment framework. Life cycle energy requirements have been calculated for eight standard residential construction assemblies integrating an innovative embodied energy assessment technique with thermal performance simulation modelling and ranked according to their performance.

Energy analysis of the construction of office buildings /by Graham J. Treloar

Buildings have a significant impact on the environment due to the energy required for the manufacture of construction materials. The method of assessing the energy embodied in a product is known as energy analysis. Detailed office building embodied energy case studies are very rare. However, there is evidence to suggest that the energy requirements for the construction phase of commercial buildings, including the energy embodied in materials, is a significant component of the life cycle energy requirements. This thesis sets out to examine the current state of energy analysis, determine the national average energy intensities < i.e. embodied energy rates < for building materials and assess the significance of using national average energy intensities for the energy analysis of a case study office building. Likely ranges of variation in the building material embodied energy rates from the national averages are estimated and the resulting distribution for total embodied energy in the case study building simulated. Strategies for improving the energy analysis methods and data are suggested. Detailed energy analysis is shown to be a useful indicative method of quantifying the energy required for the construction of buildings.

Comprehensive embodied energy analysis framework

The assessment of the direct and indirect requirements for energy is known as embodied energy analysis. For buildings, the direct energy includes that used primarily on site, while the indirect energy includes primarily the energy required for the manufacture of building materials. This thesis is concerned with the completeness and reliability of embodied energy analysis methods. Previous methods tend to address either one of these issues, but not both at the same time. Industry-based methods are incomplete. National statistical methods, while comprehensive, are a ‘black box’ and are subject to errors. A new hybrid embodied energy analysis method is derived to optimise the benefits of previous methods while minimising their flaws. In industry-based studies, known as ‘process analyses’, the energy embodied in a product is traced laboriously upstream by examining the inputs to each preceding process towards raw materials. Process analyses can be significantly incomplete, due to increasing complexity. The other major embodied energy analysis method, ‘input-output analysis’, comprises the use of national statistics. While the input-output framework is comprehensive, many inherent assumptions make the results unreliable. Hybrid analysis methods involve the combination of the two major embodied energy analysis methods discussed above, either based on process analysis or input-output analysis. The intention in both hybrid analysis methods is to reduce errors associated with the two major methods on which they are based. However, the problems inherent to each of the original methods tend to remain, to some degree, in the associated hybrid versions. Process-based hybrid analyses tend to be incomplete, due to the exclusions associated with the process analysis framework. However, input-output-based hybrid analyses tend to be unreliable because the substitution of process analysis data into the input-output framework causes unwanted indirect effects. A key deficiency in previous input-output-based hybrid analysis methods is that the input-output model is a ‘black box’, since important flows of goods and services with respect to the embodied energy of a sector cannot be readily identified. A new input-output-based hybrid analysis method was therefore developed, requiring the decomposition of the input-output model into mutually exclusive components (ie, ‘direct energy paths’). A direct energy path represents a discrete energy requirement, possibly occurring one or more transactions upstream from the process under consideration. For example, the energy required directly to manufacture the steel used in the construction of a building would represent a direct energy path of one non-energy transaction in length. A direct energy path comprises a ‘product quantity’ (for example, the total tonnes of cement used) and a ‘direct energy intensity’ (for example, the energy required directly for cement manufacture, per tonne). The input-output model was decomposed into direct energy paths for the ‘residential building construction’ sector. It was shown that 592 direct energy paths were required to describe 90% of the overall total energy intensity for ‘residential building construction’. By extracting direct energy paths using yet smaller threshold values, they were shown to be mutually exclusive. Consequently, the modification of direct energy paths using process analysis data does not cause unwanted indirect effects. A non-standard individual residential building was then selected to demonstrate the benefits of the new input-output-based hybrid analysis method in cases where the products of a sector may not be similar. Particular direct energy paths were modified with case specific process analysis data. Product quantities and direct energy intensities were derived and used to modify some of the direct energy paths. The intention of this demonstration was to determine whether 90% of the total embodied energy calculated for the building could comprise the process analysis data normally collected for the building. However, it was found that only 51% of the total comprised normally collected process analysis. The integration of process analysis data with 90% of the direct energy paths by value was unsuccessful because: • typically only one of the direct energy path components was modified using process analysis data (ie, either the product quantity or the direct energy intensity); • of the complexity of the paths derived for ‘residential building construction’; and • of the lack of reliable and consistent process analysis data from industry, for both product quantities and direct energy intensities. While the input-output model used was the best available for Australia, many errors were likely to be carried through to the direct energy paths for ‘residential building construction’. Consequently, both the value and relative importance of the direct energy paths for ‘residential building construction’ were generally found to be a poor model for the demonstration building. This was expected. Nevertheless, in the absence of better data from industry, the input-output data is likely to remain the most appropriate for completing the framework of embodied energy analyses of many types of products—even in non-standard cases. ‘Residential building construction’ was one of the 22 most complex Australian economic sectors (ie, comprising those requiring between 592 and 3215 direct energy paths to describe 90% of their total energy intensities). Consequently, for the other 87 non-energy sectors of the Australian economy, the input-output-based hybrid analysis method is likely to produce more reliable results than those calculated for the demonstration building using the direct energy paths for ‘residential building construction’. For more complex sectors than ‘residential building construction’, the new input-output-based hybrid analysis method derived here allows available process analysis data to be integrated with the input-output data in a comprehensive framework. The proportion of the result comprising the more reliable process analysis data can be calculated and used as a measure of the reliability of the result for that product or part of the product being analysed (for example, a building material or component). To ensure that future applications of the new input-output-based hybrid analysis method produce reliable results, new sources of process analysis data are required, including for such processes as services (for example, ‘banking’) and processes involving the transformation of basic materials into complex products (for example, steel and copper into an electric motor). However, even considering the limitations of the demonstration described above, the new input-output-based hybrid analysis method developed achieved the aim of the thesis: to develop a new embodied energy analysis method that allows reliable process analysis data to be integrated into the comprehensive, yet unreliable, input-output framework. Plain language summary Embodied energy analysis comprises the assessment of the direct and indirect energy requirements associated with a process. For example, the construction of a building requires the manufacture of steel structural members, and thus indirectly requires the energy used directly and indirectly in their manufacture. Embodied energy is an important measure of ecological sustainability because energy is used in virtually every human activity and many of these activities are interrelated. This thesis is concerned with the relationship between the completeness of embodied energy analysis methods and their reliability. However, previous industry-based methods, while reliable, are incomplete. Previous national statistical methods, while comprehensive, are a ‘black box’ subject to errors. A new method is derived, involving the decomposition of the comprehensive national statistical model into components that can be modified discretely using the more reliable industry data, and is demonstrated for an individual building. The demonstration failed to integrate enough industry data into the national statistical model, due to the unexpected complexity of the national statistical data and the lack of available industry data regarding energy and non-energy product requirements. These unique findings highlight the flaws in previous methods. Reliable process analysis and input-output data are required, particularly for those processes that were unable to be examined in the demonstration of the new embodied energy analysis method. This includes the energy requirements of services sectors, such as banking, and processes involving the transformation of basic materials into complex products, such as refrigerators. The application of the new method to less complex products, such as individual building materials or components, is likely to be more successful than to the residential building demonstration.

A comprehensive framework for assessing the life-cycle energy of building construction assemblies

Building environmental design typically focuses on improvements to operational efficiencies such as building thermal performance and system efficiency. Often the impacts occurring across the other stages of a building's life are not considered or are seen as insignificant in comparison. However, previous research shows that embodied impacts can be just as important. There is limited consistent and comprehensive information available for building designers to make informed decisions in this area. Often the information that is available is from disparate sources, which makes comparison of alternative solutions unreliable. It is also important to ensure that strategies to reduce environmental impacts from one life cycle stage do not come at the expense of an increase in overall life-cycle impacts. A consistent and comprehensive framework for assessing and specifying building assemblies for enhanced environmental outcomes does not currently exist. This article presents the initial findings of a project that aims to establish a database of life cycle energy requirements for a broad range of construction assemblies, based on a comprehensive assessment framework. Life cycle energy requirements have been calculated for eight residential construction assemblies integrating an innovative embodied energy assessment technique with thermal performance modelling and ranked according to their performance. © #2010 Earthscan ISSN: 0003-8628.

Estudo paramétrico da recuperação de petróleo pesado por aquecimento eletromagnético resistivo

Electrical resistive heating (ERH) is a thermal method used to improve oil recovery. It can increase oil rate and oil recovery due to temperature increase caused by electrical current passage through oil zone. ERH has some advantage compared with well-known thermal methods such as continuous steam flood, presenting low-water production. This method can be applied to reservoirs with different characteristics and initial reservoir conditions. Commercial software was used to test several cases using a semi-synthetic homogeneous reservoir with some characteristics as found in northeast Brazilian basins. It was realized a sensitivity analysis of some reservoir parameters, such as: oil zone, aquifer presence, gas cap presence and oil saturation on oil recovery and energy consumption. Then it was tested several cases studying the electrical variables considered more important in the process, such as: voltage, electrical configurations and electrodes positions. Energy optimization by electrodes voltage levels changes and electrical settings modify the intensity and the electrical current distribution in oil zone and, consequently, their influences in reservoir temperature reached at some regions. Results show which reservoir parameters were significant in order to improve oil recovery and energy requirement in for each reservoir. Most significant parameters on oil recovery and electrical energy delivered were oil thickness, presence of aquifer, presence of gas cap, voltage, electrical configuration and electrodes positions. Factors such as: connate water, water salinity and relative permeability to water at irreducible oil saturation had low influence on oil recovery but had some influence in energy requirements. It was possible to optimize energy consumption and oil recovery by electrical variables. Energy requirements can decrease by changing electrodes voltages during the process. This application can be extended to heavy oil reservoirs of high depth, such as offshore fields, where nowadays it is not applicable any conventional thermal process such as steam flooding

Modelling energy utilisation in broiler breeder hens

1. The objective of this study was to determine a metabolisable energy ( ME) requirement model for broiler breeder hens. The influence of temperature on ME requirements for maintenance was determined in experiments conducted in three environmental rooms with temperatures kept constant at 13, 21 and 30 degrees C using a comparative slaughter technique. The energy requirements for weight gain were determined based upon body energy content and efficiency of energy utilisation for weight gain. The energy requirements for egg production were determined on the basis of egg energy content and efficiency of energy deposition in the eggs.2. The following model was developed using these results: ME = kgW(0.75)(806.53 - 26.45T + 0.50T(2)) + 31.90G + 10.04EM, where kgW(0.75) is body weight (kg) raised to the power 0.75, T is temperature (degrees C), G is weight gain (g) and EM is egg mass (g).3. A feeding trial was conducted using 400 Hubbard Hi-Yield broiler breeder hens and 40 Peterson males from 31 to 46 weeks of age in order to compare use of the model with a recommended feeding programme for this strain of bird. The application of the model in breeder hens provided good productive and reproductive performance and better results in feed and energy conversion than in hens fed according to strain recommendation. In conclusion, the model evaluated predicted an ME intake which matched breeder hens' requirements.