För Sverige i framtiden : Bio-objektifiering av ny medicinsk teknologi

Taking Sweden into the future – Bio-objectification of new medical technology In this article, we analyze how contemporary discursive silences around new biotechnologies such as cybrids and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), have been enabled by earlier policy processes in the area, e.g. boundary work around what is human and non-human, living and non-living, subject and object. The analysis of policy processes around xenotransplantations and the use of human embryonic stem cells, shows that the stem cells’ and xenografts’ “bio-identities” become stabilized through high expectations for the future, a lack of therapeutic possibilities and struggles over definitions of life. The policy processes around human embryonic stem cells and organs from other animals, are characterized by a normalization of certain understandings of ”life”, trust in scientific progress and it’s national financial potentials and a categorization of criticism as irrational. Through these “bio-objectification processes”, debate and decision making has been moved from a political and public context into ethical committees and research funding bodies. The article concludes by discussing consequences of this political non-handling of biomedical technologies and how these bioobjects could be re-politicized.

Marknadspotential för bio- och solvärmesystem

I denna rapport analyseras marknaden för kombinerade sol- och pelletsystem, medfokus på småhus. Syftet är att presentera antalet objekt inom olika kategorier av husoch värmesystem som kan vara intressanta för konvertering till bio-sol system samtatt ge en uppskattning av årliga uppvärmningsbehov inom respektive kategori. Energistatistik från Statistiska centralbyrån (SCB) har använts i kombination medtidigare studier av byggnadsbestånd och byggnadsutformning. Dessutom harinformation inhämtats från olika branschorganisationer. Från föreliggande genomgång står det klart att den största potentialen för bio-solsystem finns på villamarknaden både för helt nya system och för kompletteringar tillbefintliga system. År 2006 fanns det 775 000 småhus med vattenburen värme varav ca183 000 hade vattenburen el. Uppskattningsvis fanns 109 000 småhus med bådevattenburen el och lokaleldstad för biobränsle och ca 118 000 hus bedöms ha haftmöjlighet till oljeeldning (denna grupp har troligtvis minskat ytterligare efter 2006).Bland de elvärmda husen finns också ca 102 000 småhus med frånluftvärmepumpareller luft/vattenvärmepumpar. 365 000 av husen hade en biobränslepanna. Därtillkommer 504 000 hus med direktelvärme, varav ca 292 000 med lokaleldstad. Medelförbrukningen för uppvärmning och varmvatten för hus som enbart värms medolja är ca 27 MWh/år, medan motsvarande värde för småhus med vattenburen el är ca15 MWh/år. Småhusen med direktel använder ca 12 MWh/år för uppvärmning ochvarmvatten. Det betyder att ekonomin blir betydligt sämre vid konvertering avelvärmda hus jämfört med oljekonvertering, eftersom energibehovet är lägre samt attinstallationskostnaden kan vara högre. En uppskattning av antalet komponenter som inom 10 år kan komma att installeras idessa hus är 213 000 solfångare, 108 000 ackumulatortankar, 106 000 skorstenar,84 000 luftburna pelletkaminer och varmvattenberedare, 40 000 vattenmantladekaminer och 28 000 pannrumspannor. Dessutom tillkommer en utbytesmarknad,kanske speciellt bland husen med biobränslepanna, där gamla pannor byts ut elleräldre människor som tidigare orkat elda med ved till slut byter till pelleteldning. Av nybyggda villor uppvärms ca 30 % med el i kombination med biobränsle(troligtvis lokaleldstad) och ungefär lika stor andel värms med enbart vattenburen el(antagligen ofta kompletterat med frånluftvärmepump). Det borde vara av intresse attredan vid nybyggnationen få in integrerade solfångare och pelleteldning i störreutsträckning i nya hus och det kan bli lättare efter att byggreglerna ändras den 1:ajanuari 2010 med en skärpning av kraven för nybyggda hus som använder el föruppvärmning, alltså även el till värmepumpar. Potentialen för bio-solsystem till flerbostadshus och lokaler är begränsad då 86 % avflerbostadshusen och nära 70 % av lokalerna värms med fjärrvärme. Det fanns år2006 ca 6200 lokaler med oljeeldning, 4600 lokaler med vattenburen elvärme och5700 lokaler med direktverkande elvärme. I lokalerna som redovisas av SCB ingårinte tillverkande industri. För lägenheter i flerbostadshus gäller att ca 42 000lägenheter värms med enbart olja, 44 000 lägenheter med olja och värmepump,48 000 lägenheter använder direktel och 31 000 lägenheter vattenburen el.

The missing link: using the NBER recession indicator to construct coincident and leading indices economic activity

We use the information content in the decisions of the NBER Business Cycle Dating Committee to construct coincident and leading indices of economic activity for the United States. We identify the coincident index by assuming that the coincident variables have a common cycle with the unobserved state of the economy, and that the NBER business cycle dates signify the turning points in the unobserved state. This model allows us to estimate our coincident index as a linear combination of the coincident series. We establish that our index performs better than other currently popular coincident indices of economic activity.

The missing link: using the NBER recession indicator to construct coincident and leading indices economic activity

We use the information content in the decisions of the NBER Business Cycle Dating Committee to construct coincident and leading indices of economic activity for the United States. We identify the coincident index by assuming that the coincident variables have a common cycle with the unobserved state of the economy, and that the NBER business cycle dates signify the turning points in the unobserved state. This model allows us to estimate our coincident index as a linear combination of the coincident series. We establish that our index performs better than other currently popular coincident indices of economic activity.

The missing link: using the NBER recession indicator to construct coincident and leading indices economic activity

We use the information content in the decisions of the NBER Business Cycle Dating Committee to construct coincident and leading indices of economic activity for the United States. We identify the coincident index by assuming that the coincident variables have a common cycle with the unobserved state of the economy, and that the NBER business cycle dates signify the turning points in the unobserved state. This model allows us to estimate our coincident index as a linear combination of the coincident series. We compare the performance of our index with other currently popular coincident indices of economic activity.

As dimensões bio-psico-sociais dos papéis sexuais

Esta dissertação é baseada numa pesquisa bibliográfica, de caráter multidisciplinar, e apresenta os seguintes objetivos: 1) efetuar um estudo sobre as dimensões bio16gicas dos papéis e dos estere6tipos sexuais; 2) apresentar as principais teorias sobre a origem dos papéis e dos estere6tipos sexuais; 3) destacar os mais importantes estudos sócio-culturais que privilegiem a origem dos papéis e dos estere6tipos sexuais; 4) localizar nas diversas manifestações culturais (literatura, arte, música e linguagem) dados que esclareçam a origem dos papéis e dos estereótipos sexuais na cultura brasileira; 5) abordar, objetiva e criticamente, o machismo, ou sexismo típico brasileiro; causas e consequências. Na medida em que nos propusemos a atingir os objetivos citados, constatamos que o nosso ponto de partida seria a sobrevivência dos estere6tipos. Em outras palavras, a importante questão da origem dos estere6tipos seria o nosso filão. Afinal de contas, se o estere6tipo e a realidade não apresentam correlação, como aquele sobrevive? Da mesma maneira, de onde se originam as diferenças sexuais observadas? Na tentativa de respondermos i pergunta, procuramos estudar as três dimensões, que consideramos fundamentais, a saber: 1) a dimensão biológica 2) a dimensão psicológica 3) a dimensão social.

A monthly indicator of Brazilian GDP. The Brazilian business cycle and growth cycle

This paper constructs an indicator of Brazilian GDP at the monthly ftequency. The peculiar instability and abrupt changes of regimes in the dynamic behavior of the Brazilian business cycle were explicitly modeled within nonlinear ftameworks. In particular, a Markov switching dynarnic factor model was used to combine several macroeconomic variables that display simultaneous comovements with aggregate economic activity. The model generates as output a monthly indicator of the Brazilian GDP and real time probabilities of the current phase of the Brazilian business cycle. The monthly indicator shows a remarkable historical conformity with cyclical movements of GDP. In addition, the estimated filtered probabilities predict ali recessions in sample and out-of-sample. The ability of the indicator in linear forecasting growth rates of GDP is also examined. The estimated indicator displays a better in-sample and out-of-sample predictive performance in forecasting growth rates of real GDP, compared to a linear autoregressive model for GDP. These results suggest that the estimated monthly indicator can be used to forecast GDP and to monitor the state of the Brazilian economy in real time.

Análise de um queimador infravermelho funcionando com combustível híbrido : GLP/Bio-óleo

Biomass is considered the largest renewable energy source that can be used in an environmentally sustainable. From the pyrolysis of biomass is possible to obtain products with higher energy density and better use properties. The liquid resultant of this process is traditionally called bio-oil. The use of infrared burners in industrial applications has many advantages in terms of technical-operational, for example, uniformity in the heat supply in the form of radiation and convection, with a greater control of emissions due to the passage of exhaust gases through a macroporous ceramic bed. This paper presents a commercial infrared burner adapted with an ejector proposed able to burn a hybrid configuration of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and bio-oil diluted. The dilution of bio-oil with absolute ethanol aimed to decrease the viscosity of the fluid, and improving the stability and atomization. It was introduced a temperature controller with thermocouple modulating two stages (low heat / high heat), and solenoid valves for fuels supply. The infrared burner has been tested, being the diluted bio-oil atomized, and evaluated its performance by conducting energy balance. The method of thermodynamic analysis to estimate the load was used an aluminum plate located at the exit of combustion gases and the distribution of temperatures measured by thermocouples. The dilution reduced the viscosity of the bio-oil in 75.4% and increased by 11% the lower heating value (LHV) of the same, providing a stable combustion to the burner through the atomizing with compressed air and burns combined with LPG. Injecting the hybrid fuel there was increase in the heat transfer from the plate to the environment in 21.6% and gain useful benefit of 26.7%, due to the improved in the efficiency of the 1st Law of Thermodynamics of infrared burner

Pirólise termoquímica de pós da fibra de coco seco em um reator de cilindro rotativo para produção de bio-óleo

This master thesis aims at developing a new methodology for thermochemical degradation of dry coconut fiber (dp = 0.25mm) using laboratory rotating cylinder reactor with the goal of producing bio-oil. The biomass was characterized by infrared spectroscopy with Fourier transform FTIR, thermogravimetric analysis TG, with evaluation of activation energy the in non-isothermal regime with heating rates of 5 and 10 °C/min, differential themogravimetric analysis DTG, sweeping electron microscopy SEM, higher heating value - HHV, immediate analysis such as evaluated all the amounts of its main constituents, i.e., lignin, cellulose and hemicelluloses. In the process, it was evaluated: reaction temperature (450, 500 and 550oC), carrier gas flow rate (50 and 100 cm³/min) and spin speed (20 and 25 Hz) to condensate the bio-oil. The feed rate of biomass (540 g/h), the rotation of the rotating cylinder (33.7 rpm) and reaction time (30 33 min) were constant. The phases obtained from the process of pyrolysis of dry coconut fiber were bio-oil, char and the gas phase non-condensed. A macroscopic mass balance was applied based on the weight of each phase to evaluate their yield. The highest yield of 20% was obtained from the following conditions: temperature of 500oC, inert gas flow of 100 cm³/min and spin speed of 20 Hz. In that condition, the yield in char was 24.3%, non-condensable gas phase was 37.6% and losses of approximately 22.6%. The following physicochemical properties: density, viscosity, pH, higher heating value, char content, FTIR and CHN analysis were evaluated. The sample obtained in the best operational condition was subjected to a qualitative chromatographic analysis aiming to know the constituents of the produced bio-oil, which were: phenol followed by sirigol, acetovanilona and vinyl guaiacol. The solid phase (char) was characterized through an immediate analysis (evaluation of moisture, volatiles, ashes and fixed carbon), higher heating value and FTIR. The non-condensing gas phase presented as main constituents CO2, CO and H2. The results were compared to the ones mentioned by the literature.

Conversão térmica e termocatalítica à baixa temperatura do óleo de girassol para obtenção de bio-óleo

The use of biofuels remotes to the eighteenth century, when Rudolf Diesel made the first trials using peanut oil as fuel in a compression ignition engine. Based on these trials, there was the need for some chemical change to vegetable oil. Among these chemical transformations, we can mention the cracking and transesterification. This work aims at conducting a study using the thermocatalytic and thermal cracking of sunflower oil, using the Al-MCM-41 catalyst. The material type mesoporous Al-MCM-41 was synthesized and characterized by Hydrothermical methods of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption, absorption spectroscopy in the infrared and thermal gravimetric analysis (TG / DTG).The study was conducted on the thermogravimetric behavior of sunflower oil on the mesoporous catalyst cited. Activation energy, conversion, and oil degradation as a function of temperature were estimated based on the integral curves of thermogravimetric analysis and the kinetic method of Vyazovkin. The mesoporous material Al-MCM-41 showed one-dimensional hexagonal formation. The study of the kinetic behavior of sunflower oil with the catalyst showed a lower activation energy against the activation energy of pure sunflower oil. Two liquid fractions of sunflower oil were obtained, both in thermal and thermocatalytic pyrolisis. The first fraction obtained was called bio-oil and the second fraction obtained was called acid fraction. The acid fraction collected, in thermal and thermocatalytic pyrolisis, showed very high level of acidity, which is why it was called acid fraction. The first fraction was collected bio-called because it presented results in the range similar to petroleum diesel