Muscle Characteristics and Substrate Energetics in Lifelong Endurance Athletes.

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to explore the effect of lifelong aerobic exercise (i.e., chronic training) on skeletal muscle substrate stores (intramyocellular triglyceride [IMTG] and glycogen), skeletal muscle phenotypes, and oxidative capacity (ox), in older endurance-trained master athletes (OA) compared with noncompetitive recreational younger (YA) athletes matched by frequency and mode of training. METHODS: Thirteen OA (64.8 ± 4.9 yr) exercising 5 times per week or more were compared with 14 YA (27.8 ± 4.9 yr) males and females. IMTG, glycogen, fiber types, succinate dehydrogenase, and capillarization were measured by immunohistochemistry in vastus lateralis biopsies. Fat-ox and carbohydrate (CHO)-ox were measured by indirect calorimetry before and after an insulin clamp and during a cycle ergometer graded maximal test. RESULTS: V˙O2peak was lower in OA than YA. The OA had greater IMTG in all fiber types and lower glycogen stores than YA. This was reflected in greater proportion of type I and less type II fibers in OA. Type I fibers were similar in size, whereas type II fibers were smaller in OA compared with YA. Both groups had similar succinate dehydrogenase content. Numbers of capillaries per fiber were reduced in OA but with a higher number of capillaries per area. Metabolic flexibility and insulin sensitivity were similar in both groups. Exercise metabolic efficiency was higher in OA. At moderate exercise intensities, carbohydrate-ox was lower in OA but with similar Fat-ox. CONCLUSIONS: Lifelong exercise is associated with higher IMTG content in all muscle fibers and higher metabolic efficiency during exercise that are not explained by differences in muscle fibers types and other muscle characteristics when comparing older with younger athletes matched by exercise mode and frequency.

An integrated model of adoption and development of e-commerce in companies

Since the mid-1990s researchers have sought to understand why some firms embark on e-commerceoperations on the Internet while others prefer to wait and see how events unfold. We still have todetermine which variables contribute to explaining the extent to which firms use e-commerce, giventhat to date the literature has not yet offered conclusive evidence on this question. The current workaims to provide an integrated vision of the set of factors influencing the e-commerce adoptionprocess. We use a sample of 2,038 firms of all types that trade their products either with otherorganizations or with end-consumers.

DAI-DEPUR: an integrated and distributed architecture for wastewater treatment plants supervision

The activated sludge process - the main biological technology usually applied towastewater treatment plants (WWTP) - directly depends on live beings (microorganisms), and therefore on unforeseen changes produced by them. It could be possible to get a good plant operation if the supervisory control system is able to react to the changes and deviations in the system and can take thenecessary actions to restore the system’s performance. These decisions are oftenbased both on physical, chemical, microbiological principles (suitable to bemodelled by conventional control algorithms) and on some knowledge (suitable to be modelled by knowledge-based systems). But one of the key problems in knowledge-based control systems design is the development of an architecture able to manage efficiently the different elements of the process (integrated architecture), to learn from previous cases (spec@c experimental knowledge) and to acquire the domain knowledge (general expert knowledge). These problems increase when the process belongs to an ill-structured domain and is composed of several complex operational units. Therefore, an integrated and distributed AIarchitecture seems to be a good choice. This paper proposes an integrated and distributed supervisory multi-level architecture for the supervision of WWTP, that overcomes some of the main troubles of classical control techniques and those of knowledge-based systems applied to real world systems

DFM(A)- aspects for a microwave waveguide ring resonator design

In this research manufacturability analysis is made for an E-plane waveguide ring resonator. About the electrical characteristics of the waveguide ring resonator is discussed. Possibilities to utilize concurrent engineering method both for designing and making manufacturability analysis for MW- and RF-components are discussed. For helping to establish the necessary guidelines for easy manufacturing and assembly of the waveguide ring resonator a specialised DFM(A)-questionnaire is generated. The questionnaire gives also new information for collaborative designing approach in MW-/RF- engineering. The advantages and disadvantages of the concurrent engineering design method are evaluated in the research.

Production of fungal protein by solid substrate fermentation of cactus Cereus peruvianus and Opuntia ficus indica

Agricultural wastes from cactus Cereus peruvianus and Opuntia ficus indica were investigated for protein production by solid substrate fermentation. Firstly, the polyelectrolytes were extracted and used in water cleaning as auxiliary of flocculation and coagulation. The remaining fibrous material and peels were used as substrate for fermentation with Aspergillus niger. Glucoamylase and cellulase were the main enzymes produced. Amino acids were determined by HPLC and protein by Lowry's method. After 120 hours of fermentation the protein increased by 12.8%. Aspartic acid (1.27%), threonine (0.97%), glutamic acid (0.88%), valine (0.70%), serine (0.68%), arginine (0.82%), and phenylalanine (0.51%) were the principal amino acids produced.

Supporting Solution Business with an Integrated Enterprise System

Some of the world’s leading companies now compete by providing integrated solutions to identify and solve each customer’s business problem by providing services to design, integrate, operate and finance a product or system during its life cycle. At the same time, because of the requirements of new global economy, companies are implementing new integrated ERP systems. The objective of this thesis was to define how solution offering can be implemented in the integrated ERP system so that it is possible to sell, deliver and maintain solution offering with the new enterprise applications. The research was conducted as a qualitative case study research consisting of literature review, theme-interviews and an analysis phase. For a start this study introduces new insight for combining solution business, offering modeling and modern ERP system theories. The results of this research illustrate the limitations of an integrated ERP system to support solution business and show the need to develop a commercial product model in order to improve the combination of solution offering and IT systems.

Fouling management and retention in nanofiltration of integrated paper mill effluents

Nanofiltration performance was studied with effluents from the pulp and paper industry and with model substances. The effect of filtration conditions and membrane properties on nanofiltration flux, retention, and fouling was investigated. Generally, the aim was to determine the parameters that influence nanofiltration efficiency and study how to carry out nanofiltration without fouling by controlling these parameters. The retentions of the nanofiltration membranes studied were considerably higher than those of tight ultrafiltration membranes, and the permeate fluxes obtained were approximately the same as those of tight ultrafiltration membranes. Generally, about 80% retentions of total carbon and conductivity were obtained during the nanofiltration experiments. Depending on the membrane and the filtration conditions, the retentions of monovalent ions (chloride) were between 80 and 95% in the nanofiltrations. An increase in pH improved retentions considerably and also the flux to some degree. An increase in pressure improved retention, whereas an increase in temperature decreased retention if the membrane retained the solute by the solution diffusion mechanism. In this study, more open membranes fouled more than tighter membranes due to higher concentration polarization and plugging of the membrane material. More irreversible fouling was measured for hydrophobic membranes. Electrostatic repulsion between the membrane and the components in the solution reduced fouling but did not completely prevent it with the hydrophobic membranes. Nanofiltration could be carried out without fouling, at least with the laboratory scale apparatus used here when the flux was below the critical flux. Model substances had a strong form of the critical flux, but the effluents had only a weak form of the critical flux. With the effluents, some fouling always occurred immediately when the filtration was started. However, if the flux was below the critical flux, further fouling was not observed. The flow velocity and pH were probably the most important parameters, along with the membrane properties, that influenced the critical flux. Precleaning of the membranes had only a small effect on the critical flux and retentions, but it improved the permeability of the membranes significantly.

Methods for assessing the sustainability of integrated municipal waste management and

The general striving to bring down the number of municipal landfills and to increase the reuse and recycling of waste-derived materials across the EU supports the debates concerning the feasibility and rationality of waste management systems. Substantial decrease in the volume and mass of landfill-disposed waste flows can be achieved by directing suitable waste fractions to energy recovery. Global fossil energy supplies are becoming more and more valuable and expensive energy sources for the mankind, and efforts to save fossil fuels have been made. Waste-derived fuels offer one potential partial solution to two different problems. First, waste that cannot be feasibly re-used or recycled is utilized in the energy conversion process according to EU’s Waste Hierarchy. Second, fossil fuels can be saved for other purposes than energy, mainly as transport fuels. This thesis presents the principles of assessing the most sustainable system solution for an integrated municipal waste management and energy system. The assessment process includes: · formation of a SISMan (Simple Integrated System Management) model of an integrated system including mass, energy and financial flows, and · formation of a MEFLO (Mass, Energy, Financial, Legislational, Other decisionsupport data) decision matrix according to the selected decision criteria, including essential and optional decision criteria. The methods are described and theoretical examples of the utilization of the methods are presented in the thesis. The assessment process involves the selection of different system alternatives (process alternatives for treatment of different waste fractions) and comparison between the alternatives. The first of the two novelty values of the utilization of the presented methods is the perspective selected for the formation of the SISMan model. Normally waste management and energy systems are operated separately according to the targets and principles set for each system. In the thesis the waste management and energy supply systems are considered as one larger integrated system with one primary target of serving the customers, i.e. citizens, as efficiently as possible in the spirit of sustainable development, including the following requirements: · reasonable overall costs, including waste management costs and energy costs; · minimum environmental burdens caused by the integrated waste management and energy system, taking into account the requirement above; and · social acceptance of the selected waste treatment and energy production methods. The integrated waste management and energy system is described by forming a SISMan model including three different flows of the system: energy, mass and financial flows. By defining the three types of flows for an integrated system, the selected factor results needed in the decision-making process of the selection of waste management treatment processes for different waste fractions can be calculated. The model and its results form a transparent description of the integrated system under discussion. The MEFLO decision matrix has been formed from the results of the SISMan model, combined with additional data, including e.g. environmental restrictions and regional aspects. System alternatives which do not meet the requirements set by legislation can be deleted from the comparisons before any closer numerical considerations. The second novelty value of this thesis is the three-level ranking method for combining the factor results of the MEFLO decision matrix. As a result of the MEFLO decision matrix, a transparent ranking of different system alternatives, including selection of treatment processes for different waste fractions, is achieved. SISMan and MEFLO are methods meant to be utilized in municipal decision-making processes concerning waste management and energy supply as simple, transparent and easyto- understand tools. The methods can be utilized in the assessment of existing systems, and particularly in the planning processes of future regional integrated systems. The principles of SISMan and MEFLO can be utilized also in other environments, where synergies of integrating two (or more) systems can be obtained. The SISMan flow model and the MEFLO decision matrix can be formed with or without any applicable commercial or free-of-charge tool/software. SISMan and MEFLO are not bound to any libraries or data-bases including process information, such as different emission data libraries utilized in life cycle assessments.

Towards integrated operation of membrane bioreactors : effects of aeration on biological and filtration performance

Two experimental studies evaluated the effect of aerobic and membrane aeration changes on sludge properties, biological nutrient removal and filtration processes in a pilot plant membrane bioreactor. The optimal operating conditions were found at an aerobic dissolved oxygen set-point (DO) of 0.5mgO2L-1 and a membrane specific aeration demand (SADm) of 1mh-1, where membrane aeration can be used for nitrification. Under these conditions, a total flow reduction of 42% was achieved (75% energy reduction) without compromising nutrient removal efficiencies, maintaining sludge characteristics and controlled filtration. Below these optimal operating conditions, the nutrient removal efficiency was reduced, increasing 20% for soluble microbial products, 14% for capillarity suction time and reducing a 15% for filterability. Below this DO set-point, fouling increased with a transmembrane pressure 75% higher. SADm below 1mh-1 doubled the values of transmembrane pressure, without recovery after achieving the initial conditions

Characterization and Control Strategies of an Integrated Chemical-Biological System for the Remediation of Toxic Pollutants in Wastewater: A case of study

In a previous work, a hybrid system consisting of an advanced oxidation process (AOP) named Photo-Fenton (Ph-F) and a fixed bed biological treatment operating as a sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR) was started-up and optimized to treat 200 mg·L-1 of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) as a model compound. In this work, studies of reactor stability and control as well as microbial population determination by molecular biology techniques were carried out to further characterize and control the biological reactor. Results revealed that the integrated system was flexible and even able to overcome toxic shock loads. Oxygen uptake rate (OUR) in situ was shown to be a valid tool to control the SBBR operation, to detect toxic conditions to the biomass, and to assess the recovery of performance. A microbial characterization by 16S rDNA sequence analysis reveals that the biological population was varied, although about 30% of the bacteria belonged to the Wautersia genus.

Managing the Pricing of Integrated Solutions in Export Partnerships

Little research has been conducted to guide the management of marketing variables, such as pricing, in systems business context. Furthermore, given that international partnering has become a popular mode of operation for SMEs, the objective of the current thesis was to explore the scantly researched topic of managing the pricing of integrated solutions in an export partnership. Specifically, the thesis synthesizes literature findings from the three areas of export pricing, systems business, and export partnerships. The empirical section of the study consists of a qualitative single-case study of a Finnish systems integrator that has recently launched its export operations. Primary data was collected by conducting four interviews of the case company’s managers and by organizing one group interview session. The study findings indicate that a systems integrator’s pricing strategy in an export partnership can be very multidimensional and dependant on international pricing environment and partner characteristics, that an export partnership appears to have unique implications on a systems integrator’s pricing process, and that customer value –based pricing strategies might be particularly suited to pricing integrated solutions.

Design and evaluation of a continuous flow, integrated nebulizer-hydride generator for flame atomic absorption spectrometry

An evaluation of the performance of a continuous flow hydride generator-nebulizer for flame atomic absorption spectrometry was carried out. Optimization of nebulizer gas flow rate, sample acid concentration, sample and tetrahydroborate uptake rates and reductant concentration, on the As and Se absorbance signals was carried out. A hydrogen-argon flame was used. An improvement of the analytical sensitivity relative to the conventional bead nebulizer used in flame AA was obtained (2 (As) and 4.8 (Se) µg L-1). Detection limits (3σb) of 1 (As) and 1.3 (Se) µg L-1 were obtained. Accuracy of the method was checked by analyzing an oyster tissue reference material.

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Starting from zero-, first-, and second-order integrated laws for chemical kinetics, some cases are shown which produce fractional orders. Taking the Michaelis-Menten mechanism as a first example, it is shown that substrate order can go from 1 to zero, depending on relative concentration of enzyme and substrate. Using other examples which show fractional orders higher than one and even negative (inhibition), it is shown that the presence of an equilibrium before or parallel to the rate determining step can be the reason for fractional orders, which is an indication of a more complex mechanism.