Incitament för energibesparing i studentbostäder - Energieffektiva åtgärder för studentbostäder i Lunds kommun

Due to the constantly increasing threat caused by climate change necessary measures against the current situation needs to be accomplished. This study shows that one potential approach to reach this goal is by a more effective way of energy consumption. In this study the energy use of students in the city of Lund in Sweden was assessed. The purpose of the study was to find out what sort of driving forces students find the most relevant when it comes to energy saving. The study also contains a vision of identifying the primary energy efficiency arrangement for student residents. In the process of the study two different methods were used; the first part comprises a literature study and the second consists of a case study. In the case study a survey was sent to an amount of 120 students which later would perform as the basis of the final outcome of this rapport. The survey was also available for students at the webpage of a housing company in Lund. The received answers showed that genuine environmental commitment was stated as the highest valued factor behind saving energy. Lifestyle, values and behavior seems to play a role, as well. Some students preferred the economic aspect while others gave the outcome of the health a higher value. When it comes to the most suitable energy efficiency arrangement for student residents the winning concept seems to be individual billing of electricity and hot water use. This arrangement can appear as a hands-on alternative witch will mediate a concrete view of the energy consumption. More effective energy consumption needs to be accomplished in order to reduce the environmental impact caused by humans. The results of this survey show that driving forces such as a genuine commitment for the environment is important, and to accomplish the transformation to a more sustainable society a change in behavior is of great importance.De ständigt ökande klimatförändringarna orsakade av människan har visat sig medföra enorma komplikationer för stora delar av världen. Insatser som syftar till att bekämpa de negativa klimatförändringarna som har uppstått till följd av växthusgasutsläpp utvecklas nu på allvar och de negativa effekterna kan bland annat dämpas genom en effektivare energianvändning. I det moderna samhället står byggnader för en stor del av koldioxidutsläppen då de har ett betydande energibehov. I en stad som Lund där andelen studenter är av betydande storlek kan en satsning på energibesparing i studentbostäder anses vara relevant. I den här studien är syftet att kartlägga incitament för energibesparing i studentbostäder samt att se vilken energieffektiv åtgärd som lämpar sig bäst för just studentbostäder. Studien har skett med hjälp av två olika metoder, första delen utfördes i form av en litteraturstudie. Den senare delen genomfördes i form av en fallstudie. Fallstudien utfördes med hjälp av en kvalitativ metod där en enkät skickades ut till studenter med olika inriktningar. I studien tas tre olika incitament upp; den ekonomiska aspekten, ett genuint miljöengagemang samt följdeffekter såsom ett bättre inomhusklimat. Enligt enkätundersökningen visade det sig att ett genuint miljöintresse är det starkaste incitamentet för energibesparing bland studenter. Studien pekar även på barriärer som kan leda till att energieffektiva lösningar motarbetas. Barriärer som tas upp är en bristande incitamentsstruktur, finansieringssvårigheter, informations- och kunskapsbrist, osäkerhet samt transaktionskostnader. Den totala energianvändningen skiljer sig mellan olika hushåll och det har visat sig att det individuella beteendet spelar stor roll för energiåtgången. Den åtgärd som visade sig vara av störst vikt för energibesparing i studentbostäder var enligt enkätundersökningen individuell el- och varmvattenmätare. Mätaren kan användas i samtliga hushåll oavsett beteende och befintlig energiåtgång. Med hjälp av en individuell el- och varmvattenmätare ges en konkret bild av den totala energianvändningen vilket även kan skapa incitament för att spara energi i större utsträckning. Informativa styrmedel som hjälpmedel kan även ses som ett alternativ då det både är billigt samt enkelt att förmedla. I framtiden kan ytterligare besparingar fås genom att involvera och få samtliga grupper av studenter mer engagerade för miljöfrågor. Studien pekar även på att manliga studenter har ett lägre miljöengagemang och därav troligen även en större energianvändning. En tydligare incitamentsstruktur för yngre män skulle därför kunna ses som en potentiell framtida energibesparingsmöjlighet. Typ av bostad har visat sig ha betydelse för vikten av de ekonomiska incitamenten. I de fall då samtliga parametrar såsom el, värme och vatten ingår i hyran genereras svagare ekonomiska incitament. I framtiden är det därför viktigt att försöka skapa ytterligare incitament som i sin tur kan medföra en mindre eller effektivare energianvändning. En minskad energianvändning i studentbostäder innebär en förminskning inom hela sektorn som i sin tur bidrar till mindre klimatpåverkan

Quality of bread baked from frozen dough - effects of rye, and sugar content, kneading time and proofing profile

The objectives of this study were to evaluate whether proofing profile influences volume and crumb firmness in bread baked from frozen dough, and whether rye or sugar content and different kneading times affect the microstructure of the frozen dough. Microscopy was used to explain the differences.Wheat doughs mixed with rye ("rye") and with sugar ("sweet") were frozen after 3 different proofing times (0, 18, and 38 min) and visualized with confocal laser scanning microscopy and 3-dimensional micro-computed tomography. The baked breads were evaluated for volume and texture. Breads from un-proofed frozen dough allowed to proof after thawing showed the highest volume (4.0 cm(3)/g) and the softest crumb texture. The pre-proofed sweet bread had firmer crumbs and lower volume (2.5-3.0 cm(3)/g) than the pre-proofed rye bread (2.7-3.7 cm(3)/g). Reasons for the differences in quality parameters between the rye and sweet breads were investigated by studying the different influences of kneading time and sugar content on fresh and frozen dough. The gluten network was found to be more homogeneously distributed in doughs with longer kneading times and lower sugar content, and less well distributed and more lumped in frozen than in fresh dough

Towards attractive texture modified foods with increased fiber content for dysphagia via 3D printing and 3D scanning

As life expectancy increases so do age related problems such as swallowing disorders, dysphagia, which affects 10%–30% of people over 65 years old. For dysphagia patients the texture and rheological properties of the food, and the bolus, is critical to avoid choking and pneumonia. Texture modified foods, timbals, are often served to these patients due to their ease of swallowing. The main concern with these foods is that they do not look visually alike the food they replace, which can decrease the patient’s appetite and lead to reduced food intake and frailty. This study aims to improve both the visual appearance of texturized food as well as the energy density and fiber content of the timbal formulation. 3D scanning and additive manufacturing (3D Printing) were used to produce meals more reminiscent of original food items, increasing their visual appeal. Rheology was used to ensure the original flow profile was maintained as the timbal was reformulated by reducing starch contents and partially replacing with dietary fibers. The amount of starch was reduced from 8.7 wt% in the original formulation to 3.5 wt% and partially replaced with 3 wt% citrus fiber, while maintaining properties suitable for both swallowing and 3D printing. The resulting formulation has improved nutritional properties, while remaining suitable for constructing visually appealing meals, as demonstrated by 3Dprinting a chicken drumstick from a model generated with 3D scanning

Lookback option pricing using the Fourier transform B-spline method

We derive a new, efficient closed-form formula approximating the price of discrete lookback options, whose underlying asset price is driven by an exponential semimartingale process, which includes (jump) diffusions, Lévy models, affine processes and other models. The derivation of our pricing formula is based on inverting the Fourier transform using B-spline approximation theory. We give an error bound for our formula and establish its fast rate of convergence to the true price. Our method provides lookback option prices across the quantum of strike prices with greater efficiency than for a single strike price under existing methods. We provide an alternative proof to the Spitzer formula for the characteristic function of the maximum of a discretely observed stochastic process, which yields a numerically efficient algorithm based on convolutions. This is an important result which could have a wide range of applications in which the Spitzer formula is utilized. We illustrate the numerical efficiency of our algorithm by applying it in pricing fixed and floating discrete lookback options under Brownian motion, jump diffusion models, and the variance gamma process

Cloning, expression, and characterization of novel thermostable family 7 cellobiohydrolases

Peer reviewe

Bioethanol production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pichia stipitis and Zymomonas mobilis from delignified coconut fibre mature and lignin extraction according to biorefinery concept

In search to increase the offer of liquid, clean, renewable and sustainable energy in the world energy matrix, the use of lignocellulosic materials (LCMs) for bioethanol production arises as a valuable alternative. The objective of this work was to analyze and compare the performance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pichia stipitis and Zymomonas mobilis in the production of bioethanol from coconut fibre mature (CFM) using different strategies: simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) and semi-simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSSF). The CFM was pretreated by hydrothermal pretreatment catalyzed with sodium hydroxide (HPCSH). The pretreated CFM was characterized by X-ray diffractometry and SEM, and the lignin recovered in the liquid phase by FTIR and TGA. After the HPCSH pretreatment (2.5% (v/v) sodium hydroxide at 180 °C for 30 min), the cellulose content was 56.44%, while the hemicellulose and lignin were reduced 69.04% and 89.13%, respectively. Following pretreatment, the obtained cellulosic fraction was submitted to SSF and SSSF. Pichia stipitis allowed for the highest ethanol yield 90.18% in SSSF, 91.17% and 91.03% were obtained with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Zymomonas mobilis, respectively. It may be concluded that the selection of the most efficient microorganism for the obtention of high bioethanol production yields from cellulose pretreated by HPCSH depends on the operational strategy used and this pretreatment is an interesting alternative for add value of coconut fibre mature compounds (lignin, phenolics) being in accordance with the biorefinery concept.Brazilian research funding agencies CNPq (Proc:470356/2011-1) and CAPES (Proc:BEX5951/11-9) for financial suppor

Valorization of eucalyptus wood by glycerol-organosolv pretreatment within the biorefinery concept: an integrated and intensified approach

The efficient utilization of lignocellulosic biomass and the reduction of production cost are mandatory to attain a cost-effective lignocellulose-to-ethanol process. The selection of suitable pretreatment that allows an effective fractionation of biomass and the use of pretreated material at high-solid loadings on saccharification and fermentation (SSF) processes are considered promising strategies for that purpose. Eucalyptus globulus wood was fractionated by organosolv process at 200 C for 69 min using 56% of glycerol-water. A 99% of cellulose remained in pretreated biomass and 65% of lignin was solubilized. Precipitated lignin was characterized for chemical composition and thermal behavior, showing similar features to commercial lignin. In order to produce lignocellulosic ethanol at high-gravity, a full factory design was carried to assess the liquid to solid ratio (3e9 g/g) and enzyme to solid ratio (8e16 FPU/g) on SSF of delignified Eucalyptus. High ethanol concentration (94 g/L) corresponding to 77% of conversion at 16FPU/g and LSR ¼ 3 g/g using an industrial and thermotolerant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain was successfully produced from pretreated biomass. Process integration of a suitable pretreatment, which allows for whole biomass valorization, with intensified saccharification-fermentation stages was shown to be feasible strategy for the co-production of high ethanol titers, oligosaccharides and lignin paving the way for cost-effective Eucalyptus biorefinery.Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit and COMPETE 2020 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006684). The authors also thank the FCT for finacial support under the scope of the Project RECI/BBB-EBI/0179/2012 (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-027462). AR was supported by Postdoctoral Fellowship PlanI2C/2014 funded by Xunta of Galicia (Spain

Population genomics of <i>Escherichia coli</i> in livestock-keeping households across a rapidly developing urban landscape

Quantitative evidence for the risk of zoonoses and the spread of antimicrobial resistance remains lacking. Here, as part of the UrbanZoo project, we sampled Escherichia coli from humans, livestock and peri-domestic wildlife in 99 households across Nairobi, Kenya, to investigate its distribution among host species in this rapidly developing urban landscape. We performed whole-genome sequencing of 1,338 E. coli isolates and found that the diversity and sharing patterns of E. coli were heavily structured by household and strongly shaped by host type. We also found evidence for inter-household and inter-host sharing and, importantly, between humans and animals, although this occurs much less frequently. Resistome similarity was differently distributed across host and household, consistent with being driven by shared exposure to antimicrobials. Our results indicate that a large, epidemiologically structured sampling framework combined with WGS is needed to uncover strain-sharing events among different host populations in complex environments and the major contributing pathways that could ultimately drive the emergence of zoonoses and the spread of antimicrobial resistance