Análise exergética de biorrefinaria de cana-de- açúcar em paralelo a usina sucroalcooleira tradicional / Exergetic analysis of sugarcane bio-refinery in parallel to the traditional sugar-alcohol mil

Com a constante evolução dos setores industriais e comerciais, o aumento da demanda energética e de matéria-prima fomentou a procura por fontes alternativas renováveis. Para atender a essa exigência, a busca por novas matrizes energéticas tornou-se parte da agenda desses segmentos. Dentre as alternativas, aquelas provenientes de biomassa são as que melhor atendem aos requisitos de sustentabilidade e eficiência. Desse modo, o estudo da implementação de biorrefinarias em detrimento de refinarias convencionais se torna mais que necessário para contribuir com a redução da utilização de combustíveis fósseis nas mais diversas áreas. Nesta métrica objetivou-se caracterizar como a termodinâmica pode ser utilizada para avaliar a sustentabilidade do uso dos recursos em sistemas industriais, por meio da análise exergética. A vista disso, o estudo de caso buscou examinar de maneira clara novas técnicas que permitiam uma melhor utilização dos escassos recursos naturais elencando uma análise de dois tipos de modelos industriais, na intenção de evidenciar a maior eficiência de um sobre o outro, sendo eles uma usina sucroalcooleira e uma biorrefinaria de cana-de-açúcar. A abordagem configurou-se de natureza bibliográfica, buscando utilizar os conceitos de exergia no intuito de avaliar a energia que pode ser aproveitada e a que não pode ser recuperada. Este projeto de pesquisa realizou uma análise exergética dos fluxos que compõem uma usina sucroalcooleira tradicional e uma biorrefinaria sucroalcooleira. Nesta análise evidenciou-se que o aumento do número de processos industriais não é fator determinante para a redução da eficiência exergética. Na forma tradicional, a eficiência exergética total obtida foi de 38,5%. Na simulação da mesma usina como uma biorrefinaria, a eficiência exergética obtida foi de 71,43%. Com relação à produção de eletricidade, observou-se que a substituição total do bagaço da cana-de-açúcar por lignina é a melhor alternativa do ponto de vista ambiental, tal substituição reduziu em 56% a produção de eletricidade na biorrefinaria. Por meio dessa metodologia, de reunir dados e realizar análises dos setores envolvidos, pôde-se concluir que as biorrefinarias são mais eficientes que as usinas, pois conseguem aproveitar melhor os recursos empregados na produção, sem desperdiçar o potencial exergético dos resíduos e das emissões.

Omecamtiv mecarbil in chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, GALACTIC‐HF: baseline characteristics and comparison with contemporary clinical trials

Aims: The safety and efficacy of the novel selective cardiac myosin activator, omecamtiv mecarbil, in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is tested in the Global Approach to Lowering Adverse Cardiac outcomes Through Improving Contractility in Heart Failure (GALACTIC‐HF) trial. Here we describe the baseline characteristics of participants in GALACTIC‐HF and how these compare with other contemporary trials. Methods and Results: Adults with established HFrEF, New York Heart Association functional class (NYHA) ≥ II, EF ≤35%, elevated natriuretic peptides and either current hospitalization for HF or history of hospitalization/ emergency department visit for HF within a year were randomized to either placebo or omecamtiv mecarbil (pharmacokinetic‐guided dosing: 25, 37.5 or 50 mg bid). 8256 patients [male (79%), non‐white (22%), mean age 65 years] were enrolled with a mean EF 27%, ischemic etiology in 54%, NYHA II 53% and III/IV 47%, and median NT‐proBNP 1971 pg/mL. HF therapies at baseline were among the most effectively employed in contemporary HF trials. GALACTIC‐HF randomized patients representative of recent HF registries and trials with substantial numbers of patients also having characteristics understudied in previous trials including more from North America (n = 1386), enrolled as inpatients (n = 2084), systolic blood pressure < 100 mmHg (n = 1127), estimated glomerular filtration rate < 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 (n = 528), and treated with sacubitril‐valsartan at baseline (n = 1594). Conclusions: GALACTIC‐HF enrolled a well‐treated, high‐risk population from both inpatient and outpatient settings, which will provide a definitive evaluation of the efficacy and safety of this novel therapy, as well as informing its potential future implementation

Análise termoeconômica e ambiental de um secador por bomba de calor

This work presents a methodology for energy, exergy, thermoeconomic and environmental analyses of a heat pump dryer, while also analyzing an experimental prototype based on available data. The analyses are justified by the need to develop sustainable drying techniques, with greater energy efficiency, lower environmental impacts and economic viability. In this context, the heat pump applied to drying purposes appears as an alternative to be taken into consideration. The system was thermodynamically modeled by means of energy and exergy analyses, from evaporation and condensation pressure measurements of the heat pump's refrigeration cycle along with input and output air flows, temperatures and relative humidity measurements for the prototype. Efficiencyies were obtained for the prototype components. Thermoeconomic analysis of the equipment was carried out using the UFS methodology, to allocate exergy and monetary costs associated with the final products of the prototype (condensed water and removal of moisture from the substance to be dehydrated). The thermoeconomic model was adapted to allocate CO2-eq emissions to equipment products. The results obtained were the monetary costs associated with the final products and CO2-eq emissions, evaluated at US$0.61 and 0.414 kg CO2-eq per kilogram of condensed water and US$ 0.33 and 0.229 kg CO2-eq per kilogram of moisture removed.NenhumaO presente trabalho tem por objetivo apresentar uma metodologia de análise energética, exergética, termoeconômica e ambiental de um secador por bomba de calor e realizar análise de um protótipo experimental com base nos dados disponíveis. A análise se justifica na necessidade de desenvolver técnicas de secagem sustentáveis, com maior eficiência energética, menores impactos ambientais e viabilidade econômica. Neste contexto a bomba de calor aplicada à secagem surge como uma alternativa a ser levada em consideração. A partir de medições de pressão de evaporação e condensação do ciclo frigorífico da bomba de calor e medições de vazão, temperatura e umidade relativa do ar de entrada e saída do protótipo, o sistema é modelado termodinamicamente, mediante análise energética, exergética e caracterização da eficiência dos componentes do protótipo. Em seguida é realizada a análise termoecônomica do equipamento, utilizando-se da metodologia UFS, com objetivo de alocar os custos exergéticos e monetários associados aos produtos finais do protótipo (água condensada e retirada de umidade de uma substância a ser desidratadada). O modelo termoeconômico é adaptado para alocar as emissões de CO2-eq aos produtos do equipamento. Como resultados são obtidos os custos monetários associados aos produtos finais e emissões de CO2-eq, avaliadas em US$0,61 e 0,414 kg CO2-eq por quilograma de água condensada e US$ 0,33 e 0,229 kg CO2-eq por quilograma de umidade retirada da substância a ser desidratada

Past vicariance promoting deep genetic divergence in an endemic frog species of the Espinhaço Range in Brazil: The historical biogeography of Bokermannohyla saxicola (Hylidae).

The highland endemic frog Bokermannohyla saxicola occurs within the Espinhaço Range, the most extensive and continuous orogenic belt of the Brazilian territory, located in southeastern Brazil. We used mitochondrial DNA markers to test for spatial structure, to investigate the likely influence of past vicariant events, to evaluate demographic dynamics along the species range, and to understand the role of habitat discontinuities in promoting connectivity and diversity along the range. We found four major monophyletic lineages, each one associated with distinct mountain tops. The divergence time found between the four main clades clearly pre-dated the Pleistocene, except for the most recent separation. We observed no signs of population expansion for most of the sampling sites along the range, and a higher genetic diversity in the most continuous and central highland plateau, compared to smaller marginal regions. The Espinhaço Range harbors four deeply divergent lineages of B. saxicola within areas restricted by barriers for millions of years. These relatively isolated populations were kept apart by discontinuities represented by lowland habitats between mountain tops. Most of the lineage divergences occurred earlier than the Pleistocene, thus they cannot be solely explained by climatic oscillations of this epoch. However, within-lineage divergence times were all dated from the Pleistocene, suggesting an important effect in population dynamics. We also suggest that some marginal populations like those from Serra Negra and Serra de Itacambira can be the result of recent colonization events. Finally, in the southern Espinhaço region, the most continuous central highland area shows greater genetic diversity than the marginal discontinuous areas, where we have also observed a significant correlation between genetic and geographic distances. Bokermannohyla saxicola is a good model to study the biogeography of the Espinhaço Range because its high genetic structure reflects ancient as well as recent geological/climatic events, with important implications for conservation

Seminário de Dissertação (2024)

Página da disciplina de Seminário de Dissertação (MPPP, UFPE, 2022) Lista de participantes == https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mrULe1y04yPxHUBaF50jhaM1OY8QYJ3zva4N4yvm198/edit#gid=

Cardiac myosin activation with omecamtiv mecarbil in systolic heart failure

BACKGROUND The selective cardiac myosin activator omecamtiv mecarbil has been shown to improve cardiac function in patients with heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction. Its effect on cardiovascular outcomes is unknown. METHODS We randomly assigned 8256 patients (inpatients and outpatients) with symptomatic chronic heart failure and an ejection fraction of 35% or less to receive omecamtiv mecarbil (using pharmacokinetic-guided doses of 25 mg, 37.5 mg, or 50 mg twice daily) or placebo, in addition to standard heart-failure therapy. The primary outcome was a composite of a first heart-failure event (hospitalization or urgent visit for heart failure) or death from cardiovascular causes. RESULTS During a median of 21.8 months, a primary-outcome event occurred in 1523 of 4120 patients (37.0%) in the omecamtiv mecarbil group and in 1607 of 4112 patients (39.1%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.86 to 0.99; P = 0.03). A total of 808 patients (19.6%) and 798 patients (19.4%), respectively, died from cardiovascular causes (hazard ratio, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.92 to 1.11). There was no significant difference between groups in the change from baseline on the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire total symptom score. At week 24, the change from baseline for the median N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide level was 10% lower in the omecamtiv mecarbil group than in the placebo group; the median cardiac troponin I level was 4 ng per liter higher. The frequency of cardiac ischemic and ventricular arrhythmia events was similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS Among patients with heart failure and a reduced ejection, those who received omecamtiv mecarbil had a lower incidence of a composite of a heart-failure event or death from cardiovascular causes than those who received placebo. (Funded by Amgen and others; GALACTIC-HF ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02929329; EudraCT number, 2016 -002299-28.)