Energy Efficiency Measures for an Electrical Material Industry

The main goal of the present paper is to present the study of energy efficiency measures for an electrical material industry. The high-energy consumption of this kind of industry lead companies to search for solutions that allow increasing the energy efficiency in their installations and in the processes, promoting the reduction of the energy consumption and costs. In this context, the objectives of this study emerged, which resulted from the main needs identified by the company. Therefore, the work was divided into four parts. The first one, was the study of replacing the existing lighting (mainly mercury vapor lamps by led); another study conducted was the replacement of the electric motors in injection machines by new and more efficient ones; the third one was the installation of a photovoltaic solar system (for self-consumption) and, finally, the project of a new power converter station for the company. The energy efficiency studies carried out are based on: a careful analysis of the data provided by the company; all the measurements done; the consumption profiles that have been drawn; an extensive market research (with the purpose of finding the most efficient solutions for each case); and in already existing and proven calculation methodologies, leading, in this way, to a greater reliability of the obtained results. These studies showed to which extent the implementation of the various measures presented are economically viable, their impact on the reduction of energy consumption and the annual savings achieved.This work was supported by Coimbra Institute of Engineering – Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra and by projects: UID/MULTI/00308/2019 (supported by the Portuguese ‘Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia’: FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology) and by the European Regional Development Fund through the COMPETE 2020 Programme, FCT Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology within project T4ENERTEC (POCI-01- 0145-FEDER-029820)

Autonomy-connectedness, gender and culture: a comparative study on the interplay of personality functioning and social context

Autonomy-connectedness refers to the need and ability the individual has for selfgovernance, as well as the capacity for intimacy and interpersonal relationships. The present study aimed to examine and compare participants (N=121) of four different cultural groups, namely Portuguese natives as well as Brazilian, British and Ukrainian immigrants residing in Portugal, on the different autonomy-connectedness components (self-awareness: SA; sensitivity to others: SO; capacity for managing new situations: CMNS). It also aimed at investigating the relationship between autonomy-connectedness and acculturation among the groups of immigrants. The results showed significant gender differences and among the cultural groups on SO. Adherence to the heritage culture was associated with the distinct dimensions of autonomy-connectedness differently for the various groups, and time of residence was also key in how the dimensions were endorsed cross time. This study contributes to the theoretical framework of the concept of autonomy-connectedness in light of cross-cultural perspectives.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Undrained shear strength of soft clay mixed with different percentages of lime and silica fume

Soil stabilisation, as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method, is used in the building of systems like roads, dams, canals and river levels. Chemical stabilisation of soil is carried out by adding binder or by-products like lime and silica fume to the soil thereby modifying the geotechnical performance of the soil. Various researchers have carried out research on the properties of soil, such as its compaction, compressibility, hydraulic conductivity, and strength characteristics. The focus of the study was the determination of the physical properties of the soft clay used and the strength of soft clay (kaolin) mixed with 6 % of silica fume and various percentages (3 %, 5 %, 7 % and 9 %) of lime. Unconfined compression test was carried out on the soft clay and the mixtures of soft clay-lime-silica fume to investigate the effect of lime stabilisation with silica fume additives on the unconfined compressive strength of the mixtures. Based on the results obtained, all soil samples were indicated as soils with medium plasticity. From 0 % to 9 % of lime with 6 % of silica fume, the decreased in the maximum dry density was by 5.92 % and the increased in the optimum moisture content was by 23.5 %. Decreased in the coefficient of permeability of the mixtures occurred when compared to the coefficient of permeability of the soft clay itself. The improvement in shear strength of soft clay mixed with 6 % silica fume and 5 % lime was 29.83 % compared to the shear strength of the soft clay sample. The optimal percentage of lime-silica fume combination was attained at 5.0 % of lime and 6.0 % of silica fume in order to improve the shear strength of soft clay. It can be concluded that lime-silica fume additives improved the unconfined compressive strength of the soft clay

Opening the black box: soil microcosm experiments reveal soot black carbon short-term oxidation and influence on soil organic carbon mineralisation

Soils hold three quarters of the total organic carbon (OC) stock in terrestrial ecosystems and yet we fundamentally lack detailed mechanistic understanding of the turnover of major soil OC pools. Black carbon (BC), the product of the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and biomass, is ubiquitous in soils globally. Although BC is a major soil carbon pool, its effects on the global carbon cycle have not yet been resolved. Soil BC represents a large stable carbon pool turning over on geological timescales, but research suggests it can alter soil biogeochemical cycling including that of soil OC. Here, we established two soil microcosm experiments: experiment one added 13C OC to soil with and without added BC (soot or biochar) to investigate whether it suppresses OC mineralisation; experiment two added 13C BC (soot) to soil to establish whether it is mineralised in soil over a short timescale. Gases were sampled over six-months and analysed using isotope ratio mass spectrometry. In experiment one we found that the efflux of 13C OC from soil decreased over time, but the addition of soot to soil significantly reduced the mineralisation of OC from 32% of the total supplied without soot to 14% of the total supplied with soot. In contrast, there was not a significant difference after the addition of biochar in the flux of 13C from the OC added to the soil. In experiment two, we found that the efflux 13C from soil with added 13C soot significantly differed from the control, but this efflux declined over time. There was a cumulative loss of 0.17% 13C from soot over the experiment. These experimental results represent a step-change in understanding the influence of BC continuum on carbon dynamics, which has major consequences for the way we monitor and manage soils for carbon sequestration in future

Microbiological quality of fresh local fish: coagulase-positive Staphylococci analysis.

The aim of this research was to evaluate and quantify the presence of Staphylococci in fresh local fish at a fish processing plant monitored by the Brazilian Federal Inspection Service (Serviço de Inspeção Federal - SIF) located in the North Region of Brazil

Design and Characterization of an Ethosomal Gel Encapsulating Rosehip Extract

: Rising environmental awareness drives green consumers to purchase sustainable cosmetics based on natural bioactive compounds. The aim of this study was to deliver Rosa canina L. extract as a botanical ingredient in an anti-aging gel using an eco-friendly approach. Rosehip extract was first characterized in terms of its antioxidant activity through a DPPH assay and ROS reduction test and then encapsulated in ethosomal vesicles with different percentages of ethanol. All formulations were characterized in terms of size, polydispersity, zeta potential, and entrapment efficiency. Release and skin penetration/permeation data were obtained through in vitro studies, and cell viability was assessed using an MTT assay on WS1 fibroblasts. Finally, ethosomes were incorporated in hyaluronic gels (1% or 2% w/v) to facilitate skin application, and rheological properties were studied. Rosehip extract (1 mg/mL) revealed a high antioxidant activity and was successfully encapsulated in ethosomes containing 30% ethanol, having small sizes (225.4 ± 7.0 nm), low polydispersity (0.26 ± 0.02), and good entrapment efficiency (93.41 ± 5.30%). This formulation incorporated in a hyaluronic gel 1% w/v showed an optimal pH for skin application (5.6 ± 0.2), good spreadability, and stability over 60 days at 4 °C. Considering sustainable ingredients and eco-friendly manufacturing technology, the ethosomal gel of rosehip extract could be an innovative and green anti-aging skincare product

Elaboração de silagens ácida e co-seca de vísceras de tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum).

O tambaqui, Colossoma macropomum, (CUVIER, 1818) possui alta aceitação no mercado, em razão de sua carne saborosa. A produção desta espécie tem crescido de maneira considerável, fato que motiva pesquisas nas diversas áreas relacionadas à cadeia produtiva desta espécie. De acordo com os dados publicados pelo Ministério da Pesca e Aquicultura no ano de 2013, o tambaqui foi a segunda espécie mais produzida pela aquicultura continental (111,1 mil t) em 2011, ficando atrás apenas da tilápia (235,8 mil t) (BRASIL, 2013).bitstream/item/98554/1/CT106.pd

Covalent targeting of remote cysteine residues to develop CDK12 and CDK13 inhibitors

Cyclin-dependent kinases 12 and 13 (CDK12 and CDK13) play critical roles in the regulation of gene transcription. However, the absence of CDK12 and CDK13 inhibitors has hindered the ability to investigate the consequences of their inhibition in healthy cells and cancer cells. Here we describe the rational design of a first-in-class CDK12 and CDK13 covalent inhibitor, THZ531. Co-crystallization of THZ531 with CDK12–cyclin K indicates that THZ531 irreversibly targets a cysteine located outside the kinase domain. THZ531 causes a loss of gene expression with concurrent loss of elongating and hyperphosphorylated RNA polymerase II. In particular, THZ531 substantially decreases the expression of DNA damage response genes and key super-enhancer-associated transcription factor genes. Coincident with transcriptional perturbation, THZ531 dramatically induced apoptotic cell death. Small molecules capable of specifically targeting CDK12 and CDK13 may thus help identify cancer subtypes that are particularly dependent on their kinase activities.United States. National Institutes of Health (HG002668)United States. National Institutes of Health (CA109901

Identification of FAM111A as an SV40 Host Range Restriction and Adenovirus Helper Factor

The small genome of polyomaviruses encodes a limited number of proteins that are highly dependent on interactions with host cell proteins for efficient viral replication. The SV40 large T antigen (LT) contains several discrete functional domains including the LXCXE or RB-binding motif, the DNA binding and helicase domains that contribute to the viral life cycle. In addition, the LT C-terminal region contains the host range and adenovirus helper functions required for lytic infection in certain restrictive cell types. To understand how LT affects the host cell to facilitate viral replication, we expressed full-length or functional domains of LT in cells, identified interacting host proteins and carried out expression profiling. LT perturbed the expression of p53 target genes and subsets of cell-cycle dependent genes regulated by the DREAM and the B-Myb-MuvB complexes. Affinity purification of LT followed by mass spectrometry revealed a specific interaction between the LT C-terminal region and FAM111A, a previously uncharacterized protein. Depletion of FAM111A recapitulated the effects of heterologous expression of the LT C-terminal region, including increased viral gene expression and lytic infection of SV40 host range mutants and adenovirus replication in restrictive cells. FAM111A functions as a host range restriction factor that is specifically targeted by SV40 LT