Energy Efficiency Improvement and Cost Saving Oportunities for the Concrete Industry

The U.S. concrete industry is the main consumer of U.S.-produced cement. The manufacturing of ready mixed concrete accounts for about 75% of the U.S. concrete production following the manufacturing of precast concrete and masonry units. The most significant expenditure is the cost of materials accounting for more than 50% of total concrete production costs - cement only accounts for nearly 24%. In 2009, energy costs of the U.S. concrete industry were over $610 million. Hence, energy efficiency improvements along with efficient use of materials without negatively affecting product quality and yield, especially in times of increased fuel and material costs, can significantly reduce production costs and increase competitiveness. The Energy Guide starts with an overview of the U.S. concrete industry’s structure and energy use, a description of the various manufacturing processes, and identification of the major energy consuming areas in the different industry segments. This is followed by a description of general and process related energy- and cost-efficiency measures applicable to the concrete industry. Specific energy and cost savings and a typical payback period are included based on literature and case studies, when available. The Energy Guide intends to provide information on cost reduction opportunities to energy and plant managers in the U.S. concrete industry. Every cost saving opportunity should be assessed carefully prior to implementation in individual plants, as the economics and the potential energy and material savings may differ

Brazilian immigration in Spain: features, singularities and influence of historical ties

The article presents the main features and specifications of recent Brazilian immigration in Spain in relation to some dimensions of their migratory path: the reasons for the choice of migration destination, entry strategies and regulation in the country, the process of adaptation in the host society and the labor insertion in the Spanish context; in addition to describe the socio-demographic profile of the Brazilian population in Spain. The study is based on primary data obtained through in-depth interviews in the society of origin and the destination, as well as statistical data. The research results highlight, among others, relations between the migratory processes of the past and present, between Brazil and Spain.187

Oral lichen planus. An evolutive clinical and histological study of 45 patients followed up on for five years

A study is made of 45 patients clinically and histologically diagnosed of oral lichen planus, and followed up on for 5 years. The course of the disease was monitored after three months and one, two and five years. The patients were classified in terms of lesion evolution (healed, improved, stationary or worse). Two evolutive groups were established for statistical purposes: (a) favorable (healed or improved lesions) and unfavorable cases (stationary or worsened oral lesions); and (b) healed and non-healed cases. Statistical correlations were established between these evolutive groups and different clinical and histological parameters, in an attempt to identify parameters of predictive value in the course of the disease. No statistically significant results were obtained, with the exception of inflammatory infiltrate. Thus, the depth of this infiltrate was found to be greater in patients with an unfavorable evolution (p = 0.02) than in those with a favorable course. Likewise, the inflammatory infiltrate was greater in non-healed than in healed cases.Dans ce travail, nous présentons une série de 45 patients, suivis pendant 5 ans, diagnostiqués cliniquement et histologiquement de lichen plan oral. Des contrôles évolutifs réalisés au bout de 3 mois, un an, deux ans et au bout de cinq ans ont classé les patients en fonction de l’évolution qu’ils présentaient en cas qui avaient guéri de leurs lésions, qui s’étaient améliorés, qui continuaient pareil et finalement ceux qui avaient empiré. Vis-à-vis des statistiques 2 groupes évolutifs se sont faits: 1) cas favorables (les guéris et ceux qui s’étaient améliorés), cas défavorables (ceux qui ne présentaient aucun changement ou ceux qui avaient empiré de leurs lésions intraorales) et 2) cas guéris, cas non-guéris. Diverses corrélations statistiques se sont établies entre ces groupes évolutifs et une série de variables cliniques et histologiques pour trouver un paramètre ayant une valeur de prédiction dans l’évolution de la maladie. Nous n’avons trouvé aucune donnée significativement statistique si l’on excepte une infiltration inflammatoire. Ainsi, nous démontrons une plus grande profondité moyenne de celle-ci dans les cas qui présentent une évolution défavorable (p = 0.02) que dans les cas favorables. De la même façon, nous trouvons une plus grande infiltration dans les cas non-guéris que dans les guéris

A novel rhein-huprine hybrid ameliorates disease-modifying properties in preclinical mice model of Alzheimer's disease exacerbated with high fat diet

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by a polyetiological origin. Despite the global burden of AD and the advances made in AD drug research and development, the cure of the disease remains elusive, since any developed drug has demonstrated effectiveness to cure AD. Strikingly, an increasing number of studies indicate a linkage between AD and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), as both diseases share some common pathophysiological features. In fact, β-secretase (BACE1) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE), two enzymes involved in both conditions, have been considered promising targets for both pathologies. In this regard, due to the multifactorial origin of these diseases, current research efforts are focusing on the development of multi-target drugs as a very promising option to derive effective treatments for both conditions. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of rhein-huprine hybrid (RHE-HUP), a synthesized BACE1 and AChE inhibitor, both considered key factors not only in AD but also in metabolic pathologies. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of this compound in APP/PS1 female mice, a well-established familial AD mouse model, challenged by high-fat diet (HFD) consumption to concomitantly simulate a T2DM-like condition. Results: Intraperitoneal treatment with RHE-HUP in APP/PS1 mice for 4 weeks reduced the main hallmarks of AD, including Tau hyperphosphorylation, Aβ42 peptide levels and plaque formation. Moreover, we found a decreased inflammatory response together with an increase in different synaptic proteins, such as drebrin 1 (DBN1) or synaptophysin, and in neurotrophic factors, especially in BDNF levels, correlated with a recovery in the number of dendritic spines, which resulted in memory improvement. Notably, the improvement observed in this model can be attributed directly to a protein regulation at central level, since no peripheral modification of those alterations induced by HFD consumption was observed. Conclusions: Our results suggest that RHE-HUP could be a new candidate for the treatment of AD, even for individuals with high risk due to peripheral metabolic disturbances, given its multi-target profile which allows for the improvement of some of the most important hallmarks of the disease

Demand, services and social aspects of mitigation

Assessment of the social science literature and regional case studies reveals how social norms, culture, and individual choices, interact with infrastructure and other structural changes over time. This provides new insight into climate change mitigation strategies, and how economic and social activity might be organised across sectors to support emission reductions. To enhance well-being, people demand services and not primary energy and physical resources per se. Focusing on demand for services and the different social and political roles people play broadens the participation in climate action

Planet-compatible pathways for transitioning the chemical industry

Chemical products, such as plastics, solvents, and fertilizers, are essential for supporting modern lifestyles. Yet, producing, using, and disposing of chemicals creates adverse environmental impacts which threaten the industry’s license to operate. This study presents seven planet-compatible pathways toward 2050 employing demand-side and supply-side interventions with cumulative total investment costs of US$1.2–3.7 trillion. Resource efficiency and circularity interventions reduce global chemicals demand by 23 to 33% and are critical for mitigating risks associated with using fossil feedstocks and carbon capture and sequestration, and constraints on available biogenic and recyclate feedstocks. Replacing fossil feedstocks with biogenic/air-capture sources, shifting carbon destinations from the atmosphere to ground, and electrifying/decarbonizing energy supply for production technologies could enable net negative emissions of 0.5 GtCO2eq y−1 across non-ammonia chemicals, while still delivering essential chemical-based services to society

Report to Congress on Server and Data Center Energy Efficiency: Public Law 109-431: Appendices

This report is the appendices to a companion report, prepared in response to the request from Congress stated in Public Law 109-431 (H.R. 5646),"An Act to Study and Promote the Use of Energy Efficient Computer Servers in the United States." This report assesses current trends in energy use and energy costs of data centers and servers in the U.S. (especially Federal government facilities) and outlines existing and emerging opportunities for improved energy efficiency. It also makes recommendations for pursuing these energy-efficiency opportunities broadly across the country through the use of information and incentive-based programs

Report to Congress on Server and Data Center Energy Efficiency: Public Law 109-431: Appendices

This report is the appendices to a companion report, prepared in response to the request from Congress stated in Public Law 109-431 (H.R. 5646),"An Act to Study and Promote the Use of Energy Efficient Computer Servers in the United States." This report assesses current trends in energy use and energy costs of data centers and servers in the U.S. (especially Federal government facilities) and outlines existing and emerging opportunities for improved energy efficiency. It also makes recommendations for pursuing these energy-efficiency opportunities broadly across the country through the use of information and incentive-based programs

Material Cycles, Industry and Service Provisioning: A Review of Low Energy and Material Demand Modelling and Scenarios

Developing transformative pathways for industry’s compliance with international climate targets requires model-based insights on how supply- and demand-side measures affect industry, material cycles, global supply chains, socio-economic activities and service provisioning supporting societal wellbeing. Herein, we review the recent literature modelling the industrial system for Low Energy and Materials Demand (LEMD) futures, resulting in lowered environmental pressures without relying on negative emissions. We identify 77 innovative studies drawing on nine distinct industry modelling traditions and critically assess system definitions and scopes, biophysical and thermodynamic consistency, granularity and heterogeneity, and operationalization of demand and service provision. We find large potentials of combined supply- and demand-side measures to reduce current economy-wide material use by -56%, energy use by -40 to -60%, and GHG emissions by -70% to net-zero. We call for strengthening interdisciplinary collaborations between industry modelling traditions and demand-side research, to produce more insightful scenarios and discuss research challenges and recommendations

Deconstruyendo al inmigrante latinoamericano: las políticas migratorias ibéricas como tecnologías neocoloniales

Resumen Las migraciones latinoamericanas hacia la Península Ibérica han experimentado un fuerte crecimiento durante las dos últimas décadas. En este contexto, los estados español y portugués han implementado políticas que construyen al inmigrante latinoamericano como un extranjero excepcional, subrayando una supuesta compatibilidad cultural como garantía de una mejor integración social en la sociedad receptora. El tratamiento político y legal diferenciado hacia esta población entronca así con un discurso que enfatiza la importancia de los vínculos históricos y culturales que unen a Latinoamérica y a la Península Ibérica desde hace cinco siglos. Partiendo de las teorías decoloniales, este trabajo aborda de manera comparada la evolución de este discurso político-legal en España y Portugal a lo largo de los últimos veinte años, prestando especial atención tanto a sus manifestaciones concretas en leyes y políticas públicas como a los distintos momentos en que ha sido adoptado, mantenido y abandonado en función de las circunstancias