The Use of Systems Analysis in Environmental Engineering

The depletion of energy resources has been of primary concern in the `70s and `80s. In recent years, the decline of the environment due primarily to our energy-related activities has become severe and raises serious concern too. For this reason, method to analyze, improve and optimize energy-intensive systems have to deal not only with energy consumption and economics, but also with the pollution and degradation of the environment

Metabolic alterations in experimental models of depression

Introduction: Major depressive disorder is one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders and is associated with a severe impact on the personal functioning, thus with incurring significant direct and indirect costs. The presence of depression in patients with medical comorbidities increases the risks of myocardial infarction and decreases diabetes control, and adherence to treatment. The mechanism through which these effects are produced is still uncertain. Objectives of this study were to evaluate the metabolic alterations in female Wistar rats with induced depression, with and without administration of Agomelatine. The methods included two experiments. All data were analyzed by comparison with group I (control), and with each other. In the first experiment we induced depression by: exposure to chronic mild stress-group II; olfactory bulbectomy-group III; and exposure to chronic mild stress and hyperlipidic/ hyper caloric diet-group IV. The second experiment was similar with the first but the rats received Agomelatine (0.16mg/ animal): group V (depression induced through exposure to chronic mild stress), VI (depression induced through olfactory bulbectomy) and VII (depression induced through exposure to chronic mild stressing hyperlipidic/ hypercaloric diet). Weight, cholesterol, triglycerides and glycaemia were measured at day 0 and 28, and leptin value was measured at day 28. The results in the 1st experiment revealed significant differences (pconclusion, significant correlations were found between high level of triglycerides and depression induced by chronic stress and olfactory bulbectomy. Agomelatine groups had a lower increase of triglycerides levels

The Influence of Moisture on Thermal Conductivity for Building Materials

The purpose of the study is to determine the influence of moisture on thermal conductivity for a range of building materials. A series of building materials and insulation materials have a porous, fibrous or granular structure, in which blanks are filled with air. If these areas are filled with moisture or water, the thermal conductivity of the material increases, and the insulation capacity decreases. The thermal conductivity of the analyzed materials was measured in accordance with ISO 8301 protocols

Epidemic dispersion of HIV and HCV in a population of co-infected Romanian injecting drug users

Co-infections with HIV and HCV are very frequent among people who inject drugs (PWID). However, very few studies comparatively reconstructed the transmission patterns of both viruses in the same population. We have recruited 117 co-infected PWID during a recent HIV outbreak in Romania. Phylogenetic analyses were performed on HIV and HCV sequences in order to characterize and compare transmission dynamics of the two viruses. Three large HIV clusters (2 subtype F1 and one CRF14_BG) and thirteen smaller HCV transmission networks (genotypes 1a, 1b, 3a, 4a and 4d) were identified. Eighty (65%) patients were both in HIV and HCV transmission chains and 70 of those shared the same HIV and HCV cluster with at least one other patient. Molecular clock analysis indicated that all identified HIV clusters originated around 2006, while the origin of the different HCV clusters ranged between 1980 (genotype 1b) and 2011 (genotypes 3a and 4d). HCV infection preceded HIV infection in 80.3% of cases. Coincidental transmission of HIV and HCV was estimated to be rather low (19.65%) and associated with an outbreak among PWID during detention in the same penitentiary. This study has reconstructed and compared the dispersion of these two viruses in a PWID population. © 2017 Paraschiv et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited

Earlier initiation of antiretroviral treatment coincides with an initial control of the HIV-1 sub-subtype F1 outbreak among men-having-sex-with-men in Flanders, Belgium

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) non-B subtype infections occurred in Belgium since the 1980s, mainly amongst migrants and heterosexuals, whereas subtype B predominated in men-having-sex-with-men (MSM). In the last decade, the diagnosis of F1 sub-subtype in particular has increased substantially, which prompted us to perform a detailed reconstruction of its epidemiological history. To this purpose, the Belgian AIDS Reference Laboratories collected HIV-1 pol sequences from all sub-subtype F1-infected patients for whom genotypic drug resistance testing was requested as part of routine clinical follow-up. This data was complemented with HIV-1 pol sequences from countries with a high burden of F1 infections or a potential role in the global origin of sub-subtype F1. The molecular epidemiology of the Belgian subtype F1 epidemic was investigated using Bayesian phylogenetic inference and transmission dynamics were characterized based on birth-death models. F1 sequences were retained from 297 patients diagnosed and linked to care in Belgium between 1988 and 2015. Phylogenetic inference indicated that among the 297 Belgian F1 sequences, 191 belonged to a monophyletic group that mainly contained sequences from people likely infected in Belgium (OR 26.67, 95% CI 9.59-74.15), diagnosed in Flanders (OR 7.28, 95% CI 4.23-12.53), diagnosed at a recent stage of infection (OR 7.19, 95% CI 2.88-17.95) or declared to be MSM (OR 34.8, 95% CI 16.0-75.6). Together with a Spanish clade, this Belgian clade was embedded in the genetic diversity of Brazilian subtype F1 strains and most probably emerged after one or only a few migration events from Brazil to the European continent before 2002. The origin of the Belgian outbreak was dated back to 2002 (95% higher posterior density 2000-2004) and birth-death models suggested that its extensive growth had been controlled (Re < 1) by 2012, coinciding with a time period where delay in antiretroviral treatment initiation substantially declined. In conclusion, phylogenetic reconstruction of the Belgian HIV-1 sub-subtype F1 epidemic illustrates the introduction and substantial dissemination of viral strains in a geographically restricted risk group that was most likely controlled by effective treatment as prevention.publishersversionpublishe

Contribution of renewable energy (hydro, wind, solar and biomass) to decarbonization and transformation of the electricity generation sector for sustainable development

Decarbonization of the energy sector to mitigate the consequences of climate change is possible by incorporating a greater share of electricity from renewable sources and thus reducing the share of fossil fuels in the energy mix, improving energy efficiency in general and increasing energy storage capacities. Renewable energies are increasingly permeating energy systems, causing significant shifts in the energy production mix. The success of transforming the electricity mix is dependent on the variability of renewable energy sources such as solar photovoltaic, wind, biomass, and hydro. The share of renewable sources in Romania’s energy mix was determined based on real data on electricity generation and consumption in 2019. However, the current electricity consumption has significantly surpassed the electricity produced from renewable sources. Specifically, the combined contribution of hydro, solar photovoltaic, wind, and biomass energy accounted for 39.86% of the total electricity consumption

An overview of energy intensity of drinking water production and wastewater treatment

Drinking water has long been a free resource, but its cost is rising due to increased pollution of both surface and aquifer water sources. Drinking water requires special treatment to be potable and usable by the general public, treatments that consume a certain amount of energy. In addition, the treatment process of wastewater before it is discharged into the environment consumes energy. According to the study, the energy required for wastewater treatment is significantly greater than the energy required for preparing drinking water. Water treatment is a significant source of GHG emissions due to the use of energy and chemicals, and reducing energy consumption would significantly reduce our overall carbon footprint. Furthermore, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals encourage access to safe drinking water and sanitation while also calling for greater resource efficiency. This research aims to provide an overview of the energy used in water treatment. This study attempts to depict the energy used in water treatment. Electricity consumption for water supply and wastewater treatment is substantial and has a significant environmental impact, particularly in countries where electricity is generated using fossil fuels

OMI and Ground-Based In-Situ Tropospheric Nitrogen Dioxide Observations over Several Important European Cities during 2005–2014

In this work we present the evolution of tropospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) content over several important European cities during 2005–2014 using space observations and ground-based in-situ measurements. The NO2 content was derived using the daily observations provided by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), while the NO2 volume mixing ratio measurements were obtained from the European Environment Agency (EEA) air quality monitoring stations database. The European cities selected are: Athens (37.98° N, 23.72° E), Berlin (52.51° N, 13.41° E), Bucharest (44.43° N, 26.10° E), Madrid (40.38° N, 3.71° W), Lisbon (38.71° N, 9.13° W), Paris (48.85° N, 2.35° E), Rome (41.9° N, 12.50° E), and Rotterdam (51.91° N, 4.46° E). We show that OMI NO2 tropospheric column data can be used to assess the evolution of NO2 over important European cities. According to the statistical analysis, using the seasonal variation, we found good correlations (R &gt; 0.50) between OMI and ground-based in-situ observations for all of the cities presented in this work. Highest correlation coefficients (R &gt; 0.80) between ground-based monitoring stations and OMI observations were calculated for the cities of Berlin, Madrid, and Rome. Both types of observations, in-situ and remote sensing, show an NO2 negative trend for all of locations presented in this study