Life-cycle costs and impacts on energy-related building renovation assessments

"Published online: 15 Jun 2017"Many regulations and initiatives to promote the reduction of the energy consumption and carbon emissions have been implemented in the building sector. However, they are mostly targeted for new buildings. In order to reach the goals that are being established, it is necessary to act in new but especially in the existing buildings, which correspond to the majority of the European building stock. Building renovation improves the buildings? energy performance, reducing the carbon emissions related to the operation of the building but involves adding new materials and technical systems. The production process of these new materials uses energy (embodied energy) and releases carbon emissions. In this sense, to evaluate the relevance of the embodied energy in building renovation, IEA EBC project Annex 56, developed a methodological framework to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of building renovation solutions which include a life-cycle impact assessment. Thus, using a particular case study, different renovation solutions are compared with and without considering the embodied energy. The results have shown that the embodied energy do not have a major impact on the evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of the renovation solutions, but as the renovation energy target gets closer to zero non-renewable energy level, its relevance increases.(undefined)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Relevance of embodied energy on building retrofit assessment

Many regulations and initiatives to promote the reduction of the energy consumption and carbon emissions have been implemented in the building sector. However, they are mostly targeted for new buildings. In order to have an effective impact and reach the goals that are being established, it is necessary to act in new but especially in the existing buildings, which correspond to the majority of the European building stock. Building renovation improves the buildings’ energy performance, reducing the carbon emissions related to the operation of the building but the renovation involves adding new materials and technical systems. The production process of these new materials uses energy (embodied energy) and releases carbon emissions. In this sense, after a certain level of energy efficiency, the materials added to the building may have more embodied energy than the energy savings they will lead to. To evaluate the relevance of the embodied energy in building renovation, IEA EBC project Annex 56, developed a methodological framework to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of building renovation solutions which include a life-cycle impact assessment. In this context and using a particular case study, different renovation solutions are compared with and without considering the embodied energy. The results have shown that the embodied energy do not have a major impact on the evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of the renovation solutions, but as the renovation approach gets closer to zero non-renewable energy level, its relevance increases

Análise comparativa da radiopacidade do MTA e cimento Portland nos sistemas radiográficos digitais e convencionais

Introduction: The present study aimed evaluates objectively the radiopacity of MTA and Portland Cement (PC) in conventional and digital radiographic systems. Methods: Five test specimens for each material had been confectioned with 10mm of diameter and 2mm of thickness and exposed on a E/F Kodak Insight film together with a lead plate and step wedge in a focus-film distance of 40cm, device of 70kVp, 8mA and time of exposition of 0,4 and 0,2 second for the conventional and digital system respectively. The optic densities were measured in the radiograph and the values of pixels, in the digital images. For each exposure a graph was made of the measured values versus mmAl, to generate a radiopacity curve of the step wedge steps, obtaining the correspondence in equivalence of mmAl of the studied materials. Results: The statistical test of Mann-Whitney showed statistical significant difference between the radiopacity of MTA and PC, whereas it did not between the gotten results in the radiographical systems. Conclusions: MTA can be used in odontologic clinic because showed radiopacity inside of the standards demanded by specification N○ 57 of the American National Standards/ American Dental Association, whereas PC, not. Therefore, it is necessary the addition of radiopacificators in PC in attempt to increase its radiopacity which is an essential property of odontologic cements.Objetivo: O presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a radiopacidade do Agregado de trióxido mineral (MTA) e Cimento Portland (PC) em imagens radiográficas convencionais e digitais a fim de verificar se estão em conformidade com a especificação ANSI / ADA. Materiais e Métodos: Cinco corpos de prova para cada material com 10mm de diâmetro, 1mm de espessura e um penetrômetro foram expostos a 70kVp, 8mA a uma distância foco-filme de 30cm. Os tempos de exposição foram 0,4 e 0,2 s para o filme Insight Kodak e sistema digital CR Kodak 7400, respectivamente. A densidade óptica foi medida na radiografia através de um fotodensitômetro e o valor de pixel foi obtido para as imagens digitais. Um gráfico dos valores obtidos versus mmAl foi elaborado a fim de gerar uma curva de radiopacidade dos degraus do penetrômetro, obtendo a correspondência em equivalência de mmAl dos materiais estudados Um gráfico foi feito para os valores medidos em comparação mmAl, a fim de gerar uma curva de radiopacidade dos passos penetrômetro, obtendo-se a correspondência de equivalência de mmAl dos materiais estudados. Resultados: O teste estatístico de Mann-Whitney mostrou diferença estatística significativa na radiopacidade entre MTA e PC, tanto no sistema convencional (valor p = 0,009) e digital(valor p = 0,009). O mesmo teste também mostrou diferença estatística significativa entre os sistemas convencionais e digitais em ambos os materiais (p = 0,016 valueMTA-e p-valuecp = 0,009). Conclusões: MTA e CP não apresentaram radiopacidade dentro dos padrões exigidos pela especificação N ○ 57 do American National Standards / American Dental Association

Healthy novel gluten-free formulations based on beans, carob fruit and rice: Extrusion effect on organic acids, tocopherols, phenolic compounds and bioactivity

Rice and legumes have great potential in the development of novel gluten-free snacks that are healthier than traditional snacks. Novel gluten-free extruded foods (composed of rice: 50–80%, beans: 20–40% and carob: 5–10%) were analysed and the extrusion effects regarding organic acids, tocopherols, phenolic compounds and bioactive properties were evaluated. The total concentration of organic acids was not significantly affected by extrusion, while tocopherols showed a significant reduction. Extrusion did not produce an increase of the total phenolic content. For the bioactivity assays, commercial extruded rice, carob and most of the extruded samples showed anti-proliferative activity, which was higher than in the non-extruded samples, while for the anti-inflammatory activity, the extrusion process did not show a significant effect. Regarding the antimicrobial activity, low potential was observed with extruded and non-extruded samples showing high values of MIC and MBC as the microorganisms tested were multi-resistant isolated clinical strains.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Program PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2019), L. Barros and R. Calhelha contracts. The authors are also grateful to FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal programme for financial support through the project 0377_Iberphenol_6_E, to the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Project RTA2012-00042-C02) and INIA for the financial support of C. Arribas.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Preservation of chocolate muffins with Lemon Balm, Oregano, and Rosemary extracts

Muffins are snacks made from flour and chocolate and preserved with synthetic additives. Following consumer trends, the search for natural food additives has gained traction. Plants such as rosemary, lemon balm, and oregano were analyzed following an optimization of ultrasound assisted extraction, screened for their antioxidant and antimicrobial activity and incorporated in chocolate muffins, comparing them to synthetic preservatives over the course of 8 days. The nutritional profile, organic and fatty acids, soluble sugars, texture profile, external color and digital imaging of the muffin pores were analyzed. Slight changes were sought for the muffins incorporated with the natural extracts. By means of linear discriminant analysis, rosemary extract was considered the most promising extract to preserve the muffins due to its similarity to potassium sorbate, showing no changes in the muffins it was incorporated in, although it showed a lower amount of phenolic compounds when compared to lemon balm.This research was funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal programme for financial support through the project TRANSCoLAB 0612_TRANS_CO_LAB_2_. The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES to the CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020). L.B. and R.C.C. also thank the national funding by FCT—Foundation for Science and Technology, through the institutional scientific employment program-contract for their contracts and, M.C., S.H. and J.P. to the national funding by FCT—Foundation for Science and Technology, through the individual scientific employment program-contracts (CEECIND/00831/2018, CEECIND/03040/2017 and CEECIND/01011/2018). The authors are also grateful to FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal programme for financial support through the project TRANSCoLAB 0612_TRANS_CO_LAB_2_. M.C.P. and J.M.U. contributed in the same manner for this manuscript.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Utilização do cultivo in vitro de folículos pré-antrais suínos inclusos em tecido ovariano (in situ) como modelo de avaliação da eficiência de medicamentos homeopáticos na foliculogênese inicial

Este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar o efeito dos medicamentos homeopáticos (Pulsatilla nigricans e hormônio folículo estimulante homeopático - FSH) e um complexo homeopático (Bos Stress Fertilis) na foliculogênese inicial, utilizando o cultivo in vitro de folículos pré-antrais suínos como modelo in vitro. Para tanto, fragmentos ovarianos foram cultivados por um ou sete dias em α-MEM+ na ausência (controle cultivado) ou presença de FSH homeopático (6 cH), Pulsatilla (6 CH), Bos Stress Fertilis (6 CH), álcool cereal (50% - v/v) ou FSH recombinante (50 ng/ml) adicionados diariamente. Os fragmentos ovarianos não cultivados (controle fresco) ou cultivados por um e sete dias foram processados para histologia clássica. Somente o composto homeopático Bos Stress Fertilis foi eficiente em manter o percentual de sobrevivência folicular após sete dias de cultivo semelhante ao controle não cultivado e α-MEM+. Em relação ao crescimento folicular, somente a adição de FSH homeopático aumentou o diâmetro folicular quando comparado ao controle não cultivado e α-MEM+ após um dia de cultivo. Dessa forma, pode-se concluir que a adição dos medicamentos homeopáticos Bos Stress fertilis e FSH homeopático (6 CH) melhoraram, respectivamente, a sobrevivência e o crescimento in vitro de folículos pré-antrais suínos inclusos em fragmentos de tecido ovariano. Palavras-chave: Folículo pré-antral; FSH; Fomeopatia; Ovário; Suín

Non Electrocardiographic alterations in exercise testing in asymptomatic women. Associations with cardiovascular risk factors

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of exercise testing alterations in middle-aged women without symptoms of heart disease and to verify the associations of functional capacity and heart rate behavior during and after exercise with cardiovascular risk factors. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 509 asymptomatic women aged between 46 and 65 years who underwent clinical evaluations and exercise testing (Bruce protocol). The heart rate behavior was evaluated by the maximal predicted heart rate achieved, chronotropic index and recovery heart rate. RESULTS: The mean age was 56.4±4.8 years, and 13.4% of the patients had a Framingham risk score above 10%. In the exercise treadmill testing, 58.0% presented one or more of the following alterations (listed in order of ascending prevalence): symptoms (angina, dyspnea, and dizziness), ST-segment depression, arrhythmia, reduction in recovery heart rate of p12 bpm at 1 minute, altered maximal predicted heart rate achieved, abnormal blood pressure, functional capacity deficiency, and altered chronotropic index. In the multivariate analysis, the following associations (odds ratio) were observed for these alterations: chronotropic index was associated with obesity (2.08) and smoking (4.47); maximal predicted heart rate achieved was associated with smoking (6.45); reduction in the recovery heart rate at 1 minute was associated with age (1.09) and obesity (2.78); functional capacity was associated with age (0.92), an overweight status (2.29) and obesity (6.51). CONCLUSIONS: More than half of middle-aged women without cardiovascular symptoms present alterations in one or more exercise testing parameters. Alterations in the functional capacity or heart rate behavior, as verified by exercise testing, are associated with age, smoking, an overweight status and obesity

Promising preserving agents from sage and basil: a case study with yogurts

In the present work, sage (Salvia officinalis L.) and basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) were exploited for their preservative purposes, as viable alternatives to artificial ones. The ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of bioactive compounds was pre-optimized using factorial screening analysis, prior to applying response surface methodology (RSM). The obtained extracts were characterized in terms of phenolic compounds by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to photodiode array detector and mass spectrometer HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS and bioactivities, namely the antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic potential. In addition, the most promising extracts were incorporated into yogurts, that were further screened for nutritional and physico-chemical properties and microbial load, over a shelf life of 14 days. According to the obtained results, the solvent percentage is the most relevant factor for obtaining rosmarinic acid-rich extract, followed by the extraction time and ultrasonic power. For the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, sage showed the best result for both analysis and none of the two plant extracts were hepatotoxic. Finally, both extracts did not show changes in the physicochemical and nutritional characteristics of the yogurts and did not interfere with the growth of lactic acid bacteria, an important microorganism during yogurt fermentation. These results highlight the high potential of sage and basil as natural preservatives.Please add: This research was funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and ERDF, through the Incentive System to Research and Technological development, within the Portugal2020 Competitiveness and Internationalization Operational Program for the financial support to BIOMA: POCI_01_0247_FEDER_046112; ERDF through the Regional Operational Program North 2020, within the scope of Project GreenHealth: Norte-01-0145-FEDER-000042. FCT: Portugal for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES to the CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020) and to F.A. Fernandes PhD grant (SFRH/BD/145467/2019). L. Barros, M.I. Dias and R.C. Calhelha also thank the national funding by FCT, P.I., through the institutional scientific employment program-contract for their contracts and M. Carocho (CEECIND/00831/2018), J. Pinela (CEECIND/01011/2018) and S.A. Heleno (CEECIND/03040/2017) to the national funding by FCT, P.I., through the individual scientific employment program-contracts; ERDF, through the Incentive System to Research and Technological development, within the Portugal2020 Competitiveness and Internationalization Operational Program for the financial support to BIOMA: POCI_01_0247_FEDER_046112; ERDF through the Regional Operational Program North 2020, within the scope of Project GreenHealth: Norte-01-0145-FEDER-000042. Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development [Contract No. 451-03-68/2020-14/200007] for MI and MS.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

a study from ecological theory and social network analysis perspective

The objective of the present study was to analyze and compare the setter's decision-making (DM) in the offensive construction of the side-out (attack from the reception) in high-level men's volleyball. The sample consisted of the analysis of 132 games of the Brazilian men's volleyball Super-League 2021/2022, with 22 games for each team. The results showed that the eigenvector values were higher for setting to position 3, central attacker next to the setter, simple block, and obtaining the attack point. In addition, the setter's DM was similar between teams, suggesting that the game strategies aim to provide subsidies for the setter to make the decisions according to the game context in a flexible way and generate benefits for the attackers about the number of blockers, being that under ideal conditions and due to the lifter's correct choices in distribution, central blockers avoid anticipating the setting, and this fact allows the conditions of a single block or double-broken blocks in most cases. As a practical application, setting for the central attacker in position 3 becomes an interesting option for point acquisition and is capable of influencing the number of blockers, as well as the optimal blocking condition. Another application would be for the central attacker to position themselves close to the setter, a strategy that would enable the use of the "pipe" attack in other areas of the court with lower defensive blocking power.9E1A-F9DD-3EB8 | Filipe Manuel ClementeN/

Experiência, teoria e ação : práticas pedagógicas de ensino de língua portuguesa

-Este livro apresenta ações pedagógicas de ensino de língua portuguesa e literatura implementadas no âmbito do Mestrado Profissional em Letras da Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora. Em uma perspectiva de pesquisa ação, foram desenvolvidas intervenções em sala de aula de ensino básico, pautadas em abordagens teóricas recentes. As motivações, etapas de intervenção, bases teóricas, experiências e resultados das intervenções são expostos e discutidos na obra como forma de incentivar a replicação de ações exitosas de ensino de língua materna