Análise técnica e ambiental da produção de AQS: caso de estudo

Mestrado em Sistemas Energéticos SustentáveisO aproveitamento de energia solar apresenta desafios técnicos, custos económicos e ambientais que importa racionalizar. Os objetivos deste trabalho são a realização uma avaliação técnica, ambiental e económica de produção de água quente sanitária (AQS) a partir de um caso de estudo. O método de trabalho utilizado obedeceu a uma metodologia top-down, ou seja, a partir da observação da realidade de uma instalação de produção doméstica de água quente sanitária que inclui um conjunto de dispositivos de aquecimento baseado em painéis solares térmicos e caldeira de apoio a gás. Para o efeito, numa habitação foi monitorizada ao longo do ano quer a utilização água quente quer de utilização de gás combustível, quer as condições de irradiação solar, temperaturas da instalação. Para a avaliação económica e ambiental do sistema, foi realizado o inventário do material e equipamento instalado bem como dos respetivos custos de aquisição e incidências ambientais. Para efeitos de análise, os investimentos realizados foram considerados sob quatro conjuntos de equipamentos: A - Painéis solares e acessórios, B - Dispositivo de distribuição de água quente solar, C – Dispositivos adicionais (filtração de AFS, bomba recirculadora, válvulas para utilização de água quente em MLR e MLL) e D - Dispositivo de aquecimento de água de reforço/alternativo. De modo avaliar o interesse económico e ambiental do sistema de AQS, criaram-se cinco projetos (R1, R2, R3, R4 e R5) cada um dos quais tendo em conta diferentes perspetivas de análise. A análise económica dos diferentes projetos foi realizada numa base anual e para um horizonte temporal de 15 anos, recorrendo a um modelo de análise económica de projetos baseado na ótica do utilizador/consumidor, (excluindo amortizações e impostos que não o IVA), tendo sido escolhido como critério o Valor Atualizado Líquido (VAL), tendo em conta os custos de investimento, os custos operatórios e, quando aplicável, as poupanças previstas. A análise técnica mostrou a necessidade de cobrir os painéis durantes os períodos de maior radiação solar e ausência de utilização (férias de verão), a afinação de set-point de temperatura, a melhoria do posicionamento do depósito de acumulação de água quente. Os resultados da análise económica permitiram concluir que o investimento em painéis solares só é vantajoso desde que a duração do projeto seja cerca de 20 anos, que pode ser vantajoso a recuperação de água de desperdício de AQS e a utilização de água quente para alimentação às máquinas de lavar loiça e roupa. Os resultados da análise ambiental permitiram concluir que o projeto com maior pegada de carbono é o que resulta da utilização exclusiva de gás butano, sendo que os projectos envolvendo a energia solar térmica apresentam benefícios ambientais significativos em resultado das poupanças de electricidade, gás e água.The use of solar energy presents technical challenges, economic and environmental costs that need to be rationalized. The objectives of this work are to carry out a technical, environmental and economic evaluation of the use of domestic hot water (DHW) from a case study. The work method used was based on a top-down analysis, that is, from the observation of the reality of a domestic hot water installation that includes a set of heating devices based on thermal solar panels and butane gas boiler. For this purpose, a dwelling was monitored throughout the year using both hot water and the use of combustible gas, as well as solar irradiation conditions and installation temperatures. For the economic and environmental evaluation of the system, an inventory of the equipment was carried out, as well as their acquisition costs and environmental impacts. For analysis purposes, the investments made were considered under four sets of equipment: A - Solar panels and accessories, B - Solar hot water distribution device, C - Additional devices (AFS filtration, recirculating pump, valves for hot water use in washing machines) and D - alternate water heating device. In order to evaluate the economic and environmental interest of the DHW system, five projects (R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5) were created, each taking into account different analysis perspectives. The economic analysis of the different projects was carried out on an annual basis for a 15-year time horizon, using a model of economic analysis of projects based on the user / consumer perspective (excluding depreciation and taxes other than VAT). Taking into account the investment costs, the operating costs and, when applicable, the expected savings. The technical analysis showed the need to cover the panels during periods of higher solar radiation and absence of user (summer vacation), set-point temperature tuning, improved positioning of the hot water storage tank. The results of the economic analysis have led to the conclusion that investment in solar panels is only advantageous if the duration of the project is about 20 years, which may be advantageous for the recovery of waste water and the use of hot water for feeding to the washing machines. The results of the environmental analysis allowed to conclude that the project with the highest carbon footprint results of the exclusive use of butane gas, and the projects involving solar thermal heat have significant benefits as a result of the savings of gas and wate

Presence of structural homologs of ubiquitin in haloalkaliphilic Archaea

Ubiquitin, a protein widely conserved in eukaryotes, is involved in many cellular processes, including proteolysis. While sequences encoding ubiquitin-like proteins have not been identified in prokaryotic genomes sequenced so far, they have revealed the presence of structural and functional homologs of ubiquitin in Bacteria and Archaea. This work describes the amplification and proteomic analysis of a 400-bp DNA fragment from the haloalkaliphilic archaeon Natrialba magadii. The encoded polypeptide, P400, displayed structural homology to ubiquitin-like proteins such as those of the This family and Urm1. Expression of the P400 DNA sequence in Escherichia coli cells yielded a recombinant polypeptide that reacted with anti-ubiquitin antibodies. In addition, a putative open reading frame encoding P400 was identified in the recently sequenced genome of N. magadii. Together, these results evidence the presence in Archaea of structural homologs of ubiquitin-related proteins.Fil: Nercessian, Debora. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Marino, Cristina Ester. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas "Prof. Alejandro C. Paladini". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Ordoñez, Maria Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: de Castro, Rosana Esther. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Conde, Ruben Danilo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; Argentin

Quantum approximated cloning-assisted density matrix exponentiation

Classical information loading is an essential task for many processing quantum algorithms, constituting a cornerstone in the field of quantum machine learning. In particular, the embedding techniques based on Hamiltonian simulation techniques enable the loading of matrices into quantum computers. A representative example of these methods is the Lloyd-Mohseni-Rebentrost protocol, which efficiently implements matrix exponentiation when multiple copies of a quantum state are available. However, this is a quite ideal set up, and in a realistic scenario, the copies are limited and the non-cloning theorem prevents from producing more exact copies in order to increase the accuracy of the protocol. Here, we propose a method to circumvent this limitation by introducing imperfect quantum copies that significantly enhance the performance of previous proposals

Enhanced emotional reactivity after selective REM sleep deprivation in humans: an fMRI study

Converging evidence from animal and human studies suggest that rapid eye movement (REM) sleep modulates emotional processing. The aim of the present study was to explore the effects of selective REM sleep deprivation (REM-D) on emotional responses to threatening visual stimuli and their brain correlates using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Twenty healthy subjects were randomly assigned to two groups: selective REM-D, by awakening them at each REM sleep onset, or non-rapid eye movement sleep interruptions (NREM-I) as control for potential non-specific effects of awakenings and lack of sleep. In a within-subject design, a visual emotional reactivity task was performed in the scanner before and 24 h after sleep manipulation. Behaviorally, emotional reactivity was enhanced relative to baseline (BL) in the REM deprived group only. In terms of fMRI signal, there was, as expected, an overall decrease in activity in the NREM-I group when subjects performed the task the second time, particularly in regions involved in emotional processing, such as occipital and temporal areas, as well as in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, involved in top-down emotion regulation. In contrast, activity in these areas remained the same level or even increased in the REM-D group, compared to their BL level. Taken together, these results suggest that lack of REM sleep in humans is associated with enhanced emotional reactivity, both at behavioral and neural levels, and thus highlight the specific role of REM sleep in regulating the neural substrates for emotional responsiveness

Miniaturization of aqueous two-phase extraction for biological applications

Aqueous two-phase extraction (ATPE) is a biocompatible liquid-liquid (L-L) separation technique that has been under research for several decades towards the purification of biomolecules, ranging from small metabolites to large animal cells. More recently, with the emergence of rapid-prototyping techniques for fabrication of microfluidic structures with intricate designs, ATPE gained an expanded range of applications utilizing physical phenomena occurring exclusively at the microscale. Studies of ATPSs at nanoliter-scale are further extending the range of applications of these systems by taking advantage of rapid diffusion times, increased degree of control of individual liquid streams and droplets, continuous flow and the integration of multi-dimensional separation modes. Several examples of microfluidic ATPS platforms are described. The partition of molecules between two co-flowing liquid streams confined within a microchannel was successfully demonstrated by the on-line extraction of a fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) labeled immunoglobulin G (IgG) from a salt rich flow to a PEG rich flow. IgG diffusion to the PEG-rich phase was complete after 16 cm of channel using flow rates of 1 and 0.2 μL/min for the salt and PEGrich phases respectively. Besides proteins, ATPS have also been used to separate other more complex biomolecules in microfluidics such as virus-like particles. The potential of miniaturization as a high-throughput screening tool has also been explored. The developed setup allowed the screening of a wide range of concentrations inside the microchannel by varying the flow rates of the solutions while using sub-mL volumes for each ATPS-forming system. As a novel demonstration of the integrative potential of ATPE as a microfluidic sample preparation module, a microfluidic device comprising two modules was developed and used to perform a complex matrix clean-up in-line with an immunoassay. References: Silva, D. F., Azevedo, A. M., Fernandes, P., Chu, V. et al., Design of a microfluidic platform for monoclonal antibody extraction using an aqueous two-phase system. J. Chromatogr. A 2012, 1249, 1–7. Jacinto, M. J., Soares, R. R. G., Azevedo, A. M., Chu, V. et al., Optimization and miniaturization of aqueous two phase systems for the purification of recombinant human immunodeficiency virus-like particles from a CHO cell supernatant. Sep. Purif. Technol. 2015, 154, 27–35. Silva, D. F. C., Azevedo, A. M., Fernandes, P., Chu, V. et al., Determination of aqueous two phase system binodal curves using a microfluidic device. J. Chromatogr. A 2014, 1370, 115–120. Soares, R. R., Novo, P., Azevedo, A. M., Fernandes, P. et al., On-chip sample preparation and analyte quantification using a microfluidic aqueous two-phase extraction coupled with an immunoassay. Lab Chip 2014, 14, 4284–429

Indirect methods to assess implicit cognitions towards alcohol: a conceptual review

Desde su aparición en la década del 70 el Modelo del Doble Procesamiento (MDP) ha ganado una gran popularidad en diversos ámbitos de la psicología, principalmente en el ámbito de las adicciones. Según este modelo existen dos sistemas cognitivos: uno explícito, conciente y controlable; y otro implícito, automático y más ligado a la intuición y al afecto. El MDP se ha empleado para comprender los factores que subyacen a los comportamientos relacionados con el alcohol y en poco tiempo se produjo un crecimiento exponencial de las investigaciones que utilizan medidas implícitas para evaluar cogniciones relacionadas hacia el consumo de alcohol. Si bien estos métodos comparten algunas características básicas, difieren en aspectos importantes (evidencias de validez disponibles, condiciones de administración, etc). Por ello, este trabajo pretende ofrecer un panorama comprensivo de las distintas formas de evaluar la cognición implícita hacia el alcohol. Esperamos que esta revisión resulte de utilidad no solo para los investigadores, sino también para los profesionales que se ocupan de los problemas relacionados con el consumo de alcohol en el ámbito clínico.Since its emergence in the 70s, the Dual Process Model (DPM) has gained wide popularity in different fields of psychology, including the study of addictions. According to this model, there are two cognitive systems: one explicit, conscious and controllable; and another implicit, automatic and linked to intuition and affection. The DPM has been used to understand mechanisms underlying alcohol related behaviors, and quickly an exponential growth of research using implicit measures to evaluate alcohol related cognitions occurred. While these methods share some basic features, they differ in important aspects such as validity evidence available, administration procedures, etc. Therefore, in this paper we provide a comprehensive overview of the different ways to evaluate implicit alcohol related cognitions. We hope this review will be useful not only for researchers but also for professionals working in the clinical area with alcoholrelated problems.Fil: Biscarra, Maria Ayelen. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Psicología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Conde, Karina Natalia. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Psicología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Cremonte, Mariana. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Psicología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Ledesma, Ruben Daniel. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Psicología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata; Argentin

Rapid optimization of chromatography operating conditions using a nano- liter scale column on a microfluidic chip with integrated pneumatic valves and optical sensors

Purification of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is traditionally achieved by chromatographic separations, which are very robust but require time-consuming optimization on a case-by-case, particularly if a non-affinity step is used. In this context, multimodal chromatography has been explored as a versatile and cost-effective alternative to the established affinity step employed for capturing mAbs. However, selective capture/polishing of a target mAb using such multimodal ligands comes with the need for extensive and time-consuming optimization, due to the multitude of interactions that can be simultaneously promoted in the ligand. In this work, we developed a novel microfluidic platform comprising multimodal chromatography beads inside micro-columns for rapid screening of operating conditions. Sequential liquid insertion in the device was achieved by using integrated pneumatic valves and the chromatographic assays were combined with a signal acquisition module for on-chip fluorescence measurements. Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

Analytical affinity chromatography-on-a-chip for selective capture and sensitive detection of protein and polynucleotide biomarkers

Affinity Chromatography is a powerful technique which has been applied to the highly selective purification of several biomolecules from complex mixtures. This technique is currently a core technology in the industrial purification of disruptive biopharmaceuticals such as monoclonal antibodies. The use of high affinity ligands, together with densely functionalized three-dimensional solid-phase supports, confers a remarkable analytical potential, making it a current standard for the quantification of several compounds in certified laboratories, ranging from health biomarkers to environmental contaminants. Aiming at extending the application of affinity chromatography to a portable setup, we report the miniaturization of this system down to nL-scale, by trapping Q-sepharose or protein-A agarose beads in microfluidic channels with total volumes ranging from 60 to 210 nL. This versatile and simple platform combined the high surface area and robust surface chemistry provided by the chromatographic media with the high degree of fluidic control, portability, improved reaction kinetics and low reagent expenditure inherent to microfluidics. Furthermore, the microfluidic structures are simple in terms of microfabrication and can be sequentially operated using standard pipette tips and a negative pressure source at the outlet (Figure A). This system was tested within the scope of prostate cancer diagnostics for the capture of protein and polynucleotide biomarkers. Along these lines, prostate specific antigen (PSA) was selectively captured from unprocessed human serum and a 23 bp polynucleotide (ssDNA analogous to micro RNA MIR145) in fetal bovine serum as model matrix, by coupling a monoclonal anti-PSA IgG2a with protein-A beads or a complementary ssDNA strand with Q-sepharose beads, respectively. The assay schematics are described in Figure A. Clinically relevant sensitivities below 10 ng/mL PSA (Figure B) and 10 pM polynucleotide were achieved using a horseradish peroxidase-labelled reporter and measuring chemiluminescence directly on the bead surface. The results demonstrate a high potential for the miniaturization of analytical affinity chromatography, providing good sensitivities in a portable setup, particularly considering the amenability of integrating miniaturized thin-film sensors for optical transduction, as previously demonstrated by our group. Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

Alternation between dietary protein depletion and normal feeding cause liver damage in mouse

The effect of frequent protein malnutrition on liver function has not been intensively examined. Thus, the effects of alternating 5 days of a protein and amino acid-free diet followed by 5 days of a complete diet repeated three times (3 PFD-CD) on female mouse liver were examined. The expression of carbonic anhydrase III (CAIII), fatty acid synthase (FAS), glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) in liver were assessed by proteomics, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Northern blotting. The activities of liver GSTs, glutathione reductase (GR) and catalase (CAT), as well as serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) were also tested. Additionally, oxidative damage was examined by measuring of protein carbonylation and lipid peroxidation. Liver histology was examined by light and electron microscopy. Compared with control mice, 3 PFD-CD increased the content of FAS protein (+90%) and FAS mRNA (+30%), while the levels of CAIII and CAIII mRNAs were decreased (-48% and -64%, respectively). In addition, 3 PFD-CD did not significantly change the content of GSTP1 but produced an increase in its mRNA level (+20%), while it decreased the activities of both CAT (-66%) and GSTs (-26%). After 3 PFD-CD, liver protein carbonylation and lipid peroxidation were increased by +55% and +95%, respectively. In serum, 3 PFD-CD increased the activities of both SGOT (+30%) and SGPT (+61%). In addition, 3 PFD-CD showed a histological pattern characteristic of hepatic damage. All together, these data suggest that frequent dietary amino acid deprivation causes hepatic metabolic and ultrastructural changes in a fashion similar to precancerous or cancerous conditions.Fil: Caballero, Veronica Jorgelina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Mendieta, Julieta Renee. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Giudici, Ana Marcela. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Crupkin, Andrea Carina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Barbeito, Claudio Gustavo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Ronchi, Virginia Paola. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Chisari, Andrea Nancy. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Conde, Ruben Danilo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; Argentin