Lleis infinitament divisibles i teoremes de pas al límit de probabilitat

Treballs Finals de Grau de Matemàtiques, Facultat de Matemàtiques, Universitat de Barcelona, Any: 2023, Director: David Márquez[en] In probability theory, a probability distribution is infinitely divisible if it can be expressed as the probability distribution of the sum of an arbitrary number of independent and identically distributed random variables. The objective of this work is to build a solid base of knowledge that allows us to define the infinitely divisible laws and study their properties, although we will also see other límit theorems of probability that are not strictly related to it. We will thus make a brief introduction to probability and characteristic functions, we will then study the asymptotic behavior of random series and, after that, in the third chapter, we will get into the study of probability measures. In this section we will define the weak convergence and the convolutions of probability measures. The propositions and theorems of this section will accompany us throughout the rest of this work, since they will be the basis for demonstrating numerous results in the fourth chapter. In addition, these results will allow us to define the infinitely divisible laws and study their properties. Finally, we will introduce the concept of the CPoiss law of parameter $\mu$, to finish demonstrating the Levy-Khintchine theorem

Considerations for reducing food system energy demand while scaling up urban agriculture

There is an increasing global interest in scaling up urban agriculture (UA) in its various forms, from private gardens to sophisticated commercial operations. Much of this interest is in the spirit of environmental protection, with reduced waste and transportation energy highlighted as some of the proposed benefits of UA; however, explicit consideration of energy and resource requirements needs to be made in order to realize these anticipated environmental benefits. A literature review is undertaken here to provide new insight into the energy implications of scaling up UA in cities in high-income countries, considering UA classification, direct/indirect energy pressures, and interactions with other components of the food–energy–water nexus. This is followed by an exploration of ways in which these cities can plan for the exploitation of waste flows for resource-efficient UA. Given that it is estimated that the food system contributes nearly 15% of total US energy demand, optimization of resource use in food production, distribution, consumption, and waste systems may have a significant energy impact. There are limited data available that quantify resource demand implications directly associated with UA systems, highlighting that the literature is not yet sufficiently robust to make universal claims on benefits. This letter explores energy demand from conventional resource inputs, various production systems, water/energy trade-offs, alternative irrigation, packaging materials, and transportation/supply chains to shed light on UA-focused research needs. By analyzing data and cases from the existing literature, we propose that gains in energy efficiency could be realized through the co-location of UA operations with waste streams (e.g. heat, CO2, greywater, wastewater, compost), potentially increasing yields and offsetting life cycle energy demands relative to conventional approaches. This begs a number of energy-focused UA research questions that explore the opportunities for integrating the variety of UA structures and technologies, so that they are better able to exploit these urban waste flows and achieve whole-system reductions in energy demand. Any planning approach to implement these must, as always, assess how context will influence the viability and value added from the promotion of UA

Strategies to improve anaerobic digestion of wastes with especial attention to lignocellulosic substrates

[spa] El incremento de la demanda energética y la consecuente generación de residuos ponen en peligro la sostenibilidad del futuro. Es por eso que la digestión anaeróbica resulta ser una solución factible para mitigar el problema ya que se puede generar electricidad, calor y fertilizante a partir de los residuos orgánicos. El incremento de la producción de metano se consiguió a partir de la co-digestión de residuos con características complementarias. Aun así, no siempre se consigue extraer todo el potencial metanogénico de los residuos, especialmente, en el caso de los sustratos ligno-celulósicos. Los compuestos ligno¬celulósicos son estructuras complejos entre la lignina, la hemicelulosa y la celulosa con enlaces resistentes a la degradación microbiana que se encuentran en los residuos agro-industriales, los residuos municipales y los cultivos energéticos. En la tesis, se ha buscado aumentar la viabilidad económica de las plantas de digestión anaeróbica que tratan residuos con componentes ligno-celulósicos. Se usaron distintas nuevas estrategias para aumentar la degradabilidad de la materia ligno-celulósica como los pretratamientos térmicos de baja temperatura y de ultrasonidos y la integración del rumen, un residuo de la industria cárnica, para aportar bacterias hidrolíticas. Para valorar la opción de separar estos componentes para la formación de sub-productos, se estudió su efecto sobre el rendimiento del digestor en términos de estabilidad, producción de metano y calidad del digerido para así poder implementar la producción se sub-productos. Los estudios realizados en esta tesis doctoral se llevaron a cabo a escala de laboratorio y las conclusiones han supuesto un avance para el aprovechamiento energético de los residuos ligno-celulósicos en el futuro.[eng] The energy demand increase and the generation of wastes is being the major problem regarding the next generation sustainability. Both problems can be corrected through the implementation of anaerobic digestion, a waste treatment technology able to produce electricity, heat and a fertilizer. The anaerobic co-digestion between two wastes with complementary characteristics has been widely studied to improve the methane production in anaerobic digesters. However, to increase the methane production from lignocelulosics substrates is still one of the main challenges of anaerobic digestion. Lignocelulosic components are a tridimensional structure between lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose, which bonds are extremely difficult to degrade by conventional anaerobic bacteria. Besides, those components can be found in a wide range of substrates such as municipal solid wastes, agro-wastes and energy crops. In the following thesis, the increase of the economic viability of anaerobic digestion plants treating lignocelulosic materials has been studied. Initially, the transitory state while the co-substrate was changed in the anaerobic co-digestion between sewage sludge and fruit waste was studied. The stability of the reactors was not drastically affected when the co-substrate was changed, but, the use of a co-substrate with a high concentration of fibers did not improve the methane production too much. Secondly, in order to consider the valorization of lignocellulosic components through the production of by-products, the effect of these components on the municipal solid wastes anaerobic digestion performance was evaluated. When the paper waste was removed, the biodegradability of the feedstock increased allowing the specific methane production to increase. Nevertheless, the digester was more fragile against instabilities and the digestate quality decreased if short retention times are applied. Next, low-temperature and ultrasounds pretreatments, strategies that have not been used too much for the degradation of lignocellulosic components, were studied to increase the methane production during the anaerobic co-digestion of barley waste and pig manure. Low-temperature and ultrasound pretreatment increased the methane production in a 27 and 12% respectively but only the first one had a positive energy balance. Finally, rumen, a waste from the slaughterhouse industry was used as inoculum and as co-substrate to bring hydrolytic bacteria able to improve the degradation of Napier grass. The results showed that, when rumen is used as inoculum it need to be mixed with an inoculum with high buffer capacity and a co-substrate with alkalinity need to be used to avoid long start-up periods. The methane production only increased at the beginning and in a long-term, the microbial community was governed by the substrate and not by the rumen. However, rumen did not increase the methane production when it was used as a co-substrate because the digester conditions were not optimal for the activity of hydrolytic bacteria. All the experiments were carried out in the laboratory and the conclusions are considered a progress for the energy production through the use of lignocellulosic substrates

Innovative biomass fuelled SOFC's for polygeneration

The  supply  of  energy  and  the  protection  of  the  environment  have  been  two  of  the most  important problems  to have affected mankind  in  recent decades.The waste management  is become a very  crucial environmental problem in the world, due to the ever increasing amount of waste material, domiciliary and industrial, generated. The main strategies for the waste management are the protection of the environment and used to produce energy.  Lignin, the second most abundant component besides cellulose in biomass. In this study,  lignosulfonate, is used as fuel in the solid oxide fuel cell to produce a power and heat, which is a byproducts from the wood pulp using sulfite pulping. To enhance the performance and conductivity of the biomass based fuel cell, the lignin was treated with hydroxides (Li/K) and chlorides (Fe2Cl3) at different temperature 200 -500 °C.  The maximum obtained power density was about 20 mW/cm2. And the calculated electrical efficiency of the cell was about 30%.   Also,  this kind of biomass fuel was used  in single component fuel cell and  results were compared with three components fuel cell.  The phase analysis, microstructure and conductivity of lignin was analysed by XRD, SEM and AC impedance technique.  It has been concluded that a sulfonated  lignin from waste of the paper industry can be used  as a energy sources with fuel cell operation

Fate of influent microbial populations during medium chain carboxylic acid recovery from brewery and pre-fermented food waste streams

Waste streams continuously introduce active and inactive microbial populations that can influence assembly of microbial communities in chain elongation systems

Anaerobic digestion as a core technology in addressing the global sanitation crisis: Challenges and opportunities

Successfully addressing the complex global sanitation problem is a massive undertaking. Anaerobic digestion (AD), coupled with post-treatment, has been identified as a promising technology to contribute to meeting this goal. It offers multiple benefits to the end users, such as the potential inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms in waste and the recovery of resources, including renewable energy and nutrients. This feature article provides an overview of the most frequently applied AD systems for decentralized communities and low- and lower-middle-income countries with an emphasis on sanitation, including technologies for which pathogen inactivation was considered during the design. Challenges to AD use are then identified, such as experience, economics, knowledge/training of personnel and users, and stakeholder analysis. Finally, accelerators for AD implementation are noted, such as the inclusion of field studies in academic journals, analysis of emerging contaminants, the use of sanitation toolboxes and life cycle assessment in design, incorporation of artificial intelligence in monitoring, and expansion of undergraduate and graduate curricula focused on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH). </p

Retinal vessel volume reference database derived from volume-rendered optical coherence tomography angiography

Abstract Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) enables three-dimensional reconstruction of the functional blood vessels in the retina. Therefore, it enables the quantification of 3D retinal vessel parameters such as surface area and vessel volume. In spite of the widespread use of OCTA, no representative volume-rendered vessel volume (VV) data are published to date. In this study, OCTA 3 × 3 mm macular cubes were processed with volume-rendering techniques to measure VV in 203 eyes from 107 healthy volunteers. Generalized linear models (GLM) were constructed to assess the impact of age, gender, visual acuity (VA), spherical equivalent (SE), and axial length (AL) on VV. Overall mean VV was 0.23 ± 0.05mm3. Age and axial length showed a negative correlation with VV. However, GLM model analysis found that AL exerted the most pronounced influence on VV. No statistically significant associations were identified between gender or between left and right eyes. This is the first study to assess 3D OCTA VV and its naturally occurring variations in a large series of healthy subjects. It offers novel insights into the characterization of normal retinal vascular anatomy in healthy individuals, contributing to a valuable reference for future research in this field