Bioenergy (Biology) Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

http://www.orgonelab.org/cart/xdemeo.htm#ORACBOOK In the 1940s, the physician and natural scientist Dr. Wilhelm Reich claimed discovery of a new form of energy which charged up living organisms and also existed in the open atmosphere and... more

http://www.orgonelab.org/cart/xdemeo.htm#ORACBOOK
In the 1940s, the physician and natural scientist Dr. Wilhelm Reich claimed discovery of a new form of energy which charged up living organisms and also existed in the open atmosphere and in high vacuum. Reich's laboratory and clinical findings indicated this new energy, which he called the orgone, could be photographed and measured, and had powerful life-positive biological effects. Reich trained other scientists and physicians in his findings, and together they set about applying the inexpensive orgone treatment methods - using a device called the orgone energy accumulator - against various illness, including cancer, with remarkably good results. His published findings shocked the scientific world of his day, however, ultimately leading to numerous smear articles in the popular press, and trumped-up charges by a power-drunk Food and Drug Administration. The FDA & "investigation" lead to a court trial of much greater significance than the better-known "Scopes Monkey Trial". Ignoring Reich's evidence and declaring "the orgone energy does not exist", US Courts ordered all books on the orgone subject to be literally banned and burned. Reich was thrown into prison, where he died. His work was nearly forgotten except by a small group of supporters. In this book, former university professor Dr. James DeMeo examines Reich's evidence and reports on his own observations and laboratory experiments, which have repeatedly confirmed the reality of the orgone phenomenon. Dr. DeMeo also recounts the observations and experiments of others, particularly physicians working in private European clinics where open use of Reich's controversial orgone energy accumulator proceeds today. This Handbook gives a warning about low-level atomic and electromagnetic radiations, as from nuclear power plants, power-line fields and cell-phones, along with advice on measurement and protection against such toxic energy. The book also gives a discussion on the subject of healing waters from natural hot springs, a form of energy medicine which once was widely used in North America before the rise of the authoritarian MD-hospital system and the powerful federal bureaucracy of the FDA. Dr. DeMeo also gives detailed construction plans for people to build their own orgone energy blankets and accumulators, which are inexpensive and simple to construct, though requiring specific direction as to their materials and environments. This is the Third Revised and Expanded 2010 Edition of the Orgone Accumulator Handbook, nearly 100 pages larger than prior editions and carrying a Foreword by Dr. Eva Reich (the daughter of Dr. Wilhelm Reich), along with many photos, diagrams and charts. It retains all the original construction plans, updated to address new issues about the best materials for orgone accumulator and blanket construction. Two Appendix documents are also included, one which summarizes a double-blind and controlled clinical experiment proving the physiological effects of the orgone accumulator on volunteer subjects in a German university, and another which details the similarities of Reich's orgone energy to the cosmic ether and "dark matter" of modern physics. This new edition also includes a section providing New Evidence on the Persecution of Reich, along with a bibliography, index and many weblinks for added information. It has many new photos and materials extracted from Dr. DeMeo's publications verifying the reality of the orgone energy, and is a must-have for all those interested in the issue of life-energy, subtle-energy or energy-medicine research. This is an excellent introduction to a major scientific discovery, organized for the educated layperson but with sufficient detail and citations to stimulate the curiosity of the open-minded physician and scientist.

The collection of residues from staple crop may contribute to meet EU regulations in renewable energy production without harming soil quality. At a global scale, chaff may have great potential to be used as a bioenergy source. However,... more

The collection of residues from staple crop may contribute to meet EU regulations in renewable energy production without harming soil quality. At a global scale, chaff may have great potential to be used as a bioenergy source. However, chaff is not usually collected, and its loss can consist of up to one-fifth of the residual biomass harvestable. In the present work, a spreader able to manage the chaff (either spreading [SPR] on the soil aside to the straw swath or admixed [ADM] with the straw) at varying threshing conditions (with either 1 or 2 threshing rotors [1R and 2R, respectively] in the combine, which affects the mean length of the straw pieces). The fractions of the biomass available in field (grain, chaff, straw, and stubble) were measured, along with the performances of both grain harvesting and baling operations. Admixing chaff allowed for a slightly higher amount of straw fresh weight baled compared to SPR (+336 kg straw ha −1), but such result was not evident on a dry weight basis. At the one time, admixing chaff reduced the material capacity of the combine by 12.9%. Using 2R compared to 1R strongly reduced the length of the straw pieces, and increased the bale unit weight; however, it reduced the field efficiency of the grain harvesting operations by 11.9%. On average, the straw loss did not vary by the treatments applied and was 44% of the total residues available (computed excluding the stubble). In conclusion, admixing of chaff with straw is an option to increase the residues collected without compromising grain harvesting and straw baling efficiencies; in addition, it can reduce the energy needs for the bale logistics. According to the present data, improving the chaff collection can allow halving the loss of residues. However, further studies are needed to optimise both the chaff and the straw recoveries.

BACKGROUND: In spite of its indusrial usefulness and varied daily uses, lead (Pb) pollution is a widespread ecological problem that faces the humans in the 21th century. Pb was found to produces a wide range of toxic effects including... more

BACKGROUND:
In spite of its indusrial usefulness and varied daily uses, lead (Pb) pollution is a widespread ecological problem that faces the humans in the 21th century. Pb was found to produces a wide range of toxic effects including neurotoxicity especially to the developing and young offspring. Recently, the utilization of herbal plants has received a significant attention where there has been rising awareness in their therapeutic use; among these is the garlic.
AIM OF THE WORK:
In light of the above, the current study is designed experimentally in female pregnant rats in order to investigate the beneficial role of garlic extract in the protection from the maternal and fetal cerebellar damage that produced by administration of different doses of Pb during pregnancy.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
Positively pregnant female rats were divided into five groups; one control group, two Pb-treated groups (exposed to 160 and 320 mg/kg b.wt. of Pb, respectively) and two groups treated with both Pb and garlic (exposed to Pb as previous groups together with 250 mg/ kg b.wt. /day of garlic extract). Treatments started from day 1 till day 20 of pregnancy, where the mother rats of different experimental groups were sacrified to obtain the fetuses. Pb level in the maternal nd fetal blood and cerebellum was estimated by spectrophotometry. Specimens of the cerebellum of different mother and fetal groups were processed to histological and immunohistochemical staining for microscopic examination.
RESULTS:
The results showed that administration of Pb to pregnant rats resulted in a dose-dependent toxicity for both mothers and fetuses in the form of decrease of maternal weight gain, placental and fetal weights, brain weight and diminished fetal growth parameters, which were prominent in rat's group treated with larger dose of Pb. In Pb-treated rats, Pb level in blood and cerebellum was high when compared to the control. The histopathological examination of the cerebellum of treated dams and fetuses showed marked alterations mainly in the form of Purkinje cell degeneration and lack of deveopmet of fetal cerebellum. Co-treatment of garlic extract along with Pb resulted in a significant decrease in Pb levels as compared with those treated with Pb alone with improvement of the histopathological changes.
CONCLUSIONS:
This study was useful in evaluating the hazardous effects of uncontrolled use of Pb in general and in assessing the developmental and neurotoxicity of fetuses due to exposure during pregnancy in particular. Co-administration of garlic has beneficial effects in amelioration of Pb-induced neurotoxicity and reversing the histopathological changes of the cerebellum of mother rats and fetuses.
KEYWORDS:
garlic; glial fibrillary acidic protein; lead; purkinje cells

District heating networks are commonly addressed in the literature as one of the most effective solutions for decreasing the greenhouse gas emissions from the building sector. These systems require high investments which are returned... more

District heating networks are commonly addressed in the literature as one of the most effective solutions for decreasing the greenhouse gas emissions from the building sector. These systems require high investments which are returned through the heat sales. Due to the changed climate conditions and building renovation policies, heat demand in the future could decrease, prolonging the investment return period. The main scope of this paper is to assess the feasibility of using the heat demand – outdoor temperature function for heat demand forecast. The district of Alvalade, located in Lisbon (Portugal), was used as a case study. The district is consisted of 665 buildings that vary in both construction period and typology. Three weather scenarios (low, medium, high) and three district renovation scenarios were developed (shallow, intermediate, deep). To estimate the error, obtained heat demand values were compared with results from a dynamic heat demand model, previously developed and validated by the authors. The results showed that when only weather change is considered, the margin of error could be acceptable for some applications (the error in annual demand was lower than 20% for all weather scenarios considered). However, after introducing renovation scenarios, the error value increased up to 59.5% (depending on the weather and renovation scenarios combination considered). The value of slope coefficient increased on average within the range of 3.8% up to 8% per decade, that corresponds to the decrease in the number of heating hours of 22-139h during the heating season (depending on the combination of weather and renovation scenarios considered). On the other hand, function intercept increased for 7.8-12.7% per decade (depending on the coupled scenarios). The values suggested could be used to modify the function parameters for the scenarios considered, and improve the accuracy of heat demand estimations. Abstract This study aims to examine the nonsterilized fermentation conditions for coproduction of pectinases and lipase enzymes using several fruit wastes as an energy source. Thermophilic fungal strain, Penicillium expansum CMI 39671 was used as a fermenting strain. The effect of process conditions including; nitrogen sources, pH, temperature, time and moisture contents, on the production of both enzymes were studied. The highest activities of pectinase and lipase (2817, 1870 U/g dry substrate) enzymes were found with orange peel feedstock, whereas the lowest activities of 1662 U/g and 1266 U/g were found with banana peel and papaya peel feedstocks respectively. Overall, pectinase showed higher enzymatic activities than lipase enzymes, both having similar increasing and decreasing trends, at all studied conditions. The optimum process conditions of peptone as a nitrogen source, pH 7, 40°C, 5 days and 70% moisture contents, were found to show highest enzymatic activities for both enzymes. The orange peel feedstock showed no significant difference in both enzymes' activities at sterilized and nonnotarized process conditions. Pectinase and lipase enzymes showed (13791 U/g) and (8114 U/g) for sterilized and (14091 U/g) and (8324 U/g) for nonnotarized process conditions respectively. In addition, the fungal strains also produce bacteriocin-like compounds that could inhibit microbial growth. These findings will help to design and develop robust, cost-effective and less energy intensive enzyme production processes and consequently an efficient fruit waste to energy system through open fermentation. Abstract This study aims to examine the nonsterilized fermentation conditions for coproduction of pectinases and lipase enzymes using several fruit wastes as an energy source. Thermophilic fungal strain, Penicillium expansum CMI 39671 was used as a fermenting strain. The effect of process conditions including; nitrogen sources, pH, temperature, time and moisture contents, on the production of both enzymes were studied. The highest activities of pectinase and lipase (2817, 1870 U/g dry substrate) enzymes were found with orange peel feedstock, whereas the lowest activities of 1662 U/g and 1266 U/g were found with banana peel and papaya peel feedstocks respectively. Overall, pectinase showed higher enzymatic activities than lipase enzymes, both having similar increasing and decreasing trends, at all studied conditions. The optimum process conditions of peptone as a nitrogen source, pH 7, 40°C, 5 days and 70% moisture contents, were found to show highest enzymatic activities for both enzymes. The orange peel feedstock showed no significant difference in both enzymes' activities at sterilized and nonnotarized process conditions. Pectinase and lipase enzymes showed (13791 U/g) and (8114 U/g) for sterilized and (14091 U/g) and (8324 U/g) for nonnotarized process conditions respectively. In addition, the fungal strains also produce bacteriocin-like compounds that could inhibit microbial growth. These findings will help to design and develop robust, cost-effective and less energy intensive enzyme production processes and consequently an efficient fruit waste to energy system through open fermentation.

Sustainable production of renewable energy is being hotly debated globally since it is increasingly understood that first generation biofuels, primarily produced from food crops and mostly oil seeds are limited in their ability to achieve... more

Sustainable production of renewable energy is being hotly debated globally since it is increasingly understood that first generation biofuels, primarily produced from food crops and mostly oil seeds are limited in their ability to achieve targets for biofuel production, climate change mitigation and economic growth. These concerns have increased the interest in developing second generation biofuels produced from non-food feedstocks such as microalgae, which potentially offer greatest opportunities in the longer term. This paper reviews the current status of microalgae use for biodiesel production, including their cultivation, harvesting, and processing. The microalgae species most used for biodiesel production are presented and their main advantages described in comparison with other available biodiesel feedstocks. The various aspects associated with the design of microalgae production units are described, giving an overview of the current state of development of algae cultivation systems (photo-bioreactors and open ponds). Other potential applications and products from microalgae are also presented such as for biological sequestration of CO2, wastewater treatment, in human health, as food additive, and for aquaculture.

The energy demand and waste generation have increased significantly in the developing world in the last few decades with rapid urbanization and population growth. The adequate treatment of the waste or sustainable waste management is... more

The energy demand and waste generation have increased significantly in the developing world in the last few decades with rapid urbanization and population growth. The adequate treatment of the waste or sustainable waste management is essential not only from a sanitation point of view but also due to its economic and environmental values including its potential contribution to energy generation in the developing countries. Many of the developed nations have adopted the approach and strategies of the integrated waste management system (Figure 1) to maximize the waste-based revenues in the form of energy, fuels, heat, recyclables, value-added products, and chemicals along with more jobs and business opportunities. As a result, waste is no longer seen as refuse or discarded material, but an asset or resource to reduce not only the landfill volumes but also the dependency on fossil fuels by generating clean fuels.

Bioenergetics, in biochemistry, is defined as the study of the continuously energy transformation in biological systems. It is considered a branch of cell biology, biochemistry, and biophysics. So far, respiration, that is considered... more

Bioenergetics, in biochemistry, is defined as the study of the continuously energy transformation in biological systems. It is considered a branch of cell biology, biochemistry, and biophysics. So far, respiration, that is considered necessary for the survival of plants and animals, supposedly, cell uses oxygen to break down molecules, and during that process, complex organics molecules are broken down into simpler inorganic compounds and thus energy is released. The complex organic molecules and oxygen, needed for respiration and therefore for life, are replenished through the process of photosynthesis. In nature, the only continuously available source of radiant energy is sunlight. Thereby, in photosynthesis, this radiant energy is converted into chemical energy, with oxygen produced as by-product. Theoretically, only chlorophyll-containing plants and relative pigments, are able to convert solar energy into photochemical energy. However, our finding about the intrinsic property of melanin to transform visible and invisible light into chemical energy through the dissociation of the water molecule, breaks old paradigms creating new ones.

Terapia bioenergética de Alexander Lowen

Addressing the contemporary waste management is seeing a shift towards energy production while managing waste sustainably. Consequently, waste treatment through gasification is slowly taking over the waste incineration with multiple... more

Addressing the contemporary waste management is seeing a shift towards energy production while managing waste sustainably. Consequently, waste treatment through gasification is slowly taking over the waste incineration with multiple benefits, including simultaneous waste management and energy production while reducing landfill volumes and displacing conventional fossil fuels. Only in the UK, there are around 14 commercial plants built to operate on gasification technology. These include fixed bed and fluidized bed gasification reactors. Ultra-clean tar free gasification of waste is now the best available technique and has experienced a significant shift from two-stage gasification and combustion towards a one-stage system for gasification and syngas cleaning. Nowadays in gasification sector, more companies are developing commercial plants with tar cracking and syngas cleaning. Moreover, gasification can be a practical scheme when applying ultra-clean syngas for a gas turbine with heat recovery by steam cycle for district heating and cooling (DHC) systems. This chapter aims to examine the recent trends in gasification-based waste-to-energy technologies. Furthermore, types of gasification technologies, their challenges and future perspectives in various applications are highlighted in detail.

Certificate of Excellence in Reviewing - The 5th Virtual Multidisciplinary Conference (QUAESTI 2017)

Biogas potential was explored for animal manure, wheat straw, food waste and rice straw. Batch experiments were performed at a laboratory scale using potential biomethane assays (BMP) for a period of 50 days. The biogas yield was observed... more

Biogas potential was explored for animal manure, wheat straw, food waste and rice straw. Batch experiments were performed at a laboratory scale using potential biomethane assays (BMP) for a period of 50 days. The biogas yield was observed higher when using rice straw (0.40 m3/kg VSadded) as a substrate, as compared to wheat straw (0.33 m3/kg VSadded) and animal manure (0.30 m3/kg VSadded) substrates. Around 10% of biogas was produced in the initial phase of 4 days for manure, wheat straw, and rice straw feedstocks. During the middle phase of 30 days for these feedstocks, 65 – 80% of biogas was produced. Less than 20% of biogas was produced during the final phase of last 16 days of the experiment. The biogas production from food waste was found lowest (0.02 m3/kg VSadded) among all substrates. Therefore, the anaerobic digestion (AD) of both food waste and animal manure is more suited in co-digestion fashion than mono-digestion.

District heating networks are commonly addressed in the literature as one of the most effective solutions for decreasing the greenhouse gas emissions from the building sector. These systems require high investments which are returned... more

District heating networks are commonly addressed in the literature as one of the most effective solutions for decreasing the greenhouse gas emissions from the building sector. These systems require high investments which are returned through the heat sales. Due to the changed climate conditions and building renovation policies, heat demand in the future could decrease, prolonging the investment return period. The main scope of this paper is to assess the feasibility of using the heat demand – outdoor temperature function for heat demand forecast. The district of Alvalade, located in Lisbon (Portugal), was used as a case study. The district is consisted of 665 buildings that vary in both construction period and typology. Three weather scenarios (low, medium, high) and three district renovation scenarios were developed (shallow, intermediate, deep). To estimate the error, obtained heat demand values were compared with results from a dynamic heat demand model, previously developed and validated by the authors. The results showed that when only weather change is considered, the margin of error could be acceptable for some applications (the error in annual demand was lower than 20% for all weather scenarios considered). However, after introducing renovation scenarios, the error value increased up to 59.5% (depending on the weather and renovation scenarios combination considered). The value of slope coefficient increased on average within the range of 3.8% up to 8% per decade, that corresponds to the decrease in the number of heating hours of 22-139h during the heating season (depending on the combination of weather and renovation scenarios considered). On the other hand, function intercept increased for 7.8-12.7% per decade (depending on the coupled scenarios). The values suggested could be used to modify the function parameters for the scenarios considered, and improve the accuracy of heat demand estimations. Abstract The concept of energy from waste is getting popular nowadays across the globe, as being capable of producing multi fuels and value-added products from different fractions of municipal solid waste (MSW). The energy recovery technologies under this concept are anaerobic digestion (AD), pyrolysis, transesterification, refuse derived fuel (RDF) and incineration. This concept is very relevant to implementation in countries like Saudi Arabia, who wants to cut their dependence on oil. Moreover, the waste to energy becomes the imperative need of the time because of new governmental policy 'Vision 2030' that firmly said to produce renewable energy from indigenous sources of waste, wind and solar and due to given situations of Hajj and Umrah with massive amounts of waste generation in a short period. This study focused on two waste to energy technologies, AD and pyrolysis for food (40% of MSW) and plastic (20% of MSW) waste streams respectively. The energy potential of 1409.63 and 5619.80 TJ can be produced if all of the food and plastic waste of the Madinah city are processed through AD and pyrolysis respectively. This is equivalent to 15.64 and 58.81 MW from biogas and pyrolytic oil respectively or total 74.45 MW of continuous electricity supply in Madinah city throughout the whole year. It has been estimated that the development of AD and pyrolysis technologies will also benefit the economy with net savings of around US 63.51andUS63.51 and US 63.51andUS53.45 million respectively, totaling to an annual benefit of US 116.96million.Therefore,inSaudiArabiaandparticularlyinHoliestcitiesofMakkahandMadinahthebenefitsofwastetoenergyareseveral,includingthedevelopmentofrenewable−energy,solvingMSWproblems,newbusinesses,andjobcreationandimprovingenvironmentalandpublichealth.AbstractTheconceptofenergyfromwasteisgettingpopularnowadaysacrosstheglobe,asbeingcapableofproducingmultifuelsandvalue−addedproductsfromdifferentfractionsofmunicipalsolidwaste(MSW).Theenergyrecoverytechnologiesunderthisconceptareanaerobicdigestion(AD),pyrolysis,transesterification,refusederivedfuel(RDF)andincineration.ThisconceptisveryrelevanttoimplementationincountrieslikeSaudiArabia,whowantstocuttheirdependenceonoil.Moreover,thewastetoenergybecomestheimperativeneedofthetimebecauseofnewgovernmentalpolicy′Vision2030′thatfirmlysaidtoproducerenewableenergyfromindigenoussourcesofwaste,windandsolarandduetogivensituationsofHajjandUmrahwithmassiveamountsofwastegenerationinashortperiod.Thisstudyfocusedontwowastetoenergytechnologies,ADandpyrolysisforfood(40116.96 million. Therefore, in Saudi Arabia and particularly in Holiest cities of Makkah and Madinah the benefits of waste to energy are several, including the development of renewable-energy, solving MSW problems, new businesses, and job creation and improving environmental and public health. Abstract The concept of energy from waste is getting popular nowadays across the globe, as being capable of producing multi fuels and value-added products from different fractions of municipal solid waste (MSW). The energy recovery technologies under this concept are anaerobic digestion (AD), pyrolysis, transesterification, refuse derived fuel (RDF) and incineration. This concept is very relevant to implementation in countries like Saudi Arabia, who wants to cut their dependence on oil. Moreover, the waste to energy becomes the imperative need of the time because of new governmental policy 'Vision 2030' that firmly said to produce renewable energy from indigenous sources of waste, wind and solar and due to given situations of Hajj and Umrah with massive amounts of waste generation in a short period. This study focused on two waste to energy technologies, AD and pyrolysis for food (40% of MSW) and plastic (20% of MSW) waste streams respectively. The energy potential of 1409.63 and 5619.80 TJ can be produced if all of the food and plastic waste of the Madinah city are processed through AD and pyrolysis respectively. This is equivalent to 15.64 and 58.81 MW from biogas and pyrolytic oil respectively or total 74.45 MW of continuous electricity supply in Madinah city throughout the whole year. It has been estimated that the development of AD and pyrolysis technologies will also benefit the economy with net savings of around US 116.96million.Therefore,inSaudiArabiaandparticularlyinHoliestcitiesofMakkahandMadinahthebenefitsofwastetoenergyareseveral,includingthedevelopmentofrenewable−energy,solvingMSWproblems,newbusinesses,andjobcreationandimprovingenvironmentalandpublichealth.AbstractTheconceptofenergyfromwasteisgettingpopularnowadaysacrosstheglobe,asbeingcapableofproducingmultifuelsandvalue−addedproductsfromdifferentfractionsofmunicipalsolidwaste(MSW).Theenergyrecoverytechnologiesunderthisconceptareanaerobicdigestion(AD),pyrolysis,transesterification,refusederivedfuel(RDF)andincineration.ThisconceptisveryrelevanttoimplementationincountrieslikeSaudiArabia,whowantstocuttheirdependenceonoil.Moreover,thewastetoenergybecomestheimperativeneedofthetimebecauseofnewgovernmentalpolicy′Vision2030′thatfirmlysaidtoproducerenewableenergyfromindigenoussourcesofwaste,windandsolarandduetogivensituationsofHajjandUmrahwithmassiveamountsofwastegenerationinashortperiod.Thisstudyfocusedontwowastetoenergytechnologies,ADandpyrolysisforfood(4063.51 and US 53.45millionrespectively,totalingtoanannualbenefitofUS53.45 million respectively, totaling to an annual benefit of US 53.45millionrespectively,totalingtoanannualbenefitofUS116.96 million. Therefore, in Saudi Arabia and particularly in Holiest cities of Makkah and Madinah the benefits of waste to energy are several, including the development of renewable-energy, solving MSW problems, new businesses, and job creation and improving environmental and public health.

In this study, the chemical composition of 32 samples coming from 29 different biomass species including a gymnosperm, 2 dicotyledonous angiosperms, 17 monocotyledonous angiosperms and 9 algae species was successfully determined using an... more

In this study, the chemical composition of 32 samples coming from 29 different biomass species including a gymnosperm, 2 dicotyledonous angiosperms, 17 monocotyledonous angiosperms and 9 algae species was successfully determined using an established method applicable to analyze various biomass species. The obtained data allowed a direct comparison of the biomass in their chemical composition. It was, thus, revealed that although the chemical composition differed from one species to another, and even from different parts of the same plants, similar trends were found in the composition of biomass species belonging to the same taxonomic group. Based on those results, it was clarified that the chemical composition of a biomass sample is related to its taxonomy. Therefore, typical chemical composition for each taxonomic group was proposed.

Among the most pressing energy and environmental strategic challenges today is to identify and deploy viable alternatives to fossil-fuel-based energy systems The barriers to deployment are systematic, leading to a state of affairs... more

Among the most pressing energy and environmental strategic challenges today is to identify and deploy viable alternatives to fossil-fuel-based energy systems The barriers to deployment are systematic, leading to a state of affairs described as ‘carbon lock-in’ (Unruh
2000; Neuhoff 2007). Simply stated, even if alternative energy systems are cost-competitive in theory, the prime movers that control their diffusion throughout society –
for example, conversion and distribution infrastructure; financing mechanisms; skilled labour force; attitudes toward particular kinds of energy production activities and energy services – exhibit a preference for incumbent carbon-intensive fossil energy resources. Carbon lock-in represents path dependencies within energy systems including sunk-cost in prevailing infrastructure and entrenched political interests along with positively reinforcing relationships with broader system dynamics, from global financial logics that continue to monetise unburned carbon through energy
futures contracts to our everyday practices and expectations about mobility, comfort, and overall
well-being that underpin regular visits to the gasoline station. All of this is to say that energy systems are sociotechnical in nature, characterised by deep and often subtle interdependencies between technological, social, political-economic, and cultural processes which operate across the energy supply chain and at all scales of energy system operation (Miller, Richter, and O’Leary 2015).

The inhibitory effects of phenol are problematic for the anaerobic treatment of wastewater. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that a two-stage anaerobic digester (TSAD) can degrade phenol, reducing its toxic effects in the first... more

The inhibitory effects of phenol are problematic for the anaerobic treatment of wastewater. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that a two-stage anaerobic digester (TSAD) can degrade phenol, reducing its toxic effects in the first acidogenic reactor (R1) before going into a methanogenic reactor (R2). The system consisted of two reactors in semi continuous operation. R1 was a Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor at pH 5.5± 0.5; R2 was a packet reactor at pH 8.4± 0.05. Both were operated at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 10 days and 35 0 C and fed with a nutritional supplement at organic loading rate (OLR) of 1.8 grams of COD per litre of reactor per day (L R-1 Day-1) until steady state conditions. Then one gram of phenol was fed daily over a period of 15 days. The performance of the system was monitored and analysed in terms of degradation of phenol and dissolved chemical oxygen demand (DCOD); concentration of organic acids (OA) and suspended organic carbon (SOC); biogas production and pH evolution. The removal of phenol and DCOD peaked at 99.7% and 70% respectively. The biogas production in the methanogenic reactor reached 0.8195 L biogas L R-1 Day-1. These experiments demonstrate that, given the right conditions, a TSAD can degrade phenol without considerable inhibition.

Expert peer review at Medicine® Journal Hesham N. Mustafa Presented April 8, 2018 (Wolters Kluwer)

District heating networks are commonly addressed in the literature as one of the most effective solutions for decreasing the greenhouse gas emissions from the building sector. These systems require high investments which are returned... more

District heating networks are commonly addressed in the literature as one of the most effective solutions for decreasing the greenhouse gas emissions from the building sector. These systems require high investments which are returned through the heat sales. Due to the changed climate conditions and building renovation policies, heat demand in the future could decrease, prolonging the investment return period. The main scope of this paper is to assess the feasibility of using the heat demand – outdoor temperature function for heat demand forecast. The district of Alvalade, located in Lisbon (Portugal), was used as a case study. The district is consisted of 665 buildings that vary in both construction period and typology. Three weather scenarios (low, medium, high) and three district renovation scenarios were developed (shallow, intermediate, deep). To estimate the error, obtained heat demand values were compared with results from a dynamic heat demand model, previously developed and validated by the authors. The results showed that when only weather change is considered, the margin of error could be acceptable for some applications (the error in annual demand was lower than 20% for all weather scenarios considered). However, after introducing renovation scenarios, the error value increased up to 59.5% (depending on the weather and renovation scenarios combination considered). The value of slope coefficient increased on average within the range of 3.8% up to 8% per decade, that corresponds to the decrease in the number of heating hours of 22-139h during the heating season (depending on the combination of weather and renovation scenarios considered). On the other hand, function intercept increased for 7.8-12.7% per decade (depending on the coupled scenarios). The values suggested could be used to modify the function parameters for the scenarios considered, and improve the accuracy of heat demand estimations. Abstract Pulp mills without black liquor recovery cycle could play a major role in employing black liquor gasification (BLG) to produce transport fuels. In conventional chemical pulp mills, black liquor is burnt in recovery boilers to generate steam and electricity to meet energy demands. The inorganic chemicals are reused for the digestion process. However, the energy content and inorganic chemicals are not recovered in small scale pulp mills especially in the developing countries which do not employ recovery cycle. This study investigates the potential of synthetic natural gas (SNG) production by integrating BLG island with a reference pulp mill without chemical recovery cycle. The improvements in overall energy efficiency are evaluated using performance indicators such as biofuel production potential, integrated system's efficiency, and energy ratios. The oxygen-blown circulating fluidized bed (CFB) gasification with direct causticization is integrated with reference pulp mill. The results showed considerable SNG production without external biomass import. However to compensate total electricity deficit, the electricity will be imported from the grid. There is a substantial CO 2 abatement potential of combining CO 2 capture using seloxol absorption, and CO 2 mitigation from SNG by replacing gasoline.

Observations of coherent cellular behavior cannot be integrated into widely accepted membrane (pump) theory (MT) and its steady state energetics because of the thermal noise of assumed ordinary cell water and freely soluble cytoplasmic... more

Observations of coherent cellular behavior cannot be integrated into widely accepted membrane (pump) theory (MT) and its steady state energetics because of the thermal noise of assumed ordinary cell water and freely soluble cytoplasmic K+. However, Ling disproved MT and proposed an alternative based on coherence, showing that rest (R) and action (A) are two different phases of protoplasm with different energy levels. The R-state is a coherent metastable low-entropy state as water and K+ are bound to unfolded proteins. The A-state is the higher-entropy state because water and K+ are free. The R-to-A phase transition is regarded as a mechanism to release energy for biological work, replacing the classical concept of high-energy bonds. Subsequent inactivation during the endergonic A-to-R phase transition needs an input of metabolic energy to restore the low entropy R-state. Matveev’s native aggregation hypothesis allows to integrate the energetic details of globular proteins into this view.

This study aims to examine the potential substitute natural gas (SNG) production by integrating black liquor gasification (BLG) island with a small wheat straw-based non-wood pulp mills (NPM), which do not employ the black liquor recovery... more

This study aims to examine the potential substitute natural gas (SNG) production by integrating black liquor gasification (BLG) island with a small wheat straw-based non-wood pulp mills (NPM), which do not employ the black liquor recovery cycle. For such integration, it is important to first build knowledge on expected improvements
in an overall integrated non-wood pulp mill energy system using the key performance indicators. O2-blown circulating fluidized bed (CFB) gasification with direct causticization is integrated with a reference small NPM to evaluate the overall performance. A detailed economic analysis is performed together with a sensitivity analysis based on variations in the rate of return due to varying biomass price, total capital investment, and natural gas prices. The quantitive results showed considerable SNG production but significantly reduced electricity
production. There is a substantial CO2 abatement potential combining CO2 capture and CO2 mitigation from SNG use replacing compressed natural gas (CNG) or gasoline. The economic performance through sensitivity analysis reflects significant dependency on both substitute natural gas production and natural gas market price. Furthermore, the solutions to address the challenges and barriers for the successful commercial implementation of BLG based polygeneration system at small NPMs are discussed. The system performance and discussion on the real application of integrated system presented in this article form a vital literature source for future use by large number of small non-wood pulp industries.

District heating networks are commonly addressed in the literature as one of the most effective solutions for decreasing the greenhouse gas emissions from the building sector. These systems require high investments which are returned... more

District heating networks are commonly addressed in the literature as one of the most effective solutions for decreasing the greenhouse gas emissions from the building sector. These systems require high investments which are returned through the heat sales. Due to the changed climate conditions and building renovation policies, heat demand in the future could decrease, prolonging the investment return period. The main scope of this paper is to assess the feasibility of using the heat demand – outdoor temperature function for heat demand forecast. The district of Alvalade, located in Lisbon (Portugal), was used as a case study. The district is consisted of 665 buildings that vary in both construction period and typology. Three weather scenarios (low, medium, high) and three district renovation scenarios were developed (shallow, intermediate, deep). To estimate the error, obtained heat demand values were compared with results from a dynamic heat demand model, previously developed and validated by the authors. The results showed that when only weather change is considered, the margin of error could be acceptable for some applications (the error in annual demand was lower than 20% for all weather scenarios considered). However, after introducing renovation scenarios, the error value increased up to 59.5% (depending on the weather and renovation scenarios combination considered). The value of slope coefficient increased on average within the range of 3.8% up to 8% per decade, that corresponds to the decrease in the number of heating hours of 22-139h during the heating season (depending on the combination of weather and renovation scenarios considered). On the other hand, function intercept increased for 7.8-12.7% per decade (depending on the coupled scenarios). The values suggested could be used to modify the function parameters for the scenarios considered, and improve the accuracy of heat demand estimations. Abstract The fossil fuels accomplish almost 80% of the world energy needs. The ever increasing exploitation of fossil fuels has led to environmental pollution, global climate change and health problems to living beings. Hence to meet the needs of the future energy and to mitigate the environmental pollution, it is critical to look for the alternate fuels. Global energy infrastructure in the future is believed to be accomplished by the energy generated from the low-cost renewable resources. Algae biomass has emerged as a promising biofuel source, as microalgae-based biofuels are biodegradable, renewable, and eco-friendly in comparison to fossil driven fuels. This study aims to examine the importance of microalgae as an alternative renewable energy source and evaluate the key challenges in the production of microalgae biofuel.

The liver is almost unique in its capacity for regeneration after hepatectomy but the exact mechanisms are not yet fully clarified. Antioxidants have been shown to promote liver regeneration after major hepatectomy. The present study... more

The liver is almost unique in its capacity for regeneration after hepatectomy but the exact mechanisms are not yet fully clarified. Antioxidants have been shown to promote liver regeneration after major hepatectomy. The present study evaluated the ameliorative effect of vitamin E administration on the liver regeneration after different periods of partial hepatectomy (PH) in rats. Fifty-six adult male albino rats were divided into three groups: Control sham operated group; partially hepatectomized group which were divided into three subgroups sacrificed at 1day, 3 days and 7days after the operation respectively; Partially Hepatectomized group with vitamin E pretreatment before PH where the rats were given a daily oral dose of vitamin E until the time of sacrifice of the rats. Immunohistochemical detection of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and labeling index were demonstrated. After PH, the PCNA positive hepatocytes and the PCNA labeling indices were significantly high after the 1 st day and then much decreased after the 3 rd day, to be followed by a slight increase at the 7 th day. Vitamin E pretreatment in PH rats resulted in a decrease in PCNA positive cells and its labeling indices in the 1 st day with a gradual increase in the 3 rd and 7 th days. Vitamin E has an inhibitory effect in the first 24 hours on liver regeneration followed by stimulatory effect at the third and seventh days after PH. These data indicated that vitamin E pretreatment has an important role in regulation and enhancement of liver regeneration after PH.

The cold tolerance of winter-dormant rhizomes was evaluated in diploid, allotriploid, and allotetraploid hybrids of Miscanthus sinensis and Miscanthus sacchariflorus grown in a field setting. Two artificial freezing protocols were... more

The cold tolerance of winter-dormant rhizomes was evaluated in diploid, allotriploid, and allotetraploid hybrids of
Miscanthus sinensis and Miscanthus sacchariflorus grown in a field setting. Two artificial freezing protocols were
tested: one lowered the temperature continuously by 1°C h–1 to the treatment temperature and another lowered the
temperature in stages of 24 h each to the treatment temperature. Electrolyte leakage and rhizome sprouting assays after
the cold treatment assessed plant and tissue viability. Results from the continuous-cooling trial showed that Miscanthus
rhizomes from all genotypes tolerated temperatures as low as –6.5 °C; however, the slower, staged-cooling procedure
enabled rhizomes from two diploid lines to survive temperatures as low as –14 °C. Allopolyploid genotypes showed no
change in the lethal temperature threshold between the continuous and staged-cooling procedure, indicating that they
have little ability to acclimate to subzero temperatures. The results demonstrated that rhizomes from diploid Miscanthus
lines have superior cold tolerance that could be exploited to improve performance in more productive polyploid lines.
With expected levels of soil insulation, low winter air temperatures should not harm rhizomes of tolerant diploid genotypes
of Miscanthus in temperate to sub-boreal climates (up to 60°N); however, the observed winter cold in sub-boreal
climates could harm rhizomes of existing polyploid varieties of Miscanthus and thus reduce stand performance.

... Algae having the ability to synthesize TAGs are considered as a second generation feedstock for production of biofuels, specifically biodiesel. ... as a source of transportation biofuels are numerous: 1. Microalgae synthesize and... more

... Algae having the ability to synthesize TAGs are considered as a second generation feedstock for production of biofuels, specifically biodiesel. ... as a source of transportation biofuels are numerous: 1. Microalgae synthesize and accumulate large quantities of neutral lipids/oil [20 ...

The collection of residues from staple crop may contribute to meet EU regulations in renewable energy production without harming soil quality. At a global scale, chaff may have great potential to be used as a bioenergy source. However,... more

The collection of residues from staple crop may contribute to meet EU regulations in renewable energy production without harming soil quality. At a global scale, chaff may have great potential to be used as a bioenergy source. However, chaff is not usually collected, and its loss can consist of up to one-fifth of the residual biomass harvestable. In the present work, a spreader able to manage the chaff (either spreading [SPR] on the soil aside to the straw swath or admixed [ADM] with the straw) at varying threshing conditions (with either 1 or 2 threshing rotors [1R and 2R, respectively] in the combine, which affects the mean length of the straw pieces). The fractions of the biomass available in field (grain, chaff, straw, and stubble) were measured, along with the performances of both grain harvesting and baling operations. Admixing chaff allowed for a slightly higher amount of straw fresh weight baled compared to SPR (+336 kg straw ha−1), but such result was not evident on a dry w...

BACKGROUND: The current study aimed to elucidate the protective role of combined fenugreek and a-tocopherol against cadmium induced histopathological changes in the testes. MATERIALS-METHODS: Thirty adult male albino rats divided into... more

BACKGROUND: The current study aimed to elucidate the protective role of combined fenugreek and a-tocopherol against cadmium induced histopathological changes in the testes. MATERIALS-METHODS: Thirty adult male albino rats divided into three equal groups 10 rats each. Group I is the control group. Group II received 5 mg/kg/ day cadmium chloride. Group III received 5 mg/kg/day cadmium chloride and 150 mg/kg/day fenugreek and 100 mg/kg/ day of a-tocopherol. The treatment of all groups was done by oral gavage for 60 consecutive days. The testes were removed and subjected to histopathological and ultrastructure study. RESULTS: Rats exposed to cadmium showed severe histopathological changes in the testicular spermatogenic series, many vacuoles and multinucleated giant cells. Treatment with fenugreek and a-tocopherol partially improved the morphological changes, reduced tissue damage and rebuilt of the spermatogonia layer. CONCLUSIONS: Fenugreek and a-tocopherol might represent a promising medicinal combination to ameliorate the toxic effects of cadmium exposure.

Climate change means that countries like Canada need to find suitable transition pathways to overcome fossil-fuel dependence; one such pathway is the so-called 'bio-economy'. The bio-economy is a term used to define an economic system in... more

Climate change means that countries like Canada need to find suitable transition pathways to overcome fossil-fuel dependence; one such pathway is the so-called 'bio-economy'. The bio-economy is a term used to define an economic system in which biological resources (e.g., plants) form the basis of production and production processes. For example, it would involve the replacement of petroleum energy, inputs, chemicals, and products with bioenergy, biological inputs, bio-chemicals, and bio-products. A number of countries and jurisdictions have established policy strategies in order to promote and support the development of a bio-economy, exemplified by the European Union where the bio-economy represents a key pillar in its broader Horizon 2020 strategy. Other countries, like Canada, do not yet have an over-arching bio-economy strategy, but have a series of diverse, and often competing, policy visions and frameworks. It is useful to analyse countries like Canada in order to understand how these policy visions and policy frameworks are co-constituted, and what this might mean for the development of an over-arching bio-economy strategy. This raises a number of questions: How is the bio-economy imagined by different social actors? How are these imaginaries and policy frameworks co-produced?

In recent years perennial grasses such as the native tallgrass prairie plant Panicum virgatum (switchgrass) have taken on a new role in the North American landscape as a plant-based source of renewable energy. Because switchgrass is a... more

In recent years perennial grasses such as the native tallgrass prairie plant Panicum virgatum (switchgrass) have taken on a new role in the North American landscape as a plant-based source of renewable energy. Because switchgrass is a native plant, it has been suggested that disease problems will be minimal, but little research in this area has been conducted. Recently, outbreaks of switchgrass anthracnose disease have been reported from the northeastern United States. Incidences of switchgrass anthracnose are known in North America since 1886 through herbarium specimens and disease reports, but the causal agent of this disease has never been experimentally determined or taxonomically evaluated. In the present work, we describe the causal agent of switchgrass anthracnose, a new species we describe as Colletotrichum navitas (navitas=Latin for energy). Multilocus molecular phylogenetics and morphological characters show C. navitas is a novel species in the falcate-spored graminicolous group of the genus Colletotrichum; it is most closely related to the corn anthracnose pathogen C. graminicola. We present a formal description and illustrations for C. navitas and provide experimental confirmation that this organism is responsible for switchgrass anthracnose disease.

The cold tolerance of winter-dormant rhizomes was evaluated in diploid, allotriploid, and allotetraploid hybrids of Miscanthus sinensis and Miscanthus sacchariflorus grown in a field setting. Two artificial freezing protocols were tested:... more

The cold tolerance of winter-dormant rhizomes was evaluated in diploid, allotriploid, and allotetraploid hybrids of Miscanthus sinensis and Miscanthus sacchariflorus grown in a field setting. Two artificial freezing protocols were tested: one lowered the temperature continuously by 1°C h(-1) to the treatment temperature and another lowered the temperature in stages of 24h each to the treatment temperature. Electrolyte leakage and rhizome sprouting assays after the cold treatment assessed plant and tissue viability. Results from the continuous-cooling trial showed that Miscanthus rhizomes from all genotypes tolerated temperatures as low as -6.5 °C; however, the slower, staged-cooling procedure enabled rhizomes from two diploid lines to survive temperatures as low as -14 °C. Allopolyploid genotypes showed no change in the lethal temperature threshold between the continuous and staged-cooling procedure, indicating that they have little ability to acclimate to subzero temperatures. The ...

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a chemotherapeutic agent used for treatment of different cancers and its clinical usage is hindered by the oxidative injury-related cardiotoxicity. This work aims to declare if the harmful effects of DOX on heart can... more

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a chemotherapeutic agent used for treatment of different cancers and its clinical usage is hindered by the oxidative injury-related cardiotoxicity. This work aims to declare if the harmful effects of DOX on heart can be alleviated with the use of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) or L-carnitine. The study was performed on seventy two female Wistar albino rats divided into six groups, 12 animals each: Control group; DOX group (10 mg/kg); CoQ10 group (200 mg/kg); L-carnitine group (100 mg/kg); DOX + CoQ10 group; DOX + L-carnitine group. CoQ10 and L-carnitine treatment orally started 5 days before a single dose of 10 mg/kg DOX that injected intraperitoneally (IP) then the treatment continued for 10 days. At the end of the study, serum biochemical parameters of cardiac damage, oxidative stress indices, and histopathological changes were investigated. CoQ10 or L-carnitine showed a noticeable effects in improving cardiac functions evidenced reducing serum enzymes as serum interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), leptin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), Cardiotrophin-1, Troponin-I and Troponin-T. Also, alleviate oxidative stress, decrease of cardiac Malondialdehyde (MDA), Nitric oxide (NO) and restoring cardiac reduced glutathione levels to normal levels. Both corrected the cardiac alterations histologically and ultrastructurally. With a visible improvements in α-SMA, vimentin and eNOS immunohistochemical markers. In conclusion, CoQ10 or L-carnitine supplementation improves the functional and structural integrity of the myocardium.

Miscanthus × giganteus grown in cool temperate regions of North America and Europe can exhibit severe mortality in the year after planting, and poor frost tolerance of leaves. Spartina pectinata (prairie cordgrass), a productive C4... more

Miscanthus × giganteus grown in cool temperate regions of North America and Europe can exhibit severe mortality
in the year after planting, and poor frost tolerance of leaves. Spartina pectinata (prairie cordgrass), a productive C4
perennial grass native to North America, has been suggested as an alternative biofuel feedstock for colder regions;
however, its cold tolerance relative to M. × giganteus is uncertain. Here, we compare the cold tolerance thresholds
for winter-dormant rhizomes and spring/summer leaves of M. × giganteus and three accessions of S. pectinata. All
genotypes were planted at a field site in Ontario, Canada. In November and February, the temperatures corresponding
to 50% rhizome mortality (LT50) were near −24°C for S. pectinata and −4°C for M. × giganteus. In late April, the
LT50 of rhizomes rose to −10°C for S. pectinata but remained near −4°C for M. × giganteus. Twenty percent of the
M. × giganteus rhizomes collected in late April were dead while S. pectinata rhizomes showed no signs of winter
injury. Photosynthesis and electrolyte leakage measurements in spring and summer demonstrate that S. pectinata
leaves have greater frost tolerance in the field. For example, S. pectinata leaves remained viable above −9°C while
the mortality threshold was near −5°C for M. × giganteus. These results indicate M. × giganteus will be unsuitable for
production in continental interiors of cool-temperate climate zones unless freezing and frost tolerance are improved.
By contrast, S. pectinata has the freezing and frost tolerance required for a higher-latitude bioenergy crop.