Mechanisms controlling the oxygen consumption in experimentally induced hypochloremic alkalosis in calves.

Science.gov (United States)

Cambier, Carole; Clerbaux, Thierry; Amory, Hélène; Detry, Bruno; Florquin, Sandra; Marville, Vincent; Frans, Albert; Gustin, Pascal

2002-01-01

The study was carried out on healthy Friesian calves (n = 10) aged between 10 and 30 days. Hypochloremia and alkalosis were induced by intravenous administration of furosemide and isotonic sodium bicarbonate. The venous and arterial blood samples were collected repeatedly. 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG), hemoglobin and plasmatic chloride concentrations were determined. The red blood cell chloride concentration was also calculated. pH, PCO2 and PO2 were measured in arterial and mixed venous blood. The oxygen equilibrium curve (OEC) was measured in standard conditions. The correspondence of the OEC to the arterial and mixed venous compartments was calculated, taking blood temperature, pH and PCO2 values into account. The oxygen exchange fraction (OEF%), corresponding to the degree of blood desaturation between the arterial and mixed venous compartments and the amount of oxygen released at the tissue level by 100 mL of blood (OEF Vol%) were calculated from the arterial and mixed venous OEC, combined with PO2 and hemoglobin concentration. Oxygen delivery (DO2) was calculated using the arterial oxygen content, the cardiac output measured by thermodilution, and the body weight of the animal. The oxygen consumption (VO2) was derived from the cardiac output, OEF Vol% and body weight values. Despite the plasma hypochloremia, the erythrocyte chloride concentration was not influenced by furosemide and sodium bicarbonate infusion. Due to the alkalosis-induced increase in the 2,3-DPG, the standard OEC was shifted to the right, allowing oxygen to dissociate from hemoglobin more rapidly. These changes opposed the increased affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen induced by alkalosis. Moreover, respiratory acidosis, hemoconcentration, and the slight decrease in the partial oxygen pressure in mixed venous blood (Pvo2) tended to improve the OEF Vol% and maintain the oxygen consumption in a physiological range while the cardiac output, and the oxygen delivery were significantly decreased

Psychiatric comorbidities in a young man with subacute myelopathy induced by abusive nitrous oxide consumption: a case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Mancke, Falk; Kaklauskaitė, Gintarė; Kollmer, Jennifer; Weiler, Markus

2016-01-01

Nitrous oxide (N 2 O), a long-standing anesthetic, is known for its recreational use, and its consumption is on the rise. Several case studies have reported neurological and psychiatric complications of N 2 O use. To date, however, there has not been a study using standardized diagnostic procedures to assess psychiatric comorbidities in a patient consuming N 2 O. Here, we report about a 35-year-old male with magnetic resonance imaging confirmed subacute myelopathy induced by N 2 O consumption, who suffered from comorbid cannabinoid and nicotine dependence as well as abuse of amphetamines, cocaine, lysergic acid diethylamide, and ketamine. Additionally, there was evidence of a preceding transient psychotic and depressive episode induced by synthetic cannabinoid abuse. In summary, this case raises awareness of an important mechanism of neural toxicity, with which physicians working in the field of substance-related disorders should be familiar. In fact, excluding N 2 O toxicity in patients with recognized substance-related disorders and new neurological deficits is compulsory, as untreated for months the damage to the nervous system is at risk of becoming irreversible.

Analysis of Photovoltaic Self-Consumption Systems

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Carlos J. Sarasa-Maestro

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Components and installation prices could make the self-consumption of solar photovoltaic (PV systems competitive. In this paper, we explore different self-consumption options, off-grid PV systems (with back-up generator and/or batteries, and grid-connected PV systems under net-metering policies. The calculation of the net present cost (NPC reveals that the grid-connected PV-only case (for the net-metering scheme is the most attractive from the technical and financial points of view, with a levelised cost of energy less than 0.1 €/kWh. Off-grid PV + Diesel + Batteries has a higher cost, around two or three times the grid-connected PV-only under net metering. Additionally, the off-grid PV + Diesel is less attractive from a financial point of view, which has a cost of around 10 times the PV-only under net metering. In addition, the values of life cycle CO2 emissions in each of the cases studied have been compared, and we have concluded that although the off-grid PV + Diesel + Batteries system presents lower CO2 emissions than the PV-only system, the existence of batteries does not allow one to affirm that the PV + Diesel + Batteries system is the best from an environmental point of view.

An Electrical Energy Consumption Monitoring and Forecasting System

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J. L. Rojas-Renteria

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Electricity consumption is currently an issue of great interest for power companies that need an as much as accurate profile for controlling the installed systems but also for designing future expansions and alterations. Detailed monitoring has proved to be valuable for both power companies and consumers. Further, as smart grid technology is bound to result to increasingly flexible rates, an accurate forecast is bound to prove valuable in the future. In this paper, a monitoring and forecasting system is investigated. The monitoring system was installed in an actual building and the recordings were used to design and evaluate the forecasting system, based on an artificial neural network. Results show that the system can provide detailed monitoring and also an accurate forecast for a building’s consumption.

Acrolein consumption induces systemic dyslipidemia and lipoprotein modification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conklin, Daniel J.; Barski, Oleg A.; Lesgards, Jean-Francois; Juvan, Peter; Rezen, Tadeja; Rozman, Damjana; Prough, Russell A.; Vladykovskaya, Elena; Liu, SiQi; Srivastava, Sanjay; Bhatnagar, Aruni

2010-01-01

Aldehydes such as acrolein are ubiquitous pollutants present in automobile exhaust, cigarette, wood, and coal smoke. Such aldehydes are also constituents of several food substances and are present in drinking water, irrigation canals, and effluents from manufacturing plants. Oral intake represents the most significant source of exposure to acrolein and related aldehydes. To study the effects of short-term oral exposure to acrolein on lipoprotein levels and metabolism, adult mice were gavage-fed 0.1 to 5 mg acrolein/kg bwt and changes in plasma lipoproteins were assessed. Changes in hepatic gene expression related to lipid metabolism and cytokines were examined by qRT-PCR analysis. Acrolein feeding did not affect body weight, blood urea nitrogen, plasma creatinine, electrolytes, cytokines or liver enzymes, but increased plasma cholesterol and triglycerides. Similar results were obtained with apoE-null mice. Plasma lipoproteins from acrolein-fed mice showed altered electrophoretic mobility on agarose gels. Chromatographic analysis revealed elevated VLDL cholesterol, phospholipids, and triglycerides levels with little change in LDL or HDL. NMR analysis indicated shifts from small to large VLDL and from large to medium-small LDL with no change in the size of HDL particles. Increased plasma VLDL was associated with a significant decrease in post-heparin plasma hepatic lipase activity and a decrease in hepatic expression of hepatic lipase. These observations suggest that oral exposure to acrolein could induce or exacerbate systemic dyslipidemia and thereby contribute to cardiovascular disease risk.

Acrolein consumption induces systemic dyslipidemia and lipoprotein modification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Conklin, Daniel J., E-mail: dj.conklin@louisville.ed [Diabetes and Obesity Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202 (United States); Barski, Oleg A; Lesgards, Jean-Francois [Diabetes and Obesity Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202 (United States); Juvan, Peter; Rezen, Tadeja; Rozman, Damjana [Centre for Functional Genomics and Bio-Chips (CFGBC), Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Zaloska 4, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Prough, Russell A [Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202 (United States); Vladykovskaya, Elena; Liu, SiQi; Srivastava, Sanjay [Diabetes and Obesity Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202 (United States); Bhatnagar, Aruni [Diabetes and Obesity Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202 (United States); Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202 (United States)

2010-02-15

Aldehydes such as acrolein are ubiquitous pollutants present in automobile exhaust, cigarette, wood, and coal smoke. Such aldehydes are also constituents of several food substances and are present in drinking water, irrigation canals, and effluents from manufacturing plants. Oral intake represents the most significant source of exposure to acrolein and related aldehydes. To study the effects of short-term oral exposure to acrolein on lipoprotein levels and metabolism, adult mice were gavage-fed 0.1 to 5 mg acrolein/kg bwt and changes in plasma lipoproteins were assessed. Changes in hepatic gene expression related to lipid metabolism and cytokines were examined by qRT-PCR analysis. Acrolein feeding did not affect body weight, blood urea nitrogen, plasma creatinine, electrolytes, cytokines or liver enzymes, but increased plasma cholesterol and triglycerides. Similar results were obtained with apoE-null mice. Plasma lipoproteins from acrolein-fed mice showed altered electrophoretic mobility on agarose gels. Chromatographic analysis revealed elevated VLDL cholesterol, phospholipids, and triglycerides levels with little change in LDL or HDL. NMR analysis indicated shifts from small to large VLDL and from large to medium-small LDL with no change in the size of HDL particles. Increased plasma VLDL was associated with a significant decrease in post-heparin plasma hepatic lipase activity and a decrease in hepatic expression of hepatic lipase. These observations suggest that oral exposure to acrolein could induce or exacerbate systemic dyslipidemia and thereby contribute to cardiovascular disease risk.

Ghrelin knockout mice show decreased voluntary alcohol consumption and reduced ethanol-induced conditioned place preference.

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Bahi, Amine; Tolle, Virginie; Fehrentz, Jean-Alain; Brunel, Luc; Martinez, Jean; Tomasetto, Catherine-Laure; Karam, Sherif M

2013-05-01

Recent work suggests that stomach-derived hormone ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1A) antagonism may reduce motivational aspects of ethanol intake. In the current study we hypothesized that the endogenous GHS-R1A agonist ghrelin modulates alcohol reward mechanisms. For this purpose ethanol-induced conditioned place preference (CPP), ethanol-induced locomotor stimulation and voluntary ethanol consumption in a two-bottle choice drinking paradigm were examined under conditions where ghrelin and its receptor were blocked, either using ghrelin knockout (KO) mice or the specific ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1A) antagonist "JMV2959". We showed that ghrelin KO mice displayed lower ethanol-induced CPP than their wild-type (WT) littermates. Consistently, when injected during CPP-acquisition, JMV2959 reduced CPP-expression in C57BL/6 mice. In addition, ethanol-induced locomotor stimulation was lower in ghrelin KO mice. Moreover, GHS-R1A blockade, using JMV2959, reduced alcohol-stimulated locomotion only in WT but not in ghrelin KO mice. When alcohol consumption and preference were assessed using the two-bottle choice test, both genetic deletion of ghrelin and pharmacological antagonism of the GHS-R1A (JMV2959) reduced voluntary alcohol consumption and preference. Finally, JMV2959-induced reduction of alcohol intake was only observed in WT but not in ghrelin KO mice. Taken together, these results suggest that ghrelin neurotransmission is necessary for the stimulatory effect of ethanol to occur, whereas lack of ghrelin leads to changes that reduce the voluntary intake as well as conditioned reward by ethanol. Our findings reveal a major, novel role for ghrelin in mediating ethanol behavior, and add to growing evidence that ghrelin is a key mediator of the effects of multiple abused drugs. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Influence of the novel histamine H₃ receptor antagonist ST1283 on voluntary alcohol consumption and ethanol-induced place preference in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Bahi, Amine; Sadek, Bassem; Schwed, Stephan J; Walter, Miriam; Stark, Holger

2013-07-01

Growing evidence supports a role for the central histaminergic system to have a modulatory influence on drug addiction in general and alcohol-use disorders in particular through histamine H3 receptors (H3R). In the present study, the effects of systemic injection of the newly synthesized H3R antagonist ST1283 on ethanol (EtOH) voluntary intake and EtOH-conditioned reward in mice have been investigated. Oral EtOH, saccharin, and quinine intake was assessed in a two-bottle choice paradigm using escalating concentrations of alcohol or tastant solutions. EtOH-induced place preference (CPP), EtOH-induced locomotor activity, and blood ethanol concentration (BEC) were also measured. Following administration of the H3R antagonist (2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg, i.p.), there was a significant dose-dependent decrease in alcohol consumption and preference. Importantly, vehicle- and ST1283 (5 mg/kg)-treated mice showed similar consumption and preference to increasing concentration of both sweet and bitter tastes. More interestingly, systemic administration of ST1283 inhibited EtOH-CPP and EtOH-enhanced locomotion. This inhibition was blocked when mice were pretreated with the selective H3R agonist R-(alpha)-methyl-histamine (10 mg/kg). Finally, vehicle- and ST1283-treated mice had similar BECs. Our results show that ST1283 may decrease voluntary EtOH consumption and EtOH-CPP by altering its reinforcing effects, suggesting a novel role for histamine signaling in regulation of alcoholism. Lastly, the results add to the growing literature on H3R modulation in the pharmacotherapy of EtOH addiction.

Renal transplantation induces mitochondrial uncoupling, increased kidney oxygen consumption, and decreased kidney oxygen tension

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Papazova, Diana A.; Friederich-Persson, Malou; Joles, Jaap A.; Verhaar, Marianne C.

2015-01-01

Hypoxia is an acknowledged pathway to renal injury and ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) and is known to reduce renal oxygen tension (PO2). We hypothesized that renal I/R increases oxidative damage and induces mitochondrial uncoupling, resulting in increased oxygen consumption and hence kidney

The ghrelin signalling system is involved in the consumption of sweets.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara Landgren

Full Text Available The gastric-derived orexigenic peptide ghrelin affects brain circuits involved in energy balance as well as in reward. Indeed, ghrelin activates an important reward circuit involved in natural- as well as drug-induced reward, the cholinergic-dopaminergic reward link. It has been hypothesized that there is a common reward mechanism for alcohol and sweet substances in both animals and humans. Alcohol dependent individuals have higher craving for sweets than do healthy controls and the hedonic response to sweet taste may, at least in part, depend on genetic factors. Rat selectively bred for high sucrose intake have higher alcohol consumption than non-sucrose preferring rats and vice versa. In the present study a group of alcohol-consuming individuals selected from a population cohort was investigated for genetic variants of the ghrelin signalling system in relation to both their alcohol and sucrose consumption. Moreover, the effects of GHS-R1A antagonism on voluntary sucrose-intake and operant self-administration, as well as saccharin intake were investigated in preclinical studies using rodents. The effects of peripheral grelin administration on sucrose intake were also examined. Here we found associations with the ghrelin gene haplotypes and increased sucrose consumption, and a trend for the same association was seen in the high alcohol consumers. The preclinical data show that a GHS-R1A antagonist reduces the intake and self-administration of sucrose in rats as well as saccharin intake in mice. Further, ghrelin increases the intake of sucrose in rats. Collectively, our data provide a clear indication that the GHS-R1A antagonists reduces and ghrelin increases the intake of rewarding substances and hence, the central ghrelin signalling system provides a novel target for the development of drug strategies to treat addictive behaviours.

Effects of alcohol-induced working memory decline on alcohol consumption and adverse consequences of use.

Science.gov (United States)

Lechner, William V; Day, Anne M; Metrik, Jane; Leventhal, Adam M; Kahler, Christopher W

2016-01-01

Alcohol use appears to decrease executive function acutely in a dose-dependent manner, and lower baseline executive function appears to contribute to problematic alcohol use. However, no studies, to our knowledge, have examined the relationship between individual differences in working memory (a subcomponent of executive function) after alcohol consumption and drinking behaviors and consequences. The current study assessed the relationship between drinking behavior, alcohol-related consequences, and alcohol-induced changes in working memory (as assessed by Trail Making Test-B). Participants recruited from the community (n = 41), 57.3 % male, mean age 39.2, took part in a three-session, within-subjects, repeated-measures design. Participants were administered a placebo, 0.4 g/kg, or 0.8 g/kg dose of alcohol. Working memory, past 30-day alcohol consumption, and consequences of alcohol use were measured at baseline; working memory was measured again after each beverage administration. Poorer working memory after alcohol administration (controlling for baseline working memory) was significantly associated with a greater number of drinks consumed per drinking day. Additionally, we observed a significant indirect relationship between the degree of alcohol-induced working memory decline and adverse consequences of alcohol use, which was mediated through greater average drinks per drinking day. It is possible that greater individual susceptibility to alcohol-induced working memory decline may limit one's ability to moderate alcohol consumption as evidenced by greater drinks per drinking day and that this results in more adverse consequences of alcohol use.

Pre-existing differences and diet-induced alterations in striatal dopamine systems of obesity-prone rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Vollbrecht, Peter J; Mabrouk, Omar S; Nelson, Andrew D; Kennedy, Robert T; Ferrario, Carrie R

2016-03-01

Interactions between pre-existing differences in mesolimbic function and neuroadaptations induced by consumption of fatty, sugary foods are thought to contribute to human obesity. This study examined basal and cocaine-induced changes in striatal neurotransmitter levels without diet manipulation and D2 /D3 dopamine receptor-mediated transmission prior to and after consumption of "junk-foods" in obesity-prone and obesity-resistant rats. Microdialysis and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry were used to determine basal and cocaine-induced changes in neurotransmitter levels in real time with cocaine-induced locomotor activity. Sensitivity to the D2 /D3 dopamine receptor agonist quinpirole was examined before and after restricted junk-food exposure. Selectively bred obesity-prone and obesity-resistant rats were used. Cocaine-induced locomotion was greater in obesity-prone rats versus obesity-resistant rats prior to diet manipulation. Basal and cocaine-induced increases in dopamine and serotonin levels did not differ. Obesity-prone rats were more sensitive to the D2 receptor-mediated effects of quinpirole, and junk-food produced modest alterations in quinpirole sensitivity in obesity-resistant rats. These data show that mesolimbic systems differ prior to diet manipulation in susceptible versus resistant rats, and that consumption of fatty, sugary foods produce different neuroadaptations in these populations. These differences may contribute to enhanced food craving and an inability to limit food intake in susceptible individuals. © 2016 The Obesity Society.

Doxycycline Impairs Mitochondrial Function and Protects Human Glioma Cells from Hypoxia-Induced Cell Death: Implications of Using Tet-Inducible Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Luger, Anna-Luisa; Sauer, Benedikt; Lorenz, Nadja I; Engel, Anna L; Braun, Yannick; Voss, Martin; Harter, Patrick N; Steinbach, Joachim P; Ronellenfitsch, Michael W

2018-05-17

Inducible gene expression is an important tool in molecular biology research to study protein function. Most frequently, the antibiotic doxycycline is used for regulation of so-called tetracycline (Tet)-inducible systems. In contrast to stable gene overexpression, these systems allow investigation of acute and reversible effects of cellular protein induction. Recent reports have already called for caution when using Tet-inducible systems as the employed antibiotics can disturb mitochondrial function and alter cellular metabolism by interfering with mitochondrial translation. Reprogramming of energy metabolism has lately been recognized as an important emerging hallmark of cancer and is a central focus of cancer research. Therefore, the scope of this study was to systematically analyze dose-dependent metabolic effects of doxycycline on a panel of glioma cell lines with concomitant monitoring of gene expression from Tet-inducible systems. We report that doxycycline doses commonly used with inducible expression systems (0.01⁻1 µg/mL) substantially alter cellular metabolism: Mitochondrial protein synthesis was inhibited accompanied by reduced oxygen and increased glucose consumption. Furthermore, doxycycline protected human glioma cells from hypoxia-induced cell death. An impairment of cell growth was only detectable with higher doxycycline doses (10 µg/mL). Our findings describe settings where doxycycline exerts effects on eukaryotic cellular metabolism, limiting the employment of Tet-inducible systems.

Energy consumption of auxiliary systems of electric cars

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Evtimov Ivan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The paper analyzes the power demand of the auxiliary systems of electric cars. On the basis of existing electric cars an analysis of energy consumption of different auxiliary systems is done. As a result possibilities for rational use of these systems have been proposed, which can increase the mileage per one charge of the battery.

Urban Systems and Energy Consumptions: A Critical Approach

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Rocco Papa

2014-05-01

Full Text Available City transformations are also due to the development of new energy sources, which have influenced economy and lifestyles, as well as the physical and functional organization of urban systems. Cities are the key place where it is need to act for the achievement of strategic environmental objectives, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy saving. The hard resolution of these challenges depends on several factors: their multidimensional nature, the change of the economic and settlement development model, and also the complexity of the relationships between the elements that constitute the urban systems and that affect energy consumption. According to this awareness the Project Smart Energy Master for the energy management of territory financed by PON 04A2_00120 R & C Axis II, from 2012 to 2015 has been developed: it is aimed at supporting local authorities in the development of strategies for the reduction of energy consumption through actions designed to change behavior (in terms of use and energy consumption and to improve the energy efficiency of equipment and infrastructure. With the goal of describing some of the results of the methodological phase of this project, this paper proposes a review of the major studies on the issue of energy consumption at the urban scale in the first section; in the second section the outcomes of the first phase of the development of the comprehension/interpretive model related to the identification of the set of physical/environmental variables at urban scale, that most affect the energy consumption, are described; the third makes a critical review of the reference scientific literature, characterised by a too sectoral approach, compared to the complexity of the topic.

Influence of Hydrogen-Based Storage Systems on Self-Consumption and Self-Sufficiency of Residential Photovoltaic Systems

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Christian Pötzinger

2015-08-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes the behavior of residential solar-powered electrical energy storage systems. For this purpose, a simulation model based on MATLAB/Simulink is developed. Investigating both short-time and seasonal hydrogen-based storage systems, simulations on the basis of real weather data are processed on a timescale of 15 min for a consideration period of 3 years. A sensitivity analysis is conducted in order to identify the most important system parameters concerning the proportion of consumption and the degree of self-sufficiency. Therefore, the influences of storage capacity and of storage efficiencies are discussed. A short-time storage system can increase the proportion of consumption by up to 35 percentage points compared to a self-consumption system without storage. However, the seasonal storing system uses almost the entire energy produced by the photovoltaic (PV system (nearly 100% self-consumption. Thereby, the energy drawn from the grid can be reduced and a degree of self-sufficiency of about 90% is achieved. Based on these findings, some scenarios to reach self-sufficiency are analyzed. The results show that full self-sufficiency will be possible with a seasonal hydrogen-based storage system if PV area and initial storage level are appropriate.

Consumption Simulations Induce Salivation to Food Cues.

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Mike Keesman

Full Text Available Salivation to food cues is typically explained in terms of mere stimulus-response links. However, food cues seem to especially increase salivation when food is attractive, suggesting a more complex psychological process. Adopting a grounded cognition perspective, we suggest that perceiving a food triggers simulations of consuming it, especially when attractive. These simulations then induce salivation, which effectively prepares the body for eating the food. In two experiments, we systematically examined the role of simulations on salivation to food cues. As stimuli, both experiments used an attractive, a neutral, and a sour food, as well as a non-food control object. In Experiment 1, participants were instructed to simulate eating every object they would be exposed to. We then exposed them to each object separately. Salivation was assessed by having participants spit their saliva into a cup after one minute of exposure. In Experiment 2, we instructed half of participants to simulate eating each object, and half to merely look at them, while measuring salivation as in Experiment 1. Afterwards, participants rated their simulations and desire to eat for each object separately. As predicted, foods increased salivation compared to the non-food control object, especially when they were attractive or sour (Exp. 1 and 2. Importantly, attractive and sour foods especially increased salivation when instructed to simulate (Exp. 2. These findings suggest that consumption simulations play an important role in inducing salivary responses to food cues. We discuss directions for future research as well as the role of simulations for other appetitive processes.

Controlled cooling of an electronic system for reduced energy consumption

Science.gov (United States)

David, Milnes P.; Iyengar, Madhusudan K.; Schmidt, Roger R.

2016-08-09

Energy efficient control of a cooling system cooling an electronic system is provided. The control includes automatically determining at least one adjusted control setting for at least one adjustable cooling component of a cooling system cooling the electronic system. The automatically determining is based, at least in part, on power being consumed by the cooling system and temperature of a heat sink to which heat extracted by the cooling system is rejected. The automatically determining operates to reduce power consumption of the cooling system and/or the electronic system while ensuring that at least one targeted temperature associated with the cooling system or the electronic system is within a desired range. The automatically determining may be based, at least in part, on one or more experimentally obtained models relating the targeted temperature and power consumption of the one or more adjustable cooling components of the cooling system.

Controlled cooling of an electronic system for reduced energy consumption

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

David, Milnes P.; Iyengar, Madhusudan K.; Schmidt, Roger R.

2018-01-30

Energy efficient control of a cooling system cooling an electronic system is provided. The control includes automatically determining at least one adjusted control setting for at least one adjustable cooling component of a cooling system cooling the electronic system. The automatically determining is based, at least in part, on power being consumed by the cooling system and temperature of a heat sink to which heat extracted by the cooling system is rejected. The automatically determining operates to reduce power consumption of the cooling system and/or the electronic system while ensuring that at least one targeted temperature associated with the cooling system or the electronic system is within a desired range. The automatically determining may be based, at least in part, on one or more experimentally obtained models relating the targeted temperature and power consumption of the one or more adjustable cooling components of the cooling system.

Based on the Hardware Resources Configurable Shanke PLC Building Energy Consumption Detection System

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Cheng Guanghe

2017-01-01

Full Text Available According to the actual situation of the comprehensive office building and the functional requirements of the building energy consumption monitoring and management system, the office building energy consumption monitoring and management system is designed by using the hardware resource configurable Shanke PLC(SKPLC as the data collector. The system uses data bus technology and field data acquisition technology to achieve the building energy consumption data acquisition and management. Practice has proved that energy-saving effect is good.

Data Acquisition and Transmission System for Building Energy Consumption Monitoring

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Liang Zhao

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Building energy consumption monitoring and management system have been developed widely in China in order to gain the real-time data of energy consumption in buildings for analyzing it in the next state work. This paper describes a low-cost and small-sized collector based on the STM32 microcontroller, which can be placed in a building easily to implement the work of data acquisition, storage, and transmission. The collector gathers the electricity, water, heat, and energy consumption data through the RS485 field bus and stores the data into an SD card with mass storage, finally, using Internet to finish the communication and transmission to data server through TCP protocol. The collector has been used in application for two years, and the results show that the system is reliable and stable.

Limiting biomass consumption for heating in 100% renewable energy systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mathiesen, Brian Vad; Lund, Henrik; Connolly, David

2012-01-01

-scale solar thermal, large heat pumps, geothermal heat, industrial surplus heat, and waste incineration. Where the energy density in the building stock is not high enough for DH to be economical, geothermal heat pumps can be recommended for individual heating systems, even though biomass consumption is higher......The utilisation of biomass poses large challenges in renewable energy systems while buildings account for a substantial part of the energy supply even in 100% renewable energy systems. In this paper the focus is on how the heating sector can reduce its consumption of biomass, thus leaving biomass...... for other sectors, but while still enabling a 100% renewable energy system. The analyses of heating technologies shows that district heating (DH) systems are important in limiting the dependence on biomass and create cost effective solutions. DH systems are especially important in renewable energy systems...

Chronic Voluntary Ethanol Consumption Induces Favorable Ceramide Profiles in Selectively Bred Alcohol-Preferring (P Rats.

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Jessica Godfrey

Full Text Available Heavy alcohol consumption has detrimental neurologic effects, inducing widespread neuronal loss in both fetuses and adults. One proposed mechanism of ethanol-induced cell loss with sufficient exposure is an elevation in concentrations of bioactive lipids that mediate apoptosis, including the membrane sphingolipid metabolites ceramide and sphingosine. While these naturally-occurring lipids serve as important modulators of normal neuronal development, elevated levels resulting from various extracellular insults have been implicated in pathological apoptosis of neurons and oligodendrocytes in several neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative disorders. Prior work has shown that acute administration of ethanol to developing mice increases levels of ceramide in multiple brain regions, hypothesized to be a mediator of fetal alcohol-induced neuronal loss. Elevated ceramide levels have also been implicated in ethanol-mediated neurodegeneration in adult animals and humans. Here, we determined the effect of chronic voluntary ethanol consumption on lipid profiles in brain and peripheral tissues from adult alcohol-preferring (P rats to further examine alterations in lipid composition as a potential contributor to ethanol-induced cellular damage. P rats were exposed for 13 weeks to a 20% ethanol intermittent-access drinking paradigm (45 ethanol sessions total or were given access only to water (control. Following the final session, tissues were collected for subsequent chromatographic analysis of lipid content and enzymatic gene expression. Contrary to expectations, ethanol-exposed rats displayed substantial reductions in concentrations of ceramides in forebrain and heart relative to non-exposed controls, and modest but significant decreases in liver cholesterol. qRT-PCR analysis showed a reduction in the expression of sphingolipid delta(4-desaturase (Degs2, an enzyme involved in de novo ceramide synthesis. These findings indicate that ethanol intake levels

Multilevel Control System of Regional Power Consumption: Analysis of Infrastructure Elements Interconnections, Efficiency Evaluation

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Marina Nikolaevna Myznikova

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Fundamental strategic programs in the spheres of power and economics adopted at various levels of management, are not always capable to solve the problem of power efficiency. The changes of systemic connections of economy and power elements are one of the basic problems of management at the regional level. The development of market relations has caused the growth of uncertainty factors at all levels of power consumption management. An insufficient estimation of system infrastructural interrelations and an individualization of organizational-economic relations of economic subjects and their localization, have generated the intersystem conflictness in distribution of power resources and have aggravated the problem of estimating power consumption efficiency at a systemic level. The restriction of application of the traditional management methods based on the principles of technological efficiency of the processes of energy manufacture and consumption, is connected with the information ruptures caused by the growth of factors of uncertainty and inconsistency of efficiency criteria. Application of modern methods of power consumption forecasting has a number of essential restrictions. At the present stage the management of power consumption in multilevel systems is aimed at realisation of system integrity and economic coordination of manufacture elements, transfer and consumption at regional level and demands working out of the new effective management methods based on the analysis of system interrelations. Allocation of system interrelations depends on features of development of electropower sector, active and passive elements of the structure of consumption, power balance. The analysis and estimation of interrelations of power and economic sphere allow to improve methodology of management of power consumption at the regional level in the conditions of uncertainty.

Development of ARDS after Excessive Kath Consumption: A Case Report

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Marlene Wewalka

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Khat is a drug widely used in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Khat leaves contain, among other substances, the psychoactive alkaloid cathinone, which induce central nervous system stimulation leading to euphoria, hyperactivity, restlessness, and insomnia. However, it also could cause psychological adverse effects such as lethargy, sleepiness, psychoses, and depression necessitating pharmacologic treatment. Here we report the case of a 35-year-old man from Somalia who became unconscious and developed aspiration pneumonia and subsequent ARDS after excessive consumption of khat leaves. His unconsciousness was possibly caused by the sleepiness developed after khat consumption and a benzodiazepine intake by the patient himself. Thus, khat-induced adverse effects should not primarily be treated pharmacologically, but patients should be urged to quit khat consumption in order to eliminate or, at least, reduce the severity of present psychological adverse effects.

On the energy consumption of cryogenic systems and the choice of cryopumps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kholod, Yu.V.; Yuferov, V.B.

1981-01-01

Energy consumption during the mutual use of cryogenic magnetic and vacuum systems including superconductina magnet, forevacuum and high vacuum cryopumps, is analyzed. The portion of energy consumption on preliminary condensational pumping-out of vaccuum chamber with volume of 6 m 3 for the considered case does not exceed 12% and decreases in time. Summary portion of energy consumption on operation of forevacuum and high vacuum cryopumps does not exceed one third of energy consumption on preliminary cooling of superconducting magnet and decreases to 10% during stationary operation of cryogenic system during 85O hours. A comparison of general and specific energy consumptions during the operation of different condensational cryopumps as well as of forevacuum condensational and sorption pumps is made. A conclusion is made that at small periods of time (tens of hours) of cryovacuum system operation it is expidient to use one cryopump with a wide range of working pressures (atmosphere-superhigh vacuum) instead of a combination of forevacuum and high vacuum cryopumps. Besides, a conclusion is made on expediency of the use of nitrogen condensational pumps instead of nitrogen cryosorption ones in the range of high pressures (760-10 mm Hg) expecially during the pumping out of vacuum chambers of high volume (1m 3 and higher). It is shown that account of energy consumptions on preliminary cooling of cryopumps and high vacuum ones in particular, at small (tens of hours) times of their operation increases average specific energy consumptions about 3 times. It is concluded that one can disregard the energy consumption used for preliminary cooling of cryopumps only in case of their stationary operation during about 10 3 hours [ru

A New Anomaly Detection System for School Electricity Consumption Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenqiang Cui

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Anomaly detection has been widely used in a variety of research and application domains, such as network intrusion detection, insurance/credit card fraud detection, health-care informatics, industrial damage detection, image processing and novel topic detection in text mining. In this paper, we focus on remote facilities management that identifies anomalous events in buildings by detecting anomalies in building electricity consumption data. We investigated five models within electricity consumption data from different schools to detect anomalies in the data. Furthermore, we proposed a hybrid model that combines polynomial regression and Gaussian distribution, which detects anomalies in the data with 0 false negative and an average precision higher than 91%. Based on the proposed model, we developed a data detection and visualization system for a facilities management company to detect and visualize anomalies in school electricity consumption data. The system is tested and evaluated by facilities managers. According to the evaluation, our system has improved the efficiency of facilities managers to identify anomalies in the data.

Changes in Whole-Body Oxygen Consumption and Skeletal Muscle Mitochondria During Linezolid-Induced Lactic Acidosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Protti, Alessandro; Ronchi, Dario; Bassi, Gabriele; Fortunato, Francesco; Bordoni, Andreina; Rizzuti, Tommaso; Fumagalli, Roberto

2016-07-01

To better clarify the pathogenesis of linezolid-induced lactic acidosis. Case report. ICU. A 64-year-old man who died with linezolid-induced lactic acidosis. Skeletal muscle was sampled at autopsy to study mitochondrial function. Lactic acidosis developed during continuous infusion of linezolid while oxygen consumption and oxygen extraction were diminishing from 172 to 52 mL/min/m and from 0.27 to 0.10, respectively. Activities of skeletal muscle respiratory chain complexes I, III, and IV, encoded by nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, were abnormally low, whereas activity of complex II, entirely encoded by nuclear DNA, was not. Protein studies confirmed stoichiometric imbalance between mitochondrial (cytochrome c oxidase subunits 1 and 2) and nuclear (succinate dehydrogenase A) DNA-encoded respiratory chain subunits. These findings were not explained by defects in mitochondrial DNA or transcription. There were no compensatory mitochondrial biogenesis (no induction of nuclear respiratory factor 1 and mitochondrial transcript factor A) or adaptive unfolded protein response (reduced concentration of heat shock proteins 60 and 70). Linezolid-induced lactic acidosis is associated with diminished global oxygen consumption and extraction. These changes reflect selective inhibition of mitochondrial protein synthesis (probably translation) with secondary mitonuclear imbalance. One novel aspect of linezolid toxicity that needs to be confirmed is blunting of reactive mitochondrial biogenesis and unfolded protein response.

The energy consumption of control systems; Het energiegebruik van regelinstallaties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Gulik, A.R.; De Wildt, M.G. [Grontmij Nederland, Amersfoort (Netherlands)

2013-07-15

Control systems for e.g. indoor climate and illumination are essential in modern building services, and useful for comfort or energy conservation. Energy conservation is of course an important aim, but what is the energy consumption of the control systems? Is the consumption higher than the savings? This question was subject of a comprehensive study, with measurements and simulation calculations. It can be concluded that the energy consumption of control installation for spaces is substantial [Dutch] Regelinstallaties voor bijvoorbeeld klimaatregeling, verlichtingsregeling en domotica zijn niet meer weg te denken uit de moderne installatietechniek, of ze nu dienen voor comfort, gemak of energiebesparing. Maar hoeveel energie gebruiken deze installaties eigenlijk? Voor ontwerpers blijkt dit helemaal geen issue te zijn terwijl adviseurs, installateurs en zelfs fabrikanten zeggen hiervan geen idee te hebben. Door metingen en het gebruik van berekeningsmodellen is vastgesteld wat het energiegebruik van regelinstallaties op jaarbasis is. Dit blijkt substantieel te zijn, maar er zijn mogelijkheden om het gebruik te reduceren.

Psychiatric comorbidities in a young man with subacute myelopathy induced by abusive nitrous oxide consumption: a case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mancke F

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Falk Mancke,1,2,* Gintare Kaklauskaite,1,* Jennifer Kollmer,3 Markus Weiler1 1Department of Neurology, 2Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, 3Department of Neuroradiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Nitrous oxide (N2O, a long-standing anesthetic, is known for its recreational use, and its consumption is on the rise. Several case studies have reported neurological and psychiatric complications of N2O use. To date, however, there has not been a study using standardized diagnostic procedures to assess psychiatric comorbidities in a patient consuming N2O. Here, we report about a 35-year-old male with magnetic resonance imaging confirmed subacute myelopathy induced by N2O consumption, who suffered from comorbid cannabinoid and nicotine dependence as well as abuse of amphetamines, cocaine, lysergic acid diethylamide, and ketamine. Additionally, there was evidence of a preceding transient psychotic and depressive episode induced by synthetic cannabinoid abuse. In summary, this case raises awareness of an important mechanism of neural toxicity, with which physicians working in the field of ­substance-related disorders should be familiar. In fact, excluding N2O toxicity in patients with recognized substance-related disorders and new neurological deficits is compulsory, as untreated for months the damage to the nervous system is at risk of becoming irreversible. Keywords: addictive disorders, laughing gas, subacute combined degeneration, substance use disorder, vitamin B12 deficiency

A systems approach to reduce urban rail energy consumption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

González-Gil, A.; Palacin, R.; Batty, P.; Powell, J.P.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • An insightful overview of energy usage in urban rail systems is given. • The principal measures to reduce urban rail energy consumption are appraised. • A methodology is proposed to help implement energy saving schemes in urban rail. • Regenerative braking is shown to offer the greatest energy saving potential. - Abstract: There is increasing interest in the potential of urban rail to reduce the impact of metropolitan transportation due to its high capacity, reliability and absence of local emissions. However, in a context characterised by increasing capacity demands and rising energy costs, and where other transport modes are considerably improving their environmental performance, urban rail must minimise its energy use without affecting its service quality. Urban rail energy consumption is defined by a wide range of interdependent factors; therefore, a system wide perspective is required, rather than focusing on energy savings at subsystem level. This paper contributes to the current literature by proposing an holistic approach to reduce the overall energy consumption of urban rail. Firstly, a general description of this transport mode is given, which includes an assessment of its typical energy breakdown. Secondly, a comprehensive appraisal of the main practices, strategies and technologies currently available to minimise its energy use is provided. These comprise: regenerative braking, energy-efficient driving, traction losses reduction, comfort functions optimisation, energy metering, smart power management and renewable energy micro-generation. Finally, a clear, logical methodology is described to optimally define and implement energy saving schemes in urban rail systems. This includes general guidelines for a qualitative assessment and comparison of measures alongside a discussion on the principal interdependences between them. As a hypothetical example of application, the paper concludes that the energy consumption in existing urban

Induced Seismicity Monitoring System

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, S. R.; Jarpe, S.; Harben, P.

2014-12-01

There are many seismological aspects associated with monitoring of permanent storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) in geologic formations. Many of these include monitoring underground gas migration through detailed tomographic studies of rock properties, integrity of the cap rock and micro seismicity with time. These types of studies require expensive deployments of surface and borehole sensors in the vicinity of the CO2 injection wells. Another problem that may exist in CO2 sequestration fields is the potential for damaging induced seismicity associated with fluid injection into the geologic reservoir. Seismic hazard monitoring in CO2 sequestration fields requires a seismic network over a spatially larger region possibly having stations in remote settings. Expensive observatory-grade seismic systems are not necessary for seismic hazard deployments or small-scale tomographic studies. Hazard monitoring requires accurate location of induced seismicity to magnitude levels only slightly less than that which can be felt at the surface (e.g. magnitude 1), and the frequencies of interest for tomographic analysis are ~1 Hz and greater. We have developed a seismo/acoustic smart sensor system that can achieve the goals necessary for induced seismicity monitoring in CO2 sequestration fields. The unit is inexpensive, lightweight, easy to deploy, can operate remotely under harsh conditions and features 9 channels of recording (currently 3C 4.5 Hz geophone, MEMS accelerometer and microphone). An on-board processor allows for satellite transmission of parameter data to a processing center. Continuous or event-detected data is kept on two removable flash SD cards of up to 64+ Gbytes each. If available, data can be transmitted via cell phone modem or picked up via site visits. Low-power consumption allows for autonomous operation using only a 10 watt solar panel and a gel-cell battery. The system has been successfully tested for long-term (> 6 months) remote operations over a wide range

System-Level Power Consumption Analysis of the Wearable Asthmatic Wheeze Quantification

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Dinko Oletic

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Long-term quantification of asthmatic wheezing envisions an m-Health sensor system consisting of a smartphone and a body-worn wireless acoustic sensor. As both devices are power constrained, the main criterion guiding the system design comes down to minimization of power consumption, while retaining sufficient respiratory sound classification accuracy (i.e., wheeze detection. Crucial for assessment of the system-level power consumption is the understanding of trade-off between power cost of computationally intensive local processing and communication. Therefore, we analyze power requirements of signal acquisition, processing, and communication in three typical operating scenarios: (1 streaming of uncompressed respiratory signal to a smartphone for classification, (2 signal streaming utilizing compressive sensing (CS for reduction of data rate, and (3 respiratory sound classification onboard the wearable sensor. Study shows that the third scenario featuring the lowest communication cost enables the lowest total sensor system power consumption ranging from 328 to 428 μW. In such scenario, 32-bit ARM Cortex M3/M4 cores typically embedded within Bluetooth 4 SoC modules feature the optimal trade-off between onboard classification performance and consumption. On the other hand, study confirms that CS enables the most power-efficient design of the wearable sensor (216 to 357 μW in the compressed signal streaming, the second scenario. In such case, a single low-power ARM Cortex-A53 core is sufficient for simultaneous real-time CS reconstruction and classification on the smartphone, while keeping the total system power within budget for uncompressed streaming.

Control of Refrigeration Systems for Trade-off between Energy Consumption and Food Quality Loss

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cai, Junping

In supermarkets, control strategies determine both the energy consumption of refrigeration systems and the quality loss of refrigerated foodstuffs. The question is, what can be done to optimize the balance between quality loss and energy consumption? This thesis tries to answer this question...... by applying two main optimization strategies to traditional refrigeration systems. The first strategy is a new defrost-on-demand scheme, which based on an objective function between quality loss and energy consumption, continuously seeks an optimal time interval for defrosting in dynamic situation. The second...... strategy is through utilization of the thermal mass of the refrigerated foodstuffs, the day-night temperature variation and the capacity control of the compressor, to realize a trade-off between system energy consumption and food quality loss....

Model Predictive Control for Flexible Power Consumption of Large-Scale Refrigeration Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shafiei, Seyed Ehsan; Stoustrup, Jakob; Rasmussen, Henrik

2014-01-01

A model predictive control (MPC) scheme is introduced to directly control the electrical power consumption of large-scale refrigeration systems. Deviation from the baseline of the consumption is corresponded to the storing and delivering of thermal energy. By virtue of such correspondence...

Reconfiguration of photovoltaic panels for reducing the hydrogen consumption in fuel cells of hybrid systems

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Daniel González-Montoya

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Hybrid generation combines advantages from fuel cell systems with non-predictable generation approaches, such as photovoltaic and wind generators. In such hybrid systems, it is desirable to minimize as much as possible the fuel consumption, for the sake of reducing costs and increasing the system autonomy. This paper proposes an optimization algorithm, referred to as population-based incremental learning, in order to maximize the produced power of a photovoltaic generator. This maximization reduces the fuel consumption in the hybrid aggregation. Moreover, the algorithm's speed enables the real-time computation of the best configuration for the photovoltaic system, which also optimizes the fuel consumption in the complementary fuel cell system. Finally, a system experimental validation is presented considering 6 photovoltaic modules and a NEXA 1.2KW fuel cell. Such a validation demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm to reduce the hydrogen consumption in these hybrid systems.

Power consumption analysis of operating systems for wireless sensor networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Lajara, Rafael; Pelegrí-Sebastiá, José; Perez Solano, Juan J

2010-01-01

In this paper four wireless sensor network operating systems are compared in terms of power consumption. The analysis takes into account the most common operating systems--TinyOS v1.0, TinyOS v2.0, Mantis and Contiki--running on Tmote Sky and MICAz devices. With the objective of ensuring a fair evaluation, a benchmark composed of four applications has been developed, covering the most typical tasks that a Wireless Sensor Network performs. The results show the instant and average current consumption of the devices during the execution of these applications. The experimental measurements provide a good insight into the power mode in which the device components are running at every moment, and they can be used to compare the performance of different operating systems executing the same tasks.

Soft-error tolerance and energy consumption evaluation of embedded computer with magnetic random access memory in practical systems using computer simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Nebashi, Ryusuke; Sakimura, Noboru; Sugibayashi, Tadahiko

2017-08-01

We evaluated the soft-error tolerance and energy consumption of an embedded computer with magnetic random access memory (MRAM) using two computer simulators. One is a central processing unit (CPU) simulator of a typical embedded computer system. We simulated the radiation-induced single-event-upset (SEU) probability in a spin-transfer-torque MRAM cell and also the failure rate of a typical embedded computer due to its main memory SEU error. The other is a delay tolerant network (DTN) system simulator. It simulates the power dissipation of wireless sensor network nodes of the system using a revised CPU simulator and a network simulator. We demonstrated that the SEU effect on the embedded computer with 1 Gbit MRAM-based working memory is less than 1 failure in time (FIT). We also demonstrated that the energy consumption of the DTN sensor node with MRAM-based working memory can be reduced to 1/11. These results indicate that MRAM-based working memory enhances the disaster tolerance of embedded computers.

Lesions of the lateral habenula increase voluntary ethanol consumption and operant self-administration, block yohimbine-induced reinstatement of ethanol seeking, and attenuate ethanol-induced conditioned taste aversion.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew K Haack

Full Text Available The lateral habenula (LHb plays an important role in learning driven by negative outcomes. Many drugs of abuse, including ethanol, have dose-dependent aversive effects that act to limit intake of the drug. However, the role of the LHb in regulating ethanol intake is unknown. In the present study, we compared voluntary ethanol consumption and self-administration, yohimbine-induced reinstatement of ethanol seeking, and ethanol-induced conditioned taste aversion in rats with sham or LHb lesions. In rats given home cage access to 20% ethanol in an intermittent access two bottle choice paradigm, lesioned animals escalated their voluntary ethanol consumption more rapidly than sham-lesioned control animals and maintained higher stable rates of voluntary ethanol intake. Similarly, lesioned animals exhibited higher rates of responding for ethanol in operant self-administration sessions. In addition, LHb lesion blocked yohimbine-induced reinstatement of ethanol seeking after extinction. Finally, LHb lesion significantly attenuated an ethanol-induced conditioned taste aversion. Our results demonstrate an important role for the LHb in multiple facets of ethanol-directed behavior, and further suggest that the LHb may contribute to ethanol-directed behaviors by mediating learning driven by the aversive effects of the drug.

Striatal modulation of BDNF expression using microRNA124a-expressing lentiviral vectors impairs ethanol-induced conditioned-place preference and voluntary alcohol consumption.

Science.gov (United States)

Bahi, Amine; Dreyer, Jean-Luc

2013-07-01

Alcohol abuse is a major health, economic and social concern in modern societies, but the exact molecular mechanisms underlying ethanol addiction remain elusive. Recent findings show that small non-coding microRNA (miRNA) signaling contributes to complex behavioral disorders including drug addiction. However, the role of miRNAs in ethanol-induced conditioned-place preference (CPP) and voluntary alcohol consumption has not yet been directly addressed. Here, we assessed the expression profile of miR124a in the dorsal striatum of rats upon ethanol intake. The results show that miR124a was downregulated in the dorso-lateral striatum (DLS) following alcohol drinking. Then, we identified brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) as a direct target of miR124a. In fact, BDNF mRNA was upregulated following ethanol drinking. We used lentiviral vector (LV) gene transfer technology to further address the role of miR124a and its direct target BDNF in ethanol-induced CPP and alcohol consumption. Results reveal that stereotaxic injection of LV-miR124a in the DLS enhances ethanol-induced CPP as well as voluntary alcohol consumption in a two-bottle choice drinking paradigm. Moreover, miR124a-silencer (LV-siR124a) as well as LV-BDNF infusion in the DLS attenuates ethanol-induced CPP as well as voluntary alcohol consumption. Importantly, LV-miR124a, LV-siR124a and LV-BDNF have no effect on saccharin and quinine intake. Our findings indicate that striatal miR124a and BDNF signaling have crucial roles in alcohol consumption and ethanol conditioned reward. © 2013 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Measuring household consumption and waste in unmetered, intermittent piped water systems

Science.gov (United States)

Kumpel, Emily; Woelfle-Erskine, Cleo; Ray, Isha; Nelson, Kara L.

2017-01-01

Measurements of household water consumption are extremely difficult in intermittent water supply (IWS) regimes in low- and middle-income countries, where water is delivered for short durations, taps are shared, metering is limited, and household storage infrastructure varies widely. Nonetheless, consumption estimates are necessary for utilities to improve water delivery. We estimated household water use in Hubli-Dharwad, India, with a mixed-methods approach combining (limited) metered data, storage container inventories, and structured observations. We developed a typology of household water access according to infrastructure conditions based on the presence of an overhead storage tank and a shared tap. For households with overhead tanks, container measurements and metered data produced statistically similar consumption volumes; for households without overhead tanks, stored volumes underestimated consumption because of significant water use directly from the tap during delivery periods. Households that shared taps consumed much less water than those that did not. We used our water use calculations to estimate waste at the household level and in the distribution system. Very few households used 135 L/person/d, the Government of India design standard for urban systems. Most wasted little water even when unmetered, however, unaccounted-for water in the neighborhood distribution systems was around 50%. Thus, conservation efforts should target loss reduction in the network rather than at households.

An immune response in the bumblebee, Bombus terrestris leads to increased food consumption

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Mallon Eamonn B

2006-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The concept of a costly immune system that must be traded off against other important physiological systems is fundamental to the burgeoning field of ecological immunity. Bumblebees have become one of the central models in this field. Although previous work has demonstrated costs of immunity in numerous life history traits, estimates of the more direct costs of bumblebee immunity have yet to be made. Results Here we show a 7.5% increase in energy consumption in response to non-pathogenic immune stimulation. Conclusion This increase in energy consumption along with other results suggests that immunity is one of the most important physiological systems, with other systems being sacrificed for its continuing efficiency. This increased consumption and maintained activity contrasts with the sickness-induced anorexia and reduced activity found in vertebrates.

Theoretical potential for low energy consumption phase change memory utilizing electrostatically-induced structural phase transitions in 2D materials

Science.gov (United States)

Rehn, Daniel A.; Li, Yao; Pop, Eric; Reed, Evan J.

2018-01-01

Structural phase-change materials are of great importance for applications in information storage devices. Thermally driven structural phase transitions are employed in phase-change memory to achieve lower programming voltages and potentially lower energy consumption than mainstream nonvolatile memory technologies. However, the waste heat generated by such thermal mechanisms is often not optimized, and could present a limiting factor to widespread use. The potential for electrostatically driven structural phase transitions has recently been predicted and subsequently reported in some two-dimensional materials, providing an athermal mechanism to dynamically control properties of these materials in a nonvolatile fashion while achieving potentially lower energy consumption. In this work, we employ DFT-based calculations to make theoretical comparisons of the energy required to drive electrostatically-induced and thermally-induced phase transitions. Determining theoretical limits in monolayer MoTe2 and thin films of Ge2Sb2Te5, we find that the energy consumption per unit volume of the electrostatically driven phase transition in monolayer MoTe2 at room temperature is 9% of the adiabatic lower limit of the thermally driven phase transition in Ge2Sb2Te5. Furthermore, experimentally reported phase change energy consumption of Ge2Sb2Te5 is 100-10,000 times larger than the adiabatic lower limit due to waste heat flow out of the material, leaving the possibility for energy consumption in monolayer MoTe2-based devices to be orders of magnitude smaller than Ge2Sb2Te5-based devices.

The Effects of Domestic Energy Consumption on Urban Development Using System Dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Saryazdi, M. D.; Homaei, N.; Arjmand, A.

2018-05-01

In developed countries, people have learned to follow efficient consumption patterns, while in developing countries, such as Iran, these patterns are not well executed. A large amount of energy is almost consumed in buildings and houses and though the consumption patterns varies in different societies, various energy policies are required to meet the consumption challenges. So far, several papers and more than ten case studies have worked on the relationship between domestic energy consumption and urban development, however these researches did not analyzed the impact of energy consumption on urban development. Therefore, this paper attempts to examine the interactions between the energy consumption and urban development by using system dynamics as the most widely used methods for complex problems. The proposed approach demonstrates the interactions using causal loop and flow diagrams and finally, suitable strategies will be proposed for urban development through simulations of different scenarios.

An Efficient Offloading Scheme For MEC System Considering Delay and Energy Consumption

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Yanhua; Hao, Zhe; Zhang, Yanhua

2018-01-01

With the increasing numbers of mobile devices, mobile edge computing (MEC) which provides cloud computing capabilities proximate to mobile devices in 5G networks has been envisioned as a promising paradigm to enhance users experience. In this paper, we investigate a joint consideration of delay and energy consumption offloading scheme (JCDE) for MEC system in 5G heterogeneous networks. An optimization is formulated to minimize the delay as well as energy consumption of the offloading system, which the delay and energy consumption of transmitting and calculating tasks are taken into account. We adopt an iterative greedy algorithm to solve the optimization problem. Furthermore, simulations were carried out to validate the utility and effectiveness of our proposed scheme. The effect of parameter variations on the system is analysed as well. Numerical results demonstrate delay and energy efficiency promotion of our proposed scheme compared with another paper’s scheme.

Mechanics based model for predicting structure-induced rolling resistance (SRR) of the tire-pavement system

Science.gov (United States)

Shakiba, Maryam; Ozer, Hasan; Ziyadi, Mojtaba; Al-Qadi, Imad L.

2016-11-01

The structure-induced rolling resistance of pavements, and its impact on vehicle fuel consumption, is investigated in this study. The structural response of pavement causes additional rolling resistance and fuel consumption of vehicles through deformation of pavement and various dissipation mechanisms associated with inelastic material properties and damping. Accurate and computationally efficient models are required to capture these mechanisms and obtain realistic estimates of changes in vehicle fuel consumption. Two mechanistic-based approaches are currently used to calculate vehicle fuel consumption as related to structural rolling resistance: dissipation-induced and deflection-induced methods. The deflection-induced approach is adopted in this study, and realistic representation of pavement-vehicle interactions (PVIs) is incorporated. In addition to considering viscoelastic behavior of asphalt concrete layers, the realistic representation of PVIs in this study includes non-uniform three-dimensional tire contact stresses and dynamic analysis in pavement simulations. The effects of analysis type, tire contact stresses, pavement viscoelastic properties, pavement damping coefficients, vehicle speed, and pavement temperature are then investigated.

FoodWiki: Ontology-Driven Mobile Safe Food Consumption System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Duygu Çelik

2015-01-01

Full Text Available An ontology-driven safe food consumption mobile system is considered. Over 3,000 compounds are being added to processed food, with numerous effects on the food: to add color, stabilize, texturize, preserve, sweeten, thicken, add flavor, soften, emulsify, and so forth. According to World Health Organization, governments have lately focused on legislation to reduce such ingredients or compounds in manufactured foods as they may have side effects causing health risks such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, allergens, and obesity. By supervising what and how much to eat as well as what not to eat, we can maximize a patient’s life quality through avoidance of unhealthy ingredients. Smart e-health systems with powerful knowledge bases can provide suggestions of appropriate foods to individuals. Next-generation smart knowledgebase systems will not only include traditional syntactic-based search, which limits the utility of the search results, but will also provide semantics for rich searching. In this paper, performance of concept matching of food ingredients is semantic-based, meaning that it runs its own semantic based rule set to infer meaningful results through the proposed Ontology-Driven Mobile Safe Food Consumption System (FoodWiki.

A Study of Japanese Consumption Tax System : Mainly on Multiple Tax Rates and Input Tax Credit Methods

OpenAIRE

栗原, 克文

2007-01-01

One of the most important discussions on Japanese tax system reform includes how consumption tax (Value-added tax) system ought to be. Facing issues like depopulation, aging society and large budget deficit, consumption tax can be an effective source of revenue to secure social security. This article mainly focuses on multiple tax rates and input tax credit methods of Japanese consumption tax system. Because of regressive nature of consumption tax, tax rate reduction, exemption on foodstuffs ...

Oxygen Consumption of Tilapia and Preliminary Mass Flows through a Prototype Closed Aquaculture System

Science.gov (United States)

Muller, Matthew S.; Bauer, Clarence F.

1994-01-01

Performance of NASA's prototype CELSS Breadboard Project Closed Aquaculture System was evaluated by estimating gas exchange quantification and preliminary carbon and nitrogen balances. The total system oxygen consumption rate was 535 mg/hr kg/fish (cv = 30%) when stocked with Tilapia aurea populations (fresh weights of 97 +/- 19 to 147 +/- 36 g/fish for various trials). Oxygen consumption by T. aurea (260 mg/hr kg/fish) contributed to approximately one-half of total system demand. Continuous carbon dioxide quantification methods were analyzed using the,relation of carbon dioxide to oxygen consumption. Overall food conversion rates averaged 18.2 +/- 3.2%. Major pathways for nitrogen and carbon in the system were described with preliminary mass closure of 60-80% and 60% for nitrogen and carbon.

Energy consumption reduction in existing HVAC-R systems via a power law controlling kit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinnola, C.F.; Vargas, J.V.C.; Buiar, C.L.; Ordonez, J.C.

2015-01-01

This paper presents an alternative solution for reducing energy consumption in heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC-R) systems. For that, an existing typical commercial refrigeration system was equipped with a novel control system based on a power law, using a frequency inverter and a programmable logic controller (PLC). Hence, it was possible to compare the operation and energy consumption of the system with the power law control and with the on-off system, quantifying the obtained gains. The experimental unit consisted of a cooling chamber, an enclosing chamber (antechamber), and a vapor compression refrigeration system, i.e., an example of a practical commercial cooling system. A set of graphs shows the experimental measurements performed with the two systems. In this way, the measured temperatures in some selected points of the two systems, as well as the consumption in kWh for a period of 6 h and 10 min were compared in the tests. The main conclusions of this work are: i) The system operating with the power law control with respect to the conventional on-off control, showed energy consumption savings of up to 31% in a test period of 6 h and 10 min, and ii) The system compressor cycling frequency in the system operating with the power law control is smaller than with the traditional on-off system. Therefore, the study shows that the developed power law control kit has potential to be installed in any existing system with immediate significant energy savings with no need for HVAC-R hardware changes. - Highlights: • An energy consumption reduction strategy for HVAC-R systems is presented. • Power law and on-off control actions are experimentally compared. • Energy savings of 31% were obtained with power law control. • Compressor cycling frequency is smaller with power law control. • Power law control kit has potential to be installed in any existing system

Low Power Consumption Wireless Sensor Communication System Integrated with an Energy Harvesting Power Source

OpenAIRE

Vlad MARSIC; Alessandro GIULIANO; Meiling ZHU

2013-01-01

This paper presents the testing results of a wireless sensor communication system with low power consumption integrated with an energy harvesting power source. The experiments focus on the system’s capability to perform continuous monitoring and to wirelessly transmit the data acquired from the sensors to a user base station, for realization of completely battery-free wireless sensor system. Energy harvesting technologies together with system design optimization for power consumption minimiza...

The effect of a consumption-based accounting method in national GHG inventories: a trilateral trade system application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simone eBastianoni

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The allocation of emissions embodied in international trade is crucial to evaluate the real impact of countries in the climate change and their responsibility in greenhouse gas emissions. In this paper we apply a new theoretical framework that allocates the emissions embodied in international trade and computes the consequent carbon transferred across countries, according to a consumption-based accounting. The method uses the value of goods traded internationally and the respective carbon intensity as a average national emissions coefficient.. We analyze a trilateral trade system composed by Sweden, Italy and Poland during the period 2000-2008. We find that, with respect to the conventional greenhouse gas national inventory schemes, consumption-based accounting implies an increase of Italian and Swedish emission responsibility by 1.4% and 11.8%, respectively, and a decrease of Polish one by 2.81%. We also assess the relevance of this framework at the sectoral level by hypothesizing a shift of Italian imports of Machinery and Transport Equipment from Poland to Sweden. We deduce that, through appropriate policies, importer nations could be encouraged to find producers with the best environmental performances while exporter nations could be induced to reduce their carbon intensity to stimulate the international demand for their goods. Finally, we discuss some policy implications deriving from the application of the consumption-based accounting. The analysis performed in the paper suggests that the consumption-based accounting could be an important tool in the climate change challenge to reduce global emissions.

Hypercoagulability after energy drink consumption.

Science.gov (United States)

Pommerening, Matthew J; Cardenas, Jessica C; Radwan, Zayde A; Wade, Charles E; Holcomb, John B; Cotton, Bryan A

2015-12-01

Energy drink consumption in the United States has more than doubled over the last decade and has been implicated in cardiac arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, and even sudden cardiac death. We hypothesized that energy drink consumption may increase the risk of adverse cardiovascular events by increasing platelet aggregation, thereby resulting in a relatively hypercoagulable state and increased risk of thrombosis. Thirty-two healthy volunteers aged 18-40 y were given 16 oz of bottled water or a standardized, sugar-free energy drink on two separate occasions, 1-wk apart. Beverages were consumed after an overnight fast over a 30-min period. Coagulation parameters and platelet function were measured before and 60 min after consumption using thrombelastography and impedance aggregometry. No statistically significant differences in coagulation were detected using kaolin or rapid thrombelastography. In addition, no differences in platelet aggregation were detected using ristocetin, collagen, thrombin receptor-activating peptide, or adenosine diphosphate-induced multiple impedance aggregometry. However, compared to water controls, energy drink consumption resulted in a significant increase in platelet aggregation via arachidonic acid-induced activation (area under the aggregation curve, 72.4 U versus 66.3 U; P = 0.018). Energy drinks are associated with increased platelet activity via arachidonic acid-induced platelet aggregation within 1 h of consumption. Although larger clinical studies are needed to further address the safety and health concerns of these drinks, the increased platelet response may provide a mechanism by which energy drinks increase the risk of adverse cardiovascular events. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analysis of electric energy consumption of automatic milking systems in different configurations and operative conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Calcante, Aldo; Tangorra, Francesco M; Oberti, Roberto

2016-05-01

Automatic milking systems (AMS) have been a revolutionary innovation in dairy cow farming. Currently, more than 10,000 dairy cow farms worldwide use AMS to milk their cows. Electric consumption is one of the most relevant and uncontrollable operational cost of AMS, ranging between 35 and 40% of their total annual operational costs. The aim of the present study was to measure and analyze the electric energy consumption of 4 AMS with different configurations: single box, central unit featuring a central vacuum system for 1 cow unit and for 2 cow units. The electrical consumption (daily consumption, daily consumption per cow milked, consumption per milking, and consumption per 100L of milk) of each AMS (milking unit + air compressor) was measured using 2 energy analyzers. The measurement period lasted 24h with a sampling frequency of 0.2Hz. The daily total energy consumption (milking unit + air compressor) ranged between 45.4 and 81.3 kWh; the consumption per cow milked ranged between 0.59 and 0.99 kWh; the consumption per milking ranged between 0.21 and 0.33 kWh; and the consumption per 100L of milk ranged between 1.80 to 2.44 kWh according to the different configurations and operational contexts considered. Results showed that AMS electric consumption was mainly conditioned by farm management rather than machine characteristics/architectures. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Implementing a Progressive Consumption Tax: Advantages of Adopting the VAT Credit-Method System

OpenAIRE

Grinberg, Itai

2006-01-01

A credit–method value–added tax, a payroll tax, and a business–level wage subsidy can approximate the economic and distributional consequences of a subtraction–method X–tax. Such a credit–method progressive consumption tax has administrative advantages as compared to a subtraction–method progressive consumption tax, once certain political factors are taken into account. Further, unlike a subtraction–method system, a credit–method progressive consumption tax could easily interact with other ta...

Life-cycle phosphorus management of the crop production–consumption system in China, 1980–2012

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Huijun [School of Earth Environment, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001 (China); Yuan, Zengwei, E-mail: yuanzw@nju.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023 (China); Gao, Liangmin [School of Earth Environment, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001 (China); Zhang, Ling [College of Economics and Management, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037 (China); Zhang, Yongliang [Policy Research Center for Environment and Economy, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Beijing 100029 (China)

2015-01-01

Phosphorus (P) is an essential resource for agriculture and also a pollutant capable of causing eutrophication. The possibility of a future P scarcity and the requirement to improve the environment quality necessitate P management to increase the efficiency of P use. This study applied a substance flow analysis (SFA) to implement a P management procedure in a crop production–consumption (PMCPC) system model. This model determined the life-cycle P use efficiency (PUE) of the crop production–consumption system in China during 1980–2012. The system includes six subsystems: fertilizer manufacturing, crop cultivation, crop processing, livestock breeding, rural consumption, and urban consumption. Based on this model, the P flows and PUEs of the subsystems were identified and quantified using data from official statistical databases, published literature, questionnaires, and interviews. The results showed that the total PUE of the crop production–consumption system in China was low, notably from 1980 to 2005, and increased from 7.23% in 1980 to 20.13% in 2012. Except for fertilizer manufacturing, the PUEs of the six subsystems were also low. The PUEs in the urban consumption subsystem and the crop cultivation subsystem were less than 40%. The PUEs of other subsystems, such as the rural consumption subsystem and the livestock breeding subsystem, were also low and even decreased during these years. Measures aimed to improve P management practices in China have been proposed such as balancing fertilization, disposing livestock excrement, adjusting livestock feed, changing the diet of residents, and raising the waste disposal level, etc. This study also discussed several limitations related with the model and data. Conducting additional related studies on other regions and combining the analysis of risks with opportunities may be necessary to develop effective management strategies. - Highlights: • A model of P management of the crop production–consumption system

Life-cycle phosphorus management of the crop production–consumption system in China, 1980–2012

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Huijun; Yuan, Zengwei; Gao, Liangmin; Zhang, Ling; Zhang, Yongliang

2015-01-01

Phosphorus (P) is an essential resource for agriculture and also a pollutant capable of causing eutrophication. The possibility of a future P scarcity and the requirement to improve the environment quality necessitate P management to increase the efficiency of P use. This study applied a substance flow analysis (SFA) to implement a P management procedure in a crop production–consumption (PMCPC) system model. This model determined the life-cycle P use efficiency (PUE) of the crop production–consumption system in China during 1980–2012. The system includes six subsystems: fertilizer manufacturing, crop cultivation, crop processing, livestock breeding, rural consumption, and urban consumption. Based on this model, the P flows and PUEs of the subsystems were identified and quantified using data from official statistical databases, published literature, questionnaires, and interviews. The results showed that the total PUE of the crop production–consumption system in China was low, notably from 1980 to 2005, and increased from 7.23% in 1980 to 20.13% in 2012. Except for fertilizer manufacturing, the PUEs of the six subsystems were also low. The PUEs in the urban consumption subsystem and the crop cultivation subsystem were less than 40%. The PUEs of other subsystems, such as the rural consumption subsystem and the livestock breeding subsystem, were also low and even decreased during these years. Measures aimed to improve P management practices in China have been proposed such as balancing fertilization, disposing livestock excrement, adjusting livestock feed, changing the diet of residents, and raising the waste disposal level, etc. This study also discussed several limitations related with the model and data. Conducting additional related studies on other regions and combining the analysis of risks with opportunities may be necessary to develop effective management strategies. - Highlights: • A model of P management of the crop production–consumption system

A Quantitative and Systematic Methodology to Investigate Energy Consumption Issues in Multimodal Intercity Transportation Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lili Du

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Energy issues in transportation systems have garnered increasing attention recently. This study proposes a systematic methodology for policy-makers to minimize energy consumption in multimodal intercity transportation systems considering suppliers’ operational constraints and travelers’ mobility requirements. A bi-level optimization model is developed for this purpose and considers the air, rail, private auto, and transit modes. The upper-level model is a mixed integer nonlinear program aiming to minimize energy consumption subject to transportation suppliers’ operational constraints and traffic demand distribution to paths resulting from the lower-level model. The lower-level model is a linear program seeking to maximize the trip utilities of travelers. The interactions between the multimodal transportation suppliers and intercity traffic demand are considered under the goal of minimizing system energy consumption. The proposed bi-level mixed integer model is relaxed and transformed into a mathematical program with complementarity constraints, and solved using a customized branch-and-bound algorithm. Numerical experiments, conducted using multimodal travel options between Lafayette, Indiana and Washington, D.C. reiterate that shifting traffic demand from private cars to the transit and rail modes significantly reduce energy consumption. Moreover, the proposed methodology provides tools to quantitatively analyze system energy consumption and traffic demand distribution among transportation modes under specific policy instruments. The results illustrate the need to systematically incorporate the interactions among traveler preferences, network structure, and supplier operational schemes to provide policy-makers insights for developing traffic demand shift mechanisms to minimize system energy consumption. Hence, the proposed methodology provide policy-makers the capability to analyze energy consumption in the transportation sector by a

Life-cycle phosphorus management of the crop production-consumption system in China, 1980-2012.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Huijun; Yuan, Zengwei; Gao, Liangmin; Zhang, Ling; Zhang, Yongliang

2015-01-01

Phosphorus (P) is an essential resource for agriculture and also a pollutant capable of causing eutrophication. The possibility of a future P scarcity and the requirement to improve the environment quality necessitate P management to increase the efficiency of P use. This study applied a substance flow analysis (SFA) to implement a P management procedure in a crop production-consumption (PMCPC) system model. This model determined the life-cycle P use efficiency (PUE) of the crop production-consumption system in China during 1980-2012. The system includes six subsystems: fertilizer manufacturing, crop cultivation, crop processing, livestock breeding, rural consumption, and urban consumption. Based on this model, the P flows and PUEs of the subsystems were identified and quantified using data from official statistical databases, published literature, questionnaires, and interviews. The results showed that the total PUE of the crop production-consumption system in China was low, notably from 1980 to 2005, and increased from 7.23% in 1980 to 20.13% in 2012. Except for fertilizer manufacturing, the PUEs of the six subsystems were also low. The PUEs in the urban consumption subsystem and the crop cultivation subsystem were less than 40%. The PUEs of other subsystems, such as the rural consumption subsystem and the livestock breeding subsystem, were also low and even decreased during these years. Measures aimed to improve P management practices in China have been proposed such as balancing fertilization, disposing livestock excrement, adjusting livestock feed, changing the diet of residents, and raising the waste disposal level, etc. This study also discussed several limitations related with the model and data. Conducting additional related studies on other regions and combining the analysis of risks with opportunities may be necessary to develop effective management strategies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATIC SELECTION OF THE SPEED RATE OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES FOR REDUCING THE POWER CONSUMPTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. O. Soroka

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The work is aimed to design a system for automatic selection of the optimal traffic modes and automatic monitoring of the electric energy consumption by electric transport. This automatic system should provide for the minimum energy expenses. Methodology. Current methodologies: 1 mathematical modeling of traffic modes of ground electric vehicles; 2 comparison of modelling results with the statistical monitoring; 3 system development for automatic choice of traffic modes of electric transport with minimal electrical energy consumptions taking into account the given route schedules and the limitations imposed by the general traffic rules. Findings. The authors obtained a mathematical dependency of the energy consumption by electric transport enterprises on the monthly averaged environment temperature was obtained. A system which allows for an automatic selection of the speed limit and provides automatic monitoring of the electrical energy consumption by electric vehicles was proposed in the form of local network, which works together with existing GPS system. Originality. A mathematical model for calculating the motion curves and energy consumption of electric vehicles has been developed. This model takes into account the characteristic values of the motor engine and the steering system, the change of the mass when loading or unloading passengers, the slopes and radii of the roads, the limitations given by the general traffic rules, and other factors. The dependency of the energy consumption on the averaged monthly environment temperature for public electric transport companies has been calculated. Practical value. The developed mathematical model simplifies the calculations of the traffic dynamics and energy consumption. It can be used for calculating the routing maps, for design and upgrade of the power networks, for development of the electricity saving measures. The system simplifies the work of the vehicle driver and allows reducing

Knowledge network model of the energy consumption in discrete manufacturing system

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Binzi; Wang, Yan; Ji, Zhicheng

2017-07-01

Discrete manufacturing system generates a large amount of data and information because of the development of information technology. Hence, a management mechanism is urgently required. In order to incorporate knowledge generated from manufacturing data and production experience, a knowledge network model of the energy consumption in the discrete manufacturing system was put forward based on knowledge network theory and multi-granularity modular ontology technology. This model could provide a standard representation for concepts, terms and their relationships, which could be understood by both human and computer. Besides, the formal description of energy consumption knowledge elements (ECKEs) in the knowledge network was also given. Finally, an application example was used to verify the feasibility of the proposed method.

Analysis of energy consumption in lowland rice-based cropping system of Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chan Chee Wan

2005-07-01

Full Text Available Sufficient energy is needed in the right form and at the right time for adequate crop production. One way to optimize energy consumption in agriculture is to determine the efficiency of methods and techniques used. With the current increase in world population, energy consumption needs effective planning. That is, the input elements need to be identified in order to prescribe the most efficient methods for controlling them. This study was undertaken in order to determine the direct and indirect energy consumption of field operations in a lowland rice production system of Malaysia. Field time, fuel and other energy requirements were measured for the tillage, planting, fertilizing, spraying and harvesting operations performed. Energy analysis carried out revealed the highest average operational energy consumption was for tillage (1747.33 MJ ha-1 which accounted for about 48.6% of the total operational energy consumption (3595.87 MJ ha-1, followed by harvesting (1171.44 MJ ha-1, 32.6% and planting (562.91 MJ ha-1, 15.7%. Fertilizing and pesticide spraying did not make any significant contributions to the operational energy consumption. Based on energy sources, fuel was the main consumer of direct energy with 2717.82 MJha-1 (22.2%, and fertilizer recording the highest indirect energy consumption of 7721.03 MJha-1 (63.2%. Human labour, pesticides, seeds and indirect energy for machinery use had marginal importance, contributing only 0.2%, 0.6%, 6.8% and 6.9%, respectively to the total energy consumption (12225.97 MJha-1. Average grain yield was 6470.8 kg ha-1, representing energy output of 108321.75 MJha-1, that is, 96095.78 MJ net energy gain or 8.86 MJ output per MJ input. Energy input per kilogram grain yield was 1.89 MJkg-1. The results of the study indicate energy gain in the lowland rice production system of Malaysia.

Caffeine consumption prevents diabetes-induced memory impairment and synaptotoxicity in the hippocampus of NONcZNO10/LTJ mice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

João M N Duarte

Full Text Available Diabetic conditions are associated with modified brain function, namely with cognitive deficits, through largely undetermined processes. More than understanding the underlying mechanism, it is important to devise novel strategies to alleviate diabetes-induced cognitive deficits. Caffeine (a mixed antagonist of adenosine A(1 and A(2A receptors emerges as a promising candidate since caffeine consumption reduces the risk of diabetes and effectively prevents memory deficits caused by different noxious stimuli. Thus, we took advantage of a novel animal model of type 2 diabetes to investigate the behavioural, neurochemical and morphological modifications present in the hippocampus and tested if caffeine consumption might prevent these changes. We used a model closely mimicking the human type 2 diabetes condition, NONcNZO10/LtJ mice, which become diabetic at 7-11 months when kept under an 11% fat diet. Caffeine (1 g/l was applied in the drinking water from 7 months onwards. Diabetic mice displayed a decreased spontaneous alternation in the Y-maze accompanied by a decreased density of nerve terminal markers (synaptophysin, SNAP25, mainly glutamatergic (vesicular glutamate transporters, and increased astrogliosis (GFAP immunoreactivity compared to their wild type littermates kept under the same diet. Furthermore, diabetic mice displayed up-regulated A(2A receptors and down-regulated A(1 receptors in the hippocampus. Caffeine consumption restored memory performance and abrogated the diabetes-induced loss of nerve terminals and astrogliosis. These results provide the first evidence that type 2 diabetic mice display a loss of nerve terminal markers and astrogliosis, which is associated with memory impairment; furthermore, caffeine consumption prevents synaptic dysfunction and astrogliosis as well as memory impairment in type 2 diabetes.

Caffeine consumption prevents diabetes-induced memory impairment and synaptotoxicity in the hippocampus of NONcZNO10/LTJ mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Duarte, João M N; Agostinho, Paula M; Carvalho, Rui A; Cunha, Rodrigo A

2012-01-01

Diabetic conditions are associated with modified brain function, namely with cognitive deficits, through largely undetermined processes. More than understanding the underlying mechanism, it is important to devise novel strategies to alleviate diabetes-induced cognitive deficits. Caffeine (a mixed antagonist of adenosine A(1) and A(2A) receptors) emerges as a promising candidate since caffeine consumption reduces the risk of diabetes and effectively prevents memory deficits caused by different noxious stimuli. Thus, we took advantage of a novel animal model of type 2 diabetes to investigate the behavioural, neurochemical and morphological modifications present in the hippocampus and tested if caffeine consumption might prevent these changes. We used a model closely mimicking the human type 2 diabetes condition, NONcNZO10/LtJ mice, which become diabetic at 7-11 months when kept under an 11% fat diet. Caffeine (1 g/l) was applied in the drinking water from 7 months onwards. Diabetic mice displayed a decreased spontaneous alternation in the Y-maze accompanied by a decreased density of nerve terminal markers (synaptophysin, SNAP25), mainly glutamatergic (vesicular glutamate transporters), and increased astrogliosis (GFAP immunoreactivity) compared to their wild type littermates kept under the same diet. Furthermore, diabetic mice displayed up-regulated A(2A) receptors and down-regulated A(1) receptors in the hippocampus. Caffeine consumption restored memory performance and abrogated the diabetes-induced loss of nerve terminals and astrogliosis. These results provide the first evidence that type 2 diabetic mice display a loss of nerve terminal markers and astrogliosis, which is associated with memory impairment; furthermore, caffeine consumption prevents synaptic dysfunction and astrogliosis as well as memory impairment in type 2 diabetes.

Enhanced Chondrocyte Proliferation in a Prototyped Culture System with Wave-Induced Agitation

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Pilarek Maciej

2017-06-01

Full Text Available One of the actual challenges in tissue engineering applications is to efficiently produce as high of number of cells as it is only possible, in the shortest time. In static cultures, the production of animal cell biomass in integrated forms (i.e. aggregates, inoculated scaffolds is limited due to inefficient diffusion of culture medium components observed in such non-mixed culture systems, especially in the case of cell-inoculated fiber-based dense 3D scaffolds, inside which the intensification of mass transfer is particularly important. The applicability of a prototyped, small-scale, continuously wave-induced agitated system for intensification of anchorage-dependent CP5 chondrocytes proliferation outside and inside three-dimensional poly(lactic acid (PLA scaffolds has been discussed. Fibrous PLA-based constructs have been inoculated with CP5 cells and then maintained in two independent incubation systems: (i non-agitated conditions and (ii culture with wave-induced agitation. Significantly higher values of the volumetric glucose consumption rate have been noted for the system with the wave-induced agitation. The advantage of the presented wave-induced agitation culture system has been confirmed by lower activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH released from the cells in the samples of culture medium harvested from the agitated cultures, in contrast to rather high values of LDH activity measured for static conditions. Results of the proceeded experiments and their analysis clearly exhibited the feasibility of the culture system supported with continuously wave-induced agitation for robust proliferation of the CP5 chondrocytes on PLA-based structures. Aside from the practicability of the prototyped system, we believe that it could also be applied as a standard method offering advantages for all types of the daily routine laboratory-scale animal cell cultures utilizing various fiber-based biomaterials, with the use of only regular laboratory

The modulating effect of royal jelly consumption against radiation-induced apoptosis in human peripheral blood leukocytes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Navid Rafat

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The present work was designed to assess the radioprotective effect of royal jelly (RJ against radiation-induced apoptosis in human peripheral blood leukocytes. In this study, peripheral blood samples were obtained on days 0, 4, 7, and 14 of the study from six healthy male volunteers taking a 1000 mg RJ capsule orally per day for 14 consecutive days. On each sampling day, all collected whole blood samples were divided into control and irradiated groups which were then exposed to the selected dose of 4 Gy X-ray. Percentage of apoptotic cells (Ap % was evaluated for all samples immediately after irradiation (Ap0 and also after a 24 h postirradiation incubation at 37°C in 5% CO2 (Ap24 by the use of neutral comet assay. Concerning Ap0, collected data demonstrated that the percentage of apoptotic cells in both control and irradiated groups did not significantly change during the study period. However, with respect to Ap24, the percentage of apoptotic cells in irradiated groups gradually reduced during the experiment, according to which a significant decrease was found after 14 days RJ consumption (P = 0.002. In conclusion, the present study revealed the protective role of 14 days RJ consumption against radiation-induced apoptosis in human peripheral blood leukocytes.

Sustainable Consumption

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Røpke, Inge

2015-01-01

The intention of this chapter is to explore the role of consumption and consumers in relation to sustainability transition processes and wider systemic transformations. In contrast to the individualistic focus in much research on sustainable consumption, the embeddedness of consumption activities...... in wider social, economic and technological frameworks is emphasised. In particular, the chapter is inspired by practice theory and transition theory. First, various trends in consumption are outlined to highlight some of the challenges for sustainability transitions. Then, it is discussed how consumption...... patterns are shaped over time and what should be considered in sustainability strategies. While discussions on consumption often take their point of departure in the perspective of the individual and then zoom to the wider context, the present approach is the opposite. The outline starts with the basic...

Optimization of Photovoltaic Self-consumption using Domestic Hot Water Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ângelo Casaleiro

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Electrified domestic hot water systems, being deferrable loads, are an important demand side management tool and thus have the potential to enhance photovoltaic self-consumption. This study addresses the energy and economic performance of photovoltaic self-consumption by using a typical Portuguese dwelling. Five system configurations were simulated: a gas boiler (with/without battery and an electric boiler (without demand management and with genetic and heuristic optimization. A sensitivity analysis on photovoltaic capacity shows the optimum photovoltaic sizing to be in the range 1.0 to 2.5 kWp. The gas boiler scenario and the heuristic scenario present the best levelized cost of energy, respectively, for the lower and higher photovoltaic capacities. The use of a battery shows the highest levelized cost of energy and the heuristic scenario shows the highest solar fraction (56.9%. Results also highlight the great potential on increasing photovoltaic size when coupled with electrified domestic hot water systems, to accommodate higher solar fractions and achieve lower costs, through energy management.

Potential energy consumption reduction of automotive climate control systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nielsen, Filip; Uddheim, Åsa; Dalenbäck, Jan-Olof

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Twenty-on energy saving measures for vehicle interior climate were evaluated. • Few single energy saving measures could reduce the energy use significantly. • The operation of the system in intermediate conditions determines the energy use. • Required heating/cooling of passenger compartment had small effect on energy use. - Abstract: In recent years fuel consumption of passenger vehicles has received increased attention by customers, the automotive industry, regulatory agencies and academia. One area which affect the fuel consumption is climate control systems. Twenty-one energy saving measures were evaluated regarding the total energy use for vehicle interior climate using simulation. Evaluated properties were heat flow into the passenger compartment, electrical and mechanical work. The simulation model included sub models of the passenger compartment, air-handling unit, Air Conditioning (AC) system, engine and engine cooling system. A real-world representative test cycle, which included tests in cold, intermediate and warm conditions, was used for evaluation. In general, few single energy saving measures could reduce the energy use significantly. The measures with most potential were increased blower efficiency with a reduction of 46% of the electrical work and increased AC-system disengage temperature with a reduction of 27% of the mechanical work. These results show that the operation of the climate control system had a large effect on the energy use, especially compared to the required heating and cooling of the passenger compartment. As a result energy saving measures need to address how heating and cooling is generated before reducing the heat flow into the passenger compartment.

Energy Management Systems to Reduce Electrical Energy Consumption

OpenAIRE

Oriti, Giovanna

2015-01-01

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY An energy management system comprises an electrical energy storage element such as a battery, renewable electrical energy sources such as solar and wind, a digital signal processing controller and a solid state power converter to interface the elements together. This hardware demonstration in the lab at the Naval Postgraduate School will focus on solid state power conversion methods to improve the reliability and efficiency of electrical energy consumption by Navy facilit...

A system model for assessing vehicle use-phase water consumption in urban mobility networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yen, Jeff; Bras, Bert

2012-01-01

Water consumption is emerging as an important issue potentially influencing the composition of future urban transportation networks, especially as projected urban populations are expected to outpace water availability and as alternative fuels and vehicles are being implemented in such regions. National and State policies aimed at reducing dependence on imported fuels and energy can increase local production of fuels and energy, impacting demand on local water resources. This article details the development of a model-based assessment on water consumption and withdrawal pertaining to the use-phase of conventional and alternative transportation modes based on regional energy and fuel production. An extensive literature review details water consumption from fuel extraction, processing, and distribution as well as power plant operations. Using Model-Based Systems Engineering principles and the Systems Modeling Language, a multi-level, multi-modal framework was developed and applied to the Metro Atlanta transportation system consisting of conventional and alternative vehicles across varying conditions. According to the analysis, vehicles powered by locally produced biofuels and electricity (assuming average local grid mix for charging) consume more water than locally refined gasoline and CNG-powered vehicles. Improvements in power plant technologies, electricity generation (e.g., use of solar and wind versus hydro power) and vehicle efficiencies can reduce such water consumption significantly. Total water withdrawal for each vehicle and fuel is significantly greater than water consumption. - Highlights: ► A model was made to assess the local water consumption due to conventional and alternatively powered vehicles in a city. ► Water consumed in the local and external production of various fuels was reviewed and included. ► Basic battery electric and biofuel powered vehicles consume on average more water than conventional gasoline and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG

Effects of natural mineral-rich water consumption on the expression of sirtuin 1 and angiogenic factors in the erectile tissue of rats with fructose-induced metabolic syndrome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cidália D Pereira

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Consuming a high-fructose diet induces metabolic syndrome (MS-like features, including endothelial dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction is an early manifestation of endothelial dysfunction and systemic vascular disease. Because mineral deficiency intensifies the deleterious effects of fructose consumption and mineral ingestion is protective against MS, we aimed to characterize the effects of 8 weeks of natural mineral-rich water consumption on the structural organization and expression of vascular growth factors and receptors on the corpus cavernosum (CC in 10% fructose-fed Sprague-Dawley rats (FRUCT. Differences were not observed in the organization of the CC either on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF or the components of the angiopoietins/Tie2 system. However, opposing expression patterns were observed for VEGF receptors (an increase and a decrease for VEGFR1 and VEGFR2, respectively in FRUCT animals, with these patterns being strengthened by mineral-rich water ingestion. Mineral-rich water ingestion (FRUCTMIN increased the proportion of smooth muscle cells compared with FRUCT rats and induced an upregulatory tendency of sirtuin 1 expression compared with the control and FRUCT groups. Western blot results were consistent with the dual immunofluorescence evaluation. Plasma oxidized low-density lipoprotein and plasma testosterone levels were similar among the experimental groups, although a tendency for an increase in the former was observed in the FRUCTMIN group. The mineral-rich water-treated rats presented changes similar to those observed in rats treated with MS-protective polyphenol-rich beverages or subjected to energy restriction, which led us to hypothesize that the effects of mineral-rich water consumption may be more vast than those directly observed in this study.

Primary energy consumption of the dwelling with solar hot water system and biomass boiler

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berković-Šubić, Mihaela; Rauch, Martina; Dović, Damir; Andrassy, Mladen

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Methodology for determing delivered and primary energy is developed. • Conventional and solar hot water system are analyzed. • Influence of system components, heat losses and energy consumption is explored. • Savings when using solar system in delivered energy is 30% and in primary 75%. • Dwelling with higher Q H,nd has 60% shorter payback period. - Abstract: This paper presents a new methodology, based on the energy performance of buildings Directive related European norms. It is developed to overcome ambiguities and incompleteness of these standards in determining the delivered and primary energy. The available procedures from the present “Algorithm for determining the energy demands and efficiency of technical systems in buildings”, normally used for energy performance certification of buildings, also allow detailed analyzes of the influence of particular system components on the overall system energy efficiency. The calculation example is given for a Croatian reference dwelling, equipped with a solar hot water system, backed up with a biomass boiler for space heating and domestic hot water purposes as a part of the dwelling energy performance certification. Calculations were performed for two cases corresponding to different levels of the dwelling thermal insulation with an appropriate heating system capacity, in order to investigate the influence of the building heat losses on the system design and energy consumption. The results are compared against those obtained for the conventional system with a gas boiler in terms of the primary energy consumption as well as of investment and operating costs. These results indicate great reduction in both delivered and primary energy consumption when a solar system with biomass boiler is used instead of the conventional one. Higher savings are obtained in the case of the dwelling with higher energy need for space heating. Such dwellings also have a shorter payback period than the ones with

Optimization of self-consumption and techno-economic analysis of PV-battery systems in commercial applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merei, Ghada; Moshövel, Janina; Magnor, Dirk; Sauer, Dirk Uwe

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Optimization of self-consumption and the degree of self-sufficiency in commercial applications. • Technical and economic analyses for a PV-battery system. • Sensitivity analysis considering different sizes and prices of PV and battery systems. • Investigation of batteries to increase self-consumption today is not economic in the considered applications. - Abstract: Increasing costs of electricity supply from the local grid, the decreasing photovoltaic (PV) technology costs and the decreasing PV feed-in-tariff according to the current German Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) will in the future raise the monetary incentives to increase the self-consumption of PV energy. This is of great interest in commercial buildings as there mostly is sufficient place to install high capacities of photovoltaic panels on their own roofs. Furthermore, the electricity purchase price from the local grid for commercial consumers nowadays is about 20 €ct/kW h, which is higher than the cost of generation of electricity from solar panels (about 8–12 €ct/kW h). Additionally, the load profiles in commercial applications have a high correlation with the generated solar energy. Hence, there is a great opportunity for economic savings. This paper presents optimization results with respect to self-consumption and degree of self-sufficiency for a supermarket in Aachen, Germany. The optimization is achieved using real measurement data of load profile and solar radiation. Besides, techno-economic analyses and sensitivity analyses have been carried out to demonstrate the influence of different PV system sizes, PV system costs and interest rates. Moreover, to raise self-consumption different battery sizes with different battery system costs have been investigated and analysed for 2015 and 2025 scenarios as well. The results show that the installation of a PV system can reduce the electricity costs through self-consumption of self-generated PV energy. Also, applying

[The design of a cardiac monitoring and analysing system with low power consumption].

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Zhen-cheng; Ni, Li-li; Zhu, Yan-gao; Wang, Hong-yan; Ma, Yan

2002-07-01

The paper deals with a portable analyzing monitor system with liquid crystal display (LCD), which is low in power consumption and suitable for China's specific conditions. Apart from the development of the overall scheme of the system, the paper introduces the design of the hardware and the software. The 80196 single chip microcomputer is used as the central microprocessor to process and real-time electrocardiac signal data. The system have the following functions: five types of arrhythmia analysis, alarm, freeze, and record of automatic paperfeeding. The portable system can be operated by alternate-current (AC) or direct-current (DC). Its hardware circuit is simplified and its software structure is optimized. Multiple low power consumption and LCD unit are adopted in its modular designs.

Monitoring of caffeine consumption effect on skin blood properties by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Milanic, Matija; Marin, Ana; Stergar, Jost; Verdel, Nina; Majaron, Boris

2017-07-01

Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive substance in the world. It affects many tissues and organs, in particular central nervous system, heart, and blood vessels. The effect of caffeine on vascular smooth muscle cells is an initial transient contraction followed by significant vasodilatation. In this study we investigate the use of diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) for monitoring of vascular changes in human skin induced by caffeine consumption. DRS spectra were recorded on volar sides of the forearms of ten healthy volunteers at time delays of 0, 30, 60, 120, and 180 minutes after consumption of caffeine, while one subject served as a negative control. Analytical diffusion approximation solutions for diffuse reflectance from three-layer structures were used to assess skin composition (e.g., dermal blood volume fraction and oxygen saturation) by fitting to experimental data. The results demonstrate that cutaneous vasodynamics induced by caffeine consumption can be monitored by DRS, while changes in the control subject not consuming caffeine were insignificant.

Weed Control in Maize-Cowpea Intercropping System Related to Environmental Resources Consumption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamdollah ESKANDARI

2011-03-01

Full Text Available A field experiment was carried out in Ramhormoz, Iran during the 2008-2009 growing season to investigate the effects of different planting pattern of intercropping on environmental resource consumption and weed biomass. A randomized complete block design (RCBD with three replications was employed to compare the treatments. Treatments included maize sole crop (M, cow pea sole crop (C, within row intercropping (I1, row intercropping (I2 and mix cropping (I3. The density of intercropping was according to replacement design (one maize replaced by three cow pea plants. The results showed that environmental resource consumption was significantly (P?0.05 affected by cropping system, where PAR interception, moisture and nutrients uptake were higher in intercropping systems compared to sole crop systems. Regarding to weed control, intercrops were more effective than sole crops and it was related to lower availability of environmental resources for weeds in intercropping systems.

Probabilistic analysis of fuel consumption in the hydrothermal system with marginal fixation of tariffs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alarcon A, I.; Olmedo H, J.C.

1989-01-01

A simulation model, that determining the distribution function of the coal consumption from Chile Thermal Stations was developed, consisting in a tool for taking of a decision of coal purchase from Chilectra Generation Stations. It was applied for analysing the probable coal consumption for the year of 1990. A sensitivity analysis over the main variables, that reflecting in these consumption was also included. This model only makes a monthly energy balance, therefore to achieve a best fuel consumption estimation, it should be included, in the second development stage, a energy balance for the peak hours of the system. (C.G.C.). 2 refs, 4 figs, 5 tabs

Optimization of Reliability and Power Consumption in Systems on a Chip

OpenAIRE

Simunic, Tajana; Mihic, Kresimir; De Micheli, Giovanni

2005-01-01

Aggressive transistor scaling, decreased voltage margins and increased processor power and temperature, have made reliability assessment a much more significant issue in design. Although reliability of devices and interconnect has been broadly studied, here we characterize reliability at the system level. Thus we consider component-based System on Chip designs. Reliability is strongly affected by system temperature, which is in turn driven by power consumption. Thus, component reliability and...

Impacts of wireless charging lanes on travel time and energy consumption in a two-lane road system

Science.gov (United States)

He, Jia; Yang, Hai; Huang, Hai-Jun; Tang, Tie-Qiao

2018-06-01

In this paper, we propose a method to compare different energy consumption models and design a strategy to study the quantitative effects of wireless charging lane (WCL) on each electric vehicle's (EV's) link travel time. We utilize the modified energy consumption model and strategy to explore electric vehicle's electricity consumption and link travel time in a two-lane system with a WCL. The numerical results show that EVs' charging behavior on WCL will cause the drivers to execute the lane-changing maneuvers frequently and that the WCL has prominent impacts on EV's energy consumption and travel time, i.e., the capacity drops by 8%-17% while the EV's energy consumption increases by 3%-14% in the two-lane road system.

Sustainable Development of Regional Power Systems and the Consumption of Electric Energy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evgeny Lisin

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, one of the most imminent problems facing power systems in post-industrial countries is the sustainable development of power systems under conditions of increasing power consumption irregularity due to the reduction of the industry’s share in consumers’ demand for electric power. In today’s Russia, this issue is becoming very acute due to the significant share of electric power and heat co-generation that is demonstrating low manoeuvrability and poor adaptation to operations in the daily variation of electric power demand. This paper considers the problem of improving the power system steady-state through the optimization of the production structure of thermal power plants. We propose a combinatorial algorithm that improves the planning of the structural and technological modernization of the power equipment configuration, with a glance at the forecast of the increasing irregularity of power consumption.

Influence of platform screen doors on energy consumption of the environment control system of a mass rapid transit system: case study of the Taipei MRT system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu, S.-C. E-mail: f10870@ntut.edu.tw; Lee, J.-H

2004-03-01

This investigation studies how platform screen doors (PSD) affect the energy consumption of the environmental control system of a mass rapid transit (MRT) system in Taipei. The environmental parameter simulation was conducted using the subway environmental simulation (SES) program, while the associated air conditioning (A/C) cooling load was predicted with the carrier E20-II program. Results show that PSD can significantly decrease average and peak cooling load, thus reducing the capacity/size of cooling equipment and allowing the chiller cooling load to be abridged. However, electricity consumption by ventilation equipment increases notably when PSD are used, particularly the electricity consumption by the under platform exhaust (UPE) fan, and thus, ultimately, little difference exists in the overall energy consumption with and without UPE.

Influence of platform screen doors on energy consumption of the environment control system of a mass rapid transit system: case study of the Taipei MRT system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, S.-C.; Lee, J.-H.

2004-01-01

This investigation studies how platform screen doors (PSD) affect the energy consumption of the environmental control system of a mass rapid transit (MRT) system in Taipei. The environmental parameter simulation was conducted using the subway environmental simulation (SES) program, while the associated air conditioning (A/C) cooling load was predicted with the carrier E20-II program. Results show that PSD can significantly decrease average and peak cooling load, thus reducing the capacity/size of cooling equipment and allowing the chiller cooling load to be abridged. However, electricity consumption by ventilation equipment increases notably when PSD are used, particularly the electricity consumption by the under platform exhaust (UPE) fan, and thus, ultimately, little difference exists in the overall energy consumption with and without UPE

New developments in the area of intelligent housing and related power consumption; Neuste Entwicklungen im Bereich Intelligentes Wohnen und des damit verbundenen Stromverbrauchs - Schlussbericht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grieder, T. [Encontrol GmbH, Niederrohrdorf (Switzerland); Senn, R. [Raum Consulting, Duebendorf (Switzerland); Gehrig, M. [MG Power Engineering AG, Duebendorf (Switzerland)

2008-07-01

For many years the Swiss Federal Office for Energy (SFOE) has followed with interest the development of building services control systems in private households and their influence on the power consumption. The findings from the previous studies were summarized in a leaflet and made available to the involved industry. This report analyses two new buildings and reports on laboratory measurements of three further systems. The bus systems and concepts available on the market are described and evaluated with respect to power consumption and savings potential. The buildings investigated since 2005 all exhibited a high upgrade standard with reference to the network. This induces an additional consumption of 35% to 55% of the typical domestic power consumption. At least one server is in continuous operation in each building, running throughout the year and inducing in some cases a consumption of well over 700 kWh, hence becoming the largest single consumer in the household. On the other hand, systems with a simple upgrade standard can be realised with a comparatively low consumption of about 100 kWh, corresponding to an additional power consumption of less than 3%. By selecting systems and components, both planners and building owners strongly influence the power consumption of the future network. In particular, the interaction of control servers and operator stations demands careful planning. Hitherto, energy-saving control functions display only a slight influence. Formulated in the report are recommendations to the involved industry and the Federal Office for Energy for actions to increase energy efficiency in the domain of intelligent housing. (author)

Disentangling practices, carriers and production-consumption systems: a mixed-method study of (sustainable) food consumption

OpenAIRE

Backhaus, Julia; Wieser, Harald; Kemp, René; Huddart Kennedy, Emily; Cohen, Maurie J.; Krogman, Naomi T.

2015-01-01

With a focus on food consumption practices, this chapter provides conceptual contributions and methodological reflections. The central question is how far practice-based approaches help understanding human behavior, both conceptually and analytically. Food consumption is tied to family traditions, individual taste, nutritional needs, and preferences. At the same time, its provision, obtainment, preparation, and consumption have economic, political, social, and cultural significance. The empir...

Research of Consumption of Biodiesel in Different Working Operations in the System of Precision Agriculture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marek Angelovič

2012-05-01

Full Text Available The aim of study was to research the consumption of biodiesel in various working operations of the tractor John Deere 8230 with trailer and plow under field conditions. Biodiesel was made from agricultural crop of oilseed rape according to etherification. Experimental measurements were made on land of the Slovak University of Agriculture, in Kolíňany, Slovakia. The metering device was used EDMeco recorder and an electronic flow meter of the actual consumption of biodiesel. The measuring system was installed in the fuel system John Deere tractor, the 8230. On the base of the obtained results we can conclude that at the transportation of the tractor with trailer Mega 20 was the average hourly consumption of 15.43 liters of biodiesel. At the plowing with set of tractor and rotating 7-mouldboard plow Ostroj Opava, the average hourly consumption was of 33.93 liters of biodiesel.

Energy consumption and energy-saving potential analysis of pollutant abatement systems in a 1000MW coal-fired power plant.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Hang; Zhang, Yongxin; Zheng, Chenghang; Wu, Xuecheng; Chen, Linghong; Gao, Xiang; Fu, Joshua S

2018-05-10

The pollutant abatement systems are widely applied in the coal-fired power sector and the energy consumption was considered an important part of the auxiliary power. An energy consumption analysis and assessment model of pollutant abatement systems in a power unit was developed based on the dynamic parameters and technology. The energy consumption of pollutant abatement systems in a 1000 MW coal-fired power unit which meet the ultra-low emission limits and the factors of operating parameters including unit load and inlet concentration of pollutants on the operating power were analyzed. The results show that the total power consumption of the pollutant abatement systems accounted for 1.27% of the gross power generation during the monitoring period. The WFGD system consumed 67% of the rate while the SCR and ESP systems consumed 8.9% and 24.1%. The power consumption rate of pollutant abatement systems decreased with the increase of unit load and increased with the increase of the inlet concentration of pollutants. The operation adjustment was also an effective method to increase the energy efficiency. For example, the operation adjustment of slurry circulation pumps could promote the energy-saving operation of WFGD system. Implication Statement The application of pollutant abatement technologies increases the internal energy consumption of the power plant, which will lead to an increase of power generation costs. The real-time energy consumption of the different pollutant abatement systems in a typical power unit is analyzed based on the dynamic operating data. Further, the influence of different operating parameters on the operating power of the system and the possible energy-saving potential are analyzed.

Low Power Consumption Wireless Sensor Communication System Integrated with an Energy Harvesting Power Source

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Vlad MARSIC

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the testing results of a wireless sensor communication system with low power consumption integrated with an energy harvesting power source. The experiments focus on the system’s capability to perform continuous monitoring and to wirelessly transmit the data acquired from the sensors to a user base station, for realization of completely battery-free wireless sensor system. Energy harvesting technologies together with system design optimization for power consumption minimization ensure the system’s energy autonomous capability demonstrated in this paper by presenting the promising testing results achieved following its integration with structural health monitoring and body area network applications.

Chronic consumption of distilled sugarcane spirit induces anxiolytic-like effects in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Sena, Maria Clecia P; Nunes, Fabíola C; Salvadori, Mirian G S Stiebbe; Carvalho, Cleyton Charles D; Morais, Liana Clebia S L; Braga, Valdir A

2011-01-01

Chronic ethanol consumption is a major public health problem throughout the world. We investigated the anxiolytic-like effects and the possible ever injury induced by the chronic consumption of ethanol or sugarcane spirit in mice. Adult mice were exposed to a two-bottle free-choice paradigm for 6 weeks. The mice in Group A (n = 16) had access to sugarcane spirit + distilled water, the mice in Group B (n = 15) had access to ethanol + distilled water, and the mice in Group C (control, n = 14) had access to distilled water + distilled water. The ethanol content in the beverages offered to Groups A and B was 2% for the first week, 5% for the second week and 10% for the remaining four weeks. At the end of the experimental period, the mice were evaluated using the elevated-plus maze and the hole-board test to assess their anxiety-related behaviors. We also determined the serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels. In the elevated-plus maze, the time spent in the open arms was increased in the mice exposed to chronic ethanol (32 ± 8 vs. 7 ± 2 s, n = 9) or sugarcane spirit (36 ± 9 vs. 7 ± 2 s, n = 9) compared to the controls. In the hole-board test, the mice exposed to ethanol or sugarcane spirit displayed increases in their head-dipping frequency (16 ± 1 for the control group, 27 ± 2 for the ethanol group, and 31 ± 3 for the sugarcane-spirit group; n = 9 for each group). In addition, the mice exposed to sugarcane spirit displayed an increase in the aspartate aminotransferase / alanine aminotransferase ratio compared to the ethanol group (1.29 ± 0.17 for the control group and 2.67 ± 0.17 for the sugarcane spirit group; n = 8 for each group). The chronic consumption of sugarcane-spirit produces liver injury and anxiolytic-like effects and the possible liver injury in mice.

Chronic consumption of distilled sugarcane spirit induces anxiolytic-like effects in mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Clecia P. Sena

2011-01-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Chronic ethanol consumption is a major public health problem throughout the world. We investigated the anxiolytic-like effects and the possible ever injury induced by the chronic consumption of ethanol or sugarcane spirit in mice. METHOD: Adult mice were exposed to a two-bottle free-choice paradigm for 6 weeks. The mice in Group A (n = 16 had access to sugarcane spirit + distilled water, the mice in Group B (n = 15 had access to ethanol + distilled water, and the mice in Group C (control, n = 14 had access to distilled water + distilled water. The ethanol content in the beverages offered to Groups A and B was 2% for the first week, 5% for the second week and 10% for the remaining four weeks. At the end of the experimental period, the mice were evaluated using the elevated-plus maze and the hole-board test to assess their anxiety-related behaviors. We also determined the serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels. RESULTS: In the elevated-plus maze, the time spent in the open arms was increased in the mice exposed to chronic ethanol (32 + 8 vs. 7 + 2 s, n = 9 or sugarcane spirit (36 + 9 vs. 7 + 2 s, n = 9 compared to the controls. In the hole-board test, the mice exposed to ethanol or sugarcane spirit displayed increases in their head-dipping frequency (16 + 1 for the control group, 27 + 2 for the ethanol group, and 31 + 3 for the sugarcane-spirit group; n = 9 for each group. In addition, the mice exposed to sugarcane spirit displayed an increase in the aspartate aminotransferase / alanine aminotransferase ratio compared to the ethanol group (1.29 + 0.17 for the control group and 2.67 + 0.17 for the sugarcane spirit group; n = 8 for each group. CONCLUSION: The chronic consumption of sugarcane-spirit produces liver injury and anxiolytic-like effects and the possible liver injury in mice.

Reduction of Fuel Consumption and Exhaust Pollutant Using Intelligent Transport Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mostofa Kamal Nasir

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Greenhouse gas emitted by the transport sector around the world is a serious issue of concern. To minimize such emission the automobile engineers have been working relentlessly. Researchers have been trying hard to switch fossil fuel to alternative fuels and attempting to various driving strategies to make traffic flow smooth and to reduce traffic congestion and emission of greenhouse gas. Automobile emits a massive amount of pollutants such as Carbon Monoxide (CO, hydrocarbons (HC, carbon dioxide (CO2, particulate matter (PM, and oxides of nitrogen (NOx. Intelligent transport system (ITS technologies can be implemented to lower pollutant emissions and reduction of fuel consumption. This paper investigates the ITS techniques and technologies for the reduction of fuel consumption and minimization of the exhaust pollutant. It highlights the environmental impact of the ITS application to provide the state-of-art green solution. A case study also advocates that ITS technology reduces fuel consumption and exhaust pollutant in the urban environment.

Reduction of Fuel Consumption and Exhaust Pollutant Using Intelligent Transport Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Nasir, Mostofa Kamal; Md Noor, Rafidah; Kalam, M. A.; Masum, B. M.

2014-01-01

Greenhouse gas emitted by the transport sector around the world is a serious issue of concern. To minimize such emission the automobile engineers have been working relentlessly. Researchers have been trying hard to switch fossil fuel to alternative fuels and attempting to various driving strategies to make traffic flow smooth and to reduce traffic congestion and emission of greenhouse gas. Automobile emits a massive amount of pollutants such as Carbon Monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), carbon dioxide (CO2), particulate matter (PM), and oxides of nitrogen (NOx). Intelligent transport system (ITS) technologies can be implemented to lower pollutant emissions and reduction of fuel consumption. This paper investigates the ITS techniques and technologies for the reduction of fuel consumption and minimization of the exhaust pollutant. It highlights the environmental impact of the ITS application to provide the state-of-art green solution. A case study also advocates that ITS technology reduces fuel consumption and exhaust pollutant in the urban environment. PMID:25032239

Reduction of fuel consumption and exhaust pollutant using intelligent transport systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Nasir, Mostofa Kamal; Md Noor, Rafidah; Kalam, M A; Masum, B M

2014-01-01

Greenhouse gas emitted by the transport sector around the world is a serious issue of concern. To minimize such emission the automobile engineers have been working relentlessly. Researchers have been trying hard to switch fossil fuel to alternative fuels and attempting to various driving strategies to make traffic flow smooth and to reduce traffic congestion and emission of greenhouse gas. Automobile emits a massive amount of pollutants such as Carbon Monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), carbon dioxide (CO2), particulate matter (PM), and oxides of nitrogen (NO x ). Intelligent transport system (ITS) technologies can be implemented to lower pollutant emissions and reduction of fuel consumption. This paper investigates the ITS techniques and technologies for the reduction of fuel consumption and minimization of the exhaust pollutant. It highlights the environmental impact of the ITS application to provide the state-of-art green solution. A case study also advocates that ITS technology reduces fuel consumption and exhaust pollutant in the urban environment.

Assessing competence of broccoli consumption on inflammatory and antioxidant pathways in restraint-induced models: estimation in rat hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Khalaj, Leila; Nejad, Sara Chavoshi; Mohammadi, Marzieh; Sarraf Zadeh, Sadaf; Pour, Marieh Hossein; Ashabi, Ghorbangol; Khodagholi, Fariba; Ahmadiani, Abolhassan

2013-01-01

A growing body of evidence advocated the protective and therapeutic potential of natural compounds and phytochemicals used in diets against pathological conditions. Herein, the outcome of dietary whole broccoli consumption prior to restraint stress has been investigated in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of male rats, two important regions involved in the processing of responses to stressful events. Interestingly, a region-specific effect was detected regarding some of antioxidant defense system factors: nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-related factor 2 (Nrf-2) antioxidant pathway, mitochondrial prosurvival proteins involved in mitochondrial biogenesis, and apoptotic cell death proteins. Dietary broccoli supplementation modulated the restraint-induced changes towards a consistent overall protection in the hippocampus. In the prefrontal cortex, however, despite activation of most of the protective factors, presumably as an attempt to save the system against the stress insult, some detrimental outcomes such as induced malate dehydrogenase (MDA) level and cleaved form of caspase-3 were detectable. Such diversity may be attributed in one hand to the different basic levels and/or availability of defensive mechanisms within the two studied cerebral regions, and on the other hand to the probable dose-dependent and hormetic effects of whole broccoli. More experiments are essential to demonstrate these assumptions.

Assessing Competence of Broccoli Consumption on Inflammatory and Antioxidant Pathways in Restraint-Induced Models: Estimation in Rat Hippocampus and Prefrontal Cortex

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leila Khalaj

2013-01-01

Full Text Available A growing body of evidence advocated the protective and therapeutic potential of natural compounds and phytochemicals used in diets against pathological conditions. Herein, the outcome of dietary whole broccoli consumption prior to restraint stress has been investigated in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of male rats, two important regions involved in the processing of responses to stressful events. Interestingly, a region-specific effect was detected regarding some of antioxidant defense system factors: nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-related factor 2 (Nrf-2 antioxidant pathway, mitochondrial prosurvival proteins involved in mitochondrial biogenesis, and apoptotic cell death proteins. Dietary broccoli supplementation modulated the restraint-induced changes towards a consistent overall protection in the hippocampus. In the prefrontal cortex, however, despite activation of most of the protective factors, presumably as an attempt to save the system against the stress insult, some detrimental outcomes such as induced malate dehydrogenase (MDA level and cleaved form of caspase-3 were detectable. Such diversity may be attributed in one hand to the different basic levels and/or availability of defensive mechanisms within the two studied cerebral regions, and on the other hand to the probable dose-dependent and hormetic effects of whole broccoli. More experiments are essential to demonstrate these assumptions.

Effects of Circadian Disruption on Methamphetamine Consumption in Methamphetamine-Exposed Rats

Science.gov (United States)

Doyle, Susan E.; Feng, Hanting; Garber, Garrett; Menaker, Michael; Lynch, Wendy J.

2015-01-01

Rationale A substantial number of clinical studies indicate associations between sleep abnormalities and drug abuse; however, the role played by the circadian system in the development of addiction is largely unknown. Objective The aim of this study was to examine the effects of experimentally induced chronic jet lag on methamphetamine consumption in a rat model of methamphetamine drinking. Methods Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=32) were housed in running wheel cages in a 12:12 light:dark cycle. One group of rats (n=16) was given two weeks of forced methamphetamine consumption (0.01% in drinking water; meth pre-exposed) while a second group (n=16, not pre-exposed) received water only. This was followed by a two week abstinence period during which half of the animals from each group were exposed to 4 consecutive 6-hr advancing phase shifts of the light:dark cycle, while the other half remained on the original light:dark cycle. Methamphetamine consumption was assessed in all rats following the deprivation period using a two-bottle choice paradigm. Results Methamphetamine consumption was initially lower in methamphetamine pre-exposed vs. not pre-exposed rats. However, during the second week following abstinence, consumption was significantly higher in phase shifted rats of the methamphetamine pre-exposed group compared to all other groups. Conclusions These data reveal an effect of circadian rhythm disturbance on methamphetamine consumption, and suggest that dysregulation of the circadian system be considered in the etiology of relapse and addiction. PMID:25543849

Adolescent caffeine consumption increases adulthood anxiety-related behavior and modifies neuroendocrine signaling

Science.gov (United States)

O’Neill, Casey E.; Newsom, Ryan J.; Stafford, Jacob; Scott, Talia; Archuleta, Solana; Levis, Sophia C.; Spencer, Robert L.; Campeau, Serge; Bachtell, Ryan K.

2016-01-01

Caffeine is a commonly used psychoactive substance and consumption by children and adolescents continues to rise. Here, we examine the lasting effects of adolescent caffeine consumption on anxiety-related behaviors and several neuroendocrine measures in adulthood. Adolescent male Sprague-Dawley rats consumed caffeine (0.3 g/L) for 28 consecutive days from postnatal day 28 (P28) to P55. Age-matched control rats consumed water. Behavioral testing for anxiety-related behavior began in adulthood (P62) 7 days after removal of caffeine. Adolescent caffeine consumption enhanced anxiety-related behavior in an open field, social interaction test, and elevated plus maze. Similar caffeine consumption in adult rats did not alter anxiety-related behavior after caffeine removal. Characterization of neuroendocrine measures was next assessed to determine whether the changes in anxiety were associated with modifications in the HPA axis. Blood plasma levels of corticosterone (CORT) were assessed throughout the caffeine consumption procedure in adolescent rats. Adolescent caffeine consumption elevated plasma CORT 24 h after initiation of caffeine consumption that normalized over the course of the 28-day consumption procedure. CORT levels were also elevated 24 h after caffeine removal and remained elevated for 7 days. Despite elevated basal CORT in adult rats that consumed caffeine during adolescence, the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and CORT response to placement on an elevated pedestal (a mild stressor) was significantly blunted. Lastly, we assessed changes in basal and stress-induced c-fos and corticotropin-releasing factor (Crf) mRNA expression in brain tissue collected at 7 days withdrawal from adolescent caffeine. Adolescent caffeine consumption increased basal c-fos mRNA in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. Adolescent caffeine consumption had no other effects on the basal or stress-induced c-fos mRNA changes. Caffeine consumption during adolescence

Adolescent caffeine consumption increases adulthood anxiety-related behavior and modifies neuroendocrine signaling.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Neill, Casey E; Newsom, Ryan J; Stafford, Jacob; Scott, Talia; Archuleta, Solana; Levis, Sophia C; Spencer, Robert L; Campeau, Serge; Bachtell, Ryan K

2016-05-01

Caffeine is a commonly used psychoactive substance and consumption by children and adolescents continues to rise. Here, we examine the lasting effects of adolescent caffeine consumption on anxiety-related behaviors and several neuroendocrine measures in adulthood. Adolescent male Sprague-Dawley rats consumed caffeine (0.3g/L) for 28 consecutive days from postnatal day 28 (P28) to P55. Age-matched control rats consumed water. Behavioral testing for anxiety-related behavior began in adulthood (P62) 7 days after removal of caffeine. Adolescent caffeine consumption enhanced anxiety-related behavior in an open field, social interaction test, and elevated plus maze. Similar caffeine consumption in adult rats did not alter anxiety-related behavior after caffeine removal. Characterization of neuroendocrine measures was next assessed to determine whether the changes in anxiety were associated with modifications in the HPA axis. Blood plasma levels of corticosterone (CORT) were assessed throughout the caffeine consumption procedure in adolescent rats. Adolescent caffeine consumption elevated plasma CORT 24h after initiation of caffeine consumption that normalized over the course of the 28-day consumption procedure. CORT levels were also elevated 24h after caffeine removal and remained elevated for 7 days. Despite elevated basal CORT in adult rats that consumed caffeine during adolescence, the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and CORT response to placement on an elevated pedestal (a mild stressor) was significantly blunted. Lastly, we assessed changes in basal and stress-induced c-fos and corticotropin-releasing factor (Crf) mRNA expression in brain tissue collected at 7 days withdrawal from adolescent caffeine. Adolescent caffeine consumption increased basal c-fos mRNA in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. Adolescent caffeine consumption had no other effects on the basal or stress-induced c-fos mRNA changes. Caffeine consumption during adolescence increased

Post-Kyoto energy consumption strategies for the Greek interconnected electric system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dagoumas, A.S.; Panapakidis, I.P.; Papagiannis, G.K.; Dokopoulos, P.S.

2008-01-01

The liberalization of the Greek electric market (Law 2773/99, updated with Laws 3175/2003 and 3426/2005 for incorporating Directive 2003/54 into the Greek legislation) is in its final structural transformation, which includes the fact that from 1.7.2007 each customer can select its electricity provider. This new status together with the procedure towards the formation of a post-Kyoto plan, raise the need of examining different energy saving strategies in the consumption side for evaluating their economic and environmental consequences. Such strategies may be useful for the decision makers or the electricity retail companies. This paper examines the influence of several post-Kyoto electricity consumption strategies in the Greek interconnected electric system for the period 2005-2025. The aim of the paper is to be used as a decision makers' tool for investigating the potential of electricity consumption policies. The results show that policies related either to seasonal peak demand control, or targeting at the total electric consumption lead to significant gains and emission reduction. Moreover the influence of factors, such as the weather conditions, the discount rate of the energy investments, the fuel prices evolution and the consumers' behavior linkage with oil prices are examined

Increasing kynurenine brain levels reduces ethanol consumption in mice by inhibiting dopamine release in nucleus accumbens.

Science.gov (United States)

Giménez-Gómez, Pablo; Pérez-Hernández, Mercedes; Gutiérrez-López, María Dolores; Vidal, Rebeca; Abuin-Martínez, Cristina; O'Shea, Esther; Colado, María Isabel

2018-06-01

Recent research suggests that ethanol (EtOH) consumption behaviour can be regulated by modifying the kynurenine (KYN) pathway, although the mechanisms involved have not yet been well elucidated. To further explore the implication of the kynurenine pathway in EtOH consumption we inhibited kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO) activity with Ro 61-8048 (100 mg/kg, i.p.), which shifts the KYN metabolic pathway towards kynurenic acid (KYNA) production. KMO inhibition decreases voluntary binge EtOH consumption and EtOH preference in mice subjected to "drinking in the dark" (DID) and "two-bottle choice" paradigms, respectively. This effect seems to be a consequence of increased KYN concentration, since systemic KYN administration (100 mg/kg, i.p.) similarly deters binge EtOH consumption in the DID model. Despite KYN and KYNA being well-established ligands of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), administration of AhR antagonists (TMF 5 mg/kg and CH-223191 20 mg/kg, i.p.) and of an agonist (TCDD 50 μg/kg, intragastric) demonstrates that signalling through this receptor is not involved in EtOH consumption behaviour. Ro 61-8048 did not alter plasma acetaldehyde concentration, but prevented EtOH-induced dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens shell. These results point to a critical involvement of the reward circuitry in the reduction of EtOH consumption induced by KYN and KYNA increments. PNU-120596 (3 mg/kg, i.p.), a positive allosteric modulator of α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, partially prevented the Ro 61-8048-induced decrease in EtOH consumption. Overall, our results highlight the usefulness of manipulating the KYN pathway as a pharmacological tool for modifying EtOH consumption and point to a possible modulator of alcohol drinking behaviour. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Caffeine Consumption Prevents Diabetes-Induced Memory Impairment and Synaptotoxicity in the Hippocampus of NONcZNO10/LTJ Mice

OpenAIRE

Duarte, João M. N.; Agostinho, Paula M.; Carvalho, Rui A.; Cunha, Rodrigo A.

2012-01-01

Diabetic conditions are associated with modified brain function, namely with cognitive deficits, through largely undetermined processes. More than understanding the underlying mechanism, it is important to devise novel strategies to alleviate diabetes-induced cognitive deficits. Caffeine (a mixed antagonist of adenosine A(1) and A(2A) receptors) emerges as a promising candidate since caffeine consumption reduces the risk of diabetes and effectively prevents memory deficits caused by different...

Systemic resistance induced by rhizosphere bacteria

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Loon, L.C. van; Bakker, P.A.H.M.; Pieterse, C.M.J.

1998-01-01

Nonpathogenic rhizobacteria can induce a systemic resistance in plants that is phenotypically similar to pathogen-induced systemic acquired resistance (SAR). Rhizobacteria-mediated induced systemic resistance (ISR) has been demonstrated against fungi, bacteria, and viruses in Arabidopsis, bean,

A Distributed Multi-agent Control System for Power Consumption in Buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kosek, Anna Magdalena; Gehrke, Oliver

2012-01-01

This paper presents a distributed controller for adjusting the electrical consumption of a residential building in response to an external power setpoint in Watts. The controller is based on a multi-agent system and has been implemented in JCSP. It is modularly built, capable of self-configuratio...

A system of tradable CO2 permits applied to fuel consumption by motorists

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raux, C.; Marlot, G.

2005-01-01

Decentralized transferable permit systems in the transport sector can be of interest with regard to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, in spite of anticipated transaction costs. This paper describes a potential application of a domestic market for car fuel consumption permits. The marginal costs of consumption reduction vary sufficiently according to motorists' residential locations to consider permit exchanges. Economic evaluation of this system shows that there are transfers of surplus between the various groups of motorists according to their residential locations. The central government may lose significant revenues when compared with a conventional fuel tax. Lastly, the issue of transaction costs, the benefits and disadvantages in terms of social acceptability and equity are discussed. (author)

Evaluation of energy consumption of treating nitrate-contaminated groundwater by bioelectrochemical systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Cecconet, Daniele; Zou, Shiqiang; Capodaglio, Andrea G; He, Zhen

2018-09-15

Nitrate contamination of groundwater is a mounting concern for drinking water production due to its healthy and ecological effects. Bioelectrochemical systems (BES) are a promising method for energy efficient nitrate removal, but its energy consumption has not been well understood. Herein, we conducted a preliminary analysis of energy consumption based on both literature information and multiple assumptions. Four scenarios were created for the purpose of analysis based on two treatment approaches, microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and controlled biocathodic denitrification (CBD), under either in situ or ex situ deployment. The results show a specific energy consumption based on the mass of NO 3 - -N removed (SEC N ) of 0.341 and 1.602 kWh kg NO 3 - -N -1 obtained from in situ and ex situ treatments with MFCs, respectively; the main contributor was the extraction of the anolyte (100%) in the former and pumping the groundwater (74.8%) for the latter. In the case of CBD treatment, the energy consumption by power supply outcompeted all the other energy items (over 85% in all cases), and a total SEC N of 19.028 and 10.003 kWh kg NO 3 - -N -1 were obtained for in situ and ex situ treatments, respectively. The increase in the water table depth (from 10 to 30 m) and the decrease of the nitrate concentration (from 25 to 15 mg NO 3 - -N) would lead to a rise in energy consumption in the ex situ treatment. Although some data might be premature due to the lack of sufficient information in available literature, the results could provide an initial picture of energy consumption by BES-based groundwater treatment and encourage further thinking and analysis of energy consumption (and production). Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of structural diagram of automated dispatch control system for power consumption at non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises

Science.gov (United States)

Klyuev, R. V.; Bosikov, I. I.; Madaeva, M. Z.; A-V Turluev, R.

2018-03-01

The structural scheme of the automated control system of power consumption at the industrial enterprise is developed in the article. At the non-ferrous metallurgy enterprise, an energy inspection and a rank analysis of the electrical energy consumption of the main processing equipment were carried out. It is established that the enterprises of non-ferrous metallurgy are a complex process system consisting of a set of thousands of jointly functioning technological facilities. For the most effective estimation of power consumption of enterprises, it is reasonable to use the automated system of dispatching control of power consumption (ASDCPC). The paper presents the results of the development of the ASDCPC structural diagram that allows one to perform on-line control and management of the energy and process parameters of the main production units and the enterprise as a whole. As a result of the introduction of ASDCPC at the non-ferrous metallurgy enterprise, the consumed active power was reduced during the peak hours of the load by 20%, the specific electricity consumption - by 14%, the cost of the energy component in the cost of production of hard alloys - by 3%.

Disentangling practices, carriers and production-consumption systems : a mixed-method study of (sustainable) food consumption

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Backhaus, Julia; Wieser, Harald; Kemp, René; Huddart Kennedy, Emily; Cohen, Maurie J.; Krogman, Naomi T.

2015-01-01

With a focus on food consumption practices, this chapter provides conceptual contributions and methodological reflections. The central question is how far practice-based approaches help understanding human behavior, both conceptually and analytically. Food consumption is tied to family traditions,

Moderate alcohol consumption aggravates high fat-diet induced steatohepatitis in rats

Science.gov (United States)

Background: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) develops in the absence of chronic and excessive alcohol consumption. However, it remains unknown whether moderate alcohol consumption aggravates liver inflammation in pre-existing NASH condition. Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were first fed ad libitum...

On the Trade-off between Energy Consumption and Food Quality Loss in Supermarket Refrigeration Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cai, Junping; Jensen, Jørgen Bauck; Skogestad, Sigurd

2008-01-01

This paper studies the trade-off between energy consumption and food quality loss, at varying ambient conditions, in supermarket refrigeration systems. Compared with the traditional operation with pressure control, a large potential for energy savings without extra loss of food quality is demonst......This paper studies the trade-off between energy consumption and food quality loss, at varying ambient conditions, in supermarket refrigeration systems. Compared with the traditional operation with pressure control, a large potential for energy savings without extra loss of food quality...

A system dynamic model for production and consumption policy in Iran oil and gas sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiani, Behdad; Ali Pourfakhraei, Mohammad

2010-01-01

A system dynamic model is presented, which considers the feedback between supply and demand and oil revenue of the existing system in Iran considering different sectors of the economy. Also the export of the oil surplus and the injection of the gas surplus into the oil reservoirs are seen in the model by establishing a balance between supply and demand. In this model the counter-effects and existing system feedbacks between supply and demand and oil revenue can be seen considering different sectors of the economy. As a result, the effects of oil and gas policies in different scenarios for different sectors of Iran's economy together with the counter-effects of energy consumption and oil revenue are examined. Three scenarios, which show the worst, base and ideal cases, are considered to find future trends of major variables such as seasonal gas consumption in power plants, seasonal injected gas in oil reservoirs, economic growth in the industrial sector, oil consumption in the transportation sector, industrial gas consumption and exported gas. For example, it is shown that the exported gas will reach between 500 and 620 million cubic-meter per day in different scenarios and export revenues can reach up to $500 billion by 2025. - Research Highlights: →A system dynamic model analyzing the feedback between supply, demand and oil revenue is built. →The export of the oil surplus and the injection of the gas surplus into oil reservoirs are modeled. →Effects of oil and gas policies in different scenarios are examined for Iran's economy. →Counter-effects of energy consumption and oil revenue are examined. →Exported gas will reach between 500 and 620 million cubic-meter per day in different scenarios. →Export revenues can reach up to $500 billion by 2025.

Sanitary hot water consumption patterns in commercial and industrial sectors in South Africa: Impact on heating system design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rankin, R.; Rousseau, P.G.

2006-01-01

A large amount of individual sanitary hot water consumers are present in the South African residential sector. This led to several studies being done on hot water consumption patterns in this sector. Large amounts of sanitary hot water are also consumed in the commercial sector in buildings such as hotels and in large residences such as those found in the mining industry. The daily profiles of sanitary hot water consumption are not related to any technical process but rather to human behavior and varying ambient conditions. The consumption of sanitary hot water, therefore, represents a challenge to the electrical utility because it is an energy demand that remains one of the biggest contributors to the undesirable high morning and afternoon peaks imposed on the national electricity supply grid. It also represents a challenge to sanitary hot water system designers because the amount of hot water as well as the daily profile in which it is consumed impacts significantly on system design. This paper deals with hot water consumption in the commercial and industrial sectors. In the commercial sector, we look at hotels and in the industrial sector at large mining residences. Both of them are served by centralized hot water systems. Measured results from the systems are compared to data obtained from previous publications. A comparison is also made to illustrate the impact that these differences will have on sanitary hot water system design. Simulations are conducted for these systems using a simulation program developed in previous studies. The results clearly show significant differences in the required heating and storage capacity for the new profiles. A twin peak profile obtained from previous studies in the residential sector was used up to now in studies of heating demand and system design in commercial buildings. The results shown here illustrate the sanitary hot water consumption profile differs significantly from the twin peaks profile with a very high morning

Towards a Cyber Defense Framework for SCADA Systems Based on Power Consumption Monitoring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hernandez Jimenez, Jarilyn M [ORNL; Chen, Qian [Savannah State University; Nichols, Jeff A. {Cyber Sciences} [ORNL; Calhoun, Chelsea [Savannah State University; Sykes, Summer [Savannah State University

2017-01-01

Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) is an industrial automation system that remotely monitor, and control critical infrastructures. SCADA systems are major targets for espionage and sabotage attackers. According to the 2015 Dell security annual threat report, the number of cyber-attacks against SCADA systems has doubled in the past year. Cyber-attacks (i.e., buffer overflow, rootkits and code injection) could cause serious financial losses and physical infrastructure damages. Moreover, some specific cyber-attacks against SCADA systems could become a threat to human life. Current commercial off-the-shelf security solutions are insufficient in protecting SCADA systems against sophisticated cyber-attacks. In 2014 a report by Mandiant stated that only 69% of organizations learned about their breaches from third entities, meaning that these companies lack of their own detection system. Furthermore, these breaches are not detected in real-time or fast enough to prevent further damages. The average time between compromise and detection (for those intrusions that were detected) was 205 days. To address this challenge, we propose an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) that detects SCADA-specific cyber-attacks by analyzing the power consumption of a SCADA device. Specifically, to validate the proposed approach, we chose to monitor in real-time the power usage of a a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). To this end, we configured the hardware of the tetsbed by installing the required sensors to monitor and collect its power consumption. After that two SCADA-specific cyber-attacks were simulated and TracerDAQ Pro was used to collect the power consumption of the PLC under normal and anomalous scenarios. Results showed that is possible to distinguish between the regular power usage of the PLC and when the PLC was under specific cyber-attacks.

Subacute ethanol consumption reverses p-xylene-induced decreases in axonal transport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Padilla, S.; Lyerly, D.L.; Pope, C.N.

1992-01-01

Organic solvants, as a class, have been implicated as neurotoxic agents in humans and laboratory animals. The study was designed to assess the interaction between subacute ingestion of moderate levels of ethanol and the p-xylene-induced decreases in protein and glycoprotein synthesis and axonal transport in the rat optic system. The results indicated that animals maintained on 10% ethanol as a drinking liquid show less p-xylene-induced neurotoxicity than animals receiving no ethanol supplement.

Consumption estimation in system design for real time embedded applications; Estimation de la consommation dans la conception systeme des applications embarquees temps reel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laurent, J.

2002-12-15

Today, power and energy consumption have become, as time and area, an important constraint when you design a system. Indeed modern applications use more and more processing and memory resources so these lead a significant increase of consumption. Furthermore, embedded software impact is preponderant in real time system so the code optimisation has a great impact onto the consumption constraint. Several research teams have already developed estimation methodologies for processor but almost are at instruction level (ILPA). With this kind of method you have to measure the consumption of each instruction of the instruction set and also the inter-instruction consumption overhead. For complex architecture, this kind of methodology is not adapted due to the prohibitive number of consumption measures. So the characterisation time of this kind of architecture is too important furthermore with this method is very difficult to take into account the external environment. For actual architecture another method is needed to reduce the characterisation time while preserving the accuracy. The reduction of the characterisation time have to be realized by increasing the abstraction level. So, we propose here a new approach based on a functional and architectural analysis of the target in consumption point of view (FLPA). Our methodology has two steps: the first one is a modeling step and the second is estimation step. (author)

Portion size me : Plate-size induced consumption norms and education futility

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wansink, B.; van Ittersum, Koert

2013-01-01

Research on the self-serving of food has empirically ignored the role that visual consumption norms play in determining how much food we serve on different sized dinnerware. We contend that dinnerware provides a visual anchor of an appropriate fill-level, which in turn, serves as a consumption norm

Influence of platform screen doors on energy consumption of the environment control system of a mass rapid transit system: case study of the Taipei MRT [mass rapid transit] system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shih-Cheng Hu; Jen-Ho Lee [National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei (China). Dept. of Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering

2004-03-01

This investigation studies how platform screen doors (PSD) affect the energy consumption of the environmental control system of a mass rapid transit (MRT) system in Taipei. The environmental parameter simulation was conducted using the subway environmental simulation (SES) program, while the associated air conditioning (A/C) cooling load was predicted with the carrier E20-II program. Results show that PSD can significantly decrease average and peak cooling load, thus reducing the capacity/size of cooling equipment and allowing the chiller cooling load to be abridged. However, electricity consumption by ventilation equipment increases notably when PSD are used, particularly the electricity consumption by the under platform exhaust (UPE) fan, and thus, ultimately, little difference exists in the overall energy consumption with and without UPE. (author)

Resilience of the Nexus of Competitive Water Consumption between Human Society and Environment Development: Regime Shifts and Early Warning Signals

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Z.; Liu, P.; Feng, M.; Zhang, J.

2017-12-01

Based on the modeling of the water supply, power generation and environment (WPE) nexus by Feng et al. (2016), a refined theoretical model of competitive water consumption between human society and environment has been presented in this study, examining the role of technology advancement and social environmental awareness growth-induced pollution mitigation to the environment as a mechanism for the establishment and maintenance of the coexistence of both higher social water consumption and improved environment condition. By coupling environmental and social dynamics, both of which are represented by water consumption quantity, this study shows the possibility of sustainable situation of the social-environmental system when the benefit of technology offsets the side effect (pollution) of social development to the environment. Additionally, regime shifts could be triggered by gradually increased pollution rate, climate change-induced natural resources reduction and breakdown of the social environmental awareness. Therefore, in order to foresee the pending abrupt regime shifts of the system, early warning signals, including increasing variance and autocorrelation, have been examined when the system is undergoing stochastic disturbance. ADDIN EN.REFLIST Feng, M. et al., 2016. Modeling the nexus across water supply, power generation and environment systems using the system dynamics approach: Hehuang Region, China. J. Hydrol., 543: 344-359.

Software and Dataware for Energy Generation and Consumption Analysis System of Gas Processing Enterprises

Science.gov (United States)

Dolotovskii, I. V.; Dolotovskaya, N. V.; Larin, E. A.

2018-05-01

The article presents the architecture and content of a specialized analytical system for monitoring operational conditions, planning of consumption and generation of energy resources, long-term planning of production activities and development of a strategy for the development of the energy complex of gas processing enterprises. A compositional model of structured data on the equipment of the main systems of the power complex is proposed. The correctness of the use of software modules and the database of the analytical system is confirmed by comparing the results of measurements on the equipment of the electric power system and simulation at the operating gas processing plant. A high accuracy in the planning of consumption of fuel and energy resources has been achieved (the error does not exceed 1%). Information and program modules of the analytical system allow us to develop a strategy for improving the energy complex in the face of changing technological topology and partial uncertainty of economic factors.

Epigenetic regulation of nociceptin/orphanin FQ and corticotropin-releasing factor system genes in frustration stress-induced binge-like palatable food consumption.

Science.gov (United States)

Pucci, Mariangela; Micioni Di Bonaventura, Maria Vittoria; Giusepponi, Maria Elena; Romano, Adele; Filaferro, Monica; Maccarrone, Mauro; Ciccocioppo, Roberto; Cifani, Carlo; D'Addario, Claudio

2016-11-01

Evidence suggests that binge eating may be caused by a unique interaction between dieting and stress. We developed a binge-eating model in which female rats with a history of intermittent food restriction show binge-like palatable food consumption after a 15-minute exposure to the sight of the palatable food (frustration stress). The aim of the present study was to investigate the regulation of the stress neurohormone corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system and of the nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) system genes in selective rat brain regions, using our animal model. Food restriction by itself seems to be responsible in the hypothalamus for the downregulation on messenger RNA levels of CRF-1 receptor, N/OFQ and its receptor (NOP). For the latter, this alteration might be due to selective histone modification changes. Instead, CRF gene appears to be upregulated in the hypothalamus as well as in the ventral tegmental area only when rats are food restricted and exposed to frustration stress, and, of relevance, these changes appear to be due to a reduction in DNA methylation at gene promoters. Moreover, also CRF-1 receptor gene resulted to be differentially regulated in these two brain regions. Epigenetic changes may be viewed as adaptive mechanisms to environmental perturbations concurring to facilitate food consumption in adverse conditions, that is, in this study, under food restriction and stressful conditions. Our data on N/OFQ and CRF signaling provide insight on the use of this binge-eating model for the study of epigenetic modifications in controlled genetic and environmental backgrounds. © 2015 Society for the Study of Addiction.

High fructose consumption induces DNA methylation at PPARα and CPT1A promoter regions in the rat liver

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ohashi, Koji [Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Fujita Health University School of Health Sciences, Toyoake (Japan); Munetsuna, Eiji [Department of Biochemistry, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake (Japan); Yamada, Hiroya, E-mail: hyamada@fujita-hu.ac.jp [Department of Hygiene, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake (Japan); Ando, Yoshitaka [Department of Joint Research Laboratory of Clinical Medicine, Fujita Health University Hospital, Toyoake (Japan); Yamazaki, Mirai; Taromaru, Nao; Nagura, Ayuri; Ishikawa, Hiroaki [Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Fujita Health University School of Health Sciences, Toyoake (Japan); Suzuki, Koji [Department of Public Health, Fujita Health University School of Health Sciences, Toyoake (Japan); Teradaira, Ryoji [Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Fujita Health University School of Health Sciences, Toyoake (Japan); Hashimoto, Shuji [Department of Hygiene, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake (Japan)

2015-12-04

DNA methylation status is affected by environmental factors, including nutrition. Fructose consumption is considered a risk factor for the conditions that make up metabolic syndrome such as dyslipidemia. However, the pathogenetic mechanism by which fructose consumption leads to metabolic syndrome is unclear. Based on observations that epigenetic modifications are closely related to induction of metabolic syndrome, we hypothesized that fructose-induced metabolic syndrome is caused by epigenetic alterations. Male SD rats were designated to receive water or 20% fructose solution for 14 weeks. mRNA levels for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1A) was analyzed using Real-time PCR. Restriction digestion and real-time PCR (qAMP) was used for the analysis of DNA methylation status. Hepatic lipid accumulation was also observed by fructose intake. Fructose feeding also significantly decreased mRNA levels for PPARα and CPT1A. qAMP analysis demonstrated the hypermethylation of promoter regions of PPARα and CTP1A genes. Fructose-mediated attenuated gene expression may be mediated by alterations of DNA methylation status, and pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome induced by fructose relates to DNA methylation status. - Highlights: • No general consensus has been reached regarding the molecular mechanisms of the pathogenesis of fructose-induced diseases. • Significant increase in hepatic total methylation level was observed after fructose-supplemented feeding. • Fructose feeding significantly decreased mRNA levels for PPARα and CPT1A. • qAMP analysis demonstrated the hypermethylation of promoter regions of PPARα and CTP1A genes. • Fructose-mediated attenuated gene expression may be mediated by alterations of DNA methylation status in rat liver.

High fructose consumption induces DNA methylation at PPARα and CPT1A promoter regions in the rat liver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohashi, Koji; Munetsuna, Eiji; Yamada, Hiroya; Ando, Yoshitaka; Yamazaki, Mirai; Taromaru, Nao; Nagura, Ayuri; Ishikawa, Hiroaki; Suzuki, Koji; Teradaira, Ryoji; Hashimoto, Shuji

2015-01-01

DNA methylation status is affected by environmental factors, including nutrition. Fructose consumption is considered a risk factor for the conditions that make up metabolic syndrome such as dyslipidemia. However, the pathogenetic mechanism by which fructose consumption leads to metabolic syndrome is unclear. Based on observations that epigenetic modifications are closely related to induction of metabolic syndrome, we hypothesized that fructose-induced metabolic syndrome is caused by epigenetic alterations. Male SD rats were designated to receive water or 20% fructose solution for 14 weeks. mRNA levels for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1A) was analyzed using Real-time PCR. Restriction digestion and real-time PCR (qAMP) was used for the analysis of DNA methylation status. Hepatic lipid accumulation was also observed by fructose intake. Fructose feeding also significantly decreased mRNA levels for PPARα and CPT1A. qAMP analysis demonstrated the hypermethylation of promoter regions of PPARα and CTP1A genes. Fructose-mediated attenuated gene expression may be mediated by alterations of DNA methylation status, and pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome induced by fructose relates to DNA methylation status. - Highlights: • No general consensus has been reached regarding the molecular mechanisms of the pathogenesis of fructose-induced diseases. • Significant increase in hepatic total methylation level was observed after fructose-supplemented feeding. • Fructose feeding significantly decreased mRNA levels for PPARα and CPT1A. • qAMP analysis demonstrated the hypermethylation of promoter regions of PPARα and CTP1A genes. • Fructose-mediated attenuated gene expression may be mediated by alterations of DNA methylation status in rat liver.

Methodological Approach to Determining the Effect of Parallel Energy Consumption on District Heating System

Science.gov (United States)

Latosov, Eduard; Volkova, Anna; Siirde, Andres; Kurnitski, Jarek; Thalfeldt, Martin

2017-05-01

District heating (DH) offers the most effective way to enhance the efficiency of primary energy use, increasing the share of renewable energy in energy consumption and decreasing the amount of CO2 emissions. According to Article 9 section 1 of the Directive 2010/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 May 2010 on the energy performance of buildings, the Member states of the European Union are obligated to draw up National Plans for increasing the number of nearly zero-energy buildings [1]. Article 2 section 2 of the same Directive states that the energy used in nearly zero-energy buildings should be created covered to a very significant extent by energy from renewable sources, including energy from renewable sources produced on-site or nearby. Thus, the heat distributed by DH systems and produced by manufacturing devices located in close vicinity of the building also have to be taken into account in determining the energy consumption of the building and the share of renewable energy used in the nearly zero-energy buildings. With regard to the spreading of nearly zero-energy and zero-energy houses, the feasibility of on-site energy (heat and/or electricity) production and consumption in DH areas energy (i.e. parallel consumption, when the consumer, connected to DH system, consumes energy for heat production from other sources besides the DH system as well) needs to be examined. In order to do that, it is necessary to implement a versatile methodological approach based on the principles discussed in this article.

On monitoring unrecorded alcohol consumption

OpenAIRE

Rehm, Jürgen; Poznyak, Vladimir

2015-01-01

Unrecorded alcohol consumption is a global problem, with about 25% of all alcohol consumption concerning this category. There are different forms of unrecorded alcohol, legally produced versus illegally produced, artisanal vs industrially produced, and then surrogate alcohol, which is officially not intended for human consumption. Monitoring and surveillance of unrecorded consumption is not well developed. The World Health Organization has developed a monitoring system, using the Nominal Grou...

A system dynamics analysis of energy consumption and corrective policies in Iranian iron and steel industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ansari, Nastaran; Seifi, Abbas

2012-01-01

Iron and steel industry is the most energy intensive industrial sector in Iran. Long time subsidized energy has led to low energy efficiency in this industry. The sudden subsidy reform of energy prices in Iran is expected to have a great impact on steel production and energy consumption. A system dynamics model is presented in this paper to analyze steel demand, production and energy consumption in an integrated framework. A co-flow structure is used to show how subsidy reform affects energy consumption in the long run. The main focus of this paper is on direct and indirect natural gas consumption in the steel industry. Scrap based Electric Arc Furnace technology has been evaluated as an energy efficient way for steel making. The energy consumption in steel industry is estimated under various steel production and export scenarios while taking into account new energy prices to see the outlook of possible energy demand in steel industry over next 20 years. For example it is shown that under reference production scenario, potential reduction in gas consumption forced by complete removal of energy subsidy and utilizing scrap could lead to 85 billion cubic meters of gas saving over the next 20 years. -- Highlights: ► We develop a system dynamics model to analyze steel demand, production and energy consumption in Iran. ► Various scenarios have been simulated to see the energy demand of Iranian steel industry over the next 20 years. ► A co-flow structure is used to show how subsidy reform would affect energy consumption in the long run. ► A co-flow structure has been built into the SD model to formulate consumers' behavior in response to energy prices. ► Scrap based Electric Arc Furnace technology has been evaluated as an energy efficient alternative for steel making.

A New System for Households in Spain to Evaluate and Reduce Their Water Consumption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alberto Gutierrez-Escolar

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this paper is to describe a developed model and its corresponding application, known as System to Evaluate the Water Consumption at Home (SEWAT. The aim is to create a new model to evaluate the efficiency of water consumption. Thanks to the input of the water bills by users, the model allows them to check if water consumption is efficient, in order to give them an opportunity to evaluate their water usage. To succeed in it, several researches were tracked in order to establish consumer trends and to identify the most efficient value for this magnitude. Furthermore, a survey was conducted to obtain updated values to validate information from previous studies. However, the main aim of this model is to use the resources efficiently, so it has to be useful accordingly. Therefore, after the evaluation, the application has a section with recommendations for the users to reduce their water consumption through a range of different indications. This section is divided into four: bathroom, kitchen, new appliance and reusing water. Each section shows the expected benefits if the users follow the recommended options. The main result is a unique application in Spain, which includes a system of evaluation, comparison and a section of recommendations for the users. Eventually, the model will have a promising outcome, because it surely will change the awareness of citizens about this subject.

System and method for controlling power consumption in a computer system based on user satisfaction

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Lei; Dick, Robert P; Chen, Xi; Memik, Gokhan; Dinda, Peter A; Shy, Alex; Ozisikyilmaz, Berkin; Mallik, Arindam; Choudhary, Alok

2014-04-22

Systems and methods for controlling power consumption in a computer system. For each of a plurality of interactive applications, the method changes a frequency at which a processor of the computer system runs, receives an indication of user satisfaction, determines a relationship between the changed frequency and the user satisfaction of the interactive application, and stores the determined relationship information. The determined relationship can distinguish between different users and different interactive applications. A frequency may be selected from the discrete frequencies at which the processor of the computer system runs based on the determined relationship information for a particular user and a particular interactive application running on the processor of the computer system. The processor may be adapted to run at the selected frequency.

Deltamethrin-Induced Hepatotoxicity and Virgin Olive Oil Consumption: An Experimental Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Khalatbary, Ali Reza; Ghabaee, Davood Nasiry Zarrin; Ahmadvand, Hassan; Amiri, Fereshteh Talebpour; Lehi, Somaieh Tadayoni

2017-11-01

Deltamethrin (DM) is a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide which can lead to pathological effects in mammals through oxidative stress. On the other hand, virgin olive oil (VOO) is a rich source of phenolic compounds with antioxidants. The aim of the present study was to determine the protective effects of VOO against DM-induced hepatotoxicity. Thirty-six mice were randomly separated into 4 groups: vehicle group, VOO group, DM group, and DM plus VOO group. Immunohistochemistry of PARP, COX-2, and caspase-3 with the biochemical analysis of malondialdehyde and total antioxidant capacity levels were performed in the liver samples 5 weeks after gavaging. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, version 15. The data were compared between the groups using the Tukey multiple comparison tests and the analysis of the variance. A P value group (71.18±0.01), whereas it was significantly (P=0.001) decreased after VOO administration in the DM plus VOO group (39.59±2.43). While the total antioxidant capacity level in the liver was decreased in the DM group (3.05±0.05), it was significantly increased (P=0.03) after VOO administration in the DM plus VOO group (3.95±0.04). A greater expression of caspase-3 (P=0.008), COX-2 (P =0.004), and PARP (P 0.006) could be detected in the DM group, while it was significantly (P=0.009) attenuated in the DM plus VOO group. Also, the degeneration of hepatocytes, which was detected in the DM group, was attenuated after VOO consumption. VOO exerted protective effects against DM-induced hepatotoxicity, which might be associated with its anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidative properties.

Environmental impacts of electricity self-consumption from organic photovoltaic battery systems at industrial facilities in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chatzisideris, Marios Dimos; Laurent, Alexis; Hauschild, Michael Zwicky

2017-01-01

investigate the life cycle environmental impacts of electricity self-consumption from an OPV system coupled with a sodium/nickel chloride battery at an iron/metal industry in Denmark. Results show that an OPV system without storage could decrease the carbon footprint of the industry; installation......Organic photovoltaics (OPV) show promise of greatly improving the environmental and economic performance of PV compared to conventional silicon. Life cycle assessment studies have assessed the environmental impacts of OPV, but not under a self-consumption scheme for industrial facilities. We...

Heating technologies for limiting biomass consumption in 100% renewable energy systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mathiesen, Brian Vad; Lund, Henrik; Connolly, David

2011-01-01

district heating enables the use of combined heat and power production (CPH) and other renewable resources than biomass such as large-scale solar thermal, large-heat pumps, geothermal heat, industrial surplus heat etc. which is important for reducing the biomass consumption. Where the energy density......The utilisation of biomass poses large challenges in renewable energy systems and buildings account for a substantial part of the energy supply also in 100% renewable energy systems. The analyses of heating technologies show that district heating systems are especially important in limiting...... the dependence on biomass resources and to create cost effective systems. District heating systems are especially important in renewable energy systems with large amounts of fluctuating renewable energy sources as it enables fuel efficient and lower cost energy systems with thermal heat storages. And also...

Physiological responses and air consumption during simulated firefighting tasks in a subway system.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams-Bell, F Michael; Boisseau, Geoff; McGill, John; Kostiuk, Andrew; Hughson, Richard L

2010-10-01

Professional firefighters (33 men, 3 women), ranging in age from 30 to 53 years, participated in a simulation of a subway system search and rescue while breathing from their self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). We tested the hypothesis that during this task, established by expert firefighters to be of moderate intensity, the rate of air consumption would exceed the capacity of a nominal 30-min cylinder. Oxygen uptake, carbon dioxide output, and air consumption were measured with a portable breath-by-breath gas exchange analysis system, which was fully integrated with the expired port of the SCBA. The task involved descending a flight of stairs, walking, performing a search and rescue, retreat walking, then ascending a single flight of stairs to a safe exit. This scenario required between 9:56 and 13:24 min:s (mean, 12:10 ± 1:10 min:s) to complete, with an average oxygen uptake of 24.3 ± 4.5 mL kg(-1) min(-1) (47 ± 10 % peak oxygen uptake) and heart rate of 76% ± 7% of maximum. The highest energy requirement was during the final single-flight stair climb (30.4 ± 5.4 mL kg(-1) min(-1)). The average respiratory exchange ratio (carbon dioxide output/oxygen uptake) throughout the scenario was 0.95 ± 0.08, indicating a high carbon dioxide output for a relatively moderate average energy requirement. Air consumption from the nominal "30-min" cylinder averaged 51% (range, 26%-68%); however, extrapolation of these rates of consumption suggested that the low-air alarm, signalling that only 25% of the air remains, would have occurred as early as 11 min for an individual with the highest rate of air consumption, and at 16 min for the group average. These data suggest that even the moderate physical demands of walking combined with search and rescue while wearing full protective gear and breathing through the SCBA impose considerable physiological strain on professional firefighters. As well, the rate of air consumption in these tasks classed as moderate, compared

Change-over natural and mechanical ventilation system energy consumption in single-family buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Kostka, Maria; Szulgowska-Zgrzywa, Małgorzata

2017-11-01

The parameters of the outside air in Poland cause that in winter it is reasonable to use a mechanical ventilation equipped with a heat recovery exchanger. The time of spring, autumn, summer evenings and nights are often characterized by the parameters of the air, which allow for a natural ventilation and reduce the electricity consumption. The article presents the possibilities of energy consumption reduction for three energy standards of buildings located in Poland, ventilated by a change-over hybrid system. The analysis was prepared on the assumption that the air-to-water heat pump is the heat source for the buildings.

Techno economic systems and excessive consumption: a political economy of 'pathological' gambling.

Science.gov (United States)

Reith, Gerda

2013-12-01

This article argues that gambling is a paradigmatic form of consumption that captures the intensified logic at the heart of late modern capitalist societies. As well as a site of intensified consumption, it claims that gambling has also become the location of what has been described as a new form of 'social pathology' related to excess play. Drawing on Castells' (1996) notion of techno-economic systems, it explores the ways that intersections between technology, capital and states have generated the conditions for this situation, and critiques the unequal distribution of gambling environments that result. It argues that, while the products of these systems are consumed on a global scale, the risks associated with them tend to be articulated in bio-psychological discourses of 'pathology' which are typical of certain types of knowledge that have salience in neo-liberal societies, and which work to conceal wider structural relationships. We argue that a deeper understanding of the political and cultural economy of gambling environments is necessary, and provide a synoptic overview of the conditions upon which gambling expansion is based. This perspective highlights parallels with the wider global economy of finance capital, as well as the significance of intensified consumption, of which gambling is an exemplary instance. It also reveals the existence of a geo-political dispersal of 'harms', conceived as deteriorations of financial, temporal and social relationships, which disproportionately affect vulnerable social groups. From this, we urge an understanding of commercial gambling based on a critique of the wider social body of gambling environments within techno economic systems, rather than the (flawed) individual bodies within them. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2013.

Consumption of a High-Fat Diet Induces Central Insulin Resistance Independent of Adiposity

Science.gov (United States)

Clegg, Deborah J.; Gotoh, Koro; Kemp, Christopher; Wortman, Matthew D.; Benoit, Stephen C.; Brown, Lynda M.; D’Alessio, David; Tso, Patrick; Seeley, Randy J.; Woods, Stephen C.

2011-01-01

Plasma insulin enters the CNS where it interacts with insulin receptors in areas that are related to energy homeostasis and elicits a decrease of food intake and body weight. Here, we demonstrate that consumption of a high-fat (HF) diet impairs the central actions of insulin. Male Long-Evans rats were given chronic (70-day) or acute (3-day) ad libitum access to HF, low-fat (LF), or chow diets. Insulin administered into the 3rd-cerebral ventricle (i3vt) decreased food intake and body weight of LF and chow rats but had no effect on HF rats in either the chronic or the acute experiment. Rats chronically pair-fed the HF diet to match the caloric intake of LF rats, and with body weights and adiposity levels comparable to those of LF rats, were also unresponsive to i3vt insulin when returned to ad lib food whereas rats pair-fed the LF diet had reduced food intake and body weight when administered i3vt insulin. Insulin’s inability to reduce food intake in the presence of the high-fat diet was associated with a reduced ability of insulin to activate its signaling cascade, as measured by pAKT. Finally, i3vt administration of insulin increased hypothalamic expression of POMC mRNA in the LF-but not the HF-fed rats. We conclude that consumption of a HF diet leads to central insulin resistance following short exposure to the diet, and as demonstrated by reductions in insulin signaling and insulin-induced hypothalamic expression of POMC mRNA. PMID:21241723

Optimal Energy Consumption in Refrigeration Systems - Modelling and Non-Convex Optimisation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hovgaard, Tobias Gybel; Larsen, Lars F. S.; Skovrup, Morten J.

2012-01-01

Supermarket refrigeration consumes substantial amounts of energy. However, due to the thermal capacity of the refrigerated goods, parts of the cooling capacity delivered can be shifted in time without deteriorating the food quality. In this study, we develop a realistic model for the energy...... consumption in super market refrigeration systems. This model is used in a Nonlinear Model Predictive Controller (NMPC) to minimise the energy used by operation of a supermarket refrigeration system. The model is non-convex and we develop a computational efficient algorithm tailored to this problem...

Fuel Consumption and Vehicle Emission Models for Evaluating Environmental Impacts of the ETC System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiancheng Weng

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The environmental outcome of the Electronic Toll Collection (ETC system is an important aspect in evaluating the impacts of the ETC system, which is influenced by various factors including the vehicle type, travel speed, traffic volume, and average queue length of Manual Toll Collection (MTC lanes. The primary objective of this paper is to develop a field data-based practical model for evaluating the effects of ETC system on the fuel efficiency and vehicle emission. First, laboratory experiments of seven types of vehicles under various scenarios for toll collection were conducted based on the Vehicle Emissions Testing System (VETS. The indicator calculation models were then established to estimate the comprehensive benefit of ETC system by comparing the test results of MTC lane and ETC lane. Finally, taking Beijing as a case study, the paper calibrated the model parameters, and estimated the monetization value of environmental benefit of the ETC system in terms of vehicle emissions reduction and fuel consumption decrease. The results shows that the applications of ETC system are expected to save fuel consumption of 4.1 million liters and reduce pollution emissions by 730.89 tons in 2013 in Beijing.

Consumption of Milk-Protein Combined with Green Tea Modulates Diet-Induced Thermogenesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Margriet S. Westerterp-Plantenga

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Green tea and protein separately are able to increase diet-induced thermogenesis. Although their effects on long-term weight-maintenance were present separately, they were not additive. Therefore, the effect of milk-protein (MP in combination with green tea on diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT was examined in 18 subjects (aged 18–60 years; BMI: 23.0 ± 2.1 kg/m2. They participated in an experiment with a randomized, 6 arms, crossover design, where energy expenditure and respiratory quotient (RQ were measured. Green tea (GT vs. placebo (PL capsules were either given in combination with water or with breakfasts containing milk protein in two different dosages: 15 g (15 MP (energy% P/C/F: 15/47/38; 1.7 MJ/500 mL, and 3.5 g (3.5 MP (energy% P/C/F: 41/59/0; 146.4 kJ/100 mL. After measuring resting energy expenditure (REE for 30 min, diet-induced energy expenditure was measured for another 3.5 h after the intervention. There was an overall significant difference observed between conditions (p < 0.001. Post-hoc, areas under the curve (AUCs for diet-induced energy expenditure were significantly different (P ≤ 0.001 for GT + water (41.11 [91.72] kJ·3.5 h vs. PL + water (10.86 [28.13] kJ·3.5 h, GT + 3.5 MP (10.14 [54.59] kJ·3.5 h and PL + 3.5 MP (12.03 [34.09] kJ·3.5 h, but not between GT + 3.5 MP, PL + 3.5 MP and PL + water, indicating that MP inhibited DIT following GT. DIT after GT + 15 MP (167.69 [141.56] kJ·3.5 h and PL + 15 MP (168.99 [186.56] kJ·3.5 h was significantly increased vs. PL + water (P < 0.001, but these were not different from each other indicating that 15 g MP stimulated DIT, but inhibited the GT effect on DIT. No significant differences in RQ were seen between conditions for baseline and post-treatment. In conclusion, consumption of milk-protein inhibits the effect of green tea on DIT.

Analysis of the dynamics of the indicators for daily graphs for consumption of electricity of the USSR energy system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nekrasov, A M; Lazarenko, T V; Zlatopol' skiy, A N

1982-01-01

The dynamics for the indicators of daily graphs of consumption of electricity in the USSR is the result of interaction of a large number of different-directed factors. Among them in recent years relatively greater influence has come from a change in the structure of consumers of each unified energy system and especially the USSR energy system with the unified energy systems with inclusion in it of large unified energy systems, whose time is shifted on time zones, and intensification of electrical bonds between the unified energy systems. The factor of expansion of the USSR energy system on the territory of the country because of the inclusion of new unified energy systems resulted in condensation of the daily graphs for consumption of electricity of the USSR energy system: increase in the coefficient of filling the daily graphs, their peak and semipeak parts, as well as coefficient of minimum consumption. Taking into consideration the program for further development of the country presented in the main trends for economic and social development of the USSR for 1981-1985 and for the period up to the year 1990, for the current and the near five-year plan, one can expect preservation of the revealed trends for dynamics of the indicators of the daily graphs for electricity consumption of the USSR energy system.

Effect of consumption of red wine, spirits, and beer on serum homocysteine.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Gaag, M S; Ubbink, J B; Sillanaukee, P; Nikkari, S; Hendriks, H F

2000-04-29

Serum homocysteine increases after moderate consumption of red wine and spirits, not after moderate consumption of beer. Vitamin B6 in beer seems to prevent the alcohol-induced rise in serum homocysteine.

Life Cycle Inventory Modelling of Land Use Induced by Crop Consumption

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kløverpris, Jesper; Wenzel, Henrik; Nielsen, Per Henning

2008-01-01

The actual land use consequences of crop consumption are not very well reflected in existing life cycle inventories. The state of the art is that such inventories typically include data from crop production in the country in which the crop is produced, and consequently the inventories do...... establishment of a link between crop demand and technological development. Through this approach, life cycle inventories for crops reflecting the actual land use consequences of consumption can be established. Further work (based on the methodological framework in this study) will address the practical....... Based on the current market trend for crops and an analysis of basic mechanisms in crop production, concepts for modelling how crop consumption affects the global agricultural area and the intensity of crop production are suggested. It is demonstrated how the assumptions concerning drivers...

Osteoimmunology: Influence of the Immune System on Bone Regeneration and Consumption.

Science.gov (United States)

Limmer, Andreas; Wirtz, Dieter C

2017-06-01

Background Stimulating bone regeneration is a central aim in orthopaedic and trauma surgery. Although the replacement of bone with artificial materials like cement or apatite helps to keep up bone stability, new bone often cannot be regenerated. Increasing research efforts have led to the clinical application of growth factors stimulating bone growth (e.g. bone morphogenic protein, BMP) and inhibitors preventing bone consumption (e.g. RANKL blocking antibodies). These factors mostly concentrate on stimulating osteoblast or preventing osteoclast activity. Current Situation It is widely accepted that osteoblasts and osteoclasts are central players in bone regeneration. This concept assumes that osteoblasts are responsible for bone growth while osteoclasts cause bone consumption by secreting matrix-degrading enzymes such as cathepsin K and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP). However, according to new research results, bone growth or consumption are not regulated by single cell types. It is rather the interaction of various cell types that regulates bone metabolism. While factors secreted by osteoblasts are essential for osteoclast differentiation and activation, factors secreted by activated osteoclasts are essential for osteoblast activity. In addition, recent research results imply that the influence of the immune system on bone metabolism has long been neglected. Factors secreted by macrophages or T cells strongly influence bone growth or degradation, depending on the bone microenvironment. Infections, sterile inflammation or tumour metastases not only affect bone cells directly, but also influence immune cells such as T cells indirectly. Furthermore, immune cells and bone are mechanistically regulated by similar factors such as cytokines, chemokines and transcription factors, suggesting that the definition of bone and immune cells has to be thought over. Outlook Bone and the immune system are regulated by similar mechanisms. These newly identified similarities

Quantitative measurement and visualization of biofilm O 2 consumption rates in membrane filtration systems

KAUST Repository

Prest, Emmanuelle I E C

2012-03-01

There is a strong need for techniques enabling direct assessment of biological activity of biofouling in membrane filtration systems. Here we present a new quantitative and non-destructive method for mapping O 2 dynamics in biofilms during biofouling studies in membrane fouling simulators (MFS). Transparent planar O 2 optodes in combination with a luminescence lifetime imaging system were used to map the two-dimensional distribution of O 2 concentrations and consumption rates inside the MFS. The O 2 distribution was indicative for biofilm development. Biofilm activity was characterized by imaging of O 2 consumption rates, where low and high activity areas could be clearly distinguished. The spatial development of O 2 consumption rates, flow channels and stagnant areas could be determined. This can be used for studies on concentration polarization, i.e. salt accumulation at the membrane surface resulting in increased salt passage and reduced water flux. The new optode-based O 2 imaging technique applied to MFS allows non-destructive and spatially resolved quantitative biological activity measurements (BAM) for on-site biofouling diagnosis and laboratory studies. The following set of complementary tools is now available to study development and control of biofouling in membrane systems: (i) MFS, (ii) sensitive pressure drop measurement, (iii) magnetic resonance imaging, (iv) numerical modelling, and (v) biological activity measurement based on O 2 imaging methodology. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Role of bed nucleus of the stria terminalis corticotrophin-releasing factor receptors in frustration stress-induced binge-like palatable food consumption in female rats with a history of food restriction.

Science.gov (United States)

Micioni Di Bonaventura, Maria Vittoria; Ciccocioppo, Roberto; Romano, Adele; Bossert, Jennifer M; Rice, Kenner C; Ubaldi, Massimo; St Laurent, Robyn; Gaetani, Silvana; Massi, Maurizio; Shaham, Yavin; Cifani, Carlo

2014-08-20

We developed recently a binge-eating model in which female rats with a history of intermittent food restriction show binge-like palatable food consumption after 15 min exposure to the sight of the palatable food. This "frustration stress" manipulation also activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal stress axis. Here, we determined the role of the stress neurohormone corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in stress-induced binge eating in our model. We also assessed the role of CRF receptors in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), a brain region implicated in stress responses and stress-induced drug seeking, in stress-induced binge eating. We used four groups that were first exposed or not exposed to repeated intermittent cycles of regular chow food restriction during which they were also given intermittent access to high-caloric palatable food. On the test day, we either exposed or did not expose the rats to the sight of the palatable food for 15 min (frustration stress) before assessing food consumption for 2 h. We found that systemic injections of the CRF1 receptor antagonist R121919 (2,5-dimethyl-3-(6-dimethyl-4-methylpyridin-3-yl)-7 dipropylamino pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine) (10-20 mg/kg) and BNST (25-50 ng/side) or ventricular (1000 ng) injections of the nonselective CRF receptor antagonist D-Phe-CRF(12-41) decreased frustration stress-induced binge eating in rats with a history of food restriction. Frustration stress also increased Fos (a neuronal activity marker) expression in ventral and dorsal BNST. Results demonstrate a critical role of CRF receptors in BNST in stress-induced binge eating in our rat model. CRF1 receptor antagonists may represent a novel pharmacological treatment for bingeing-related eating disorders. Copyright © 2014 the authors 0270-6474/14/3411316-09$15.00/0.

Development of mechanical ventilation system with low energy consumption for renovation of buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Terkildsen, Søren

in reducing CO2-emmissions. Over the last decade, initiatives have been taken to reduce its energy consumption e.g. by the European Union, national governments or NGOs. The initiatives have mostly focused on improving the thermal properties of the building envelope to reduce heat losses. Building services......A general reduction in total energy consumption is needed, due to the increasing concerns about climate change caused by CO2-emmissions from fossil fuels. In 2004, the building sector accounted for 40% of the total energy consumption in the EU and the US and therefore must play a crucial role....... The goal was to develop a mechanical system with an SFP-value of 0.5 kJ/m3 and a heat recovery efficiency of 85% that can meet current indoor environment requirements without discomfort in terms of thermal, acoustic and draught issues. The concept was developed for a temperate climate, such as Denmark...

Design and optimization of zero-energy-consumption based solar energy residential building systems

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, D. L.; Yu, L. J.; Tan, H. W.

2017-11-01

Energy consumption of residential buildings has grown fast in recent years, thus raising a challenge on zero energy residential building (ZERB) systems, which aim at substantially reducing energy consumption of residential buildings. Thus, how to facilitate ZERB has become a hot but difficult topic. In the paper, we put forward the overall design principle of ZERB based on analysis of the systems’ energy demand. In particular, the architecture for both schematic design and passive technology is optimized and both energy simulation analysis and energy balancing analysis are implemented, followed by committing the selection of high-efficiency appliance and renewable energy sources for ZERB residential building. In addition, Chinese classical residential building has been investigated in the proposed case, in which several critical aspects such as building optimization, passive design, PV panel and HVAC system integrated with solar water heater, Phase change materials, natural ventilation, etc., have been taken into consideration.

Gas system 2016: Press conference 17 January 2017 + Gas consumption by administrative regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-01-01

GRTgaz is a European leader in natural gas transmission, a world expert in gas transmission networks and systems, and an operator firmly committed to the energy transition. It owns and operates the gas transmission network throughout most of France and it manages the transmission network in Germany, thereby helping to ensure correct operation of the French and European gas market. It contributes to the energy security of regional supply systems and performs a public service mission to ensure the continuity of consumer supply. This document presents some key figures about GRTgaz activity in 2016: A first part presents the national data about gas consumption, production of gas-fired power plants, new gas uses (diesel-gas substitution, biomethane..) and their environmental impacts, and the development of the Internet open-data platform. A second part presents the regional gas consumptions with a focus on industrial clients

The study of thermal processes in control systems of heat consumption of buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Tsynaeva, E.; A, Tsynaeva

2017-11-01

The article discusses the main thermal processes in the automated control systems for heat consumption (ACSHC) of buildings, schematic diagrams of these systems, mathematical models used for description of thermal processes in ACSHC. Conducted verification represented by mathematical models. It was found that the efficiency of the operation of ACSHC depend from the external and internal factors. Numerical study of dynamic modes of operation of ACSHC.

[Toxic hepatitis by consumption Herbalife products a case report].

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, Sara; Anders, Margarita; Turbay, Maximiliano; Olaiz, Emiliano; Mc Cormack, Lucas; Mastai, Ricardo

2008-12-01

Toxic hepatitis by consumption Herbalife products is an affection poorly documented and with a great impact in the population due to their massive consumption. We present the case of a 63-years-old woman with probable diagnosis of toxic hepatitis secondary to the consumption of nutritional supplements Herbalife. The nutritional supplements based on natural ingredients are of massive consumption worldwide. Because they are recognized like innocuous and of non-controlled comercialization, they lack suitable controls. Although there are reported cases of hepatotoxicity and other side effects induced by these products, there is still not strong evidence to generate a positive reaction of the control organisms. We report a case of acute toxic hepatitis potencially due to the consumption of Herbalife.

Deltamethrin-Induced Hepatotoxicity and Virgin Olive Oil Consumption: An Experimental Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Reza Khalatbary

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Background: Deltamethrin (DM is a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide which can lead to pathological effects in mammals through oxidative stress. On the other hand, virgin olive oil (VOO is a rich source of phenolic compounds with antioxidants. The aim of the present study was to determine the protective effects of VOO against DM-induced hepatotoxicity. Methods: Thirty-six mice were randomly separated into 4 groups: vehicle group, VOO group, DM group, and DM plus VOO group. Immunohistochemistry of PARP, COX-2, and caspase-3 with the biochemical analysis of malondialdehyde and total antioxidant capacity levels were performed in the liver samples 5 weeks after gavaging. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, version 15. The data were compared between the groups using the Tukey multiple comparison tests and the analysis of the variance. A P value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: The malondialdehyde level in the liver was increased in the DM group (71.18±0.01, whereas it was significantly (P=0.001 decreased after VOO administration in the DM plus VOO group (39.59±2.43. While the total antioxidant capacity level in the liver was decreased in the DM group (3.05±0.05, it was significantly increased (P=0.03 after VOO administration in the DM plus VOO group (3.95±0.04. A greater expression of caspase-3 (P=0.008, COX-2 (P =0.004, and PARP (P 0.006 could be detected in the DM group, while it was significantly (P=0.009 attenuated in the DM plus VOO group. Also, the degeneration of hepatocytes, which was detected in the DM group, was attenuated after VOO consumption. Conclusions: VOO exerted protective effects against DM-induced hepatotoxicity, which might be associated with its anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidative properties.

Ginger extract diminishes chronic fructose consumption-induced kidney injury through suppression of renal overexpression of proinflammatory cytokines in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Ming; Liu, Changjin; Jiang, Jian; Zuo, Guowei; Lin, Xuemei; Yamahara, Johji; Wang, Jianwei; Li, Yuhao

2014-05-27

The metabolic syndrome is associated with an increased risk of development and progression of chronic kidney disease. Renal inflammation is well known to play an important role in the initiation and progression of tubulointerstitial injury of the kidneys. Ginger, one of the most commonly used spices and medicinal plants, has been demonstrated to improve diet-induced metabolic abnormalities. However, the efficacy of ginger on the metabolic syndrome-associated kidney injury remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the impact of ginger on fructose consumption-induced adverse effects in the kidneys. The fructose control rats were treated with 10% fructose in drinking water over 5 weeks. The fructose consumption in ginger-treated rats was adjusted to match that of fructose control group. The ethanolic extract of ginger was co-administered (once daily by oral gavage). The indexes of lipid and glucose homeostasis were determined enzymatically, by ELISA and/or histologically. Gene expression was analyzed by Real-Time PCR. In addition to improve hyperinsulinemia and hypertriglyceridemia, supplement with ginger extract (50 mg/kg) attenuated liquid fructose-induced kidney injury as characterized by focal cast formation, slough and dilation of tubular epithelial cells in the cortex of the kidneys in rats. Furthermore, ginger also diminished excessive renal interstitial collagen deposit. By Real-Time PCR, renal gene expression profiles revealed that ginger suppressed fructose-stimulated monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and its receptor chemokine (C-C motif) receptor-2. In accord, overexpression of two important macrophage accumulation markers CD68 and F4/80 was downregulated. Moreover, overexpressed tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, transforming growth factor-beta1 and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 were downregulated. Ginger treatment also restored the downregulated ratio of urokinase-type plasminogen activator to PAI-1. The present results

Water Use in the United States Energy System: A National Assessment and Unit Process Inventory of Water Consumption and Withdrawals.

Science.gov (United States)

Grubert, Emily; Sanders, Kelly T

2018-06-05

The United States (US) energy system is a large water user, but the nature of that use is poorly understood. To support resource comanagement and fill this noted gap in the literature, this work presents detailed estimates for US-based water consumption and withdrawals for the US energy system as of 2014, including both intensity values and the first known estimate of total water consumption and withdrawal by the US energy system. We address 126 unit processes, many of which are new additions to the literature, differentiated among 17 fuel cycles, five life cycle stages, three water source categories, and four levels of water quality. Overall coverage is about 99% of commercially traded US primary energy consumption with detailed energy flows by unit process. Energy-related water consumption, or water removed from its source and not directly returned, accounts for about 10% of both total and freshwater US water consumption. Major consumers include biofuels (via irrigation), oil (via deep well injection, usually of nonfreshwater), and hydropower (via evaporation and seepage). The US energy system also accounts for about 40% of both total and freshwater US water withdrawals, i.e., water removed from its source regardless of fate. About 70% of withdrawals are associated with the once-through cooling systems of approximately 300 steam cycle power plants that produce about 25% of US electricity.

Pyruvate induces transient tumor hypoxia by enhancing mitochondrial oxygen consumption and potentiates the anti-tumor effect of a hypoxia-activated prodrug TH-302.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoichi Takakusagi

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: TH-302 is a hypoxia-activated prodrug (HAP of bromo isophosphoramide mustard that is selectively activated within hypoxic regions in solid tumors. Our recent study showed that intravenously administered bolus pyruvate can transiently induce hypoxia in tumors. We investigated the mechanism underlying the induction of transient hypoxia and the combination use of pyruvate to potentiate the anti-tumor effect of TH-302. METHODOLOGY/RESULTS: The hypoxia-dependent cytotoxicity of TH-302 was evaluated by a viability assay in murine SCCVII and human HT29 cells. Modulation in cellular oxygen consumption and in vivo tumor oxygenation by the pyruvate treatment was monitored by extracellular flux analysis and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR oxygen imaging, respectively. The enhancement of the anti-tumor effect of TH-302 by pyruvate treatment was evaluated by monitoring the growth suppression of the tumor xenografts inoculated subcutaneously in mice. TH-302 preferentially inhibited the growth of both SCCVII and HT29 cells under hypoxic conditions (0.1% O2, with minimal effect under aerobic conditions (21% O2. Basal oxygen consumption rates increased after the pyruvate treatment in SCCVII cells in a concentration-dependent manner, suggesting that pyruvate enhances the mitochondrial respiration to consume excess cellular oxygen. In vivo EPR oxygen imaging showed that the intravenous administration of pyruvate globally induced the transient hypoxia 30 min after the injection in SCCVII and HT29 tumors at the size of 500-1500 mm(3. Pretreatment of SCCVII tumor bearing mice with pyruvate 30 min prior to TH-302 administration, initiated with small tumors (∼ 550 mm(3, significantly delayed tumor growth. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our in vitro and in vivo studies showed that pyruvate induces transient hypoxia by enhancing mitochondrial oxygen consumption in tumor cells. TH-302 therapy can be potentiated by pyruvate pretreatment if started at the

Pyruvate induces transient tumor hypoxia by enhancing mitochondrial oxygen consumption and potentiates the anti-tumor effect of a hypoxia-activated prodrug TH-302.

Science.gov (United States)

Takakusagi, Yoichi; Matsumoto, Shingo; Saito, Keita; Matsuo, Masayuki; Kishimoto, Shun; Wojtkowiak, Jonathan W; DeGraff, William; Kesarwala, Aparna H; Choudhuri, Rajani; Devasahayam, Nallathamby; Subramanian, Sankaran; Munasinghe, Jeeva P; Gillies, Robert J; Mitchell, James B; Hart, Charles P; Krishna, Murali C

2014-01-01

TH-302 is a hypoxia-activated prodrug (HAP) of bromo isophosphoramide mustard that is selectively activated within hypoxic regions in solid tumors. Our recent study showed that intravenously administered bolus pyruvate can transiently induce hypoxia in tumors. We investigated the mechanism underlying the induction of transient hypoxia and the combination use of pyruvate to potentiate the anti-tumor effect of TH-302. The hypoxia-dependent cytotoxicity of TH-302 was evaluated by a viability assay in murine SCCVII and human HT29 cells. Modulation in cellular oxygen consumption and in vivo tumor oxygenation by the pyruvate treatment was monitored by extracellular flux analysis and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) oxygen imaging, respectively. The enhancement of the anti-tumor effect of TH-302 by pyruvate treatment was evaluated by monitoring the growth suppression of the tumor xenografts inoculated subcutaneously in mice. TH-302 preferentially inhibited the growth of both SCCVII and HT29 cells under hypoxic conditions (0.1% O2), with minimal effect under aerobic conditions (21% O2). Basal oxygen consumption rates increased after the pyruvate treatment in SCCVII cells in a concentration-dependent manner, suggesting that pyruvate enhances the mitochondrial respiration to consume excess cellular oxygen. In vivo EPR oxygen imaging showed that the intravenous administration of pyruvate globally induced the transient hypoxia 30 min after the injection in SCCVII and HT29 tumors at the size of 500-1500 mm(3). Pretreatment of SCCVII tumor bearing mice with pyruvate 30 min prior to TH-302 administration, initiated with small tumors (∼ 550 mm(3)), significantly delayed tumor growth. Our in vitro and in vivo studies showed that pyruvate induces transient hypoxia by enhancing mitochondrial oxygen consumption in tumor cells. TH-302 therapy can be potentiated by pyruvate pretreatment if started at the appropriate tumor size and oxygen concentration.

Oesophageal epithelial cell proliferation and food consumption patterns following irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burholt, D.R.

1986-01-01

The murine data presented illustrate the influence of food consumption on the proliferative rate of the oesophageal epithelium during recovery from radiation damage. Refeeding at a time before the initiation of the normal hyperplastic response results in a decreased time interval between treatment and increased rates of cell proliferation, while reduced food consumption during the normal period of hyperproliferation results in reduced proliferative activity. The finding that recovery kinetics may be altered by changing food consumption patterns should be an important consideration in the analysis of antineoplastic agent-induced proliferative perturbations, as many treatments themselves produce reduced levels of food consumption. (UK)

Low-dose aspartame consumption differentially affects gut microbiota-host metabolic interactions in the diet-induced obese rat.

Science.gov (United States)

Palmnäs, Marie S A; Cowan, Theresa E; Bomhof, Marc R; Su, Juliet; Reimer, Raylene A; Vogel, Hans J; Hittel, Dustin S; Shearer, Jane

2014-01-01

Aspartame consumption is implicated in the development of obesity and metabolic disease despite the intention of limiting caloric intake. The mechanisms responsible for this association remain unclear, but may involve circulating metabolites and the gut microbiota. Aims were to examine the impact of chronic low-dose aspartame consumption on anthropometric, metabolic and microbial parameters in a diet-induced obese model. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into a standard chow diet (CH, 12% kcal fat) or high fat (HF, 60% kcal fat) and further into ad libitum water control (W) or low-dose aspartame (A, 5-7 mg/kg/d in drinking water) treatments for 8 week (n = 10-12 animals/treatment). Animals on aspartame consumed fewer calories, gained less weight and had a more favorable body composition when challenged with HF compared to animals consuming water. Despite this, aspartame elevated fasting glucose levels and an insulin tolerance test showed aspartame to impair insulin-stimulated glucose disposal in both CH and HF, independently of body composition. Fecal analysis of gut bacterial composition showed aspartame to increase total bacteria, the abundance of Enterobacteriaceae and Clostridium leptum. An interaction between HF and aspartame was also observed for Roseburia ssp wherein HF-A was higher than HF-W (Paspartame attenuated the typical HF-induced increase in the Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes ratio. Serum metabolomics analysis revealed aspartame to be rapidly metabolized and to be associated with elevations in the short chain fatty acid propionate, a bacterial end product and highly gluconeogenic substrate, potentially explaining its negative affects on insulin tolerance. How aspartame influences gut microbial composition and the implications of these changes on the development of metabolic disease require further investigation.

Increased anxiety, voluntary alcohol consumption and ethanol-induced place preference in mice following chronic psychosocial stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Bahi, Amine

2013-07-01

Stress exposure is known to be a risk factor for alcohol use and anxiety disorders. Comorbid chronic stress and alcohol dependence may lead to a complicated and potentially severe treatment profile. To gain an understanding of the interaction between chronic psychosocial stress and drug exposure, we studied the effects of concomitant chronic stress exposure on alcohol reward using two-bottle choice and ethanol-conditioned place preference (CPP). The study consisted of exposure of the chronic subordinate colony (CSC) mice "intruders" to an aggressive "resident" mouse for 19 consecutive days. Control mice were single housed (SHC). Ethanol consumption using two-bottle choice paradigm and ethanol CPP acquisition was assessed at the end of this time period. As expected, CSC exposure increased anxiety-like behavior and reduced weight gain as compared to SHC controls. Importantly, in the two-bottle choice procedure, CSC mice showed higher alcohol intake than SHC. When testing their response to ethanol-induced CPP, CSC mice achieved higher preference for the ethanol-paired chamber. In fact, CSC exposure increased ethanol-CPP acquisition. Taken together, these data demonstrate the long-term consequences of chronic psychosocial stress on alcohol intake in male mice, suggesting chronic stress as a risk factor for developing alcohol consumption and/or anxiety disorders.

Effects of flaxseed consumption on systemic inflammation and serum lipid profile in hemodialysis patients with lipid abnormalities.

Science.gov (United States)

Khalatbari Soltani, Saman; Jamaluddin, Rosita; Tabibi, Hadi; Mohd Yusof, Barakatun Nisak; Atabak, Shahnaz; Loh, Su-Peng; Rahmani, Leila

2013-04-01

Inflammation and lipid abnormalities are two important risk factors for cardiovascular disease in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of flaxseed consumption on systemic inflammation and serum lipid profile in HD patients with lipid abnormalities. This was an unblinded, randomized clinical trial. Thirty HD patients with dyslipidemia (triglyceride >200 mg/dL and/or high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) consumption improves lipid abnormalities and reduces systemic inflammation in HD patients with lipid abnormalities. © 2012 The Authors. Hemodialysis International © 2012 International Society for Hemodialysis.

Power consumption analysis of pump station control systems based on fuzzy controllers with discrete terms in iThink software

Science.gov (United States)

Muravyova, E. A.; Bondarev, A. V.; Sharipov, M. I.; Galiaskarova, G. R.; Kubryak, A. I.

2018-03-01

In this article, power consumption of pumping station control systems is discussed. To study the issue, two simulation models of oil level control in the iThink software have been developed, using a frequency converter only and using a frequency converter and a fuzzy controller. A simulation of the oil-level control was carried out in a graphic form, and plots of pumps power consumption were obtained. Based on the initial and obtained data, the efficiency of the considered control systems has been compared, and also the power consumption of the systems was shown graphically using a frequency converter only and using a frequency converter and a fuzzy controller. The models analysis has shown that it is more economical and safe to use a control circuit with a frequency converter and a fuzzy controller.

Energy efficiency in a water supply system:Energy consumption and CO2 emission

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Helena M.RAMOS; Filipe VIEIRA; Didia I.C.COVAS

2010-01-01

This paper presents important fundamentals associated with water and energy efficiency and highlights the importance of using renewable energy sources.A model of multi-criteria optimization for energy efficiency based on water and environmental management policies,including the preservation of water resources and the control of water pressure and energy consumption through a hybrid energy solution,was developed and applied to a water supply system.The methodology developed includes three solutions:(1)the use of a water turbine in pipe systems where pressures are higher than necessary and pressure-reducing valves are installed,(2)the optimization of pumping operation according to the electricity tariff and water demand,and(3)the use of other renewable energy sources,including a wind turbine,to supply energy to the pumping station,with the remaining energy being sold to the national electric grid.The use of an integrated solution(water and energy)proves to be a valuable input for creating benefits from available hydro energy in the water supply system in order to produce clean power,and the use of a wind source allows for the reduction of energy consumption in pumping stations,as well as of the CO2 emission to the atmosphere.

Can Companies Induce Sustainable Consumption? The Impact of Knowledge and Social Embeddedness on Airline Sustainability Programs in the U.S.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yohan Kim

2014-05-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates how consumers’ level of knowledge and social embeddedness can influence sustainable consumption. An extended model of goal-directed behavior (MGB is tested by U.S. airline consumers who have participated in UNICEF’s Change for Good (CFG and voluntary carbon offsetting (VCO programs. Results show that consumers’ knowledge positively influenced their subjective norms and attitudes towards participation of VCO and CFG. Increasing consumers’ sense of social embeddedness is also found to be crucial in forming their subjective norms for both CFG and VCO. Moreover, positive anticipated emotion is found to influence consumers’ desire to participate in VCO, while negative anticipated emotion influences desire towards CFG participation. The findings of this research provide a practical implication on strategies for the airline industry to induce sustainable consumption behavior, as well as demonstrate the need for different emotional elicitation strategies for different sustainability programs.

Decarbonization of the German energy system due to falling or rising power consumption?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guminski, Andrej; Roon, Serafin von

2016-01-01

Since the publication of the draft ''Climate Protection Plan 2050'' and the ''Green Paper on Energy Efficiency'', it is clear that the Federal Government is focusing on the electrification of the heat and transport sector in order to increase the share of renewable energies in these sectors. This step is not uncontroversial, and represents a paradigm shift in science and politics, because the reduction of the cross electricity consumption move into the background. It is now necessary to clearly distinguish between the conventional power consumption, which must continue to be tested for energy savings and efficiency potential, and the new power consumption, here referred to as the coupling current, which is accepted in order to achieve the objectives of the energy transition. Since the consideration of the energy transition as a purely national project is too short, possible positive and negative effects of the European Union Emission Trading System (EU ETS) deserve particular attention with regard to this reorientation. [de

Photovoltaic Self-Consumption; Autoconsumo fotovoltaico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alonso Abella, M.; Chenlo Romero, F.

2013-02-01

This paper analyzes the photovoltaic (PV) self consumption, or the option of using photovoltaic systems connected to the electric grid for the purpose of consuming the PV generated energy in the own installation (homes, small industries, office buildings, etc.) in order to reduce the external demand and the electric bill. At this time there is a legal vacuum regarding the installation of these generation systems for self-consumption, and the PV business sector and society are calling for the establishment of a legal and economic framework. Assuming that what can be saved with a photovoltaic system for domestic self-consumption is the cost of the kWh consumed currently 15c/kWh that there are no additional charges and that the cost of the turnkey photovoltaic system currently ranges from 1.8/Wp to 2.5/Wp, the resulting amortization period would be between 8 and 11 years for the condition of annual net metering. (Author) 31 refs.

On monitoring unrecorded alcohol consumption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jürgen Rehm

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Unrecorded alcohol consumption is a global problem, with about 25% of all alcohol consumption concerning this category. There are different forms of unrecorded alcohol, legally produced versus illegally produced, artisanal vs industrially produced, and then surrogate alcohol, which is officially not intended for human consumption. Monitoring and surveillance of unrecorded consumption is not well developed. The World Health Organization has developed a monitoring system, using the Nominal Group Technique, a variant of the Delphi methodology. Experiences with this methodology over the past two years are reported. Finally, conclusions for the monitoring and surveillance at the national level are given.

Effect of consumption of red wine, spirits and beer on serum homocysteine

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gaag, M.S. van der; Ubbink, J.B.; Sillanaukee, P.; Nikkari, S.; Hendriks, H.F.J.

2000-01-01

Serum homocysteine increases after moderate consumption of red wine and spirits, but not after moderate consumption of beer. Vitamin B6 in beer seems to prevent the alcohol-induced rise in serum homocysteine. Chemicals/CAS: Homocysteine, 454-28-4; Pyridoxine, 65-23-6

Behavioral System Level Power Consumption Modeling of Mobile Video Streaming applications

OpenAIRE

Benmoussa , Yahia; Boukhobza , Jalil; Hadjadj-Aoul , Yassine; Lagadec , Loïc; Benazzouz , Djamel

2012-01-01

National audience; Nowadays, the use of mobile applications and terminals faces fundamental challenges related to energy constraint. This is due to the limited battery lifetime as compared to the increasing hardware evolution. Video streaming is one of the most energy consuming applications in a mobile system because of its intensive use of bandwidth, memory and processing power. In this work, we aim to propose a methodology for building and validating a high level global power consumption mo...

Impacts of UVB radiation on food consumption of forest specialist tadpoles.

Science.gov (United States)

Londero, James Eduardo Lago; Dos Santos, Caroline Peripolli; Segatto, Ana Lúcia Anversa; Passaglia Schuch, André

2017-09-01

Solar ultraviolet radiation B (UVB) is an important environmental stressor for amphibian populations due to its genotoxicity, especially in early developmental stages. Nonetheless, there is an absence of works focused on the UVB effects on tadpoles' food consumption efficiency. In this work, we investigated the effects of the exposure to a low environmental-simulated dose of UVB radiation on food consumption of tadpoles of the forest specialist Hypsiboas curupi [Hylidae, Anura] species. After UVB treatment tadpoles were divided and exposed to a visible light source or kept in the dark, in order to indirectly evaluate the efficiency of DNA repair performed by photolyases and nucleotide excision repair (NER), respectively. The body mass and the amount of food in tadpoles' guts were verified in both conditions and these data were complemented by the micronuclei frequency in blood cells. Furthermore, the keratinized labial tooth rows were analyzed in order to check for possible UVB-induced damage in this structure. Our results clearly show that the body weight decrease induced by UVB radiation occurs due to the reduction of tadpoles' food consumption. This behavior is directly correlated with the genotoxic impact of UVB light, since the micronuclei frequency significantly increased after treatments. Surprisingly, the results indicate that photoreactivation treatment was ineffective to restore the food consumption activity and body weight values, suggesting a low efficiency of photolyases enzymes in this species. In addition, UVB treatments induced a higher number of breaks in the keratinized labial tooth rows, which could be also associated with the decrease of food consumption. This work contributes to better understand the process of weight loss observed in tadpoles exposed to UVB radiation and emphasizes the susceptibility of forest specialist amphibian species to sunlight-induced genotoxicity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Predicting the Heat Consumption in District Heating Systems using Meteorological Forecasts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Henrik Aalborg, orlov 31.07.2008; Madsen, Henrik

that meteorological forecasts are available on-line. Such a service has recently been introduced by the Danish Meteorological Institute. However, actual meteorological forecasts has not been available for the work described here. Assuming the climate to be known the mean absolute relative prediction error for 72 hour......Methods for on-line prediction of heat consumption in district heating systems hour by hour for horizons up to 72 hours are considered in this report. Data from the district heating system Vestegnens Kraftvarmeselskab I/S is used in the investigation. During the development it has been assumed......, this is somewhat contrary to practice. The work presented is a demonstration of the value of the so called gray box approach where theoretical knowledge about the system under consideration is combined with information from measurements performed on the system in order to obtain a mathematical description...

Energy consumption of mobile communication systems; Energieverbrauch der mobilen Kommunikation - Schlussbericht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Corliano, A.; Hufschmid, M.

2008-02-15

This final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) reports on a research project that was concerned with the energy consumption of the infrastructure necessary to provide mobile communication services. The measurement and analysis of the energy consumption of the infrastructure was an essential part of this research project. Furthermore, future scenarios and their impact on energy consumption are discussed. The results of the research work are presented and the correlation between power requirements and the data traffic encountered at GSM and UMTS base stations is analysed. Furthermore, measurements that were conducted to determine the power consumption of different network elements are discussed. Finally, alternatives for further action and recommendations for improvements in the energy consumption of such installations are formulated.

Time series analytics using sliding window metaheuristic optimization-based machine learning system for identifying building energy consumption patterns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chou, Jui-Sheng; Ngo, Ngoc-Tri

2016-01-01

Highlights: • This study develops a novel time-series sliding window forecast system. • The system integrates metaheuristics, machine learning and time-series models. • Site experiment of smart grid infrastructure is installed to retrieve real-time data. • The proposed system accurately predicts energy consumption in residential buildings. • The forecasting system can help users minimize their electricity usage. - Abstract: Smart grids are a promising solution to the rapidly growing power demand because they can considerably increase building energy efficiency. This study developed a novel time-series sliding window metaheuristic optimization-based machine learning system for predicting real-time building energy consumption data collected by a smart grid. The proposed system integrates a seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) model and metaheuristic firefly algorithm-based least squares support vector regression (MetaFA-LSSVR) model. Specifically, the proposed system fits the SARIMA model to linear data components in the first stage, and the MetaFA-LSSVR model captures nonlinear data components in the second stage. Real-time data retrieved from an experimental smart grid installed in a building were used to evaluate the efficacy and effectiveness of the proposed system. A k-week sliding window approach is proposed for employing historical data as input for the novel time-series forecasting system. The prediction system yielded high and reliable accuracy rates in 1-day-ahead predictions of building energy consumption, with a total error rate of 1.181% and mean absolute error of 0.026 kW h. Notably, the system demonstrates an improved accuracy rate in the range of 36.8–113.2% relative to those of the linear forecasting model (i.e., SARIMA) and nonlinear forecasting models (i.e., LSSVR and MetaFA-LSSVR). Therefore, end users can further apply the forecasted information to enhance efficiency of energy usage in their buildings, especially

A semi-distributed electric demand-side management system with PV generation for self-consumption enhancement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castillo-Cagigal, M.; Gutierrez, A.; Monasterio-Huelin, F.; Caamano-Martin, E.; Masa, D.; Jimenez-Leube, J.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → We have developed a DSM system with PV electricity and battery storage. → To implement the DSM system, we have developed a modular architecture. → Simulations and real experiments have been executed for different weather conditions. → The use of theses technologies increase the self-consumed energy. -- Abstract: This paper presents the operation of an Electrical Demand-Side Management (EDSM) system in a real solar house. The use of EDSM is one of the most important action lines to improve the grid electrical efficiency. The combination between the EDSM and the PV generation performs a new control level in the local electric behavior and allows new energy possibilities. The solar house used as test-bed for the EDSM system owns a PV generator, a lead-acid battery storage system and a grid connection. The electrical appliances are controllable from an embedded computer. The EDSM is implemented by a control system which schedules the tasks commanded by the user. By using the control system, we define the house energy policy and improve the energy behavior with regard to a selected energy criterion, self-consumption. The EDSM system favors self-consumption with regard to a standard user behavior and reduces the energy load from the grid.

Low-dose aspartame consumption differentially affects gut microbiota-host metabolic interactions in the diet-induced obese rat.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marie S A Palmnäs

Full Text Available Aspartame consumption is implicated in the development of obesity and metabolic disease despite the intention of limiting caloric intake. The mechanisms responsible for this association remain unclear, but may involve circulating metabolites and the gut microbiota. Aims were to examine the impact of chronic low-dose aspartame consumption on anthropometric, metabolic and microbial parameters in a diet-induced obese model. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into a standard chow diet (CH, 12% kcal fat or high fat (HF, 60% kcal fat and further into ad libitum water control (W or low-dose aspartame (A, 5-7 mg/kg/d in drinking water treatments for 8 week (n = 10-12 animals/treatment. Animals on aspartame consumed fewer calories, gained less weight and had a more favorable body composition when challenged with HF compared to animals consuming water. Despite this, aspartame elevated fasting glucose levels and an insulin tolerance test showed aspartame to impair insulin-stimulated glucose disposal in both CH and HF, independently of body composition. Fecal analysis of gut bacterial composition showed aspartame to increase total bacteria, the abundance of Enterobacteriaceae and Clostridium leptum. An interaction between HF and aspartame was also observed for Roseburia ssp wherein HF-A was higher than HF-W (P<0.05. Within HF, aspartame attenuated the typical HF-induced increase in the Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes ratio. Serum metabolomics analysis revealed aspartame to be rapidly metabolized and to be associated with elevations in the short chain fatty acid propionate, a bacterial end product and highly gluconeogenic substrate, potentially explaining its negative affects on insulin tolerance. How aspartame influences gut microbial composition and the implications of these changes on the development of metabolic disease require further investigation.

Anion-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells with Improved CO2 Tolerance: Impact of Chemically Induced Bicarbonate Ion Consumption.

Science.gov (United States)

Katayama, Yu; Yamauchi, Kosuke; Hayashi, Kohei; Okanishi, Takeou; Muroyama, Hiroki; Matsui, Toshiaki; Kikkawa, Yuuki; Negishi, Takayuki; Watanabe, Shin; Isomura, Takenori; Eguchi, Koichi

2017-08-30

Over the last few decades, because of the significant development of anion exchange membranes, increasing efforts have been devoted the realization of anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) that operate with the supply of hydrogen generated on-site. In this paper, ammonia was selected as a hydrogen source, following which the effect of conceivable impurities, unreacted NH 3 and atmospheric CO 2 , on the performance of AEMFCs was established. As expected, we show that these impurities worsen the performance of AEMFCs significantly. Furthermore, with the help of in situ attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy, it was revealed that the degradation of the cell performance was primarily due to the inhibition of the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR). This is attributed to the active site occupation by CO-related adspecies derived from (bi)carbonate adspecies. Interestingly, this degradation in the HOR activity is suppressed in the presence of both NH 3 and HCO 3 - because of the bicarbonate ion consumption reaction induced by the existence of NH 3 . Further analysis using in situ ATR-IR and electrochemical methods revealed that the poisonous CO-related adspecies were completely removed under NH 3 -HCO 3 - conditions, accompanied by the improvement in HOR activity. Finally, a fuel cell test was conducted by using the practical AEMFC with the supply of NH 3 -contained H 2 gas to the anode and ambient air to the cathode. The result confirmed the validity of this positive effect of NH 3 -HCO 3 - coexistence on CO 2 -tolerence of AEMFCs. The cell performance achieved nearly 95% of that without any impurity in the fuels. These results clearly show the impact of the chemically induced bicarbonate ion consumption reaction on the realization of highly CO 2 -tolerent AEMFCs.

The influence of the waterjet propulsion system on the ships' energy consumption and emissions inventories.

Science.gov (United States)

Durán-Grados, Vanesa; Mejías, Javier; Musina, Liliya; Moreno-Gutiérrez, Juan

2018-08-01

In this study we consider the problems associated with calculating ships' energy and emission inventories. Various related uncertainties are described in many similar studies published in the last decade, and applying to Europe, the USA and Canada. However, none of them have taken into account the performance of ships' propulsion systems. On the one hand, when a ship uses its propellers, there is no unanimous agreement on the equations used to calculate the main engines load factor and, on the other, the performance of waterjet propulsion systems (for which this variable depends on the speed of the ship) has not been taken into account in any previous studies. This paper proposes that the efficiency of the propulsion system should be included as a new parameter in the equation that defines the actual power delivered by a ship's main engines, as applied to calculate energy consumption and emissions in maritime transport. To highlight the influence of the propulsion system on calculated energy consumption and emissions, the bottom-up method has been applied using data from eight fast ferries operating across the Strait of Gibraltar over the course of one year. This study shows that the uncertainty about the efficiency of the propulsion system should be added as one more uncertainty in the energy and emission inventories for maritime transport as currently prepared. After comparing four methods for this calculation, the authors propose a new method for eight cases. For the calculation of the Main Engine's fuel oil consumption, differences up to 22% between some methods were obtained at low loads. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrical energy consumption control apparatuses and electrical energy consumption control methods

Science.gov (United States)

Hammerstrom, Donald J.

2012-09-04

Electrical energy consumption control apparatuses and electrical energy consumption control methods are described. According to one aspect, an electrical energy consumption control apparatus includes processing circuitry configured to receive a signal which is indicative of current of electrical energy which is consumed by a plurality of loads at a site, to compare the signal which is indicative of current of electrical energy which is consumed by the plurality of loads at the site with a desired substantially sinusoidal waveform of current of electrical energy which is received at the site from an electrical power system, and to use the comparison to control an amount of the electrical energy which is consumed by at least one of the loads of the site.

A system for accurate on-line measurement of total gas consumption or production rates in microbioreactors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Leeuwen, Michiel; Heijnen, Joseph J.; Gardeniers, Johannes G.E.; Oudshoorn, Arthur; Noorman, Henk; Visser, Jan; van der Wielen, Luuk A.M.; van Gulik, Walter M.

2009-01-01

A system has been developed, based on pressure controlled gas pumping, for accurate measurement of total gas consumption or production rates in the nmol/min range, applicable for on-line monitoring of bioconversions in microbioreactors. The system was validated by carrying out a bioconversion with

Gas system 2015: Press conference 21 January 2016 + Gas consumption by administrative regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-01-01

GRTgaz is a European leader in natural gas transmission, a world expert in gas transmission networks and systems, and an operator firmly committed to the energy transition. It owns and operates the gas transmission network throughout most of France and it manages the transmission network in Germany, thereby helping to ensure correct operation of the French and European gas market. It contributes to the energy security of regional supply systems and performs a public service mission to ensure the continuity of consumer supply. This document presents some key figures about GRTgaz activity in 2015: Gas consumption resumed despite warm conditions in 2015. Gas demand for power generation in gas-fired power plants has strongly increased, due to favourable economic conditions. 2015 was characterised by the lowest LNG imports to France ever, which entailed a still intensive use of the North-South link, despite transits to Spain and Italy back to 5 year average level. New gas uses and biomethane permitted to avoid 490,000 tonnes of CO 2 emissions in 2015. A second part presents the regional gas consumptions by administrative regions

Trauma-induced systemic inflammatory response versus exercise-induced immunomodulatory effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Fehrenbach, Elvira; Schneider, Marion E

2006-01-01

Accidental trauma and heavy endurance exercise, both induce a kind of systemic inflammatory response, also called systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Exercise-related SIRS is conditioned by hyperthermia and concomitant heat shock responses, whereas trauma-induced SIRS manifests concomitantly with tissue necrosis and immune activation, secondarily followed by fever. Inflammatory cytokines are common denominators in both trauma and exercise, although there are marked quantitative differences. Different anti-inflammatory cytokines may be involved in the control of inflammation in trauma- and exercise-induced stress. Exercise leads to a balanced equilibrium between inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses. Intermittent states of rest, as well as anti-oxidant capacity, are lacking or minor in trauma but are high in exercising individuals. Regular training may enhance immune competence, whereas trauma-induced SIRS often paves the way for infectious complications, such as sepsis.

Chronic ethanol consumption is associated with hypomagnesaemia ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Chronic alcohol consumption was strongly linked to several nutritional abnormalities though the specific concentrations that induce these states have not been specifically enumerated. This study evaluates the levels of zinc, copper, magnesium, calcium, phosphate and calcium-to-magnesium ratioin albino rabbits fed with ...

Energy efficiency in a water supply system: Energy consumption and CO2 emission

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helena M. Ramos

2010-09-01

Full Text Available This paper presents important fundamentals associated with water and energy efficiency and highlights the importance of using renewable energy sources. A model of multi-criteria optimization for energy efficiency based on water and environmental management policies, including the preservation of water resources and the control of water pressure and energy consumption through a hybrid energy solution, was developed and applied to a water supply system. The methodology developed includes three solutions: (1 the use of a water turbine in pipe systems where pressures are higher than necessary and pressure-reducing valves are installed, (2 the optimization of pumping operation according to the electricity tariff and water demand, and (3 the use of other renewable energy sources, including a wind turbine, to supply energy to the pumping station, with the remaining energy being sold to the national electric grid. The use of an integrated solution (water and energy proves to be a valuable input for creating benefits from available hydro energy in the water supply system in order to produce clean power, and the use of a wind source allows for the reduction of energy consumption in pumping stations, as well as of the CO2 emission to the atmosphere.

Evaluation of Strategies to Reducing Traction Energy Consumption of Metro Systems Using an Optimal Train Control Simulation Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuai Su

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Increasing attention is being paid to the energy efficiency in metro systems to reduce the operational cost and to advocate the sustainability of railway systems. Classical research has studied the energy-efficient operational strategy and the energy-efficient system design separately to reduce the traction energy consumption. This paper aims to combine the operational strategies and the system design by analyzing how the infrastructure and vehicle parameters of metro systems influence the operational traction energy consumption. Firstly, a solution approach to the optimal train control model is introduced, which is used to design the Optimal Train Control Simulator(OTCS. Then, based on the OTCS, the performance of some important energy-efficient system design strategies is investigated to reduce the trains’ traction energy consumption, including reduction of the train mass, improvement of the kinematic resistance, the design of the energy-saving gradient, increasing the maximum traction and braking forces, introducing regenerative braking and timetable optimization. As for these energy-efficient strategies, the performances are finally evaluated using the OTCS with the practical operational data of the Beijing Yizhuang metro line. The proposed approach gives an example to quantitatively analyze the energy reduction of different strategies in the system design procedure, which may help the decision makers to have an overview of the energy-efficient performances and then to make decisions by balancing the costs and the benefits.

Lean consumption.

Science.gov (United States)

Womack, James P; Jones, Daniel T

2005-03-01

During the past 20 years, the real price of most consumer goods has fallen worldwide, the variety of goods and the range of sales channels offering them have continued to grow, and product quality has steadily improved. So why is consumption often so frustrating? It doesn't have to be--and shouldn't be--the authors say. They argue that it's time to apply lean thinking to the processes of consumption--to give consumers the full value they want from goods and services with the greatest efficiency and the least pain. Companies may think they save time and money by off-loading work to the consumer but, in fact, the opposite is true. By streamlining their systems for providing goods and services, and by making it easier for customers to buy and use those products and services, a growing number of companies are actually lowering costs while saving everyone time. In the process, these businesses are learning more about their customers, strengthening consumer loyalty, and attracting new customers who are defecting from less user-friendly competitors. The challenge lies with the retailers, service providers, manufacturers, and suppliers that are not used to looking at total cost from the standpoint of the consumer and even less accustomed to working with customers to optimize the consumption process. Lean consumption requires a fundamental shift in the way companies think about the relationship between provision and consumption, and the role their customers play in these processes. It also requires consumers to change the nature of their relationships with the companies they patronize. Lean production has clearly triumphed over similar obstacles in recent years to become the dominant global manufacturing model. Lean consumption, its logical companion, can't be far behind.

Current treatment for venom-induced consumption coagulopathy resulting from snakebite.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kalana Maduwage

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Venomous snakebite is considered the single most important cause of human injury from venomous animals worldwide. Coagulopathy is one of the commonest important systemic clinical syndromes and can be complicated by serious and life-threatening haemorrhage. Venom-induced consumption coagulopathy (VICC is the commonest coagulopathy resulting from snakebite and occurs in envenoming by Viperid snakes, certain elapids, including Australian elapids, and a few Colubrid (rear fang snakes. Procoagulant toxins activate the clotting pathway, causing a broad range of factor deficiencies depending on the particular procoagulant toxin in the snake venom. Diagnosis and monitoring of coagulopathy is problematic, particularly in resource-poor countries where further research is required to develop more reliable, cheap clotting tests. MEDLINE and EMBASE up to September 2013 were searched to identify clinical studies of snake envenoming with VICC. The UniPort database was searched for coagulant snake toxins. Despite preclinical studies demonstrating antivenom binding toxins (efficacy, there was less evidence to support clinical effectiveness of antivenom for VICC. There were no placebo-controlled trials of antivenom for VICC. There were 25 randomised comparative trials of antivenom for VICC, which compared two different antivenoms (ten studies, three different antivenoms (four, two or three different doses or repeat doses of antivenom (five, heparin treatment and antivenom (five, and intravenous immunoglobulin treatment and antivenom (one. There were 13 studies that compared two groups in which there was no randomisation, including studies with historical controls. There have been numerous observational studies of antivenom in VICC but with no comparison group. Most of the controlled trials were small, did not use the same method for assessing coagulopathy, varied the dose of antivenom, and did not provide complete details of the study design (primary outcomes

Model for voluntary wine and alcohol consumption in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Arola, L; Roig, R; Cascón, E; Brunet, M J; Fornós, N; Sabaté, M; Raga, X; Batista, J; Salvadó, M J; Bladé, C

1997-08-01

It has been suggested that moderate consumption of ethanol and wine has a protective effect on human health. Animal models used to date for alcohol consumption can not mimic real situations in humans because the consumption is forced and/or excessive. The present study proposes to determine the effects of a voluntary and ad lib consumption model more similar to that of human behavior. Male Wistar rats had free access to either standard diet and water or the same diet plus red wine, sweet wine, or a solution equivalent to red wine (13.5% ethanol) or to sweet wine (20% ethanol + 130 g/L sucrose) for 30 days or 6 months. Daily wine consumption was 15.8 +/- 0.9 and 2.0 +/- 0.2 ml/day for sweet and red wines, respectively. The consumption of each of the alcoholic solutions was similar to that of the wine they were simulating. Drinking wine or ethanol did not affect food and water intakes or growth rate. Plasma metabolites were not substantially affected by consumption of wine or ethanol. Although moderate and high wine consumption did not change the activity of plasma marker enzymes of tissue damage, the consumption of the 2 alcoholic solutions caused a long-term increase in the activity of aspartate aminotransferase. It seems that wine consumption protects the organism from hepatic lesions induced by ethanol alone.

CHANGING FOOD CONSUMPTION PATTERNS, THEIR EFFECT ON THE U.S. FOOD SYSTEM, 1972-1987: AN INPUT-OUTPUT PERSPECTIVE

OpenAIRE

Schluter, Gerald E.; Lee, Chinkook

1996-01-01

Output growth of the U.S. Food System is examined to apportion first the importance of domestic food demand and then the importance of components of domestic food demand. Growth of U.S. food processing output is heavily dependent upon domestic food demand and particularly its personal consumption expenditures components - food purchased for off-premise consumption and purchased meals and beverages.

Hepcidin regulation in wild-type and Hfe knockout mice in response to alcohol consumption: evidence for an alcohol-induced hypoxic response.

Science.gov (United States)

Heritage, Mandy L; Murphy, Therese L; Bridle, Kim R; Anderson, Gregory J; Crawford, Darrell H G; Fletcher, Linda M

2009-08-01

Expression of Hamp1, the gene encoding the iron regulatory peptide hepcidin, is inappropriately low in HFE-associated hereditary hemochromatosis and Hfe knockout mice (Hfe(-/-)). Since chronic alcohol consumption is also associated with disturbances in iron metabolism, we investigated the effects of alcohol consumption on hepcidin mRNA expression in Hfe(-/-) mice. Hfe(-/-) and C57BL/6 (wild-type) mice were pair-fed either an alcohol liquid diet or control diet for up to 8 weeks. The mRNA levels of hepcidin and ferroportin were measured at the mRNA level by RT-PCR and protein expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1alpha) was measured by western blot. Hamp1 mRNA expression was significantly decreased and duodenal ferroportin expression was increased in alcohol-fed wild-type mice at 8 weeks. Time course experiments showed that the decrease in hepcidin mRNA was not immediate, but was significant by 4 weeks. Consistent with the genetic defect, Hamp1 mRNA was decreased and duodenal ferroportin mRNA expression was increased in Hfe(-/-) mice fed on the control diet compared with wild-type animals and alcohol further exacerbated these effects. HIF-1alpha protein levels were elevated in alcohol-fed wild-type animals compared with controls. Alcohol may decrease Hamp1 gene expression independently of the HFE pathway possibly via alcohol-induced hypoxia.

Power Consumption Efficiency Evaluation of Multi-User Full-Duplex Visible Light Communication Systems for Smart Home Technologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Tabish Niaz

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Visible light communication (VLC has recently gained significant academic and industrial attention. VLC has great potential to supplement the functioning of the upcoming radio-frequency (RF-based 5G networks. It is best suited for home, office, and commercial indoor environments as it provides a high bandwidth and high data rate, and the visible light spectrum is free to use. This paper proposes a multi-user full-duplex VLC system using red-green-blue (RGB, and white emitting diodes (LEDs for smart home technologies. It utilizes red, green, and blue LEDs for downlink transmission and a simple phosphor white LED for uplink transmission. The red and green color bands are used for user data and smart devices, respectively, while the blue color band is used with the white LED for uplink transmission. The simulation was carried out to verify the performance of the proposed multi-user full-duplex VLC system. In addition to the performance evaluation, a cost-power consumption analysis was performed by comparing the power consumption and the resulting cost of the proposed VLC system to the power consumed and resulting cost of traditional Wi-Fi based systems and hybrid systems that utilized both VLC and Wi-Fi. Our findings showed that the proposed system improved the data rate and bit-error rate performance, while minimizing the power consumption and the associated costs. These results have demonstrated that a full-duplex VLC system is a feasible solution suitable for indoor environments as it provides greater cost savings and energy efficiency when compared to traditional Wi-Fi-based systems and hybrid systems that utilize both VLC and Wi-Fi.

Self-consumption in Germany. Experience feedback

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roesner, Sven

2014-01-01

This document presents some key information and figures about self-consumption from photovoltaic power plants and cogeneration plants in Germany: share of self-consumption in the overall electricity consumption, definition and economic models, legal aspects and feed-in tariffs, financial incentives for households, tertiary sector and industry, impact on grid dimensioning, challenge of storage on electric system optimisation, economic impact and 'lack of solidarity', possible future legal evolutions

Consumption governance toward more sustainable consumption

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wahlen, S.; Dubuisson-Quellier, Sophie

2018-01-01

This article deliberates on strategies of consumption governance toward more sustainable consumption. We discuss theoretical concepts stemming from various social science perspectives to (1) promote more sustainable consumption, (2) compare strategies stemming from individualist understanding of

Conference on the new models of photovoltaic consumption and commercialization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gastiger, Michaela; Persem, Melanie; Joly, Jean-Pierre; Freier, Karin; Fontaine, Pierre; Mueth, Thierry; Marliave, Luc de; Woerlen, Christine; Gerdung, Anja; Jedliczka, Marc; Mayer, Joerg; Jimenez, Julien; Richard, Pascal; Vogtmann, Michael; Schaefer, Felix; Martin, Nicolas; Blanc, Francois; Ostermann, Christoph; Borghese, Francois; Nykamp, Stefan; Von Appen, Jan; Buis, Sabine; Gossement, Arnaud

2014-01-01

This document gathers contributions (Power Point presentations) of a conference on new models of consumption and commercialisation in the solar photovoltaic sector in France and in Germany. These contributions address the following topics: Stimulating self-consumption and direct selling within the EEG; Development of PV self-consumption in France; Experience from applying the new support program for solar energy storage systems; Call for solar photovoltaic projects for own consumption in the Aquitaine region; The SMA flexible storage system (technical solutions for a PV system in a smart home); PV own consumption in industry and commerce, examples and operating concepts; Supplying tenants in multiple-family housing with solar power in the 'Neue Heimat' project; How to manage PV-storage self-consumption from a grid point of view

Analysis of the maximal possible grid relief from PV-peak-power impacts by using storage systems for increased self-consumption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moshövel, Janina; Kairies, Kai-Philipp; Magnor, Dirk; Leuthold, Matthias; Bost, Mark; Gährs, Swantje; Szczechowicz, Eva; Cramer, Moritz; Sauer, Dirk Uwe

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Presentation of a MATLAB battery storage model. • Development of a controlled persistence forecast management strategy. • Perfect forecast in comparison to an easy feasible persistence forecast. • More grid relief with forecast than with strategies to maximize self-consumption. - Abstract: For future energy supply systems the effects and benefits of battery storage systems in households with photovoltaic (PV) generators and the effects on distribution and transmission grids need to be identified and analyzed. The development of grid relieving management strategies for the storage system in due consideration of self-consumption is a necessary step forward in order to analyze the potential of private home battery storage systems to reduce stress on the power supply system. A MATLAB-based model of a lithium-ion storage system has been developed. The model is applicable for a wide range of PV generator sizes, different battery storage systems and diverse management strategies. In order to identify the potential of grid relieving forecast strategies, without discharging the storage into the grid, a management strategy based on persistence forecasts of solar radiation and household load demand has been implemented and analyzed. To minimize forecast uncertainties a proportional plus integral controller has been developed. The persistence forecast management strategy is applicable in real-life PV-battery-systems and due to the simple forecast it is easy to equip existing systems with such a management system with only low effort. As a result it will be shown that a storage system management based on forecasts has a significantly higher potential to relieve the grid than a system that only maximizes self-consumption as it is usually used nowadays. Besides, such a management strategy is able to unload the grid more than a static power reduction to 70% of the nominal power rating according to the current German Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG). At the

Energy consumption: energy consumption in mainland Norway

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Magnussen, Inger Helene; Killingland, Magnus; Spilde, Dag

2012-07-25

The purpose of this report is to describe trends in energy consumption in mainland Norway, with an emphasis on key trends within the largest consumer groups. We also explain common terms and concepts in the field of energy consumption. Finally, we look at forecasts for future energy consumption, produced by bodies outside NVE. Total final energy consumption in mainland Norway in 2009 was 207 TWh. The most important end-user groups are households, service industries, manufacturing industry and transport. In addition, the energy sector in mainland Norway consumed 15 TWh. Energy consumed in the energy sector is not considered as final consumption, as the energy is used to produce new energy products. The long-term trend in energy consumption in mainland Norway is that fuel in the transport sector and electricity for the energy sector increases, while energy consumption in other sectors flattens out. The main reason for an increased use of fuel in the transport sector is the rise in the number of motorised machinery and vehicles in mainland Norway. This has caused a rise in gasoline and diesel consumption of 75 per cent since 1976. The petroleum sector is the largest consumer of energy within the energy sector in mainland Norway, and electricity from onshore to platforms in the North Sea and to new shore side installations has led to a rise in electricity consumption from 1 TWh in 1995 to 5 TWh in 2009. The energy consumption in households showed flat trend from 1996 to 2009, after many years of growth. The main reasons are a warmer climate, higher energy prices, the use of heats pumps and more energy-efficient buildings. In the service industries, the growth in energy consumptions has slightly decreased since the late 1990s, for much the same reasons as for households. In manufacturing industries the energy consumption have flatten out mainly due to the closure of energy-intensive businesses and the establishment of new more energy-efficient businesses. Electricity is

Work-related consumption drivers and consumption at work

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Røpke, Inge

2004-01-01

The main message in this paper is that the discussion on sustainable consumption should also incorporate the consumption that occurs in relation to work and, more generally, the relationship between consumption at work and consumption at home. I start by considering how domestic consumption...... is encouraged by work-related factors and continue to consider how consumption activities occur in the workplace, so illustrating that production and consumption are intertwined. The main part of the paper deals in detail with the conceptual distinction between production and consumption. Inspiration is drawn...... from both ecology and economics with focus on some important predecessors for ecological economics. I conclude with reflections on how to proceed with consumption studies to provide the basis for promoting more sustainable life patterns....

Power consumption monitoring using additional monitoring device

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Truşcă, M. R. C., E-mail: radu.trusca@itim-cj.ro; Albert, Ş., E-mail: radu.trusca@itim-cj.ro; Tudoran, C., E-mail: radu.trusca@itim-cj.ro; Soran, M. L., E-mail: radu.trusca@itim-cj.ro; Fărcaş, F., E-mail: radu.trusca@itim-cj.ro [National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, 65-103 Donath, 400293 Cluj-Napoca (Romania); Abrudean, M. [Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca (Romania)

2013-11-13

Today, emphasis is placed on reducing power consumption. Computers are large consumers; therefore it is important to know the total consumption of computing systems. Since their optimal functioning requires quite strict environmental conditions, without much variation in temperature and humidity, reducing energy consumption cannot be made without monitoring environmental parameters. Thus, the present work uses a multifunctional electric meter UPT 210 for power consumption monitoring. Two applications were developed: software which carries meter readings provided by electronic and programming facilitates remote device and a device for temperature monitoring and control. Following temperature variations that occur both in the cooling system, as well as the ambient, can reduce energy consumption. For this purpose, some air conditioning units or some computers are stopped in different time slots. These intervals were set so that the economy is high, but the work's Datacenter is not disturbed.

The Consumption of Bicarbonate-Rich Mineral Water Improves Glycemic Control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shinnosuke Murakami

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Hot spring water and natural mineral water have been therapeutically used to prevent or improve various diseases. Specifically, consumption of bicarbonate-rich mineral water (BMW has been reported to prevent or improve type 2 diabetes (T2D in humans. However, the molecular mechanisms of the beneficial effects behind mineral water consumption remain unclear. To elucidate the molecular level effects of BMW consumption on glycemic control, blood metabolome analysis and fecal microbiome analysis were applied to the BMW consumption test. During the study, 19 healthy volunteers drank 500 mL of commercially available tap water (TW or BMW daily. TW consumption periods and BMW consumption periods lasted for a week each and this cycle was repeated twice. Biochemical tests indicated that serum glycoalbumin levels, one of the indexes of glycemic controls, decreased significantly after BMW consumption. Metabolome analysis of blood samples revealed that 19 metabolites including glycolysis-related metabolites and 3 amino acids were significantly different between TW and BMW consumption periods. Additionally, microbiome analysis demonstrated that composition of lean-inducible bacteria was increased after BMW consumption. Our results suggested that consumption of BMW has the possible potential to prevent and/or improve T2D through the alterations of host metabolism and gut microbiota composition.

Energy consumption and economic growth. Assessing the evidence from Greece

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hondroyiannis, George; Lolos, Sarantis; Papapetrou, Evangelia

2002-01-01

This paper attempts to shed light into the empirical relationship between energy consumption and economic growth, for Greece (1960-1996) employing the vector error-correction model estimation. The vector specification includes energy consumption, real GDP and price developments, the latter taken to represent a measure of economic efficiency. The empirical evidence suggests that there is a long-run relationship between the three variables, supporting the endogeneity of energy consumption and real output. These findings have important policy implications, since the adoption of suitable structural policies aiming at improving economic efficiency can induce energy conservation without impeding economic growth

Consumption bomb.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, P

1999-01-01

This article focuses on the issue of consumption in relation to the growing world population. Over the past 25 years, world population increased by 53%, while world consumption per person increased by only 39%. If consumption continues to grow at 1.4%, the world consumption per person will rise by 100% over the next 50 years with the population increasing by only half that amount. The burden of reducing the environmental impact brought about by this increase lies on technology. Technology needs to deliver major changes in improving resource productivity, and decreasing the amount of waste created. Productivity such as global food production has kept up with demand. Malnutrition persists due to poverty, and not because of the inability of the world to produce enough food. However, the prospects are much worse for resources that are not traded on markets or subject to sustainable management such as groundwater, state forests, ocean fish, and communal waste sinks like rivers, lakes, and the global atmosphere. These resources are not under the direct control of people affected by shortage. People who want to change the way these resources are used or managed have to pass through the legal or political system. Usually, political responses are slow and there has to be a very widespread environmental damage before action is taken.

Heavy Alcohol Consumption Effects on Blood Pressure and on Kidney Structure Persist After Long-Term Withdrawal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandra Leal

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims: Heavy ethanol consumption is a risk factor for hypertension and prompts organ damage. There is no information regarding the impact of long-term heavy ethanol consumption on kidney structure and function linking to their hypertensive effects nor the repercussions after withdrawal. Methods: Rats were exposed to ethanol for 24 weeks and, afterwards, a group was assigned to withdrawal for 8 weeks. Blood pressure (BP was measured and serum biochemical parameters were quantified. Glomerular volume density, areal density of glomerular tuft and renal corpuscles were determined. Angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R protein expression was evaluated. Results: Twenty-four weeks of ethanol consumption causes atrophy of renal corpuscles and glomeruli and reduces the volume of glomeruli. Glomerular changes induced by ethanol consumption were still evident after withdrawal. Renal AT1R levels were increased in ethanol-treated rats and returned to control levels during withdrawal. Ethanol consumption also induced an increase in BP, uric acid and albumin levels. Upon withdrawal, systolic and mean arterial pressures decreased, but were still higher than in controls rats. Conclusion: Ethanol consumption induces changes in glomerular morphology associated with increased BP and AT1R expression. Long-term withdrawal was inefficient to restore the structural integrity of renal corpuscles and in lowering systolic pressure.

The demand function for residential heat through district heating system and its consumption benefits in Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, Seul-Ye; Kim, Hyo-Jin; Yoo, Seung-Hoon

2016-01-01

The demand for residential heat (RH) through a district heating system (DHS) has been and will be expanded in Korea due to its better performance in energy efficiency and the abatement of greenhouse gas emissions than decentralized boilers. The purposes of this paper are two-fold. The first is to obtain the demand function for DHS-based RH in Korea and investigate the price and income elasticities of the demand employing the quarterly data covering the period 1988–2013. The short-run price and income elasticities are estimated as −0.700 and 0.918, respectively. Moreover, the long-run elasticities are −1.253 and 1.642, respectively. The second purpose is to measure the consumption benefits of DHS-based-RH employing the economic theory that they are the sum of the actual payment and consumer surplus for the consumption. Considering that the average price and estimated consumer surplus of the DHS-based RH use in 2013 are computed to be KRW 87,870 (USD 84.1) and KRW 62,764 (USD 60.1) per Gcal, the consumption benefits of the DHS-based RH are calculated to be KRW 150,634 (USD 144.2) per Gcal. This information can be beneficially utilized to conduct an economic feasibility study for a new DHS project related to RH supply. - Highlights: • Demand for residential heat (RH) from district heating system (DHS) is expanding. • We estimate the demand function for and consumption benefits of DHS-based RH. • Short-run price and income elasticities are −0.700 and 0.918, respectively. • Long-run price and income elasticities are −1.253 and 1.642, respectively. • Consumption benefits of DHS-based RH are KRW 150,634 (USD 144.2) per Gcal.

Apparent Consumption vs. Total Consumption--A Lead-Acid Battery Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Wilburn, David R.; Buckingham, David A.

2006-01-01

Introduction: This report compares estimates of U.S. apparent consumption of lead with estimates of total U.S. consumption of this mineral commodity from a materials flow perspective. The difference, attributed to the amount of lead contained in imported and exported products, was found to be significant for this sector. The study also assesses the effects of including mineral commodities incorporated in manufactured products on the interpretation of observed trends in minerals consumption and trade. Materials flow is a systems approach to understanding what happens to the materials we use from the time a material is extracted, through its processing and manufacturing, to its ultimate disposition. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provides accurate and detailed mineral production and mineral commodity consumption statistics that are essential for government, nongovernment organizations, and the public to gain a better understanding of how and where materials are used and their effect on the environment and society. Published statistics on mineral apparent consumption are limited to estimates of consumption of raw material forms (ore, concentrate, and [or] refined metal). For this study, apparent consumption is defined as mine production + secondary refined production + imports (concentrates and refined metal) ? exports (concentrates and refined metal) + adjustments for government and industry stock changes. These estimates do not account for the amount of mineral commodities contained in manufactured products that are imported to the United States, nor do they deduct the amount of these mineral commodities contained in manufactured products that are exported from the United States. When imports or exports of manufactured products contribute significantly to the total use of a particular raw material, an estimate of consumption that does not consider the incorporated forms of these mineral commodities within imported or exported manufactured products can be either

The dynamics of oil consumption and economic growth in Malaysia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Sun-Young; Yoo, Seung-Hoon

2014-01-01

This study attemps to investiagte the causal relationship between oil consumption and economic growth in Malaysia where oil consumption and real gross domestic product have been rapidly increased in recent years. To this end, the study employs annual data covering the period 1965–2011. Tests for unit roots, co-integration, and Granger-causality based on the error-correction models are presented. The overall results support the existence of bi-directional causality between oil consumption and economic growth in Malaysia. This means that an increase in oil consumption directly affect economic growth. Thus, in order not to make an adverse effect on economic growth, Malaysia should endeavor to overcome the constraints on oil consumption. Moreover, it appears that economic growth induces oil consumption. - Highlights: • We examine the causality between oil consumption and economic growth in Malaysia. • We employed the annual data covering the period 1965–2011. • We estimated error-correction models to test for the direction of causality. • We found that there is bi-directional causality between the two

Fermentable carbohydrate dietary consumption measured by a cariogenicity scoring system and caries experience in youth and adults

OpenAIRE

Giacaman, Rodrigo A; Fernández, Constanza E; Díaz S, Nora

2012-01-01

Aim: To evaluate if dietary fermentable carbohydrate consumption associates with caries experience of youths and adults when assessed by a scoring system of putative cariogenicity of the foods. Methods: Two hundred and seventy five subjects (12 to 67 years-old) were examined to assess caries experience by the DMFT Index (decay missing and filled teeth) and radiographs. Subjects filled a weekly diet diary registering the type, frequency and time of consumption of foods. An arbitrary scoring sy...

GIP receptor antagonism reverses obesity, insulin resistance, and associated metabolic disturbances induced in mice by prolonged consumption of high-fat diet

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McClean, Paula L; Irwin, Nigel; Cassidy, Roslyn S

2007-01-01

The gut hormone gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) plays a key role in glucose homeostasis and lipid metabolism. This study investigated the effects of administration of a stable and specific GIP receptor antagonist, (Pro(3))GIP, in mice previously fed a high-fat diet for 160 days to induce...... obesity and related diabetes. Daily intraperitoneal injection of (Pro(3))GIP over 50 days significantly decreased body weight compared with saline-treated controls, with a modest increase in locomotor activity but no change of high-fat diet intake. Plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin, and pancreatic......))GIP concentrations peaked rapidly and remained elevated 24 h after injection. These data indicate that GIP receptor antagonism using (Pro(3))GIP provides an effective means of countering obesity and related diabetes induced by consumption of a high-fat, energy-rich diet....

Modeling electric load and water consumption impacts from an integrated thermal energy and rainwater storage system for residential buildings in Texas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Upshaw, Charles R.; Rhodes, Joshua D.; Webber, Michael E.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Hydronic integrated rainwater thermal storage (ITHERST) system concept presented. • ITHERST system modeled to assess peak electric load shifting and water savings. • Case study shows 75% peak load reduction and 9% increase in energy consumption. • Potable rainwater collection could provide ∼50–90% of water used for case study. - Abstract: The United States’ built environment is a significant direct and indirect consumer of energy and water. In Texas, and other parts of the Southern and Western US, air conditioning loads, particularly from residential buildings, contribute significantly to the peak electricity load on the grid, straining transmission. In parallel, water resources in these regions are strained by growing populations and shrinking supplies. One potential method to address both of these issues is to develop integrated thermal energy and auxiliary water (e.g. rainwater, greywater, etc.) storage and management systems that reduce peak load and freshwater consumption. This analysis focuses on a proposed integrated thermal energy and rainwater storage (ITHERST) system that is incorporated into a residential air-source chiller/heat pump with hydronic distribution. This paper describes a step-wise hourly thermodynamic model of the thermal storage system to assess on-peak performance, and a daily volume-balance model of auxiliary water collection and consumption to assess water savings potential. While the model is generalized, this analysis uses a case study of a single family home in Austin, Texas to illustrate its capabilities. The results indicate this ITHERST system could reduce on-peak air conditioning electric power demand by over 75%, with increased overall electric energy consumption of approximately 7–9%, when optimally sized. Additionally, the modeled rainwater collection reduced municipal water consumption by approximately 53–89%, depending on the system size.

Four-Week Consumption of Malaysian Honey Reduces Excess Weight Gain and Improves Obesity-Related Parameters in High Fat Diet Induced Obese Rats

OpenAIRE

Suhana Samat; Francis Kanyan Enchang; Fuzina Nor Hussein; Wan Iryani Wan Ismail

2017-01-01

Many studies revealed the potential of honey consumption in controlling obesity. However, no study has been conducted using Malaysian honey. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of two local Malaysian honey types: Gelam and Acacia honey in reducing excess weight gain and other parameters related to obesity. The quality of both honey types was determined through physicochemical analysis and contents of phenolic and flavonoid. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were induced to become obese using h...

Tomato Juice Consumption Modifies the Urinary Peptide Profile in Sprague-Dawley Rats with Induced Hepatic Steatosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gala Martín-Pozuelo

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD is the most common liver disorder in Western countries, with a high prevalence, and has been shown to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD, etc. Tomato products contain several natural antioxidants, including lycopene—which has displayed a preventive effect on the development of steatosis and CVD. Accordingly, the aim of the present work was to evaluate the effect of tomato juice consumption on the urinary peptide profile in rats with NAFLD induced by an atherogenic diet and to identify potential peptide biomarkers for diagnosis. Urine samples, collected weekly for four weeks, were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis (CE coupled to a mass spectrometer (MS. A partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA was carried out to explore the association between differential peptides and treatments. Among the 888 peptides initially identified, a total of 55 were obtained as potential biomarkers. Rats with steatosis after tomato juice intake showed a profile intermediate between that of healthy rats and that of rats with induced hepatic steatosis. Accordingly, tomato products could be considered as a dietary strategy for the impairment of NAFLD, although further research should be carried out to develop a specific biomarkers panel for NAFLD.

Tomato Juice Consumption Modifies the Urinary Peptide Profile in Sprague-Dawley Rats with Induced Hepatic Steatosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Martín-Pozuelo, Gala; González-Barrio, Rocío; Barberá, Gonzalo G; Albalat, Amaya; García-Alonso, Javier; Mullen, William; Mischak, Harald; Periago, María Jesús

2016-10-26

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disorder in Western countries, with a high prevalence, and has been shown to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), etc. Tomato products contain several natural antioxidants, including lycopene-which has displayed a preventive effect on the development of steatosis and CVD. Accordingly, the aim of the present work was to evaluate the effect of tomato juice consumption on the urinary peptide profile in rats with NAFLD induced by an atherogenic diet and to identify potential peptide biomarkers for diagnosis. Urine samples, collected weekly for four weeks, were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis (CE) coupled to a mass spectrometer (MS). A partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was carried out to explore the association between differential peptides and treatments. Among the 888 peptides initially identified, a total of 55 were obtained as potential biomarkers. Rats with steatosis after tomato juice intake showed a profile intermediate between that of healthy rats and that of rats with induced hepatic steatosis. Accordingly, tomato products could be considered as a dietary strategy for the impairment of NAFLD, although further research should be carried out to develop a specific biomarkers panel for NAFLD.

Consumption of clarified grapefruit juice ameliorates high-fat diet induced insulin resistance and weight gain in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Chudnovskiy, Rostislav; Thompson, Airlia; Tharp, Kevin; Hellerstein, Marc; Napoli, Joseph L; Stahl, Andreas

2014-01-01

To determine the metabolic effects of grapefruit juice consumption we established a model in which C57Bl/6 mice drank 25-50% sweetened GFJ, clarified of larger insoluble particles by centrifugation (cGFJ), ad libitum as their sole source of liquid or isocaloric and sweetened water. cGFJ and control groups consumed similar amounts of liquids and calories. Mice fed a high-fat diet and cGFJ experienced a 18.4% decrease in weight, a 13-17% decrease in fasting blood glucose, a three-fold decrease in fasting serum insulin, and a 38% decrease in liver triacylglycerol values, compared to controls. Mice fed a low-fat diet that drank cGFJ experienced a two-fold decrease in fasting insulin, but not the other outcomes observed with the high-fat diet. cGFJ consumption decreased blood glucose to a similar extent as the commonly used anti-diabetic drug metformin. Introduction of cGFJ after onset of diet-induced obesity also reduced weight and blood glucose. A bioactive compound in cGFJ, naringin, reduced blood glucose and improved insulin tolerance, but did not ameliorate weight gain. These data from a well-controlled animal study indicate that GFJ contains more than one health-promoting neutraceutical, and warrant further studies of GFJ effects in the context of obesity and/or the western diet.

Alcohol consumption negates estrogen-mediated myocardial repair in ovariectomized mice by inhibiting endothelial progenitor cell mobilization and function.

Science.gov (United States)

Mackie, Alexander R; Krishnamurthy, Prasanna; Verma, Suresh K; Thorne, Tina; Ramirez, Veronica; Qin, Gangjian; Abramova, Tatiana; Hamada, Hiromichi; Losordo, Douglas W; Kishore, Raj

2013-06-21

We have shown previously that estrogen (estradiol, E2) supplementation enhances voluntary alcohol consumption in ovariectomized female rodents and that increased alcohol consumption impairs ischemic hind limb vascular repair. However, the effect of E2-induced alcohol consumption on post-infarct myocardial repair and on the phenotypic/functional properties of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) is not known. Additionally, the molecular signaling of alcohol-estrogen interactions remains to be elucidated. This study examined the effect of E2-induced increases in ethanol consumption on post-infarct myocardial function/repair. Ovariectomized female mice, implanted with 17β-E2 or placebo pellets were given access to alcohol for 6 weeks and subjected to acute myocardial infarction. Left ventricular functions were consistently depressed in mice consuming ethanol compared with those receiving only E2. Alcohol-consuming mice also displayed significantly increased infarct size and reduced capillary density. Ethanol consumption also reduced E2-induced mobilization and homing of EPCs to injured myocardium compared with the E2-alone group. In vitro, exposure of EPCs to ethanol suppressed E2-induced proliferation, survival, and migration and markedly altered E2-induced estrogen receptor-dependent cell survival signaling and gene expression. Furthermore, ethanol-mediated suppression of EPC biology was endothelial nitric oxide synthase-dependent because endothelial nitric oxide synthase-null mice displayed an exaggerated response to post-acute myocardial infarction left ventricular functions. These data suggest that E2 modulation of alcohol consumption, and the ensuing EPC dysfunction, may negatively compete with the beneficial effects of estrogen on post-infarct myocardial repair.

Dynamic programming for reduction of fuel consumption in a photovoltaic/wind/diesel generating system; Doteki keikakuho ni yoru taiyoko/furyoku/diesel hatsuden system no nenryo shohiryo no sakugen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ishikawa, K.; Kenmoku, Y.; Sakakibara, T. [Toyohashi University of Technology, Aichi (Japan); Nakagawa, S. [Maizuru National College of Technology, Kyoto (Japan); Kawamoto, T. [Shizuoka University, Shizuoka (Japan)

1997-11-25

Dynamic programming is employed in the study of the operation of the diesel engine in a photovoltaic/wind-force/diesel-engine power generating system, which aims at reduction in the system fuel consumption and at determining an optimum system constitution. The parameters set in this system are the photovoltaic/wind-force supply rate, photovoltaic/wind-force power generation ratio, and battery capacity. An island in Ise Bay, with an annual load power of approximately 1.59-million kWh and mean daily load power of approximately 4336kWh is assumed as the location for the system. Observation data of Ommaezaki Weather Station are utilized for the calculation of the amount of photovoltaic/wind-force power generation. It is found as the result that the fuel consumption of the diesel engine in this system decreases to 82-84% when the natural energy supply rate is 20%. It is also found that the fuel consumption of the system records the minimum at a photovoltaic/wind-force ratio of 60/40, irrespective of the battery capacity or natural energy supply rate, and this ratio is the optimum ratio. 3 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab.

Alcohol consumption during adolescence: A link between mitochondrial damage and ethanol brain intoxication.

Science.gov (United States)

Tapia-Rojas, Cheril; Mira, Rodrigo G; Torres, Angie K; Jara, Claudia; Pérez, María José; Vergara, Erick H; Cerpa, Waldo; Quintanilla, Rodrigo A

2017-12-01

Adolescence is a period of multiple changes where social behaviors influence interpersonal-relations. Adolescents live new experiences, including alcohol consumption which has become an increasing health problem. The age of onset for consumption has declined in the last decades, and additionally, the adolescents now uptake greater amounts of alcohol per occasion. Alcohol consumption is a risk factor for accidents, mental illnesses or other pathologies, as well as for the appearance of addictions, including alcoholism. An interesting topic to study is the damage that alcohol induces on the central nervous system (CNS) in the young population. The brain undergoes substantial modifications during adolescence, making brain cells more vulnerable to the ethanol toxicity. Over the last years, the brain mitochondria have emerged as a cell organelle which is particularly susceptible to alcohol. Mitochondria suffer severe alterations which can be exacerbated if the amount of alcohol or the exposure time is increased. In this review, we focus on the changes that the adolescent brain undergoes after drinking, placing particular emphasis on mitochondrial damage and their consequences against brain function. Finally, we propose the mitochondria as an important mediator in alcohol toxicity and a potential therapeutic target to reduce or treat brain conditions associated with excessive alcohol consumption. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A study of the prebiotic-like effects of tomato juice consumption in rats with diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Science.gov (United States)

García-Alonso, F J; González-Barrio, R; Martín-Pozuelo, G; Hidalgo, N; Navarro-González, I; Masuero, D; Soini, E; Vrhovsek, U; Periago, M J

2017-10-18

Gut microbiota may play a role in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. We investigated whether tomato juice consumption for 5 weeks could ameliorate high-fat diet-induced alterations in certain intestinal bacterial groups and products arising from their metabolism (short-chain fatty acids and microbial phenolic catabolites). For this, we used a rat model with NAFLD induced by a high-fat diet, involving four experimental groups: NA (standard diet and water), NL (standard diet and tomato juice), HA (high-fat diet and water) and HL (high-fat diet and tomato juice). The onset of NAFLD impacted the gut microbiota profile, reducing the abundance of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus and increasing that of Enterobacteriaceae. Also, reduced concentrations of propionate, butyrate and phenolic catabolites and an increased acetate to propionate (Ac : Pr) ratio were observed. Tomato juice intake partially ameliorated high-fat diet-induced disturbances, particularly by increasing Lactobacillus abundance and diminishing the Ac : Pr ratio, suggesting a potential improvement of the metabolic pattern of NAFLD.

Projected energy and water consumption of Pacific Northwest irrigation systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

King, L. D.; Hellickson, M. L.; Schmisseur, W. E.; Shearer, M. N.

1978-10-01

A computer model has been developed to predict present and future regional water, energy, labor, and capital requirements of irrigated agricultural production in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. The energy requirements calculated were on-farm pumping, and total energies. Total energies are the combined energies of on-farm pumping, manufacture, and installation. Irrigation system selections and modifications were based on an economic analysis utilizing the following input parameters: water, energy, labor, and capital costs and requirements; groundwater and surface water pumping lifts; improved application efficiencies; and pumping plant efficiencies. Major conclusions and implications of this analysis indicate that: as water application efficiencies increases additional quantities of water will not become available to other users; an overall increase in water application efficiencies resulted in decreases in gross water applications and increases in overall on-farm pumping and total energy consumptions; more energy will be consumed as pumping and total energies than will be conserved through decreased diversion pumping energy requirements; pump-back and similar technologies have the potential of both increasing application efficiencies and energy conservation; and the interrelationships understood between applying water in quantities greater than required for crop consumptive use and leaching, and late season in-steam flow augmentation and/or aquifer recharge are not well understood, and sound policy decisions concerning agricultural use of water and energy cannot be made until these interrelationships are better understood.

Carbon emission, energy consumption and intermediate goods trade: A regional study of East Asia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Jingjing

2015-01-01

Using country level panel data from East Asia over the period 1998–2011, this paper examines the implications of international production fragmentation-induced intermediate goods trade on the link between energy consumption and carbon pollution. The paper focuses on the interaction effect between energy consumption and trade in intermediate goods on carbon emission. The empirical results presented suggest that international trade in intermediate goods decreases the positive impact on carbon emission of energy consumption. When compared with the trade in final goods, intermediate goods trade contributes to a greater decrease in carbon pollution resulting from energy consumption. These results confirm that the link between energy consumption and carbon pollution in East Asia is significantly affected by international production fragmentation-induced trade in intermediate goods. The results presented in this paper have some important policy implications. - Highlights: • This paper tests the role of intermediates trade in energy-development nexus. • Empirical study is based on data of East Asia. • International trade can reduce the carbon pollution caused by energy use. • Intermediates trade has higher moderating effect than non-intermediate trade.

Renal Oxidative Stress Induced by Long-Term Hyperuricemia Alters Mitochondrial Function and Maintains Systemic Hypertension

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Magdalena Cristóbal-García

2015-01-01

Full Text Available We addressed if oxidative stress in the renal cortex plays a role in the induction of hypertension and mitochondrial alterations in hyperuricemia. A second objective was to evaluate whether the long-term treatment with the antioxidant Tempol prevents renal oxidative stress, mitochondrial alterations, and systemic hypertension in this model. Long-term (11-12 weeks and short-term (3 weeks effects of oxonic acid induced hyperuricemia were studied in rats (OA, 750 mg/kg BW, OA+Allopurinol (AP, 150 mg/L drinking water, OA+Tempol (T, 15 mg/kg BW, or vehicle. Systolic blood pressure, renal blood flow, and vascular resistance were measured. Tubular damage (urine N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase and oxidative stress markers (lipid and protein oxidation along with ATP levels were determined in kidney tissue. Oxygen consumption, aconitase activity, and uric acid were evaluated in isolated mitochondria from renal cortex. Short-term hyperuricemia resulted in hypertension without demonstrable renal oxidative stress or mitochondrial dysfunction. Long-term hyperuricemia induced hypertension, renal vasoconstriction, tubular damage, renal cortex oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction and decreased ATP levels. Treatments with Tempol and allopurinol prevented these alterations. Renal oxidative stress induced by hyperuricemia promoted mitochondrial functional disturbances and decreased ATP content, which represent an additional pathogenic mechanism induced by chronic hyperuricemia. Hyperuricemia-related hypertension occurs before these changes are evident.

Data Collection for Mobile Group Consumption: An Asynchronous Distributed Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weiping Zhu

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Mobile group consumption refers to consumption by a group of people, such as a couple, a family, colleagues and friends, based on mobile communications. It differs from consumption only involving individuals, because of the complex relations among group members. Existing data collection systems for mobile group consumption are centralized, which has the disadvantages of being a performance bottleneck, having single-point failure and increasing business and security risks. Moreover, these data collection systems are based on a synchronized clock, which is often unrealistic because of hardware constraints, privacy concerns or synchronization cost. In this paper, we propose the first asynchronous distributed approach to collecting data generated by mobile group consumption. We formally built a system model thereof based on asynchronous distributed communication. We then designed a simulation system for the model for which we propose a three-layer solution framework. After that, we describe how to detect the causality relation of two/three gathering events that happened in the system based on the collected data. Various definitions of causality relations based on asynchronous distributed communication are supported. Extensive simulation results show that the proposed approach is effective for data collection relating to mobile group consumption.

Data Collection for Mobile Group Consumption: An Asynchronous Distributed Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Weiping; Chen, Weiran; Hu, Zhejie; Li, Zuoyou; Liang, Yue; Chen, Jiaojiao

2016-04-06

Mobile group consumption refers to consumption by a group of people, such as a couple, a family, colleagues and friends, based on mobile communications. It differs from consumption only involving individuals, because of the complex relations among group members. Existing data collection systems for mobile group consumption are centralized, which has the disadvantages of being a performance bottleneck, having single-point failure and increasing business and security risks. Moreover, these data collection systems are based on a synchronized clock, which is often unrealistic because of hardware constraints, privacy concerns or synchronization cost. In this paper, we propose the first asynchronous distributed approach to collecting data generated by mobile group consumption. We formally built a system model thereof based on asynchronous distributed communication. We then designed a simulation system for the model for which we propose a three-layer solution framework. After that, we describe how to detect the causality relation of two/three gathering events that happened in the system based on the collected data. Various definitions of causality relations based on asynchronous distributed communication are supported. Extensive simulation results show that the proposed approach is effective for data collection relating to mobile group consumption.

Energy consumption for shortcuts to adiabaticity

Science.gov (United States)

Torrontegui, E.; Lizuain, I.; González-Resines, S.; Tobalina, A.; Ruschhaupt, A.; Kosloff, R.; Muga, J. G.

2017-08-01

Shortcuts to adiabaticity let a system reach the results of a slow adiabatic process in a shorter time. We propose to quantify the "energy cost" of the shortcut by the energy consumption of the system enlarged by including the control device. A mechanical model where the dynamics of the system and control device can be explicitly described illustrates that a broad range of possible values for the consumption is possible, including zero (above the adiabatic energy increment) when friction is negligible and the energy given away as negative power is stored and reused by perfect regenerative braking.

Microgradients of microbial oxygen consumption in a barley rhizosphere model system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Højberg, Ole; Sorensen, J.

1993-01-01

A microelectrode technique was used to map the radial distribution of oxygen concentrations and oxygen consumption rates around single roots of 7- day-old barley seedlings. The seedlings were grown in gel-stabilized medium containing a nutrient solution, a soil extract, and an inert polymer. Oxygen...... consumption by microbial respiration in the rhizosphere (30 mm from the root) was determined by using Fick's laws of diffusion and an analytical approach with curve fitting to measured microprofiles of oxygen concentration. A marked increase of microbial respiration...... was observed in the inner 0- to 3-mm-thick, concentric zone around the root (rhizosphere). The volume-specific oxygen consumption rate (specific activity) was thus 30 to 60 times higher in the innermost 0 to 0.01 mm (rhizoplane) than in the bulk medium. The oxygen consumption rate in the root tissue...

Diet induced thermogenesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Westerterp KR

2004-08-01

Full Text Available Objective Daily energy expenditure consists of three components: basal metabolic rate, diet-induced thermogenesis and the energy cost of physical activity. Here, data on diet-induced thermogenesis are reviewed in relation to measuring conditions and characteristics of the diet. Methods Measuring conditions include nutritional status of the subject, physical activity and duration of the observation. Diet characteristics are energy content and macronutrient composition. Results Most studies measure diet-induced thermogenesis as the increase in energy expenditure above basal metabolic rate. Generally, the hierarchy in macronutrient oxidation in the postprandial state is reflected similarly in diet-induced thermogenesis, with the sequence alcohol, protein, carbohydrate, and fat. A mixed diet consumed at energy balance results in a diet induced energy expenditure of 5 to 15 % of daily energy expenditure. Values are higher at a relatively high protein and alcohol consumption and lower at a high fat consumption. Protein induced thermogenesis has an important effect on satiety. In conclusion, the main determinants of diet-induced thermogenesis are the energy content and the protein- and alcohol fraction of the diet. Protein plays a key role in body weight regulation through satiety related to diet-induced thermogenesis.

Adolescents and electricity consumption; Investigating sociodemographic, economic, and behavioural influences on electricity consumption in households

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wallis, Hannah; Nachreiner, Malte; Matthies, Ellen

2016-01-01

With respect to changes in the energy systems of many countries, electricity consumption in households is an important topic. Extensive research has investigated the various determinants of electricity consumption. However, insights into how specific sociodemographic, behavioural, and attitudinal determinants influence residential electricity consumption are still scarce. In this study, we used hierarchical regression analysis to systematically investigate these determinants (including household engagement in electricity saving) along with a wide range of other measures in a sample of German households (N=763). Special attention was given to households with adolescents and children by analysing the influence of the number of adolescents on electricity consumption in a path model. Our results indicate that sociodemographic influences can be explained by the purchasing and use behaviours of residents. Our findings also suggest that the use of behavioural information provides a more detailed picture of the conditions of electricity consumption and thus allows for more appropriate policy planning. - Highlights: •We examined causal drivers of sociodemographic influences on electricity consumption •Sociodemographic influences can be explained by behaviour •Influence of adolescents is mediated by their purchases of IT appliances •It is necessary to also use behavioural information for policy planning

Measurement of forearm oxygen consumption

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Astrup, A; Simonsen, L; Bülow, J

1988-01-01

The classical forearm technique widely used for studies of skeletal muscle metabolism requires arterial cannulation. To avoid arterial puncture it is becoming more common to arterialize blood from a contralateral hand vein by local heating. This modification and the classical method have produced...... blood flow and decreases skeletal muscle blood flow. This facilitates mixing of superficial blood with deep venous blood. Contralateral heating increased deep venous oxygen saturation and abolished the pronounced glucose-induced increase in oxygen consumption observed in the control experiments after...... contradictory results regarding the contribution of skeletal muscle to glucose-induced thermogenesis. The effect on forearm circulation and the metabolism of heating the contralateral hand was examined before and after an oral glucose load. The results suggest that contralateral heating increases subcutaneous...

The analysis of energy consumption of a commercial building in Tianjin, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Jing; Zhu Neng; Wu Yong

2009-01-01

According to statistics and field investigation, the energy consumption situation and reality of commercial building is described in this paper. As the first step of large-scale public building energy efficiency supervision system encouraged by central government of China, the energy consumption of several typical commercial buildings and public buildings was analyzed in detail. The main contents of investigation are as follows: basic information of building, operational record of energy consumption equipment, energy consumption of indoor equipments, energy-efficiency assessment of energy consumption systems and equipments, investigation of behavior energy saving, etc. On this basis further analysis and diagnosis including indoor thermal and humid environment, operation state of air-conditioning water system, operation state of air-conditioning duct system and operation management of air-conditioning system were implemented. The results show that the most energy consumption of buildings in this city is commercial buildings, which can reach to about 240 W/m 2 per year. Further analysis tells that air conditioning systems play the major role of building energy consumption, and building energy saving has great potential in this city. In this paper, the ways of diagnosis work for building energy consumption are also described and discussed. Reasonable test, diagnosis and analysis are meaningful for building energy efficiency retrofit and management.

Control mechanisms for battery energy storage system performing primary frequency regulation and self-consumption optimization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pliatskas Stylianidis, A.

2016-01-01

This report contains the design of a model for the integration of a battery energy system in a household level and its use for primary frequency regulation and self-consumption optimization. The main goal of this project was to investigate what are the possible applications and the most suitable for

Increasing the flexibility of electricity consumption in private households

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tjørring, Lise; Jensen, Carsten Lynge; Hansen, Lars Gårn

2018-01-01

households received incentivized text messages, suggesting that they shift electricity consumption to certain hours of the day. The study shows that when text messages were sent to women, there was a significantly greater response than when they were sent to men. Based on qualitative in-depth interviews, we...... find that an important reason for this is gender difference in household work task responsibility. Our study suggests that incorporating knowledge about gendered practices when designing and targeting policies to change electricity consumption habits and induce flexibility could significantly increase...

Efficiency Assessment of the Power Supply System of an Industrial Enterprise Through the Assessment of the Modes of Electric Power Consumption

Science.gov (United States)

Miatishkin, Gennadii V.; Filinova, Anastasiia S.

2018-01-01

The paper reviews the terms of the rational consumption and distribution of the energy resources at an enterprise. The authors analyze the significance and the effect of the change of the profile of the energy consumption per hour by the enterprise. The text explores the factors influencing the discipline of the planned electricity and power consumption. The authors present a calculation of the weighted average deviations for consumers and the terms of their assessment. The authors make conclusions concerning the rationality of the means of defining the energy efficiency system through the assessment of the modes of electric energy consumption of an industrial enterprise.

Energy saving and consumption reducing evaluation of thermal power plant

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Xiu; Han, Miaomiao

2018-03-01

At present, energy saving and consumption reduction require energy saving and consumption reduction measures for thermal power plant, establishing an evaluation system for energy conservation and consumption reduction is instructive for the whole energy saving work of thermal power plant. By analysing the existing evaluation system of energy conservation and consumption reduction, this paper points out that in addition to the technical indicators of power plant, market activities should also be introduced in the evaluation of energy saving and consumption reduction in power plant. Ttherefore, a new evaluation index of energy saving and consumption reduction is set up and the example power plant is calculated in this paper. Rresults show that after introducing the new evaluation index of energy saving and consumption reduction, the energy saving effect of the power plant can be judged more comprehensively, so as to better guide the work of energy saving and consumption reduction in power plant.

Desining an Expert System for Analyzing the Energy Consumption Behavior of Employees in Organizations Using Rough Set Theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tooraj Karimi

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Understanding and changing the energy consumption behavior requires extensive knowledge about the motives of behavior. In this research, Rough Set Theory is used to investigate the energy consumption behavior of employees in organizations. So, thirteen condition attributes and a decision attribute are selected and the decision system is created. Condition attributes include demographic, values, attitudes and organizational characteristics of employees and decision attribute relates to energy consumption behavior. 482 employees are selected randomly from 37 office buildings of ministry of Petroleum and rough modeling are performed for them. By combining different methods of discretizing, reduction algorithms and rule generating, nine models are made using ROSETTA software. The results show that four of the 13 condition attributes, involving “organizational citizenship”, “satisfaction”, “attitude toward behavior” and “lighting control” are selected as the main features of the system. After cross validation of the various models, the model of manually discretizing using genetic algorithms and ORR approach to extract reducts has the most accuracy and selected as the most reliable model.

Chilean Strawberry Consumption Protects against LPS-Induced Liver Injury by Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Capability in Sprague-Dawley Rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sebastian Molinett

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The Chilean strawberry fruit has high content of antioxidants and polyphenols. Previous studies evidenced antioxidant properties by in vitro methods. However, the antioxidant effect and its impact as functional food on animal health have not been evaluated. In this study, rats were fed with a Chilean strawberry aqueous extract (4 g/kg of animal per day and then subjected to LPS-induced liver injury (5 mg/kg. Transaminases and histological studies revealed a reduction in liver injury in rats fed with strawberry aqueous extract compared with the control group. Additionally, white strawberry supplementation significantly reduced the serum levels and gene expression of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β cytokines compared with nonsupplemented rats. The level of F2-isoprostanes and GSH/GSSG indicated a reduction in liver oxidative stress by the consumption of strawberry aqueous extract. Altogether, the evidence suggests that dietary supplementation of rats with a Chilean white strawberry aqueous extract favours the normalization of oxidative and inflammatory responses after a liver injury induced by LPS.

Chilean Strawberry Consumption Protects against LPS-Induced Liver Injury by Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Capability in Sprague-Dawley Rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Molinett, Sebastian; Nuñez, Francisca; Moya-León, María Alejandra; Zúñiga-Hernández, Jessica

2015-01-01

The Chilean strawberry fruit has high content of antioxidants and polyphenols. Previous studies evidenced antioxidant properties by in vitro methods. However, the antioxidant effect and its impact as functional food on animal health have not been evaluated. In this study, rats were fed with a Chilean strawberry aqueous extract (4 g/kg of animal per day) and then subjected to LPS-induced liver injury (5 mg/kg). Transaminases and histological studies revealed a reduction in liver injury in rats fed with strawberry aqueous extract compared with the control group. Additionally, white strawberry supplementation significantly reduced the serum levels and gene expression of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β cytokines compared with nonsupplemented rats. The level of F2-isoprostanes and GSH/GSSG indicated a reduction in liver oxidative stress by the consumption of strawberry aqueous extract. Altogether, the evidence suggests that dietary supplementation of rats with a Chilean white strawberry aqueous extract favours the normalization of oxidative and inflammatory responses after a liver injury induced by LPS.

Forecasting building energy consumption with hybrid genetic algorithm-hierarchical adaptive network-based fuzzy inference system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Kangji [Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China); School of Electricity Information Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013 (China); Su, Hongye [Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China)

2010-11-15

There are several ways to forecast building energy consumption, varying from simple regression to models based on physical principles. In this paper, a new method, namely, the hybrid genetic algorithm-hierarchical adaptive network-based fuzzy inference system (GA-HANFIS) model is developed. In this model, hierarchical structure decreases the rule base dimension. Both clustering and rule base parameters are optimized by GAs and neural networks (NNs). The model is applied to predict a hotel's daily air conditioning consumption for a period over 3 months. The results obtained by the proposed model are presented and compared with regular method of NNs, which indicates that GA-HANFIS model possesses better performance than NNs in terms of their forecasting accuracy. (author)

Inconsistent Investment and Consumption Problems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kronborg, Morten Tolver; Steffensen, Mogens

2015-01-01

In a traditional Black–Scholes market we develop a verification theorem for a general class of investment and consumption problems where the standard dynamic programming principle does not hold. The theorem is an extension of the standard Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equation in the form of a system...... of non-linear differential equations. We derive the optimal investment and consumption strategy for a mean-variance investor without pre-commitment endowed with labor income. In the case of constant risk aversion it turns out that the optimal amount of money to invest in stocks is independent of wealth...... of future labor income net of consumption. Using the verification theorem we give a detailed analysis of this problem. It turns out that the optimal amount of money to invest in stocks is given by a linear function of wealth plus the financial value of future labor income net of consumption. The optimal...

Assessing the influence of the temporal resolution of electrical load and PV generation profiles on self-consumption and sizing of PV-battery systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beck, T.; Kondziella, H.; Huard, G.; Bruckner, T.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • MILP optimization model for operation and investment of PV-battery systems. • Use of high resolution (10 s) electrical household load and PV generation profiles. • Analysis of influence of temporal resolution on self-consumption and optimal sizing. • Electrical load profile characteristics influence required temporal resolution. - Abstract: The interest in self-consumption of electricity generated by rooftop photovoltaic systems has grown in recent years, fueled by decreasing levelized costs of electricity and feed-in tariffs as well as increasing end customer electricity prices in the residential sector. This also fostered research on grid-connected PV-battery storage systems, which are a promising technology to increase self-consumption. In this paper a mixed-integer linear optimization model of a PV-battery system that minimizes the total discounted operating and investment costs is developed. The model is employed to study the effect of the temporal resolution of electrical load and PV generation profiles on the rate of self-consumption and the optimal sizing of PV and PV-battery systems. In contrast to previous studies high resolution (10 s) measured input data for both PV generation and electrical load profiles is used for the analysis. The data was obtained by smart meter measurements in 25 different households in Germany. It is shown that the temporal resolution of load profiles is more critical for the accuracy of the determination of self-consumption rates than the resolution of the PV generation. For PV-systems without additional storage accurate results can be obtained by using 15 min solar irradiation data. The required accuracy for the electrical load profiles depends strongly on the load profile characteristics. While good results can be obtained with 60 s for all electrical load profiles, 15 min data can still be sufficient for load profiles that do not exhibit most of their electricity consumption at power levels above 2 k

Consumption of fuels and energy in the coking industry and ways of reducing consumption

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vasil' ev, Yu.S.; Tsel' ik, M.P.; Belkina, T.V. (Khar' kovskii Nauchno-Issledovatel' skii Uglekhimicheski Institut (USSR))

1989-08-01

Coking plants in the USSR consume 4,000 million kWh electric energy, 100 million GJ heat energy and 35,000 million m{sup 3} gaseous fuels per year. Structure of energy consumption is the following: 68% gaseous fuels, 24% steam and 8% electric energy. Processes of coal preparation, crushing, mixing, coking and quenching are analyzed from the point of view of energy consumption. The following methods for reducing energy consumption are discussed: using the FM-25 flotation machines for flotation of coking coal slurries, briquetting the whole coal charge for coking, optimization of air supply rates for combustion of gases used for coke oven heating, use of control systems for coke oven heating considering coal charge density, waste heat utilization from quenching. 4 refs.

Switching strategy between HP (high pressure)- and LPEGR (low pressure exhaust gas recirculation) systems for reduced fuel consumption and emissions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luján, José Manuel; Guardiola, Carlos; Pla, Benjamín; Reig, Alberto

2015-01-01

EGR (Exhaust gas recirculation) plays a major role in current Diesel internal combustion engines as a cost-effective solution to reduce NO_x emissions. EGR systems will suffer a significant evolution with the introduction of NO_x after-treatment and the proliferation of more complex EGR architectures such as low pressure EGR or dual EGR. In this paper the combination of HPEGR (high pressure EGR) LPEGR (low pressure EGR) is presented as a method to minimise fuel consumption with reduced NO_x emissions. Particularly, the paper proposes to switch between HPEGR and LPEGR architectures depending on the engine operating conditions in order to exploit the potential of both systems. In this sense, given a driving cycle, in the case at hand the NEDC, the proposed strategy seeks the EGR layout to use at each instant of the cycle to minimise the fuel consumption such that NO_x emissions are kept below a certain limit. The experimental results obtained show that combining both EGR systems sequentially along the NEDC allows to keep NO_x emission below a much lower limit with minimum fuel consumption. - Highlights: • The combination of HP–LPEGR reduces the NO_x with a small impact on consumption. • The switching strategy between HP – LPEGR is derived from Optimal Control Theory. • The proposed strategy is validated experimentally.

Policy Instruments for Sustainable Food Consumption

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reisch, Lucia; Lorek, Sylvia; Bietz, Sabine

The food policy domain highlights the complexity of the sustainability of food consumption. In addition to the ecological, social and economic aspects of food consumption, public health concerns are an integral factor in efforts to ensure the sustainable development of the food sector (Reisch et ...... with recommendations on actions that consumers (in their role as market actors and consumer citizens), NGOs, the media, the food industry, retailers and governments can take in a shared pursuit of more sustainable food consumption and production.......The food policy domain highlights the complexity of the sustainability of food consumption. In addition to the ecological, social and economic aspects of food consumption, public health concerns are an integral factor in efforts to ensure the sustainable development of the food sector (Reisch et al...... of the CORPUS project on sustainable food consumption. In general, governments trying to influence the sustainability of food systems have informationbased, market-based and regulatory instruments in their toolbox (Lorek et al., 2008). Their goal is to build a policy framework for appropriate action...

Railgun system using a laser-induced plasma armature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onozuka, M.; Oda, Y.; Azuma, K.

1996-01-01

Development of an electromagnetic railgun system that utilizes a laser-induced plasma armature formation has been conducted to investigate the application of the railgun system for high-speed pellet injection into fusion plasmas. Using the laser-induced plasma formation technique, the required breakdown voltage was reduced by one-tenth compared with that for the spark-discharged plasma. The railgun system successfully accelerated the laser-induced plasma armature by an electromagnetic force that accelerated the pellet. The highest velocity of the solid hydrogen pellets, obtained so far, was 2.6 km/sec using a 2m-long railgun. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics

Railgun system using a laser-induced plasma armature

Science.gov (United States)

Onozuka, Masanori; Oda, Yasushi; Azuma, Kingo

1996-05-01

Development of an electromagnetic railgun system that utilizes a laser-induced plasma armature formation has been conducted to investigate the application of the railgun system for high-speed pellet injection into fusion plasmas. Using the laser-induced plasma formation technique, the required breakdown voltage was reduced by one-tenth compared with that for the spark-discharged plasma. The railgun system successfully accelerated the laser-induced plasma armature by an electromagnetic force that accelerated the pellet. The highest velocity of the solid hydrogen pellets, obtained so far, was 2.6 km/sec using a 2m-long railgun.

Tomato consumption protected against gamma radiation–induced ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Microscopically, radiation induced histological alterations in the cerebellum, dentate gyrus and cornu ammonis 3. Co-treatment of radiation with TPP reduced the effect of radiation on the histological, haematological and, neurobehavioural alterations. In conclusion, Lycopersicon esculentum as tomato pomace powder ...

Examining the resilience of national energy systems: Measurements of diversity in production-based and consumption-based electricity in the globalization of trade networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kharrazi, Ali; Sato, Masahiro; Yarime, Masaru; Nakayama, Hirofumi; Yu, Yadong; Kraines, Steven

2015-01-01

Energy is a critical component of achieving sustainable development. In addition to the three aspects of promoting access, renewables, and efficiency, the dimension of resilience in energy systems should also considered. The implementation of resilient energy systems requires a quantitative understanding of the socio-economic practices underlying such systems. Specifically, in line with the increasing globalization of trade, there remains a critical knowledge gap on the link between embodied energy in the production and consumption of traded goods. To bridge this knowledge gap, we investigate the resilience of global energy systems through an examination of a diversity measure of global embodied electricity trade based on multi-regional input-output (MRIO) networks. The significance of this research lies in its ability to utilize high resolution MRIO data sets in assessing the resilience of national energy systems. This research indicates that secure and responsible consumption requires the diversification of not only energy generation but also energy imports. This research will lay the ground for further research in the governance of resilience in global energy networks. - Highlights: • We examine the resilience of global embodied energy based on (MRIO) trade networks. • We propose a secure and responsible mode of thinking for national energy consumption. • Secure & responsible consumption requires diversity in energy generation and imports.

Music increases alcohol consumption rate in young females.

Science.gov (United States)

Stafford, Lorenzo D; Dodd, Hannah

2013-10-01

Previous field research has shown that individuals consumed more alcohol and at a faster rate in environments paired with loud music. Theoretically, this effect has been linked to approach/avoidance accounts of how music influences arousal and mood, but no work has tested this experimentally. In the present study, female participants (n = 45) consumed an alcoholic (4% alcohol-by-volume) beverage in one of three contexts: slow tempo music, fast tempo music, or a no-music control. Results revealed that, compared with the control, the beverage was consumed fastest in the two music conditions. Interestingly, whereas arousal and negative mood declined in the control condition, this was not the case for either of the music conditions, suggesting a downregulation of alcohol effects. We additionally found evidence for music to disrupt sensory systems in that, counterintuitively, faster consumption was driven by increases in perceived alcohol strength, which, in turn, predicted lower breath alcohol level (BrAL). These findings suggest a unique interaction of music environment and psychoactive effects of alcohol itself on consumption rate. Because alcohol consumed at a faster rate induces greater intoxication, these findings have implications for applied and theoretical work. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Participation of the cholinergic system in the ethanol-induced suppression of paradoxical sleep in rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L.A. Papale

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Sleep disturbance is among the many consequences of ethanol abuse in both humans and rodents. Ethanol consumption can reduce REM or paradoxical sleep (PS in humans and rats, respectively. The first aim of this study was to develop an animal model of ethanol-induced PS suppression. This model administered intragastrically (by gavage to male Wistar rats (3 months old, 200-250 g 0.5 to 3.5 g/kg ethanol. The 3.5 g/kg dose of ethanol suppressed the PS stage compared with the vehicle group (distilled water during the first 2-h interval (0-2 h; 1.3 vs 10.2; P < 0.001. The second aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms by which ethanol suppresses PS. We examined the effects of cholinergic drug pretreatment. The cholinergic system was chosen because of the involvement of cholinergic neurotransmitters in regulating the sleep-wake cycle. A second set of animals was pretreated with 2.5, 5.0, and 10 mg/kg pilocarpine (cholinergic agonist or atropine (cholinergic antagonist. These drugs were administered 1 h prior to ethanol (3.5 g/kg or vehicle. Treatment with atropine prior to vehicle or ethanol produced a statistically significant decrease in PS, whereas pilocarpine had no effect on minutes of PS. Although the mechanism by which ethanol induces PS suppression is not fully understood, these data suggest that the cholinergic system is not the only system involved in this interaction.

Alternative futures for world cereal and meat consumption.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosegrant, M W; Leach, N; Gerpacio, R V

1999-05-01

Fundamental changes in the global structure of food demand will lead to an extraordinary increase in the importance of developing countries in global food markets. Economic growth in developing countries is changing consumption patterns, with slower growth (and in many countries actual declines) in per capita food consumption of grains and rapidly growing per capita and total meat consumption, combined with induced growth in cereal feed consumption. The present paper examines the hypothesis, suggested by some researchers, that high-meat diets in developed countries limit improvement in food security in developing countries. These analysts argue that reduced meat consumption in developed countries would release cereals from livestock feed to food for poorer populations, thus improving food security in developing countries. Using the International Food Policy Research Institute (Washington, DC, USA) global food projections model, the international model for policy analysis of agricultural commodities and trade (see Rosegrant et al. 1995), we first analyse the implications for future global cereal and meat supply and demand resulting from changes in global income, population growth and other structural changes, then simulate alternative scenarios to examine the effect of large reductions in meat consumption in developed countries on food consumption and food security in developing countries. The paper shows that while the long-term prospects for food supply, demand and trade indicate a strengthening of world cereal and livestock markets, the improvement in food security in the developing world will be slow, and changes in the dietary patterns in developed countries are not an effective route to improvement in food security in developing countries.

Tax Administration Systems and Tax Consciousness of Income Tax and Consumption Tax

OpenAIRE

横山, 直子

2015-01-01

Tax compliance costs of consumption tax are relatively high. Tax compliance costs for self-assessment taxpayers are high, and for withholding income taxpayers, the compliance costs are small. That is to say, characteristics of tax compliance costs for income tax and consumption tax are various. And also characteristics of tax consciousness for income tax and consumption tax are many and various. The features of this paper are to clarify characteristics of tax compliance costs and tax consciou...

Consumption Behavior Analytics-Aided Energy Forecasting and Dispatch

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Yingchen [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Yang, Rui [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Jiang, Huaiguang [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Zhang, Kaiqing [University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Zhang, Jun Jason [University of Denver

2017-08-17

For decades, electricity customers have been treated as mere recipients of electricity in vertically integrated power systems. However, as customers have widely adopted distributed energy resources and other forms of customer participation in active dispatch (such as demand response) have taken shape, the value of mining knowledge from customer behavior patterns and using it for power system operation is increasing. Further, the variability of renewable energy resources has been considered a liability to the grid. However, electricity consumption has shown the same level of variability and uncertainty, and this is sometimes overlooked. This article investigates data analytics and forecasting methods to identify correlations between electricity consumption behavior and distributed photovoltaic (PV) output. The forecasting results feed into a predictive energy management system that optimizes energy consumption in the near future to balance customer demand and power system needs.

Data Collection for Mobile Group Consumption: An Asynchronous Distributed Approach †

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Weiping; Chen, Weiran; Hu, Zhejie; Li, Zuoyou; Liang, Yue; Chen, Jiaojiao

2016-01-01

Mobile group consumption refers to consumption by a group of people, such as a couple, a family, colleagues and friends, based on mobile communications. It differs from consumption only involving individuals, because of the complex relations among group members. Existing data collection systems for mobile group consumption are centralized, which has the disadvantages of being a performance bottleneck, having single-point failure and increasing business and security risks. Moreover, these data collection systems are based on a synchronized clock, which is often unrealistic because of hardware constraints, privacy concerns or synchronization cost. In this paper, we propose the first asynchronous distributed approach to collecting data generated by mobile group consumption. We formally built a system model thereof based on asynchronous distributed communication. We then designed a simulation system for the model for which we propose a three-layer solution framework. After that, we describe how to detect the causality relation of two/three gathering events that happened in the system based on the collected data. Various definitions of causality relations based on asynchronous distributed communication are supported. Extensive simulation results show that the proposed approach is effective for data collection relating to mobile group consumption. PMID:27058544

Cause analysis and suggestion of urea consumption in denitrification system of coal-fired power plant

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xueying; Dong, Ruifeng; Guo, Yang; Wang, Fangfang; Yang, Shuo

2018-02-01

In the daily operation of many power plants, the urea consumption of denitration system is much more than normal. Therefore, the process of site testing and laboratory analysis are carried out. Several suggestions are given out. (1) The position of sampling hole on the exit flue of denitrification system should be redesigned. (2) The denitrification optimization and adjustment should be carried out based on the technical specifications for the operation system. (3) The flue gas CEMS system for single point sampling should be transformed into two or three point sampling mode. (4) When the coal - fired unit is shutting down, examine the ammonia injection and nozzle branch, in order to improve the operation reliability of denitration system.

Vehicle energy consumption - A contribution to the Coherent Energy and Environmental System Analysis (CEESA) project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schaltz, E.

2011-01-15

In this report simulation models of a Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) and a Fuel Cell Hybrid Electric Vehicle (FCHEV) have been developed. The models have two features: they both design the vehicles and calculates the energy consumption, efficiency, mass, volume, and cost due to a given drive cycle. The vehicles are designed to fulfill a drive cycle which consist of city, road, and motorway driving, as it is desired that the vehicles should have the same performance as traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. For this reason its also chosen to use a midsize car, i.e. a Toyota Avensis, as reference vehicle. The simulation models consist of several sub-models, which have been modeled by use of data sheets. The models have therefore not been verified be experimental results, which is strongly recommenced for future work. The energy consumption per km and efficiency are significant better for the BEV than for the FCHEV. The average energy consumption per km is 304.1 Wh/km and 635.7 Wh/km for the BEV and FCHEV, respectively. The average tank-to-wheel efficiency of the BEV and FCHEV are 54.0% and 23.4%, respectively. For the total car mass and cost and volume of the power system, the results are two-sided. For short distance the BEV is lighter, has smaller volume of the power system, and are cheaper than the FCHEV. However, when the traveling distance increases the difference becomes smaller, and at long distances the FCHEV are the lightest, smallest, and cheapest. (Author)

Railgun system using a laser-induced plasma armature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Onozuka, M.; Oda, Y.; Azuma, K. [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., 3-3-1, Minatomirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama 220-84 (Japan)

1996-05-01

Development of an electromagnetic railgun system that utilizes a laser-induced plasma armature formation has been conducted to investigate the application of the railgun system for high-speed pellet injection into fusion plasmas. Using the laser-induced plasma formation technique, the required breakdown voltage was reduced by one-tenth compared with that for the spark-discharged plasma. The railgun system successfully accelerated the laser-induced plasma armature by an electromagnetic force that accelerated the pellet. The highest velocity of the solid hydrogen pellets, obtained so far, was 2.6 km/sec using a 2m-long railgun. {copyright} {ital 1996 American Institute of Physics.}

Minimization of energy consumption in HVAC systems with data-driven models and an interior-point method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kusiak, Andrew; Xu, Guanglin; Zhang, Zijun

2014-01-01

Highlights: • We study the energy saving of HVAC systems with a data-driven approach. • We conduct an in-depth analysis of the topology of developed Neural Network based HVAC model. • We apply interior-point method to solving a Neural Network based HVAC optimization model. • The uncertain building occupancy is incorporated in the minimization of HVAC energy consumption. • A significant potential of saving HVAC energy is discovered. - Abstract: In this paper, a data-driven approach is applied to minimize energy consumption of a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system while maintaining the thermal comfort of a building with uncertain occupancy level. The uncertainty of arrival and departure rate of occupants is modeled by the Poisson and uniform distributions, respectively. The internal heating gain is calculated from the stochastic process of the building occupancy. Based on the observed and simulated data, a multilayer perceptron algorithm is employed to model and simulate the HVAC system. The data-driven models accurately predict future performance of the HVAC system based on the control settings and the observed historical information. An optimization model is formulated and solved with the interior-point method. The optimization results are compared with the results produced by the simulation models

Prospective cohort study of tea consumption and risk of digestive system cancers: results from the Shanghai Women's Health Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Nechuta, Sarah; Shu, Xiao-Ou; Li, Hong-Lan; Yang, Gong; Ji, Bu-Tian; Xiang, Yong-Bing; Cai, Hui; Chow, Wong-Ho; Gao, Yu-Tang; Zheng, Wei

2012-11-01

Data from in vitro and animal studies support a protective role for tea in the etiology of digestive system cancers; however, results from prospective cohort studies have been inconsistent. In addition, to our knowledge, no study has investigated the association of tea consumption with the incidence of all digestive system cancers in Chinese women. We investigated the association of regular tea intake (≥3 times/wk for >6 mo) with risk of digestive system cancers. We used the Shanghai Women's Health Study, a population-based prospective cohort study of middle-aged and older Chinese women who were recruited in 1996-2000. Adjusted HRs and associated 95% CIs were derived from Cox regression models. After a mean follow-up of 11 y, 1255 digestive system cancers occurred (stomach, esophagus, colorectal, liver, pancreas, and gallbladder/bile duct cancers) in 69,310 nonsmoking and non-alcohol-drinking women. In comparison with women who never drank tea, regular tea intake (mostly green tea) was associated with reduced risk of all digestive system cancers combined (HR: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.74, 0.98), and the reduction in risk increased as the amount and years of tea consumption increased (P-trend = 0.01 and P-trend digestive system cancers combined (HR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.63, 0.99). The inverse association was found primarily for colorectal and stomach/esophageal cancers. In this large prospective cohort study, tea consumption was associated with reduced risk of colorectal and stomach/esophageal cancers in Chinese women.

Flexible Energy Consumption in Smart House's

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Per Printz

2012-01-01

the consumer have to use the energy when it is available. The main electrical energy consumer in a modern society is buildings and private homes. The amount of electrical energy used in this sector is about 70% of the total electricity consumption. Because of that buildings and private homes has to play...... an automatic and inteligente house control system that maximize the consumption exibility based on the energy users behavior with out aection the living comfort. This behavior is of course dierent from household to household, because of that it is nessasary include an adaptive behavior prediction system...

Private electricity consumption on the rise -- the impact of networking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aebischer, B.; Huser, A.

2001-01-01

This article discusses the effect of the networking of the various devices to be found in the average home and the trend towards increased electricity consumption that will be brought about by 'intelligent' houses. Different scenarios for the increase in electricity consumption due to the increased use of multimedia systems - from the personal computer and mobile phones to hi-fi systems and the Internet are discussed. The contrasting tendencies noted in this area - such as, for example, the use of electricity to operate systems that are used to optimise and thus reduce electricity consumption in general are also discussed. Also, indirect energy-reduction effects in other areas - such as traffic reduction as a result of tele-working - are examined. Results of simulations and prognoses made concerning future trends for the electricity consumption of the various devices in homes are presented and recommendations are made on how to keep electricity consumption low when networking domestic apparatus

Research on DTX Technology and Power Consumption Performance of Mobile Communication Terminal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xie Shui Zhen

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In order to reduce the power consumption of GSM and TD-SCDMA mobile communication system terminal, the paper starts with DTX (Discontinuous Transmission technology of GSM and TD-SCDMA systems, offers a detailed analysis of the DTX’s function in optimizing power consumption of GSM and TDSCDMA mobile communication system terminal and reducing system interference, and verifies DTX’s positive role in reducing the power consumption of the mobile terminal by experiment.

On protection and operation of home consumption of large thermal and nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pospisil, J.

1988-01-01

The operating reliability of the system of home consumption is affected not only by the operating reliability of the equipment but also by the system of home consumption protection. The existing system of protection in Czechoslovakia and elsewhere and new concepts in the GDR and in Poland are described. In order to improve protection redundancy in the home consumption system, distance protection can be used. The reliability of the home consumption power supply system can be improved by the use of low-ohm grounding of the home consumption transformer or by an additional transformer and a protection system with time-graded overcurrent protection devices to the zero component of the current. (M.D.). 2 figs., 8 refs

Towards harmonized data interchange in food consumption data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pakkala, H.; Christensen, Tue; Presser, K.

2014-01-01

Food consumption data are collected and used in several fields of science. The data are often combined from various sources and interchanged between different systems. There is, however, no harmonized and widely used data interchange format. In addition, food consumption data are often combined w...... interchange format for food consumption based on work and experiences related to food composition.The aim is that the data interchange format will provide a basis for wider harmonization in the future.......Food consumption data are collected and used in several fields of science. The data are often combined from various sources and interchanged between different systems. There is, however, no harmonized and widely used data interchange format. In addition, food consumption data are often combined...... with other data such as food composition data. In the field of food composition, successful harmonization has recently been achieved by the European Food Information Resource Network, which is now the basis of a standard draft by the European Committee for Standardization. We present an XML-based data...

Technological Decision to Renewable Energy Usage Biogas for Off-grid Systems Consumption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zubkova Marina

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the results of the energy experiments based on electrochemical researches and the thermodynamic calculations, which are carried out on the hydrogenous fuel with the residual content of methane obtained from biogas selected organic waste. Energy indicators are examined in comparison to electrolysis hydrogen. The use of technical and electro physical indicators together with parameters of the fuel operating allowed assessing energy efficiency the module reformer - fuel cell running on a non-standard hydrogenous fuel. Numerical characteristic the efficiency of workflows fuel system reformer – fuel cell is about 39%. To operate the power installation with a predetermined capacity amount used of hydrogenous fuel is comparable to required electrolysis hydrogen amount. Shown the possibility of creation the systems of power supply based on new hydrogen technologies using renewable energy resources local waste. Confirms the relatively high efficiency the usage of hydrogenous fuel for the tasks of off-grid systems consumption.

Induced topological pressure for topological dynamical systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xing, Zhitao; Chen, Ercai

2015-01-01

In this paper, inspired by the article [J. Jaerisch et al., Stochastics Dyn. 14, 1350016, pp. 1-30 (2014)], we introduce the induced topological pressure for a topological dynamical system. In particular, we prove a variational principle for the induced topological pressure

Legal, technical and financial framework of photovoltaic self-consumption. German experience feedback

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Persem, Melanie

2014-01-01

This document presents some key information and figures about self-consumption from photovoltaic power plants and cogeneration plants in Germany: definition and regulatory conditions of self-consumption, share of self-consumption in the overall electricity consumption, legal aspects and feed-in tariffs, grid parity achievement and modification of the support system, financial incentives for households, tertiary sector and industry, legal aspects of direct consumption by third parties, opportunities and challenges of PV self-consumption, citizens and companies commitment in energy transition, technical challenges, impact on grid dimensioning, challenge of storage on electric system optimisation, economic impact and 'lack of solidarity', summary and recommendations

Inconsistent Investment and Consumption Problems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kronborg, Morten Tolver, E-mail: mtk@atp.dk [ATP (Danish Labour Market Supplementary Pension Scheme) (Denmark); Steffensen, Mogens, E-mail: mogens@math.ku.dk [University of Copenhagen, Department of Mathematical Sciences (Denmark)

2015-06-15

In a traditional Black–Scholes market we develop a verification theorem for a general class of investment and consumption problems where the standard dynamic programming principle does not hold. The theorem is an extension of the standard Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equation in the form of a system of non-linear differential equations. We derive the optimal investment and consumption strategy for a mean-variance investor without pre-commitment endowed with labor income. In the case of constant risk aversion it turns out that the optimal amount of money to invest in stocks is independent of wealth. The optimal consumption strategy is given as a deterministic bang-bang strategy. In order to have a more realistic model we allow the risk aversion to be time and state dependent. Of special interest is the case were the risk aversion is inversely proportional to present wealth plus the financial value of future labor income net of consumption. Using the verification theorem we give a detailed analysis of this problem. It turns out that the optimal amount of money to invest in stocks is given by a linear function of wealth plus the financial value of future labor income net of consumption. The optimal consumption strategy is again given as a deterministic bang-bang strategy. We also calculate, for a general time and state dependent risk aversion function, the optimal investment and consumption strategy for a mean-standard deviation investor without pre-commitment. In that case, it turns out that it is optimal to take no risk at all.

Inconsistent Investment and Consumption Problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kronborg, Morten Tolver; Steffensen, Mogens

2015-01-01

In a traditional Black–Scholes market we develop a verification theorem for a general class of investment and consumption problems where the standard dynamic programming principle does not hold. The theorem is an extension of the standard Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equation in the form of a system of non-linear differential equations. We derive the optimal investment and consumption strategy for a mean-variance investor without pre-commitment endowed with labor income. In the case of constant risk aversion it turns out that the optimal amount of money to invest in stocks is independent of wealth. The optimal consumption strategy is given as a deterministic bang-bang strategy. In order to have a more realistic model we allow the risk aversion to be time and state dependent. Of special interest is the case were the risk aversion is inversely proportional to present wealth plus the financial value of future labor income net of consumption. Using the verification theorem we give a detailed analysis of this problem. It turns out that the optimal amount of money to invest in stocks is given by a linear function of wealth plus the financial value of future labor income net of consumption. The optimal consumption strategy is again given as a deterministic bang-bang strategy. We also calculate, for a general time and state dependent risk aversion function, the optimal investment and consumption strategy for a mean-standard deviation investor without pre-commitment. In that case, it turns out that it is optimal to take no risk at all

Genetically Engineered Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 Synbiotics Reduce Metabolic Effects Induced by Chronic Consumption of Dietary Fructose.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chaudhari Archana Somabhai

Full Text Available To assess protective efficacy of genetically modified Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN on metabolic effects induced by chronic consumption of dietary fructose.EcN was genetically modified with fructose dehydrogenase (fdh gene for conversion of fructose to 5-keto-D-fructose and mannitol-2-dehydrogenase (mtlK gene for conversion to mannitol, a prebiotic. Charles foster rats weighing 150-200 g were fed with 20% fructose in drinking water for two months. Probiotic treatment of EcN (pqq, EcN (pqq-glf-mtlK, EcN (pqq-fdh was given once per week 109 cells for two months. Furthermore, blood and liver parameters for oxidative stress, dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia were estimated. Fecal samples were collected to determine the production of short chain fatty acids and pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ production.EcN (pqq-glf-mtlK, EcN (pqq-fdh transformants were confirmed by restriction digestion and functionality was checked by PQQ estimation and HPLC analysis. There was significant increase in body weight, serum glucose, liver injury markers, lipid profile in serum and liver, and decrease in antioxidant enzyme activity in high-fructose-fed rats. However the rats treated with EcN (pqq-glf-mtlK and EcN (pqq-fdh showed significant reduction in lipid peroxidation along with increase in serum and hepatic antioxidant enzyme activities. Restoration of liver injury marker enzymes was also seen. Increase in short chain fatty acids (SCFA demonstrated the prebiotic effects of mannitol and gluconic acid.Our study demonstrated the effectiveness of probiotic EcN producing PQQ and fructose metabolizing enzymes against the fructose induced hepatic steatosis suggesting that its potential for use in treating fructose induced metabolic syndrome.

A Budyko-type Model for Human Water Consumption

Science.gov (United States)

Lei, X.; Zhao, J.; Wang, D.; Sivapalan, M.

2017-12-01

With the expansion of human water footprint, water crisis is no longer only a conflict or competition for water between different economic sectors, but also increasingly between human and the environment. In order to describe the emergent dynamics and patterns of the interaction, a theoretical framework that encapsulates the physical and societal controls impacting human water consumption is needed. In traditional hydrology, Budyko-type models are simple but efficient descriptions of vegetation-mediated hydrologic cycle in catchments, i.e., the partitioning of mean annual precipitation into runoff and evapotranspiration. Plant water consumption plays a crucial role in the process. Hypothesized similarities between human-water and vegetation-water interactions, including water demand, constraints and system functioning, give the idea of corresponding Budyko-type framework for human water consumption at the catchment scale. Analogous to variables of Budyko-type models for hydrologic cycle, water demand, water consumption, environmental water use and available water are corresponding to potential evaporation, actual evaporation, runoff and precipitation respectively. Human water consumption data, economic and hydro-meteorological data for 51 human-impacted catchments and 10 major river basins in China are assembled to look for the existence of a Budyko-type relationship for human water consumption, and to seek explanations for the spread in the observed relationship. Guided by this, a Budyko-type analytical model is derived based on application of an optimality principle, that of maximum water benefit. The model derived has the same functional form and mathematical features as those that apply for the original Budyko model. Parameters of the new Budyko-type model for human consumption are linked to economic and social factors. The results of this paper suggest that the functioning of both social and hydrologic subsystems within catchment systems can be explored within

Simulation and analysis of the energy consumption of elevator systems; Simulation und Analyse des Energiebedarfs von Aufzugssystemen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pletschen, Ingo; Rohr, Stephan [ThyssenKrupp Aufzugswerke GmbH, Neuhausen a.d.F. (Germany); Kennel, Ralph [Technische Univ. Muenchen (Germany)

2011-07-01

Elevator systems would be in principal a good example for a perpetuum mobile. While lifting loads and persons electrical energy is converted into potential energy and reconverted later. In practice these conversions are however lossy. So the aim for high energy efficiency is to minimize these losses. However, as a travel of an elevator consists in main parts of acceleration and deceleration, the exclusive consideration of the efficiency during constant speed is not sufficient. Thus a simulation environment is introduced which reliably determines the elevators' energy consumption. The simulation is validated at an elevator afterwards the different influences on the energy consumption of elevators are analyzed. (orig.)

Critical and precious materials consumption and requirement in wind energy system in the EU 27

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Junbeum; Guillaume, Bertrand; Chung, Jinwook; Hwang, Yongwoo

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: Critical and precious materials requirement in the wind energy system in the EU 27 by 2020. - Highlights: • The critical and precious materials consumption were calculated in wind energy system in the EU 27. • The future requirement of critical and precious materials was estimated in the EU 27 by 2020. • Fluorspar, silver, magnesium, indium, gold and tantalum are the mainly used and required materials. • This research approach could be applied to other industrial sectors as well as other renewable technology. - Abstract: Critical materials as well as rare earth elements and precious metals such as platinum, gold and silver are used significantly for computer hard disk drives, mobile phones, hybrid electric vehicles, batteries, renewable energy system and many other applications. It is therefore important to quantify and estimate both current stocks and flows of such materials, as well as future requirement for industries and economies. In this study, which is focused on wind energy system in the European Union (EU) 27, the current consumption and future requirement of critical and precious materials were calculated and estimated using the wind power production dataset from ecoinvent and data from National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP). It is shown that fluorspar has been the most consumed material to date, and will probably be the most required material in the future. Among other critical and valuable materials, the main materials used for current wind energy system are silver, magnesium, indium, gold and tantalum. These materials will also be required significantly by 2020 for the wind energy system in the EU 27. It is argued that these results should be connected to the future energy and material policy and management

Nutritional status and food consumption in 10-11 year old Dutch boys (Dutch Nutrition Surveillance System)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Poppel, G.van.; Schneijder, P.; Löwik, M.R.H.; Schrijver, J.; Kok, F.J.

1991-01-01

As part of the Dutch Nutrition Surveillance System, cardiovascular risk factors and food consumption (24 h recall) as well as haematological, Fe and vitamin status (A, B6, C) were assessed in 126 Dutch boys aged 10-11 years (response 71%). Body mass index (BMI) and the sum of four skinfolds were

Self gift Giving: A New Widespread Consumption Culture

OpenAIRE

KAR, Yrd.Doç.Dr. Altan

2013-01-01

SUMMARY The meanings derived from consumption goods have an increasing impact on the psychological formation of individuals Hence to understand the complex nature of consumer behavior a multidisciplinary approach is needed Consumption goods become magical fetish objects which satisfy individual pleasures The gift in this concept becomes a token that the individual gives her himself and evolves from being a collective system to an individual form of consumption The aim of this study...

Influence of substrate composition on vitro oxygen consumption of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The endogenous oxygen consumption of lung, liver and spleen slices is only slightly increased by glucose in an SRP medium compared with its effect on heart and kidney slices. Individual substrates which induced a highly significant increase in oxygen uptake of lung tissue were succinate, acetate, pyruvate and glucose, ...

Effect of remifentanil on mitochondrial oxygen consumption of cultured human hepatocytes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siamak Djafarzadeh

Full Text Available During sepsis, liver dysfunction is common, and failure of mitochondria to effectively couple oxygen consumption with energy production has been described. In addition to sepsis, pharmacological agents used to treat septic patients may contribute to mitochondrial dysfunction. This study addressed the hypothesis that remifentanil interacts with hepatic mitochondrial oxygen consumption. The human hepatoma cell line HepG2 and their isolated mitochondria were exposed to remifentanil, with or without further exposure to tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α. Mitochondrial oxygen consumption was measured by high-resolution respirometry, Caspase-3 protein levels by Western blotting, and cytokine levels by ELISA. Inhibitory κBα (IκBα phosphorylation, measurement of the cellular ATP content and mitochondrial membrane potential in intact cells were analysed using commercial ELISA kits. Maximal cellular respiration increased after one hour of incubation with remifentanil, and phosphorylation of IκBα occurred, denoting stimulation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB. The effect on cellular respiration was not present at 2, 4, 8 or 16 hours of incubation. Remifentanil increased the isolated mitochondrial respiratory control ratio of complex-I-dependent respiration without interfering with maximal respiration. Preincubation with the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone prevented a remifentanil-induced increase in cellular respiration. Remifentanil at 10× higher concentrations than therapeutic reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP content without uncoupling oxygen consumption and basal respiration levels. TNF-α exposure reduced respiration of complex-I, -II and -IV, an effect which was prevented by prior remifentanil incubation. Furthermore, prior remifentanil incubation prevented TNF-α-induced IL-6 release of HepG2 cells, and attenuated fragmentation of pro-caspase-3 into cleaved active caspase 3 (an early marker of apoptosis. Our data suggest that

Effect of alcohol consumption on whole-body protein turnover in healthy adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Wutzke, Klaus D; Krentz, Helga; Bruns, Gerrit

2011-03-01

The aim of the study was to investigate the whole-body protein turnover, either before or after continuous, moderate ethanol-induced oxidative stress by red wine consumption over a relatively short period in healthy volunteers. Ten healthy adults received an individual regular diet over 20 days. After 10 days, the subjects consumed 0.4 ml ethanol kg(-1) day(-1) as red wine together with dinner over a 10-day period. After 8 and 18 days, respectively, a (15)N-labelled yeast protein was administered in a dosage of 4.2 mg kg(-1) body weight. Urine and faeces were collected over 48 h, respectively. The (15)N-enrichment was measured by isotope ratio mass spectrometry, whereas the protein flux rates were calculated by a three-compartment model. The whole-body protein turnover without/with red wine consumption amounted to 3.73±0.6 and 3.49±0.6 g kg(-1) day(-1) (not significant), respectively. Moderate alcohol consumption does not induce significant short-term changes in the whole-body protein turnover of healthy adults.

Design and system developments of pulping and paper making equipment for reduction of energy consumption

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Panda, A.

1980-03-15

Due to unprecedented price rise of energy, acute shortages and uncertainties in securing new and reliable energy sources, continuous technological developments have been taking place in equipment and system design in the field of pulp and paper industry. The possibility of energy reduction in areas of pulping, bleaching and cleaning of pulp, black liquor evaporation, approach flow system and drying of paper are analyzed. Specific energy consumption in terms of both heat and electricity can be considerably reduced by adopting continuous pulping methods, incorporating new concepts of counter-current impregnation, cooking high heat diffusion washing and displacement bleaching. Use of cleaners based on improved design can reduce electric energy use considerably by cleaning pulp at higher consistency and at reduced reject rates without impairing cleaning efficiency. Pre-evaporation of spent liquor in vapor recompression evaporators and use of falling film evaporation for scale forming black liquors can reduce steam demand in evaporation. Specific steam demand in paper drying can be reduced by 6 to 10% using thermo-rings or by modifications of dryer inner surface. Effects of energy consumption by integration of pulp and paper mills and by implementation of effluent treatment program are indicated.

Binge Alcohol Exposure Transiently Changes the Endocannabinoid System: A Potential Target to Prevent Alcohol-Induced Neurodegeneration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel J. Liput

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Excessive alcohol consumption leads to neurodegeneration, which contributes to cognitive decline that is associated with alcohol use disorders (AUDs. The endocannabinoid system has been implicated in the development of AUDs, but little is known about how the neurotoxic effects of alcohol impact the endocannabinoid system. Therefore, the current study investigated the effects of neurotoxic, binge-like alcohol exposure on components of the endocannabinoid system and related N-acylethanolamines (NAEs, and then evaluated the efficacy of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH inhibition on attenuating alcohol-induced neurodegeneration. Male rats were administered alcohol according to a binge model, which resulted in a transient decrease in [3H]-CP-55,940 binding in the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus following two days, but not four days, of treatment. Furthermore, binge alcohol treatment did not change the tissue content of the three NAEs quantified, including the endocannabinoid and anandamide. In a separate study, the FAAH inhibitor, URB597 was administered to rats during alcohol treatment and neuroprotection was assessed by FluoroJade B (FJB staining. The administration of URB597 during binge treatment did not significantly reduce FJB+ cells in the entorhinal cortex or hippocampus, however, a follow up “target engagement” study found that NAE augmentation by URB597 was impaired in alcohol intoxicated rats. Thus, potential alcohol induced alterations in URB597 pharmacodynamics may have contributed to the lack of neuroprotection by FAAH inhibition.

Fluctuation-induced long-range interactions in polymer systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Semenov, A N; Obukhov, S P

2005-01-01

We discover a new universal long-range interaction between solid objects in polymer media. This polymer-induced interaction is directly opposite to the van der Waals attraction. The predicted effect is deeply related to the classical Casimir interactions, providing a unique example of universal fluctuation-induced repulsion rather than normal attraction. This universal repulsion comes from the subtracted soft fluctuation modes in the ideal counterpart of the real polymer system. The effect can also be interpreted in terms of subtracted (ghost) large-scale polymer loops. We establish the general expressions for the energy of polymer-induced interactions for arbitrary solid particles in a concentrated polymer system. We find that the correlation function of the polymer density in a concentrated solution of very long chains follows a scaling law rather than an exponential decay at large distances. These novel universal long-range interactions can be of importance in various polymer systems. We discuss the ways to observe/simulate these fluctuation-induced effects

Moderate Champagne consumption promotes an acute improvement in acute endothelial-independent vascular function in healthy human volunteers.

Science.gov (United States)

Vauzour, David; Houseman, Emily J; George, Trevor W; Corona, Giulia; Garnotel, Roselyne; Jackson, Kim G; Sellier, Christelle; Gillery, Philippe; Kennedy, Orla B; Lovegrove, Julie A; Spencer, Jeremy P E

2010-04-01

Epidemiological studies have suggested an inverse correlation between red wine consumption and the incidence of CVD. However, Champagne wine has not been fully investigated for its cardioprotective potential. In order to assess whether acute and moderate Champagne wine consumption is capable of modulating vascular function, we performed a randomised, placebo-controlled, cross-over intervention trial. We show that consumption of Champagne wine, but not a control matched for alcohol, carbohydrate and fruit-derived acid content, induced an acute change in endothelium-independent vasodilatation at 4 and 8 h post-consumption. Although both Champagne wine and the control also induced an increase in endothelium-dependent vascular reactivity at 4 h, there was no significant difference between the vascular effects induced by Champagne or the control at any time point. These effects were accompanied by an acute decrease in the concentration of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-9), a significant decrease in plasma levels of oxidising species and an increase in urinary excretion of a number of phenolic metabolites. In particular, the mean total excretion of hippuric acid, protocatechuic acid and isoferulic acid were all significantly greater following the Champagne wine intervention compared with the control intervention. Our data suggest that a daily moderate consumption of Champagne wine may improve vascular performance via the delivery of phenolic constituents capable of improving NO bioavailability and reducing matrix metalloproteinase activity.

Control Strategies to Reduce the Energy Consumption of Central Domestic Hot Water Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dentz, Jordan [The Levy Partnership, Inc., New York, NY (United States). Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions; Ansanelli, Eric [The Levy Partnership, Inc., New York, NY (United States). Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions; Henderson, Hugh [The Levy Partnership, Inc., New York, NY (United States). Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions; Varshney, Kapil [The Levy Partnership, Inc., New York, NY (United States). Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions

2016-06-23

Domestic hot water (DHW) heating is the second largest energy end use in U.S. buildings, exceeded only by space conditioning. Recirculation systems consisting of a pump and piping loop(s) are commonly used in multifamily buildings to reduce wait time for hot water at faucets; however, constant pumping increases energy consumption by exposing supply and return line piping to continuous heat loss, even during periods when there is no demand for hot water. In this study, ARIES installed and tested two types of recirculation controls in a pair of buildings in order to evaluate their energy savings potential. Demand control, temperature modulation controls, and the simultaneous operation of both were compared to the baseline case of constant recirculation. Additionally, interactive effects between DHW control fuel reductions and space conditioning (heating and cooling) were estimated in order to make more realistic predictions of the payback and financial viability of retrofitting DHW systems with these controls. Results showed that DHW fuel consumption reduced by 7% after implementing the demand control technique, 2% after implementing temperature modulation, and 15% after implementing demand control and temperature modulation techniques simultaneously; recirculation pump runtime was reduced to 14 minutes or less per day. With space heating and cooling interactions included, the estimated annual cost savings were 8%, 1%, and 14% for the respective control techniques. Possible complications in the installation, commissioning and operation of the controls were identified and solutions offered.

Control Strategies to Reduce the Energy Consumption of Central Domestic Hot Water Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dentz, Jordan; Ansanelli, Eric; Henderson, Hugh; Varshney, Kapil

2016-06-03

Domestic hot water (DHW) heating is the second largest energy end use in U.S. buildings, exceeded only by space conditioning. Recirculation systems consisting of a pump and piping loop(s) are commonly used in multifamily buildings to reduce wait time for hot water at faucets; however, constant pumping increases energy consumption by exposing supply and return line piping to continuous heat loss, even during periods when there is no demand for hot water. In this study, ARIES installed and tested two types of recirculation controls in a pair of buildings in order to evaluate their energy savings potential. Demand control, temperature modulation controls, and the simultaneous operation of both were compared to the baseline case of constant recirculation. Additionally, interactive effects between DHW control fuel reductions and space conditioning (heating and cooling) were estimated in order to make more realistic predictions of the payback and financial viability of retrofitting DHW systems with these controls. Results showed that DHW fuel consumption reduced by 7% after implementing the demand control technique, 2% after implementing temperature modulation, and 15% after implementing demand control and temperature modulation techniques simultaneously; recirculation pump runtime was reduced to 14 minutes or less per day. With space heating and cooling interactions included, the estimated annual cost savings were 8%, 1%, and 14% for the respective control techniques. Possible complications in the installation, commissioning and operation of the controls were identified and solutions offered.

Dynamic Characteristics of Flow Induced Vibration in a Rotor-Seal System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nan Zhang

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Flow induced vibration is an important factor affecting the performance of the rotor-seal system. From the point of view of flow induced vibration, the nonlinear models of the rotor-seal system are presented for the analysis of the fluid force, which is induced by the interaction between the unstable fluid flow in the seal and the vibrating rotor. The nonlinear characteristics of flow induced vibration in the rotor-seal system are analyzed, and the nonlinear phenomena in the unbalanced rotor-seal system are investigated using the nonlinear models. Various nonlinear phenomena of flow induced vibration in the rotor-seal system, such as synchronization phenomenon and amplitude mutation, are reproduced.

UVB-induced systemic immunosuppression: role of mast cells and histamine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hart, P.H.; Grimbaldeston, M.A.; Finlay-Jones, J.J.

1999-01-01

Full text: UVB radiation (290-320 nm) is immunosuppressive by multiple mechanisms allowing the outgrowth of UV-induced tumours in both mouse and man. Furthermore, patients with non-melanoma skin cancers have a higher risk of death from other cancers which could be explained by UV-induced immunomodulation. The mechanism(s) of suppression by UVB depend on whether the sensitising antigen is applied to the irradiated site ('local') or to non-irradiated sites ('systemic'). In the former, the activity of UV-induced TNFα is important as it affects the migration of Langerhans cells to draining lymph nodes. In contrast, histamine from dermal mast cells is critical to the early events by which UVB can suppress systemic immune responses. The prevalence of dermal mast cells in 7 strains and substrains of mice correlates directly with their susceptibility to UVB-induced systemic immunosuppression. Furthermore, mast cell depleted mice (Wf/Wf) are resistant to UVB-induced systemic immunomodulation. However, they become susceptible after reconstitution of the site to be irradiated with bone marrow derived mast cell precursors. The mice also gain susceptibility to cis-urocanic acid-induced systemic immunomodulation. There is considerable evidence that histamine is the mast cell product critical to downstream immunosuppressive events. Firstly, physiological concentrations of histamine suppress contact hypersensitivity responses. Secondly, histamine receptor antagonists halve UVB-induced systemic immunosuppression. Thirdly, mice with different UVB-susceptibilities are equally susceptible to histamine-induced immunosuppression, and finally, histamine can suppress contact hypersensitivity responses in Wf/Wf mice. We suggest that histamine may be immunomodulatory by multiple pathways. Histamine can induce the production of immunosuppressive prostanoids from keratinocytes. A lymphocyte-derived, histamine-induced suppressor factor was reported in the 1970's. More recently histamine has

Modeling temporal variations in global residential energy consumption and pollutant emissions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Han; Huang, Ye; Shen, Huizhong; Chen, Yilin; Ru, Muye; Chen, Yuanchen; Lin, Nan; Su, Shu; Zhuo, Shaojie; Zhong, Qirui; Wang, Xilong; Liu, Junfeng; Li, Bengang; Tao, Shu

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Space-for-time substitution was tested for seasonality of residential energy. • Regression models were developed to simulate global residential energy consumption. • Factors affecting the temporal trend in residential energy use were identified. • Climate warming will induce changes in residential energy use and emissions. - Abstract: Energy data are often reported on an annual basis. To address the climate and health impacts of greenhouse gases and air pollutants, seasonally resolved emissions inventories are needed. The seasonality of energy consumption is most affected by consumption in the residential sector. In this study, a set of regression models were developed based on temperature-related variables and a series of socioeconomic parameters to quantify global electricity and fuel consumption for the residential sector. The models were evaluated against observations and applied to simulate monthly changes in residential energy consumption and the resultant emissions of air pollutants. Changes in energy consumption are strongly affected by economic prosperity and population growth. Climate change, electricity prices, and urbanization also affect energy use. Climate warming will cause a net increase in electricity consumption and a decrease in fuel consumption by the residential sector. Consequently, emissions of CO_2, SO_2, and Hg are predicted to decrease, while emissions of incomplete combustion products are expected to increase. These changes vary regionally.

Bus fuel consumption model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zargari, S.A. [Iran Univ. of Science and Technology, Teheran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Khan, A.M. [Carleton Univ., Ottawa, ON (Canada). Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering

2000-07-01

The interest in rapid bus transit has increased sharply with the realization that modern metropolitan areas rely on public transit to provide for strong economies and communities. As a prevention tool against traffic congestion, deteriorating air quality and rising greenhouse gas emissions, this study of bus fuel consumption was designed to assist in the planning and management of rapid bus transit. The Australian Road Research Board's (ARRB) Road Fuel Consumption Model was used as a starting point. The estimations required were realized with the help of Newtonian Mechanics. The four states of vehicular traffic were examined: acceleration, cruise, deceleration, and idle. The estimated total power required from the engine to overcome resistance forces, to run vehicle accessories and overcome internal engine friction was calculated. The data for the standard and articulated bus was obtained from OC Transpo in Ottawa. The study permitted the authors to conclude that the estimations for the parameters for power requirements and fuel consumption for heavy duty vehicles are appropriate. The methodology for the estimation of fuel consumption on the Transitway, which is part of the rapid bus transit system, proved adequate. In addition, the methodology was useful to estimate fuel savings resulting from demand management strategies with potential for modal shift. 9 refs., 6 tabs.

FINANCIAL RISK IN CREDITS TO THE CONSUMPTION OF THE VENEZUELAN BANKING SYSTEM 2008-2015

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Manuel Díaz

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The objective of this research was to analyze the financial risk in the consumption credits of the banking system of Venezuela between 2008-2015. The theoretical support was made based on Cóndor & Cajamarca (2014, monitoring credit risk is essential to preserve the stability of the financial system. The type of research was descriptive with a longitudinal trend design. Consumer loans accounted for 21% of the banking economy; these loans grew at an annual average of 17%, the delinquency and total portfolio coverage indicators showed a downward trend. This shows that the profile of potential borrowers by banks has been successful.

Sustainable Innovation in Network-Bound Systems: Implications for the Consumption of Water, Waste Water and Electricity Services

OpenAIRE

Vliet, van, B.J.M.

2012-01-01

Network-bound systems are crucial in environmental governance as the usage of their services embody significant environmental impacts. Conditions for network-bound systems providing services to consumers have altered dramatically over the last decades. Liberalization and privatization have led to a differentiation in providers, technologies, products and services, very a-typical for sectors that were formerly characterized by public and uniform modes of provision and consumption. The paper gi...

A consumption value-gap analysis for sustainable consumption.

Science.gov (United States)

Biswas, Aindrila

2017-03-01

Recent studies on consumption behavior have depicted environmental apprehension resulting from across wide consumer segments. However, this has not been widely reflected upon the growth in the market shares for green or environment-friendly products mostly because gaps exist between consumers' expectations and perceptions for those products. Previous studies have highlighted the impact of perceived value on potential demand, consumer satisfaction and behavioral intentions. The necessity to understand the effects of gaps in expected and perceived values on consumers' behavioral intention and potential demand for green products cannot be undermined as it shapes the consumers' inclination to repeated purchase and consumption and thus foster potential market demand. Pertaining to this reason, the study aims to adopt a consumption value-gap model based on the theory of consumption values to assess their impact on sustainable consumption behavior and market demand of green products. Consumption value refers to the level of fulfillment of consumer needs by assessment of net utility derived after effective comparison between the benefits (financial or emotional) and the gives (money, time, or energy). The larger the gaps the higher will be the adversarial impact on behavioral intentions. A structural equation modeling was applied to assess data collected through questionnaire survey. The results indicate that functional value-gap and environmental value-gap has the most adversarial impact on sustainable consumption behavior and market demand for green products.

Optimal Self-Tuning PID Controller Based on Low Power Consumption for a Server Fan Cooling System.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Chengming; Chen, Rongshun

2015-05-20

Recently, saving the cooling power in servers by controlling the fan speed has attracted considerable attention because of the increasing demand for high-density servers. This paper presents an optimal self-tuning proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller, combining a PID neural network (PIDNN) with fan-power-based optimization in the transient-state temperature response in the time domain, for a server fan cooling system. Because the thermal model of the cooling system is nonlinear and complex, a server mockup system simulating a 1U rack server was constructed and a fan power model was created using a third-order nonlinear curve fit to determine the cooling power consumption by the fan speed control. PIDNN with a time domain criterion is used to tune all online and optimized PID gains. The proposed controller was validated through experiments of step response when the server operated from the low to high power state. The results show that up to 14% of a server's fan cooling power can be saved if the fan control permits a slight temperature response overshoot in the electronic components, which may provide a time-saving strategy for tuning the PID controller to control the server fan speed during low fan power consumption.

Optimal Self-Tuning PID Controller Based on Low Power Consumption for a Server Fan Cooling System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chengming Lee

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Recently, saving the cooling power in servers by controlling the fan speed has attracted considerable attention because of the increasing demand for high-density servers. This paper presents an optimal self-tuning proportional-integral-derivative (PID controller, combining a PID neural network (PIDNN with fan-power-based optimization in the transient-state temperature response in the time domain, for a server fan cooling system. Because the thermal model of the cooling system is nonlinear and complex, a server mockup system simulating a 1U rack server was constructed and a fan power model was created using a third-order nonlinear curve fit to determine the cooling power consumption by the fan speed control. PIDNN with a time domain criterion is used to tune all online and optimized PID gains. The proposed controller was validated through experiments of step response when the server operated from the low to high power state. The results show that up to 14% of a server’s fan cooling power can be saved if the fan control permits a slight temperature response overshoot in the electronic components, which may provide a time-saving strategy for tuning the PID controller to control the server fan speed during low fan power consumption.

Report on renewable electricity self-consumption and self-production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2014-12-01

After having indicated the main conclusions of this study in terms of observations, of objectives of a support arrangement, and of recommendations for the photovoltaic sector, this report first presents the legal context and some definitions for energy self-production and self-consumption: foreign experiments, legal framework of photovoltaic electricity sales, definition of self-production and self-consumption. It proposes an overview of opportunities and stakes for self-production and self-consumption: potential benefits, impact on the electric grid, supply safety, grid control, supply-demand equilibrium, safety of persons and goods, flexibility of the electric system. It presents the different types of self-consumers and self-producers in the individual housing sector, in collective building and urban blocks, and in industrial and office buildings. It addresses the case of non-interconnected areas: context, opportunity, principles. It discusses the impact of self-production/self-consumption on the economic fundamentals of the electric system and on the financing of renewable energies. The remuneration and financing issues are then discussed (examples, net-metering system, additional premium system, other arrangements) as well as the architecture of a support system. Several contributions of an association of individual producers and of different professional bodies of the energy, photovoltaic, and building sectors are proposed in appendix

System Dynamics Modeling of Households' Electricity Consumption and Cost-Income Ratio: a Case Study of Latvia

Science.gov (United States)

Bariss, Uldis; Bazbauers, Gatis; Blumberga, Andra; Blumberga, Dagnija

2017-11-01

Increased energy efficiency of the building sector is high on the list of priorities for energy policy since better energy efficiency would help to reduce impact on climate change and increase security of energy supply. One aim of the present study was to find a relative effect of growth of demand for energy services due to changes in income, energy consumption per unit of demand due to technological development, changes in electricity price and household income on household electricity consumption in Latvia. The method applied included system dynamics modeling and data from a household survey regarding the relationship between electricity saving activities and the electricity cost-income ratio. The results revealed that, in direct contrast to the expected, a potential reduction of the electricity consumption is rather insensitive to electricity price and electricity cost-income ratio, and that the efficiency of technologies could be the main drivers for future electricity savings. The results suggest that support to advancement of technologies and faster replacement of inefficient ones rather than influencing the energy price could be effective energy policy measures. The model, developed in the study could be used in similar assessments in other countries.

LTE UE Power Consumption Model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Anders Riis; Lauridsen, Mads; Mogensen, Preben

2012-01-01

is based on a review of the major power consuming parts in an LTE UE radio modem. The model includes functions of UL and DL power and data rate. Measurements on a commercial LTE USB dongle were used to assign realistic power consumption values to each model parameter. Verification measurements......In this work a novel LTE user equipment (UE) power consumption model is presented. It was developed for LTE system level optimization, because it is important to understand how network settings like scheduling of resources and transmit power control affect the UE’s battery life. The proposed model...... on the dongle show that the model results in an average error of 2.6%. The measurements show that UL transmit power and DL data rate determines the overall power consumption, while UL data rate and DL receive power have smaller impact....

Solar Adoption and Energy Consumption in the Residential Sector

Science.gov (United States)

McAllister, Joseph Andrew

This dissertation analyzes the energy consumption behavior of residential adopters of solar photovoltaic systems (solar-PV). Based on large data sets from the San Diego region that have been assembled or otherwise acquired by the author, the dissertation quantifies changes in energy consumption after solar-PV installation and determines whether certain household characteristics are correlated with such changes. In doing so, it seeks to answer two related questions: First, "Do residential solar adopters increase or decrease their electricity consumption after they install a solar-PV system?" Assuming that certain categories of residential adopters increase and others decrease, the second question is "Which residential adopters increase and which decrease their consumption and why?" The database that was used to conduct this analysis includes information about 5,243 residential systems in San Diego Gas & Electric's (SDG&E) service territory installed between January 2007 and December 2010. San Diego is a national leader in the installation of small-scale solar-electric systems, with over 12,000 systems in the region installed as of January 2012, or around 14% of the total number installed in California. The author performed detailed characterization of a significant subset of the solar installations in the San Diego region. Assembled data included technical and economic characteristics of the systems themselves; the solar companies that sold and installed them; individual customer electric utility billing data; metered PV production data for a subgroup of these solar systems; and data about the properties where the systems are located. Primarily, the author was able to conduct an electricity consumption analysis at the individual household level for 2,410 PV systems installed in SDG&E service territory between January 2007 and December 2010. This analysis was designed to detect changes in electricity consumption from the pre-solar to the post-installation period. To

State Energy Data Report, 1991: Consumption estimates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-05-01

The State Energy Data Report (SEDR) provides annual time series estimates of State-level energy consumption by major economic sector. The estimates are developed in the State Energy Data System (SEDS), which is maintained and operated by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). The goal in maintaining SEDS is to create historical time series of energy consumption by State that are defined as consistently as possible over time and across sectors. SEDS exists for two principal reasons: (1) to provide State energy consumption estimates to the Government, policy makers, and the public; and (2) to provide the historical series necessary for EIA's energy models

Consumptive water use to feed humanity - curing a blind spot

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Falkenmark

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Since in large parts of the world it is getting difficult to meet growing water demands by mobilising more water, the discourse has turned its focus to demand management, governance and the necessary concern for aquatic ecosystems by reserving an 'environmental flow' in the river. The latter calls for attention to river depletion which may be expected in response to changes in consumptive water use by both natural and anthropogenic systems. Basically, consumptive use has three faces: runoff generation influenced by land cover changes; consumptive use of water withdrawn; and evaporation from water systems (reservoirs, canals, river based cooling. After demonstrating the vulnerability to changes in consumptive use under savanna region conditions - representative of many poverty and hunger prone developing countries subject to attention in the Millennium Development Goal activities - the paper exemplifies; 1 changes in runoff generation in response to regional scale land cover changes; 2 consumptive use in large scale irrigation systems. It goes on to analyse the implications of seeing food as a human right by estimating the additional consumptive use requirements to produce food for the next two generations. Attention is paid to remaining degrees of freedom in terms of uncommitted water beyond an environmental flow reserve and to potential food trade consequences (so-called virtual water. The paper concludes that a human-right-to-food principle will have major consequences in terms of altered consumptive water use. It will therefore be essential for humanity to address river depletion to avoid loss of resilience of the life support system. This will demand a deep-going cooperation between hydrology, ecology and water governance.

A hybrid society model for simulating residential electricity consumption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Minjie; Hu, Zhaoguang; Wu, Junyong; Zhou, Yuhui

2008-01-01

In this paper, a hybrid social model of econometric model and social influence model is proposed for evaluating the influence of pricing policy and public education policy on residential habit of electricity using in power resources management. And, a hybrid society simulation platform based on the proposed model, called residential electricity consumption multi-agent systems (RECMAS), is designed for simulating residential electricity consumption by multi-agent system. RECMAS is composed of consumer agent, power supplier agent, and policy maker agent. It provides the policy makers with a useful tool to evaluate power price policies and public education campaigns in different scenarios. According to an influenced diffusion mechanism, RECMAS can simulate the residential electricity demand-supply chain and analyze impacts of the factors on residential electricity consumption. Finally, the proposed method is used to simulate urban residential electricity consumption in China. (author)

A hybrid society model for simulating residential electricity consumption

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Minjie [School of Electrical Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing (China); State Power Economic Research Institute, Beijing (China); Hu, Zhaoguang [State Power Economic Research Institute, Beijing (China); Wu, Junyong; Zhou, Yuhui [School of Electrical Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing (China)

2008-12-15

In this paper, a hybrid social model of econometric model and social influence model is proposed for evaluating the influence of pricing policy and public education policy on residential habit of electricity using in power resources management. And, a hybrid society simulation platform based on the proposed model, called residential electricity consumption multi-agent systems (RECMAS), is designed for simulating residential electricity consumption by multi-agent system. RECMAS is composed of consumer agent, power supplier agent, and policy maker agent. It provides the policy makers with a useful tool to evaluate power price policies and public education campaigns in different scenarios. According to an influenced diffusion mechanism, RECMAS can simulate the residential electricity demand-supply chain and analyze impacts of the factors on residential electricity consumption. Finally, the proposed method is used to simulate urban residential electricity consumption in China. (author)

Analyzing Lifestyle and Consumption Pattern of Hire Groups under Product Service Systems in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jui-Che Tu

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This study explores the characteristics of rental goods, integrates the green concept in the design and development, and introduces the concept of product service into the rental consumption trend in Taiwan. This study takes the questionnaire survey to collect various opinions of the consumers to rental consumption and also classifies the Taiwanese consumers into five clusters based on the life styles, and the names of clusters are simple financial management cluster, environment and taste cluster, fashionable and flexible cluster, careful purchase cluster, and smart consumption cluster. Finally, conclusions are as follows. (1 The green consumption cognition and attitude of the consumers to the environmental goods can help to master the factor of green consumption property for developing the rental commodities. (2 The market segmentation of the rental consumption market can be enhanced by the variables of available life styles. (3 The applications with product service rental characteristics should take the opinion feedback of the consumers into the sustainable product development conditions and expand the service property of the product. (4 As the cost of cradle-to-cradle recycling pattern is high, the support and promotion of the government can help to construct the business model of product service rental consumption and develop the rental economy.

An experimental study of the bandwagon effect in conspicuous consumption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Małgorzata Niesiobędzka

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Background The phenomenon of conspicuous consumption is not new. Veblen (1994, 1899 described conspicuous consumption as expensive, luxury consumption, which provides evidence of wealth and status. In post-modern society the primary objects of consumption have become images and experience used by the middle class and the masses to demonstrate uniqueness or similarity with significant others. This paper focuses on the bandwagon effect in conspicuous consumption. In the study the bandwagon effect is treated as increased demand for luxury goods due to their popularity, especially among famous people. Participants and procedure Three studies were carried out. The samples consisted of 60 teenagers, 76 female students and 73 students and postgraduate students. The concept of the aspirational group was induced through the advertisement of a luxury product with reference to famous people and by direct reference to the aspirational group. Three different methods to measure a propensity to conspicuous consumption were applied: the amount of money spent on the luxury product, the size of the luxury brand logo, and the doubling of the luxury brand logo. Results The results show that the activation of the idea of the aspirational group enhances willingness to pay more for a luxury product, to double the luxury brand logo and the preference for a visible luxury brand logo at a tendency level. Conclusions The results experimentally supported the bandwagon effect within luxury conspicuous consumption previously established in correlative studies.

Rationalization of water consumption in paper industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Žarković Darja

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The subject of this paper was to consider the possibilities of economical paper production with rationalization of water consumption. In accordance with the principles of viable development. The pulp & paper industry has had to face global market needs and strict regulation concerning the environment. The basic motive was to provide consistent and high product quality, which is competitive on the market. The pulp & paper industry is one of the largest consumers and pollutants of natural resources. In that light, the rationalization of raw material, water, energy and chemicals consumption with minimization of environmental impact is essential. The European directive on environmental protection obliges producers of pulp & paper to decrease the volume of wastewater and to increase the efficiency treatment. Pulp and paper industry in Serbia and Montenegro will also be faced with the demands for environmental protection. Numerous examples of water consumption rationalization and improvement of water quality in the pulp & paper industry could be found in different literature sources. It is necessary to increase water system closure and implement up-to-date treatment methods. The possibilities for water consumption rationalization, in a real system the paperboard mill UMKA, were examined.

Unique Behavioral and Neurochemical Effects Induced by Repeated Adolescent Consumption of Caffeine-Mixed Alcohol in C57BL/6 Mice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meridith T Robins

Full Text Available The number of highly caffeinated products has increased dramatically in the past few years. Among these products, highly caffeinated energy drinks are the most heavily advertised and purchased, which has resulted in increased incidences of co-consumption of energy drinks with alcohol. Despite the growing number of adolescents and young adults reporting caffeine-mixed alcohol use, knowledge of the potential consequences associated with co-consumption has been limited to survey-based results and in-laboratory human behavioral testing. Here, we investigate the effect of repeated adolescent (post-natal days P35-61 exposure to caffeine-mixed alcohol in C57BL/6 mice on common drug-related behaviors such as locomotor sensitivity, drug reward and cross-sensitivity, and natural reward. To determine changes in neurological activity resulting from adolescent exposure, we monitored changes in expression of the transcription factor ΔFosB in the dopaminergic reward pathway as a sign of long-term increases in neuronal activity. Repeated adolescent exposure to caffeine-mixed alcohol exposure induced significant locomotor sensitization, desensitized cocaine conditioned place preference, decreased cocaine locomotor cross-sensitivity, and increased natural reward consumption. We also observed increased accumulation of ΔFosB in the nucleus accumbens following repeated adolescent caffeine-mixed alcohol exposure compared to alcohol or caffeine alone. Using our exposure model, we found that repeated exposure to caffeine-mixed alcohol during adolescence causes unique behavioral and neurochemical effects not observed in mice exposed to caffeine or alcohol alone. Based on similar findings for different substances of abuse, it is possible that repeated exposure to caffeine-mixed alcohol during adolescence could potentially alter or escalate future substance abuse as means to compensate for these behavioral and neurochemical alterations.

Sustainable Food Consumption

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reisch, Lucia; Eberle, Ulrike; Lorek, Sylvia

2013-01-01

Contemporary food production and consumption cannot be regarded as sustainable and raises problems with its wide scope involving diverse actors. Moreover, in the face of demographic change and a growing global population, sus-tainability problems arising from food systems will likely become more...... and globalization of agriculture and food processing, the shift of consumption patterns toward more dietary animal protein, the emergence of modern food styles that entail heavily processed products, the growing gap on a global scale between rich and poor, and the paradoxical lack of food security amid an abundance...... of food. These factors are attributable to national and international policies and regulations, as well as to prevalent business prac-tices and, in particular, consumers' values and habits. The most effective ways for affluent societies to reduce the environmental impact of their diets are to reduce...

The Effects of Set-Points and Dead-Bands of the HVAC System on the Energy Consumption and Occupant Thermal Comfort

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kazanci, Ongun Berk; Olesen, Bjarne W.

2013-01-01

A building is a complex system where many components interact with each other therefore the control system plays a key role regarding the energy consumption and the occupant thermal comfort. This study is concerned with a detached, one-storey, single family, energy-plus house. It is equipped...... on the effects of the set-points and dead-bands of different components on the energy consumption together with the occupant thermal comfort. Evaluations are carried out with TRNSYS for Copenhagen and Madrid in order to compare climatic effects....... with a ground heat exchanger, a ground coupled heat pump, embedded pipes in the floor and in the ceiling, a ventilation system (mechanical and natural), a domestic hot water tank and photovoltaic/thermal panels on the roof. Preliminary evaluations showed that for Madrid, change of indoor set-point in cooling...

A prospective economic assessment of residential PV self-consumption with batteries and its systemic effects, and the implications for public policies: the French case in 2030

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Hyun Jin Julie

2017-01-01

Over the last decade, the price of PV modules has fallen largely due to the globalization of the PV sector. If residential PV systems coupled with batteries become economically competitive in the near future, end-users will be willing to switch to the self-consumption of PV electricity instead of using power from the network. If the transition of PV self-consumption in the residential sector occurs massively or suddenly, the national energy system would be faced with a radical change. This article analyses the economic feasibility of French residential PV systems combined with Li-ion batteries in 2030 to anticipate the possible change in future energy systems. It also includes a stakeholder analysis with respect to the PV self-consumption model to analyse the systemic effects of PV integration into the electricity system. Our study provides a theoretical explanation of the impact on the current electricity market and quantifies the expected impact on the most influential stakeholder group. The ultimate objective is to help policy-makers forecast possible scenarios for PV self-consumption so they can prepare for the future transition with strategic actions. By way of conclusion, we discuss the policy implications and elaborate policy recommendations based on the results of this study. (author)

The consumption and recycling collection system of PET bottles: a case study of Beijing, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hua; Wen, Zong-Guo

2014-06-01

After studying the recycling collection system of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles worldwide, the authors conducted an intercept survey in Beijing. Two separate questionnaires were issued, one questionnaire to PET bottle consumers and one to PET bottle recyclers. In this study, consumers are defined as people that consume PET-bottled beverages in their daily life. Recyclers were defined as those involved in the collection and recycling of PET bottles. These include scavengers, itinerant waste buyers, small community waste-buying depots, medium/large redemption depots, and recycling companies. In total, 580 surveys were completed, including 461 by consumers and 119 by recyclers. The authors found that consumption of PET bottles in Beijing was nearly 100,000 tonnes in 2012. Age, occupation, gender, and education were identified as significant factors linked to PET-bottled beverage consumption, while income was not a significant factor. 90% Of post-consumed PET bottles were collected by informal collectors (i.e., scavengers and itinerant waste buyers). The survey also found that nearly all PET bottles were reprocessed by small factories that were not designed with pollution control equipment, which allows them to offer higher prices for waste recyclable bottles. As Beijing is trying to build a formal recycling collection system for recyclables, subsidies should be given to the formal recycling sector rather than being charged land use fees, and attention should also be given to informal recyclers that make their living from the collection of recyclables. Informal and formal sectors may work together by employing the scavengers and itinerant waste buyers for the formal sectors. In addition to the recycling of PET bottles, concern should also be allocated to reduce consumption, especially among young people, as they, compared to other groups, have a stronger demand for PET-bottled beverages and will be the main body of society. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd

Determinants of electricity consumption function in Pakistan: Old wine in a new bottle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaman, Khalid; Khan, Muhammad M.; Ahmad, Mehboob; Rustam, Rabiah

2012-01-01

The objective of the study is to re-investigate the multivariate electricity consumption function for Pakistan, particularly, economic growth, foreign direct investment and population growth over a 36-year time period, i.e., between 1975 and 2010. The study employed the bounds-testing procedure for cointegration which examines the short-run and long-run estimates. Dynamic short-run causality test is applied to determine the causality direction between electricity consumption and its determinants, by using Wald-F statistics. The results reveal that determinants of electricity consumption function are cointegrated and influx of foreign direct investment, income and population growth is positively related to electricity consumption in Pakistan. However, the intensity of these determinants is different on electricity consumption. If there is 1% increase in income, foreign direct investment and population growth; electricity consumption increases by 0.973%; 0.056% and 1.605%, respectively. This infers that income, foreign direct investment and population growth induce an increase in electricity consumption in Pakistan. Dynamic short-run causality test indicates that there has been unidirectional causality which is running from population growth to electricity consumption in Pakistan. - Highlights: ► To re-investigate the multivariate electricity consumption function for Pakistan. ► FDI, income and population growth are positively related to electricity consumption. ► The intensity of determinants is different on electricity consumption. ► Population growth exerts the major contributor to increase electricity consumption. ► Unidirectional causality running from population growth to electricity.

uFLIP: Understanding the Energy Consumption of Flash Devices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjørling, Matias; Bonnet, Philippe; Bouganim, Luc

2010-01-01

Understanding the energy consumption of flash devices is important for two reasons. First, energy is emerging as a key metric for data management systems. It is thus important to understand how we can reason about the energy consumption of flash devices beyond their approximate aggregate...... consumption (low power consumption in idle mode, average Watt consumption from the data sheets). Second, when measured at a sufficiently fine granularity, the energy consumption of a given device might complement the performance characteristics derived from its response time profile. Indeed, background work...... which is not directly observable with a response time profile appears clearly when energy is used as a metric. In this paper, we discuss the results from the {uFLIP} benchmark applied to four different {SSD} devices using both response time and energy as metric....

Four-Week Consumption of Malaysian Honey Reduces Excess Weight Gain and Improves Obesity-Related Parameters in High Fat Diet Induced Obese Rats

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Suhana Samat

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Many studies revealed the potential of honey consumption in controlling obesity. However, no study has been conducted using Malaysian honey. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of two local Malaysian honey types: Gelam and Acacia honey in reducing excess weight gain and other parameters related to obesity. The quality of both honey types was determined through physicochemical analysis and contents of phenolic and flavonoid. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were induced to become obese using high fat diet (HFD prior to introduction with/without honey or orlistat for four weeks. Significant reductions in excess weight gain and adiposity index were observed in rats fed with Gelam honey compared to HFD rats. Moreover, levels of plasma glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol, plasma leptin and resistin, liver enzymes, renal function test, and relative organ weight in Gelam and Acacia honey treated groups were reduced significantly when compared to rats fed with HFD only. Similar results were also displayed in rats treated with orlistat, but with hepatotoxicity effects. In conclusion, consumption of honey can be used to control obesity by regulating lipid metabolism and appears to be more effective than orlistat.

Four-Week Consumption of Malaysian Honey Reduces Excess Weight Gain and Improves Obesity-Related Parameters in High Fat Diet Induced Obese Rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Samat, Suhana; Kanyan Enchang, Francis; Nor Hussein, Fuzina; Wan Ismail, Wan Iryani

2017-01-01

Many studies revealed the potential of honey consumption in controlling obesity. However, no study has been conducted using Malaysian honey. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of two local Malaysian honey types: Gelam and Acacia honey in reducing excess weight gain and other parameters related to obesity. The quality of both honey types was determined through physicochemical analysis and contents of phenolic and flavonoid. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were induced to become obese using high fat diet (HFD) prior to introduction with/without honey or orlistat for four weeks. Significant reductions in excess weight gain and adiposity index were observed in rats fed with Gelam honey compared to HFD rats. Moreover, levels of plasma glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol, plasma leptin and resistin, liver enzymes, renal function test, and relative organ weight in Gelam and Acacia honey treated groups were reduced significantly when compared to rats fed with HFD only. Similar results were also displayed in rats treated with orlistat, but with hepatotoxicity effects. In conclusion, consumption of honey can be used to control obesity by regulating lipid metabolism and appears to be more effective than orlistat.

Power-based electric vehicle energy consumption model: Model development and validation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fiori, Chiara; Ahn, Kyoungho; Rakha, Hesham A.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The study developed an instantaneous energy consumption model (VT-CPEM) for EVs. • The model captures instantaneous braking energy regeneration. • The model can be used for transportation modeling and vehicle applications (e.g. eco-routing). • The proposed model can be easily calibrated using publically available EV data. • Usages of air conditioning and heating systems reduce EV energy consumption by up to 10% and 24%, respectively. - Abstract: The limited drive range (The maximum distance that an EV can travel.) of Electric Vehicles (EVs) is one of the major challenges that EV manufacturers are attempting to overcome. To this end, a simple, accurate, and efficient energy consumption model is needed to develop real-time eco-driving and eco-routing systems that can enhance the energy efficiency of EVs and thus extend their travel range. Although numerous publications have focused on the modeling of EV energy consumption levels, these studies are limited to measuring energy consumption of an EV’s control algorithm, macro-project evaluations, or simplified well-to-wheels analyses. Consequently, this paper addresses this need by developing a simple EV energy model that computes an EV’s instantaneous energy consumption using second-by-second vehicle speed, acceleration and roadway grade data as input variables. In doing so, the model estimates the instantaneous braking energy regeneration. The proposed model can be easily implemented in the following applications: in-vehicle, Smartphone eco-driving, eco-routing and transportation simulation software to quantify the network-wide energy consumption levels for a fleet of EVs. One of the main advantages of EVs is their ability to recover energy while braking using a regenerative braking system. State-of-the-art vehicle energy consumption models consider an average constant regenerative braking energy efficiency or regenerative braking factors that are mainly dependent on the vehicle’s average

Fatal anoxia due to rachacha consumption: Two cases reported.

Science.gov (United States)

Monteil-Ganiere, Catherine; Gaulier, Jean-Michel; Chopineaux, Daniel; Barrios, Lucia; Pineau, Alain; Dailly, Éric; Clément, Renaud

2014-12-01

Deaths due to ingesting rachacha, which is a homemade paste obtained by decocting poppy heads, are very rare. No fatalities have been recorded in scientific publications. This product is not considered to be very dangerous by its users. We are reporting the first deaths (a 30-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman), after ingesting rachacha balls and alcohol consumption during an evening with a friend. Signs compatible with acute anoxia were observed during autopsy. Toxicological analyses highlighted the presence of morphine and codeine in the blood, urine and bile, with an absence of 6-acetylmorphine. Concomitant consumption of alcohol certainly played a role in the occurrence of death. The black paste found at the scene was identified as rachacha. The mean of consumption (orally) was confirmed by the presence of morphine and codeine in the gastric contents of both victims. The analysis of hair samples was performed to reveal the substance consumption history. Therefore, a possibility of contamination by sweat and/or putrefactive liquids in the post-mortem period must be considered for the interpretation of the results. These two cases show that taking rachacha can be dangerous, especially when combined with the consumption of substances which could potentiate respiratory depression induced by morphine. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cerebral blood flow and oxygen consumption during ethanol withdrawal in the rat.

Science.gov (United States)

Hemmingsen, R; Barry, D I; Hertz, M M; Klinken, L

1979-09-14

The ethanol withdrawal syndrome in man and animals is characterized by signs of CNS hyperactivity although a direct measurement of a physiological variable reflecting this CNS hyperactivity has never been performed in untreated man or in animals. We induced ethanol dependence in the rat by means of intragastric intubation with a 20% w/v ethanol solution, thus keeping the animals in a state of continuous severe intoxication for 3--4 days; during the subsequent state of withdrawal characterized by tremor, rigidity, stereotyped movements and general seizures a 25% increase in cerebral oxygen consumption (CMRO2) could be measured; this increase was not due to catecholamines originating from adrenal medulla as adrenomedullectomized animals showed a similar increase in CMRO2 (28%); the withdrawing animals showed a corresponding cerebral blood flow (CBF) increase. The elevated CMRO2 and CBF could be reduced to normal by administration of a beta-adrenergic receptor blocker (propranolol 2 mg/kg i.v.), and hence the increased CMRO2 during ethanol withdrawal could be related to catecholaminergic systems in the brain, e.g. the noradrenergic locus coeruleus system which is anatomically well suited as a general activating system. This interpretation is supported by the earlier neurochemical finding of an increased cerebral noradrenaline turnover during ethanol withdrawal. The exact mechanism underlying the increased cerebral oxygen consumption during ethanol withdrawal and the effect of propranolol on cerebral function during this condition remains to be clarified.

Advances in Understanding Energy Consumption Behavior and the Governance of Its Change – Outline of an Integrated Framework

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burger, Paul, E-mail: paul.burger@unibas.ch [Sustainability Research Group, University of Basel, Basel (Switzerland); Bezençon, Valéry [Enterprise Institute, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel (Switzerland); Bornemann, Basil [Sustainability Research Group, University of Basel, Basel (Switzerland); Brosch, Tobias [Department of Psychology, Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva (Switzerland); Carabias-Hütter, Vicente [Institute of Sustainable Development, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur (Switzerland); Farsi, Mehdi [Institute of Economic Research, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel (Switzerland); Hille, Stefanie Lena [Institute for Economy and the Environment, University of St. Gallen, St. Gallen (Switzerland); Moser, Corinne [Institute of Sustainable Development, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur (Switzerland); Ramseier, Céline [Center for Energy Policy and Economics, ETH Zurich, Zurich (Switzerland); Samuel, Robin [Institute of Sociology, University of Bern, Bern (Switzerland); Social Research and Methodology Group, University of Basel, Basel (Switzerland); Sander, David [Department of Psychology, Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva (Switzerland); Schmidt, Stephan; Sohre, Annika [Sustainability Research Group, University of Basel, Basel (Switzerland); Volland, Benjamin [Institute of Economic Research, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel (Switzerland)

2015-06-15

Transforming today’s energy systems in industrialized countries requires a substantial reduction of the total energy consumption at the individual level. Selected instruments have been found to be effective in changing people’s behavior in single domains. However, the so far weak success story on reducing overall energy consumption indicates that our understanding of the determining factors of individual energy consumption as well as of its change is far from being conclusive. Among others, the scientific state of the art is dominated by analyzing single domains of consumption and by neglecting embodied energy. It also displays strong disciplinary splits and the literature often fails to distinguish between explaining behavior and explaining change of behavior. Moreover, there are knowledge gaps regarding the legitimacy and effectiveness of the governance of individual consumption behavior and its change. Against this backdrop, the aim of this paper is to establish an integrated interdisciplinary framework that offers a systematic basis for linking the different aspects in research on energy related consumption behavior, thus paving the way for establishing a better evidence base to inform societal actions. The framework connects the three relevant analytical aspects of the topic in question: (1) it systematically and conceptually frames the objects, i.e., the energy consumption behavior and its change (explananda); (2) it structures the factors that potentially explain the energy consumption behavior and its change (explanantia); (3) it provides a differentiated understanding of change inducing interventions in terms of governance. Based on the existing states of the art approaches from different disciplines within the social sciences, the proposed framework is supposed to guide interdisciplinary empirical research.

Advances in Understanding Energy Consumption Behavior and the Governance of Its Change – Outline of an Integrated Framework

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burger, Paul; Bezençon, Valéry; Bornemann, Basil; Brosch, Tobias; Carabias-Hütter, Vicente; Farsi, Mehdi; Hille, Stefanie Lena; Moser, Corinne; Ramseier, Céline; Samuel, Robin; Sander, David; Schmidt, Stephan; Sohre, Annika; Volland, Benjamin

2015-01-01

Transforming today’s energy systems in industrialized countries requires a substantial reduction of the total energy consumption at the individual level. Selected instruments have been found to be effective in changing people’s behavior in single domains. However, the so far weak success story on reducing overall energy consumption indicates that our understanding of the determining factors of individual energy consumption as well as of its change is far from being conclusive. Among others, the scientific state of the art is dominated by analyzing single domains of consumption and by neglecting embodied energy. It also displays strong disciplinary splits and the literature often fails to distinguish between explaining behavior and explaining change of behavior. Moreover, there are knowledge gaps regarding the legitimacy and effectiveness of the governance of individual consumption behavior and its change. Against this backdrop, the aim of this paper is to establish an integrated interdisciplinary framework that offers a systematic basis for linking the different aspects in research on energy related consumption behavior, thus paving the way for establishing a better evidence base to inform societal actions. The framework connects the three relevant analytical aspects of the topic in question: (1) it systematically and conceptually frames the objects, i.e., the energy consumption behavior and its change (explananda); (2) it structures the factors that potentially explain the energy consumption behavior and its change (explanantia); (3) it provides a differentiated understanding of change inducing interventions in terms of governance. Based on the existing states of the art approaches from different disciplines within the social sciences, the proposed framework is supposed to guide interdisciplinary empirical research.

Resource consumption, sustainability, and cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Kareva, Irina; Morin, Benjamin; Castillo-Chavez, Carlos

2015-02-01

Preserving a system's viability in the presence of diversity erosion is critical if the goal is to sustainably support biodiversity. Reduction in population heterogeneity, whether inter- or intraspecies, may increase population fragility, either decreasing its ability to adapt effectively to environmental changes or facilitating the survival and success of ordinarily rare phenotypes. The latter may result in over-representation of individuals who may participate in resource utilization patterns that can lead to over-exploitation, exhaustion, and, ultimately, collapse of both the resource and the population that depends on it. Here, we aim to identify regimes that can signal whether a consumer-resource system is capable of supporting viable degrees of heterogeneity. The framework used here is an expansion of a previously introduced consumer-resource type system of a population of individuals classified by their resource consumption. Application of the Reduction Theorem to the system enables us to evaluate the health of the system through tracking both the mean value of the parameter of resource (over)consumption, and the population variance, as both change over time. The article concludes with a discussion that highlights applicability of the proposed system to investigation of systems that are affected by particularly devastating overly adapted populations, namely cancerous cells. Potential intervention approaches for system management are discussed in the context of cancer therapies.

Prospective cohort study of tea consumption and risk of digestive system cancers: results from the Shanghai Women's Health Study123

Science.gov (United States)

Nechuta, Sarah; Shu, Xiao-Ou; Li, Hong-Lan; Yang, Gong; Ji, Bu-Tian; Xiang, Yong-Bing; Cai, Hui; Chow, Wong-Ho; Gao, Yu-Tang

2012-01-01

Background: Data from in vitro and animal studies support a protective role for tea in the etiology of digestive system cancers; however, results from prospective cohort studies have been inconsistent. In addition, to our knowledge, no study has investigated the association of tea consumption with the incidence of all digestive system cancers in Chinese women. Objective: We investigated the association of regular tea intake (≥3 times/wk for >6 mo) with risk of digestive system cancers. Design: We used the Shanghai Women's Health Study, a population-based prospective cohort study of middle-aged and older Chinese women who were recruited in 1996–2000. Adjusted HRs and associated 95% CIs were derived from Cox regression models. Results: After a mean follow-up of 11 y, 1255 digestive system cancers occurred (stomach, esophagus, colorectal, liver, pancreas, and gallbladder/bile duct cancers) in 69,310 nonsmoking and non–alcohol-drinking women. In comparison with women who never drank tea, regular tea intake (mostly green tea) was associated with reduced risk of all digestive system cancers combined (HR: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.74, 0.98), and the reduction in risk increased as the amount and years of tea consumption increased (P-trend = 0.01 and P-trend tea/mo (∼2–3 cups/d) had a 21% reduced risk of digestive system cancers combined (HR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.63, 0.99). The inverse association was found primarily for colorectal and stomach/esophageal cancers. Conclusion: In this large prospective cohort study, tea consumption was associated with reduced risk of colorectal and stomach/esophageal cancers in Chinese women. PMID:23053557

A Linear Model for the Estimation of Fuel Consumption and the Impact Evaluation of Advanced Driving Assistance Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gennaro Nicola Bifulco

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Reduction of the environmental impact of cars represents one of the biggest transport industry challenges. Beyond more efficient engines, a promising approach is to use eco-driving technologies that help drivers achieve lower fuel consumption and emission levels. In this study, a real-time microscopic fuel consumption model was developed. It was designed to be integrated into simulation platforms for the design and testing of Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (ADAS, aimed at keeping the vehicle within the environmentally friendly driving zone and hence reducing harmful exhaust gases. To allow integration in platforms employed at early stages of ADAS development and testing, the model was kept very simple and dependent on a few easily computable variables. To show the feasibility of the identification of the model (and to validate it, a large experiment involving more than 100 drivers and about 8000 km of driving was carried out using an instrumented vehicle. An instantaneous model was identified based on vehicle speed, acceleration level and gas pedal excursion, applicable in an extra-urban traffic context. Both instantaneous and aggregate validation was performed and the model was shown to estimate vehicle fuel consumption consistently with in-field instantaneous measurements. Very accurate estimations were also shown for the aggregate consumption of each driving session.

Chronic Ethanol Consumption in Mice Alters Hepatocyte Lipid Droplet Properties

Science.gov (United States)

Orlicky, David J.; Roede, James R.; Bales, Elise; Greenwood, Carrie; Greenberg, Andrew; Petersen, Dennis; McManaman, James L.

2014-01-01

Background Hepatosteatosis is a common pathological feature of impaired hepatic metabolism following chronic alcohol consumption. Although often benign and reversible, it is widely believed that steatosis is a risk factor for development of advanced liver pathologies, including steatohepatitis and fibrosis. The hepatocyte alterations accompanying the initiation of steatosis are not yet clearly defined. Methods Induction of hepatosteatosis by chronic ethanol consumption was investigated using the Lieber-DeCarli (LD) high fat diet model. Effects were assessed by immunohistochemistry and blood and tissue enzymatic assays. Cell culture models were employed for mechanistic studies. Results Pair feeding mice ethanol (LD-Et) or isocaloric control (LD-Co) diets for 6 weeks progressively increased hepatocyte triglyceride accumulation in morphological, biochemical, and zonally distinct cytoplasmic lipid droplets (CLD). The LD-Et diet induced zone 2-specific triglyceride accumulation in large CLD coated with perilipin, adipophilin (ADPH), and TIP47. In LD-Co- fed mice, CLD were significantly smaller than those in LD-Et-fed mice and lacked perilipin. A direct role of perilipin in formation of large CLD was further suggested by cell culture studies showing that perilipin-coated CLD were significantly larger than those coated with ADPH or TIP47. LD-Co- and LD-Et-fed animals also differed in hepatic metabolic stress responses. In LD-Et but not LD-Co-fed mice, inductions were observed in the following: microsomal ethanol-oxidizing system [cytochrome P-4502E1 (CYP2E1)], hypoxia response pathway (hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha, HIF1α), endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway (calreticulin), and synthesis of lipid peroxidation products [4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE)]. CYP2E1 and HIF1 α immunostaining localized to zone 3 and did not correlate with accumulation of large CLD. In contrast, calreticulin and 4-HNE immunostaining closely correlated with large CLD accumulation. Importantly, 4

Wii, Kinect, and Move. Heart Rate, Oxygen Consumption, Energy Expenditure, and Ventilation due to Different Physically Active Video Game Systems in College Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Scheer, Krista S; Siebrant, Sarah M; Brown, Gregory A; Shaw, Brandon S; Shaw, Ina

Nintendo Wii, Sony Playstation Move , and Microsoft XBOX Kinect are home video gaming systems that involve player movement to control on-screen game play. Numerous investigations have demonstrated that playing Wii is moderate physical activity at best, but Move and Kinect have not been as thoroughly investigated. The purpose of this study was to compare heart rate, oxygen consumption, and ventilation while playing the games Wii Boxing, Kinect Boxing, and Move Gladiatorial Combat. Heart rate, oxygen consumption, and ventilation were measured at rest and during a graded exercise test in 10 males and 9 females (19.8 ± 0.33 y, 175.4 ± 2.0 cm, 80.2 ± 7.7 kg,). On another day, in a randomized order, the participants played Wii Boxing, K inect Boxing, and Move Gladiatorial Combat while heart rate, ventilation, and oxygen consumption were measured. There were no differences in heart rate (116.0 ± 18.3 vs. 119.3 ± 17.6 vs. 120.1 ± 17.6 beats/min), oxygen consumption (9.2 ± 3.0 vs. 10.6 ± 2.4 vs. 9.6 ± 2.4 ml/kg/min), or minute ventilation (18.9 ± 5.7 vs. 20.8 ± 8.0 vs. 19.7 ± 6.4 L/min) when playing Wii boxing, Kinect boxing, or Move Gladiatorial Combat (respectively). Playing Nintendo Wii Boxing, XBOX Kinect Boxing, and Sony PlayStation Move Gladiatorial Combat all increase heart rate, oxygen consumption, and ventilation above resting levels but there were no significant differences between gaming systems. Overall, playing a "physically active" home video game system does not meet the minimal threshold for moderate intensity physical activity, regardless of gaming system.

A dual systems account of visual perception: Predicting candy consumption from distance estimates.

Science.gov (United States)

Krpan, Dario; Schnall, Simone

2017-04-01

A substantial amount of evidence shows that visual perception is influenced by forces that control human actions, ranging from motivation to physiological potential. However, studies have not yet provided convincing evidence that perception itself is directly involved in everyday behaviors such as eating. We suggest that this issue can be resolved by employing the dual systems account of human behavior. We tested the link between perceived distance to candies and their consumption for participants who were tired or depleted (impulsive system), versus those who were not (reflective system). Perception predicted eating only when participants were tired (Experiment 1) or depleted (Experiments 2 and 3). In contrast, a rational determinant of behavior-eating restraint towards candies-predicted eating for non-depleted individuals (Experiment 2). Finally, Experiment 3 established that perceived distance was correlated with participants' self-reported motivation to consume candies. Overall, these findings suggest that the dynamics between perception and behavior depend on the interplay of the two behavioral systems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dynamic Oil Consumption Measurement of Internal Combustion Engines using Laser Spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Sellmeier, Stefan; Alonso, Eduardo; Boesl, Ulrich

2014-01-07

A new approach has been developed to measure dynamic consumption of lubricant oil in an internal combustion engine. It is based on the already known technique where sulfur is used as a natural tracer of the engine oil. Since ejection of motor oil in gaseous form into the exhaust is by far the main source of engine oil consumption, detection of sulfur in the exhaust emission is a valuable way to measure engine oil consumption in a dynamic way. In earlier approaches, this is done by converting all sulfur containing chemical components into SO2 by thermal pyrolysis in a high temperature furnace at atmospheric pressure. The so-formed SO2 then is detected by broadband-UV-induced fluorescence or mass spectrometric methods. The challenge is to reach the necessary detection limit of 50 ppb. The new approach presented here includes sulfur conversion in a low-pressure discharge cell and laser-induced fluorescence with wavelength and fluorescence lifetime selection. A limit of detection down to 10 ppb at a temporal resolution in the time scale of few seconds is reached. Extensive, promising studies have been performed at a real engine test bench. Future developments of a compact, mobile device based on these improvements are discussed.

Water withdrawal and consumption reduction analysis for electrical energy generation system

Science.gov (United States)

Nouri, Narjes

There is an increasing concern over shrinking water resources. Water use in the energy sector primarily occurs in electricity generation. Anticipating scarcer supplies, the value of water is undoubtedly on the rise and design, implementation, and utilization of water saving mechanisms in energy generation systems are becoming inevitable. Most power plants generate power by boiling water to produce steam to spin electricity-generating turbines. Large quantities of water are often used to cool the steam in these plants. As a consequence, most fossil-based power plants in addition to consuming water, impact the water resources by raising the temperature of water withdrawn for cooling. A comprehensive study is conducted in this thesis to analyze and quantify water withdrawals and consumption of various electricity generation sources such as coal, natural gas, renewable sources, etc. Electricity generation for the state of California is studied and presented as California is facing a serious drought problem affecting more than 30 million people. Integrated planning for the interleaved energy and water sectors is essential for both water and energy savings. A linear model is developed to minimize the water consumption while considering several limitations and restrictions. California has planned to shut down some of its hydro and nuclear plants due to environmental concerns. Studies have been performed for various electricity generation and water saving scenarios including no-hydro and no-nuclear plant and the results are presented. Modifications to proposed different scenarios have been applied and discussed to meet the practical and reliability constraints.

State energy data report 1993: Consumption estimates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-07-01

The State Energy Data Report (SEDR) provides annual time series estimates of State-level energy consumption by major economic sector. The estimates are developed in the State Energy Data System (SEDS), which is maintained and operated by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). The goal in maintaining SEDS is to create historical time series of energy consumption by State that are defined as consistently as possible over time and across sectors. SEDS exists for two principal reasons: (1) to provide State energy consumption estimates to Members of Congress, Federal and State agencies, and the general public; and (2) to provide the historical series necessary for EIA`s energy models.

Evaluation of the effect of the Power of One campaign on natural gas consumption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diffney, Seán; Lyons, Seán; Malaguzzi Valeri, Laura

2013-01-01

In this paper we study an advertising campaign launched by the Irish government to induce more energy-efficient behaviour and we assess its effect on residential natural gas consumption. We first analyse changes in the daily consumption of natural gas and find that advertising leaflets had a significant, but short-lived, effect on natural gas consumption. We find no persistent effect of the campaign. We then study three surveys administered to 1000 consumers prior to and during the campaign. This repeated cross-section allows us to determine that the efficiency campaign has increased awareness of behaviours that curb natural gas consumption. However we do not find any significant effect of the campaign on self-reported natural gas-saving behaviour. -- Highlights: •We assess the effect of the Irish Power of One campaign on natural gas consumption. •We analyse consumption (and awareness of behaviours) before and after the campaign launch. •There is an effect on consumers' awareness of how to reduce consumption. •We find a short-run effect of the first year of the campaign, but no long run effect

Oral Morphine Consumption Reduces Lens Development in Rat Embryos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hossein Bahadoran

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Objective: Consumption of morphine, during pregnancy, in addition to inducing defects in the mother’s nervous system function, caused defects or delays in the formation and evolution of embryonic visual system. In the present study, changes in lens development was assessed in embryos exposed in utero to morphine. Material and Methods: Female Wistar rats (250-300 g were mated with male rats and pregnancy was determined by sperm observation in vaginal smear. This day was considered as embryonic day zero (E0. The females were then divided randomly into the experimental and the control groups. The control group received tap water and the experimental group received morphine (0.05 mg/ml in their water. On embryonic day 13 ( E13, blood samples were collected from the retro-orbital sinus of all animals for plasma corticosterone detection. On embryonic day 17(E17, the animals were killed by an overdose of chloroform and the embryos were taken out surgically. The embryos were fixed in 10% formalin for 30 days. At this time, the head of the embryos were removed for tissue processing and Hematoxylin- Eosin (H&E staining. The samples were evaluated using light microscope and MOTIC software. Results: Our data indicated that plasma corticosterone level was dramatically increased and the lens was thinner in the experimental group. (Although the proliferation of lens cells increased in the experiment group but that lens had delay in removing the proliferated and elongation cells with abnormal density in the lateral part of the lens in compare with control group. I have no idea what the authors are stating here. Moreover, the opening of the eyelids was delayed in the off springs of the mothers who received morphine. Conclusions: This study showed that morphine consumption during pregnancy leads to defects in fetal visual system development, particularly in the lens, and eyelids.

Sodium cyanide induced alteration in the whole animal oxygen consumption and behavioural pattern of freshwater fish Labeo rohita.

Science.gov (United States)

David, Muniswamy; Sangeetha, Jeyabalan; Harish, Etigemane R

2015-03-01

Sodium cyanide is a common environmental pollutant which is mainly used in many industries such as mining, electroplating, steel manufacturing, pharmaceutical production and other specialized applications including dyes and agricultural products. It enters aquatic environment through effluents from these industries. Static renewal bioassay test has been conducted to determine LC, of sodium cyanide on indigenous freshwater carp, Labeo rohita. The behavioural pattern and oxygen consumption were observed in fish at both lethal and sub lethal concentrations. Labeo rohita in toxic media exhibited irregular and erratic swimming movements, hyper excitability, loss of equilibrium and shrinking to the bottom, which may be due to inhibition of cytochrome C oxidase activity and decreased blood pH. The combination of cytotoxic hypoxia with lactate acidosis depresses the central nervous system resulting in respiratory arrest and death. Decrease in oxygen consumption was observed at both lethal and sub lethal concentrations of sodium cyanide. Mortality was insignificant at sub lethal concentration test when fishes were found under stress. Consequence of impaired oxidative metabolism and elevated physiological response by fish against sodium cyanide stress showed alteration in respiratory rate.

Fuelwood consumption in Newfoundland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1980-01-01

This study was undertaken to get a first estimate of fuelwood consumption for the island of Newfoundland for the period April 1, 1977 to March 31, 1978. Available literature was reviewed and an assessment made on the existing data collection systems on fuelwood consumption used by the various forestry agencies in the province. A personal interview telephone survey on fuelwood use was conducted for most parts of the Island that had access to wood supplies. Householders were asked how much wood they burned, when they started burning wood, type of wood burning unit used, other sources of heat used, reasons for burning wood, employment, distance travelled to obtain wood, and expected consumption in 1978-79 compared to 1977-78. It was found that the estimated number of households burning wood increased to ca 32,000 in 1977-78. There was a further estimated increase to about 39,500 in 1978-79. In 1977-78, it was estimated that 461,571 stacked cubic metres of fuelwood were consumed on the Island. This was broken down into 318,916 m/sup 3/ of softwood and 142,655 m/sup 3/ of hardwood. Although the statistical methodology used may have led to an overestimate of the volume of wood consumed, the criteria used in the selection of households had the opposite effect in that the volume consumed by a large number of casual wood burners (less than 3 stacked m/sup 3/) was omitted from the estimate. Fuelwood consumption accounted for anywhere from 1% to 77% of the calculated allowable annual cut for the various forest management units on the Island for 1977-78. Overall, fuelwood consumption estimated by the survey accounted for 8% of the estimated allowable annual cut. Use of wood as a fuel is expected to continue increasing and it is recommended that estimates of consumption be periodically updated so that forest management plans can make adequate provision for this demand in future. 5 refs., 16 figs., 7 tabs.

Binge consumption of ethanol during pregnancy leads to significant developmental delay of mouse embryonic brain

Science.gov (United States)

Sudheendran, Narendran; Bake, Shameena; Miranda, Rajesh C.; Larin, Kirill V.

2014-03-01

Consumption of alcohol during pregnancy can be severely detrimental to the development of the brain in fetuses. This study explores the usage of optical coherence tomography (OCT) to the study the effects of maternal consumption of ethanol on brain development in mouse fetuses. On gestational day 14.5, fetuses were collected and fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde. A swept-source OCT (SSOCT) system was used to acquire 3D images of the brain of ethanol-exposed and control fetuses. The volume of right and left brain ventricles were measured and used to compare between ethanol-exposed and control fetuses. A total of 5 fetuses were used for each of the two groups. The average volumes of the right and left ventricles were measured to be 0.35 and 0.15 mm3 for ethanol-exposed and control fetuses, respectively. The results demonstrated that there is an alcohol-induced developmental delay in mouse fetal brains.

Noise-induced drift in two-dimensional anisotropic systems

Science.gov (United States)

Farago, Oded

2017-10-01

We study the isothermal Brownian dynamics of a particle in a system with spatially varying diffusivity. Due to the heterogeneity of the system, the particle's mean displacement does not vanish even if it does not experience any physical force. This phenomenon has been termed "noise-induced drift," and has been extensively studied for one-dimensional systems. Here, we examine the noise-induced drift in a two-dimensional anisotropic system, characterized by a symmetric diffusion tensor with unequal diagonal elements. A general expression for the mean displacement vector is derived and presented as a sum of two vectors, depicting two distinct drifting effects. The first vector describes the tendency of the particle to drift toward the high diffusivity side in each orthogonal principal diffusion direction. This is a generalization of the well-known expression for the noise-induced drift in one-dimensional systems. The second vector represents a novel drifting effect, not found in one-dimensional systems, originating from the spatial rotation in the directions of the principal axes. The validity of the derived expressions is verified by using Langevin dynamics simulations. As a specific example, we consider the relative diffusion of two transmembrane proteins, and demonstrate that the average distance between them increases at a surprisingly fast rate of several tens of micrometers per second.

LED power consumption in joint illumination and communication system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Deng, X.; Wu, Y.; Khalid, A.M.; Long, X.; Linnartz, J.-P.M.G.

This paper addresses the power penalty in an illumination LED caused by visible light communication (VLC). This study models the extra power consumption of the LED by taking into account the convex relation between the dissipated electrical power versus the LED current on one hand and the concave

Quantification of variables that affect energy consumption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Warren, C.S.

1993-01-01

Facility energy consumption is the summation of a number of contributory factors, caused by equipment that uses energy in response to demands placed by the user and according to its particular design. While energy efficiency improvements usually concentrate on individual parts or systems, overall energy consumption is analyzed by examining the use of specific fuels. Because independent variables effect the consumption of these fuels, accurate comparisons of a facility's energy consumption for time-measured periods must include these effects. In many cases, it is possible to determine and quantify the effects of one or more of the independent variables through a statistically valid regression analysis of the data. The regression model can be linear, or be dependent on other functions such as powers, time lead or lag, or exponential. The most common model is linear, but other dependencies are often encountered. Regression analyses are not difficult to accomplish, and are included as one of the tools in most spreadsheet software. The analyses provide the energy manager with a means to better understand the energy consumption of his/her facility

Environmental advertisement: An alternative policy to control consumption pollution

OpenAIRE

Sartzetakis, Eftichios Sophocles; Xepapadeas, Anastasios P.

1998-01-01

This paper examines the efficiency enhancing potential of supplementing existing policies of controlling consumption pollution with environmental advertisement. Our definition of environmental advertisement includes both information dissemination and persuasion. While incentive-based regulations that are based on coercion are effective immediately, environmental advertisement that is based on inducing voluntary action requires time. We formalise this argument by assuming that the shift of con...

Measures to reduce car-fleet consumption - Estimation of effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iten, R.; Hammer, S.; Keller, M.; Schmidt, N.; Sammer, K.; Wuestenhagen, R.

2005-09-01

This comprehensive report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) takes a look at the results of a study that estimated the effects of measures that were to be taken in order to reduce the fuel consumption of fleets of vehicles as part of the SwissEnergy programme. The research reported on aimed to estimate the effects of the Energy Label on energy consumption and research concerning the results to be expected from the introduction of a bonus-malus system. Questions reviewed include the effect of fuel consumption data on making decisions concerning which vehicle to purchase, the effects of the Energy Label on consumption, the awareness of other appropriate information sources, the possible effects of a bonus-malus system and how the effectiveness of the Energy Label could be improved. The answers and results obtained are reviewed and commented on. Finally, an overall appraisal of the situation is presented and recommendations for increasing the effectiveness of the Energy Label are made

Chronic ethanol consumption inhibits repair of dimethylnitrosamine-induced DNA alkylation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mufti, S.I.; Salvagnini, M.; Lieber, C.S.; Garro, A.J.

1988-01-01

Chronic ethanol consumption causes a DNA repair deficiency. This was demonstrated in Sprague-Dawley rats injected with 14 C-labeled dimethylnitrosamine after being pair-fed isocaloric, ethanol, or carbohydrate control diets for 4 weeks. Hepatic DNA was isolated from rats killed at intervals over a 36 hour period after administration of the nitrosamine and concentrations of alkylated guanine derivatives were measured. While N7-methylguanine was lost at equivalent rates from the DNA of both diet groups, 06methylguanine, a promutagenic lesion, persisted at higher levels for longer periods of time in the DNA from the alcohol-fed animals

Impacts of Extreme Hot Weather Events on Electricity Consumption in Baden-Wuerttemberg

Science.gov (United States)

Mimler, S.

2009-04-01

Changes in electricity consumption due to hot weather events were examined for the German federal state Baden-Württemberg. The analysis consists of three major steps: Firstly, an analysis of the media coverage on the hot summer of 2003 gives direct and indirect information about changes in electricity demand due to changes in consumption patterns. On the one hand there was an overall increase in electricity demand due to the more frequent use of air conditionings, fans, cooling devices and water pumps. On the other hand shifts in electricity consumption took place due to modifications in daily routines: if possible, core working times were scheduled earlier, visitor streams in gastronomy and at events shifted from noon to evening hours, a temporal shifting of purchases took place in early morning or evening hours, and an increased night-activity was documented by a higher number of police operations due to noise disturbances. In a second step, some of the findings of the media analysis were quantified for households in the city region of Karlsruhe. For the chosen electric device groups refrigerators, mini-coolers, air conditionings, fans and electric stoves the difference between the consumption on a hot summer day and a normal summer day was computed. For this purpose, assumptions had to be made on the share of affected households, affected devices or usage patterns. These assumptions were summarized into three scenarios on low, medium and high heat induced changes in electricity consumption. In total, the quantification resulted in a range of about 7.5 to 9.2 % of heat-induced over-consumption related to the average amount of electrical load that is normally provided to Karlsruhe households on a summer's day. A third analysis of summer load curves aimed at testing the following hypotheses derived from the media analysis regarding changes in every-day routines and their effects on shifts in load profiles. To test the hypotheses, correlation tests were applied. (1

A Profile-Based Identification of Standby and Useless Electricity Consumption in Buildings

OpenAIRE

De Koster, Rien; Van Roy, Juan; Driesen, Johan

2013-01-01

Useless electricity consumption is the electricity consumption of an electric appliance or system that is not performing its primary function or that is performing its primary function without being useful. So, useless electricity consumption does not only consist of standby losses. To identify the useless electricity consumption in a building, a profile-based approach is developed. This approach is used to investigate the useless electricity consumption in five buildings of the University of...

State energy data report 1994: Consumption estimates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-10-01

This document provides annual time series estimates of State-level energy consumption by major economic sector. The estimates are developed in the State Energy Data System (SEDS), operated by EIA. SEDS provides State energy consumption estimates to members of Congress, Federal and State agencies, and the general public, and provides the historical series needed for EIA`s energy models. Division is made for each energy type and end use sector. Nuclear electric power is included.

State energy data report 1994: Consumption estimates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-10-01

This document provides annual time series estimates of State-level energy consumption by major economic sector. The estimates are developed in the State Energy Data System (SEDS), operated by EIA. SEDS provides State energy consumption estimates to members of Congress, Federal and State agencies, and the general public, and provides the historical series needed for EIA's energy models. Division is made for each energy type and end use sector. Nuclear electric power is included

Internalization of Conservation Values in Forming Green Consumption Attitude

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Syamsu Hadi

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The research aims to know a friendly environmental governance system. One sector of economic governance can certainly be initiated through green consumption. The focus of the problem was the green consumption education. This research was conducted by using qualitative approach in order to reveal how the process of conservation education in the Faculty of Economics in fostering behaviors that tend to conserve the consumption behavior in this case the green consumption attitude. The collecting data of research used observation, documentation and interview. This research uncovers how the conservation education is able to shape and build the green consumption attitudes that exist among the students from planning process, implementation, and evaluation of conservation education on the aspects of green consumption. Internalization of conservation value performed by the educators (in this case the lecturers at the Faculty of Economics, Universitas Negeri Semarang runs well enough.

Energy consumption and CO2 emissions in Iran, 2025

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirzaei, Maryam; Bekri, Mahmoud

2017-01-01

Climate change and global warming as the key human societies' threats are essentially associated with energy consumption and CO 2 emissions. A system dynamic model was developed in this study to model the energy consumption and CO 2 emission trends for Iran over 2000–2025. Energy policy factors are considered in analyzing the impact of different energy consumption factors on environmental quality. The simulation results show that the total energy consumption is predicted to reach 2150 by 2025, while that value in 2010 is 1910, which increased by 4.3% yearly. Accordingly, the total CO 2 emissions in 2025 will reach 985 million tonnes, which shows about 5% increase yearly. Furthermore, we constructed policy scenarios based on energy intensity reduction. The analysis show that CO 2 emissions will decrease by 12.14% in 2025 compared to 2010 in the scenario of 5% energy intensity reduction, and 17.8% in the 10% energy intensity reduction scenario. The results obtained in this study provide substantial awareness regarding Irans future energy and CO 2 emission outlines. - Highlights: • Creation of an energy consumption model using system dynamics. • The effect of different policies on energy consumption and emission reductions. • An ascending trend for the environmental costs caused by CO 2 emissions is observed. • An urgent need for energy saving and emission reductions in Iran.

The "prehistory" of marihuana consumption and growing in Colombia between 1930 and 1960

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eduardo Sáenz Rovner

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Marihuana consumption did not become widespread in Colombia as the simple result of its increased use as part of the north-American counterculture of the 1960s. Even though marihuana-growing spiraled to satisfy north-American demand at the end of the 1960s and 1970s there was an important market for domestic consumption in Colombia. "Exonerating-type" academic literature tending to see countries such as Colombia as the passive "victims" of externally-induced phenomena is thus questioned.

Chronic alcohol consumption enhances iNKT cell maturation and activation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Hui, E-mail: hzhang@wsu.edu; Zhang, Faya; Zhu, Zhaohui; Luong, Dung; Meadows, Gary G.

2015-01-15

consumption induces Th1 immune response upon iNKT cell in vivo activation.

Chronic alcohol consumption enhances iNKT cell maturation and activation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Hui; Zhang, Faya; Zhu, Zhaohui; Luong, Dung; Meadows, Gary G.

2015-01-01

Alcohol consumption exhibits diverse effects on different types of immune cells. NKT cells are a unique T cell population and play important immunoregulatory roles in different types of immune responses. The effects of chronic alcohol consumption on NKT cells remain to be elucidated. Using a mouse model of chronic alcohol consumption, we found that alcohol increases the percentage of NKT cells, especially iNKT cells in the thymus and liver, but not in the spleen or blood. Alcohol consumption decreases the percentage of NK1.1 − iNKT cells in the total iNKT cell population in all of the tissues and organs examined. In the thymus, alcohol consumption increases the number of NK1.1 + CD44 hi mature iNKT cells but does not alter the number of NK1.1 − immature iNKT cells. A BrdU incorporation assay shows that alcohol consumption increases the proliferation of thymic NK1.1 − iNKT cells, especially the NK1.1 − CD44 lo Stage I iNKT cells. The percentage of NKG2A + iNKT cells increases in all of the tissues and organs examined; whereas CXCR3 + iNKT cells only increases in the thymus of alcohol-consuming mice. Chronic alcohol consumption increases the percentage of IFN-γ-producing iNKT cells and increases the blood concentration of IFN-γ and IL-12 after in vivo α-galactosylceramide (αGalCer) stimulation. Consistent with the increased cytokine production, the in vivo activation of iNKT cells also enhances the activation of dendritic cells (DC) and NK, B, and T cells in the alcohol-consuming mice. Taken together the data indicate that chronic alcohol consumption enhances iNKT cell maturation and activation, which favors the Th1 immune response. - Highlights: • Chronic alcohol consumption increases iNKT cells in the thymus and liver • Chronic alcohol consumption enhances thymic Stage I iNKT cell proliferation • Chronic alcohol consumption enhances iNKT cell maturation in thymus and periphery • Chronic alcohol consumption induces Th1 immune response upon i

Research on statistical methodology to investigate energy consumption in public buildings sector in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Shuqin; Li Nianping; Guan Jun

2008-01-01

The purpose of this research is to find a statistical methodology to investigate the national energy consumption in the public buildings sector in China, in order to look into the actuality of the national energy consumption of public buildings and to provide abundant data for building energy efficiency work. The frame of a national statistical system of energy consumption for public buildings is presented in this paper. The statistical index system of energy consumption is constituted, which refers to the general characteristics of public buildings, their possession and utilization of energy consumption equipment and their energy consumption quantities. Sequentially, a set of statistical report forms is designed to investigate the energy consumption of cities, provinces and the country, respectively. On this base, the above statistical methodology is used to gather statistics of a public building for annual energy consumption

A system for fertigation management in soilless culture of tomato to reduce water consumption and nitrogen discharge [Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bacci, L.; Battista, P.; Rapi, B.; Pardossi, A.; Incrocci, L.; Carmassi, G.

2005-01-01

In Italy, most greenhouse growers apply fertigation in open-loop system (free drainage), but recent laws on environmental pollution are forcing them to introduce new management approaches, namely the recirculation of drain water (closed-loop). The development of a specific support system (SGx) is in progress in order to aid the growers in selecting low impact growing systems and in reducing water use. Currently, the software integrates three models for the simulation of tomato growth, transpiration and nutrient concentration in the fertigation water. The system can run both in real time, using meteorological and water consumption data automatically collected by sensors located in the greenhouse, and off-line, using data sets archived in the database. Choosing real time option, SGx follows plant growth and the modifications of nutrients in the recycling solution, suggesting the most effective practices for water and nutrient management. The off-line option allows the comparison between different productive strategies from different viewpoints: production, water and nutrient consumption, radiation and water use efficiency, environmental impact [it

"Wired," yet intoxicated: modeling binge caffeine and alcohol co-consumption in the mouse.

Science.gov (United States)

Fritz, Brandon M; Companion, Michel; Boehm, Stephen L

2014-08-01

The combination of highly caffeinated "energy drinks" with alcohol (ethanol [EtOH]) has become popular among young adults and intoxication via such beverages has been associated with an elevated risk for harmful behaviors. However, there are discrepancies in the human literature regarding the effect of caffeine on alcohol intoxication, perhaps due to confounding factors such as personality type, expectancy, and history of exposure. Animal models of co-exposure are resistant to such issues; however, the consequences of voluntary co-consumption have been largely ignored in the animal literature. The primary goal of this work was to characterize a mouse model of binge caffeine and EtOH co-consumption employing the limited access "Drinking-in-the-Dark" (DID) paradigm. Caffeine was added to a 20% alcohol solution via DID. Alcohol/caffeine intake, locomotor behavior, ataxia, anxiety-like behavior, and cognitive function were evaluated as a consequence of co-consumption in adult male C57BL/6J mice. Caffeine did not substantially alter binge alcohol intake or resultant blood EtOH concentrations (BECs), nor did it alter alcohol's anxiolytic effects on the elevated plus maze or cognitive-interfering effects in a novel object-recognition task. However, no evidence of alcohol-induced sedation was observed in co-consumption groups that instead demonstrated a highly stimulated state similar to that of caffeine alone. The addition of caffeine was also found to mitigate alcohol-induced ataxia. Taken together, our mouse model indicates that binge co-consumption of caffeine and alcohol produces a stimulated, less ataxic and anxious, as well as cognitively altered state; a state that could be of great public health concern. These results appear to resemble the colloquially identified "wide awake drunk" state that individuals seek via consumption of such beverages. This self-administration model therefore offers the capacity for translationally valid explorations of the

Consumption Habits and Humps

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kraft, Holger; Munk, Claus; Seifried, Frank Thomas

2017-01-01

We show that the optimal consumption of an individual over the life cycle can have the hump shape (inverted U-shape) observed empirically if the preferences of the individual exhibit internal habit formation. In the absence of habit formation, an impatient individual would prefer a decreasing...... consumption path over life. However, because of habit formation, a high initial consumption would lead to high required consumption in the future. To cover the future required consumption, wealth is set aside, but the necessary amount decreases with age which allows consumption to increase in the early part...... of life. At some age, the impatience outweighs the habit concerns so that consumption starts to decrease. We derive the optimal consumption strategy in closed form, deduce sufficient conditions for the presence of a consumption hump, and characterize the age at which the hump occurs. Numerical examples...

Consumption Habits and Humps

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kraft, Holger; Munk, Claus; Seifried, Frank Thomas

We show that the optimal consumption of an individual over the life cycle can have the hump shape (inverted U-shape) observed empirically if the preferences of the individual exhibit internal habit formation. In the absence of habit formation, an impatient individual would prefer a decreasing...... consumption path over life. However, because of habit formation, a high initial consumption would lead to high required consumption in the future. To cover the future required consumption, wealth is set aside, but the necessary amount decreases with age which allows consumption to increase in the early part...... of life. At some age, the impatience outweighs the habit concerns so that consumption starts to decrease. We derive the optimal consumption strategy in closed form, deduce sufficient conditions for the presence of a consumption hump, and characterize the age at which the hump occurs. Numerical examples...

Chronic voluntary alcohol consumption results in tolerance to sedative/hypnotic and hypothermic effects of alcohol in hybrid mice

Science.gov (United States)

Ozburn, Angela Renee; Harris, R. Adron; Blednov, Yuri A.

2013-01-01

The continuous two bottle choice test is the most common measure of alcohol consumption but there is remarkably little information about the development of tolerance or dependence with this procedure. We showed that C57BL/6JxFVB/NJ and FVB/NJxC57BL/6J F1 hybrid mice demonstrate greater preference for and consumption of alcohol than either parental strain. In order to test the ability of this genetic model of high alcohol consumption to produce neuroadaptation, we examined development of alcohol tolerance and dependence after chronic self-administration using a continuous access two-bottle choice paradigm. Ethanol-experienced mice stably consumed about 16–18 g/kg/day of ethanol. Ethanol-induced withdrawal severity was assessed (after 59 days of drinking) by scoring handling-induced convulsions; withdrawal severity was minimal and did not differ between ethanol-experienced and -naïve mice. After 71 days of drinking, the rate of ethanol clearance was similar for ethanol-experienced and -naïve mice. After 77 days of drinking, ethanol-induced loss of righting reflex (LORR) was tested daily for 5 days. Ethanol-experienced mice had a shorter duration of LORR. For both ethanol-experienced and -naïve mice, blood ethanol concentrations taken at gain of righting reflex were greater on day 5 than on day 1, indicative of tolerance. After 98 days of drinking, ethanol-induced hypothermia was assessed daily for 3 days. Both ethanol-experienced and –naïve mice developed rapid and chronic tolerance to ethanol-induced hypothermia, with significant group differences on the first day of testing. In summary, chronic, high levels of alcohol consumption in F1 hybrid mice produced rapid and chronic tolerance to both the sedative/hypnotic and hypothermic effects of ethanol; additionally, a small degree of metabolic tolerance developed. The development of tolerance supports the validity of using this model of high alcohol consumption in genetic studies of alcoholism. PMID:23313769

Comparative analysis of fixed and sun tracking low power PV systems considering energy consumption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lazaroiu, George Cristian; Longo, Michela; Roscia, Mariacristina; Pagano, Mario

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Photovoltaic system prototype with sun tracking. • Energy analysis of fixed and sun tracking built prototypes. • Experimental tests in different environmental conditions. • Theoretical and experimental validation of the prototype. - Abstract: Photovoltaic technology allows to directly convert solar energy into electrical energy with clear advantages: no environmental impact during operation, reliability and durability of the systems, reduced operating costs and maintenance, ability to both supply remote customers and simply connect to the electrical network. This paper evaluates the performance of two photovoltaic systems: one fixed and one equipped with a sun tracker. The objective of this research is to analyze the increase of daily produced energy by using the sun tracking system. The analysis accounts also the energy consumption of the sun tracker. An analytical approach is proposed. To validate the results through experimental tests, two alternative low power PV systems were built. Each system consists of a PV source, a MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracker) power converter and a 12 V–40 A h electrochemical battery, which is used as electric load. The sun tracker system evidenced an important growth of power production during morning and evening

A mechanistic model for electricity consumption on dairy farms: definition, validation, and demonstration.

Science.gov (United States)

Upton, J; Murphy, M; Shalloo, L; Groot Koerkamp, P W G; De Boer, I J M

2014-01-01

Our objective was to define and demonstrate a mechanistic model that enables dairy farmers to explore the impact of a technical or managerial innovation on electricity consumption, associated CO2 emissions, and electricity costs. We, therefore, (1) defined a model for electricity consumption on dairy farms (MECD) capable of simulating total electricity consumption along with related CO2 emissions and electricity costs on dairy farms on a monthly basis; (2) validated the MECD using empirical data of 1yr on commercial spring calving, grass-based dairy farms with 45, 88, and 195 milking cows; and (3) demonstrated the functionality of the model by applying 2 electricity tariffs to the electricity consumption data and examining the effect on total dairy farm electricity costs. The MECD was developed using a mechanistic modeling approach and required the key inputs of milk production, cow number, and details relating to the milk-cooling system, milking machine system, water-heating system, lighting systems, water pump systems, and the winter housing facilities as well as details relating to the management of the farm (e.g., season of calving). Model validation showed an overall relative prediction error (RPE) of less than 10% for total electricity consumption. More than 87% of the mean square prediction error of total electricity consumption was accounted for by random variation. The RPE values of the milk-cooling systems, water-heating systems, and milking machine systems were less than 20%. The RPE values for automatic scraper systems, lighting systems, and water pump systems varied from 18 to 113%, indicating a poor prediction for these metrics. However, automatic scrapers, lighting, and water pumps made up only 14% of total electricity consumption across all farms, reducing the overall impact of these poor predictions. Demonstration of the model showed that total farm electricity costs increased by between 29 and 38% by moving from a day and night tariff to a flat

The Biphasic Effects of Moderate Alcohol Consumption with a Meal on Ambiance-Induced Mood and Autonomic Nervous System Balance : A Randomized Crossover Trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schrieks, I.C.; Stafleu, A.; Kallen, V.L.; Grootjen, M.; Witkamp, R.F.; Hendriks, H.F.J.

2014-01-01

Background: The pre-drinking mood state has been indicated to be an important factor in the mood effects of alcohol. However, for moderate alcohol consumption there are no controlled studies showing this association. Also, the mood effects of consuming alcohol combined with food are largely unknown.

Application of the advanced engineering environment for optimization energy consumption in designed vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Monica, Z.; Sękala, A.; Gwiazda, A.; Banaś, W.

2016-08-01

Nowadays a key issue is to reduce the energy consumption of road vehicles. In particular solution one could find different strategies of energy optimization. The most popular but not sophisticated is so called eco-driving. In this strategy emphasized is particular behavior of drivers. In more sophisticated solution behavior of drivers is supported by control system measuring driving parameters and suggesting proper operation of the driver. The other strategy is concerned with application of different engineering solutions that aid optimization the process of energy consumption. Such systems take into consideration different parameters measured in real time and next take proper action according to procedures loaded to the control computer of a vehicle. The third strategy bases on optimization of the designed vehicle taking into account especially main sub-systems of a technical mean. In this approach the optimal level of energy consumption by a vehicle is obtained by synergetic results of individual optimization of particular constructional sub-systems of a vehicle. It is possible to distinguish three main sub-systems: the structural one the drive one and the control one. In the case of the structural sub-system optimization of the energy consumption level is related with the optimization or the weight parameter and optimization the aerodynamic parameter. The result is optimized body of a vehicle. Regarding the drive sub-system the optimization of the energy consumption level is related with the fuel or power consumption using the previously elaborated physical models. Finally the optimization of the control sub-system consists in determining optimal control parameters.

Analysis of energy consumption at the Rzeszów Wastewater Treatment Plant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masłoń Adam

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Wastewater treatment plants can be classified as energy-intensive facilities, as they account for up to 35 percent of municipal energy consumption. Pumps and aeration systems consume a significant portion of energy within the wastewater plants in particular. The cost of energy consumption for wastewater treatment processes reaches up to 40% of the total operating cost. In case of the WWTPs with the activated sludge systems, about 50% of energy is used for aeration and mixing purposes. At WWTPs, energy consumption is often correlated with the magnitude and type of pollutant load, which can influence the treatment methods and technologies used in the WWTP. In many cases wastewater treatment plants are operated without optimized measures for process optimization. A detailed study of the energy consumption should be executed in order to determine the optimization potential. This paper presents the energy consumption in municipal wastewater treatment plant in Rzeszów (Poland. In the year 2016, parameters of raw and treated wastewater were tested. The data related to energy consumption in plants allowed us to determine the energy intensity coefficients. Total consumption was measured. Indicators of energy consumption per cubic meter and removed load were calculated.

The protective role of low-concentration alcohol in high-fructose induced adverse cardiovascular events in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Xiaoqi; Pan, Bo; Wang, Ying; Liu, Lingjuan; Huang, Xupei; Tian, Jie

2018-01-01

Cardiovascular disease remains a worldwide public health issue. As fructose consumption is dramatically increasing, it has been demonstrated that a fructose-rich intake would increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. In addition, emerging evidences suggest that low concentration alcohol intake may exert a protective effect on cardiovascular system. This study aimed to investigate whether low-concentration alcohol consumption would prevent the adverse effects on cardiovascular events induced by high fructose in mice. From the results of hematoxylin-eosin staining, echocardiography, heart weight/body weight ratio and the expression of hypertrophic marker ANP, we found high-fructose result in myocardial hypertrophy and the low-concentration alcohol consumption would prevent the cardiomyocyte hypertrophy from happening. In addition, we observed low-concentration alcohol consumption could inhibit mitochondria swollen induced by high-fructose. The elevated levels of glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol in high-fructose group were reduced by low concentration alcohol. Low expression levels of SIRT1 and PPAR-γ induced by high-fructose were significantly elevated when fed with low-concentration alcohol. The histone lysine 9 acetylation (acH3K9) level was decreased in PPAR-γ promoter in high-fructose group but elevated when intake with low concentration alcohol. The binding levels of histone deacetylase SIRT1 were increased in the same region in high-fructose group, while the low concentration alcohol can prevent the increased binding levels. Overall, our study indicates that low-concentration alcohol consumption could inhibit high-fructose related myocardial hypertrophy, cardiac mitochondria damaged and disorders of glucose-lipid metabolism. Furthermore, these findings also provide new insights into histone acetylation-deacetylation mechanisms of low-concentration alcohol treatment that may contribute to the prevention of cardiovascular disease induced by high

Consumption of Diet Containing Free Amino Acids Exacerbates Colitis in Mice

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Adna Luciana Souza

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Dietary proteins can influence the maturation of the immune system, particularly the gut-associated lymphoid tissue, when consumed from weaning to adulthood. Moreover, replacement of dietary proteins by amino acids at weaning has been shown to impair the generation of regulatory T cells in the gut as well as immune activities such as protective response to infection, induction of oral and nasal tolerance as well as allergic responses. Polymeric and elemental diets are used in the clinical practice, but the specific role of intact proteins and free amino acids during the intestinal inflammation are not known. It is plausible that these two dietary nitrogen sources would yield distinct immunological outcomes since proteins are recognized by the immune system as antigens and amino acids do not bind to antigen-recognition receptors but instead to intracellular receptors such as mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR. In this study, our aim was to evaluate the effects of consumption of an amino acid-containing diet (AA diet versus a control protein-containing diet in adult mice at steady state and during colitis development. We showed that consumption of a AA diet by adult mature mice lead to various immunological changes including decrease in the production of serum IgG as well as increase in the levels of IL-6, IL-17A, TGF-β, and IL-10 in the small and large intestines. It also led to changes in the intestinal morphology, to increase in intestinal permeability, in the number of total and activated CD4+ T cells in the small intestine as well as in the frequency of proliferating cells in the colon. Moreover, consumption of AA diet during and prior to development of dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis exacerbated gut inflammation. Administration of rapamycin during AA diet consumption prevented colitis exacerbation suggesting that mTOR activation was involved in the effects triggered by the AA diet. Therefore, our study suggests that different

A Novel Low-Power-Consumption All-Fiber-Optic Anemometer with Simple System Design.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yang; Wang, Fang; Duan, Zhihui; Liu, Zexu; Liu, Zigeng; Wu, Zhenlin; Gu, Yiying; Sun, Changsen; Peng, Wei

2017-09-14

A compact and low-power consuming fiber-optic anemometer based on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) coated tilted fiber Bragg grating (TFBG) is presented. TFBG as a near infrared in-fiber sensing element is able to excite a number of cladding modes and radiation modes in the fiber and effectively couple light in the core to interact with the fiber surrounding mediums. It is an ideal in-fiber device used in a fiber hot-wire anemometer (HWA) as both coupling and sensing elements to simplify the sensing head structure. The fabricated TFBG was immobilized with an SWCNT film on the fiber surface. SWCNTs, a kind of innovative nanomaterial, were utilized as light-heat conversion medium instead of traditional metallic materials, due to its excellent infrared light absorption ability and competitive thermal conductivity. When the SWCNT film strongly absorbs the light in the fiber, the sensor head can be heated and form a "hot wire". As the sensor is put into wind field, the wind will take away the heat on the sensor resulting in a temperature variation that is then accurately measured by the TFBG. Benefited from the high coupling and absorption efficiency, the heating and sensing light source was shared with only one broadband light source (BBS) without any extra pumping laser complicating the system. This not only significantly reduces power consumption, but also simplifies the whole sensing system with lower cost. In experiments, the key parameters of the sensor, such as the film thickness and the inherent angle of the TFBG, were fully investigated. It was demonstrated that, under a very low BBS input power of 9.87 mW, a 0.100 nm wavelength response can still be detected as the wind speed changed from 0 to 2 m/s. In addition, the sensitivity was found to be -0.0346 nm/(m/s) under the wind speed of 1 m/s. The proposed simple and low-power-consumption wind speed sensing system exhibits promising potential for future long-term remote monitoring and on-chip sensing in

Adverse selection model regarding tobacco consumption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dumitru MARIN

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The impact of introducing a tax on tobacco consumption can be studied trough an adverse selection model. The objective of the model presented in the following is to characterize the optimal contractual relationship between the governmental authorities and the two type employees: smokers and non-smokers, taking into account that the consumers’ decision to smoke or not represents an element of risk and uncertainty. Two scenarios are run using the General Algebraic Modeling Systems software: one without taxes set on tobacco consumption and another one with taxes set on tobacco consumption, based on an adverse selection model described previously. The results of the two scenarios are compared in the end of the paper: the wage earnings levels and the social welfare in case of a smoking agent and in case of a non-smoking agent.

A Role for Exercise in Attenuating Unhealthy Food Consumption in Response to Stress

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Shina Leow

2018-02-01

Full Text Available It is well established that both acute and chronic stress can be detrimental to health and wellbeing by directly increasing the risk of several chronic diseases and related health problems. In addition, stress may contribute to ill-health indirectly via its downstream effects on individuals’ health-related behaviour, such as promoting the intake of unhealthy palatable foods high in fat and sugar content. This paper reviews (a the research literature on stress-models; (b recent research investigating stress-induced eating and (c the potential physiological and psychological pathways contributing to stress-induced eating. Particular attention is given to (d the role of physical exercise in attenuating acute stress, with exploration of potential mechanisms through which exercise may reduce unhealthy food and drink consumption subsequent to stressor exposure. Finally, exercise motivation is discussed as an important psychological influence over the capacity for physical exercise to attenuate unhealthy food and drink consumption after exposure to stressors. This paper aims to provide a better understanding of how physical exercise might alleviate stress-induced unhealthy food choices.

A Role for Exercise in Attenuating Unhealthy Food Consumption in Response to Stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Leow, Shina; Jackson, Ben; Alderson, Jacqueline A; Guelfi, Kym J; Dimmock, James A

2018-02-06

It is well established that both acute and chronic stress can be detrimental to health and wellbeing by directly increasing the risk of several chronic diseases and related health problems. In addition, stress may contribute to ill-health indirectly via its downstream effects on individuals' health-related behaviour, such as promoting the intake of unhealthy palatable foods high in fat and sugar content. This paper reviews (a) the research literature on stress-models; (b) recent research investigating stress-induced eating and (c) the potential physiological and psychological pathways contributing to stress-induced eating. Particular attention is given to (d) the role of physical exercise in attenuating acute stress, with exploration of potential mechanisms through which exercise may reduce unhealthy food and drink consumption subsequent to stressor exposure. Finally, exercise motivation is discussed as an important psychological influence over the capacity for physical exercise to attenuate unhealthy food and drink consumption after exposure to stressors. This paper aims to provide a better understanding of how physical exercise might alleviate stress-induced unhealthy food choices.

Lifestyle and global energy consumption. Analyss and strategy approaches on a sustainable energy structure; Lebensstile und globaler Energieverbrauch. Analyse und Strategieansaetze zu einer nachhaltigen Energiestruktur

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gerstengarbe, F.W. (ed.); Reusswig, F.; Gerlinger, K.; Edenhofer, O.

2004-07-01

Lifestyle and consumption have emerged as research issues in energy and climate change related research in recent years for obvious reasons: with the emergence and the global spread of the modern 'consumer society' lifestyle induced consumption decisions by private households more and more influence total energy consumption and related carbon dioxide emissions. The paper discusses the use of the lifestyle concept derived from sociology and market research for household energy consumption and the potential for more sustainable changes. A main section is dedicated to a new way of decomposing country statistics on energy consumption, economic growth, CO{sub 2} emissions, and energy mix. We detect five distinct patterns of national energy systems via a cluster analysis of country data and their change over time. These clusters represent distinct trajectories of the recent energy economic history of the country groups and define some path dependencies for energy policy options in the nearer future which are discussed briefly. The environmental kuznets curve (EKC) debate is discussed critically in the light of the more flexible and regionally adapted way of conceiving the worlds' energy system. The paper offers a quantitative the estimation of private households' contribution to total energy related CO{sub 2} emissions, thus contributing to the assessment of lifestyle-related emissions. The final section discusses practical consequences for energy policy and lifestyle related environmental communication. (orig.)

Measurements and modelling of base station power consumption under real traffic loads.

Science.gov (United States)

Lorincz, Josip; Garma, Tonko; Petrovic, Goran

2012-01-01

Base stations represent the main contributor to the energy consumption of a mobile cellular network. Since traffic load in mobile networks significantly varies during a working or weekend day, it is important to quantify the influence of these variations on the base station power consumption. Therefore, this paper investigates changes in the instantaneous power consumption of GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) and UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) base stations according to their respective traffic load. The real data in terms of the power consumption and traffic load have been obtained from continuous measurements performed on a fully operated base station site. Measurements show the existence of a direct relationship between base station traffic load and power consumption. According to this relationship, we develop a linear power consumption model for base stations of both technologies. This paper also gives an overview of the most important concepts which are being proposed to make cellular networks more energy-efficient.

Measurements and Modelling of Base Station Power Consumption under Real Traffic Loads

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Goran Petrovic

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Base stations represent the main contributor to the energy consumption of a mobile cellular network. Since traffic load in mobile networks significantly varies during a working or weekend day, it is important to quantify the influence of these variations on the base station power consumption. Therefore, this paper investigates changes in the instantaneous power consumption of GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications and UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System base stations according to their respective traffic load. The real data in terms of the power consumption and traffic load have been obtained from continuous measurements performed on a fully operated base station site. Measurements show the existence of a direct relationship between base station traffic load and power consumption. According to this relationship, we develop a linear power consumption model for base stations of both technologies. This paper also gives an overview of the most important concepts which are being proposed to make cellular networks more energy-efficient.

Red wine consumption increases antioxidant status and decreases oxidative stress in the circulation of both young and old humans

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Lexis Louise

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Red wine contains a naturally rich source of antioxidants, which may protect the body from oxidative stress, a determinant of age-related disease. The current study set out to determine the in vivo effects of moderate red wine consumption on antioxidant status and oxidative stress in the circulation. Methods 20 young (18–30 yrs and 20 older (≥ 50 yrs volunteers were recruited. Each age group was randomly divided into treatment subjects who consumed 400 mL/day of red wine for two weeks, or control subjects who abstained from alcohol for two weeks, after which they crossed over into the other group. Blood samples were collected before and after red wine consumption and were used for analysis of whole blood glutathione (GSH, plasma malondialdehyde (MDA and serum total antioxidant status. Results Results from this study show consumption of red wine induced significant increases in plasma total antioxidant status (P Conclusion It may be implied from this data that red wine provides general oxidative protection and to lipid systems in circulation via the increase in antioxidant status.

Integrated Urban System and Energy Consumption Model: Public and Singular Buildings

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Rocco Papa

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The present paper illustrates the results of the first steps of a study on one aspect investigated as the preliminary step of the definition of the analysis - comprehension model of the relation between: city, buildings, and user behavior, for the reduction of energy consumption within the research project “Smart Energy Master” for the energetic governance of the territory (PON_MIUR n. pos. 04a2_00120 CUP Ricerca: E61H12000130005, at the Department of Civil, Building and Environmental Engineering - University of Naples Federico II, principal investigator prof. Carmela Gargiulo.Specifically the literary review aimed at determining if, and in what measure, the presence of public and singular buildings is present in the energy consumption estimate models,  proposed by the scientific community, for the city or neighborhood scale.The difficulties in defining the weight of these singular buildings on the total energy consumption and the impossibility to define mean values that are significant for all subsets and different types as well as for each one, have forced model makers to either ignore them completely or chose a portion of this specific stock to include.

State energy data report 1996: Consumption estimates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-02-01

The State Energy Data Report (SEDR) provides annual time series estimates of State-level energy consumption by major economic sectors. The estimates are developed in the Combined State Energy Data System (CSEDS), which is maintained and operated by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). The goal in maintaining CSEDS is to create historical time series of energy consumption by State that are defined as consistently as possible over time and across sectors. CSEDS exists for two principal reasons: (1) to provide State energy consumption estimates to Members of Congress, Federal and State agencies, and the general public and (2) to provide the historical series necessary for EIA`s energy models. To the degree possible, energy consumption has been assigned to five sectors: residential, commercial, industrial, transportation, and electric utility sectors. Fuels covered are coal, natural gas, petroleum, nuclear electric power, hydroelectric power, biomass, and other, defined as electric power generated from geothermal, wind, photovoltaic, and solar thermal energy. 322 tabs.

State energy data report 1996: Consumption estimates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-02-01

The State Energy Data Report (SEDR) provides annual time series estimates of State-level energy consumption by major economic sectors. The estimates are developed in the Combined State Energy Data System (CSEDS), which is maintained and operated by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). The goal in maintaining CSEDS is to create historical time series of energy consumption by State that are defined as consistently as possible over time and across sectors. CSEDS exists for two principal reasons: (1) to provide State energy consumption estimates to Members of Congress, Federal and State agencies, and the general public and (2) to provide the historical series necessary for EIA's energy models. To the degree possible, energy consumption has been assigned to five sectors: residential, commercial, industrial, transportation, and electric utility sectors. Fuels covered are coal, natural gas, petroleum, nuclear electric power, hydroelectric power, biomass, and other, defined as electric power generated from geothermal, wind, photovoltaic, and solar thermal energy. 322 tabs

Assessing the Sustainability of EU Timber Consumption Trends: Comparing Consumption Scenarios with a Safe Operating Space Scenario for Global and EU Timber Supply

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meghan O’Brien

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The growing demand for wood to meet EU renewable energy targets has increasingly come under scrutiny for potentially increasing EU import dependence and inducing land use change abroad, with associated impacts on the climate and biodiversity. This article builds on research accounting for levels of primary timber consumption—e.g., toward forest footprints—and developing reference values for benchmarking sustainability—e.g., toward land use targets—in order to improve systemic monitoring of timber and forest use. Specifically, it looks at future trends to assess how current EU policy may impact forests at an EU and global scale. Future demand scenarios are based on projections derived and adapted from the literature to depict developments under different scenario assumptions. Results reveal that by 2030, EU consumption levels on a per capita basis are estimated to be increasingly disproportionate compared to the rest of the world. EU consumption scenarios based on meeting around a 40% share of the EU renewable energy targets with timber would overshoot both the EU and global reference value range for sustainable supply capacities in 2030. Overall, findings support literature pointing to an increased risk of problem shifting relating to both how much and where timber needed for meeting renewable energy targets is sourced. It is argued that a sustainable level of timber consumption should be characterized by balance between supply (what the forest can provide on a sustainable basis and demand (how much is used on a per capita basis, considering the concept of fair shares. To this end, future research should close data gaps, increase methodological robustness and address the socio-political legitimacy of the safe operating space concept towards targets in the future. A re-use of timber within the economy should be supported to increase supply options.

[Community antibiotic consumption in Chile, 2000-2008].

Science.gov (United States)

Bavestrello F, Luis; Cabello M, Angela

2011-04-01

The Chilean Ministry of Health has implemented regulatory rules for the consumption of anti-biotics since September 1999, with sales restriction limited only with medical prescription. To analyze the impact of established regulatory measures from 2000 to 2008. A retrospective analysis of antibiotics sales in pharmacies from 2000 to 2008 was performed. The information was obtained from the International Marketing System (IMS Health), an auditing system of pharmacy sales. The consumption unit used was the Defined Daily Dose per 1000 inhabitants/day (DDD). From 2000 to 2002 the regulatory rules had a great impact, but since 2002 the antibiotic consumption increased, especially amoxicillin, returning to similar levéis observed in 1998. The regulatory measures had an initial impact, but there was not reinforcement in the time and there was no further control. It is necessary to assume a permanent task and support of the authorities of health to edúcate the population about the implications of the inadequate use of antimicrobials and his effect on the microbial ecology.

[Associations between mortality and alcohol consumption in Lithuanian population].

Science.gov (United States)

Grabauskas, Vilius; Prochorskas, Remigijus; Veryga, Aurelijus

2009-01-01

The objective of the study was to assess alcohol-related mortality that potentially might explain an increasing trend in overall mortality of Lithuanian population, which started after 2000 and peaked in 2005. An empiric analysis of national mortality and other statistical data as well as their international comparisons. An analysis of available data clearly indicates that a decline in mortality in 1998-2000, i.e. during the beginning of the National Programme of Health, as well as its increase in 2001 and 2005 were predominantly determined by cause-specific deaths of two groups: deaths from diseases of the circulatory system (mainly ischemic heart disease) and alcohol consumption-related deaths (liver cirrhosis, accidental poisoning by alcohol, accidents, etc.). A certain proportion of deaths, which were caused by alcohol, were wrongly assigned to the deaths from diseases of the circulatory system due to uncertainties in filling-in death certificates. By approximate estimates, at least one-quarter of increase in all-cause mortality between 2002-2004 and 2005-2007 could be explained by an increase in alcohol consumption, accounting for additional 880 deaths on average per year. In the year 2007, 12.6% (n=5760) of all deaths were somehow related to alcohol consumption. A comparative analysis demonstrated that mortality and alcohol consumption trends were going in parallel over the last decade. The systemic decline in mortality observed in Lithuania from 1995 stopped in 2000 after a decrease in alcohol taxes, which resulted in an increase in alcohol accessibility and consumption. An average annual increase in alcohol consumption over the period of 2001-2004 was 7%; it increased up to 17% in 2005 and accounted for 12% annual increase on average within 2005-2007. Negative trends in alcohol-related morbidity and mortality in Lithuanian population most notably registered in 2001 and 2005 were largely influenced by uncontrollable increase in alcohol consumption over the

Effects of chronic alcohol consumption, withdrawal and nerve growth factor on neuropeptide Y expression and cholinergic innervation of the rat dentate hilus.

Science.gov (United States)

Pereira, Pedro A; Rocha, João P; Cardoso, Armando; Vilela, Manuel; Sousa, Sérgio; Madeira, M Dulce

2016-05-01

Several studies have demonstrated the vulnerability of the hippocampal formation (HF) to chronic alcohol consumption and withdrawal. Among the brain systems that appear to be particularly vulnerable to the effects of these conditions are the neuropeptide Y (NPY)-ergic and the cholinergic systems. Because these two systems seem to closely interact in the HF, we sought to study the effects of chronic alcohol consumption (6months) and subsequent withdrawal (2months) on the expression of NPY and on the cholinergic innervation of the rat dentate hilus. As such, we have estimated the areal density and the somatic volume of NPY-immunoreactive neurons, and the density of the cholinergic varicosities. In addition, because alcohol consumption and withdrawal are associated with impaired nerve growth factor (NGF) trophic support and the administration of exogenous NGF alters the effects of those conditions on various cholinergic markers, we have also estimated the same morphological parameters in withdrawn rats infused intracerebroventricularly with NGF. NPY expression increased after withdrawal and returned to control values after NGF treatment. Conversely, the somatic volume of these neurons did not differ among all groups. On other hand, the expression of vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) was reduced by 24% in ethanol-treated rats and by 46% in withdrawn rats. The administration of NGF to withdrawn rats increased the VAChT expression to values above control levels. These results show that the effects of prolonged alcohol intake and protracted withdrawal on the hilar NPY expression differ from those induced by shorter exposures to ethanol and by abrupt withdrawal. They also suggest that the normalizing effect of NGF on NPY expression might rely on the NGF-induced improvement of cholinergic neurotransmission in the dentate hilus. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stochastic estimation of electricity consumption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kapetanovic, I.; Konjic, T.; Zahirovic, Z.

1999-01-01

Electricity consumption forecasting represents a part of the stable functioning of the power system. It is very important because of rationality and increase of control process efficiency and development planning of all aspects of society. On a scientific basis, forecasting is a possible way to solve problems. Among different models that have been used in the area of forecasting, the stochastic aspect of forecasting as a part of quantitative models takes a very important place in applications. ARIMA models and Kalman filter as stochastic estimators have been treated together for electricity consumption forecasting. Therefore, the main aim of this paper is to present the stochastic forecasting aspect using short time series. (author)

Noise-Induced Riddling in Chaotic Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lai, Y.; Grebogi, C.

1996-01-01

Recent works have considered the situation of riddling where, when a chaotic attractor lying in an invariant subspace is transversely stable, the basin of the attractor can be riddled with holes that belong to the basin of another attractor. We show that riddling can be induced by arbitrarily small random noise even if the attractor is transversely unstable, and we obtain universal scaling laws for noise-induced riddling. Our results imply that the phenomenon of riddling can be more prevalent than expected before, as noise is practically inevitable in dynamical systems. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

Low energy consumption vortex wave flow membrane bioreactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhiqiang; Dong, Weilong; Hu, Xiaohong; Sun, Tianyu; Wang, Tao; Sun, Youshan

2017-11-01

In order to reduce the energy consumption and membrane fouling of the conventional membrane bioreactor (MBR), a kind of low energy consumption vortex wave flow MBR was exploited based on the combination of biofilm process and membrane filtration process, as well as the vortex wave flow technique. The experimental results showed that the vortex wave flow state in the membrane module could be formed when the Reynolds number (Re) of liquid was adjusted between 450 and 1,050, and the membrane flux declined more slowly in the vortex wave flow state than those in the laminar flow state and turbulent flow state. The MBR system was used to treat domestic wastewater under the condition of vortex wave flow state for 30 days. The results showed that the removal efficiency for CODcr and NH 3 -N was 82% and 98% respectively, and the permeate quality met the requirement of 'Water quality standard for urban miscellaneous water consumption (GB/T 18920-2002)'. Analysis of the energy consumption of the MBR showed that the average energy consumption was 1.90 ± 0.55 kWh/m 3 (permeate), which was only two thirds of conventional MBR energy consumption.

Research and Analysis on Energy Consumption Features of Civil Airports

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Bo; Zhang, Wen; Wang, Jianping; Xu, Junku; Su, Jixiang

2017-11-01

Civil aviation is an important part of China’s transportation system, and also the fastest-growing field of comprehensive transportation. Airports, as a key infrastructure of the air transportation system, are the junctions of air and ground transportation. Large airports are generally comprehensive transportation hubs that integrate various modes of transportation, serving as important functional zones of cities. Compared with other transportation hubs, airports cover a wide area, with plenty of functional sections, complex systems and strong specialization, while airport buildings represented by terminals have exhibited characteristics of large space, massive energy consumption, high requirement for safety and comfort, as well as concentrated and rapidly changing passenger flows. Through research and analysis on energy consumption features of civil airports, and analysis on energy consumption features of airports with different sizes or in different climate regions, this article has drawn conclusions therefrom.

Life Cycle Water Consumption and Water Resource Assessment for Utility-Scale Geothermal Systems: An In-Depth Analysis of Historical and Forthcoming EGS Projects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clark, Corrie E. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Harto, Christopher B. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Schroeder, Jenna N. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Martino, Louis E. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Horner, Robert M. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

2013-08-01

This report is the third in a series of reports sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy Geothermal Technologies Program in which a range of water-related issues surrounding geothermal power production are evaluated. The first report made an initial attempt at quantifying the life cycle fresh water requirements of geothermal power-generating systems and explored operational and environmental concerns related to the geochemical composition of geothermal fluids. The initial analysis of life cycle fresh water consumption of geothermal power-generating systems identified that operational water requirements consumed the vast majority of water across the life cycle. However, it relied upon limited operational water consumption data and did not account for belowground operational losses for enhanced geothermal systems (EGSs). A second report presented an initial assessment of fresh water demand for future growth in utility-scale geothermal power generation. The current analysis builds upon this work to improve life cycle fresh water consumption estimates and incorporates regional water availability into the resource assessment to improve the identification of areas where future growth in geothermal electricity generation may encounter water challenges. This report is divided into nine chapters. Chapter 1 gives the background of the project and its purpose, which is to assess the water consumption of geothermal technologies and identify areas where water availability may present a challenge to utility-scale geothermal development. Water consumption refers to the water that is withdrawn from a resource such as a river, lake, or nongeothermal aquifer that is not returned to that resource. The geothermal electricity generation technologies evaluated in this study include conventional hydrothermal flash and binary systems, as well as EGSs that rely on engineering a productive reservoir where heat exists, but where water availability or permeability may be limited. Chapter 2

A Survey on Content Adaptation Systems towards Energy Consumption Awareness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohd Norasri Ismail

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The availability of heterogeneous devices has rapidly changed the way people access the World Wide Web that includes rich content applications such as video streaming, 3D games, video conferencing, and mobile TV. However, most of these devices' (i.e., mobile phone, PDA, smartphone, and tablet capabilities differ in terms of built-in software and library (what they can display, display size (how the content appears, and battery supply (how long the content can be displayed. In order for the digital contents to fit the target device, content adaptation is required. There have been many projects focused on energy-aware-based content adaptation that have been designed with different goals and approaches. This paper reviews some of the representative content adaptation solutions that have been proposed during the last few years, in relation to energy consumption focusing on wireless multimedia streaming in mobile devices. Also, this paper categorizes the research work according to different classifications of multimedia content adaptation requirements. In addition, we discuss some energy-related challenges content adaptation systems.

Photovoltaic - Self consumption is gaining ground

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Jannic, Nolwenn

2017-01-01

Since July 2016, France has a legislation authorizing the self-consumption of electric power generated by photovoltaic systems. If certain points of the text need to be more precisely stated, the actors of the solar power sector consider this new legislation as a major progress, allowing to elaborate economic models for this autonomous power production. Several examples are given that illustrate recent competitive projects and achievements: photovoltaic power plants for supermarkets, high schools, residential and office buildings, etc. It appears that two thirds of demands concern self-consumption projects with sale of the surplus to the residential sector

Congenital deformity in calves induced by the maternal consumption of lupin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shupe, J.L.; Binns, W.; James, L.F.; Keeler, R.F.

1968-01-01

A congenital skeletal deformity called crooked calf syndrome occurs in many of the beef cattle-producing areas of the western United States. This deformity is characterized by arthrogryposis, torticollis, scoliosis, and cleft palate. The condition is non-hereditary, and is due to the consumption of lupin by the dam. The most severe and characteristic deformities are produced between the 40th and 70th days of gestation. Experimental analyses were performed to ascertain the teratogenic effect of lupin plants, lupin and lead, and lead alone upon cattle.

Estimating road transport fuel consumption in Ecuador

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sierra, Jaime Cevallos

2016-01-01

Road transport is one of the sectors with highest energy consumptions in the planet, with large dependence of fossil fuels, and contribution for global greenhouse gas emissions. Although, Latin America is not a high-energy consumer, its share in global consumption is expected to grow, especially in the transportation sector. This make essential for developing countries the adoption of better policies to identify the vehicle groups with largest fuel demands. The present study describes the VKT technique to disaggregate road transport energy consumption by vehicle type, applied to the road transportation system of Ecuador. It also describes the procedures performed to estimate the variables required to run the model, and some of the practical applications that be used to create public policies. Results show as the biggest fuel consumers the heavy-duty freight cargo, followed by light duty vehicles. The estimation of greenhouse gas emissions evidence that road transport released 14.3 million tons of CO_2 in 2012. When fuel consumption is compared by it costs, it can be confirmed that Ecuadorean Government covered, through subsidies, for 68% of the annual fuel costs of national road transport, demonstrating the importance of restructuring these expenditures in order to achieve an efficient road transport system. - Highlights: •The vehicle-kilometers traveled has been estimated from local info. •The fuel economy has been calculated from national and international data. •The groups with higher fuel consumption has been located. •The fuel-type dependency has been estimated for each vehicle group. •Greenhouse gas emission, and fuel costs, has been estimated for local road transport.

Comparison of Preamplifiers for Low-power Consumption Design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Seung Hyun; Kim, Han Soo; Lee, Kyu Hong; Choi, Hyo Jeong; Na, Teresa W.; Ha, Jang Ho [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Chai, Jong Seo [Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon (Korea, Republic of)

2011-10-15

The commonly used electronic devices in radiation detector system are the preamplifier, the amplifier, ADC, and etc. to extract the signal from the detector and to process the signal. These components are composed of semiconductor devices like BJT, MOSFET, OPAMP, and etc. Performance and power consumption of these components are various according to the composition of semiconductor devices. In this study, preamplifiers, which are composed of high efficiency semiconductor devices, are compared to design low-power consumption and high performance preamplifier. To confirm the purpose, preamplifiers are designed for low-power consumption and high gain by some OPAMP (Operational Amplifier). The comparison was performed by experimental result and design simulation

Railway line capacity consumption of different railway signalling systems under scheduled and disturbed conditions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Goverde, R.M.P.; Corman, F.; D'Ariano, A.

2013-01-01

This paper evaluates the capacity consumption on a Dutch railway line both under scheduled and disturbed traffic conditions. For the scheduled condition the standard UIC compression method is used, while the computation of capacity consumption under disturbed conditions requires multiple simulation

Influence of caffeine and/or coffee consumption on the initiation and promotion phases of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-induced rat mammary gland tumorigenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Welsch, C W; DeHoog, J V; O'Connor, D H

1988-04-15

The effect of caffeine and/or coffee consumption (via the drinking water) during the initiation phase and promotion phase of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary gland tumorigenesis in female Sprague-Dawley rats fed a commercial laboratory animal chow was examined. In the initiation studies, DMBA was administered once at 53-55 days of age; caffeine (100-860 mg/liter of drinking water) and/or coffee (moderate or high dose, sole source of drinking water) treatments were for 32 consecutive days, commencing 29 days prior to DMBA treatment and terminating 3 days after DMBA treatment. In the promotion studies, DMBA was administered once at 54-55 days of age; caffeine and/or coffee treatments were daily from 57-58 days of age to termination of experiments (12-21 weeks after carcinogen treatment). In the initiation studies, either moderate (100-400 mg) or high (860 mg) dose levels of caffeine or moderate to high dose levels of caffeinated coffee significantly (P less than 0.05) reduced mammary carcinoma multiplicity (number of tumors/rat). Consumption of high or moderate dose levels of decaffeinated coffee did not significantly alter mammary carcinoma multiplicity. The addition of caffeine to the moderate dose level of decaffeinated coffee resulted in a significant (P less than 0.05) reduction in mammary carcinoma multiplicity. In the promotion studies, prolonged consumption of moderated dose levels of caffeine or moderate or high dose levels of caffeinated coffee or decaffeinated coffee did not significantly effect mammary carcinoma multiplicity. In the early stages of promotion, however, a significant (p less than 0.05) stimulatory effect of caffeine on mammary carcinoma multiplicity was observed; an effect that was temperate and transitory. In both the initiation and promotion studies caffeine and/or coffee consumption did not significantly affect the incidence of mammary carcinomas (percentage of rats bearing mammary carcinomas) or the mean latency

FoodCASE: A system to manage food composition, consumption and TDS data.

Science.gov (United States)

Presser, Karl; Weber, David; Norrie, Moira

2018-01-01

Food and nutrition scientists, nowadays, need to manage an increasing amount of data regarding food composition, food consumption and Total Diet Studies (TDS). The corresponding datasets can contain information about several thousand different foods, in different versions from different studies. FoodCASE is a system that has been developed to manage these different datasets. It also support flexible means of linking between datasets and generally provide support for the different processes involved in the acquisition, management and processing of data. In this paper, the most important concepts to implement existing guidelines and standards for proper food data management are presented, as well as different use cases of data import and proofs of concepts demonstrating the ability to manage data in FoodCASE. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estimation of tourism-induced electricity consumption: The case study of Balearics Islands, Spain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bakhat, Mohcine, E-mail: mohcine_bakhat@yahoo.com; Rossello, Jaume

2011-05-15

Tourism has started to be acknowledged as a significant contributor to the increase in environmental externalities, especially to climate change. Various studies have started to estimate and compute the role of the different tourism sectors' contributions to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These estimations have been made from a sectoral perspective, assessing the contribution of air transport, the accommodation sector, or other tourism-related economic sectors. However, in order to evaluate the impact of this sector on energy use the approaches used in the literature consider tourism in its disaggregated way. This paper assesses the electricity demand pattern and investigates the aggregated contribution of tourism to electricity consumption using the case study of the Balearic Islands (Spain). Using a conventional daily electricity demand model, including data for daily stocks of tourists the impact of the different population growth rate scenarios on electricity loads is also investigated. The results show that, in terms of electricity consumption, tourism cannot be considered a very energy-intensive sector.

Estimation of tourism-induced electricity consumption: The case study of Balearics Islands, Spain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bakhat, Mohcine; Rossello, Jaume

2011-01-01

Tourism has started to be acknowledged as a significant contributor to the increase in environmental externalities, especially to climate change. Various studies have started to estimate and compute the role of the different tourism sectors' contributions to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These estimations have been made from a sectoral perspective, assessing the contribution of air transport, the accommodation sector, or other tourism-related economic sectors. However, in order to evaluate the impact of this sector on energy use the approaches used in the literature consider tourism in its disaggregated way. This paper assesses the electricity demand pattern and investigates the aggregated contribution of tourism to electricity consumption using the case study of the Balearic Islands (Spain). Using a conventional daily electricity demand model, including data for daily stocks of tourists the impact of the different population growth rate scenarios on electricity loads is also investigated. The results show that, in terms of electricity consumption, tourism cannot be considered a very energy-intensive sector.

Influence of air temperature on electric consumption in Moscow

Science.gov (United States)

Lokoshchenko, Mikhail A.; Nikolayeva, Nataliya A.

2017-04-01

' contribution). A relation of energy consumption with the relative humidity is absent whereas a relation of energy consumption with the water vapor pressure e indirectly reflects a dependence of this parameter on the air temperature. Use of multiple and partial correlation between E, T and e confirmed an absence of direct relation between energy consumption and water vapor pressure. Authors are much grateful to System Operator of Unified Energy System of Russia for given data about electric power consumption in Moscow region.

Impact of the urban heat island on residents’ energy consumption: a case study of Qingdao

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Feng; Pang, Huaji; Guo, Wenhui

2018-02-01

This paper examines impact of urban heat island on residents’ energy consumption through comparative analyses of monthly air temperature data observed in Qingdao, Laoshan and Huangdao weather stations. The results show effect of urban heat island is close related with urbanization speed. Recently, effects of urban heat island of Laoshan and Huangdao exceed that of Qingdao, consistent with rapid urbanization in Laoshan and Huangdao. Enhanced effect of urban heat island induces surface air temperature to rise up, further increase electricity energy consumption for air conditioning use in summer and reduce coal consumption for residents heating in winter. Comparing change of residents’ energy consumption in summer and winter, increments in summer are less than reduction in winter. This implicates effect of urban heat island is more obvious in winter than in summer.

Taking a Break. Some Thoughts about Media Consumption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mira Moshe

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This article examines the structural characteristics of media consumption as a routine break from habitual activity. While acknowledging the existence and importance of “taking a breather” in everyday life, one may ask if and when it is possible to characterize taking a break in today’s media field. The “media break” refers to communications consumption that is not directed at finding out what is occurring in the outside world, correlating between parts of the social and/or political system or responding to the environment and/or passing on the social heritage to the next generation. During the media breather, individuals cut themselves off from their obligations to surveillance, adaptation, connection, continuity, and enlistment. They isolate themselves from systemic constraints and needs and delay any overt contribution to the system. The media break can occur at any hour of the day, or even several times a day. In light of the contribution of routine activity to the stability of the social fabric, this article suggests that media consumption of the “breather” type can provide a structural basis for social stability.

Smart Waste Collection System with Low Consumption LoRaWAN Nodes and Route Optimization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Álvaro Lozano

2018-05-01

Full Text Available New solutions for managing waste have emerged due to the rise of Smart Cities and the Internet of Things. These solutions can also be applied in rural environments, but they require the deployment of a low cost and low consumption sensor network which can be used by different applications. Wireless technologies such as LoRa and low consumption microcontrollers, such as the SAM L21 family make the implementation and deployment of this kind of sensor network possible. This paper introduces a waste monitoring and management platform used in rural environments. A prototype of a low consumption wireless node is developed to obtain measurements of the weight, filling volume and temperature of a waste container. This monitoring allows the progressive filling data of every town container to be gathered and analysed as well as creating alerts in case of incidence. The platform features a module for optimising waste collection routes. This module dynamically generates routes from data obtained through the deployed nodes to save energy, time and consequently, costs. It also features a mobile application for the collection fleet which guides every driver through the best route—previously calculated for each journey. This paper presents a case study performed in the region of Salamanca to evaluate the efficiency and the viability of the system’s implementation. Data used for this case study come from open data sources, the report of the Castilla y León waste management plan and data from public tender procedures in the region of Salamanca. The results of the case study show a developed node with a great lifetime of operation, a large coverage with small deployment of antennas in the region, and a route optimization system which uses weight and volume measured by the node, and provides savings in cost, time and workforce compared to a static collection route approach.

Smart Waste Collection System with Low Consumption LoRaWAN Nodes and Route Optimization.

Science.gov (United States)

Lozano, Álvaro; Caridad, Javier; De Paz, Juan Francisco; Villarrubia González, Gabriel; Bajo, Javier

2018-05-08

New solutions for managing waste have emerged due to the rise of Smart Cities and the Internet of Things. These solutions can also be applied in rural environments, but they require the deployment of a low cost and low consumption sensor network which can be used by different applications. Wireless technologies such as LoRa and low consumption microcontrollers, such as the SAM L21 family make the implementation and deployment of this kind of sensor network possible. This paper introduces a waste monitoring and management platform used in rural environments. A prototype of a low consumption wireless node is developed to obtain measurements of the weight, filling volume and temperature of a waste container. This monitoring allows the progressive filling data of every town container to be gathered and analysed as well as creating alerts in case of incidence. The platform features a module for optimising waste collection routes. This module dynamically generates routes from data obtained through the deployed nodes to save energy, time and consequently, costs. It also features a mobile application for the collection fleet which guides every driver through the best route—previously calculated for each journey. This paper presents a case study performed in the region of Salamanca to evaluate the efficiency and the viability of the system’s implementation. Data used for this case study come from open data sources, the report of the Castilla y León waste management plan and data from public tender procedures in the region of Salamanca. The results of the case study show a developed node with a great lifetime of operation, a large coverage with small deployment of antennas in the region, and a route optimization system which uses weight and volume measured by the node, and provides savings in cost, time and workforce compared to a static collection route approach.

Life cycle inventory modelling of land use induced by crop consumption - Part 1: Conceptual analysis and methodological proposal

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kløverpris, Jesper; Wenzel, Henrik; Nielsen, Per H.

2008-01-01

Background, Aims and Scope. The actual land use consequences of crop consumption are not very well reflected in existing life cycle inventories. The state of the art is that such inventories typically include data from crop production in the country in which the crop is produced, and consequently...... to reflect long-term changes, and possibly establishment of a link between crop demand and technological development. Through this approach, life cycle inventories for crops reflecting the actual land use consequences of consumption can be established.Recommendations and Perspectives. Further work (based...... use consequences of crop consumption.Results. Based on the current market trend for crops and an analysis of basic mechanisms in crop production, concepts for modelling how crop consumption affects the global agricultural area and the intensity of crop production are suggested. It is demonstrated how...

Cost-resources trade-off analysis for long-range efficient plutonium consumption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Osamu; Nakano, Yasuyuki; Yasukawa, Shigeru

1988-01-01

JALTES-III, an analysis model using an optimization technique, is applied to the determination of major requirements for plutonium to serve as fuel for FRR on a paying basis and estimation of the possible reduction in natural uranium consumption. The analysis covers the period from 1970 to 2100. Optimization of the nuclear fuel cycle system is studied by using the following objective functions: overall system cost (COST), natural uranium consumption (NU) and trade-off function (COST + α·NU, where α is the premium related with the price of natural uranium). Assuming that there will be no escalation of the prices of system elements, competitive conditions for FBR are analyzed based on the effective price of natural uranium in relation with the above-mentioned premium: Po + (1 + D) t ·α, where Po is the basic price and D the discount rate. To minimize the term COST, FBR cannot be introduced and the natural uranium consumption will be 2,180,000 tons. To minimize NU, FBR should be introduced to the possible greatest degree, with the estimated natural uranium consumption being 900,000 tons. Analysis is also made of the relations of the introduction of FBRs with the effective price and total consumption of natural uranium. (Nogami, K.)

State energy data report 1995 - consumption estimates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-12-01

The State Energy Data Report (SEDR) provides annual time series estimates of State-level energy consumption by major economic sectors. The estimates are developed in the State Energy Data System (SEDS), which is maintained and operated by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). The goal in maintaining SEDS exists for two principal reasons: (1) to provide State energy consumption estimates to Members of Congress, Federal and State agencies, and the general public, and (2) to provide the historical series necessary for EIA`s energy models.

Effects of flooding-induced N2O production, consumption and emission dynamics on the annual N2O emission budget in wetland soil

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Christian Juncher; Elberling, Bo

2012-01-01

during mid-summer when the WL was at its seasonally lowest counterbalancing ~6.4% of the total annual net N2O emission budget. Main surface emission periods of N2O were observed when the water level and associated peaks in subsurface N2O concentrations were gradually decreasing to soil depths down to 40...... production and consumption capacities where >500 nmol N2O cm-3 were sequentially produced and consumed in less than 24 hrs. It is concluded that a higher future frequency of flooding induced N2O emissions will have a very limited effect on the net annual N2O emission budget as long as NO3- availability...

Intelligent analysis of energy consumption in school buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raatikainen, Mika; Skön, Jukka-Pekka; Leiviskä, Kauko; Kolehmainen, Mikko

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Electricity and heating energy consumptions of six school buildings were compared. • Complex multivariate data was analysed using modern computational methods. • Variation in electricity consumption cost is considerably low between study schools. • District heating variation is very slight in two new study schools. • District heating cost describes energy efficiency and state of building automation. - Abstract: Even though industry consumes nearly half of total energy production, the relative share of total energy consumption related to heating and operating buildings is growing constantly. The motivation for this study was to reveal the differences in electricity use and district heating consumption in school buildings of various ages during the working day and also during the night when human-based consumption is low. The overall aim of this study is to compare the energy (electricity and heating) consumption of six school buildings in Kuopio, Eastern Finland. The selected school buildings were built in different decades, and their ventilation and building automation systems are also inconsistent. The hourly energy consumption data was received from Kuopion Energia, the local energy supply company. In this paper, the results of data analysis on the energy consumption in these school buildings are presented. Preliminary results show that, generally speaking, new school buildings are more energy-efficient than older ones. However, concerning energy efficiency, two very new schools were exceptional because ventilation was on day and night in order to dry the building materials in the constructions. The novelty of this study is that it makes use of hourly smart metering consumption data on electricity and district heating, using modern computational methods to analyse complex multivariate data in order to increase knowledge of the buildings’ consumption profiles and energy efficiency.

Conference on new consumption and commercialization models for photovoltaic energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freier, Karin; Fontaine, Pierre; Mayer, Joerg; Jimenez, Julien; Richard, Pascal; Vogtmann, Michael; Schaefer, Felix; Martin, Nicolas; Buis, Sabine

2014-01-01

The French-German office for Renewable energies (OFAEnR) organised a conference on new consumption and commercialization models for photovoltaic energy. In the framework of this French-German exchange of experience, about 120 participants exchanged views on the new economic models for solar energy producers while the photovoltaic industry has to face a progressive reduction of feed-in tariffs and of other incentive mechanisms. Beside the legal and economic aspects, technical questions around energy storage and integration of photovoltaic production to the grid were also addressed. This document brings together the available presentations (slides) made during this event: 1 - Stimulating self-consumption and direct selling within the EEG (Karin Freier); 2 - Development of PV self-consumption in France (Pierre Fontaine); 3 - experience from applying the new support program for solar energy storage systems (Joerg Mayer); 4 - Call for solar photovoltaic projects for own consumption in Aquitaine region (Julien Jimenez); 5 - SMA Flexible Storage System - New version of the Sunny Island inverter for smart photovoltaic energy storage (Pascal Richard); 6 - PV Own Consumption in industry and commerce - examples und Operating Concepts (Michael Vogtmann); 7 - Supplying tenants in multiple-family housing with solar power in the 'Neue Heimat' project (Felix Schaefer); 8 - How to manage PV-storage self-consumption from a grid point of view? (Nicolas Martin); 9 - Closing talk (Sabine Buis)

Energy consumption and CO{sub 2} emissions in Iran, 2025

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mirzaei, Maryam [Department of Banking and Finance, Multimedia University (Malaysia); Bekri, Mahmoud [Economic and Statistic Institute, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany)

2017-04-15

Climate change and global warming as the key human societies' threats are essentially associated with energy consumption and CO{sub 2} emissions. A system dynamic model was developed in this study to model the energy consumption and CO{sub 2} emission trends for Iran over 2000–2025. Energy policy factors are considered in analyzing the impact of different energy consumption factors on environmental quality. The simulation results show that the total energy consumption is predicted to reach 2150 by 2025, while that value in 2010 is 1910, which increased by 4.3% yearly. Accordingly, the total CO{sub 2} emissions in 2025 will reach 985 million tonnes, which shows about 5% increase yearly. Furthermore, we constructed policy scenarios based on energy intensity reduction. The analysis show that CO{sub 2} emissions will decrease by 12.14% in 2025 compared to 2010 in the scenario of 5% energy intensity reduction, and 17.8% in the 10% energy intensity reduction scenario. The results obtained in this study provide substantial awareness regarding Irans future energy and CO{sub 2} emission outlines. - Highlights: • Creation of an energy consumption model using system dynamics. • The effect of different policies on energy consumption and emission reductions. • An ascending trend for the environmental costs caused by CO{sub 2} emissions is observed. • An urgent need for energy saving and emission reductions in Iran.

Regulation of cerebrospinal fluid production by caffeine consumption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoon Sik

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Caffeine is the most commonly consumed psycho-stimulant in the world. The effects of caffeine on the body have been extensively studied; however, its effect on the structure of the brain has not been investigated to date. Results In the present study we found that the long-term consumption of caffeine can induce ventriculomegaly; this was observed in 40% of the study rats. In the caffeine-treated rats with ventriculomegaly, there was increased production of CSF, associated with the increased expression of Na+, K+-ATPase and increased cerebral blood flow (CBF. In contrast to the chronic effects, acute treatment with caffeine decreased the production of CSF, suggesting 'effect inversion' associated with caffeine, which was mediated by increased expression of the A1 adenosine receptor, in the choroid plexus of rats chronically treated with caffeine. The involvement of the A1 adenosine receptor in the effect inversion of caffeine was further supported by the induction of ventriculomegaly and Na+, K+-ATPase, in A1 agonist-treated rats. Conclusion The results of this study show that long-term consumption of caffeine can induce ventriculomegaly, which is mediated in part by increased production of CSF. Moreover, we also showed that adenosine receptor signaling can regulate the production of CSF by controlling the expression of Na+, K+-ATPase and CBF.

Assembling consumption

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Assembling Consumption marks a definitive step in the institutionalisation of qualitative business research. By gathering leading scholars and educators who study markets, marketing and consumption through the lenses of philosophy, sociology and anthropology, this book clarifies and applies...... the investigative tools offered by assemblage theory, actor-network theory and non-representational theory. Clear theoretical explanation and methodological innovation, alongside empirical applications of these emerging frameworks will offer readers new and refreshing perspectives on consumer culture and market...... societies. This is an essential reading for both seasoned scholars and advanced students of markets, economies and social forms of consumption....

A Low Power Consumption Algorithm for Efficient Energy Consumption in ZigBee Motes.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaquerizo-Hdez, Daniel; Muñoz, Pablo; R-Moreno, María D; F Barrero, David

2017-09-22

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are becoming increasingly popular since they can gather information from different locations without wires. This advantage is exploited in applications such as robotic systems, telecare, domotic or smart cities, among others. To gain independence from the electricity grid, WSNs devices are equipped with batteries, therefore their operational time is determined by the time that the batteries can power on the device. As a consequence, engineers must consider low energy consumption as a critical objective to design WSNs. Several approaches can be taken to make efficient use of energy in WSNs, for instance low-duty-cycling sensor networks (LDC-WSN). Based on the LDC-WSNs, we present LOKA, a LOw power Konsumption Algorithm to minimize WSNs energy consumption using different power modes in a sensor mote. The contribution of the work is a novel algorithm called LOKA that implements two duty-cycling mechanisms using the end-device of the ZigBee protocol (of the Application Support Sublayer) and an external microcontroller (Cortex M0+) in order to minimize the energy consumption of a delay tolerant networking. Experiments show that using LOKA, the energy required by the sensor device is reduced to half with respect to the same sensor device without using LOKA.

A Low Power Consumption Algorithm for Efficient Energy Consumption in ZigBee Motes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Vaquerizo-Hdez

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs are becoming increasingly popular since they can gather information from different locations without wires. This advantage is exploited in applications such as robotic systems, telecare, domotic or smart cities, among others. To gain independence from the electricity grid, WSNs devices are equipped with batteries, therefore their operational time is determined by the time that the batteries can power on the device. As a consequence, engineers must consider low energy consumption as a critical objective to design WSNs. Several approaches can be taken to make efficient use of energy in WSNs, for instance low-duty-cycling sensor networks (LDC-WSN. Based on the LDC-WSNs, we present LOKA, a LOw power Konsumption Algorithm to minimize WSNs energy consumption using different power modes in a sensor mote. The contribution of the work is a novel algorithm called LOKA that implements two duty-cycling mechanisms using the end-device of the ZigBee protocol (of the Application Support Sublayer and an external microcontroller (Cortex M0+ in order to minimize the energy consumption of a delay tolerant networking. Experiments show that using LOKA, the energy required by the sensor device is reduced to half with respect to the same sensor device without using LOKA.

ACCOUNTING FOR NONUNIFORMITY OF WATER CONSUMPTION IN THE EXHAUST AIR HEAT RECLAMATION SYSTEMS FOR HOT WATER SUPPLY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samarin Oleg Dmitrievich

2017-03-01

Full Text Available This article is devoted to assessment of the influence of variation of daily hot water consumption on the predicted energy effect by using heat recovery of exhaust air in typical exhaust ventilation systems of the most commonly used flat buildings during their switch to the mechanical induction for the pre-heating of water for hot water supply. It outlines the general principle of the organization of this method of energy saving and presents the basic equations of heat transfer in the heat exchanger. The article proposes a simplified method of accounting for changes in the heat transfer coefficient of air-to-water heat exchanger with fluctuations of water demand using existing dependencies for this coefficient from the rate flow of heating and heated fluid through the device. It presents observations to identify the parameters of the real changes of water consumption during the day with the main quantitative characteristics of normally distributed random variables. Calculation of thermal efficiency of the heat exchange equipment using dimensionless parameters through the number of heat transfer under the optimal opposing scheme of fluid motion is completed under conditions of variable water flow rate for the type residential building of the П3-1/16 series using the Monte Carlo method for numerical modeling of stochastic processes. The estimation of the influence of fluctuation of the current water consumption on the instantaneous thermal efficiency factor of the heat exchanger and the total energy consumption of the building is given, and it is shown that the error of said calculation using average daily parameters is within the margin of usual engineering calculation.

Model for evauluating power consumption of vented box loudspeakers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Filip Sommer; Thorsen, Søren; Iversen, Niels Elkjær

2017-01-01

In the design of mobile sound systems an estimation of power consumption must be made in order to choose a battery of appropriate size and cost. However poor methods for power estimation tend to result in large and costly batteries. This paper aims to present a more precise method for estimating ...... at estimating the power consumption than simplifying the speaker as a resistor....

Efficient utilization of wind power: Long-distance transmission or local consumption?

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Yuanzhang; Ma, Xiyuan; Xu, Jian; Bao, Yi; Liao, Siyang

2017-09-01

Excess wind power produced in wind-intensive areas is normally delivered to remote load centers via long-distance transmission lines. This paper presents a comparison between long-distance transmission, which has gained popularity, and local energy consumption, in which a fraction of the generated wind power can be locally consumed by energy-intensive industries. First, the challenges and solutions to the long-distance transmission and local consumption of wind power are presented. Then, the two approaches to the utilization of wind power are compared in terms of system security, reliability, cost, and capability to utilize wind energy. Finally, the economic feasibility and technical feasibility of the local consumption of wind power are demonstrated by a large and isolated industrial power system, or supermicrogrid, in China. The coal-fired generators together with the short-term interruptible electrolytic aluminum load in the supermicrogrid are able to compensate for the intermittency of wind power. In the long term, the transfer of high-energy-consumption industries to wind-rich areas and their local consumption of the available wind power are beneficial.