Direct employment in the wind energy sector: An EU study

Wind energy is often said to have positive effects on employment, but few studies have systematically dealt with this matter. This article presents estimates of direct wind energy employment in all EU countries, gathered for the first time. By using a thematic survey, the authors have been able to analyse aspects such as gender distribution, company profiles and the shortage of skilled workers reported by wind energy companies. The outcomes show that wind energy deployment creates a significant number of jobs (over 104,000 in 2008), and does so at a time when other energy sectors are shrinking. There is a clear relationship between MW installed and number of jobs, but the use of a single EU job/MW ratio is not feasible, due to differences in the export/import capacity. Wind turbine manufacturers—including major sub-components—are responsible for the lion's share of the jobs, and there is a marked prevalence of males in the workforce. The scarcity of specialist roles—project managers, engineers and O&M technicians—is not likely to be solved unless a series of educational, mobility and dissemination measures are put into practice.     

Towards the development of technical specifications for the production of lithium–lead alloys for the ITER HCLL TMB

The ITER and DEMO projects are developing new Test Blanket Modules (TBM), where the Pb–Li alloy plays a key role in the new commercial fusion reactors functionality. The Breeding Blanket (BB) has to perform several functions which are essential for the reactor operation. The HCLL TBM is one of the Breeding Blanket concepts to be tested in ITER. It is cooled by He and uses the eutectic liquid metal LLE (Lithium–Lead Eutectic) as breeder material (enriched at 90% in ⁶Li).Pb–Li eutectic alloy has no known uses outside of fusion technology, so the available databases of this material are currently incomplete. It is very important, within the material specifications, to have a complete characterization in order to define their chemical and physical properties, because any variation in the alloy composition has significant consequences in their behaviour, and therefore in their regenerative function inside the blanket.The chemical characterization methodology developed and presented in this paper (useful for both Pb–Li alloys as any Pb alloy) is a key tool that allows performing standard quality control procedures for base material and/or monitoring the alloy during the reactor operation. This report provides a procedure to perform a wide material chemical characterization, assessing the concentrations of major elements, as well as a review of trace level elements that can be found both in the eutectic alloy and in starting materials. In this determination plays an important role the ICP-MS technique because, as a highly sensitive technique, allows very low detection limits.     

Two-step route polycondensation for polynaphthalimides synthesis through high molar mass soluble precursors: A kinetic study

Research of polynaphthalimides (PNI) frequently reports difficulties over synthesis and processing due to insolubility. In this work, we present a novel comprehensive study on the effects of time, temperature and catalyst on the synthesis of soluble PNI precursors—polyamic acids (PAAs)—, as well as a novel synthetic procedure for the synthesis of PNI using mild conditions. Kinetic studies concerning the monomer conversion and the degree of premature imidization were performed through proton nuclear magnetic resonance and gel permeation chromatography for temperature ranging from 25 to 100°C. High temperatures (above 60°C) entail extensive premature imidization and insolubility. The use of triethylamine also catalyzes imidization. At the optimal condition, soluble PAA precursors for PNI of 72 kDa could be obtained at 40°C in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone solution (30 wt%) after 5 hr polymerization.     

Chitosan Microspheres as Carriers for pH‐Indicating Species in Corrosion Sensing

Chitosan microspheres containing bromocresol green, cresol red, and phenolphthalein for corrosion detection, through pH change, are synthesized in order to be used in protective coatings for aluminium alloys. Microspheres containing corrosion detection species are characterized morphologically (SEM) and physico‐chemically (FTIR, TGA). Release studies (UV–vis) are performed in corrosion‐promoting conditions (pH, NaCl), and detection studies by immersion in media associated with corrosion activity while microspheres' sensing activity is evaluated visually. Electrochemical characterization of AA2024 substrates in the presence of chitosan spheres is performed to understand material performance, and a color change is observed as a result of local pH increase in cathodic areas when corrosion takes place. These findings can be correlated with the results from release studies and seem a promising approach for corrosion sensing purposes, not only because pH increase is possible to detect due to corrosion, but also because chitosan is considered an environmentally friendly material.     

Amino acid composition of wheat grain. 1: Changes during development

The changes in the composition of free and total amino acids in wheat grain during development are described: the experiment was performed in a growth chamber with three varieties of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.): Splendeur, Hobbit and Maris Huntsman. The changes in the total composition of amino acids of the grain as development progressed were consistent with an increase in the proportion of storage proteins. At 15 days after anthesis, the relative amount of glycine increased, suggesting that at this moment the proportion of gliadins was relatively low. The relative amount of arginine increased in mature grain, showing that at times close to maturity the relative proportion of synthesis of a protein fraction rich in this amino acid increased. Free glutamate, proline and arginine decreased at 15 days to a greater extent than the other amino acids and was present in low relative amounts during the period of maximum protein synthesis in the grain; these three amino acids could be the most limiting for protein synthesis in grain. In the free fraction the following showed a similar pattern of change during grain development: aspartate, arginine and histidine on the one hand, and on the other alanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, threonine, phenylalanine and tyrosine; moreover both groups were inversely correlated. Glycine and lysine were directly related to each other and inversely to glutamate.     

HPLC flavonoid profiles as markers for the botanical origin of European unifloral honeys

The HPLC phenolic profiles of 52 selected unifloral honey samples produced in Europe were analysed to detect possible markers for the floral origin of the different honeys. Lime‐tree (five markers), chestnut (five markers), rapeseed (one marker), eucalyptus (six markers) and heather (three markers) honeys had specific markers with characteristic UV spectra. In addition, the flavanone hesperetin was confirmed as a marker for citrus honey, as well as kaempferol for rosemary honey and quercetin for sunflower honey. Abscisic acid, which had been reported to be a possible marker for heather honey, was also detected in rapeseed, lime‐tree and acacia honeys. Ellagic acid in heather honey and the hydroxycinnamates caffeic, p‐coumaric and ferulic acids in chestnut, sunflower, lavender and acacia honeys were also detected. The characteristic propolis‐derived flavonoids pinocembrin, pinobanksin and chrysin were present in most samples in variable amounts. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

HPLC/UV determination of organic acids in fruit juices and nectars

A reversed phase HPLC method for separation and determination of organic acids in fruit juices and nectars is presented. The method is based on the reaction of free organic acids with O-(4 nitrobenzyl)-N,N'-diisopropylisourea (PNBDI) in presence of dioxane. Excess of reagent was removed with a strong cation-exchange resin. The p-nitrobenzyl esters were separated on a C₁₈ reversed phase column using gradient elution with water and acetonitrile and UV detection at 265 nm. Benzylmalonic acid was used as internal standard. The determinations were performed in the linear range of 0.05-2 g/l for lactic, acetic and succinic acids, 0.1-12 g/l for tartaric, malic and citric acids. The detection limits were 0.025 g/l, 0.017 g/l, 0.050 g/l, 0.039 g/l, 0.025 g/l and 0.060 g/l, respectively for lactic, acetic, tartaric, malic, succinic and citric acids. Validation of the method was carried out by the standard additions method, the recoveries ranged from 91.4 to 103.0%. The precision of the method was also evaluated and reported a CV% as less than 3.1%. Organic acid profiles of citrus fruit, pineapple and apple natural juices (home-made), commercial juices and nectars were established.     

Analytical Tools Used to Distinguish Chemical Profiles of Plants Widely Consumed as Infusions and Dietary Supplements: Artichoke,Milk Thistle,and Borututu

Artichoke, borututu, and milk thistle are three medicinal plants widely consumed as infusions or included in dietary supplements (e.g., pills and syrups). Despite the high consumption of these plants, studies on their nutritional value and primary metabolites are scarce, with their composition in secondary metabolites such as phenolic compounds being only reported. Therefore, their nutritional value was assessed, and analytical tools (liquid and gas chromatography coupled to different detectors) were used to distinguish their chemical profiles according to their hydrophilic (sugars and organic acids) and lipophilic (fatty acids and tocopherols) components. Chromatographic techniques are important analytical tools used in the identification and quantification of several molecules, also being a standard requirement to distinguish different profiles. Borututu gave the highest energetic value with the highest content of carbohydrates and fat, sucrose and total sugars, shikimic and citric acids, and α-, β-, δ-, and total tocopherols. Artichoke had the highest ash and protein contents, oxalic acid, SFA (mainly palmitic acid), and γ-tocopherol, and also the best n-6/n-3 ratio. Milk thistle showed the highest levels of fructose and glucose, quinic acid and total organic acids, and PUFA, mainly linoleic acid, and the best PUFA/SFA ratio. The hydrophilic compounds identified in the studied plants, mostly sugars, are responsible for the energy contribution of their widely consumed infusions. Otherwise, the bioactivity of lipophilic compounds, namely, unsaturated fatty acids and tocopherols, is lost in those preparations but can be recovered in dietary supplements based on the plants. As far as we know, this is the first report on the detailed composition of the three plants regarding their nutritional features.     

Dynamic cell fractionation and transportation using moving dielectrophoresis

This study presents a new cell manipulation method using a moving dielectrophoretic force to transport or fractionate cells along a microfluidic channel. The proposed moving dielectrophoresis (mDEP) is generated by sequentially energizing a single electrode or an array of electrodes to form an electric field that moves cells continuously along the microchannel. Cell fractionation is controlled by the applied electrical frequency, and cell transportation is controlled by the interelectrode activation time. The applicability of this method was demonstrated to simultaneously fractionate and transport Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells, both viable and nonviable, by operating at conditions under which the cells were subjected to positive and negative dielectrophoresis, respectively. Compared to the conventional dielectrophoresis (cDEP and traveling wave dielectrophoresis (twDEP), moving dielectrophoresis allows cells to be separated on the basis of the real part of the Clausius-Mossotti factor, as in cDEP, but yet allows the direct transportation of separated cells without using fluid flow, as in twDEP. This dielectrophoresis technique provides a new way to manipulate cells and can be readily implemented on programmable multielectrode devices.