Warm asphalt mixtures produced with addition of CCBit

There is a growing concern with the environmental damage caused by the various types of industrial activities. Because of that, research in paving has sought alternatives to reduce fuel consumption and emissions of greenhouse gases generated by those. The warm mixtures have received increasing attention because they are capable of decreasing the mixture and compaction temperatures of asphalt mixtures. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the incorporation of CCBit from the mechanical characterization of asphalt mixtures. From the results, it was found that the incorporation of CCBit has the advantage of reducing mixing and compaction temperatures without harming their mechanical behavior.     

Microbiological quality of organic and conventional vegetables sold in Brazil

While searching for healthier diets, people became more attentive to organic produce. Yet, organic foods may be more susceptible to microbiological contamination because of the use of organic fertilizers, a possible source of pathogenic bacteria. In this study, 130 samples of different organic and conventional vegetable varieties sold in Brazil were analyzed for mesophilic aerobic bacteria, yeasts and molds, total coliforms, Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. Most of the mesophilic aerobic bacteria counts in organic and conventional vegetables ranged from 6 to 7 log10 CFU/g; most of the yeasts and molds counts ranged from 5 to 6 log10 CFU/g and most of the total coliforms counts ranged from 4 to 5 log10 CFU/g. E. coli was found in 41.5% of the organic and 40.0% of the conventional vegetables, and most samples had counts ranging from 1 to 2 log10 CFU/g. Salmonella spp. was not found in any sample. Comparative analyses of the microbial counts of organic and conventional vegetables showed that some organic varieties have greater counts. However, the global results show that this is not a trend. These results indicate the need of good farming practices, and proper sanitization before consumption, to ensure food quality and safety.     

Effects of Temperature and Concentration on the Rheological Behavior of Polyacrylamide-Based Polymers

Polymers are high molecular weight molecules that provide high viscosity at low concentrations to the media they are inserted. In the oil industry, they are used for enhanced oil recovery and for drilling fluids, where its viscosity is an important factor for a greater efficiency. From all the polymers used by industry, the polyacrylamide and the biopolymer xantham gum are those, which appear significantly in those applications. Taking that into consideration, this work intends to study the effects of the physical, chemical and structural parameters of those polymers in their rheological behaviour, by varying their concentrations from 400 ppm to 2,000 ppm and their temperatures from 298 K to 328 K, which are values similar to those found in the field. For that, a Brookfield Viscometer-Brookfield Engineering Labs rheometer was used. The results acquired showed that the increase on the polyacrylamides ionicity generates and increase on the medium viscosity. For the temperature, its increase causes a reduction of viscosity for the low ionicity polyacrylamides, while increases the viscosity for the high ionicity ones. In the comparative study between xantham gum and polyacrylamides, it was possible to notice that, even though the biopolymer is more complex, its viscosity still is lower when compared to the polyacrylamides.     

Hypolipidemic effects of proanthocyanidins and their underlying biochemical and molecular mechanisms

Proanthocyanidins are the most abundant polyphenols in human diets. Epidemiological studies strongly suggest that proanthocyanidins protect against cardiovascular diseases. Despite the antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory properties of these flavonoids, one of the mechanisms by which proanthocyanidins exert their cardiovascular protection is improving lipid homeostasis. Animal studies demonstrate that proanthocyanidins reduce the plasma levels of atherogenic apolipoprotein B‐triglyceride‐rich lipoproteins and LDL‐cholesterol but increase antiatherogenic HDL‐cholesterol. The results in humans, however, are less clear. This review summarizes the results that have been published on plasma triglyceride, apolipoprotein B, HDL‐cholesterol and LDL‐cholesterol levels in humans and animal models in response to proanthocyanidin extracts and proanthocyanidin‐rich foods. The physiological processes and biochemical pathways that are related to lipid homeostasis and affected by proanthocyanidin consumption are also discussed. Intestinal lipid absorption, chylomicron secretion by the intestine and VLDL secretion by the liver are the processes that are most repressed by proanthocyanidins, which, therefore, induce hypolipidemic effects.     

Nucleate Boiling of n-Pentane in a Horizontal Confined Space

An experimental study was carried out on n-pentane nucleate boiling at atmospheric pressure and saturation temperature for different gap sizes. The boiling was investigated in a confined space delimited by two horizontal discs, a heated surface and an adiabatic surface, for distances varying between 0.1 mm and 13 mm. Tests were carried out on heated surfaces of 12 mm and 20 mm diameter. The effects of the gap size on the partial boiling curve and the diameter of the heated surface were studied. A dimensionless analysis was carried out and a correlation to describe the phenomenon of confined nucleate boiling is presented.     

Turbulent Sprays Evaporating Under “Stabilized Cool Flame” Conditions: Assessment of two CFD Approaches

An “in-house” computational fluid dynamics code implementing a Euler-Lagrange approach is extended by incorporating the Euler-Euler (two-fluid model) approach, to improve prediction capabilities of flow and thermal characteristics of turbulent evaporating sprays. The performance of both approaches is assessed by comparing predictions with experimental data for a variety of evaporating-spray test cases. The applicability of the Euler-Lagrange and Euler-Euler approach is established in an isopropyl alcohol–air turbulent flow, in which characteristic droplet quantity predictions are in satisfactory overall agreement with measurements. The evaporating spray characteristics are then predicted under “stabilized cool flame” conditions and the computational results are compared to experimental data for a nonreactive case and a reactive case. In both cases, the velocity and thermal fields are successfully captured by both approaches. Overall, the article demonstrates an approach toward the development of performance-based computational tools.     

Incineration of different types of medical wastes: emission factors for particulate matter and heavy metals

Previously published results for emission factors of medical waste incineration do not include enough information about the incinerated waste composition. This paper reports the first emission factors estimated for particulate matter, As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Mn, Hg, and Ni, considering that medical waste is segregated in different types according to Portuguese legislation. The main purpose was to evaluate the influence of incinerated waste composition and segregation practice on emission factors. One "controlled-air" incinerator without air pollution control devices was used for the incineration either of mixtures with a defined composition or of a specific waste type. Previously published emission factors are not associated with the composition of the incinerated mixture, and the results showed that the usefulness of those emission factors is very doubtful. The existence of different waste classifications also reduces the usefulness of previously published results. To protect human health, appropriate equipment to control atmospheric pollutants must be used, since the legal limits for pollutant concentrations were strongly surpassed (226 times higher than the limit for Hg), with risks for patients and workers of the hospital and exposed population. It was concluded that rigorous segregation practices and adequate management methodologies allow reducing 80% of the amount of wastes that must be incinerated, practically eliminating Hg and Pb emissions and reducing those of PM, As, Cd, Cr, Mn, and Ni, respectively, 98, 90, 92, 84, 77, and 92%.     

Selection of yeast strains for alcoholic fermentation of sugar beet thick juice and green syrup

Presented work aimed at determination of effect of various strains of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and concentration of fermentation worts on dynamics and efficiency of alcoholic fermentation. Fermentation worts contained either thick juice or green syrup.It was found that yeast strains designated as M₁, M₂ and D-2 most efficiently fermented thick juice worts inoculated with yeast cream at a rate of 2 kg m⁻³ of wort. Fermentation processes lasted for approximately 2 days and ethanol yield approached 92-94% of the theoretical yield. Fermentations of green syrup worts were most efficient (ethanol yield reached 90-92% of the theoretical yield) when these processes were carried out by yeast strains M₁, M₂, D-2 and As4 (inoculum - 2 kg m⁻³ of wort).S. cerevisiae strains M₁ and M₂ dynamically and efficiently fermented thick juice worts with extract of 200 g kg⁻¹ and 250 g kg⁻¹ (89-94% of the theoretical yield) while strain D-2 preferred less dense worts (extract of 200 g kg⁻¹) and produced ethanol with the yield of over 92% of the theoretical yield. The optimum green syrup worts extract was 200 g kg⁻¹.     

Options for the Swedish steel industry - Energy efficiency measures and fuel conversion

The processes of iron and steel making are energy intensive and consume large quantities of electricity and fossil fuels. In order to meet future climate targets and energy prices, the iron and steel industry has to improve its energy and resource efficiency. For the iron and steel industry to utilize its energy resources more efficiently and at the same time reduce its CO₂ emissions a number of options are available. In this paper, opportunities for both integrated and scrap-based steel plants are presented and some of the options are electricity production, fuel conversion, methane reforming of coke oven gas and partnership in industrial symbiosis. The options are evaluated from a system perspective and more specific measures are reported for two Swedish case companies: SSAB Strip Products and Sandvik AB. The survey shows that both case companies have great potentials to reduce their CO₂ emissions.     

Observed and unobserved heterogeneity in stochastic frontier models: An application to the electricity distribution industry

In this study we combine different possibilities to model firm level heterogeneity in stochastic frontier analysis. We show that both observed and unobserved heterogeneities cause serious biases in inefficiency results. Modelling observed and unobserved heterogeneities treat individual firms in different ways and even though the expected mean inefficiency scores in both cases diminish the firm level efficiency rank orders turn out to be very different. The best fit with the data is obtained by modelling unobserved heterogeneity through randomizing frontier parameters and at the same time explicitly modelling the observed heterogeneity into the inefficiency distribution. These results are obtained by using data from Finnish electricity distribution utilities and the results are relevant in relation to electricity distribution pricing and regulation.