Application of a multicriteria methodology for evaluation of energy alternatives for hydrogen production for the automotive sector – Case study

This paper presents a case study focusing on fourteen most used energy alternatives in Brazil, possible to feed large scale hydrogen production plants for the automotive sector. The evaluations are made using a Decision Making Support Method, MACBETH - Measuring Attractiveness by a Categorical Based Evaluation Technique, with the computational code M-MACBETH 3.2.0, using criteria that include economic and financial, technological, environmental and social aspects. The selected criteria that were used in the assessment, for each of the energy alternatives are capital to be invested in a plant, leveled cost of electric energy produced, CO₂ emissions, mortality rate due to the technology use and energy efficiency of technology. The main results obtained showed that photovoltaics off grid electric energy is the most attractive alternative, followed by the photovoltaic on grid alternative, for an eventual automotive hydrogen program in Brazil.     

Spermatozoa Transcriptional Response and Alterations in PL Proteins Properties after Exposure of Mytilus galloprovincialis to Mercury

Mercury (Hg) is an environmental pollutant that impacts human and ecosystem health. In our previous works, we reported alterations in the properties of Mytilus galloprovincialis protamine-like (PL) proteins after 24 h of exposure to subtoxic doses of toxic metals such as copper and cadmium. The present work aims to assess the effects of 24 h of exposure to 1, 10, and 100 pM HgCl₂ on spermatozoa and PL proteins of Mytilus galloprovincialis. Inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry indicated accumulation of this metal in the gonads of exposed mussels. Further, RT-qPCR analyses showed altered expression levels of spermatozoa mt10 and hsp70 genes. In Mytilus galloprovincialis, PL proteins represent the major basic component of sperm chromatin. These proteins, following exposure of mussels to HgCl₂, appeared, by SDS-PAGE, partly as aggregates and showed a decreased DNA-binding capacity that rendered them unable to prevent DNA damage, in the presence of CuCl₂ and H₂O₂. These results demonstrate that even these doses of HgCl₂ exposure could affect the properties of PL proteins and result in adverse effects on the reproductive system of this organism. These analyses could be useful in developing rapid and efficient chromatin-based genotoxicity assays for pollution biomonitoring programs.     

Implementation and evaluation of an Asbru-based decision support system for adjuvant treatment in breast cancer

The domain of cancer treatment is a promising field for the implementation and evaluation of a protocol-based clinical decision support system, because of the algorithmic nature of treatment recommendations. However, many factors can limit such systems’ potential to support the decision of clinicians: technical challenges related to the interoperability with existing electronic patient records and clinical challenges related to the inherent complexity of the decisions, often collectively taken by panels of different specialists. In this paper, we evaluate the performances of an Asbru-based decision support system implementing treatment protocols for breast cancer, which accesses data from an oncological electronic patient record. Focusing on the decision on the adjuvant pharmaceutical treatment for patients affected by early invasive breast cancer, we evaluate the matching of the system's recommendations with those issued by the multidisciplinary panel held weekly in a hospital.     

Modeling and control of an airbrake electro‐hydraulic smart actuator

In this paper, an accurate model of an airbrake electro‐hydraulic smart actuator is obtained by physical considerations, and then different control strategies (variable‐gain proportional control, PT₁ control with switching integrator, and second order sub‐optimal sliding mode control) are proposed and analyzed. This application is innovative in the avionic field, and is one of the first attempts to realize a fly‐by‐wire system for airbrakes, oriented to its immediate employment and installation on current aircraft. The project was carried on with the participation of the Italian Ministry of Defense, and was commissioned to MAG, a leading provider of integrated systems and aviation services for aerospace. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society     

Effect of stocking density and group size on growth performance,carcass traits and meat quality of outdoor-reared rabbits

The effect of stocking density (16 rabbits/m², 5 rabbits/m², 2.5 rabbits/m², n = 60, Experiment 1) and group size (4 rabbits/cage, 8 rabbits/cage, 16 rabbits/cage, n = 88, Experiment 2) on productive performance, carcass and meat quality of a slow-growing rabbit population reared outdoors was investigated in two experiments. The highest stocking density induced the highest skin percentage. Lower stocking densities showed lower lightness of Biceps femoris and higher redness of Longissimus lumborum muscles. Four rabbits/cage group (Experiment 2) showed the highest daily weight gain and slaughter weight and the lowest skin percentage. The muscles of 16 rabbits/cage showed significantly higher pHu than 8 and 4 rabbits/cage. BF of 16 and 4 rabbits/cage showed higher L* value. Productive performance and meat quality of rabbits reared outdoors improved in low group size while stocking density needs more experiments. The best combination of density, group size and total available surface that showed the best production and carcass traits was of 5 rabbits/m², 4 rabbits/cage, and 0.8 m².     

Application of chemical and physical agents in model systems to controlling phenoloxidase enzymes

Several chemical and physical anti-browning agents are studied in different model systems in which caffeic acid (as substrate) and laccase from Trametes versicolor (LAC) and polyphenoloxidase from sunflower seeds (PPO) (as enzymes) are used to emulate the browning reaction. Temperature and low electric current were the tested physical agents, while acetic acid, sodium acetate, sodium chloride and, finally, sodium bisulfite were the chemical agents. Sunflower PPO was observed to be less heat sensitive than LAC that was fully inactivated after 1 and 3 min of exposure to 100 and 80 °C, respectively. Conversely, PPO required more than 3 min at 100 °C to be fully inactivated, and it still showed a significant activity (ca. 17%) after an exposure to 80 °C for 15 min. Both LAC and PPO were found to be active at frozen (−18 °C) and cool (+4 °C) temperature, and their activities were strengthened at 40 and 60 °C. As concerning chemical agents, inhibitory power of acetic acid on LAC was observed to be very weak. In the sodium acetate solution at the concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0%, LAC residual activity was equal to 81.5, 63.9, 61.1 and 35.2%, respectively. PPO is shown to be more sensitive to the NaCl than LAC and indifferent to the presence of NaHSO₃. A 28% residual activity of LAC was found in the solution with 200 mg L⁻¹ NaHSO₃. Finally, LAC activity was decreased to 72.3, 60.0, 16.7 and 8.4% after a low electric current (LEC) treatment of 30 s and 1, 3 and 6 min, respectively. Conversely, PPO activity was not affected under these conditions.     

Computational Studies of Smell and Taste Receptors

Smell and taste are among the basic senses with which we perceive the world around us. In addition to enabling recognition of chemical moieties that provide social or nutritional clues, taste and smell receptors are expressed in many extraoral tissues, including the gastrointestinal, respiratory, and reproductive systems. It is, therefore, likely that taste and smell receptors have additional physiological roles, which are currently under intensive study. Most of the taste modalities, as well as olfaction, are mediated by G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Recent breakthroughs in crystallography and signaling studies of GPCRs (celebrated by the 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Robert Lefkowitz and Brian Kobilka) provide excellent opportunities for applying this information towards furthering our understanding of taste and smell signaling. No crystal structures of odorant or taste receptors are currently available. However, computational techniques, many of which stem from the pioneering contributions of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureates, Martin Karplus, Michael Levitt, and Arieh Warshel, can shed light on the function of taste and olfactory GPCRs. In this review, we highlight examples of iterative combinations of simulation and experiment that were successfully applied toward delineating binding modes of tastants and odorants and toward predicting additional ligands. Further studies are required in order to answer remaining questions regarding receptor promiscuity versus selectivity, the details of receptor coupling to G-proteins, and the roles of oligomerization and of allosteric modulation in taste and smell transduction.