Life cycle assessment in buildings: The ENSLIC simplified method and guidelines

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is currently used to a very limited extent in the building sector, for several reasons. Firstly, making an LCA evaluation of a building demands a specific tool to handle the large dataset needed and this tool has to be adaptable to the different decisions taken throughout the life cycle of the building. Such tools have been developed in a few countries, but they are exceptions. However, useful experience has been gained in these countries, providing a valuable source of data for developing guidelines for application in other countries. Since the results of a building LCA may contain complex information, the great challenge is to devise efficient ways for communication of the results to users and clients.The simplified methodology presented in this paper adopt a systematic approach guiding the user through the Life Cycle process and clarifying key issues that usually cause difficulty, e.g. choice of assessment tool, definition of system boundaries, options for simplifying the process, etc. The guidelines were developed within the framework of the ENSLIC Building Project, which was co-funded by the European Commission Intelligent Energy for Europe Programme and by nine European organisations that included more than 15 LCA experts and architects.     

Combined use of cocoa dietary fibre and steviol glycosides in low‐calorie muffins production

Today, consumers are more conscious about nutrition and food products with health benefits. In this study, partial sucrose replacement (20%) with steviol glycosides derived from Stevia Rebaudiana and total replacement of cocoa powder with cocoa fibre preparation in muffins were conducted. There were three levels of dietary fibre addition – 3%, 6% and 12%. Physical analysis of texture, colour, cooking yield and porosity was conducted. Moreover, chemical analysis of total dietary fibre and total phenol content was made as well. Sensory evaluation in two parts was also carried out. The experiment revealed the increase in firmness, porosity, TDF and TCP and the decrease in springiness, cohesiveness and lightness. The best‐ranked sample in sensory evaluation was muffin with 6% of TDF sweetened with mixture of sugar and stevia. Stevia addition enhanced cocoa and sweet taste in tested muffins.     

Evaluation of Fat Uptake of Polysaccharide Coatings on Deep-Fat Fried Potato Chips by Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy

In the present investigation, potato slices of 3 cm diameter and 1.5 mm thickness with edible coating (1% Okra and 1% Okra + Carrageen polysaccharide coating solutions) and without any coating treatment (control samples) were fried in sunflower oil at temperatures from 170–180°C for 5 min. Confocal laser scanning microscopy of fried chips was recorded using fluorescence mode of the microscope. We observed gas cells and fat globules in the confocal laser scanning microscopy micrographs of fried chips. The results indicated that both 1% Okra and 1% Okra + Carrageen polysaccharide were effective in reducing the moisture loss and decreasing oil uptake (p ≤ 0.05), but we found the highest effect in those samples treated with 1% Okra + Carrageen polysaccharide coating. These results substantiate the application of edible coating with 1% Okra and 1% Okra + Carrageen polysaccharide to the potato chips resulting in better moisture retention capacity, eventually leading to chips with lower fat content.     

HSV-1 and Endogenous Retroviruses as Risk Factors in Demyelination

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is a neurotropic alphaherpesvirus that can infect the peripheral and central nervous systems, and it has been implicated in demyelinating and neurodegenerative processes. Transposable elements (TEs) are DNA sequences that can move from one genomic location to another. TEs have been linked to several diseases affecting the central nervous system (CNS), including multiple sclerosis (MS), a demyelinating disease of unknown etiology influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Exogenous viral transactivators may activate certain retrotransposons or class I TEs. In this context, several herpesviruses have been linked to MS, and one of them, HSV-1, might act as a risk factor by mediating processes such as molecular mimicry, remyelination, and activity of endogenous retroviruses (ERVs). Several herpesviruses have been involved in the regulation of human ERVs (HERVs), and HSV-1 in particular can modulate HERVs in cells involved in MS pathogenesis. This review exposes current knowledge about the relationship between HSV-1 and human ERVs, focusing on their contribution as a risk factor for MS.     

Heterogeneous ion-selective membranes: the influence of the inert matrix polymer on the membrane properties

Heterogeneous ion-exchange membranes were prepared by mixing small particles of sulfonated poly(1,4-phenylene sulfide) or sulfonated styrene–divinylbenzene copolymer with a matrix polymer. Four kinds of polymers were tested as a matrix: highly flexible linear polyethylene, medium-flexible fluoroelastomer, rigid polystyrene (all highly hydrophobic) and hydrophilic cellulose prepared by hydrolysis of cellulose acetate butyrate. Membrane morphologies were studied by scanning electron microscopy, IR spectroscopy and density measurements. Subsequently, the membranes were characterised with respect to their swelling in water, electrochemical characteristics and transport properties. Ion-exchange capacity and proton conductivity together with the permeability to hydrogen and methanol were investigated. The important impact of the ion-exchange particles as well as of the polymer matrix used was observed. The increasing rigidity of the polymer matrix resulted in a decrease in membrane permeability, but at the same time in deterioration of its ion-exchange capacity and subsequently of the proton conductivity, too. This was explained in terms of the limited elasticity of the polymer matrix, in each sample under study, which does not allow the ion-exchange particles to swell to an identical degree.     

Family Functioning and Children's Adjustment: Associations Among Parents' Depressed Mood, Marital Hostility, Parent-Child Hostility, and Children's Adjustment.

Relations between parents' depressed mood, marital conflict, parent-child hostility, and children's adjustment were examined in a community sample of 136 ten-year-olds and their parents. Videotaped observational and self-report data were used to examine these relations in path analyses. A proposed model was tested in which mothers' and fathers' depressed mood and marital hostility were associated with children's adjustment problems through disruptions in parent-child relationships. Results showed that both mothers' and fathers' marital hostility were linked to parent-child hostility, which in turn was linked to children's internalizing problems. Fathers' depressed mood was linked to children's internalizing problems indirectly through father-child hostility. Fathers' depressed mood was directly linked to children's externalizing problems and indirectly linked through father-child hostility. For mothers, marital hostility was directly linked to children's externalizing problems, and marital hostility in fathers was indirectly linked to children's externalizing problems through father-child hostility. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Physical properties of muffins sweetened with steviol glycosides as the sucrose replacement

Overconsumption of sweets contributes to increasing obesity among children and adults. Functional food brings an opportunity to improve nutritional value of commonly eaten products, e.g., pastry products. New trends in the food industry tend to produce low-calorie products by replacing sugar or fat with additives having pro-health benefits. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of replacing sucrose with steviol glycosides (natural non-caloric sweetener) on the quality properties of bakery products. The analysis of muffin’s texture, color, cooking yield, browning index, and sensory analysis were performed. The study showed that a 25% addition of steviol sweetener (as a sucrose replacement) was the most appropriate modification of the basic formula. The resulting muffins gained sensory attractiveness and health-promoting qualities. Moreover, the study showed that a reduction of sucrose in excess of 50% had a negative impact on the quality of muffins and their sensory profiles.     

Modeling of Three-Phase Fibrous Composite Using the Asymptotic Homogenization Method

A three-phase concentric fiber-reinforced periodic composite is considered wherein the constituents exhibit piezoelectric properties. The cross-section of the periodic cell is a regular hexagon with two concentric circles and the periodicity is the same in two directions at an angle ~ /3. Simple closed-form expressions are obtained for the effective properties of this composite by means of the asymptotic homogenization method. Numerical computations have been done. The analytical solution of the required resulting plane- and antiplane-strain local problems, which turns out to be only two, makes use of potential methods of a complex variable and properties of Weierstrass elliptic and related functions of periods (1,0) and (cos ~ /3, sin ~ /3). Benveniste's universal type of relations for this composite are satisfied. Comparison with other models is shown.     

Anodes for glucose fuel cells based on carbonized nanofibers with embedded carbon nanotubes

Electrodes made of carbonized polyacrylonitryle (cPAN) nanofibers, with and without embedded multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were fabricated by the electrospinning (ES) process and evaluated as anodes in glucose fuel cell (FC) application. The effect of several processing and structural characteristics, such as the presence of MWCNTs, polymer concentration in the ES solution and silver electroless plating on FC performance were measured. The carbon electrodes were successful as anodes showing significant activity even without additional silver catalyst, with noticeable improvement by the incorporation of MWCNTs. The orientation of graphitic layers along the fiber axis and the coherence of layer packing were shown to be important for enhanced electrode activity. The maximal values of open circuit voltage (OCV) and peak of power density (PP_D) of unmetalized electrodes, 0.4 V and 30 μW/cm² respectively, were found to be for composite cPAN/CNT electrode. Electroless silver metallization of the carbon nanofiber electrodes leads to much better FC performance. Maximal values of OCV and PP_D of silvered carbon electrodes were measured to be about 0.9 V and 400 μW/cm², respectively. Thus, carbonized nanofibers with embedded MWCNTs may form a good basis for glucose FC anodes, but better metallization and cell-configuration allowing proper mixing are required.     

Factors affecting the mechanical and viscoelastic properties of acrylic bone cement

The aim of this paper is to report a series of experiments investigating the factors that influence the viscoelastic properties of acrylic bone cement. The effects of the brand of cement, the length of time since mixing, temperature, the hydration of the cement, and the influence of fat and or blood in the environment on the creep and stress relaxation behavior of the cement have been studied in laboratory-prepared specimens in tension, compression and four point bending. Although there are significant differences in the viscoelastic behavior of some of the different brands of polymethylmethacrylate based cements, these differences are small by comparison with the major effects that can be exerted by the length of time since mixing and some environmental factors. These effects have important practical consequences, especially with regard to the ability of bench top and theoretical studies to predict reliably the mechanical and viscoelastic behavior of acrylic cement in vivo.