The impact of acid hydrolysis conditions on carbohydrate determination in lignocellulosic materials: a case study with Eucalyptus globulus bark

Holzforschung ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo Jorge Oliveira ◽  
Bruna Santos ◽  
Maria J. Mota ◽  
Susana R. Pereira ◽  
Pedro C. Branco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acid Hydrolysis ◽  
Eucalyptus Globulus ◽  
Industrial Processes ◽  
Lignocellulosic Materials ◽  
Optimal Conditions ◽  
Hydrolysis Conditions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Eucalyptus Bark

Abstract Lignocellulosic biomass represents a suitable feedstock for production of biofuels and bioproducts. Its chemical composition depends on many aspects (e.g. plant source, pre-processing) and it has impact on productivity of industrial bioprocesses. Numerous methodologies can be applied for biomass characterisation, with acid hydrolysis being a particularly relevant step. This study intended to assess the most suitable procedures for acid hydrolysis, taking Eucalyptus globulus bark as a case study. For that purpose, variation of temperature (90–120 °C) was evaluated over time (0–5 h), through monosaccharides and oligosaccharides contents and degradation. For glucose, the optimal conditions were 100 °C for 2.5 h, reaching a content of 48.6 wt.%. For xylose, the highest content (15.2 wt.%) was achieved at 90 °C for 2 h, or 120 °C for 0.5 h. Maximum concentrations of mannose and galactose (1.0 and 1.7 wt.%, respectively) were achieved at 90 and 100 °C (2–3.5 h) or at 120 °C (0.5–1 h). These results revealed that different hydrolysis conditions should be applied for different sugars. Using this approach, total sugar quantification in eucalyptus bark was increased by 4.3%, which would represent a 5% increase in the ethanol volume produced, considering a hypothetical bioethanol production yield. This reflects the importance of feedstock characterization on determination of economic viability of industrial processes.

scholarly journals The Impact of Rural Fires on the Development of Invasive Species: Analysis of a Case Study with Acacia dealbata Link. in Casal do Rei (Seia, Portugal)

Environments ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 44
Author(s):  
Leonel J. R. Nunes ◽  
Mauro A. M. Raposo ◽  
Catarina I. R. Meireles ◽  
Carlos J. Pinto Gomes ◽  
Nuno M. C. Almeida Ribeiro
Keyword(s):  
Eucalyptus Globulus ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Satellite Images ◽  
Forest Species ◽  
Acacia Dealbata ◽  
Species Analysis ◽  
Annual Biomass ◽  
The Impact

Biological invasions can affect ecosystems in different ways. Invasive forest species, such as Acacia dealbata Link., affect forests’ productivity, because they compete directly with native species for access to light and nutrients, contributing to the loss of biodiversity. In this study, an area occupied by A. dealbata, located in Casal do Rei (Seia, Portugal) was studied to evaluate the influence of fire in the dispersion of this species, analyzing the historical occurrence of rural fires in the region, as well as through the determination of its annual biomass production and comparing its growth with other species using satellite images. The research shows a competitive advantage for A. dealbata, even when compared to species, such as Eucalyptus globulus and Pinus pinaster, which practically disappeared from the location under study after a significant fire occurred in 2005, while A. dealbata continued to thrive.

scholarly journals A Control Based Mathematical Model for the Evaluation of Intervention Lines in COVID-19 Epidemic Spread: The Italian Case Study

Symmetry ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 890
Author(s):  
Paolo Di Giamberardino ◽  
Rita Caldarella ◽  
Daniela Iacoviello
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Model ◽  
Equilibrium Points ◽  
Italian Case ◽  
Control Actions ◽  
Containment Measures ◽  
Asymptomatic Subjects ◽  
The Impact

This paper addresses the problem of describing the spread of COVID-19 by a mathematical model introducing all the possible control actions as prevention (informative campaign, use of masks, social distancing, vaccination) and medication. The model adopted is similar to SEIQR, with the infected patients split into groups of asymptomatic subjects and isolated ones. This distinction is particularly important in the current pandemic, due to the fundamental the role of asymptomatic subjects in the virus diffusion. The influence of the control actions is considered in analysing the model, from the calculus of the equilibrium points to the determination of the reproduction number. This choice is motivated by the fact that the available organised data have been collected since from the end of February 2020, and almost simultaneously containment measures, increasing in typology and effectiveness, have been applied. The characteristics of COVID-19, not fully understood yet, suggest an asymmetric diffusion among countries and among categories of subjects. Referring to the Italian situation, the containment measures, as applied by the population, have been identified, showing their relation with the government's decisions; this allows the study of possible scenarios, comparing the impact of different possible choices.

scholarly journals The Impact of Strategic Decision-Making on Enhancing Competitive Capability: Case Study of the Royal Jordanian Airlines

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 148
Author(s):  
Majda S. Rteimeh
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Analytical Approach ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Strategic Decision Making ◽  
The Impact

The study aimed at identifying the extent of efficiency of the strategic decision making (the determination of the problem, the gathering of the information on the problem, decision-making, the monitoring of the implementation of the decision-making, and the circulation of the realistic results of the decision) and demonstrating their impact in enhancing the competitive capability of the Royal Jordanian Airlines. This study followed the descriptive and the analytical approach relying on a questionnaire that reached a sample of 167 employees working at the various administrative levels of the company. The results of the study showed that there is a medium degree of efficiency for strategic decision-making and a medium degree of competitiveness. The results also showed a statistically significant impact for each of (gathering information about the problem of enhancing the competitive capability of the Royal Jordanian Airlines, decision-making, and circulating the realistic results of the decision) in enhancing the competitive capability of the Royal Jordanian Airlines.

scholarly journals Aggregated Risk Assessment and Survey for Risk Reduction in Oil Terminals

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 12169
Author(s):  
Robertas Alzbutas ◽  
Mindaugas Vaisnoras ◽  
Inga Saruniene ◽  
Ricardas Krikstolaitis ◽  
Mindaugas Valincius ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Risk Reduction ◽  
Hazard Analysis ◽  
Quantitative Risk Assessment ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Risk Aggregation ◽  
Risk Reduction Measures ◽  
The Impact

One of the goals of any oil terminal is to make a business while avoiding hazardous events and harmful effects for both humans and the environment. This can be achieved by creating a safe working place as well as by performing safe and acceptable activities regarding the impact on surrounding objects, including residential and industrial areas. The aim of the hazard analysis of the oil terminal is to assess the risks related to hazardous events or phenomena and to evaluate whether the assessed risks are acceptable. The hazard analysis and assessment of risk are also used for risk reduction while examining and limiting hazardous scenarios that, for instance, involve the loss-of-containment of flammable or combustible material. In this paper, the authors aim to contribute to risk research by providing a comprehensive methodology of risk assessment for oil terminals with case study results and discussion on features of the methodology, risk aggregation, its applicability for risk reduction, and industrial interests. The performed study considered the “Klaipedos Nafta AB” (an operator of the Klaipeda Oil Terminal, Lithuania) case study regarding hazardous materials that might be released from various tanks, devices, and associated pipelines. The performed quantitative risk assessment has enabled the determination of the probability regarding whether releases would ignite and, for instance, cause explosion. In the case study, the estimate of probability, i.e., the frequency, and the possible consequences of the hazardous events were evaluated, and both mitigation and risk reduction measures were also considered.

Influence of anthropogenic activity to the macronutrient loading in water and soil – Case study of industrial area

2020 ◽  
pp. 81-92
Author(s):  
Oana Romina Botoran ◽  
◽  
Mihaela Iordache ◽  
Claudia Sandru ◽  
Marius Miricioiu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Base Cations ◽  
Industrial Area ◽  
Quality Parameters ◽  
Anthropogenic Activity ◽  
Physico Chemical ◽  
The Impact

Mining activities, in combination with accelerated urbanization growth and climate change, constitutes a major challenge for creating a sustainable development. Thus, the monitoring and assessment of mining effect is mandatory in understanding the impact on the primary physico-chemical characteristics of an environment. In this context, the paper presents the evolution of micro- and macro- nutrients in water, soil and sediment from two industrial areas from Romania (Copșa Mică industrial platform and Baia Sprie mining zone), in order to assess the impact of pollutants on ecosystems. Physico-chemical (pH, NH4+, NO3-, NO2-, TN, TP), base cations (Ca, Mg, Na and K) and micronutrients (Fe, Mn and Zn) have been analyzed in order to evaluate the quality of the environment. For some of the analyzed soils, the concentration of Zn, Mn and Fe exceeded the maximum permissible limits (MPL) imposed by the Romanian legislation, falling within the limit for Alert Thresholds for less sensitive soils. The correlation analysis on water quality parameters revealed that all parameters are more or less correlated with each other Person’s Correlation matrix. Overall, our results demonstrated that the knowledge of the physico-chemical regime of an environment is of great value in the determination of its productivity, usefulness and other characteristics which can facilitate further vegetation restoration and reconstruction and a sustainable development of the ecological environment in a polluted area.

Automatic Determination of Compatibility in Evolving Services

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Becker ◽  
Jim Pruyne ◽  
Sharad Singhal ◽  
Andre Lopes ◽  
Dejan Milojicic
Keyword(s):  
Automatic Determination ◽  
Service Oriented Architectures ◽  
Loosely Coupled ◽  
Service Oriented ◽  
Run Time ◽  
The Impact

A major advantage of Service-Oriented Architectures (SOA) is composition and coordination of loosely coupled services. Because the development lifecycles of services and clients are de-coupled, multiple service versions must be maintained to support older clients. Typically versions are managed within the SOA by updating service descriptions using conventions on version numbers and namespaces. In all cases, the compatibility among services descriptions must be evaluated, which can be hard, error-prone and costly if performed manually, particularly for complex descriptions. In this paper, the authors describe a method to automatically determine when two service descriptions are backward compatible. The authors describe a case study to illustrate version compatibility information in a SOA environment and present initial performance overheads. By automatically exploring compatibility information, a) service developers can assess the impact of proposed changes; b) proper versioning requirements can be put in client implementations guaranteeing that incompatibilities will not occur during run-time; and c) messages exchanged in the SOA can be validated to ensure that only expected messages or compatible ones are exchanged.

scholarly journals Research priority setting by a stepped agro-ecological approach: case study for the Sahel of Burkina Faso

1998 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-14
Author(s):  
L. Thiombiano ◽  
W. Andriesse
Keyword(s):  
Burkina Faso ◽  
Ecological Approach ◽  
Main Function ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Ecological Zone ◽  
Research Issues ◽  
Research Prioritization ◽  
The Impact

A model is proposed for the identification of research issues. It includes a set of criteria to weigh the relevance of identified research projects, using an agro-ecological approach by a multidisciplinary team. In this approach, emphasis is placed on the assessment of the impact of the expected results of research projects with regard to productivity and to ecological, economical, and social sustainability. The model comprises seven steps: (1) determination of the main function(s) of a selected agro-ecological zone; (2) determination of the user-needs and indigenous knowledge; (3) determination of the constraints and potentials of the agro-ecological zone; (4) review of existing scientific knowledge and technologies; (5) identification of relevant research issues and their division over strategic and applied research; (6) prioritization and selection of themes and projects; and (7) evaluation of personnel, material and funds. A case study is presented of the Sahelian zone of Burkina Faso. Illustration of the model with this degraded area where sustainability is an actual and important issue allows a discussion on the advantages and limitations of this agro-ecological approach for research prioritization.

scholarly journals THE IMPACT OF BRAND IMAGE AND SERVICE QUALITY ON BUYING DECISIONS AND ITS IMPLICATION ON CONSUMER SATISFACTION (CASE STUDY AT PT IMI)

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 394-408
Author(s):  
Sylvia Okta Pradita ◽  
Arifin Sitio
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Consumer Satisfaction ◽  
Brand Image ◽  
Purchasing Decisions ◽  
Analysis Technique ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Buying Decisions

This study aims to analyze the Impact of Brand Image and Service Quality on Buying Decisions and Its Implications on Consumer Satisfaction (Case Study at PT IMI). This type of research used in this study is a type of causal research with a quantitative approach. The population in this study is all PT IMI customers who have received document storage services as much as 465 customers. The determination of the number of samples was been taken using the Slovin formula to obtain 82 research samples. While analysis technique used is path analysis. The result of these study indicate whether: (1) Brand Image has a positive and significant influence on Purchasing Decisions, (2) Service Quality has a positive and significant effect on Purchasing Decisions, (3) Brand Image has a positive and significant effect on Consumer Satisfaction, (4) Service Quality has a positive effect and significant impact on Consumer Satisfaction, (5) Purchasing Decisions have a positive and significant effect on Consumer Satisfaction.

scholarly journals Energy Efficiency Analysis in Buildings using Dynamic Simulations

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Elena Eftimie
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Dynamic Simulations ◽  
Heating Systems ◽  
Use Phase ◽  
Comfort Parameters ◽  
The Impact

This paper proposes an analysis of factors that have a significant impact on energy efficiency in buildings. Thus, as a first objective proposes an analysis of the impact of rehabilitation and modernization of buildings in view of their energy performance improvement. A second followed objective consisted of the study of some production and use thermal energy systems in order to increase the thermal comfort. Based on a case study, this paper provides the opportunity for comparative analyses both among different insulation materials for buildings and among different heating systems. Determination of energy consumption for space heating and of the building comfort parameters was achieved using dynamic simulations by means of TRNSYS program; it was envisaged that the assessment of energy efficiency in buildings, the design stage or before their rehabilitation, is more economical than finding solutions in the use phase of buildings.

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