Enfoque hacia el uso de energías alternativas en establecimientos de atención médica / Approach to the use of alternative energies in medical care facilities

Introducción: El tema del cambio climático y sus efectos, en la salud, educación y transporte, es un tema emergente, que pretende la optimización del consumo y la eficiencia energética. Esta investigación se plantea como objetivo,la caracterización del uso y aprovechamiento de energías, en establecimientos de atención médica de la región capital durante el año 2022, considerando la distribución energética, eficiencia y fuentes primarias de energía utilizadas en este país. Métodos: Se trata de una investigación descriptiva, transversal y prospectiva,a través del análisis cuali-cuantitativo, con el uso de informantes clave quienes consideran importante la iluminación natural en los espacios y el mayor aprovechamiento energético en áreas como la quirúrgica y consulta externa. Resultados: Surge el uso de la energía solar, eólica e hidráulica como recursos energéticos aprovechables, así como la sostenibilidad y la mantenibilidad en el diseño y rediseño de infraestructuras hospitalarias. Los tipos de energías utilizados en Venezuela, siguen correspondiendo ala hidráulica y combustibles fósiles, se conoce la tecnología e implementación de paneles solares para la mejoría del cambio climático, la huella del carbono, el uso de energías verdes y reducción de combustibles fósiles. Su aceptación depende de regulaciones y la concientización energética como elementos fundamentales para el cambio.

Introduction: The issue of climate change and itseffects, in health, education and transportation, is an emergingissue, which aims at the optimization of energy consumption andefficiency. e objective of this research is to characterize the useand exploitation of energy in health care facilities in the capitalregion during the year 2022, considering the energy distribution,efficiency and primary energy sources used in this country.Methods: This is a descriptive, cross-sectional and prospectiveresearch, through qualitative-quantitative analysis, with the useof key informants who consider important the natural lightingin the spaces and the greater use of energy in areas such assurgery and outpatient care. Results: The use of solar, windand hydraulic energy emerged as usable energy resources, aswell as sustainability and maintainability in the design andredesign of hospital infrastructures. The types of energy used inVenezuela continue to correspond to hydraulics and fossil fuels; the technology and implementation of solar panels is known forthe improvement of climate change, the carbon footprint, theuse of green energy and reduction of fossil fuels. Their acceptancedepends on regulations and energy awareness as fundamental elements for change.

[Association between cooking fuel and chronic diseases among Chinese housewives from 2015 to 2017].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the association between the use of different household cooking fuels(including solid fuels and clean fuels) and hypertension, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma among Chinese housewives. METHODS: 15616 housewives aged over 18 years were selected from China Nutrition and Health Surveillance 2015-2017, and their basic information investigation, physical examination and laboratory examination were carried out. Using multiple adjustment logistic regression analysis to compare the risk of using clean fuels and solid fuels in hypertension, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. And living areas(urban or rural) were used as stratified factors for stratified logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Among 15616 Chinese housewives, 9539(61.08%) used clean cooking fuels and 6077(38.92%) used solid cooking fuels at that time. There were significant differences in the composition of urban and rural areas, age groups, body mass index, education level, household annual income, smoking and drinking, second-hand smoke exposure level and whether to participate in physical examination within one year. After multivariable adjustment, using solid cooking fuels increased the risk of hypertension(OR=1.14, 95% CI 1.05-1.23), stroke(OR=1.44, 95% CI 1.18-1.75), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(OR=1.20, 95% CI 1.03-1.40) and asthma(OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.09-1.63). After stratified by urban and rural areas, the result showed that using solid cooking fuels among rural housewives significantly increased the risk of the above four diseases(hypertension: OR=1.11, 95% CI 1.01-1.22; stroke: OR=1.49, 95% CI 1.17-1.91; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: OR=1.20, 95% CI 1.00-1.42; asthma: OR=1.40, 95% CI 1.09-1.79). While in urban housewives, except that using solid cooking fuels might increase the risk of hypertension, the risk of stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma has not increased significantly, but there was still an increasing tendencies(hypertension: OR=1.18, 95% CI 1.02-1.36; stroke: OR=1.37, 95% CI 0.99-1.90; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: OR=1.20, 95% CI 0.89-1.60; asthma: OR=1.20, 95% CI 0.82-1.74). CONCLUSION: The use of solid cooking fuels is a risk factor for Chinese housewives in hypertension, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma, and is more significant among rural housewives.

Improved sustainability of solar panels by improving stability of amorphous silicon solar cells.

As the world grapples with global warming, it becomes imperative to carefully examine the sustainable energy technology choices. Solar is the fastest growing clean energy source but today it contributes little to the electricity generated, so future installations will dwarf the existing installed base. There is a factor of 2-4 decrease in the energy payback time from the dominant crystalline silicon technology to thin film technologies. Essential criteria like use of abundant materials and simple but mature production technology point to amorphous silicon (a-Si) technology. Here we delve into the primary issue impeding adoption of a-Si technology-the Staebler Wronski Effect (SWE), that generates metastable, light induced defects which reduce the performance of a-Si based solar cells. We demonstrate that a simple change leads to a significant reduction in SWE power loss and define a clear path to elimination of SWE, allowing the technology to be widely adopted.

Warship wrecks and their munition cargos as a threat to the marine environment and humans: The V 1302 "JOHN MAHN" from World War II.

In addition to endangering sea traffic, cable routes, and wind farms, sunken warship wrecks with dangerous cargo, fuel, or munitions on board may emerge as point sources for environmental damage. Energetic compounds such as TNT (which could leak from these munitions) are known for their toxicity, mutagenicity, and carcinogenicity. These compounds may cause potential adverse effects on marine life via contamination of the marine ecosystem, and their entry into the marine and human food chain could directly affect human health. To ascertain the impending danger of an environmental catastrophe posed by sunken warships, the North Sea Wrecks (NSW) project (funded by the Interreg North Sea Region Program) was launched in 2018. Based on historical data (derived from military archives) including the calculated amount of munitions still on board, its known location and accessibility, the German World War II ship "Vorpostenboot 1302" (former civilian name - "JOHN MAHN") was selected as a case study to investigate the leakage and distribution of toxic explosives in the marine environment. The wreck site and surrounding areas were mapped in great detail by scientific divers and a multibeam echosounder. Water and sediment samples were taken in a cross-shaped pattern around the wreck. To assess a possible entry into the marine food chain, caged mussels were exposed at the wreck, and wild fish (pouting), a sedentary species that stays locally at the wreck, were caught. All samples were analyzed for the presence of TNT and derivatives thereof by GC-MS/MS analysis. As a result, we could provide evidence that sunken warship wrecks emerge as a point source of contamination with nitroaromatic energetic compounds leaking from corroding munitions cargo still on board. Not only did we find these explosive substances in bottom water and sediment samples around the wreck, but also in the caged mussels as well as in wild fish living at the wreck. Fortunately so far, the concentrations found in mussel meat and fish filet were only in the one-digit ng per gram range thus indicating no current concern for the human seafood consumer. However, in the future the situation may worsen as the corrosion continues. From our study, it is proposed that wrecks should not only be ranked according to critical infrastructure and human activities at sea, but also to the threats they pose to the environment and the human seafood consumer.

Assessing financial factors for oil supply disruptions and its impact on oil supply security and transportation risks.

The evaluation of energy security offers a standard for policy research and highlights the problems of securing the energy supply. A composite index for analyzing the risk of Southeast Asian nations' oil supply is developed in this study. Indicators used to calculate the index include the import-to-LGE ratio, GPR, market liquidity, gross domestic product, the import-to-consumption ratio, heterogeneity, oil price volatility, US$ volatility, and transportation risk. The index is based on these and other factors. According to the findings, Nepal and Sri Lanka are the most susceptible to oil supply interruptions. This indicates that India is more likely to shift its oil suppliers. At the same time, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka have the lowest supply risk scores, indicating that they are the most vulnerable to supply disruptions. Reduce the effect of oil supply risk by enacting policies such as the adoption of renewable technologies, nuclear power generation, diversification of exporting supplies, and reducing fossil fuel subsidies.

Can Nuclear Power Products Mitigate Greenhouse Gas Emissions? Evidence from Global Trade Network.

Since its birth, nuclear power has been a hot topic of academic research while being subject to much controversy. As a new green energy source with zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, nuclear power plays a vital role in combatting global climate change. Based on global databases and various empirical analysis methods, this study aimed to explore the changes in the global nuclear power product trade (GNT) network and its impact on GHG emissions from 2001 to 2018. The main findings are summarized as follows. (1) Global trade in nuclear power products and GHG emissions showed a non-linear and fluctuating growth during the research period. The geographical pattern of GNT not only has prominent spatial heterogeneity, but it also has some spatial reverse coupled with the spatial distribution of global GHG emissions. (2) The overall regression analysis finds that nuclear power product trade had a significant suppressive effect on global GHG emissions and had the greatest influence among all the selected variables. (3) As for the impact of the GNT network on GHG emissions, nuclear power product trade was better able to curb GHG emissions in countries with the dominate positions compared to those with affiliated positions, which reflects the heterogeneous effect of nuclear power product trade on GHG emissions. These results provide further evidence for the dialectical debate on whether nuclear power products contribute to GHG emissions reductions. This paper also provides corresponding recommendations for policymakers.

The nexus between biofuels and pesticides in agroforestry: Pathways toward United Nations sustainable development goals.

The growth of global population continuously increases the demands for agroforestry-derived products, underpinning a sustainable growth of energy matrix in the sectors of food security, transportation, and industrial is momentous. The high demand for the sustainable energy sources has led to an increase in the application of pesticides associated with growing crops for the production of biofuel. In 2019, the global consumption of pesticides was 4.2 million tonnes. Case studies on life cycle assessment (LCA) of pesticides showed that toxicity is the major severe impact of pesticide usage, contributing to human toxicity (∼70%) and freshwater eco-toxicity (>50%). This alarming situation needs a solution as conventional pesticides pose various negative impacts to human and the environment, rendering the biofuel production process unsustainable. In this review, we focus on the interaction between pesticide use, biofuel production, food security for a sustainable balancing in between government benefits, environmental, and human health, aiming to track the implications and impact to the global efforts towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Even though, there are strict government regulations and legislations pertaining to pesticide use, and policies devised as guidelines for agroforestry sectors to implement and monitor these measures, the discrepancies still exist in between national and supranational entities. To cater the above issue, many efforts have been made to upscale the biofuel production, for example, the United States, Brazil, China and Indonesia have ventured into biofuels production from non-food-crops based feedstock while other developing nations are rapidly catching up. In this perspective, a sustainable nexus between Biofuels-Pesticides-Agroforestry (BPA) is essential to create a sustainable roadmap toward the UN SDGs, to fulfilling the energy, food, and land security. The contribution of technologies in BPA includes genetic modified crops, integrated pest and weed management with controlled release pesticides, use of nano-biopesticides is being reviewed. As a whole, the concept of biofuel processing complex (BPC) and farmers upskilling, together with the effective implementation of efficient policies and Internet of Things (IoT) would be the key to drive the BPA nexus towards fulfilment of SDGs.

Short-term dynamics and long-term relationship between natural gas consumption and economic growth in Nigeria: an ARDL approach with breaks.

This paper investigates the short-term dynamics as well as the long-term relationship between natural gas consumption and economic growth in Nigeria, taking breaks into account. The techniques employed include Shahbaz-Omay-Roubaud unit root test with sharp and smooth breaks and autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model with breaks. The results revealed that natural gas consumption is positively related to growth both in the short-term and long-term but only significant in the latter. However, there is evidence of bidirectional causality in the long-term and unidirectional causality in the short-term, from growth to natural gas consumption. The implication of the findings is that natural gas is a contributing factor to the growth of the Nigerian economy, and any energy policy aimed at increasing the consumption of natural gas could lead to the increase in economic growth and that Nigerian authorities could adopt energy conservation policies in the short-term so as to take the issue of global warming into consideration. Therefore, the paper recommends stepping up efforts to increase natural gas consumption by building more gas storage facilities, pipeline installations, exploring alternative energy sources, raising awareness/enlightenment about the uses of natural gas, suitability in its use, economic and environmental benefits of its use, ensuring its affordable availability, and beeping up security against pipelines vandalization. Moreover, in the short-term, the country could enact energy conservation policies to combat global warming.

Assessment of sustainability and uncertainties of oil markets: mediating determinants of energy use and CO2 emissions.

The current paper investigates the sustainability growth problem in the USA and evaluating the co-integration relationship among all variables, including oil, carbon emission, and consumption of energy. We also determine the impacts of energy consumption on the USA economic growth, government spending, and trade openness. We used the co-integration and popular lag model (ARDL) to find the long-term and short-term relationships between all study variables. The empirical results show that (1) the crude oil prices increase and adverse impact on energy demand and government expenditure during the study periods, and CO2 emission negatively affects USA economic growth. In addition, (2) the innovative accounting method (ICA) results, we used further research to research the causality between study variables. The empirical results propose that oil prices affect the country's economy responsible for more energy consumption, and the causal effect between consumption of energy and economic growth is not relevant. Wastage of energy allows the system to produce more CO2 emissions. Model results find that the one-sided causal effects of economic growth and CO2. We see during the analyses that (CO2) emissions will negatively impact the country's economy. Therefore, country policymakers are expected to change fossil fuel energy to non-fossil fuel energy as an essential component of the USA's economic growth policies.

The long-run relationship between energy consumption, oil prices, and carbon dioxide emissions in European countries.

Global climate change brings environmental quality sensitivity, especially in European countries. In this context, European countries are striving to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Renewable energy use can be an effective way to curtail the increasing environmental degradation. How the oil prices shape the energy use pattern and environmental quality remains unclear to date. Therefore, the present research examines the linkage between energy use (non-renewable and renewable energy), oil prices, and CO2 emissions in 30 European countries between 1997 and 2017. The study applied fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS), Westerlund (2007) cointegration and the Driscoll-Kraay Regression tests to explore these associations. The result of individual samples and the full sample provides the same intimations for the use of energy in Europe. The outcomes of the research ratify the existence of a long-run relationship among variables and found that non-renewable energy consumption increases CO2 emissions, while renewable energy consumption mitigates CO2 emissions. Furthermore, when the oil prices rise, people switch towards substitute energy sources that reduce CO2 emissions. Based on the results, the study suggests that European countries should increase the share of renewable energy, promote the use of clean energy resources, and discourage fossil fuel energy consumption to ensure sustainability.

Eficiência energética em sistemas de saneamento básico sob a perspectiva do nexo água, energia e alimentos / Energy efficiency in basic sanitation systems from the perspective of the water-energy nexus

Segundo a organização Aliança para Economizar Energia (ASE), o consumo de energia elétrica em sistemas de saneamento é de aproximadamente 3% do que é gerado em todo o mundo e no Brasil, de acordo pesquisas realizadas no setor, o que representa o terceiro maior custo em empresas prestadoras de serviços de saneamento (públicas e privadas), precedido somente pelo custo com mão de obra própria e terceirizada. Dessa forma esse trabalho através da metodologia exploratória-explicativa teve como principal objetivo analisar o consumo energético em sistemas de abastecimento de água e de esgotamento sanitário sob o enfoque do nexo água-energia-alimentos. Para isso, foram coletados dados de empresas em cinco estados brasileiros, com principal base de dados os Relatórios de Sustentabilidade. No Brasil, a principal fonte de geração de energia elétrica é de hidroelétricas (considerada fonte renovável) entretanto ainda há considerável fração oriunda de termoelétricas e outras fontes não sustentáveis, especialmente em períodos de estiagem. Nesse sentido, ampliar as fontes geradoras e a eficiência energética é uma necessidade emergente. Em sistemas de saneamento, o consumo de energia elétrica está relacionado principalmente ao consumo em unidades de bombeamento para abastecimento de água permitindo o alcance das pressões estabelecidas por norma, e a manutenção da potabilidade após tratamento. Em sistemas de esgotamento sanitário a energia elétrica é utilizada na coleta e transporte do efluente gerado para tratamento. Diante desse contexto, a racionalidade do nexo água-energia-alimentos corrobora o entendimento de que o consumo de energia elétrica em sistemas de saneamento possui uma relação de interdependência, propiciando mitigar os trade-offs entre setores envolvidos. Isto pode ocorrer por meio de medidas para redução de perdas em sistemas de abastecimento de água, bem como, com o uso de novas tecnologias que permitam a redução do consumo energético ou a própria de geração de energia em sistemas de saneamento, o nexo água-energia-alimentos permite a compreensão de que o uso eficiente e consciente de energia elétrica propicia uma relação onde as sinergias entre os setores sejam promotoras de saúde pública e impulsionem a sustentabilidade na utilização dos recursos hídricos. Através da realização do estudo foi possível obter parâmetros sobre o consumo de energia elétrica nas empresas pesquisadas, proporcionando dessa forma em colaboração com o nexo água- energia-alimentos a análise do emprego, bem como investigação de ações para redução e produção de energia elétrica por meio de tecnologias já adotadas ou com perspectiva para adoção. O Brasil passa atualmente por um momento de transição energética, diante desse contexto a pesquisa realizada corrobora com a compreensão que a sustentabilidade no setor de energia elétrica somente será alcançada mediante a diversificação das fontes produtoras, priorizando sobretudo fontes renováveis e o setor de saneamento possui relevante potencial, ainda pouco explorado para colaborar efetivamente e diretamente com a ampliação sustentável do setor.

According to the organization Alliance to Save Energy (ASE), the electricity consumption in water and sanitation systems is approximately 3% of what is generated worldwide and in Brazil, acoording to research carried out in the sector which represents the third largest cost in companies providing sanitation services (public and private), preceded only by the cost of own and outsourced labor. The main objective of this study, through exploratory methodology, was to analyze the energy consumption in water supply and sanitary sewage systems under the perspective of the water-energy-food nexus. To this end, data were collected from water and sanitation companies in five Brazilian states, with the main database being the Sustainability Reports. In Brazil, the main source of electric power generation is hydroelectric (considered a renewable source). However there is still a considerable fraction coming from thermoelectric plants and other non-sustainable sources, especially in periods of drought. In this sense, expanding the generation sources and increasing energy efficiency is an emerging need. In water supply systems, the consumption of electricity is mainly related to the consumption of pumping units for water supply, allowing the achievement of pressures established by standard, and the maintenance of potability after treatment. In sewage systems, electricity is used in the collection and transport of the effluent generated for treatment. Within this context, the rationality of the water--ood nexus corroborates the understanding that electricity consumption in water and sanitation systems has an interdependent relationship, allowing for the mitigation of trade-offs among the sectors involved. This can occur through measures to reduce losses in water supply systems, as well as the use of new technologies that allow the reduction of energy consumption or the generation of energy itself in water and sanitation systems. The nexus allows the understanding that the efficient and conscious use of electricity provides a relationship where the synergies between the sectors promote public health and boost sustainability in the use of water resources. By carrying out the study, it was possible to obtain parameters on the consumption of electric energy in the companies surveyed, thus providing, in collaboration with the water-energy-food nexus, the analysis of employment, as well as investigation of actions to reduce and produce electric energy by through technologies already adopted or with prospects for adoption. Brazil is currently going through a moment of energy transition, in this context the research carried out corroborates the understanding that sustainability in the electricity sector will only be achieved through the diversification of production sources, prioritizing above all renewable sources and the sanitation sector has relevant potential, still little explored to collaborate effectively and directly with the sustainable expansion of the sector.

[Resident breeding bird responses to wind turbines: A functional and phylogenetic perspective]. / 基于功能和谱系视角分析繁殖留鸟对风机的响应.

As a clean and green renewable energy source, wind power attracts more and more attention globally, and rapidly expands its use scale. There are conflicts between wind power development and bird protection. The impacts of wind farms on birds is a hot topic for ecologists and conservationists. To estimate the effects of wind turbines on avian species diversity and their functional and phylogenetic diversity, we conducted line transect surveys in January, March, April and May 2019. Thirty-two line transects were divided into four gradients according to the distance from the wind turbines, i.e., 100-300 m (6 transects), 300-500 m (13 transects), 500-700 m (8 transects), >700 m (5 transects). The results showed that a total of 76 resident breeding birds were recorded, belonging to 11 orders and 31 families. Passeriformes and Timaliidae had the highest species richness (53 and 12 species, respectively). Bird species richness, functional richness (FRic), and phylogenetic diversity (Faith's PD) were increased with increasing distance from the wind turbines. Specifically, bird richness, FRic and phylogenetic diversity increased little within 500 m of the wind turbines, whereas a significant increase occurred over 500 m from wind turbines. The community-weighted mean of dispersal ability showed an increasing trend with distance from the wind turbines. The standardized effect size of both mean pairwise functional/phylogenetic distance (SES.MFD and SES.MPD) were less than 0 in all transects, with about half of which being significantly lower than expected at random. This finding suggested that the impacts of wind farms on bird species, functional and phylogenetic diversity occurred within 500 meters from wind turbines, with a pattern of functional and phylogenetic clustering. The impacts of wind turbines on birds were multi-dimensional. It is therefore difficult to provide complete perspective on assessing the impacts of wind farms on birds when only considering species diversity.

Towards Net Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Energy and Chemical Sectors in Switzerland and Beyond - A Review.

In today's societies, climate-damaging and finite fossil resources such as oil and natural gas serve a dual purpose as energy source and as carbon source for chemicals and plastics. To respond to the finite availability and to meet international climate goals, a change to a renewable energy and raw material basis is inevitable and represents a highly complex task. In this review, we assess possible technology paths for Switzerland to reach these goals. First, we provide an overview of Switzerland's current energy demand and discuss possible renewable technologies as well as proposed scenarios to defossilize the current energy system. In here, electric vehicles and heat pumps are key technologies, whereas mainly photovoltaics replace nuclear power to deliver clean electricity. The production of chemicals also consumes fossil resources and for Switzerland, the oil demand for imported domestically used chemicals and plastics corresponds to around 20% of the current energetic oil demand. Thus, we additionally summarize technologies and visions for a sustainable chemical sector based on the renewable carbon sources biomass, CO2 and recycled plastic. As biomass is the most versatile renewable energy and carbon source, although with a limited availability, aspects and proposed strategies for an optimal use are discussed.

Negative effect of high-level infrasound on human myocardial contractility: In-vitro controlled experiment.

BACKGROUND: Human exposure to infrasound is increasing due to man-made factors, such as occupational conditions, wind farms and transportation. The concern among the public regarding the safety of infrasound exposure is growing. AIMS: To evaluate whether exposure to infrasound interferes directly with human cardiac function and contributes to pathological processes. SETTING: The University Hospital of Mainz, Germany. METHODS: Human myocardial tissues, obtained from patients undergoing cardiac surgery, were prepared in small muscle samples and stimulated electrically in-vitro for a period of almost two hours under physiological conditions to induce continuous pulsatile contractions and simulating a working human heart. Two samples were obtained from each donor: one was subjected to infrasound for 60 min and the other served as a control. Their contraction forces (CF) and durations (CD) were measured before and after each testing period and their relative changes (CF% and CD%) were calculated and introduced in a multilinear regression model. The following three infrasound levels of exposure were used in this study: 100, 110 and 120 dBz. RESULTS: The measured CF% corresponded negatively with the infrasound level measured in dBz (R2 = 0.631; P = 0.018). The decrease measured almost -11% at 110 dBz and -18% at 120 dBz, after correction for control. The CD on the other hand remained unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to high levels of infrasound (more than 100 dBz) interferes with cardiac muscle contractile ability, as early as one hour after exposure. There are numerous additional studies which support this conclusion. These results should be taken into account when considering environmental regulations.

Greenhouse gas emissions intensity of food production systems and its determinants.

It is estimated that about 1/4th of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions may be caused by the global food system. Reducing the GHG emissions from food production is a major challenge in the context of the projected growth of the world's population, which is increasing demand for food. In this context, the goal should be to achieve the lowest possible emission intensity of the food production system, understood as the amount of GHG emissions per unit of output. The study aimed to calculate the emission intensity of food production systems and to specify its determinants based on a panel regression model for 14 countries, which accounted for more than 65% of food production in the world between 2000 and 2014. In this article, emission intensity is defined as the amount of GHG emissions per value of global output. Research on the determinants of GHG emissions related to food production is well documented in the literature; however, there is a lack of research on the determinants of the emission intensity ratio for food production. Hence, the original contribution of this paper is the analysis of the determinants of GHG emissions intensity of food production systems. The study found the decreased of emission intensity from an average of more than 0.68 kg of CO2 equivalent per USD 1 worth of food production global output in 2000 to less than 0.46 in 2014. The determinants of emission intensity decrease included the yield of cereals, the use of nitrogen fertilizers, the agriculture material intensity, the Human Development Index, and the share of fossil fuel energy consumption in total energy use. The determinants of growth of emission intensity of food production systems included GDP per capita, population density, nitrogen fertilizer production, utilized agriculture area, share of animal production, and energy use per capita.

Hybrid life cycle assessment of an onshore wind farm including direct and indirect services: A case study in Guajira, Colombia.

To diversify and decarbonize its energy system, Colombia plans a sizeable increase in wind power by installing onshore wind farms in the Guajira region. While presumably superior to other alternatives in terms of environmental performance, this assumption cannot be tested due to the lack of studies in this region. To assess the potential environmental performance of wind power in Colombia, we conduct a hybrid life cycle assessment of a wind farm of 19.5 MW of installed capacity for various impacts. We include both direct (required on-site) and indirect (required in the supply-chain) services associated with the life cycle of the wind farm for completeness, an unprecedented feature in the LCA literature. The results show that the wind farm is associated with low global warming impacts (12.93 gr CO2 eq/kWh) compared with similar studies, mainly due to high wind speeds. Moreover, the inclusion of both direct and indirect services increases the environmental impacts across indicators (with respect to the results without services) from 0% (carcinogenic effects) to 21% (terrestrial eutrophication). Further, sensitivity analysis suggests that the results are highly dependant on the capacity factor, lifespan, and percentage of losses. We conclude that the inclusion of both direct and indirect services is not negligible in the life cycle assessment of wind farms and similar projects, particularly given the substantial services required, such as surveying, legal compliance, etc. Given the difficulty to obtain data on services, we conclude with some recommendations aimed at relevant stakeholders, such as tax benefits and public procurement guidelines.

Educational application of intraoperative records from an energy device in laparoscopic gastrectomy: a preliminary report.

PURPOSE: Video review is a reliable method for surgical education in laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG), but more objective methods are still needed. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the energy device records reflected surgical competency, and thereby may improve surgical education. METHODS: A total of 16 patients who underwent LG for gastric cancer using the Thunderbeat® device were preliminarily retrospectively analyzed. This device has the function of 'intelligent tissue monitoring' (ITM), a safety assist system stopping energy output, and can record ITM detections and firing time during surgery. The number of ITM detections and firings, and the total firing time during gastrocolic ligament dissection and infrapyloric dissection were compared between trainees (n = 9 by 5 surgeons) and experts (n = 7 by 5 surgeons). The non-edited videos (n = 16) were scored, and the correlations between the scores and the records were then analyzed. RESULTS: Significantly more ITM detections, firings, and a longer total firing time were observed in trainees than in experts. The number of ITM detections and firing had negative correlations with the scores of the operation speed, the use of the non-dominant hand, and the use of an energy device. CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary study suggested that the above described energy device records reflected surgical competency, and thereby may improve surgical education.

Analysis of the technical feasibility of using artificial intelligence for smoothing active power in a photovoltaic system connected to the power system

Abstract Recent technological advances and increased participation of energy systems based on photovoltaic solar energy place this renewable energy source in a prominent position in the current scenario. With the increase in the share of solar photovoltaic systems, the impact of power fluctuations in these sources has worsened, which can affect the quality of electrical energy and the reliability of the electrical power system. Therefore, with the use of energy storage together with control algorithms based on artificial intelligence, it is possible to control and perform power smoothing. In this context, the study presents a technical feasibility study on the use of artificial neural network (ANN) to perform the power smoothing of the photovoltaic system connected to the network. Being studied the performance of a real photovoltaic system operating in conjunction with an ideal energy storage for comparative analysis of the performance of the artificial neural network when the numbers of neurons and layers are modified for different real operating conditions considered as temperature variation, humidity, irradiation, pressure and wind speed, which are considered to be ANN input data. The results obtained point to the feasibility of using ANN, with acceptable precision, for power smoothing. According to the analyzes carried out, it is clear that ANN's with few neurons, the smoothing profile tends to be more accurate when compared to larger amounts of neurons. In the current state of the study, it was not possible to determine a relationship between the variations in the number of neurons with the most accurate results, it is important to note that the development of the curve pointed by the neural network can be influenced by the database. It should be noted that, when ANN exceeds or does not reach the optimal smoothing curve, the storage system compensates for the lack or excess of power, and there is a need for other mechanisms to optimize power smoothing.

Potential of Alternative Sources for Electric Power Generation in the State of Paraná

Abstract The State of Paraná stands out in Brazil for its hydraulic potential for electricity generation. Furthermore, the State also shows potential for the use of other sources of energy, such as solar energy, biogas and biomass. The study traces the profile of electric energy consumption and compiles analysis of the alternative energy potentials of Paraná on the use of solar energy, the biomass of forest residues and agricultural crops, the generation of biogas through the residues of farmed animals and the urban solids residues. The work took account for the estimates, the logistical limitations for the biomass or biogas collection and the real availability of the wastes in terms of viability of exploration through distributed generation plants. The use of the business analytics software Tableau Desktop 2020.3.2® made possible the open data analysis at the municipal level. The paper provides realistic estimates about the feasibility of the use of alternative energy sources in the State of Paraná.