Life Cycle Assessment of Functionalized Bionanocompounds with Ice Nucleation Protein for Freezing Applications.

The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of functionalized bionanocompounds with ice nucleation protein (INP) as a novel approach for freezing applications in terms of how much energy is used during each step of freezing when water bionanocompound solutions were compared with pure water. According to the results of the manufacturing analysis, water required 28 times less energy than the silica + INA bionanocompound and 14 times less than the magnetite + INA bionanocompound. These findings showed that water used the least energy during the manufacturing process. In order to determine the associated environmental implications, an analysis of the operating stage was also conducted, taking the defrosting time of each bionanocompound during a 4 h work cycle into account. Our results showed that bionanocompounds may substantially reduce the environmental effects by achieving a 91% reduction in the impact after their use during all four work cycles in the operation stage. Additionally, given the energy and raw materials needed in this process, this improvement was more significant than at the manufacturing stage. The results from both stages indicated that, when compared with water, the magnetite + INA bionanocompound and the silica + INA bionanocompound would save an estimated 7% and 47% of total energy, respectively. The study's findings also demonstrated the great potential for using bionanocompounds in freezing applications to reduce the effects on the environment and human health.

Research and development of green roofs and green walls in Mexico: A review.

The residential sector is one of the primary energy consumers and emitters of greenhouse gases. Given the environmental problem, one of the methods of mitigating electricity consumption and reducing the temperature in buildings is green infrastructure: green roofs and walls. This article presents a compilation of the studies carried out in México about green infrastructure; the energy, thermal and environmental benefits obtained were analyzed according to the vegetation, substrate, climate, and systems configuration. In addition, the development of policies, laws, regulations, and incentives in the field of green roofs in Mexico was also analyzed. The results indicate that using green infrastructure can help mitigate greenhouse gases since a green roof can reduce the indoor temperature up to 19.9 °C, save 28 % annually in electricity consumption and remove 80 % of rainwater pollutants. Finally, the results of this research can provide insight for researchers, legislators, and urban planners about the state in which Mexico is located, as well as help in decision-making.

Statistical Study of User Perception of Smart Homes during Vital Signal Monitoring with an Energy-Saving Algorithm.

Sensor networks are deployed in people's homes to make life easier and more comfortable and secure. They might represent an interesting approach for elderly care as well. This work highlights the benefits of a sensor network implemented in the homes of a group of users between 55 and 75 years old, which encompasses a simple home energy optimization algorithm based on user behavior. We analyze variables related to vital signs to establish users' comfort and tranquility thresholds. We statistically study the perception of security that users exhibit, differentiating between men and women, examining how it affects the person's development at home, as well as the reactivity of the sensor algorithm, to optimize its performance. The proposed algorithm is analyzed under certain performance metrics, showing an improvement of 15% over a sensor network under the same conditions. We look at and quantify the usefulness of accurate alerts on each sensor and how it reflects in the users' perceptions (for men and women separately). This study analyzes a simple, low-cost, and easy-to-implement home-based sensor network optimized with an adaptive energy optimization algorithm to improve the lives of older adults, which is capable of sending alerts of possible accidents or intruders with the highest efficiency.

Long walk home: Magellanic penguins have strategies that lead them to areas where they can navigate most efficiently.

Understanding how animals move in dense environments where vision is compromised is a major challenge. We used GPS and dead-reckoning to examine the movement of Magellanic penguins commuting through vegetation that precluded long-distance vision. Birds leaving the nest followed the shortest, quickest route to the sea (the 'ideal path', or 'I-path') but return tracks depended where the birds left the water. Penguins arriving at the beach departure spot mirrored the departure. Most of those landing at a distance from the departure spot travelled slowly, obliquely to the coast at a more acute angle than a beeline trajectory to the nest. On crossing their I-path, these birds then followed this route quickly to their nests. This movement strategy saves birds distance, time and energy compared to a route along the beach and the into the colony on the I-track and saves time and energy compared to a beeline trajectory which necessitates slow travel in unfamiliar areas. This suggests that some animals adopt tactics that take them to an area where their navigational capacities are enhanced for efficient travel in challenging environments.

An Energy-Saving Forwarding Mechanism Based on Clustering for Opportunistic Networks.

In Opportunistic Networks (OppNets), mobility of and contact between nodes are explored to create communication opportunities and exchange messages and information. A basic premise for a better performance of these networks is a collaboration of the nodes during communication. However, due to energy restriction factors, nodes may eventually fail to collaborate with message exchanges. In this work, we propose a routing mechanism called eGPDMI to improve message probability of delivery while optimizing nodes' energy consumption. Unlike other algorithms proposed in OppNets literature, eGPDMI groups nodes by energy level and nodes interests using clustering techniques. Our major assumption is that retaining messages in nodes with the highest energy levels can improve network performance, thus overcoming the problem of nodes' disconnection due to unwillingness to cooperate due to low energy values. Through questionnaire application and factorial design experiments, we characterize the impacts of energy levels in OppNets. Further, we apply performance evaluation of the eGPDMI mechanism in terms of effectiveness using mobility from real-world scenarios. The results show that our mechanism effectively reduces the degradation of the probability of delivery when the minimum energy level used for nodes to cooperate with communication increases.

Evaluation of Deep Learning Methods in a Dual Prediction Scheme to Reduce Transmission Data in a WSN.

One of the most important challenges in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) is the extension of the sensors lifetime, which are battery-powered devices, through a reduction in energy consumption. Using data prediction to decrease the amount of transmitted data is one of the approaches to solve this problem. This paper provides a comparison of deep learning methods in a dual prediction scheme to reduce transmission. The structures of the models are presented along with their parameters. A comparison of the models is provided using different performance metrics, together with the percent of points transmitted per threshold, and the errors between the final data received by Base Station (BS) and the measured values. The results show that the model with better performance in the dataset was the model with Attention, saving a considerable amount of data in transmission and still maintaining a good representation of the measured data.

Evaluation of the application of macrophyte biomass Salvinia auriculata Aublet in red ceramics.

In this work, the study of the biomass application of a microphyte plant Slavinia auriculata Aublet in red ceramic was carried out. The waste comes from the phytoremediation process, used in sewage treatment plants. Characterization tests were carried out by chemical, mineralogical, dilatometry, thermal and mass spectrometry techniques, where it was possible to prove that biomass is compatible in its composition for application in ceramic materials and also has great potential to act as a source of energy. The production of specimens was carried out using an industrial clay mass and incorporating 0-10% of biomass in samples produced by pressing and burned at temperatures between 750 and 1050 °C. Properties of plasticity, firing shrinkage, apparent drying and firing density, water absorption, compressive strength and tensile strength in flexion were evaluated, where the feasibility of using up to 2.5% biomass in ceramics firing in 1050 °C s was proven. Although the results of water absorption at the firing temperature of 1050 °C have increased from 18.3% to 19.4% with the use of 2.5% of the residue, the results of tensile strength in flexion have reduced from 4.80 to 3.75 MPa and the results of compressive strength have reduced from 27.6 to 22 MPa, the values obtained meet international recommendations and are in accordance with the recommendations of the bibliography. Finally, an economic analysis of the application of biomass in ceramic materials was carried out, where it was observed that it was possible to save up to 5.04% with the use of the biomass under study, providing an annual savings of $ 2668.8 for the ceramic industry.

Foraging with finesse: A hard-fruit-eating primate selects the weakest areas as bite sites.

OBJECTIVES: Fruit husks are rarely uniformly hard, varying in penetrability via sulci and changes in thickness. We tested whether a hard-food specialist primate i) bites randomly on food fruit husk surfaces to access seeds, or ii) selects areas most easily penetrated by canines. We consider this would occur so as to minimize deployed mechanical force, energetic expenditure and risk of dental breakage when feeding. METHODS: A sulcus is the natural line of weakness where a dehiscent fruit breaks open. Using fruits dentally opened for seeds by golden-back uacaris (Cacajao ouakary) we: 1) analysed bite mark distribution on surface of four fruits types (hard-with-sulcus, soft-with-sulcus, hard-no-sulcus, soft-no-sulcus); 2) quantified the force needed to penetrate hard and soft fruits at sulci and elsewhere on fruit surface; 3) measured fruit wall thickness and correlated it with bite-mark distribution in all four categories of fruit. RESULTS: 1) Bite marks were distributed at random only on surfaces of soft fruits. For other fruits types, bite locations were concentrated at the thinnest areas of husk, either over the entire surface (non-sulcate fruits), or at sulci (sulcate fruits). 2) For hard-husked fruits, areas where uacaris concentrated their bites were significantly easier to penetrate than those where they did not. CONCLUSIONS: This hard-fruit feeding specialist primate is not biting at random on the surface of diet fruits. To access seeds they are focusing on those areas requiring less force to penetrate. This may be to save energy, to minimize the risk of breaking teeth used in food processing, or a combination of both. The study shows, for the first time, the subtlety by which these powerfully-jawed animals process their diet items.

PID temperature controller in pig nursery: improvements in performance, thermal comfort, and electricity use.

The use of smarter temperature control technologies in heating systems can optimize the use of electric power and performance of piglets. Two control technologies of a resistive heating system were assessed in a pig nursery: a PID (proportional, integral, and derivative) controller and a thermostat. The systems were evaluated regarding thermal environment, piglet performance, and use of electric power for 99 days. The heating system with PID controller improved the thermal environment conditions and was significantly (P < 0.001) more efficient in terms of electricity use to produce 1 kg of body weight (2.88 kWh kg(-1)), specific cost (0.75 R$ kg(-1)), weight gain (7.3 kg), daily weight gain (0.21 kg day(-1)), and feed conversion (1.71) than the system with thermostat (3.98 kWh kg(-1); 1.03 R$ kg(-1); 5.2 kg; 0.15 kg day(-1), and 2.62, respectively). The results indicate that the PID-controlled heating system is more efficient in electricity use and provides better conditions for thermal comfort and animal performance than heating with thermostat.

CENTROS ESPECIALIZADOS DE SAN VICENTE FUNDACIÓN: HOSPITAL VERDE CON CERTIFICACIÓN LEED / SPECIALIZED CENTERS OF SAN VICENTE FUNDACIÓN: LEED-CERTIFIED GREEN HOSPITAL / CENTROS ESPECIALIZADOS DE SAN VICENTE FUNDAÇÃO: HOSPITAL VERDE COM CERTIFICAÇÃO LEED

Con el incremento de la conciencia mundial por el medio ambiente y el desarrollo de modelos de certificación y evaluación de edificaciones denominadas verdes, que apuntan a la auto-sostenibilidad, San Vicente Fundación, con la edificación de Centros Especializados, buscó ser, además de una edificación con automatización y control del consumo de energía, la primera edificación hospitalaria Verde de Colombia. De esta manera alcanzó la certificación LEED categoría plata. Dicha certificación, a la cual los proyectos se presentan voluntariamente, consiste en una medición del desempeño de la edificación en aspectos como el impacto ambiental, el consumo de recursos y la innovación. En este articulo se describen algunos aspectos de las tecnologías implementadas para desarrollar Centros Especializados como una hospital verde y a su vez, la obtención de la certificación LEED.

With increasing global awareness about the environment and the development of models of certification and evaluation of so-called green buildings, aimed at self-sustainability, San Vicente Fundación, with the construction of specialized centers, sought to be, along with a building automation and control with energy consumption, the first green hospital in Colombia. Thus it reached LEED silver category. This certification, where projects registered voluntarily, is a measure of the performance of the building in areas such as environmental impact, resource consumption, and innovation. This article describes some aspects of the technologies implemented to develop specialized centers as a green hospital and in turn, the LEED certification.

Com o aumento da consciência global sobre o meio ambiente e o desenvolvimento de modelos de certificação e de avaliação de prédios chamados verde, apontando para a auto sustentabilidade, San Vicente Fundação, com a construção de centros especializados, procurou ser, juntamente um prédio com automatização e controle do consumo de energia, o primeiro edifício verde da Colômbia. Assim, alcançou a categoria prata LEED. Esta certificação, que se apresentam os projetos forma voluntária, é uma medida do desempenho do edifício em áreas como o impacto ambiental, o consumo de recursos e inovação. Este artigo descreve alguns aspectos das tecnologias implementadas para desenvolver centros especializados como um hospital verde e, por sua vez, a certificação LEED.

Valores y cuidado de la energía: implicancias para la educación ambiental en Argentina y Colombia / Value and care for power: implications for environmental education in Argentina and Colombia

Resumen La educación ambiental reconoce entre sus metas la promoción de factores individuales como las motivaciones y conocimientos para incentivar el cuidado del ambiente. El objetivo de este trabajo fue identificar los valores personales que guían una conducta pro-ambiental en dos países latinoamericanos. Mediante el uso de encuestas se evaluaron los valores biosféricos, altruistas, egoístas y hedonistas y las conductas de ahorro energético en Argentina (Estudio 1) y Colombia (Estudio 2). Los resultados apoyaron empíricamente la distinción teórica entre las cuatro orientaciones de valor. Fundamentalmente, indicaron que los valores biosféricos tienen un papel relevante en la explicación del comportamiento pro-ambiental en ambos países. Se discuten las implicancias de estos resultados para la educación ambiental formal e informal.

Abstract One of the objectives which underlies environmental education is the promotion of individual factors as motivations and knowledge to encourage environmental protection. The objective of this study was to determine the personal values which drive a pro-environmental behavior in two Latin American countries. By means of surveys, biospheric, altruistic, egoistic and hedonic values - as well as power saving behaviors - were evaluated in: Argentina (Study 1) and Colombia (Study 2). Results empirically supported the theoretical distinction between the four value orientations. Fundamentally, indicated that biospheric values play an important role in explaining pro-environmental behavior in both countries. We discuss implications of these results for formal and informal environmental education.