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This study evaluated differences between two strains of Ceriporiopsis subvermispora on improving the nutritive value and in vitro degradability of wheat straw.Wheat straw was treated with the fungi for 7 weeks. Weekly samples were analysed for ergosterol content, in vitro gas production (IVGP), chemical composition and lignin-degrading enzyme activity. Ergosterol data showed CS1 to have a faster initial growth than CS2 and reaching a stationary phase after 3 weeks. The IVGP of CS1-treated wheat straw exceeded the control earlier than CS2 (4 vs 5 weeks). CS1 showed a significantly higher (P < 0·001) selectivity in lignin degradation compared to CS2. Both strains showed peak activity of laccase and manganese peroxidase (MnP) at week 1. CS1 showed a significantly higher (P < 0·001) laccase activity, but lower (P = 0·008) MnP activity compared to CS2.Both CS strains improved the nutritive value of wheat straw. Variation between strains was clearly demonstrated by their growth pattern and enzyme activities.The differences among the two strains provide an opportunity for future selection and breeding programs in improving the extent and selectivity of lignin degradation in agricultural biomass.

Abstract The question whether coexistence of marine renewable energy (MRE) projects and marine protected areas (MPAs) is a common spatial policy in Europe and how a number of factors can affect it, has been addressed by empirical research undertaken in eleven European marine areas. Policy drivers and objectives that are assumed to affect coexistence, such as the fulfillment of conservation objectives and the prioritization of other competing marine uses, were scored by experts and predictions were crosschecked with state practice. While in most areas MRE-MPA coexistence is not prohibited by law, practice indicates resistance towards it. Furthermore expert judgment demonstrated that a number of additional factors, such as the lack of suitable space for MRE projects and the uncertainty about the extent of damage by MRE to the MPA, might influence the intentions of the two major parties involved (i.e. the MRE developer and the MPA authority) to pursue or avoid coexistence. Based on these findings, the interactions of these two players are further interpreted, their policy implications are discussed, while the need towards efficient, fair and acceptable MRE-MPA coexistence is highlighted.

This research work aims to study if it is possible to design a sustainable building residential building that has a life-cycle cost lower than a conventional one. For this purpose, a multifamily cooperative housing building block, that is the Portuguese pilot-project of the EU Project “SHE: Sustainable Housing in Europe”, has been chosen. This work will compare the sustainability of the case study with the conventional design approach in Portugal, i.e. when the conventional technologies and building materials are used. For this outcome, the SBToolPT-H (Portuguese building sustainability assessment and rating methodology) will be used. This paper will highlight the usefulness of a building sustainability assessment tool in supporting and recognising the sustainable building design. It will also show that even with little investment in the capital costs it is possible to achieve high performance residential buildings.

A full understanding of the elementary processes taking place in dye-sensitised solar cells requires an accurate description of the electronic structure of the dyes, the semiconductor surface, the electrolyte and their interactions. This review describes how electronic structure calculations have contributed to the field since its first steps and what methodologies have been adopted to study the charge transfer processes at the interface. Not all properties are equally predictable with electronic structure methods, and this work highlights the main success areas (e.g. the rationalization of the optical properties of the dyes), the recent developments (e.g. the improved description of the dye–semiconductor interaction) and the key challenges for the future (e.g. the calculation of charge recombination rate).

Based on a 3-year (2011-2013) dataset of 10-min records collected at 10, 20, 40, and 80 m from the met mast of Cabauw, a time-varying investigation of the wind shear coefficient (WSC) relationship with atmospheric stability was addressed. WSC interdaily and interannual variability was analysed according to a 2-D combined representation, which confirmed a clear oval-shaped "solar shadow" caused by solar warming observed during diurnal unstable hours, and large WSCs occurring under strong stable conditions during the summer nights.Three different power law based approaches were compared to extrapolate wind resource to the turbine hub height according to the following WSC settings: (i) site's previously measured overall yearly average; (ii) site's previously measured stability-varying yearly averages; (iii) 10-min theoretically predicted values by applying the Panofsky and Dutton (PD) model. The latter proved to be the finest approach, providing extrapolated wind resource biased by 1-5% and energy yield by 5.51-10.57%, and showing the highest accuracy occurring under the most frequent (and most energetic) neutral conditions, when Weibull distribution's tail including the highest wind speed bins is particularly finely reproduced.This work confirmed how instrumental availability of detailed information on site's atmospheric stability classification is for wind energy studies.

The use of biodiesel as alternative to fossil fuel for light duty CI engines to reduce greenhouse gas emissions was widely investigated. However, poor stability of biodiesel - diesel mixture limits the use of biodiesel to low volume concentrations. This paper presents the results concerning the use of a novel fuel additive package containing antioxidant (AS), pour-point depressant (D) and biocide (Bi) with the aim to increase the quality and amount of biodiesel in the diesel-biodiesel blends. Some of the goals are linked to the degradative effects due to free radicals oxidation, contamination by water and microorganisms. The interaction between two different additive packages and two biodiesel (soybean and rapeseed) - diesel blends at 20% in volume was investigated. Optical studies have been performed to characterize the spatial and temporal spray evolution both in a high pressure quiescent vessel and in an optically-accessible single-cylinder 2-stroke CI engine. Soot and NOx emissions were measured at the exhaust. Physicochemical tests showed that the stability of dieselbiodiesel blends was strongly influenced by the use of the two packages of additives. The mixture containing the biocide "P" (B20SMEASDP) was approximately 87.33% more stable than the same sample containing the biocide "C" (B20SMEASDC). Furthermore, no significant changes were observed in term of engine efficiency, fuel injection rate and spray penetration. Hence, it was demonstrated that use of additive package increased the durability of the blends without exhaust emission and performance penalties.

AbstractIn the aquatic tier‐1 effect assessment for plant protection products with an herbicidal mode of action in Europe, it is usually algae and/or vascular plants that determine the environmental risks. This tier includes tests with at least 2 algae and 1 macrophyte (Lemna). Although such tests are considered to be of a chronic nature (based on the duration of the test in relation to the life cycle of the organism), the measurement endpoints derived from the laboratory tests with plants (including algae) and used in the first‐tier effect assessment for herbicides are acute effect concentrations affecting 50% of the test organisms (EC50 values) and not no‐observed‐effect concentrations (NOECs) or effect concentrations affecting 10% of the test organisms (EC10) values. Other European legislative frameworks (e.g., the Water Framework Directive) use EC10 values. The present study contributes to a validation of the tiered herbicide risk assessment approach by comparing the standard first‐tier effect assessment with results of microcosm and mesocosm studies. We evaluated EC50 and EC10 values for standard test algae and macrophytes based on either the growth rate endpoint (ErC50) or the lowest available endpoint for growth rate or biomass/yield (Er/EyC50). These values were compared with the regulatory acceptable concentrations for the threshold option as derived from microcosm and mesocosm studies. For these studies, protection is maintained if growth rate is taken as the regulatory endpoint instead of the lowest value of either growth rate or biomass/yield in conjunction with the standard assessment factor of 10. Based on a limited data set of 14 herbicides, we did not identify a need to change the current practice. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:175–183. © 2017 SETAC

The catalytic oxidation of binary VOC mixtures, ethyl acetate, and butyl acetate, and the effect of water vapor on their oxidation, was studied over manganese oxide–cryptomelane‐type catalyst. This catalyst, prepared by a novel solid‐state reaction with ball milling, was shown to be very active for the oxidation of ethyl acetate and butyl acetate, promoting their complete oxidation at relatively low temperatures, the CO2 yield being influenced by the type of VOC. The mixture with equal amounts of each ester shows a light‐off curve similar to that observed for butyl acetate alone, but the light‐off curves are shifted to higher temperatures when different proportions of these VOCs are present in the mixture. When processing VOC mixtures, the temperature required for 100% CO2 yield depends on the VOC, which is in larger amount. Water vapor also has a significant effect on the oxidation of these VOCs, particularly in the case of ethyl acetate. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 35: 1324–1329, 2016