TITLE: The current risk management at secondary vocational schools - effect of the decline of students in secondary vocational schools and vocational schools in Prague. AUTHOR: Bc. Pavel Tuška DEPARTMENT: The Centre of the educational management SUPERVISOR: RNDr. Jana Marková ABSTRACT: The prosperity of every secondary vocational school and vocational school is primarily based on the demand for their service which also depends on the behaviour of the school in times of crisis. The rapid demographic decline of students entering secondary education nowadays significantly affects operation of all secondary schools in the Czech Republic. Prague secondary vocational schools and vocational schools have to deal with the massive loss of interest in studying these schools. The aim of this master's paper is therefore an effort to characterize the potential impacts of the crisis on these education organizations. At the same times it tries to outline possible activities to reduce the risk of vocational schools in Prague business failure. Each Prague secondary vocational school or vocational school, however, is an organization totally unique, and therefore it must always be based also on the specific conditions applicable to the school. KEYWORDS: Secondary vocational schools, vocational schools, reducing the number of...

Submitted by Leticia Schettini (leticia@ufrrj.br) on 2016-09-19T15:16:21Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2010 - Juarez Vicente.pdf: 1012625 bytes, checksum: 30ce03687174fc4cf4226e455adde13a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-19T15:16:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2010 - Juarez Vicente.pdf: 1012625 bytes, checksum: 30ce03687174fc4cf4226e455adde13a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-05-07 / From the scientific viewpoint, the word ?uncertainty? expresses doubt about an analytic result. The implementation of the concept of uncertainty of measurement is a crucial step that the Brazilian laboratories must take in the process for obtaining the certification of the ability to perform essays in accordance with the Brazilian technical norm ABNT NBR ISO/IEC 17025. Regardless the technical area of application, the determination of the uncertainty of measurement associated with the result of an analysis is extremely important, especially in the food industry. The expanded uncertainty is related with the degree of reliability of an analytical result, and by means of this information it is possible to evaluate if the result of an analysis is consistent, i.e., if the uncertainty associated to the measurement remains inside an acceptable range. When the percentage of uncertainty exceeds a threshold, it is necessary to find the process variables that more intensely contribute to increasing the uncertainty and, in the sequence, to take corrective actions in order to minimize the impact caused for those variables over the uncertainty of measurement. The aim of this study was to detect the uncertainty of measurement associated with the analysis of total reducing sugars (TRS) by the Lane-Eynon method. The equipments used were analytical and semi analytical balances, burettes with 10mL and 25mL, and the food matrix studied was wild honey. To perform the calculations of the standard uncertainty, u, information about the uncertainty of the laboratory materials used in the analysis ? obtained from the certificate of calibration. The combined uncertainty, uc, was obtained by deriving the influence factors and considering, if necessary, the effective degree of freedom, ?eff, as stated in the Welch-Satterthwaite equation. The expanded uncertainty, U, was obtained by multiplying uc by the appropriate coverage factor, k = 2 (at level of confidence of 95,45%). The results showed that the expanded uncertainty obtained for the analysis of TRS was less than 2,0% when the analytical balance was used. The process variable having the greatest impact was the volume (close to 80,0%), followed by the title (close to 20,0%). The analysis of the expanded uncertainty obtained for the analysis of TRS when the semi analytical balance, and 10mL as well as 25mL burettes were used provided reliable results. However, care must be taken in such a combination of equipments, especially when using the 25mL burettes, since the percentage of uncertainty was great than 3,5%, too close to the limit established by the Codex Alimentarius, 4,0%. It was observed that, in this case, the variable having the greatest impact on the uncertainty was the title, with 79,82% (10mL burettes), and 87,10% (25mL burettes). / Do ponto de vista t?cnico-cient?fico, a palavra ?incerteza? expressa a d?vida em rela??o a um resultado anal?tico. A aplica??o do conceito de incerteza de medi??o ? fundamental para os laborat?rios brasileiros que almejam obter o reconhecimento da capacidade de realiza??o de ensaios em conformidade com a norma ABNT NBR ISO/IEC 17025. Independentemente da ?rea de atua??o, ? de extrema import?ncia o estudo e o conhecimento da incerteza de medi??o associada a um resultado de an?lise, em particular quando aplicado ? ind?stria de alimentos. A incerteza expandida informa o grau de confiabilidade de um resultado anal?tico e, atrav?s dela, ? poss?vel avaliar, a um n?vel de abrang?ncia estabelecido, se o resultado de uma an?lise transmite credibilidade, ou seja, se o valor da incerteza est? em uma faixa de concentra??o aceit?vel ou n?o. Quando o percentual de incerteza ultrapassa o limite aceit?vel, ? necess?rio conhecer quais as vari?veis do m?todo que mais contribuem para a incerteza e executar as medidas corretivas a fim de minimizar este impacto e, consequentemente, reduzir a incerteza total. O objetivo geral deste trabalho foi determinar a incerteza expandida associada ? an?lise titulom?trica de a??cares redutores totais (ART) pelo m?todo de Lane-Eynon, tendo como matriz uma amostra de mel, utilizando balan?a anal?tica e semi anal?tica e buretas de 10mL e 25mL. Para o c?lculo da incerteza padr?o (u), utilizaram-se os dados obtidos nos certificados de calibra??o de equipamentos e vidrarias empregados na an?lise. A incerteza combinada ( ) foi obtida derivando os fatores de influ?ncia e considerando, quando necess?rio, o grau de liberdade efetivo (?eff), dado pela Equa??o de Welch-Satterthwaite. Obteve-se a incerteza expandida (U) multiplicando-se por 2 (dois) o valor de para um n?vel de confian?a de 95,45%. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que a incerteza expandida de ART utilizando balan?a anal?tica n?o foi significativa (<2%) e que a vari?vel que mais influenciou foi o volume de amostra gasto (~80%), seguido do T?tulo (~20%). A an?lise da incerteza expandida de ART obtida com balan?a semi anal?tica e buretas de 10mL e 25mL gerou resultados confi?veis. No entanto, deve haver cautela neste caso, especialmente ao se utilizar bureta de 25mL, visto que o valor percentual de incerteza superou 3,5%. Observa-se que a vari?vel que mais contribui para a incerteza foi o T?tulo com 79,82% (bureta de 10mL) e 87,10% (bureta de 25mL).

Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o comportamento de arquéias metanogênicas e bactérias redutoras de sulfato na presença de oxigênio, em reatores anaeróbios em batelada, sob condições sulfetogênicas e mesofílicas. Os reatores foram inoculados com lodo anaeróbio proveniente de reator UASB utilizado no tratamento de água residuária de avicultura. Triplicatas de reatores foram alimentadas com meio basal ZINDER, acrescido de acetato de sódio, etanol ou lactato de sódio e sulfato de sódio, de modo a se obter relações DQO/sulfato iniciais de 1,1-1,5. O headspace dos reatores foi preenchido com \'N IND.2\' (100%) acrescido de oxigênio puro comercial (3-3,5 mg/L de oxigênio dissolvido). Os reatores anaeróbios controle foram alimentados com os mesmos substratos orgânicos, entretanto, seu headspace foi preenchido com \'N IND.2\'/\'CO IND.2\' (70/30%). Nos reatores com acetato de sódio, etanol e lactato de sódio as velocidades de produção de metano foram de 0,30 mmol/L.h, 0,41 mmol/L.h e 0,16 mmol/L.h, respectivamente, para os reatores controle. Em relação aos reatores com oxigênio os valores foram de 0,27 mmol/L.h, 0,40 mmol/L.h e 0,08 mmol/L.h, respectivamente. Na presença de acetato, etanol e lactato a redução de sulfato foi de 57% e 97%; 59,6% e 76,6%; 77,5% e 41,9%, respectivamente, nos reatores controle e com oxigênio. Nos reatores com acetato e etanol houve predomínio de organismos do domínio Archaea nos reatores controle (59,2% e 58,8%) e com oxigênio (60,7% e 54,5%), respectivamente. No reator controle contendo lactato, também ocorreu o predomínio de arquéias metanogênicas (56,2%), enquanto na presença de oxigênio houve predomínio de organismos do domínio Bacteria (63,9%). As proporções de BRS nos reatores controle e com oxigênio contendo acetato, etanol e lactato foram de 22% e 17,3%; 28% e 16,9%; 19,5% e 21,9%, respectivamente. O oxigênio não inibiu a metanogênese e nem a redução de sulfato nos reatores contendo acetato e etanol. / This work aimed to evaluate the behavior of methanogenic archaea and sulfate reducing bacteria in the presence of oxygen, using anaerobic batch reactors under sulfidogenic and mesophilic conditions. The reactors were inoculated with anaerobic sludge from UASB reactor treating poultry wastes. Third copies of the reactors were fed with ZINDER medium, increased with sodium acetate, ethanol or sodium lactate and sodium sulfate, in order to get COD/sulfate ratio of 1,1-1,5. The headspace of the reactors was filled with \'N IND.2\' (100%) and increased with oxygen (OD concentration of 3-3.5 mg/L). The anaerobic control reactors were fed with the same organics substrates, however, the headspace was filled with \'N IND.2\'/\'CO IND.2\' (70/30%). The rates of methane production were 0.30 mmol/L.h, 0.41 mmol/L.h and 0.16 mmol/L.h, in acetate, ethanol and lactate controls reactors, respectively. In oxygen reactors, the rates of methane production were 0.27 mmol/L.h, 0.40 mmol/L.h and 0.08 mmol/L.h in acetate, ethanol and lactate reactors, respectively. The rates of sulfate reduction in acetate, ethanol and lactate reactors were 57% and 97%; 59.6% and 76.6%; 77.5% and 41.9%, respectively, in control reactors and oxygen reactors. In acetate and ethanol reactors, were verified predominance of Archaea domain in control reactors (59.2% and 58.8%) and oxygen reactors (60.7% and 54.5%), respectively. In lactate control reactor also was verified predominance of Archaea domain (56.2%), whereas in lactate oxygen reactors there was predominance of cells belonging to Bacteria domain (63.9%). BRS ratio in acetate, ethanol and lactate control reactors and oxygen reactors corresponded to 22% and 17.3%; 28% and 16.9%; 19.5% and 21.9%, respectively. The addition of oxygen didn\'t inhibit the methanogenesis and sulfate reduction in acetate reactors and in ethanol reactors.

Neste trabalho foi realizada a caracterização microbiana anaeróbia de reatores anaeróbios diferenciais horizontais e em batelada, operados sob condições sulfetogênicas e mesofílicas (30ºC). Os reatores diferenciais foram preenchidos com diferentes materiais suportes (espuma de poliuretano, carvão vegetal, polietileno reciclado de baixa densidade e cerâmica porosa à base de alumina) visando a seleção do suporte adequado para otimização do processo sulfetogênico, para a relação DQO/sulfato de aproximadamente 0,67. Os reatores diferenciais foram alimentados diariamente com esgoto sintético, contendo aproximadamente 1000 mg/L de DQO e 1500 mg/L de sulfato, durante 28 dias de operação. A caracterização microbiana foi realizada através da técnica de hibridação in situ fluorescente (FISH), microscopia óptica e eletrônica de varredura. Foram realizadas quantificações, em termos de porcentagens, de microrganismos pertencentes ao Domínio Bacteria (EUB338), Domínio Archaea (ARC915) e bactérias redutoras do íon sulfato (BRS) da subdivisão delta de Proteobacteria (SRB385). Nos reatores diferenciais, houve predomínio de bactérias em todos os suportes estudados. Os reatores diferenciais operados com espuma e carvão apresentaram maiores porcentagens de BRS, com valores iguais a 57,6% e 69,7%, respectivamente. A cerâmica foi o material que apresentou melhor equilíbrio de bactérias e arqueas metanogênicas, com 59,6% e 40,9%, respectivamente. Os reatores em batelada foram operados com espuma de poliuretano e carvão vegetal com relação DQO/sulfato de aproximadamente 3. As porcentagens de BRS quantificadas pelo FISH foram iguais a 65,3% e 69,1% para espuma e carvão, respectivamente. Em ambos os reatores o carvão vegetal foi o material mais favorável à sulfetogênese. / This research reports an anaerobic microbial characterization of both, a horizontal differential anaerobic and a batch reactors, operated at sulfidogenic and mesofilic conditions at 30ºC. The differential reactors were filled with four support materials (polyurethane foam, vegetable coal, recycled polyethylene of low density and alumin based porous ceramic) aiming the selection of a more appropriated support for optimization of sulfidogenic processes (ratio COD/sulfate of approximately 0.67). Differential reactors were fed daily with synthetic sewage, containing approximately 1000 mg/L of COD and 1500 mg/L of sulfate concentrations, during 28 days of operation. Microbial characterization was accomplished using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), optic and scanning electronic microscopy. It was realized a quantification, in percentages, of microorganisms belong to Bacteria Domain (EUB338), Archaea Domain (ARC915) and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) of delta subdivision Proteobacteria (SRB385). Differential reactors have shown predominance of bacteria in all the support materials studied. Differential reactors operated with foam and coal presented the greatest percentages of SRB, with values equal to 57.6% and 69.7%, respectively. The ceramic was the material that presented the best equilibrium of bacteria and methanogenic archaea, with 59.6% and 40.9%, respectively. Batch reactors were operated with polyurethane foam and vegetable coal with COD/sulfate ratio of approximately 3. Percentages of SRB quantified by FISH were equals to 65.3% and 69.1% for foam and coal, respectively. In both reactors the vegetable coal have shown to be the most favorable material to sulfidogenesis.

Este trabalho foi realizado com a finalidade de avaliar a degradação anaeróbia de benzoato por bactérias redutoras de sulfato (BRS). A primeira fase experimental avaliou essa degradação utilizando como inóculo biomassa de reator anaeróbio horizontal de leito fixo (RAHLF) utilizado no tratamento de água residuária de indústria de peróxidos orgânicos. Os ensaios foram realizados em reatores em batelada mantidos em temperatura de 33ºC ±1 e agitação de 150 rpm. Os reatores foram alimentados com meio para BRS e diferentes concentrações de benzoato e sulfato, estabelecendo as seguintes relações: 0,9 (890 mg/L e 970 mg/L), 0,8 (660 mg/L e 870 mg/L) e 0,6 (242 mg/L e 400 mg/L). Após 13 dias verificou-se valores de remoção do benzoato e utilização do sulfato iguais a: (0,9) 71,2% e 98%, (0,7) 97% e 99,9% e (0,6) 91,3% e 15%, respectivamente. Os exames microscópicos revelaram o predomínio de BRS. Na segunda fase experimental foi realizada a purificação celular, utilizando-se técnica de diluição seriada em meio líquido, obtendo-se cultura com predomínio de cocos, gram-negativos, diâmetro médio de 1,8 mm, não formadores de esporos e desulfoviridina positiva. Sendo identificadas como Desulfococcus multivorans através de seqüenciamento do DNAr 16S. As células foram submetidas a testes fisiológicos visando caracterizar o crescimento com diferentes aceptores de elétrons e substratos orgânicos. Nas condições em que predominaram cocos o consumo das fontes de carbono foram melhores quando as fontes aceptoras de elétron eram possuidoras de enxofre. Na terceira fase experimental foram realizados ensaios com a cultura purificada em reatores anaeróbios em batelada submetidos as seguintes concentrações de benzoato e sulfato estabelecendo relações de: (0,3) 600 mg/L e 2000 mg/L; (0,6) 606 mg/L e 1000 mg/L; (1,2) 600 mg/L e 500 mg/L; (1,8) 910 mg/L e 500 mg/L, respectivamente. Após, 13 dias de operação, verificou-se valores de remoção do benzoato e utilização do sulfato, iguais a: 99% e 61,2% (0,3), 99% e 100% (0,6), 99% e 100% (1,2) e 50% e 100% (1,8), respectivamente. A velocidade de crescimento (&#956) e o tempo de geração (Tg) foram respectivamente: 0,010 h-1 e 66,4 horas, para relação 0,6 e 0,011 h-1 e 66,1 horas, para a relação 0,3. / This work was carried out aiming to assess benzoate anaerobic degradation by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). The first experimental phase consisted of assessing this degradation using biomass provided from a horizontal anaerobic immobilized bed reactor (HAIB) applied in the treatment of wastewater from an organic peroxide industry. The essays were carried out in batch reactors kept under 33ºC ±1 of temperature and 150 rpm of agitation. The reactors were fed with a specific culture medium for SRB and also with different concentrations of benzoate and sulfate, establishing the following relations: 0.9 (890 mg/L and 970 mg/L), 0.8 (680 mg/L and 870 mg/L) and 0.6 (242 mg/L and 400 mg/L), respectively. After 13 days of operation, benzoate removal and sulfate utilization efficiency values equal to: (0.9) 71.2% and 98%, (0.8) 97% and 99.9% and (0.6) 91.3% and 15%, respectively, were verified. The microscopic exams revealed the domain of SRB. In the second experimental phase cellular purification was carried out using the serial dilution technique in liquid medium, obtaining a culture with the domain of gram-negatives cocci, average diameter of 1,8 mm, nonspore-forming and desulfoviridin positive. These cells were identified as Desulfococcus multivorans through the use of ribosomal 16S DNA sequencing technique. This biomass was submitted to physiological tests aiming to characterize the growth with different electron acceptors and organic substrates. It was possible to verify that in the conditions where cocci took place, the consumption of carbon sources were better when the electron accepting sources possessed sulfur. In the third experimental phase essays with culture purified, the reactors were submitted to the following concentrations of benzoate and sulfate: relation (0.3), with 600.0 mg/L and 2000.0 mg/L; relation (0.6) with 606 mg/L and 1000 mg/L; relation (1.2), with 600 mg/L and 500 mg/L; relation (1.8), with 910 mg/L and 500 mg/L, respectively. After 13 days of operation, benzoate removal and sulfate utilization values were equal to: 99% and 61.2% (0.3), 99% and 100% (0.6), 99% and 100% (1.2) and 50% and 100% (1.8), respectively. The specific growth rate (&#956) and the generation time (Tg) of culture, were equal to: 0.010 h-1 and 66.4 hours for relation 0.6 and 0.011 h-1 and 66.1 hours for relation 0.3, respectively.

Sammanfattning Problem och bakgrund: Bokföringsnämnden (BFN) har arbetat fram ett regelverk för de enskilda näringsidkare som bör implementeras från den 1 januari 2007. Syftet anses vara bland annat att underlätta den administrativa bördan. Huvudfrågan som ställs i denna studie är en undran om, till vilken grad har användbarheten av K1 regelverket för de enskilda näringsidkarna förändrat redovisningsarbetet? De andra nyckelfrågorna är, har en effektivisering skett av redovisningsarbetet samt har det lett till väsentliga kostnadsbesparingar vad gäller den administrativa bördan? Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka huruvida K1 regelverket har förenklat den administrativa arbetsbördan för enskilda näringsidkare, samt om det skett en effektivisering av arbetet med redovisningen. Metod: Studien tillämpar huvudsakligen den deduktiva forskningsmetoden med hjälp av statistisk datasamling. Detta innebär att studien utgår från en kvantitativ enkätundersökning med ett slumpmässigt urval av respondenter. Referensram: I studiens teoretiska referensram presenteras olika interrelaterade teorier som belyser K1 regelverkets motiv och funktion samt dess betydelse för redovisningen för de enskilda näringsidkarna i ett bredare perspektiv. Slutsats: Studiens syfte var att försöka förklara användbarheten av det nya K1 regelverket i samband med praktiken. Hur K1 regelverket har bidragit till en enklare redovisning och hur den har reducerat de administrativa kostnaderna. Studiens resultat visar att det förenklade årsbokslutet används i väldigt liten skala bland deltagande respondenter i undersökningen. Största orsaken till att K1 regelverket inte används i den utsträckning som förväntats är bristen på information och kunskap hos de enskilda näringsidkarna om K1:s strukturella form och funktion. Då få respondenter använder sig av ett förenklat årsbokslut, blev det svårt att på ett adekvat sätt besvara hur väl det lett till att de administrativa kostnaderna har minskats. / Abstract Problem and background: The Swedish Accounting Standards Board (BFN) has issued a set of standards for small businesses that have been implemented since January the 1st 2007. The purpose of these standards is to facilitate and simply the administrative burden. This study poses the question "To what extent has the usability of the K1 framework for small businesses changed the accounting workload? Has there been a streamlining of the accounting workload and has it led to significant cost savings in terms of administrative burden." Aim of this study: The aim of this study is to investigate whether the K1 framework has simplified the administrative workload for small businesses, and if it has led to a streamlining of the process of accounting. Method: The study applies mostly to the deductive research method with the aid of statistical data collection. This means that the study is based on a quantitative survey of a random sample of respondents.   Frame of references: In the study's theoretical frame of reference various inter-related theories are presented, highlighting the motives behind the K1 framework as well as its functions and its importance to the workload in preparing the financial statements for sole trade businesses in a broader perspective.   Conclusion: The study's main objective was to try to explain the usefulness of the new K1 framework in the context of its use in practice. How the K1 framework contributed to a simpler accounting and how it has reduced the administrative costs. The results of the study show that only a small set of the respondents to the survey use the simplified annual accounts from the K1 framework. The principal reason that the K1 framework is not used to the extent expected, is due to the lack of awareness by the small businesses on the K1 framework's structural form and function. It is evident that more could have been done to widen the knowledge and information on the K1 framework. Given that only a small subset of the respondents use the simplified annual accounts from the K1 framework, it is not adequate to conclude on how well the framework has been used to lessen the administrative costs and burdens.

This work involved the development of new perovskite oxides based on SmFeO3 and testing their performances as sensors for reducing gases (H2, CO & CH4) and as anode materials for dry methane oxidation in solid oxide fuel cells. The new perovskite oxide materials with formula Sm0.95Ce0.05Fe1-xMxO3-δ (M= Co, Ni & Cr) were synthesized by a sol gel method using citric acid as a complexing agent. The resulting materials were characterized by using a battery of techniques including XRD, XRF, XPS, SEM and electrochemical methods. Sensing experiments revealed that both cobalt doped and Cr doped materials can detect H2, CO and CH4 in air at different temperatures including room temperature. The Ni doped materials did not prove good candidates as sensors. However, their reduction treatment studies showed the formation of metallic nanoparticles on the surface which deeply influence their electrical conductivity as well as sensing ability. Consequently, this modification in surface structure and chemical composition enabled them to sense hydrogen gas at 300oC very effectively. The response of sensors based on these reduced materials was measurable and reversible. Some materials were also selected on the basis of their reduction stability and electrical properties, and their electrochemical performances were evaluated as SOFC anodes under dry methane and dry hydrogen fuels separately. The performance tests as SOFC anode revealed that the best anode material for the oxidation of dry hydrogen fuel is Sm0.95Ce0.05FeO3-δ. Furthermore, Sm0.95Ce0.05FeO3-δ proved to be coke resistant anode under dry methane fuel and exhibited reasonably low charge transfer resistance values at temperatures between 600-700oC. The doping of Co and Ni at the B-site of Sm0.95Ce0.05FeO3-δ found to be very effective in further improving its performance as SOFC anode towards oxidation of dry methane fuel at the lower temperatures.

This work involved the development of new perovskite oxides based on SmFeO3 and testing their performances as sensors for reducing gases (H2, CO & CH4) and as anode materials for dry methane oxidation in solid oxide fuel cells. The new perovskite oxide materials with formula Sm0.95Ce0.05Fe1-xMxO3-δ (M= Co, Ni & Cr) were synthesized by a sol gel method using citric acid as a complexing agent. The resulting materials were characterized by using a battery of techniques including XRD, XRF, XPS, SEM and electrochemical methods. Sensing experiments revealed that both cobalt doped and Cr doped materials can detect H2, CO and CH4 in air at different temperatures including room temperature. The Ni doped materials did not prove good candidates as sensors. However, their reduction treatment studies showed the formation of metallic nanoparticles on the surface which deeply influence their electrical conductivity as well as sensing ability. Consequently, this modification in surface structure and chemical composition enabled them to sense hydrogen gas at 300oC very effectively. The response of sensors based on these reduced materials was measurable and reversible. Some materials were also selected on the basis of their reduction stability and electrical properties, and their electrochemical performances were evaluated as SOFC anodes under dry methane and dry hydrogen fuels separately. The performance tests as SOFC anode revealed that the best anode material for the oxidation of dry hydrogen fuel is Sm0.95Ce0.05FeO3-δ. Furthermore, Sm0.95Ce0.05FeO3-δ proved to be coke resistant anode under dry methane fuel and exhibited reasonably low charge transfer resistance values at temperatures between 600-700oC. The doping of Co and Ni at the B-site of Sm0.95Ce0.05FeO3-δ found to be very effective in further improving its performance as SOFC anode towards oxidation of dry methane fuel at the lower temperatures.

We examined the effect of a functional oil (FctO), with potential weight-controlling and blood lipid-lowering attributes, vs beef tallow as control (C), on the cardiovascular risk profile of overweight women. The FctO comprised energy expenditure-enhancing medium chain triacylglycerols, cholesterol-lowering phytosterols and triacylglycerol-suppressing n-3 fatty acids. In a randomized, single-blind, crossover design, inpatient trial, 17 women consumed each oil as part of a controlled, supervised, energy-adjusted diet for 27 days. Body weight decreased similarly during both dietary periods. Plasma total and LDL cholesterol levels decreased by 4.8% and 10.4% following FctO, and were lower by 9.0% and 16.4% respectively, after FctO vs C. HDL cholesterol and circulating triacylglycerol levels were unaffected by treatment, though HDL:LDL and HDL:total cholesterol ratios increased by 19.5% and 9.4% on FctO. Plasma total homocysteine levels were higher on FctO vs C. Plasma glutathione increased with FctO supplementation. / We conclude that consumption of FctO improves the overall cardiovascular risk profile of overweight women.

The use of lignocellulosic materials to replace fossil resources for the industrial production of fuels, chemicals, and materials is increasing. The carbohydrate composition of lignocellulose (i.e. cellulose and hemicellulose) is an abundant source of sugars. However, due to the feedstock recalcitrance, rigid and compact structure of plant cell walls, access to polysaccharides is hindered and release of fermentable sugars has become a bottle-neck. Thus, to overcome the recalcitrant barriers, thermochemical pretreatment with an acid catalyst is usually employed for the physical or chemical disruption of plant cell wall. After pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis is the preferred option to produce sugars that can be further converted into liquid fuels (e.g. ethanol) via fermentation by microbial biocatalysts. However, during acid pretreatment, several inhibitory compounds namely furfural, 5-hydroxymethyl furfural, phenols, and aliphatic acids are released from the lignocellulose components. The presence of these compounds can greatly effect both enzymatic hydrolysis and microbial fermentation. For instance, when Avicel cellulose and acid treated spruce wood hydrolysate were mixed, 63% decrease in the enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency was observed compared to when Avicel was hydrolyzed in aqueous citrate buffer. In addition, the acid hydrolysates were essentially non-fermentable. Therefore, the associated problems of lignocellulose conversion can be addressed either by using feedstocks that are less recalcitrant or by developing efficient pretreatment techniques that do not cause formation of inhibitory byproducts and simultaneously give high sugar yields. A variety of lignocellulose materials including woody substrates (spruce, pine, and birch), agricultural residues (sugarcane bagasse and reed canary grass), bark (pine bark), and transgenic aspens were evaluated for their saccharification potential. Apparently, woody substrates were more recalcitrant than the rest of the species and bark was essentially amorphous. However, the saccharification efficiency of these substrates varied based on the pretreatment method used. For instance, untreated reed canary grass was more recalcitrant than woody materials whereas the acid treated reed canary grass gave a higher sugar yield (64%) than the woody substrates (max 34%). Genetic modification of plants was beneficial, since under similar pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis conditions, up to 28% higher sugar production was achieved from the transgenic plants compare to the wild type. As an alternative to the commonly used acid catalysed pretreatments (prior to enzymatic hydrolysis) lignocellulose materials were treated with four ionic liquid solvents (ILs): two switchable ILs (SILs) -SO2DBUMEASIL and CO2DBUMEASIL, and two other ILs [Amim][HCO2] and [AMMorp][OAc]. viii After enzymatic hydrolysis of IL treated substrates, a maximum amount of glucan to glucose conversion of between 75% and 97% and a maximum total sugar yields of between 71% and 94% were obtained. When using acid pretreatment these values varied between 13-77% for glucan to glucose conversion and 26-83% for total sugar yield. For woody substrates, the hemicellulose recovery (max 92%) was higher for the IL treated substrates than compared to acid treated samples. However, in case of reed canary grass and pine bark the hemicellulose recovery (90% and 88%, respectively) was significantly higher for the acid treated substrates than the IL treated samples. To overcome the inhibitory problems associated with the lignocellulose hydrolysates, three chemical conditioning methods were used 1. detoxification with ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) 2. application of reducing agents (sulfite, dithionite, or dithiothreitol) and 3. treatment with alkali: Ca(OH)2, NaOH, and NH4OH. The concentrations of inhibitory compounds were significantly lower after treatments with FeSO4 and H2O2 or alkali. Using reducing agents did not cause any decrease in the concentration of inhibitors, but detoxification of spruce acid hydrolysates resulted in up to 54% improvement of the hydrolysis efficiency (in terms of sugar release) compared to untreated samples. On the other hand, application of detoxification procedures to the aqueous buffer resulted in up to 39% decrease in hydrolysis efficiency, thus confirming that the positive effect of detoxification was due to the chemical alteration of inhibitory compounds. In addition, the fermentability of detoxified hydrolysates were investigated using the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The detoxified hydrolysates were readily fermented to ethanol yielding a maximum ethanol concentration of 8.3 g/l while the undetoxified hydrolysates were basically non-fermentable.