Julkaisuarkisto

The Republic of Cuba faces a critical energy trilemma characterized by severe reliance on imported fossil fuels and an obsolete electricity generation infrastructure. Addressing this challenge, this study evaluates long-term decarbonization pathways exclusively for Cuba’s electricity sector from 2024 to 2050 using the Low Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP). To improve methodological transparency, LEAP was configured using 2024 as the base year, with demand projections, generation capacity expansion, storage deployment, fuel-price assumptions, technology costs, and emissions factors represented across three scenarios. The assessment formally defines three structural frameworks: a policy-continuity baseline based on current governmental targets, a flexibility-oriented decarbonization pathway, and a 100 % renewable electricity scenario. Results indicate that while the policy-continuity scenario achieves a 35 % renewable generation share, its reliance on a conventional thermal baseload triggers a late-term emissions rebound, peaking at 12.82 million metric tons of CO₂-eq by mid-century. Conversely, the flexibility-oriented pathway appears to be the most cost-effective option. By capping thermal capacity at 1,500 MW and deploying large-scale energy storage, it reduces emissions by 67 % to 4.21 million metric tons of CO₂-eq and lowers annual production costs by approximately 200 million USD. Furthermore, sensitivity analyses demonstrate this flexible architecture is highly resilient to demand fluctuations. Although the 100 % renewable pathway suggests absolute electricity-sector carbon neutrality is technically achievable, its requirement for a 6,733 MW biomass scale-up introduces major capital and land-use conflicts. Ultimately, this research indicates that deep decarbonization could be an economically advantageous strategy, necessitating a paradigm shift from traditional baseloads toward system flexibility, provided significant external financial barriers can be navigated.

The sensory appeal of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) depends on its chemical composition, including sugars, organic acids, and aroma-active volatiles. To investigate the effects of temperature and light conditions on fruit quality, strawberry plants (cv. Sonsation) were grown at six temperature regimes (9, 12, 15, 18, 21 °C, and 21/9 °C-day/night) and four combinations of light intensities (150 and 300 μmol/m²/s) and photoperiods (12 and 24 h/day). Yield, °Brix/acidity ratio and volatile compounds were assessed. °Brix increased with light intensity and photoperiod, while higher temperatures (15–21 °C) correlated with acidity. A favorable °Brix/acidity ratio correlated with both continuous light and high light intensity, as well as low ripening temperature. Volatile content peaked at 15 °C, and declined at 9 °C, proportionally elevating acids and reducing terpenoids. The findings indicate that extended high-intensity light can optimize sweetness and aroma in cv. Sonsation, whereas low temperatures benefit the °Brix-acidity balance but may reduce volatile compound development.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) form intrinsically bundled networks due to strong intertube interactions, yet conventional debundling approaches can disrupt or chemically alter the nanotube structure. Here, Au@Pt nanorods (NRs) were progressively incorporated into SWCNT films as a nondestructive strategy to deliberately debundle the network while preserving the carbon framework and introducing Pt-rich catalytic sites. This approach was used to examine how network restructuring and metal decoration govern biofouling and electrochemical sensing. Increasing NR loading reorganized the SWCNT network into thinner strands, changed conductive pathways, and increased accessible surface features and hydrophilicity. These changes yielded analyte-dependent electrochemical responses: dopamine (DA) oxidation became more adsorption-controlled after debundling, with enhanced faradaic and capacitive currents attributed to improved interfacial accumulation at carbon-rich surfaces, whereas hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) oxidation was dominated by Pt-mediated catalysis and increased with NR loading due to higher catalytic site density. Biofouling studies with bovine serum albumin (BSA) showed that high NR contents promoted protein adsorption and suppressed electrochemical activity. Interestingly, DA oxidation was least affected on pristine SWCNT electrodes, whereas H₂O₂ detection benefited from intermediate NR decoration, indicating that biofouling can be mitigated by tailoring the platform to the target analyte to maintain performance after protein exposure, rather than relying on antifouling surfaces.