This century old area of research has been experiencing a renaissance during the last decade, with the annual number of publications on the subject increasing from only one in 1990 to nearly 200 in the late-1990s. This renewed interest is stimulated by the discovery of biological roles of nitric oxide, distinguished by the 1998 Nobel prize, and the recognition that the conversion of nitric oxide into peroxynitrite may play major roles in human diseases associated with oxidative stress and in cellular defense against invading pathogens. Peroxynitrite (ONOO{sup {minus}})is a structural isomer of nitrate (NO{sub 3}{sup {minus}}) that contains a peroxo bond. The physiological route to ONOO{sup {minus}} is provided by the combination of nitric oxide ({center_dot}NO) with superoxide ({center_dot}O{sub 2}{sup {minus}}), an extremely rapid reaction occurring upon every encounter of these radicals (the upper dot denotes radical species). Both {center_dot}NO and {center_dot}O{sub 2}{sup {minus}} are the oxygen metabolic products simultaneously generated in a number of cell types within a human body. Compared to its precursors, peroxynitrite is a much stronger oxidant capable of oxidizing proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids.

Newsletter for DOE Biofuels Program. Articles on recent DOE grants and contracts under Bioenergy Initiative and related programs; also on creation of National Bioenergy Center at NREL.

This guide provides readers with a broad understanding of the potential benefits that current renewable energy technologies can offer rural microenterprises. It also introduces the institutional approaches that have been developed to make RE technologies accessible to microentrepreneurs and the challenges that these entrepreneurs have encountered.

This publication addresses the need for energy in schools, primarily those schools that are not connected to the electric grid. This guide will apply mostly to primary and secondary schools located in non-electrified areas. In areas where grid power is expensive and unreliable, this guide can be used to examine other energy options to conventional power. The authors' goal is to help the reader to accurately assess a school's energy needs, evaluate appropriate and cost-effective technologies to meet those needs, and to implement an effective infrastructure to install and maintain the hardware.

This 8-page brochure describes the partnership between the forest products industry and DOE's Office of Industrial Technologies. It highlights the benefits to industry of working with the Forest Products Industry of the Future Team to reduce energy consumption and lower costs.

This issue of Alternative Fuel News focuses on transit buses and refuse haulers. Many transit agencies and waste management companies are investigating alternatives to traditional diesel buses and refuse haulers.

Little Rock Air Force Base (LRAFB), in partnership with the local utility, Entergy Services, Inc., has reduced energy costs and used savings from investments in high-efficiency equipment to maintain and improve the condition of base housing and other facilities. Three projects were completed, with over $10 million invested. Major accomplishments include replacing air-to-air heat pumps with high-efficiency ground-source heat pumps (GSHPs) in more than 1,500 base housing units, lighting modifications to 10 buildings, upgrade of HVAC equipment in the base's enlisted club, and energy-efficient lighting retrofits for LRAFB's flight simulator.

This fact sheet updates a similar one published in 1996 for the U.S. Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Program. It is part of a series of fact sheets on ways that the Federal government can incorporate new energy efficiency, solar energy, and other renewable energy technologies in buildings and other facilities to save on energy costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This fact sheet describes strategies for implementing passive solar features--such as south-facing windows, daylighting, and thermal mass--into new building designs and retrofits. It also discusses how to design and build low-energy, sustainable buildings by using a whole-building approach to the design process. In this approach, designers not only use passive solar techniques, they also create a design that makes the most of the complex ways that a building's occupants, components, and materials connect and interact in order to achieve the greatest possible comfort and energy efficiency.

This is the second issue of the third volume (Fall 2000) of a technical bulletin produced for the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP). It is intended for Federal solar energy champions, that is, energy officers, contracting officials, facility managers, and others who participate in projects in which solar and other renewable energy technologies are installed in Federal government facilities in order to meet the directives of Executive Order 13123 and the President's Million Solar Roofs Initiative. This issue recognizes the contributions of the Federal agencies and specific individuals who enabled the government to meet its goal of installing 2,000 solar energy systems (and related systems) on Federal roofs by the year 2000. Although only about 30 solar energy champions were given awards, they represent hundreds of government employees who are working to save energy, money, and the environment through energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Advanced framing techniques for home construction have been researched extensively and proven effective. Both builders and home owners can benefit from advanced framing. Advanced framing techniques create a structurally sound home that has lower material and labor costs than a conventionally framed house. This fact sheet describes advanced framing techniques, design considerations, and framing.

In 1998, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, a public transit agency in Dallas, Texas, began operating a large fleet of heavy-duty buses powered by liquefied natural gas. As part of a $16 million commitment to alternative fuels, DART operates 139 LNG buses serviced by two new LNG fueling stations.

Combustion appliances that use fuels like natural gas, propane, oil, kerosene, or wood can be more efficient and effective at heating than electricity. However, careful installation is required to ensure safe and efficient operation. This fact sheet addresses problems posed by combustion equipment and provides suggestions for furnaces and water heaters, unvented space heaters and fireplaces, and stoves and ovens. Installation, combustion closet design, causes of and prevention of backdrafting are also covered.

Properly sealed, moisture-protected, and insulated walls help increase comfort, reduce noise, and save on energy costs. This fact sheet addresses these topics plus advanced framing techniques, insulation types, wall sheathings, and steps for effective wall construction and insulation.

Weather-resistive barriers are a part of exterior wall systems that protect building materials from exterior water penetration. They perform like a protective shell for buildings, yet allow water vapor to escape. This fact sheet covers types and costs of weather-resistive barriers, when and how to use them, installation, details for windows and doors, and properties of weather-resistive barriers.