Buoyancy energy storage technology : an energy storage solution for islands, coastal regions, offshore wind power and hydrogen compression

The world is undergoing a substantial energy transition with an increasing share of intermittent sources of energy on the grid such as wind and solar. These variable renewable energy sources require an energy storage solution to allow a smooth integration of these sources. Batteries can provide short-term storage solutions. However, there is still a need for technologies that can provide weekly energy storage at locations without potential for pumped hydro storage. This paper presents innovative solutions for energy storage based on “buoyancy energy storage” in the deep ocean. The ocean has large depths where potential energy can be stored in gravitational based energy storage systems. The deeper the system, the greater the amount of stored energy. The cost of Buoyancy Energy Storage Technology (BEST) is estimated to vary from 50 to 100 USD/kWh of stored electric energy and 4,000 to 8,000 USD/kW of installed capacity. BES could be a feasible option to complement batteries, providing weekly storage cycles. As well as from storing energy, the system can also be used to compress hydrogen efficiently

99mTc-thymine scintigraphy may be a promising method in the diagnosis of breast cancer

OBJECTIVE: Mammography has been established as the gold standard for the detection of breast cancer, and imaging techniques such as ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging, scintigraphy and positron emission tomography may be useful to improve its sensitivity and specificity. The objective of this study with breast scintigraphy was to evaluate the uptake of 99mTc-thymine in mammary lesions. METHODS: A total of 45 patients were included in this study. Thirty-three patients (73%) were subjected to surgery or percutaneous biopsy, providing histopathological data. The other 12 patients who remained under surveillance received clinical examinations and biannual mammography with a normal follow-up of at least three years, the data from which were used for comparison with the scintimammography results. RESULTS: The majority of patients (64.4%) had clinically impalpable lesions with a mammogram diagnosis of microcalcifications, impalpable nodules, or focal asymmetry. Of the studied lesions, 87% were smaller or equal to 20 mm in diameter, and 22% had malignant histopathological findings. Scintigraphy with 99mTc-thymine had a sensitivity of 70%, a specificity of 85.7%, positive and negative predictive values of 58.3% and 90.9%, respectively, and an accuracy of 82.2%. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study are consistent with those previously reported by other authors. The good specificity and high negative predictive value of this technique and the absence of uptake in the heart indicate that it may be a promising complementary method in clinical practice and that it may contribute to reducing unnecessary benign biopsies

La imagen y la narrativa como herramientas para el abordaje psicosocial en escenarios de violencia. Municipios de Medellín, Carmen de Viboral y Sabaneta

En este documento podemos encontrar la evidencia del análisis de dos escenarios de violencia, el primero tiene que ver con el exilio donde una comunidad indígena es invadida y exiliada de su territorio por intereses políticos, explotación de sus tierra, y siembra de coca, Además matan al cacique que era la autoridad, rompiendo desde este hecho su identidad de la comunidad y el tejido social, viviendo en tierras vecinas con miedo, amenazas de violación, entre otras. Luego deciden volver y tomar posesión de una tierra que siempre les perteneció, empoderados como comunidad en defensa de su territorio, dispuestos a transformar la historia para que esto no se repita. El escenario dos se realiza un abordaje psicosocial sobre la masacre del Salado, en busca de realizar estrategias que faciliten la potenciación de recursos de afrontamiento a la situación vivida, ya que sus sobrevivientes están llenos de dolor por las múltiples formas de maltrato por los paramilitares, teniendo que huir sin nada de sus tierras, con las imágenes en su cabeza de los muertos y atropellos recibidos. Emprenden de nuevo al Salado en busca de sus casas y de reconstrucción bio- psico- socio- cultural de todos los sobrevivientes de dicha comunidad. A pesar de sus huellas y traumas psicológicos, de sentirse sin ganas de vivir muchas veces, deciden hacer reconstrucción de sus memorias vividas y aportar de manera positiva y afectiva a la comunidad del Salado. Finalmente se entrega una presentación e informe con la herramienta foto voz, conclusiones y referencias bibliográficas.In this document we can find the evidence of the analysis of two sceneries of violence. The first one is related to the exile where an indigenous community is invaded and exiled due to political interests, the exploitation of the earth and the sowing of cocaine. They also kill the cacique who was the authority, this broke act the community’s identity and social fabric, making them live in neighboring lands with fear, threats of violence, among others. Then, they decide to return and take possession of a land that was always theirs, empowered as community in defense of their territory, willing to transform the history, in order that this will not be repeated. In the second scenery a psychosocial approach is taken regarding the massacre of El Salado, looking to conduct strategies that will facilitate the strengthening of coping mechanisms for the situation they experienced, because its survivors are full of pain due to the multiple ways of mistreatment by the paramilitary groups, having to flee their lands without anything, with the images in their head of the death and abuses they received. They once again go to El Salado looking for their houses and for the bio-psycho-socio-cultural reconstruction of all the survivors of that community. In spite of their psychological prints and traumas, many times feeling without desire to live, they decide to make a reconstruction of the memories they lived and contribute positive and affectively to the community of El Salado. Finally, a presentation and report with the photo voice, conclusions and bibliographical references is delivered

Experiências imersivas: um estudo sobre o impacto de inserir a realidade virtual no ensino a ciências / Immersive experiences: a study on the impact of inserting virtual reality in science teaching

O uso da realidade virtual (RV) tem crescido na sociedade em distintos segmentos de modo que sua aplicação tem trazido novas experiências imersivas em diversos âmbitos. Na educação essa tecnologia ainda é pouco explorada, entretanto já é possível encontrar algumas ferramentas para auxiliar no aprendizado e estimular os alunos a procurarem novos conhecimentos. Neste trabalho será apresentado a utilização dos óculos Cardboard e aplicativo Expeditions como ferramenta tecnológica mediadora no processo de aprendizagem dos conteúdos de Ciências, afim de analisar o impacto que a RV pode proporcionar com alunos de 9º ano do Ensino Fundamental no munícipio Lábrea, Estado do Amazonas (AM). 

Hanseniase neural primaria: revisao sistematica

The authors proposed a systematic review on the current concepts of primary neural leprosy by consulting the following online databases: MEDLINE, Lilacs/SciELO, and Embase. Selected studies were classified based on the degree of recommendation and levels of scientific evidence according to the “Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine”. The following aspects were reviewed: cutaneous clinical and laboratorial investigations, i.e. skin clinical exam, smears, and biopsy, and Mitsuda's reaction; neurological investigation (anamnesis, electromyography and nerve biopsy); serological investigation and molecular testing, i.e. serological testing for the detection of the phenolic glycolipid 1 (PGL-I) and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR); and treatment (classification criteria for the definition of specific treatment, steroid treatment, and cure criteria).Os autores propuseram-se a realizar uma revisão sistemática em conceitos atuais sobre a hanseníase neural primária, consultando as seguintes bases bibliográficas on-line: MEDLINE, Lilacs/SciELO e Embase. Os estudos selecionados foram classificados conforme o grau de recomendação e o nível de evidência científica de acordo com o “Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine”. Os seguintes temas foram revisados: investigações clínica e laboratorial cutâneas, ou seja, exame, esfregaço e biópsia de pele e reação de Mitsuda; investigação neurológica (anamnese, eletroneuromiografia e biópsia de nervo); investigação sorológica e testes moleculares, ou seja, testes sorológicos para detecção de um glicolipídio fenólico e reação de cadeia de polimerase (PCR) e tratamento (critérios de classificação para definição de tratamento específico, tratamento com esteroides e critérios de cura).Secretaria de Estado de Saude Instituto Lauro de Souza LimaUniversidade de São Paulo (USP) School of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto Department of NeurosciencesUSP Department of Neurology and NeurosurgeryFundacao Oswaldo CruzUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Department of DermatologySecretaria de Estado de Saude Instituto de SaudeConselho Federal de Medicina Associacao Medica Brasileira Projeto DiretrizesUNIFESP, Department of DermatologySciEL

Emprendimiento rural generacional con enfoque de género: Expreriencias significativas en el Magdalena Medio Colombiano

La exclusión social de las mujeres, la insatisfacción en el acceso a salud, educación y empleo; además del no reconocimiento como agente activo en la participación ciudadana y empoderamiento comunitario, son fenómenos que explican la perpetuidad de las brechas de desigualdad entre hombres y mujeres; en especial, en el sector rural colombiano. Es así, como el presente artículo se encamina en el diseño de un modelo de emprendimiento asociativo rural generacional con enfoque de género en el Magdalena Medio Colombiano, que contribuya a disminuir las transgresiones de la dependencia socioeconómica de la mujer hacia el logro de un bienestar individual, familiar y colectivo. Este estudio se desarrolla bajo un enfoque cualitativo de diseño acción participativa, que, desde la cartografía social, focus group y entrevistas a mujeres rurales, permite hacer hincapié en la resignificación de su rol económico en el desarrollo sostenible. Como resultado, este modelo bajo estrategias de innovación social enfatiza en la redirección de recursos tecnológicos, financieros y participativos, que favorecen la planeación y ejecución de iniciativas productivas hacia la autonomía femenina, la superación de micromachismos de la región y la implementación de acciones en autogestión comunitaria, dentro del marco de la economía solidaria

Effects of Gender, Sterilization, and Environment on the Spatial Distribution of Free-Roaming Dogs: An Intervention Study in an Urban Setting.

Information concerning the factors affecting the circulation and distribution of free-roaming dogs is crucial in developing control actions and limiting the spread of zoonoses. The present study analyzes the influence of gender, sterilization, and environment on the spatial distribution of free-roaming dogs in urban settings. Animals were captured/recaptured in seven consecutive morning sampling efforts conducted at 2-monthly intervals in control and intervention areas in a medium-size town in southeastern Brazil. Capture locations were georeferenced and captured animals were microchipped before being released at their original capture sites. Dogs captured in the intervention area were subjected additionally to surgical sterilization prior to release. Home range (HR) areas were calculated by applying the minimum convex polygon method to dogs that had been captured at least three times. Land coverage zones were determined from satellite images and overlaid on maps of the study areas along with the locations of 22 commercial food outlets. HR areas showed a global mean of 448 m2 and a median of 28 m2, values that were smaller than those reported previously for dogs in rural regions. The median HR of females (64.m2) was higher than that of males (15 m2), while median HRs of animals in the control and intervention areas were similar (27 and 28.5 m2, respectively). Variability of HR was high, although animals with small HRs predominated. Free-roaming dogs grouped primarily in urbanized and transitional regions, and their spatial distribution was positively correlated with locations of commercial food outlets. While sterilization did not influence HR size, the search for food was a key factor in determining mobility and spatial aggregation of free-roaming dogs. Our findings are pertinent in understanding the ecology of free-roaming dogs in urban environments and will be applicable to strategies aimed at promoting animal welfare and preventing the dissemination of zoonoses