321 research outputs found
Decision intelligence in street lighting management
The European Union has been making efforts to increase energy efficiency within its member states, in line with most of the industrialized countries. In these efforts, the energy consumed by public lighting networks is a key target as it represents approximately 50% of the electricity consumption of European cities. In this paper we propose an approach for the autonomous management of public lighting networks in which each luminary is managed individually and that takes into account both their individual characteristics as well as ambient data. The approach is compared against a traditional management scheme, leading to a reduction in energy consumption of 28%.This work is co-funded by Fundos Europeus Estruturais e de Investimento (FEEI) through Programa Operacional Regional Norte, in the scope of project NORTE01-0145-FEDER-023577 and by national funds through FCT â Fundação para a CiĂȘncia e Tecnologia through projects UID/CEC/00319/2019 and UIDB/04728/2020
Geomechanical model for a seismically active geothermal field: Insights from the Tinguiririca volcanic-hydrothermal system
In this work, we develop a multidisciplinary approach to investigate a geothermal system located at the volcanic arc of a subduction-related orogen and highlight the interplay between active tectonism, stress field and fluid migration. By using results of field investigations from the Tinguiririca geothermal field in the High Andes of Chile (35°S), empirical analysis, and numerical models of static stress variations, we proposed a geomechanical model for evaluating the distribution of hydrothermal manifestations in a seismically-active region. The present geomechanical model follows four major steps: (1) development of the 3D structural model of fault pattern; (2) estimation of the in-situ stress field; (3) calculation of the resolved-shear-to-normal-stress ratio (slip tendency) on each fault with varying geomechanical parameters (coefficient of friction, pore pressure and cohesion) as inputs; and (4) estimation of Coulomb static stress changes as a consequence of failure in a nearby fault. Through combination of all these analyses, we characterize in detail both the active deformation in the geothermal field and its relationship with hot fluid migration.Fil: Giambiagi, Laura Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Ălvarez, P.. TEHEMA S.A.; ChileFil: Spagnotto, Silvana Liz. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias FĂsico MatemĂĄticas y Naturales. Departamento de GeologĂa; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - San Luis; ArgentinaFil: Godoy, E.. TEHEMA S.A.; ChileFil: Lossada, Ana Clara. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Oficina de CoordinaciĂłn Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber"; ArgentinaFil: Mescua, Jose Francisco. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Barrionuevo, MatĂas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Suriano, Julieta. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales; Argentin
Ferroelectric photovoltaic properties in doubly substituted (Bi0.9La0.1)(Fe0.97Ta0.03)O3 thin films
This work was supported by the DOE-EPSCoR Grant No. DE-FG02-08ER46526. Acknowledgment is also due to NSF Grant No. #1002410 for providing fellowships to R.K.K., D.B., and J.S.Y.Doubly substituted [Bi0.9La0.1][Fe0.97Ta0.03]O3 (BLFTO) films were fabricated on Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The ferroelectric photovoltaic properties of ZnO:Al/BLFTO/Pt thin film capacitor structures were evaluated under white light illumination. The open circuit voltage and short circuit current density were observed to be âŒ0.20âV and âŒ1.35âmA/cm2, respectively. The band gap of the films was determined to be âŒ2.66âeV, slightly less than that of pure BiFeO3 (2.67âeV). The PVproperties of BLFTO thin films were also studied for various pairs of planar electrodes in different directions in polycrystalline thin films.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe
Unipolar resistive switching in planar Pt/BiFeO3/Pt structure
This work was supported by the NASA EPSCoR Grant # NNX13AB22A. Financial support to various researchers from IFN-NSF grant # EPS 1002410 (RSK, DB, YS and BRW) is gratefully acknowledged. S. K. is thankful to UGC, India for a Raman fellowship under Indo-US 21st century knowledge initiatives (No:5-53/2013(I.C)).We report unipolar resistive switching suitable for nonvolatile memory applications in polycrystalline BiFeO3 thin films in planar electrode configuration with non-overlapping Set and Reset voltages, On/Off resistance ratio of similar to 10(4) and good data retention (verified for up to 3,000 s). We have also observed photovoltaic response in both high and low resistance states, where the photocurrent density was about three orders of magnitude higher in the low resistance state as compared to the high resistance state at an illumination power density of similar to 100 mW/cm(2). Resistive switching mechanisms in both resistance states of the planar device can be explained by using the conduction filament (thermo-chemical) model. (C) 2015 Author(s).Publisher PDFPeer reviewe
El rendimiento académico de dos poblaciones de alumnos, una con asistencia presencial a clase, otra bajo la modalidad virtual
Este es un tiempo de cambios, el åmbito de la enseñanza aprendizaje, no puede quedar ajeno a los mismos. Para
adaptarse a las necesidades de la sociedad actual, las Universidades deben flexibilizarse y desarrollar vĂas de integraciĂłn de las tecnologĂas de la informaciĂłn y la comunicaciĂłn (TIC) en los procesos de formaciĂłn. Las TIC experimentan un desarrollo constante y rĂĄpido. Ya en 1958, aparece el primer programa para la enseñanza dedicado a la aritmĂ©tica binaria, desarrollado por Raht y Anderson, con un ordenador IBM 650, han pasado mĂĄs de 50 años desde este acontecimiento y en nuestras universidades todavĂa hay docentes que no saben utilizar las TIC.
El rendimiento académico es una preocupación continua de los docentes, el aprendizaje ha traspasado los muros del salón de clases convencional, los alumnos y profesores se pueden comunicar obviando las barreras geogråficas.
Para adaptarnos debemos incorporar cambios en el rol del profesor, en el del alumno, cambios metodolĂłgicos y en estas transformaciones quedan implicadas directamente las instituciones
Sistema no adrenérgico-no colinérgico: su importancia en la hiperreactividad bronquial
Ningun
Early-life glucocorticoids programme behaviour and metabolism in adulthood in zebrafish
Glucocorticoids (GCs) in utero influence embryonic development with consequent programmed effects on adult physiology and pathophysiology and altered susceptibility to cardiovascular disease. However, in viviparous species, studies of these processes are compromised by secondary maternal influences. The zebrafish, being fertilised externally, avoids this problem and has been used here to investigate the effects of transient alterations in GC activity during early development. Embryonic fish were treated either with dexamethasone (a synthetic GC), an antisense GC receptor (GR) morpholino (GR Mo), or hypoxia for the first 120h post fertilisation (hpf); responses were measured during embryonic treatment or later, post treatment, in adults. All treatments reduced cortisol levels in embryonic fish to similar levels. However, morpholino- and hypoxia-treated embryos showed delayed physical development (slower hatching and straightening of headâtrunk angle, shorter body length), less locomotor activity, reduced tactile responses and anxiogenic activity. In contrast, dexamethasone-treated embryos showed advanced development and thigmotaxis but no change in locomotor activity or tactile responses. Gene expression changes were consistent with increased (dexamethasone) and decreased (hypoxia, GR Mo) GC activity. In adults, stressed cortisol values were increased with dexamethasone and decreased by GR Mo and hypoxia pre-treatments. Other responses were similarly differentially affected. In three separate tests of behaviour, dexamethasone-programmed fish appeared âbolderâ than matched controls, whereas Mo and hypoxia pre-treated fish were unaffected or more reserved. Similarly, the dexamethasone group but not the Mo or hypoxia groups were heavier, longer and had a greater girth than controls. Hyperglycaemia and expression of GC responsive gene (pepck) were also increased in the dexamethasone group. We conclude that GC activity controls many aspects of early-life growth and development in the zebrafish and that, like other species, manipulating GC status pharmacologically, physiologically or genetically in early life leads to programmable metabolic and behavioural traits in adulthood
Selecting ecosystem indicators for fisheries targeting highly migratory species: An EU project to advance the operationalization of the EAFM in ICCAT and IOTC
Several international legal agreements and guidelines have set the minimum standards and key principles to guide the implementation of an
ecosystem approach to fisheries management (EAFM). However, the implementation of an EAFM in tuna Regional Fisheries Management
Organizations (RFMOs) has been patchy and lack a long-term plan, vision and guidance on how to operationalize it. The Specific Contract N0
2 âselecting ecosystem indicators for fisheries targeting highly migratory species-â (SC02 project) under the Framework Contract - EASME/
EMFF/2016/008 provisions of Scientific Advice for Fisheries Beyond EU Waters- addresses several scientific challenges and provides insights
to support the implementation of an EAFM through collaboration and consultation with the International Commission for the Conservation of
Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC). Specifically, this project first highlights properties of success and best
practices from other regions of the world in operationalizing the ecosystem approach that potentially could be transferred to ICCAT and IOTC.
Second, it delivered a list of potential ecosystem indicators of relevance to tuna RFMOs (ICCAT and IOTC) that are suitable to track the
impacts of fisheries targeting tuna and tuna-like species on the broader pelagic ecosystem. Third, it designed a general framework based on a
rule-based decision tree to provide guidance on how reference points could be set and used for diverse types of ecosystem indicators. Fourth,
it proposed candidate ecoregions within the Atlantic and Indian Oceans which could be used to guide region-based ecosystem plans,
assessments and research to ultimately provide better ecosystem-based advice to inform fisheries management. Fifth, it developed two pilot
ecosystem plans for two case study regions, the tropical ecoregion within the ICCAT convention area, and the temperate ecoregion within the
IOTC convention area. At this stage, these pilot ecosystem plans aim to create awareness about the need for ecosystem planning, start a
discussion about the elements that need to be part of a planning process, and initiate a discussion in ICCAT and IOTC about the potential
needs of ecosystem plans and their function. Finally, this project provided recommendations to foster the potential development, use, and
implementation of ecosystem plans in ICCAT and IOTC
The Notochord, Notochordal cell and CTGF/CCN-2: ongoing activity from development through maturation
The growth regulating factor CTGF/CCN-2 is an integral factor in growth and development, connective tissue maintenance, wound repair and cell cycle regulation. It has recently been reported that CTGF/CCN-2 is involved in very early development having been detected in early notochord formation in zebrafish using CTGF/CCN-2 promoter-driven green fluorescent protein (GFP) plasmids. In these studies fluorescence was detected early in the developing embryos, a finding of considerable significance in that CTGF/CCN-2 deficient mutant mice die early after birth due to severe cartilage and skeletal dysplasia and respiratory failure. Such findings confirm the importance of CTGF/CCN-2 in development and of the necessary and sufficient role of this molecule in formation of the skeleton, extracellular matrix and chondrogenesis. Of particular relevance to the relationship between the notochordal cell and CTGF/CCN-2 there is a remarkable sub-species of canine, the ânon-chondrodystrophicâ canine that is protected from developing degenerative disc disease (DDD). These animals are unique in that they preserve the population of notochordal cells within their disc nucleus (NP) and these cells secrete CTGF/CCN-2. We have detected CTGF/CCN-2 within conditioned medium developed from the notochordal cells of these animals (NCCM) and used this conditioned medium to demonstrate robustly increased proteoglycan production. The addition of recombinant human CTGF/CCN-2 to totally serum-free media containing cultures of bovine NP cells replicated the robustly increased aggrecan gene expression found with NCCM alone strongly suggesting the importance of the effect of CTGF/CCN-2 in notochordal cell biology within the disc nucleus of non-chondrodystrophic canines. The chondrodystrophic canine, another sub-species on the other hand are almost totally devoid of notochordal cells and they develop DDD profoundly and early. These two sub-species of canine reflect a naturally occurring animal model that is an excellent example of differential notochordal cell survival and possible associated developmental differences in extracellular maintenance
Current and emerging treatment of osteoporosis
The goal of treating a patient with recent fragility fracture should not only be to treat the patient in the acute phase but also to prevent further fractures. Interventions to increase bone mass to preventing further fragility fractures can be classified as non-pharmacological and pharmacological. All European and international guidelines base the need for treatment, not on the diagnosis of osteoporosis (based on the T-score), but on the risk of fracture, which is strongly influenced by the presence of a fragility fracture, especially vertebral or femoral fractures. Before treatment, it is important to make a differential diagnosis between primary and secondary osteoporosis because anti-osteoporotic drug treatment would be useless if the primary illness causing osteoporosis is not treated too. Some studies show that anti-osteoporotic drugs are frequently interrupted within 1 month of their prescription; this happens not so much due to the occurrence of adverse events but mostly because patients have not been sufficiently informed about the importance of taking the drug and because are not receiving personalised treatment.
All data confirm that, in older people, vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent and calcium intake is often not adequate. So, osteoporosis guidelines recommend calcium and vitamin D for all patients in association with antiosteoporotic therapy.
We have many drugs for the treatment of patients at high risk of fracture, but we should use drugs based on evidence of their efficacy and safety in older-age subgroups, provided by targeted studies or extrapolated data. In this chapter, we describe efficacy, route of administration, adverse events and recent technical remarks of current antiresorptive and anabolic osteoporosis therapies. Furthermore, we describe emerging therapies, such as Abaloparatide and Romosozumab
- âŠ