Energy integration of high pressure processes using gas turbines and internal combustion engines

High pressure processes (e.g. sustainable hydrothermal manufacturing of nanomaterials [1], supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) [2] and biomass hydrolysis [3]) require high operational conditions. Water at high pressure and temperature conditions improves kinetic, selectivity and efficiency of these processes but entail high-energy operational expenditure. Use of fluids at high operational conditions makes necessary to supply heat of high quality, as well as power. Because of this, it is necessary to study reasonable solutions for energy recovery and integration in order to achieve the energy self-sufficiency of the process and, if possible, the net power production and with a viable efficiency [4]. In this work, the energy integration of supercritical water oxidation process is being studied. One solution that has been recently proposed is the integration of supercritical processes with energy production in cogeneration or Combined Heat and Power (CHP) cycles. Cogeneration is defined as the simultaneous production of various forms of energy – being the most frequent heat and shaft work, i.e., power – from one power source. The implementation of CHP processes is often joined to the use of gas turbines (GT) [3, 5]. SCWO process produces a high pressure reactor outlet stream, being these mainly composed of water, nitrogen and carbon dioxide and can be thermally integrated if there is a necessity of heat in other parts of the process. At the same time, it is possible to use this effluent to implement a steam injection in the gas turbine, which will improve the efficiency of the global process. This mechanism links the process of SCWO with the cogeneration process (Fig. 1). Steam injection is a technique which can increase the ability of a plant to generate extra power without burning extra fuel and requiring moderate capital investment. In its most basic form, steam injection works by increasing the global mass flow rate through the gas turbine without increasing the mass of air compressed. Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

Hydrolysis of cellulose in supercritical water: reagent concentration as a selectivity factor

Producción CientíficaIn this work, the influence of reagent concentration on hydrolysis reactions of cellulose in supercritical water was analyzed. The hydrolysis was carried out at 400 °C and 25 MPa with reaction times between 0.07 and 1.57 s and feeding cellulose concentrations between 5 and 20 % w/w (1.5–6 % w/w at reactor inlet). Also, a flash separator was used to separate vapor in the product stream in order to increase the final concentration. The best result for sugar production (79 % w/w) was obtained working with a cellulose concentration of 5 % w/w and 0.07-s reaction time. For glycolaldehyde production, the best result (42 % w/w) was obtained with a concentration of 20 % w/w and 1.57 s. The employment of a flash separator allowed reducing the water content by 50 %. It was also observed that by increasing the cellulose concentration in the reactor up to 4 % w/w, the hydrolysis took place with a similar kinetic as that in the heterogeneous media, thus reducing the conversion rate of cellulose in supercritical water.Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad - FEDER (Proyect CTQ2013-44143-R

Evaluation of the interrelated effects of slaughtering, drying, and defatting methods on the composition and properties of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae fat

The interrelated effect of different slaughtering, drying and defatting methods of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) on the lipid composition and properties of the fat was studied. Blanching and freezing were compared as slaughtering methods, oven or freeze-drying as drying methods, and mechanical pressing or supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) as defatting methods. The different modes of slaughtering, drying, and defatting, along with both binary and ternary interactions caused significant effects on processes yields, lipid composition, moisture content and thermal properties. Thus, considering the defatting degree and the yield in total valued products (defatted meal plus fat), the combination of blanching, freeze-drying plus mechanical pressing was the worst option (51.2% and 87.5%, respectively). In contrast, the other combinations demonstrated better and comparable efficiency, although SFE is preferable for defatting (83.2% and 96.9%, respectively). The content of major fatty acids (lauric, palmitic and myristic acids) was significantly affected by the BSFL treatments, although with unsignificant impact on the total saturated fatty acids content. To preserve the integrity of the fat, the combination of blanching and oven-drying was preferred, as non-thermal methods of slaughtering and drying caused intense lipolysis, releasing free fatty acids (FFA) in the range of 18.6–23.5%. To achieve the lowest moisture content in the fats (≤0.1%), oven-drying with mechanical pressing were desired, regardless of the slaughtering method; while values > 1% were reached for freezing, freeze-drying and SFE. Both differences in FFA and moisture contents caused different thermal behaviors in the samples. Specially, the melting temperature was lower for samples with higher FFA and moisture contents, with a notable difference when freezing, freeze-drying and SFE were combined (14.5 ◦C vs 30.6 ◦C, as the mean value for the rest of samples). The different modes of processing did not affect the minor lipid compounds. Therefore, the modes employed for slaughtering, drying, and defatting of BSFL determine, either individually or in combination, the process yields, composition, and properties of the fatThis research was funded by the Spanish National Plans of Aquaculture of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, project ACUINSECT (Optimization of insect flours as sustainable ingredient for aquaculture feed) with the support of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (FEMP

The interaction of slaughtering, drying, and defatting methods differently affects oxidative quality of the fat from black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae

The interrelation effect of slaughtering, drying, and defatting methods of BSFL on the oxidative quality of the derived fat was studied. Blanching and freezing were compared as slaughtering methods, followed by oven or freeze-drying for drying and mechanical pressing or SFE for defatting. The oxidative state and stability of the extracted fat and defatted meals were monitored immediately after their production, using peroxide value (PV) and Rancimat test, and over 24 weeks of storage. Slaughtering and drying methods had an independent effect on PV, with freezing and freeze-drying being the best methods. Mechanical pressing and SFE were comparable and superior to conventional hexane defatting. Interactions were observed between slaughtering and defatting, drying and defatting, and between all three factors. Generally, freeze-drying combined with any of the slaughtering and defatting methods resulted in the lowest PVs, with mechanical pressing being preferred. Freeze-drying plus mechanical pressing also produced the most stable fats during storage according to the evolution of PV, while the combination of blanching and SFE produced the least stable. A significant correlation was found between the PV at 24 weeks and the antioxidant activity of the fats. Contrary to storage assays, in accelerated Rancimat assays, freeze-dried samples were the least stable, which was partially attributed to the significant correlation with the acid values of the samples. Defatted meals followed a similar pattern to the extracted fat, except for worse oxidation for SFE defatting. Therefore, the different processing methods of slaughtering, drying, and defatting of BSFL differently affect lipid oxidation, with interactions between such successive stepsThis research was funded by the Spanish National Plans of Aquaculture of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, project ACUINSECT (Optimization of insect flours as sustainable ingredient for aquaculture fee

How to Assess Diabetic Kidney Disease Progression? From Albuminuria to GFR

Malaltia renal crònica; Diabetis mellitus; Malaltia renal diabèticaEnfermedad renal crónica; Diabetes mellitus; Enfermedad renal diabéticaChronic kidney disease; Diabetes mellitus; Diabetic kidney diseaseDiabetic kidney disease (DKD) is one of the most relevant complications of type 2 diabetes and dramatically increases the cardiovascular risk in these patients. Currently, DKD is severely infra-diagnosed, or its diagnosis is usually made at advanced stages of the disease. During the last decade, new drugs have demonstrated a beneficial effect in terms of cardiovascular and renal protection in type 2 diabetes, supporting the crucial role of an early DKD diagnosis to permit the use of new available therapeutic strategies. Moreover, cardiovascular and renal outcome trials, developed to study these new drugs, are based on diverse cardiovascular and renal simple and composite endpoints, which makes difficult their interpretation and the comparison between them. In this article, DKD diagnosis is reviewed, focusing on albuminuria and the recommendations for glomerular filtration rate measurement. Furthermore, cardiovascular and renal endpoints used in classical and recent cardiovascular outcome trials are assessed in a pragmatic way.The authors are current recipients of research grants from the Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria-Feder—Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI17/00257) and REDinREN (RD16/0009/0030)

Usual Dietary Intake, Nutritional Adequacy and Food Sources of Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium and Vitamin D of Spanish Children Aged One to <10 Years. Findings from the EsNuPI Study

Bone problems in the population begin to be establish in childhood. The present study aims to assess the usual calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and vitamin D intakes, along with the food sources of these nutrients, in Spanish children participating in the EsNuPI (Estudio Nutricional en Población Infantil Española) study. Two 24 h dietary recalls were applied to 1448 children (1 to <10 years) divided into two sub-samples: one reference sample (RS) of the general population [n = 707] and another sample which exclusively included children consuming enriched or fortified milks, here called “adapted milks” (AMS) [n = 741]. Estimation of the usual intake shows that nutrient intake increased with age for all nutrients except vitamin D. Using as reference the Dietary Reference Values from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), calcium and magnesium intakes were found to be below the average requirement (AR) and adequate intake (AI), respectively, in a considerable percentage of children. Furthermore, phosphorus exceeded the AI in 100% of individuals and vitamin D was lower than the AI in almost all children studied. The results were very similar when considering only plausible reporters. When analyzing the food sources of the nutrients studied, milk and dairy products contributed the most to calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and vitamin D. Other sources of calcium were cereals and vegetables; for phosphorus: meat, meat products, and cereals; for magnesium: cereals and fruits; and, for vitamin D: fish and eggs. These results highlight the desirability of improving the intake concerning these nutrients, which are involved in bone and metabolic health in children. The AMS group appeared to contribute better to the adequacy of those nutrients than the RS group, but both still need further improvement. Of special interest are the results of vitamin D intakes, which were significantly higher in the AMS group (although still below the AI), independent of ageThis research was funded by Instituto Puleva de Nutrición (IPN)S

Usual dietary intake, nutritional adequacy and food sources of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and vitamin D of spanish children aged one to dagger

Bone problems in the population begin to be establish in childhood. The present study aims to assess the usual calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and vitamin D intakes, along with the food sources of these nutrients, in Spanish children participating in the EsNuPI (Estudio Nutricional en Población Infantil Española) study. Two 24 h dietary recalls were applied to 1448 children (1 to <10 years) divided into two sub-samples: one reference sample (RS) of the general population [n = 707] and another sample which exclusively included children consuming enriched or fortified milks, here called “adapted milks” (AMS) [n = 741]. Estimation of the usual intake shows that nutrient intake increased with age for all nutrients except vitamin D. Using as reference the Dietary Reference Values from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), calcium and magnesium intakes were found to be below the average requirement (AR) and adequate intake (AI), respectively, in a considerable percentage of children. Furthermore, phosphorus exceeded the AI in 100% of individuals and vitamin D was lower than the AI in almost all children studied. The results were very similar when considering only plausible reporters. When analyzing the food sources of the nutrients studied, milk and dairy products contributed the most to calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and vitamin D. Other sources of calcium were cereals and vegetables; for phosphorus: meat, meat products, and cereals; for magnesium: cereals and fruits; and, for vitamin D: fish and eggs. These results highlight the desirability of improving the intake concerning these nutrients, which are involved in bone and metabolic health in children. The AMS group appeared to contribute better to the adequacy of those nutrients than the RS group, but both still need further improvement. Of special interest are the results of vitamin D intakes, which were significantly higher in the AMS group (although still below the AI), independent of age

Cardiovascular and renal outcomes of renin-angiotensin system blockade in adult patients with diabetes mellitus: a systematic review with network meta-analyses

Medications aimed at inhibiting the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) have been used extensively for preventing cardiovascular and renal complications in patients with diabetes, but data that compare their clinical effectiveness are limited. We aimed to compare the effects of classes of RAS blockers on cardiovascular and renal outcomes in adults with diabetes

HTLV-1 infection in solid organ transplant donors and recipients in Spain

HTLV-1 infection is a neglected disease, despite infecting 10-15 million people worldwide and severe illnesses develop in 10% of carriers lifelong. Acknowledging a greater risk for developing HTLV-1 associated illnesses due to immunosuppression, screening is being widely considered in the transplantation setting. Herein, we report the experience with universal HTLV testing of donors and recipients of solid organ transplants in a survey conducted in Spain. All hospitals belonging to the Spanish HTLV network were invited to participate in the study. Briefly, HTLV antibody screening was performed retrospectively in all specimens collected from solid organ donors and recipients attended since the year 2008. A total of 5751 individuals were tested for HTLV antibodies at 8 sites. Donors represented 2312 (42.2%), of whom 17 (0.3%) were living kidney donors. The remaining 3439 (59.8%) were recipients. Spaniards represented nearly 80%. Overall, 9 individuals (0.16%) were initially reactive for HTLV antibodies. Six were donors and 3 were recipients. Using confirmatory tests, HTLV-1 could be confirmed in only two donors, one Spaniard and another from Colombia. Both kidneys of the Spaniard were inadvertently transplanted. Subacute myelopathy developed within 1 year in one recipient. The second recipient seroconverted for HTLV-1 but the kidney had to be removed soon due to rejection. Immunosuppression was stopped and 3 years later the patient remains in dialysis but otherwise asymptomatic. The rate of HTLV-1 is low but not negligible in donors/recipients of solid organ transplants in Spain. Universal HTLV screening should be recommended in all donor and recipients of solid organ transplantation in Spain. Evidence is overwhelming for very high virus transmission and increased risk along with the rapid development of subacute myelopathy

Multicentre, randomised, single-blind, parallel group trial to compare the effectiveness of a Holter for Parkinson's symptoms against other clinical monitoring methods: study protocol

Introduction In recent years, multiple studies have aimed to develop and validate portable technological devices capable of monitoring the motor complications of Parkinson's disease patients (Parkinson's Holter). The effectiveness of these monitoring devices for improving clinical control is not known. Methods and analysis This is a single-blind, cluster-randomised controlled clinical trial. Neurologists from Spanish health centres will be randomly assigned to one of three study arms (1:1:1): (a) therapeutic adjustment using information from a Parkinson?s Holter that will be worn by their patients for 7 days, (b) therapeutic adjustment using information from a diary of motor fluctuations that will be completed by their patients for 7 days and (c) therapeutic adjustment using clinical information collected during consultation. It is expected that 162 consecutive patients will be included over a period of 6 months. The primary outcome is the efficiency of the Parkinson?s Holter compared with traditional clinical practice in terms of Off time reduction with respect to the baseline (recorded through a diary of motor fluctuations, which will be completed by all patients). As secondary outcomes, changes in variables related to other motor complications (dyskinesia and freezing of gait), quality of life, autonomy in activities of daily living, adherence to the monitoring system and number of doctor?patient contacts will be analysed. The noninferiority of the Parkinson's Holter against the diary of motor fluctuations in terms of Off time reduction will be studied as the exploratory objective. Ethics and dissemination approval for this study has been obtained from the Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge Ethics Committee. The results of this study will inform the practical utility of the objective information provided by a Parkinson's Holter and, therefore, the convenience of adopting this technology in clinical practice and in future clinical trials. We expect public dissemination of the results in 2022.Funding This work is supported by AbbVie S.L.U, the Instituto de Salud Carlos III [DTS17/00195] and the European Fund for Regional Development, 'A way to make Europe'