Peak current mode control of three-phase boost rectifiers in discontinuous conduction mode for small wind power generators

[EN] This paper presents a peak current mode control scheme of a boost rectifier with low distortion of the input current for wind power systems based on permanent magnet synchronous generators with variable speed operation. The three-phase boost rectifier is operated in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM), and power factor correction techniques are applied. It is shown that the DCM operation significantly reduces the total harmonic distortion of the currents in the permanent magnet synchronous generator, increasing the power factor of the system, so that the vibrations and mechanical stress of the generator are minimized. The characteristics of the DCM boost rectifier are studied considering: (1) the series resistance of the inductors; (2) the modeling and adjustment of peak current mode control yielding a stable loop; (3) the design of an input filter that reduces the switching noise in the currents of the generator.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation under Grants ENE2006- 15521-C03-02 and ENE2009- 13998-C02-02. The first author thanks the support of the Instituto Politecnico Nacional (IPN) and of the Comision de Operacion y Fomento de Actividades Academicas (COFAA) to finance his stay at the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia (UPV).Carranza, O.; Garcerá, G.; Figueres Amorós, E.; González, L. (2010). Peak current mode control of three-phase boost rectifiers in discontinuous conduction mode for small wind power generators. Applied Energy. 87(8):2728-2736. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2010.02.010S2728273687

Maximum-power-point tracking with reduced mechanical stress applied to wind-energy-conversion-systems

[EN] This paper presents an improved maximum-power-point tracking algorithm for wind-energy-conversion-systems. The proposed method significantly reduces the turbine mechanical stress with regard to conventional techniques, so that both the maintenance needs and the medium time between failures are expected to be improved. To achieve these objectives, a sensorless speed control loop receives its reference signal from a modified Perturb&Observe algorithm, in which the typical steps on the reference speed have been substituted by a fixed and well-defined slope ramp signal. As a result, it is achieved a soft dynamic response of both the torque and the speed of the wind turbine, so that the whole system suffers from a lower mechanical stress than with conventional P&O techniques. The proposed method has been applied to a wind turbine based on a permanent magnet synchronous generator operating at variable speed, which is connected to the distribution grid by means of a back to back converter.González, L.; Figueres Amorós, E.; Garcerá, G.; Carranza, O. (2010). Maximum-power-point tracking with reduced mechanical stress applied to wind-energy-conversion-systems. Applied Energy. 87(7):2304-2312. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2009.11.030S2304231287

Voltage gating of mechanosensitive PIEZO channels

Mechanosensitive PIEZO ion channels are evolutionarily conserved proteins whose presence is critical for normal physiology in multicellular organisms. Here we show that, in addition to mechanical stimuli, PIEZO channels are also powerfully modulated by voltage and can even switch to a purely voltage-gated mode. Mutations that cause human diseases, such as xerocytosis, profoundly shift voltage sensitivity of PIEZO1 channels toward the resting membrane potential and strongly promote voltage gating. Voltage modulation may be explained by the presence of an inactivation gate in the pore, the opening of which is promoted by outward permeation. Older invertebrate (fly) and vertebrate (fish) PIEZO proteins are also voltage sensitive, but voltage gating is a much more prominent feature of these older channels. We propose that the voltage sensitivity of PIEZO channels is a deep property co-opted to add a regulatory mechanism for PIEZO activation in widely different cellular contexts

A Two-Step Transcriptome Analysis of the Human Heart Reveals Broad and Disease-Responsive Expression of Ectopic Olfactory Receptors

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are critical regulators of cardiac physiology and a key therapeutic target for the treatment of heart disease. Ectopic olfactory receptors (ORs) are GPCRs expressed in extra-nasal tissues which have recently emerged as new mediators in the metabolic control of cardiac function. The goals of this study were to profile OR gene expression in the human heart, to identify ORs dysregulated by heart failure caused by ischemic cardiomyopathy, and to provide evidence suggestive of a role for those altered ORs in the pathogenesis of heart failure. Left ventricular tissue from heart failure patients

Recuperación de cobre en escorias mediante biolixiviación indirecta

En los procesos pirometalúrgicos, parte del cobre se pierde en la escoria que se genera como residuo del proceso, pudiendo estar presente en ella, en concentraciones muy superiores a las de muchas menas. El cobre se encuentra formando parte de pequeñas partículas de mata, metal blanco y blister, ocluidas en fase de fayalita. En este trabajo se haprobado la viabilidad técnica del proceso BRISA, que está basado en la biolixiviación indirecta, para el tratamientode este residuo. Se ha caracterizado una escoria con un 2 % en cobre, desde los planos químico, granulométrico y metalográfico. Este material se ha lixiviado con disoluciones de sulfato férrico en reactores agitados, estudiándose el efecto de diversas variables. A partir de los resultados obtenidos, e incluyendo un estudio económico, con resultados muy atractivos, se han seleccionado las mejores condiciones de operación y se ha diseñado la etapa de lixiviaciónpara una planta de 30 t/h de capacidad. En esta planta sería posible alcanzar extracciones de cobre superiores al 70 %con un tiempo de residencia de sólo 5 h. La etapa de biooxidación suministraría el férrico necesario pese a haberpresenteCu(II)en el circuitoenconcentraciones de hasta 30 g/l.The main source of copper loss from a smelter is copper in discard slag. Slag can contain Cu in concentrations very much higher than those of many ores. Cu is present in slag entrained in very small drops of matte, white metal and blister copper occluded in fayalitic phase. In this work, the technical viability of the BRISA process, that is based on the indirect bioleaching, for this residue has been proved. A sample of slag, containing 2 % of copper, has been chemical, granulometrical and metallographic characterized and it has been leached with ferric sulphate solutions in agitated reactors. The influence of several variables have been investigated. Once the best operating conditions had been selecting and an economic estimation had been done (with very really attractive results), the leaching stage has been designed for a plant of 30 tonnes per hour capacity. Cu extractions higher than 70% can be achieved with a residence time of only five hours. Despite of Cu(II) concentration in fed is as high as 30 g/l, biooxidation stage can supply Fe(III) demanded by ferric leaching stage

Repassivation Potential of Alloy 22 in Sodium and Calcium Chloride Brines

A comprehensive matrix of 60 tests was designed to explore the effect of calcium chloride vs. sodium chloride and the ratio R of nitrate concentration over chloride concentration on the repassivation potential of Alloy 22. Tests were conducted using the cyclic potentiodynamic polarization (CPP) technique at 75 C and at 90 C. Results show that at a ratio R of 0.18 and higher nitrate was able to inhibit the crevice corrosion in Alloy 22 induced by chloride. Current results fail to show in a consistent way a different effect on the repassivation potential of Alloy 22 for calcium chloride solutions than for sodium chloride solutions

Tau oligomers in cerebrospinal fluid in Alzheimer's disease

OBJECTIVE: With an increasing incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and neurodegenerative tauopathies, there is an urgent need to develop reliable biomarkers for the diagnosis and monitoring of the disease, such as the recently discovered toxic tau oligomers. Here, we aimed to demonstrate the presence of tau oligomers in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with cognitive deficits, and to determine whether tau oligomers could serve as a potential biomarker for AD. METHODS: A multicentric collaborative study involving a double-blinded analysis with a total of 98 subjects with moderate to severe AD (N = 41), mild AD (N = 31), and nondemented control subjects (N = 26), and two pilot studies of 33 total patients with AD (N = 19) and control (N = 14) subjects were performed. We carried out biochemical assays to measure oligomeric tau from CSF of these patients with various degrees of cognitive impairment as well as cognitively normal controls. RESULTS: Using a highly reproducible indirect ELISA method, we found elevated levels of tau oligomers in AD patients compared to age-matched controls. Western blot analysis confirmed the presence of oligomeric forms of tau in CSF. In addition, the ratio of oligomeric to total tau increased in the order: moderate to severe AD, mild AD, and controls. CONCLUSION: These assays are suitable for the analysis of human CSF samples. These results here suggest that CSF tau oligomer measurements could be optimized and added to the panel of CSF biomarkers for the accurate and early detection of AD

Captación y uso de la radiación en plantas de estevia

La captación y uso eficiente de la radiación en estevia, especie productora de edulcorantes no calóricos, es un aspecto fundamental de su explotación en regiones cálidas del Neotropico colombiano. Sin embargo, los trabajos sobre estos aspectos son escasos. La presente investigación se realizó en el municipio de Montería (Córdoba, Colombia) durante las estaciones secas de 2007 y 2008 (E1 y E2), para determinar el efecto de la radiación fotosintéticamente activa (RFA) sobre la producción de biomasa de los genotipos Morita 1 (M1) y Morita 2 (M2), establecidos a densidades de siembra de 25,00; 12,50 y 6,25 plantas/m2. En ambas estaciones se usó un diseño experimental de bloques completos al azar con arreglo factorial 2 x 3. Se utilizó un modelo matemático que cálculo la tasa de acumulación diaria de masa seca (MS) en hojas y tallo (simulada con el método de integración de Euler), a partir de la RFA, la fracción de la RFA interceptada por el dosel (FLINT) y el uso eficiente de la radiación (UER). En E1 se presentaron en promedio 3 MJ m-2 dia-1 más que en E2, y un desarrollo del índice de área foliar IAF (3,12±0,02) que fue casi tres veces el registrado en E2. Consecuentemente, el valor más alto del coeficiente de extinción de luz a través del dosel (k = 0,21) lo registro M2 durante la estación E1, a la densidad de 25 plantas/m2. Durante este mismo periodo se observaron los valores más altos de UER (2,04 g MJ RFA) y el máximo porcentaje de distribución de MS total hacia las hojas, que fue del 60% en M2

Millennial-scale vegetation changes in the tropical Andes using ecological grouping and ordination methods

We compare eight pollen records reflecting climatic and environmental change from northern and southern sites in the tropical Andes. Our analysis focuses on the last 30ĝ€ 000 years, with particular emphasis on the Pleistocene to Holocene transition. We explore ecological grouping and downcore ordination results as two approaches for extracting environmental variability from pollen records. We also use the records of aquatic and shoreline vegetation as markers for lake level fluctuations and moisture availability. Our analysis focuses on the signature of millennial-scale climate variability in the tropical Andes, in particular Heinrich stadials (HS) and Greenland interstadials (GI). The pollen records show an overall warming trend during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition, but the onset of post-glacial warming differs in timing among records. We identify rapid responses of the tropical vegetation to millennial-scale climate variability. The signatures of HS and the Younger Dryas are generally recorded as downslope upper forest line (UFL) migrations in our transect, and are likely linked to air temperature cooling. The GI1 signal is overall comparable between northern and southern records and indicates upslope UFL migrations and warming in the tropical Andes. Our marker for lake level changes indicated a north-To-south difference that could be related to moisture availability. The air temperature signature recorded by the Andean vegetation was consistent with millennial-scale cryosphere and sea surface temperature changes but suggests a potential difference between the magnitude of temperature change in the ocean and the atmosphere. We also show that arboreal pollen percentage (AP %) and detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) scores are two complementary approaches to extract environmental variability from pollen records

Construction of anti-de Sitter-like spacetimes using the metric conformal Einstein field equations: the vacuum case

We make use of the metric version of the conformal Einstein field equations to construct anti-de Sitter-like spacetimes by means of a suitably posed initial-boundary value problem. The evolution system associated to this initial-boundary value problem consists of a set of conformal wave equations for a number of conformal fields and the conformal metric. This formulation makes use of generalised wave coordinates and allows the free specification of the Ricci scalar of the conformal metric via a conformal gauge source function. We consider Dirichlet boundary conditions for the evolution equations at the conformal boundary and show that these boundary conditions can, in turn, be constructed from the 3-dimensional Lorentzian metric of the conformal boundary and a linear combination of the incoming and outgoing radiation as measured by certain components of the Weyl tensor. To show that a solution to the conformal evolution equations implies a solution to the Einstein field equations we also provide a discussion of the propagation of the constraints for this initial-boundary value problem. The existence of local solutions to the initial-boundary value problem in a neighbourhood of the corner where the initial hypersurface and the conformal boundary intersect is subject to compatibility conditions between the initial and boundary data. The construction described is amenable to numerical implementation and should allow the systematic exploration of boundary conditions.Comment: 29 pages, 1 figur