Mathematical Modeling of the Mojave Solar Plants

Competitiveness of solar energy is one of current main research topics. Overall efficiency of solar plants can be improved by using advanced control strategies. To design and tuning properly advanced control strategies, a mathematical model of the plant is needed. The model has to fulfill two important points: (1) It has to reproduce accurately the dynamics of the real system; and (2) since the model is used to test advanced control strategies, its computational burden has to be as low as possible. This trade-off is essential to optimize the tuning process of the controller and minimize the commissioning time. In this paper, the modeling of the large-scale commercial solar trough plants Mojave Beta and Mojave Alpha is presented. These two models were used to test advanced control strategies to operate the plants.Comisión Europea OCONTSOLAR 78905

Very rare defects: What can we learn?

The International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance and Research conducted a study on very rare defects (VRDs) to test methodologies in their population surveillance and to increase the knowledge of their epidemiology. Eight VRDs: acardia (AC), amelia (AM), bladder exstrophy (BE), cloaca exstrophy (CE), conjoined twins (CT), cyclopia (CY), "true" phocomelia (PH), and sirenomelia (SI) were selected, all of whom showed prevalences in the order of 1/100,000 births, except for BE: 1/48,000 births. Materials in this investigation from 25 million pregnancy outcomes, were provided by 22 Clearinghouse-member programs. The study protocol provided a working definition, a summary of the phenotypic characteristic, and a list of ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes for each VRDs. Learned lessons include: (1) The suspected associations of decreasing risk with advancing maternal age in AM and SI, and increasing risk in BE, and increasing frequency of twins in SI, were confirmed. (2) Morphologically similar defects showed dissimilar epidemiological characteristics, namely, AM and PH, and BE and CE. (3) Heterogeneity in total prevalences for most VRDs among different surveillance programs were attributed to operational reasons, except for SI and CT in which Amerindian ethnicity seems to be associated with higher prevalence. (4) Verbatim description is essential and must be stored in electronic files. In addition to codes. (5) Dysmorphologists or clinical geneticists are an essential part of the coordinating team of the surveillance program. (6) ICD coding system is insufficient. (7) Surveillance programs should be a valuable source of information on exposures to risk factors during pregnancy.Fil: Castilla, Eduardo Enrique. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Fundación Oswaldo Cruz; Brasil. Centro de Educación Medica E Invest.clinicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Genética Médica Populacional; Brasil. Centre of the International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance and Research; ItaliaFil: Mastroiacovo, Pierpaolo. Centre of the International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects and Research ; Itali

The influence of differentials in child mortality by age of the mother, birth order, and birth spacing on indirect estimation methods

The objective of this investigation is to analyse the impact of differential mortality by birth order and age of the mother on the indirect estimates of child mortality. This indirect method was proposed by professor W. Brass and is based on reports about the number of children ever born and children surviving to women classified by age groups. The first step was to relax the constraints imposed on the method by the assumption that the risk of dying is invariant with birth order, mother's age and birth spacing patterns. To that effect, on the basis of the available evidence, a functional description of mortality by age of the child, which takes into account these differentials, was proposed. Then a beta-binomial probability distribution was used for describing fertility patterns by marriage duration and birth order, and a negative binomial distribution was adopted for describing nuptiality patterns. The models were tested using data from different countries and the results were satisfactory. All the necessary calculations to simulate proportions of children surviving (or dead) by age of the mother and number of children ever born were then executed on the basis of these three demographic models. Birth distributions by age of the mother and birth order were obtained by compounding the fertility model by marriage duration with the nuptiality model. Then, under certain assumptions, mean time-exposures to the risk of dying were calculated for children by birth order, current age of the mother, and parity. These exposures were combined with the functional description of mortality mentioned above, to yield proportions of children surviving by age and parity of the mothers. Adjusting factors by mother's age groups were calculated by relating these results to those obtained when mortality is assumed to be a function of the child's age only. These factors make estimates of mortality levels, obtained from reports from the younger mothers, comparable to the overall mortality for all children. They were applied to data from Peru and the results appeared to be very reasonable. An important conclusion from the analysis of the average exposures to risk for children by mother's age and parity is that the exposures are fairly constant by family size, while the variation in the proportions of children surviving is significant. The practical implication of these findings is that variations in the proportions of children surviving are basically caused by differential mortality. The application of the technique was illustrated with two practical examples. Proportions of children surviving by family size and age of the mother from Bolivia, 1976 Census, and from Guatemala, 1970 Census, were analysed. An enormous differential in mortality by family size was observed in both countries. The patterns of the relative risks by family size were very similar in both countries

Risk factors and demographics for microtia in South America: a case-control analysis

BACKGROUND: The etiopathogenesis of microtia is still unknown in the majority of the cases, particularly for individuals presenting with isolated microtia. Our aim was to evaluate potential risk factors for this condition using a case–control approach. METHODS: We analyzed data from 1,194 live births with isolated microtia enrolled in the ECLAMC study (Estudio Colaborativo Latino Americano de Malformaciones Congénitas) from 1982 to 2011 and their respective controls. Odds ratios (ORs) were estimated with logistic regression models along with 95% confidence intervals for the resulting OR estimates controlling for the effects of potential confounders (sex, maternal age, hospital, and year of birth) for an adjusted OR (aOR). RESULTS: Multiparity was associated with a higher risk of microtia compared with primiparity (aOR, 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2–1.8), with women who had eight or more prior pregnancies having the highest risk (aOR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.6–5.2). Women who presented with cold-like symptoms were at higher risk for microtia (aOR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.2–3.9) as well as those that used tobacco or alcohol during pregnancy (aOR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.1–2.6 and aOR, 1.4; 95% CI, 0.9–2.1, respectively). The association with alcohol use appeared to be limited to those women who reported binge drinking during pregnancy (aOR, 1.4; 95% CI, 0.7–3.1). Cases from hospitals at low altitude (<2500 m) tended to have more severe types of microtia than those from hospitals at high altitude. CONCLUSION: These results support the hypothesis that, in addition to teratogens, other nongenetic risk factors contribute to the occurrence of isolated microtia.Fil: Luquetti, Daniela. University of Washington; Estados Unidos. Seattle Children; Estados UnidosFil: Saltzman, Babette S.. Seattle Children; Estados UnidosFil: López Camelo, Jorge Santiago. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. CEMIC-CONICET. Centro de Educaciones Médicas e Investigaciones Clínicas "Norberto Quirno". CEMIC-CONICET.; ArgentinaFil: Dutra, Maria da Graça. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz; BrasilFil: Castilla, Eduardo Enrique. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. CEMIC-CONICET. Centro de Educaciones Médicas e Investigaciones Clínicas "Norberto Quirno". CEMIC-CONICET.; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Genética Médica Populacional; Brasi

Estimation of wall shear stress using 4D flow cardiovascular MRI and computational fluid dynamics

Electronic version of an article published as Journal of mechanics in medicine and biology, 0, 1750046 (2016), 16 pages. DOI:10.1142/S0219519417500464 © World Scientific Publishing CompanyIn the last few years, wall shear stress (WSS) has arisen as a new diagnostic indicator in patients with arterial disease. There is a substantial evidence that the WSS plays a significant role, together with hemodynamic indicators, in initiation and progression of the vascular diseases. Estimation of WSS values, therefore, may be of clinical significance and the methods employed for its measurement are crucial for clinical community. Recently, four-dimensional (4D) flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has been widely used in a number of applications for visualization and quantification of blood flow, and although the sensitivity to blood flow measurement has increased, it is not yet able to provide an accurate three-dimensional (3D) WSS distribution. The aim of this work is to evaluate the aortic blood flow features and the associated WSS by the combination of 4D flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance (4D CMR) and computational fluid dynamics technique. In particular, in this work, we used the 4D CMR to obtain the spatial domain and the boundary conditions needed to estimate the WSS within the entire thoracic aorta using computational fluid dynamics. Similar WSS distributions were found for cases simulated. A sensitivity analysis was done to check the accuracy of the method. 4D CMR begins to be a reliable tool to estimate the WSS within the entire thoracic aorta using computational fluid dynamics. The combination of both techniques may provide the ideal tool to help tackle these and other problems related to wall shear estimation.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Proyecto básico de acondicionamiento de la fachada litoral de la playa de la Garrofera. Propuesta de alternativa "Defensas Exentas. (T.M. Valencia)

[EN] Basic project for upgrading the opposite coast beach Garrofera alternative proposal "Defenses Exempt. (T. M. Valencia) is the title of Final Grade (TFG) The objective of this action is to improve the current situation, in which the section that is the subject of this basic project is in sharp decline due to factors that have changed the longshore transport of the beach due to the successive enlargements of the Port of Valencia , representing a total barrier and the construction of dams on the river Turia, which significantly reduces sediment supply. The alternative has been chosen by applying a multi-criteria analysis assessing the cost, environmental impact, aesthetics and functionality. This alternative involves the construction of a series of free half BMVE sea level in dams, this solution provides a shelter in the area of ¿¿the coast which generates shadow. The breakwaters will be constructed by the use of maritime resources, among which are the use of barges side discharge and a backhoe on both dredging barge that allows placement of riprap and changing the tool blade. The estimated construction duration is 123 days, in which both previous operations such as permit applications and authorizations to the realization of a precision bathymetry included.[CA] Projecte bàsic de condicionament del front litoral de la platja de la Garrofera Proposta d'alternativa "Defenses Exemptes. (T.M. València) és el títol del Treball Final de Grau (TFG) L'objectiu d'aquesta actuació és la millora de la situació actual, en què el tram que és objecte d'aquest projecte bàsic està en forta regressió a causa de factors que han variat el transport litoral de la platja a causa de les successives ampliacions del Port de València , el que suposa una barrera total ia la construcció de preses en la llera del riu Túria, la qual cosa redueix notablement l'aportació de sediments. L'alternativa ha estat escollida mitjançant l'aplicació d'una anàlisi multicriteri valorant els criteris de cost, impacte ambiental, estètica i funcionalitat. Aquesta alternativa consisteix en la construcció d'una sèrie de dics exempts a nivell mitjà del mar a BMVE, aquesta solució proporciona un abric a la zona de la costa a la qual genera ombra. Els dics exempts es construiran mitjançant l'ús de mitjans marítims, entre els quals destaquen l'ús de gànguils d'abocament lateral i d'una retroexcavadora sobre pontona que permet tant dragar com la col·locació d'escullera canviant-li el útil de la pala. La durada estimada de les obres serà de 123 dies, en les quals s'inclouen tant operacions prèvies com poden ser la sol·licitud de permisos i autoritzacions, fins a la realizacion d'una batimetria de precisió.[ES] Proyecto básico de acondicionamiento del frente litoral de la playa de la Garrofera Propuesta de alternativa "Defensas Exentas. (T.M. Valencia) es el título del Trabajo Final de Grado (TFG) El objetivo de esta actuación es la mejora de la situación actual, en la que el tramo que es objeto de este proyecto básico esta en fuerte regresión debido a factores que han variado el transporte litoral de la playa debido a las sucesivas ampliaciones del Puerto de Valencia , lo que supone una barrera total y a la construcción de presas en el cauce del rió Turia, lo cual reduce notablemente la aportación de sedimentos. La alternativa ha sido escogida mediante la aplicación de un análisis multicriterio valorando los criterios de coste, impacto ambiental, estética y funcionalidad. Dicha alternativa consiste en la construcción de una serie de diques exentos a nivel medio del mar en BMVE, esta solución proporciona un abrigo a la zona de la costa a la cual genera sombra. Los diques exentos se construirán mediante el empleo de medios marítimos, entre los que destacan el uso de gánguiles de vertido lateral y de una retroexcavadora sobre pontona que permite tanto dragar como la colocación de escollera cambiándole el útil de la pala. La duración estimada de las obras será de 123 dias, en las cuales se incluyen tanto operaciones previas como pueden ser la solicitud de permisos y autorizaciones, hasta la realización de una batimetría de precisión.Valero Castilla, E. (2016). Proyecto básico de acondicionamiento de la fachada litoral de la playa de la Garrofera. Propuesta de alternativa "Defensas Exentas. (T.M. Valencia). http://hdl.handle.net/10251/69902.Archivo delegad

Néstor O. Bianchi

Semblantearlo a Bianchi es tarea sencilla, casi cobarde, por la transparencia del hombre. Un hombre íntegro y genuino no puede dejar de ser transparente ya que nada oculta ni nada simula. Las cosas son como son y también lo es él delante de ellas. Bianchi dice lo que piensa sin preocuparse mucho con lo que puedan pensar los que lo escuchan. Para algunos, puede decir un escándalo, una incorrección ideológica, política o hasta ecológica (¡Horror!), pero él lo hace desde la inocencia del que no vislumbra el pecado por estar más allá del mismo.Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celula

Preferential associated anomalies in 818 cases of microtia in South america

The etiology of microtia remains unknown in most cases. The identification of patterns of associated anomalies (i.e., other anomalies that occur with a given congenital anomaly in a higher than expected frequency), is a methodology that has been used for research into the etiology of birth defects. We conducted a study based on cases of microtia that were diagnosed from more than 5 million live (LB)- and stillbirths (SB) examined in hospitals participating in ECLAMC (Latin American Collaborative Study of Congenital Malformations) between 1967 and 2009. We identified 818 LB and SB with microtia and at least one additional non-related major congenital anomaly (cases) and 15,969 LB and SB with two or more unrelated major congenital anomalies except microtia (controls). A logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the congenital anomalies preferentially associated with microtia. Preferential associations were observed for 10 congenital anomalies, most of them in the craniofacial region, including facial asymmetry, choanal atresia, and eyelid colobomata. The analysis by type of microtia showed that for anomalies such as cleft lip and palate, macrostomia, and limb reduction defects, the frequency increased with the severity of the microtia. In contrast, for other anomalies the frequency tended to be the same across all types of microtia. Based on these results we will integrate data on the developmental pathways related to preferentially associated congenital anomalies for future studies investigating the etiology of microtia.Fil: Luquetti, Daniela V.. University of Washington; Estados Unidos. Seattle Children’s Research Institute; Estados UnidosFil: Cox, Thimoty C.. Monash University; Australia. University of Washington; Estados UnidosFil: López Camelo, Jorge Santiago. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. CEMIC-CONICET. Centro de Educaciones Médicas e Investigaciones Clínicas "Norberto Quirno". CEMIC-CONICET.; ArgentinaFil: Dutra, Maria da Graça. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz; BrasilFil: Cunningham, Michael L.. University of Washington; Estados Unidos. Seattle Children’s Research Institute; Estados UnidosFil: Castilla, Eduardo Enrique. Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas “Norberto Quirno”; Argentina. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz; Brasil. Instituto Nacional de Genética Médica Populacional; Brasi

The impact of altitude on infant health in South America

Several studies report that altitude reduces birth weight. However, much remains unknown about effects in various altitude ranges and about the heterogeneity in altitude effects by fetal health endowments. This study estimates the effects of altitude in South America on the means and quantiles of birth weight and gestational age separately for two large samples born at altitude ranges of 5 to 1,280mand 1,854 to 3,600 m. The study finds significant negative altitude effects on birth weight and gestational age in the low-altitude sample and on birth weight in the high-altitude sample. Altitude effects are larger for infants with very low fetal health endowments. The study finds differences in the effects of several inputs such as socioeconomic status and maternal fertility history and health between the two altitude samples. The study highlights the importance of adverse altitude effects on infant health when evaluating the costs and returns of policies that change the number of individuals who reside at higher altitude in both low and high altitude ranges.Fil: Wehbya, George L.. University of Iowa; Estados UnidosFil: Castilla, Eduardo Enrique. Fundación Oswaldo Cruz; Brasil. Centro de Educación Medica E Invest.clinicas; ArgentinaFil: López Camelo, Jorge Santiago. Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas "Norberto Quirno"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular; Argentin