The mOxy-CaL Process: Integration of Membrane Separation, Partial Oxy-combustion and Calcium Looping for CO2 Capture

CO2 capture and storage (CCS) is considered as a key strategy in the short to medium term to mitigate global warming. The Calcium-Looping process, based on the reversible carbonation/calcination of CaO particles, is a promising technology for post-combustion CO2 capture because of the low cost and non-toxicity of natural CaO precursors and the minor energy penalty on the power plant in comparison with amines capture based technologies (4-9 % compared to 8-12 %). Another interesting process to reduce CO2 emissions in power plants is oxy-combustion, which is based on replacing the air used for combustion by a highly concentrated (~95 % v/v) O2 stream. This work proposes a novel process (mOxy-CaL) for post-combustion CO2 capture based on the integration of membrane separation, partial oxy-combustion and the Calcium-Looping process. An oxygenenriched air stream, which is obtained from air separation by using highly permeable polymeric membranes, is used to carry out partial oxy-combustion. The flue gas exiting partial oxy-combustion shows a CO2 concentration of ~30 % v/v (higher than 15 % v/v typical in coal power plants). After that, the flue gas is passed to the CaL process where the CO2 reacts with CaO solids according to the carbonation reaction. Thermogravimetric analysis show that the multicycle CaO conversion is enhanced as the CO2 concentration in the flue gas stream is increased. Process simulations show that the mOxy-CaL process has a high CO2 capture efficiency (~95%) with lower energy consumption per kg of CO2 avoided than previously proposed post-combustion CO2 capture technologies. Moreover, the overall system size is significantly lower that state-of-the-art CaL systems, which allows for an important reduction in the capital cost of the technology

Engagement of politicians and citizens in the cyber campaign on Facebook: a comparative analysis between Mexico and Spain

Producción CientíficaThis study explores the use of Facebook by political actors in election campaigns, establishing the extent to which candidates, parties and citizens engaged in online participation through different online tools provided by this social networking site. A comparative content analysis of the Facebook pages of the main candidacies in the election campaigns in Spain (Castilla y León) and Mexico (Nuevo León) in 2015 was carried out. The results reveal a positive relationship between types of engagement, especially in the Mexican campaign, where politicians and users score systematically higher in all variables measuring engagement. However, results also indicate that the citizen engagement was of higher quality/ intensity in the Spanish campaign

Empirical and numerical analysis of an opaque ventilated facade with windows openings under Mediterranean climate conditions

In recent years, there has been growing concern regarding energy efficiency in the building sector with energy requirements increasing worldwide and now responsible for about 40% of final energy consumption in Europe. Previous research has shown that ventilated façades help to reduce energy use when cooling buildings in hot and temperate climates. Of the different ventilated façade configurations reported in the literature, the configuration of ventilated façade with window rarely has been studied, and its 3D thermodynamic behavior is deserving of further analysis and modeling. This paper examines the thermal behavior of an opaque ventilated façade with a window, in experimentally and numerical terms and its impact in energy savings to get indoor comfort. Field measurements were conducted during the winter, spring and summer seasons of 2021 using outdoor full scale test cells located in Seville (southern Spain). The modeling of the ventilated façade was carried out using a three-dimensional approach taking into account the 3D behavior of the air flow in the air cavity due to the presence of the window. The validation and comparison process using experimental data showed that the proposed model provided good results from quantitative and qualitative point of view. The reduction of the heat flux was assessed by comparing the energy performance of a ventilated façade with that of an unventilated façade. Both experimental and numerical results showed that the ventilated façade provided a reduction in annual total energy consumption when compared to the unventilated façade, being compensated the winter energy penalization by the summer energy savings. This reduction is about 21% for the whole typical climatic year showing the ability of the opaque ventilated façade studied to reduce energy consumption to insure indoor comfort, making its suitable for use in retrofitting the energy-obsolete building stock built in Spain in the middle decades of the 20 century

TRABAJO INFORMAL Y ECONOMÍA INFORMAL EN MÉXICO. UN ACERCAMIENTO TEÓRICO

This article aims to show the results of the review of relevant literature of informal work and the informal economy in Mexico between 2002 and 2010. The method used to evaluate the literature was based on the seven steps for synthesis research: problem formulation, literature search, obtaining information, assessing the quality of studies, analysis and integration of results, interpretation of evidence and presentation of results. Were evaluated eleven different national and international studies of government and educational institutions. The findings suggest that the informal economy is of varied elements that make it a complex problem, whose recent emergence as a social and economic problem has caused the attention of the sectors involved

Current-Mode Techniques for the Implementation of Continuous- and Discrete-Time Cellular Neural Networks

This paper presents a unified, comprehensive approach to the design of continuous-time (CT) and discrete-time (DT) cellular neural networks (CNN) using CMOS current-mode analog techniques. The net input signals are currents instead of voltages as presented in previous approaches, thus avoiding the need for current-to-voltage dedicated interfaces in image processing tasks with photosensor devices. Outputs may be either currents or voltages. Cell design relies on exploitation of current mirror properties for the efficient implementation of both linear and nonlinear analog operators. These cells are simpler and easier to design than those found in previously reported CT and DT-CNN devices. Basic design issues are covered, together with discussions on the influence of nonidealities and advanced circuit design issues as well as design for manufacturability considerations associated with statistical analysis. Three prototypes have been designed for l.6-pm n-well CMOS technologies. One is discrete-time and can be reconfigured via local logic for noise removal, feature extraction (borders and edges), shadow detection, hole filling, and connected component detection (CCD) on a rectangular grid with unity neighborhood radius. The other two prototypes are continuous-time and fixed template: one for CCD and other for noise removal. Experimental results are given illustrating performance of these prototypes

Protección de los recursos turísticos: análisis del marco normativo general en el ordenamiento jurídico español

En el presente trabajo pretendemos abordar la complejidad de los recursos turísticos, en su diversa tipología, analizando los principios y objetivos que el ordenamiento establece, especialmente, para las Administraciones públicas. La complejidad de recursos turísticos, de naturaleza muy diversa, y la dispersión normativa inciden directamente en la gestión pública de los mencionados recursos.In the present article we try to approach the complexity of the tourist resources, in their diverse typology, analyzing the principles and aims that the Law establishes, specially, for the public Administrations. The complexity of tourist resources, of very diverse nature, and the normative dispersion they affect directly in the public management of the mentioned resources

The Calcium-Looping (CaCO3/CaO) Process for Thermochemical Energy Storage in Concentrating Solar Power Plants

Articulo aceptado por la revista. * No publicado aún [28-06-2019]Energy storage based on thermochemical systems is gaining momentum as potential alternative to molten salts in Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plants. This work is a detailed review about the promising integration of a CaCO3/CaO based system, the so-called Calcium-Looping (CaL) process, in CSP plants with tower technology. The CaL process relies on low cost, widely available and non-toxic natural materials (such as limestone or dolomite), which are necessary conditions for the commercial expansion of any energy storage technology at large scale. A comprehensive analysis of the advantages and challenges to be faced for the process to reach a commercial scale is carried out. The review includes a deep overview of reaction mechanisms and process integration schemes proposed in the recent literature. Enhancing the multicycle CaO conversion is a major challenge of the CaL process. Many lab-scale analyses carried out show that residual effective CaO conversion is highly dependent on the process conditions and CaO precursors used, reaching values as different as 0.07-0.82. The selection of the optimal operating conditions must be based on materials, process integration, technology and economics aspects. Global plant efficiencies over 45% (without considering solar-side losses) show the interest of the technology. Furthermore, the technological maturity and potential of the process is assessed. The direction towards which future works should be headed is discussed.Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad CTQ2014-52763-C2, CTQ2017- 83602-C2 (-1-R and -2-R)Unión Europea Horizon 2020 Grant agreement No 727348, project SOCRATCES

Crisis global, salud y enfermedad : dimensiones contemporáneas en la agenda de la salud pública

En el escenario de una sociedad que apunta a la consecución del bienestar y la seguridad, la política sanitaria continúa siendo de vital importancia, tal y como lo han reconocido múltiples organizaciones de cooperación técnica y financiera, y la mayoría de los gobiernos en todo el mundo. De manera global, los retos en materia sanitaria, nuevos o viejos, implican actualmente la lucha permanente frente a la emergencia y la reemergencia de condiciones derivadas de la transición epidemiológica. No obstante, este desafiante escenario se ve alterado por una serie de factores, antiguamente considerados como lejanos a las políticas sanitarias, que ahora juegan un papel determinante en el momento de su formulación y puesta en marcha. Con el advenimiento y desarrollo acelerado de la biotecnología y la genética, por ejemplo, los problemas que anteriormente ocupaban una dimensión individual se han trasladado a un campo del dominio público y ahora forman parte de las discusiones en salud pública, exigiendo para su comprensión la presencia de múltiples disciplinas de las ciencias sociales, en particular, de la historia, la antropología, el derecho y la filosofía. En el fondo, las exigencias en la construcción de las políticas públicas en materia sanitaria giran en torno a la dinámica cambiante y compleja de los conceptos de salud y enfermedad, conjugados ahora con aspectos problemáticos en torno al multiculturalismo, la justicia ambiental, la información, los derechos humanos y la educación. En un ambiente global que, en los últimos años, se preocupa más por la intervención bélica y la lucha frente al terrorismo, todos estos aspectos han adquirido una mayor relevancia. Este documento pretende explorar cada una de estas dimensiones y su relación determinante en el terreno de la salud pública, una situación especialmente neurálgica en aquellos países con sociedades y economías debilitadas por los conflictos sociales y la pobreza.In the sight of a society which points to the consecution of well–being and security, the sanitary policy is still of vital importance, as multiple organizations of financial and technical cooperation and the majority of governments around the world have recognized. Globally, the challenges in sanitary matters, novel or old, nowadays involve the permanent struggle facing the emergence and reemergence of conditions derived from the epidemiological transition. Nevertheless, this challenging sight is altered by various factors, formerly considered distant to sanitary policies, which now play a determinant role at the time of their formulation and execution. With the advent and the accelerated development of biotechnology and genetics for example, some problems previously occupied by an individual dimension, have been transferred to a field of public domain, demanding for their comprehension the presence of multiple social science disciplines, in particular of history, anthropology, law and philosophy. Profoundly, the requirements needed in the construction of public policies in regard to sanitary matters revolve around the changing and complex dynamics of the health and illness concept, conjugated now with problematic aspects around multiculturalism, environmental justice, information, human rights and education. In a global environment more preoccupied lately by a bellicose intervention and the struggle against terrorism, all these aspects have acquired major relevance. This document pretends to explore each of these dimensions and their determinant relationship in the public health field, a special key situation in those countries with societies and economies weakened by social conflicts and poverty.N/

Diferencia, igualdad e idoneidad : una aproximación al proyecto multicultural del sistema sanitario colombiano

Posterior a la reforma constitucional de 1991 y a la reforma del sistema sanitario colombiano en 1993, se han generado múltiples interrogantes en torno a la adaptabilidad real del sistema en contextos multiculturales. Hasta el momento, la “diferencia cultural” se justifica o se confunde en función de la “clase” y la precariedad, dando paso a los tratamientos de “igualación simple”; las relaciones entre el Estado y las minorías (y entre ellas mismas) son limitadas, y la coexistencia de la experiencia tradicional y la occidental bajo el mismo modelo sanitario es una opción lejana, vista desde la “idoneidad” de las prácticas que exige el sistema. Este documento pretende analizar la forma en que se ha estructurado la noción de universalidad y diferencia en Colombia a partir de la reforma sanitaria, frente a la desafiante tarea de la construcción de una democracia cultural, determinando los aspectos que han regido su curso durante los últimos quince años.Q449-6

Geminivirus C2 protein represses genes involved in sulphur assimilation and this effect can be counteracted by jasmonate treatment

Geminiviruses are plant viruses that infect a broad range of crops and cause extensive losses worldwide, having an important economic impact. C2, a multifunctional pathogenicity factor encoded by geminiviruses, has been recently shown to suppress the responses to jasmonates in the host plant, which might at least partially explain its well-established role in pathogenicity. Sulphur is one of the essential macro-elements for plant life, and is considered to have a role in plant defence, in a phenomenon named sulphur-induced resistance (SIR) or sulphur-enhanced defence (SED). In this work, we show that geminivirus C2 protein represses the expression of genes involved in the sulphur assimilation pathway in Arabidopsis, but, interestingly, this effect can be neutralized by exogenous jasmonate treatment. These preliminary results may raise the idea that geminiviruses might be affecting sulphur metabolism, and maybe counteracting SIR/SED, through the manipulation of the jasmonate signalling pathway, which would define a novel strategy in plant-virus interactions and may unveil SIR/SED as an important player in the plant defence against viruses.Ministerio de Ciencia y Innovación/FEDER AGL2007-66062-C02-02/AGR AGL2010-22287-CO2European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) BIO2010-15201Junta de Andalucía BIO­27