Analysis of Sport Supplement Consumption and Body Composition in Spanish Elite Rowers.

The aim of this study was to analyze the anthropometric characteristics and sport supplement (SS) consumption patterns of heavyweight and lightweight international rowers. Methods: The 13 heavyweights (11 males) and seven lightweights (five males) of the Spanish National Rowing Team were recruited for the study. Body composition was measured by bio-impedance analysis, and the questionnaire used in this investigation was previously validated to assess SS consumption. According to anthropometrics parameters, it was reported that male heavyweight rowers were heavier (p < 0.001) and taller (p < 0.001), but no statistical di erences were reported for % body fat (p = 0.104) or % lean body mass (p = 0.161). All rowers reported consumption of at least one SS. Based on the Australian Institute of Sport’s classification, higher medical supplement consumption was observed when comparing heavyweight rowers to lightweight rowers (2.5 1.1 vs. 1.7 0.5, p = 0.040). There were no di erences in the totals of group A (strong scientific evidence for sports scenarios, p = 0.069), group B (emerging scientific support, deserving of further research, p = 0.776), or group C (scientific evidence not supportive of benefit and/or security amongst athletes, p = 0.484). The six most consumed SSs were iron (85%), ca eine (85%), -alanine (85%), energy bars (85%), vitamin supplements (80%), and isotonic drinks (80%), with no statistical di erences between heavyweight and lightweight rowers (p > 0.05). These results suggest that the absence of di erences in body composition (expressed as a percentage) do not represent anthropometric disadvantages for heavyweight rowers. In addition, SS consumption was similar between rowers, reporting only higher medical supplement consumption in heavyweight rowers.post-print931 K

Systematic Simplified Simulation Methodology for Deep Energy Retrofitting Towards Nze Targets Using Life Cycle Energy Assessment

The reduction of energy consumption in the residential sector presents substantial potential through the implementation of energy e ciency improvement measures. Current trends involve the use of simulation tools which obtain the buildings’ energy performance to support the development of possible solutions to help reduce energy consumption. However, simulation tools demand considerable amounts of data regarding the buildings’ geometry, construction, and frequency of use. Additionally, the measured values tend to be di erent from the estimated values obtained with the use of energy simulation programs, an issue known as the ‘performance gap’. The proposed methodology provides a solution for both of the aforementioned problems, since the amount of data needed is considerably reduced and the results are calibrated using measured values. This new approach allows to find an optimal retrofitting project by life cycle energy assessment, in terms of cost and energy savings, for individual buildings as well as several blocks of buildings. Furthermore, the potential for implementation of the methodology is proven by obtaining a comprehensive energy rehabilitation plan for a residential building. The developed methodology provides highly accurate estimates of energy savings, directly linked to the buildings’ real energy needs, reducing the di erence between the consumption measured and the predictions

A spatio-temporal landslide inventory for the NW of Spain: BAPA database

A landslide database has been created for the Principality of Asturias, NW Spain: the BAPA (Base de datos de Argayos del Principado de Asturias – Principality of Asturias Landslide Database). Data collection is mainly performed through searching local newspaper archives. Moreover, a BAPA App and a BAPA website (http://geol.uniovi.es/BAPA) have been developed to obtain additional information from citizens and institutions. Presently, the dataset covers the period 1980–2015, recording 2063 individual landslides. The use of free cartographic servers, such as Google Maps, Google Street View and Iberpix (Government of Spain), combined with the spatial descriptions and pictures contained in the press news, makes it possible to assess different levels of spatial accuracy. In the database, 59% of the records show an exact spatial location, and 51% of the records provided accurate dates, showing the usefulness of press archives as temporal records. Thus, 32% of the landslides show the highest spatial and temporal accuracy levels. The database also gathers information about the type and characteristics of the landslides, the triggering factors and the damage and costs caused. Field work was conducted to validate the methodology used in assessing the spatial location, temporal occurrence and characteristics of the landslides.This research is funded by the Department of Employment, Industry and Tourism of the Government of Asturias, Spain, and the European Regional Development Fund FEDER, within the framework of the research grant "GEOCANTABRICA: Procesos geológicos modeladores del relieve de la Cordillera Cantábrica" (FC-15-GRUPIN14-044), and supported by the cooperation between the Department of Geology at the University of Oviedo and the AEMET

Gold Nanoparticles on Yttrium Modified Titania: Support Properties and Catalytic Activity

A series of titanium oxide catalysts modified with yttrium has been prepared by sol¿gel method and their structural properties have been studied. The incorporation of yttrium in the titania lattice favors the formation of oxygen vacancies while at low Y loadings the anatase structure is preserved. The catalytic activity of these solids for CO oxidation is found to be significantly dependent on their physical properties. In particular the amount of dopant controls the number of surface oxygen vacancies created as well as the gold particle size, which directly affects the catalytic activity. Also, a linear relationship between the catalytic activity and the band gap values, which depend on the Y loading, is observed. Density functional theory based calculations show that Y atoms are incorporated at the TiO2 surface at substitutional positions only, while the preferred oxygen vacancies arise by removing the bridge surface oxygen atoms. These O-vacancies are the preferential adsorption sites for Au atoms and nanoparticles, acting as nucleation centers that favor the dispersion of the catalyst active phase over the support surface. In agreement with experiment, Y doping is found to decrease the band gap of the support due to a destabilization of the valence band of the oxide.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación ENE2009-14522-C05-01, MAT2008-04918, CSD-00023Junta de Andalucía P08-FQM-0366

Building thermal storage technology: Compensating renewable energy fluctuations

Emerging technologies and new intelligent management systems will be needed to rise to the energy challenges posed by buildings today. Thermally activated building systems (TABS) are attracting growing interest on the back of their energy savings potential. The TABS studied in this article, a new prefabricated panel designed for installation in residential building façades, was characterised by the high thermal inertia afforded by the phase change materials in its composition. The design and assessment of the potential savings derived from TABS require specific characterisation methodologies to estimate the amount of useful energy available to control the indoor environment. A two-stage approach was adopted for the TABS studied here with ``ideal'' operating control (the building is assumed to be at a constant desired temperature). The first stage involved a simplified method for characterising system behaviour based on performance maps developed from CFD simulations. Such maps can be used to quickly assess changes in system energy performance following on variations in design and operating parameters. In the second, the TABS was integrated into a building with a simplified model to assess monthly energy demand to evaluate the system potential for energy savings in representative types of Spanish single-family housing in different climate zones. The first-stage findings showed that given the system significant inertia, it discharged for several days, even when charging occurred only on the first, ensuring a wide operating range adaptable to renewable resource limitations. The analysis of potential, in turn, revealed that savings of over 40% in heating demand are possible even under the least favourable circumstances.This study was funded by Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under the INPHASE (RTC-2015-3583-5) and DACAR (BIA2016-77431-C2-2-R), the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the University of Seville under its Research Plan VI (VPPI-US). Prof. Cabeza would like to thank the Catalan Government for the quality accreditation given to her research group GREiA (2017 SGR 1537). GREiA is certified agent TECNIO in the category of technology developers from the Government of Catalonia. This work is partially supported by ICREA under the ICREA Academia programme

Metallo-dielectric core-shell nanospheres as building blocks for optical three-dimensional isotropic negative-index metamaterials

Materials showing electromagnetic properties that are not attainable in naturally occurring media, so-called metamaterials, have been lately, and still are, among the most active topics in optical and materials physics and engineering. Among these properties, one of the most attractive ones is the subdiffraction resolving capability predicted for media having an index of refraction of -1. Here, we propose a fully three-dimensional, isotropic metamaterial with strong electric and magnetic responses in the optical regime, based on spherical metallo-dielectric core-shell nanospheres. The magnetic response stems from the lowest, magnetic-dipole resonance of the dielectric shell with a high refractive index, and can be tuned to coincide with the plasmon resonance of the metal core, responsible for the electric response. Since the response does not originate from coupling between structures, no particular periodic arrangement needs to be imposed. Moreover, due to the geometry of the constituents, the metamaterial is intrinsically isotropic and polarization independent. It could be realized with current fabrication techniques with materials such as silver (core) and silicon or germanium (shell). For these particular realistic designs, the metamaterials present a negative index in the range of 1.2-1.55 μm.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación CSD2008-00066, FIS2009- 11264Comunidad de Madrid MICROSERES P2009/TIC-147

Strain and temperature measurement discrimination with forward Brillouin scattering in optical fibers

A novel method that enables simultaneous and discriminative measurement of strain and temperature using one single optical fiber is presented. The method is based on the properties of transverse acoustic mode resonances (TAMRs) of the optical fiber. In particular, it is based on the different sensitivity to temperature and strain that exhibit the radial modes R(0,m) and a family of torsional-radial modes denoted as TR(1)(2,m). We show that the resonance frequencies of both types of resonances shift linearly with temperature and strain, but at different rates. By the combined use of the different sensitivities of the two families of TAMRs, we experimentally demonstrate discriminative measurements of strain and temperature. A detection limit of strain and temperature better than 25 με and 0.2 °C is achieved

High accuracy measurement of Poisson's ratio of optical fibers and its temperature dependence using forward-stimulated Brillouin scattering

Transverse acoustic mode resonances enable a high accuracy determination of Poisson's ratio and elastic properties of optical fibers. An all-optical pump and probe technique is used for efficient excitation and accurate characterization of both, radial and torsional-radial acoustic resonances of optical fibers. Simple and precise algebraic expressions for the frequencies of high order acoustic resonances are derived, enabling a rigorous analysis of the experimental data using standard least squares fitting. Following this approach, the determination of Poisson's ratio does not require the measurement of any physical length, but only frequency measurements are required. An accuracy better than 1 is achieved. The dependence of the fiber Poisson's ratio with temperature is also determined experimentally

Optimización de centrales de ciclo combinado con turbina de gas parcialmente regenerativa

El objetivo del presente artículo es el análisis y la optimización de una propuesta de ciclo combinado con turbina de gas parcialmente regenerativa y con calderas de recuperación de calor de dos y tres niveles de presión con recalentamiento. En la actualidad, la totalidad de los ciclos combinados instalados consisten en turbinas de gas de ciclo simple o de combustión secuencial, cuyo gas de escape se emplea para producir vapor en calderas de dos o tres niveles de presión, con la finalidad última de producir potencia en una turbina de vapor. Comercialmente no se han empleado turbinas de gas de ciclo regenerativo, debido a que la introducción de un regenerador introduce cierta complejidad en el ciclo y, aunque permite el ahorro combustible, también merma la producción de vapor por la disminución de la temperatura del gas a la entrada de la caldera. No obstante lo anterior, existen trabajos (por ejemplo [1]) en los que se demuestra la viabilidad termodinámica de las turbinas de gas de ciclo regenerativo en ciclos combinados. La configuración objeto de estudio (propuesta en [2]) consiste en la introducción de una regeneración parcial del aire proveniente del compresor con parte de los gases de escape de la turbina. El resto de la fracción másica de gases de escape se dirige a los intercambiadores de calor de mayor temperatura de la caldera de recuperación de calor (sobrecalentador de alta y recalentador, en su caso), manteniendo intacta la temperatura máxima alcanzable por el ciclo de vapor. Ambas corrientes se vuelven a mezclar antes de la entrada al evaporador de alta presión, continuando por el resto de intercambiadores (economizadores e intercambiadores del nivel de baja presión). Con objeto de comparar de forma homogénea las distintas configuraciones se procede a tres tipos de optimizaciones: (1) una optimización exclusivamente termodinámica, con el rendimiento térmico del ciclo como función a maximizar; (2) una optimización termodinámica limitando el tamaño de los equipos de transferencia de calor (regenerador + caldera de recuperación); y (3) una optimización termoeconómica minimizando el coste de producción.Los autores desean agradecer al Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad la financiación proporcionada al trabajo, a través del proyecto de Plan nacional de I+D+i ENE2012-37950-C02-01