Optimization of the sizing of a solar thermal electricity plant: mathematical programming versus genetic algorithms

Genetic algorithms (GAs) have been argued to constitute a flexible search thereby enabling to solve difficult problems which classical optimization methodologies may find hard to solve. This paper is intended towards this direction and show a systematic application of a GA and its modification to solve a real-world optimization problem of sizing a solar thermal electricity plant. Despite the existence of only three variables, this problem exhibits a number of other common difficulties-black-box nature of solution evaluation, massive multi-modality, wide and non-uniform range of variable values, and terribly rugged function landscape-which prohibits a classical optimization method to find even a single acceptable solution. Both GA implementations perform well and a local analysis is performed to demonstrate the optimality of obtained solutions. This study considers both classical and genetic optimization on a fairly complex yet typical real-world optimization problems and demonstrates the usefulness and future of GAs in applied optimization activities in practice

Results on main elasmobranch species captured during the 2001-2011 Porcupine Bank (NE Atlantic) bottom trawl surveys

This working document presents the results on nine of the most important elasmobranch species of the Porcupine bank Spanish surveys during the last decade (2001-2011). The shark species more abundant in these surveys in biomass terms were blackmouth catshark (Galeus melastomus), birdbeak dogfish (Deania calcea), Knifetooth dogfish (Scymnodon ringens), velvet belly lantern shark (Etmopterus spinax), lesser spotted dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula) and bluntnose sixgill shark (Hexanchus griseus); while sandy ray (Leucoraja circularis), cuckoo ray (Leucoraja naevus) and common skate (Dipturus spp. / Dipturus cf. flossada) were the more frequent Rajidae. Biomass, distribution and length ranges were analysed. Many of these species occupy mainly the deep areas covered in the survey, especially D. calcea and S. ringens.Versión del edito

Results on main elasmobranch species captured during the 2001-2013 Porcupine Bank (NE Atlantic) bottom trawl surveys

This working document presents the results on the most significant elasmobranch species of the Porcupine Bank Spanish surveys in 2013. The main species in biomass terms in this survey were Galeus melastomus (blackmouth catshark), Deania calcea (birdbeak dogfish), Deania profundorum (arrowhead dogfish), Scyliorhinus canicula (lesser spotted dogfish), Scymnodon ringens (Knifetooth dogfish), Etmopterus spinax (velvet belly lantern shark), Dalatias licha (Kitefin shark) Hexanchus griseus (bluntnose sixgill shark), Leucoraja circularis (sandy ray), Leucoraja naevus (cuckoo ray), Dipturus nidarosiensis (Norwegian skate) and Dipturus spp. / Dipturus cf. flossada / Dipturus cf. intermedia (common skate). Biomass, distribution and length ranges were analysed. Many of these species occupy mainly the deep areas covered in the survey, especially D. calcea, D. profundorum and S. ringens

Results on main elasmobranch species from 2001 to 2021 Porcupine Bank (NE Atlantic) bottom trawl surveys

This working document presents the results of the most significant elasmobranch species caught on the Porcupine Spanish Groundfish Survey (SP-PORC-Q3) in 2021. Biomass and abundance index, distribution and length frequency information is presented for Galeus melastomus (blackmouth catshark), Deania calcea (birdbeak dogfish), Deania profundorum (arrowhead dogfish), Scymnodon ringens (knifetooth dogfish), Scyliorhinus canicula (lesser spotted dogfish), Etmopterus spinax (velvet belly lantern shark), Dalatias licha (kitefin shark), Hexanchus griseus (bluntnose sixgill shark), Dipturus nidarosiensis (Norwegian skate), Dipturus batis (common skate), Dipturus intermedius (common skate), Leucoraja circularis (sandy ray) and Leucoraja naevus (cuckoo ray), Squalus acanthias (picked dogfish), Raja clavata (thornback ray) and Raja montagui (spotted ray). In 2021 the biomass of G. melastomus, D. calcea, S. ringens, D. licha, S. acanthias, L. naevus, L. circularis and D. batis increased, whereas it decreased for D. nidarosiensis, H. griseus, S. canicula and E. spinax. Signs of recruitment were found for G. melastomus, D. calcea, S. ringens, D. licha, D. nidarosiensis and D. batis. Only a few specimens of R. clavata, R. montagui, Centroscymnus coelolepis, Oxynotus paradoxus, Centroscymnus crepidater, Apristurus laurussonii, Galeus murinus and Centrophorus squamosus were caught. The species Centroscyllium fabricii and Neoraja caerulea were captured for the first time in the survey. The species D. profundorum and D. intermedius, with regular presence in the historical series, were not found in 2021 survey

Results on main elasmobranches species from 2001 to 2020 Porcupine Bank (NE Atlantic) bottom trawl surveys

This working document presents the results of the most significant elasmobranch species caught on the Porcupine Spanish Groundfish Survey (SP-PORC-Q3) in 2020. Biomass, abundance, distribution and length frequency were analysed for Galeus melastomus (blackmouth catshark), Deania calcea (birdbeak dogfish), Deania profundorum (arrowhead dogfish), Scymnodon ringens (knifetooth dogfish), Scyliorhinus canicula (lesser spotted dogfish), Etmopterus spinax (velvet belly lantern shark), Dalatias licha (kitefin shark), Hexanchus griseus (bluntnose sixgill shark), Dipturus nidarosiensis (Norwegian skate), Dipturus batis (common skate), Dipturus intermedius (common skate), Leucoraja circularis (sandy ray) and Leucoraja naevus (cuckoo ray), Squalus acanthias (picked dogfish) and Raja clavata (thornback ray). In 2020 the biomass of D. calcea, S. ringens, D. nidarosiensis, H. griseus and D. licha increased, whereas it decreased for G. melastomus, S. canicula, E. spinax and L. circularis. Signs of recruitment were found for S. ringens and E. spinax. Only a few specimens of S. acanthias, D. profundorum, R. clavata, D. batis, L. naevus and D. intermedius were captured. The species R. montagui, with regular presence in the historical series, was not found in 2020 survey

Microwave-driven synthesis of bisphosphonate nanoparticles allows in vivo visualisation of atherosclerotic plaque

A fast and reproducible microwave-driven process has allowed us to synthesise neridronate-functionalised nanoparticles. Contrary to tradition, the phosphate groups decorate the outside layer of the particles providing Ca2+ binding properties in vitro and selective accumulation in vivo in the atheroma plaque. In vivo and ex vivo detection by T2-weighted MRI is demonstrated and validated by histology. The accumulation in the plaque takes place in less than one hour following the intravenous injection, which is particularly suitable for clinical applications