Solar and biomass hybridization through hydrothermal carbonization

Hydrothermal carbonization process can transform wet bio-wastes into value-added products. This work aims to hybridize a concentrating solar technology and a biomass reactor for the continuous and sustainable valorization of biomass. The novel technology proposed integrates a linear beam-down solar field with a twin-screw reactor for continuous HTC process. The solar field consists of two reflections that concentrate linearly the sun energy on the ground, where the twin-screw reactor is placed. A mathematical model is proposed to solve both the heat transfer and HTC kinetics for a co-rotating twin-screw reactor. The incoming heat flux from the solar field (8-20 kW/m2), the reactor length (L/D = 30-60 where D is the diameter) and the rotating velocity of the screw (25-100 rpm) are the main variables used to process the biomass up to the desired severity factor. The simulation results of different lignocellulosic biomasses (loblolly pine, sugarcane bagasse, corn stover and rice husk) are validated against literature data. The developed model shows good agreement with experimental results shown in the literature. The proposed technology foresees hydrochar yields of 64-78% for severity factors of 4.2 and 5.3, respectively, in agreement to the experimental results of 63-70% shown in literature.The authors wish to thank “Comunidad de Madrid” for its support to the ACES2030-CM Project (S2018/EMT-4319) through the Program of R&D activities between research groups in Technologies 2018, co-financed by European Structural Funds. Also, the authors wish to thank the research project INTECSOLARIS-CM-UC3M, funded by the call “Programa de apoyo a la realización de proyectos interdisciplinares de I + D para jóvenes investigadores de la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid 2019–2020” under the frame of the “Convenio Plurianual Comunidad de Madrid - Universidad Carlos III de Madrid”

Yrityksen Tekes-rahoitteisen projektin tilintarkastus

Innovaatiorahoituskeskus Tekes rahoitti vuonna 2016 suomalaisten yritysten toteuttamia projekteja noin 467 miljoonalla eurolla. Useimpien Tekesin tarjoamien rahoituspalvelujen ehtona on rahoituksen tilityksen tarkistuttaminen auktorisoidulla tilintarkastajalla. Työn tavoitteena on tuottaa Tekes-rahoitteisten projektien tarkastusta varten osin tarkastusta ohjaava dokumentaatiopohja, tarjota opinnäytetyön raporttiosalla dokumentaatiopohjaa tukeva katsaus Tekes-rahoitteisten projektien tarkastukseen ja syventää kirjoittajan vielä kapeaa osaamista projektitarkastuksista. Opinnäytetyössä keskitytään Tekesin yrityksille tarjoamien rahoitusmuotojen tarkastuksen erityispiirteisiin eikä raporttia tai dokumentaatiopohjaa voida soveltaa julkisten toimijoiden projektien tarkastuksiin. Työ toteutettiin laatien teoriapohja tilintarkastuksen tavoitteista ja eri toimeksiannoista, julkisen rahoituksen ja Tekesin rooleista rahoittajana sekä niistä normeista ja sääntelyistä, jotka koskevat julkisen rahoituksen tilitysten tarkastusta. Teoriapohjan lisäksi tuotettiin luku Tekes-rahoitteisen projektin tarkastuksen teknisestä toteutuksesta osin Tekesin vuoden 2017 yleisten rahoitusehtojen ja tarkastusraporttipohjien sekä auktorisoidun tilintarkastajan ja Tekesin maksatuspalvelujohtajan haastattelujen pohjalta. Tämän osion rinnalla tuotettiin Tekes-rahoitteisten projektien tarkastuksia varten dokumentaatiopohja, joka koottiin kokonaisuudeksi raportin liitteisiin. Tekesin maksatuspalvelujohtaja Anne Kleemolan haastattelun tuloksena todettiin, etteivät Tekesin nykyiset tarkastusraporttipohjat huomioi erityisehtojen tarkastusta yhtä yksityiskohtaisesti, kuin tarkastusraporttipohjalla olevat muut tarkastuksessa huomioitavat seikat on huomioitu. Kleemola totesi tämän olevan hyödyllinen huomio ja tarkastusraporttipohjiin mahdollisesti kehitettävä asia. Koska toimeksiantajalle tuotetusta dokumentaatiopohjasta syntyi selkeä runko Tekes-rahoitteisen projektin tarkastukselle, projektitarkastuksien osalta koettiin oman osaamisen syventyneen ja yhteydenotto Tekesiin koettiin myös heidän osaltaan hyödylliseksi, opinnäytetyön voidaan todeta täyttäneen tavoitteensa

Role of leaf hydraulic conductance in the regulation of stomatal conductance in almond and olive in response to water stress

11 páginas..-- 5 figuras.-- 1 tablas.-- 55 referencias.-- We thank A. Montero for field work assistance, J. Perez Hormaeche for helping us with the VD images analysis and T. Brodribb and J.M. Torres-Ruiz for discussion.The decrease of stomatal conductance (gs) is one of the prime responses to water shortage and the main determinant of yield limitation in fruit trees. Understanding the mechanisms related to stomatal closure in response to imposed water stress is crucial for correct irrigation management. The loss of leaf hydraulic functioning is considered as one of the major factors triggering stomatal closure. Thus, we conducted an experiment to quantify the dehydration response of leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf) and its impact on gs in two Mediterranean fruit tree species, one deciduous (almond) and one evergreen (olive). Our hypothesis was that a higher Kleaf would be associated with a higher gs and that the reduction in Kleaf would predict the reduction in gs in both species. We measured Kleaf in olive and almond during a cycle of irrigation withholding. We also compared the results of two methods to measure Kleaf: dynamic rehydration kinetics and evaporative flux methods. In addition, determined gs, leaf water potential (Ψleaf), vein density, photosynthetic capacity and turgor loss point. Results showed that gs was higher in almond than in olive and so was Kleaf (Kmax = 4.70 and 3.42 mmol s-1 MPa-1 m-2, in almond and olive, respectively) for Ψleaf > -1.2 MPa. At greater water stress levels than -1.2 MPa, however, Kleaf decreased exponentially, being similar for both species, while gs was still higher in almond than in olive. We conclude that although the Kleaf decrease with increasing water stress does not drive unequivocally the gs response to water stress, Kleaf is the variable most strongly related to the gs response to water stress, especially in olive. Other variables such as the increase in abscisic acid (ABA) may be playing an important role in gs regulation, although in our study the gs-ABA relationship did not show a clear pattern..This work was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (research project AGL2009-11310/AGR). V.H.-S. benefited from a Juan de la Cierva research fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and C.M.R.-D. benefited from a FPDI research fellowship from the Junta de Andalucí

The dynamics of radial sap flux density reflects changes in stomatal conductance in response to soil and air water deficit

10 páginas.-- 7 figuras.-- 1 tabla.-- 53 referenciasWater scarcity in semiarid regions of Europe threatens the sustainability of fruit tree orchards unless irrigation water is optimized and scheduled in deficit irrigation strategies. Stomatal conductance (gs) is one of the best indicators of plant water stress, since it is placed in the crossroad between water and CO2 fluxes at the leaf level. Unfortunately, it is not possible to measure gs automatically and continuously, which reduces its potential for irrigation scheduling. In this work we examined the use of sap flux density (Js) in the outer rings of the sapwood of olive trees as a surrogate of gs. The working hypothesis was that as olive trees are well-coupled to atmosphere because of their small leaves, the ratio of Js to air vapor pressure deficit (D) should correlate well with the dynamics of gs in the canopy. It was also expected that current year, sun exposed leaves were mainly connected to the outer rings of the sapwood, and the oldest, shaded leaves to the inner rings. This was tested by measuring gs in new, sun-exposed leaves vs gs in old, shaded leaves. Both hypotheses were contrasted and our results confirmed that gs can be estimated from Js/D (R2 of the relationships were always higher than 0.8). A wide range of estimated gs values (0.350-0.025molm-2s-1) were derived from Js measurements in an olive orchard under three different irrigation regimes. Results were satisfactory and open the possibility of applying this method to estimate gs and use it either as a reliable water stress indicator or in transpiration and photosynthesis models applied to fruit tree orchards under a wide range of water stress conditions.This experiment was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, research project AGL2009-11310/AGR and by the Consejería de Economía, Innovación, Ciencia y Empleo, Junta de Andalucía (research project AGR-6456). Dr. Hernandez-Santana benefited from a Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral research fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. Thanks are due to the owners of Internacional Olivarera, S.A.U. (Interoliva), for allowing us to make the experiments in the Sanabria orchard.Peer reviewe

Evaluation of the corrosion protection of steel by anodic processing in metasilicate solution using the scanning vibrating electrode technique

Anodic processing in metasilicate solution was investigated for the improvement of the corrosion resistance of various steels, namely F111 low alloy carbon and 304 stainless steels, as well as on galvanized steel cut edges. The efficiency of the prior electrochemical treatment for each material was tested during their exposure to naturally-aerated aqueous chloride solutions of different aggressiveness. Analysis was performed using the scanning vibrating electrode technique (SVET) in order to detect local ionic current distributions over the samples under study associated to the corrosion reactions. The onset of corrosion processes were greatly inhibited after anodic processing with metasilicate on both the low alloy carbon steel and the galvanized steel cut edge. Conversely, SVET analysis of unbiased 304 steel samples tested in 0.1 M chloride-containing solution did not show differences between pristine and metasilicate-treated surfaces. Differences in the electrochemical reactivity between treated and non-treated 304 steel surfaces were only observed after partial removal of the corresponding passive layers under operator-controlled polarization

Development of new mathematical models for the estimation of atmospheric corrosion rates in subtropical environments

In this communication we report an investigation on the mathematical modelling of atmospheric corrosion rates in archipelagic subtropical environments based on the variability of environmental parameters related to both weather factors and pollutant distributions. Experimental data describing the degradation of carbon steel were collected over 3 years from 74 test sites distributed along the seven islands that form the Canary Islands (Spain). The main parameters introduced in the models were the deposition rates for chloride and sulphur dioxide, time of wetness and exposure time. A set of qualitative variables was introduced to account for the variations occurring at different sites at early exposures as to characterize their initial local characteristics. The impact of the new parameters was evaluated from the models, and good fitting correlations between experimental and estimated data have been achieve

Child health promotion in underserved communities: The FAMILIA trial

Background: Preschool-based interventions offer promise to instill healthy behaviors in children, which can be a strategy to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease later. However, their efficacy in underserved communities is not well established. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a preschool-based health promotion educational intervention in an underserved community. Methods: This cluster-randomized controlled study involved 15 Head Start preschools in Harlem, New York. Schools and their children were randomized 3:2 to receive either a 4-month (50 h) educational intervention to instill healthy behaviors in relation to diet, physical activity, body/heart awareness, and emotion management; or their standard curriculum (control). The primary outcome was the change from baseline in the overall knowledge, attitudes, and habits (KAH) score of the children at 5 months. As secondary outcomes, we evaluated the changes in KAH subcomponents and emotion comprehension. Linear mixed-effects models were used to test for intervention effects. Results: The authors enrolled 562 preschool children age 3 to 5 years, 51% female, 54% Hispanic/Latino, and 37% African-American. Compared with the control group, the mean relative change from baseline in the overall KAH score was ∼2.2 fold higher in the intervention group (average absolute difference of 2.86 points; 95% confidence interval: 0.58 to 5.14; p = 0.014). The maximal effect was observed in children who received >75% of the curriculum. Physical activity and body/heart awareness components, and knowledge and attitudes domains, were the main drivers of the effect (p values <0.05). Changes in emotion comprehension trended toward favoring intervened children. Conclusions: This multidimensional school-based educational intervention may be an effective strategy for establishing healthy behaviors among preschoolers from a diverse and socioeconomically disadvantaged community. Early primordial prevention strategies may contribute to reducing the global burden of cardiovascular disease. (Family-Based Approach in a Minority Community Integrating Systems-Biology for Promotion of Health [FAMILIAThis study is funded by the American Heart Association under grant No. 14SFRN20490315. The CNIC is supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades and the Pro CNIC Foundation, and is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (SEV-2015-0505). Dr. Fernandez-Jimenez is a recipient of funding from the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 707642. Dr. Bansilal is an employee of Bayer Pharmaceutical

Severe Plasmodium vivax Malaria, Brazilian Amazon

We describe a case series of 17 patients hospitalized in Manaus (western Brazilian Amazon) with PCR-confirmed Plasmodium vivax infection who were treated with chloroquine and primaquine. The major complications were jaundice and severe anemia. No in vivo chloroquine resistance was detected. These data help characterize the clinical profile of severe P. vivax malaria in Latin America

Discovery of optical outflows and inflows in the black hole candidate GRS 1716-249

We present optical spectroscopy obtained with the GTC, VLT and SALT telescopes during the decline of the 2016-2017 outburst of the black hole candidate GRS 1716-249 (Nova Oph 1993). Our 18-epoch data set spans 6 months and reveals that the observational properties of the main emission lines are very variable, even on time scales of a few hours. Several epochs are characterised by P-Cyg (as well as flat-top and asymmetric) profiles in the H$\alpha$, H$\beta$ and He II ($\lambda$4686) emission lines, implying the presence of an accretion disc wind, which is likely hot and dense. The wind's terminal velocity ($\sim$2000 km s$^{-1}$) is similar to that observed in other black hole X-ray transients. These lines also show transient and sharp red-shifted absorptions, taking the form of inverted P-Cyg profiles. We argue that these profiles can be explained by the presence of infalling material at $\sim$1300 km s$^{-1}$. We propose a failed wind scenario to explain this inflow and discuss other alternatives, such as obscuration produced by an accretion-related structure (e.g. the gas stream) in a high inclination system.Comment: Published in MNRAS main journa

Revista de Vertebrados de la Estación Biológica de Doñana

The Osteology of Barbus bocagei (Steindachner, 1866) (Pisces: Cyprinidae).El crecimiento del Cacho (Leuciscus cephalus pyraenaicus Günther, 1862) en el rio Jarama (cuenca del Tajo)Contribución al estudio de la bermejuela, Rutilus arcasi, Steindachner 1866 de la cuenca del Júcar (Osteichthyes: Cyprinidae) 1. MorfometríaDimensiones, estructura, forma y disposición en la cavidad de los nidos de Corvus monedula.Variaciones altitudinales en la composición de las comunidades nidificantes de aves de Sierra Nevada (Sur de España)Ecomorfología de una comunidadde Passeriformes en la Sierra de Cazorla, SE de EspañaLa Distribución del pez-sol (Lepolllis gibbostlS L.) en la Península IbéricaSobre la distribución de Barbus haasi (OSTARIOPHYSI: CYPRINIDAE)La Distribución de Barbus bocagei STEINDACHNER, 1865 (OSTARIOPHYSI: CYPRINIDAE) en la Península IbéricaLighy effects on circadian locomotor activity of Lacerta lepida under constant temperatureEvaluación de diferentes métodos para estimar el área de campeo de dos especies de iguánidos.Un Casal de Cartaxo-Nottenho (Saxicola rubetra) a criar em Portugal.Nidificación de Passer hispaniolensis en antiguos nidos de Dendrocopos major thanneri.Observación de un lince ibérico (Lynx pardina) en la provincia de Lugo. Norte de España.El Visón americano, Mustela vison SCHREBER, 1777 (MAMMALIA, MUSTELIDAE) en Cataluña, N.E. de la Península Ibérica.Peer reviewe