Adoption of GMHT Crops: Coexistence Policy Consequences in the European Union

Agricultural and Food Policy, Crop Production/Industries,

Anaerobic co-digestion of municipal sewage sludge and fruit/vegetable waste: effect of different mixtures on digester stability and methane yield

There are different options for the management of fruit and vegetable wastes (FVWs), but the most environmental-friendly is the anaerobic digestion, because it allows an optimum recovery of materials and energy from the two by-products: biogas and digestate. Nevertheless, in many cases there are economic and technical problems that cause the selection of other alternatives. Frequently these wastes are produced in large quantities but only during few weeks of the year. In these cases, this is the most important economic problem, because large digesters that would be used only for short time periods every year would be required. In addition, a close control of the pH of the digester is required for this kind of residues, for which the hydrolysis is usually faster than the methanogenesis, so large concentrations of fatty acids should be prevented to maintain the adequate pH value for anaerobic digestion that should be neutral or slightly alkaline. Both problems can be simultaneously overcome by the co-digestion with other residues that are produced throughout the year. Among the benefits of co-digestion, one of the most important is the improvement in the feedstock characteristics, since it may allow a more equilibrate composition resulting in a better performance of the digester in treatment capacity, and a better quality of biogas and digestate. The co-digestion with other substrates with a complementary composition that are produced throughout the year and that are already managed by anaerobic digestion is probably the optimum management option. For these cases, if the existing anaerobic digester is oversized and allows the introduction of additional volumes of wastes, the mean retention time of the digestate should be maintained. Therefore, the anaerobic co-digestion of fruit and vegetable waste (FVW) and municipal sewage sludge (MSS) under mesophilic condition and a constant hydraulic retention time (20 d) is studied. The effects on digester performance of the FVW:MSS ratio and the organic loading rate (OLR) were examined. The OLR is the mass of volatile solids fed per volume of digestate and day.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Smart zero carbon city readiness level: sistema de indicadores para el diagnostico de las ciudades en su camino hacia la descarbonizacion y su aplicacion en el Pais Vasco

Nowadays urban environments concentrate more than half the world’s population, reaching up to 70% on 2050 according to forecasts. This concentration implies that most of future challenges will take place in cities as well as the opportunities coming from their potential solutions. Current technological innovation can provide support in facing one of main challenges society is facing: reducing carbon footprint from our cities. This ambitious transition, steered by the Smart Zero Carbon City (SZCC) concept, needs a flexible characterisation method, which can be adapted to different kinds of cities to evaluate the main features of each city, hence proposing and prioritising most suitable interventions. The aim of this study is focused on the characterisation of cities according to the SZCC concept through a set of indicators: the Smart Zero Carbon City Readiness Level (SZCC Readiness Level), able to analyse key aspects of cities according to SZCC concept (Characteristics of the city; City plans and strategies; Energy; Mobility; Infrastructures and ICT services; Citizen Engagement). This characterisation enlightens the development of SZCC concept in the city, identifying its strengths and weaknesses in order to ease the alternatives’ selection towards decarbonisation, being handy at a time for those small and medium-sized municipalities, so common in the European context, which usually hold less resources than big capitals to implement decision-making support diagnoses. In order to validate this set of indicators, SZCC Readiness Level has been implemented in 5 Basque cities, which represent different urban typologies, analysing its current situation regarding SZCC concept.Los autores quieren expresar su profundo agradecimiento a las administraciones de Donostia-San Sebastián, Eibar, Irún, Sestao y Vitoria-Gasteiz por la estrecha colaboración e involucración de sus técnicos en la tarea. Del mismo modo, agradecer al Departamento de Medio Ambiente, Planificación Territorial y Vivienda del Gobierno Vasco, mediante la convocatoria Eraikal, y a la Comisión Europea, a través del proyecto SmartEnCity, por hacer posible este estudio

Dynamic behaviour of multi-terminal VSC-based HVDC after a converter outage: DC control strategy

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the effect of DC-voltage control strategy on dynamic behaviour of multi-terminal Voltage-Source Converter (VSC)-Based HVDC after a converter outage. In this paper, two dc voltage control strategies are considered: (i) standard voltage margin method (SVMM) and (ii) standard voltage-droop method (SVDM). The impact is evaluated in this paper using time-domain simulations on simple test system using DIgSILENT PowerFactory considering a sudden disconnection of a converter-station. Simulation results demonstrate how important is the dc-voltage control strategy and the location/number of dc-buses involved in the dc-voltage on the dynamic response of the MTDC systems. The voltage margin control is capable to survive a converter outage just if this converter is operating on constant power mode

Co-digestion of mixed sewage sludge and fruit and vegetables wastes effect of different mixtures on biogas yield

Disposal of fruit and vegetable wastes (FVWs) in landfill site cause serious environmental issues such as contamination of soil, air and ground water. These wastes contain large quantities of biodegradable organic fractions, with high moisture that facilitates their biological treatment. One of the best alternatives to landfill disposal of these wastes is the anaerobic digestion. Therefore, it is one of the most widespread stabilization processes of the sludge in municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). Introduction of FVW in WWTP and co-digestion with mixed sludge (MS) could enhance biogas production and plant economic feasibility. A lab-scale experiment for the anaerobic co-digestion of FVW and municipal mixed sludge under mesophilic condition and 20 days hydraulic retention time is investigated. Initially the digester was fed with mixed sludge (MS) from wastewater treatment plants with an average organic loading rate (OLR) of 0.63 (g L–1 d–1). The co-digestion of mixed sludge and FVW was performed at various organic loading ratios (OLRs), between 0.63 and 5.5 (g L–1 d–1). The experimental specific biogas and methane productions are 0.656 L g–1 and 0.340 L g–1 respectively. Alkalinity and pH remains relatively constant regardless the introduction of different proportions of FVW in the mixture. Co-digestion, compared with the digestion of MS as single substrate, improves the biogas and methane production.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Histología uretral y vaginal en algunas hembras de mamíferos

El análisis de las características histológicas de la uretra y la vagina en hembras de mamíferos es útil para entender la fisiología y la patología de procesos como la continencia urinaria, la cópula y el parto. En este contexto, las especies más estudiadas en cuanto a la organización tisular de la uretra y vagina son la rata y la coneja. Es necesario estudiar con más detalle la organización tisular de la vagina y uretra en diferentes especies con fines de comparación. Tal información permitiría entender la diversidad funcional y conductual asociada a estos órganos. El presente documento reúne, compara y discute la información existente sobre las características histológicas de la uretra y la vagina en algunas hembras de mamíferos destacando aquellas de la coneja, modelo utilizado por nuestro grupo de investigación para estudiar la fisiología reproductiva y urinaria femenina

New Perspectives for Electrodialytic Remediation

Electrodialytic remediation has been widely used for the recovery of different contaminants from numerous matrices, such as, for example, polluted soils, wastewater sludge, fly ash, mine tailing or harbour sediments. The electrodialytic remediation is an enhancement of the electrokinetic remediation technique, and it consists of the use of ion-exchange membranes for the control of the acid and the alkaline fronts generated in the electrochemical processes. While the standard electrodialytic cell is usually built with three-compartment configuration, it has been shown that for the remediation of matrices that require acid environment, a two-compartment cell has given satisfactory removal efficiencies with reduced energy costs. Recycling secondary batteries, with growing demand, has an increasing economic and environmental interest. This work focusses on the proposal of the electrodialytic remediation technique as a possible application for the recycling of lithium-ion cells and other secondary batteries. The recovery of valuable components, such as lithium, manganese, cobalt of phosphorous, based on current recycling processes and the characterization of solid waste is addressed.This work has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 778045. Paz-Garcia acknowledges the financial support from the University of Malaga, project: PPIT.UMA.B5.2018/17. Villen-Guzman acknowledges the funding from the University of Malaga for the postdoctoral fellowship PPIT.UMA.A.3.2.2018. Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

Electrodialytic Recovery of Cobalt from Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries

Contribución en congreso científicoRecycling lithium-ion batteries has an increasing interest for economic and environmental reasons. Disposal of lithium-ion batteries imposes high risk to the environment due to the toxicity of some of their essential components. In addition to this, some of these components, such as cobalt, natural graphite and phosphorus, are included in the list of critical raw materials for the European Union due to their strategic importance in the manufacturing industry. Therefore, in the recent years, numerous research studies have been focused on the development of efficient processes for battery recycling and the selective recuperation of these key components. LiCoO2 is the most common material use in current lithium-ion batteries cathodes. In the current work, an electrodialytic method is proposed for the recovery of cobalt from this kind of electrode. In a standard electrodialytic cell, the treated matrix is separated from the anode and the cathode compartments by means of ion-exchange membranes. A cation-exchange membrane (CEM) allows the passage of cations and hinders the passage of anions, while the behaviour of anion-exchange membrane (AEM) does the opposite. A three-compartment electrodialytic cell has been designed and assembled, as depicted in the figure. In the central compartment, a suspension of LiCoO2 is added. Different extracting agents, such as EDTA, HCl and HNO3, are tested to enhanced the dissolution and the selective extraction of the target metal. Dissolved cobalt-containing complexes migrate towards the cathode or the anode compartments depending on the ionic charge of the complexes. While cobalt extraction via extracting agents is an expensive treatment, as it requires the constant addition of chemicals, an efficient electrodialytic cell could allow the recirculation of the extracting agents and the economical optimization of the process.This work has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 778045. Paz-Garcia acknowledges the financial support from the University of Malaga, project: PPIT.UMA.B5.2018/17. Villen-Guzman acknowledges the funding from the University of Malaga for the postdoctoral fellowship PPIT.UMA.A.3.2.2018. Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

Eficacia de un programa de formación mediante la metodologia outdoor training para el desarrollo de la autoeficacia general en estudiantes universitarios

El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar los efectos de un programa de formación dirigido a estudiantes universitarios para la evaluación y desarrollo de la autoeficacia generalizada, mediante la metodología de formación Outdoor Training. Estudios previos evidencian la importancia de la autoeficacia en estudiantes universitarios dada sus relaciones con variables relevantes para el éxito académico como la procastinación y el aprendizaje autorregulado. En los últimos años ha crecido el interés por la educación basada en competencias (Goleman, 1998) y el uso de técnicas de aprendizaje experimental como el outdoor training (Chapman y Lumsdon, 1983). Para el desarrollo de la investigación se aseguró la confidencialidad de los datos y el carácter voluntario de la participación. Se utilizó un diseño ex post facto, se presentan los cambios que experimentaron en la autoeficacia general percibida antes y después de la aplicación del programa de intervención en el que se desarrollaron distintas actividades en el medio natural que supusieron un reto para los participantes con la intención de generar un proceso de evaluación sobre la autoeficacia generalizada. Los participantes fueron 80 estudiantes universitarios pertenecientes a la rama de Ciencias Sociales de la Universidad de Málaga a los que se les aplicó un instrumento para evaluar la autoeficacia general (Baessler and Schwarzer, 1996; Espada, Gonzálvez, Carballo y Piqueras, 2012) antes y después de su participación en el programa experiencial.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

An analysis of the evolving comoving number density of galaxies in hydrodynamical simulations

The cumulative comoving number-density of galaxies as a function of stellar mass or central velocity dispersion is commonly used to link galaxy populations across different epochs. By assuming that galaxies preserve their number-density in time, one can infer the evolution of their properties, such as masses, sizes, and morphologies. However, this assumption does not hold in the presence of galaxy mergers or when rank ordering is broken owing to variable stellar growth rates. We present an analysis of the evolving comoving number density of galaxy populations found in the Illustris cosmological hydrodynamical simulation focused on the redshift range $0\leq z \leq 3$. Our primary results are as follows: 1) The inferred average stellar mass evolution obtained via a constant comoving number density assumption is systematically biased compared to the merger tree results at the factor of $\sim$2(4) level when tracking galaxies from redshift $z=0$ out to redshift $z=2(3)$; 2) The median number density evolution for galaxy populations tracked forward in time is shallower than for galaxy populations tracked backward in time; 3) A similar evolution in the median number density of tracked galaxy populations is found regardless of whether number density is assigned via stellar mass, stellar velocity dispersion, or dark matter halo mass; 4) Explicit tracking reveals a large diversity in galaxies' assembly histories that cannot be captured by constant number-density analyses; 5) The significant scatter in galaxy linking methods is only marginally reduced by considering a number of additional physical and observable galaxy properties as realized in our simulation. We provide fits for the forward and backward median evolution in stellar mass and number density and discuss implications of our analysis for interpreting multi-epoch galaxy property observations.Comment: 18 pages, 11 figures, submitted to MNRAS, comments welcom