Thermal characterization of urban heat island (UHI) according to urban morphology of Madrid

Present research is framed within the project MODIFICA (MODelo predictivo - edIFIcios - Isla de Calor Urbana) aimed at developing a predictive model for dwelling energy performance under the urban heat island effect in order to implement it in the evaluation of real energy demand and consumption of dwellings as well as in the selection of energy retrofitting strategies. It is funded by Programa de I+D+i orientada a los retos de la sociedad 'Retos Investigación' 2013. The scope of our predictive model is defined by the heat island effect (UHI) of urban structures that compose the city of Madrid. In particular, we focus on the homogeneous areas for urban structures with the same urban and building characteristics. Data sources for the definition of such homogeneous areas were provided by previous research on the UHI of Madrid. The objective is to establish a critical analysis of climate records used for energy simulation tools, which data come from weather stations placed in decontextualized areas from the usual urban reality, where the thermal conditions differs by up to 6ºC. In this way, we intend to develop a new predictive model for the consumption and demand in buildings depending on their location, the urban structure and the associated UHI, improving the future energy rehabilitation intervention

Efficient Floating-Point Representation for Balanced Codes for FPGA Devices

Trabajo premiado con Best paper AwardWe propose a floating–point representation to deal efficiently with arithmetic operations in codes with a balanced number of additions and multiplications for FPGA devices. The variable shift operation is very slow in these devices. We propose a format that reduces the variable shifter penalty. It is based on a radix–64 representation such that the number of the possible shifts is considerably reduced. Thus, the execution time of the floating–point addition is highly optimized when it is performed in an FPGA device, which compensates for the multiplication penalty when a high radix is used, as experimental results have shown. Consequently, the main problem of previous specific highradix FPGA designs (no speedup for codes with a balanced number of multiplications and additions) is overcome with our proposal. The inherent architecture supporting the new format works with greater bit precision than the corresponding single precision (SP) IEEE–754 standard.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. IEEE, IEEE Computer Societ

Lifetime suicidal-related behaviour among patients in treatment forsubstance use disorder: a cross-sectional study

Suicidal-related behaviours are an important concern in individuals who present with substance use disorders (SUDs). The distinction among the specific characteristics of the different patients might help to improve prevention strategies. We describe and compare the sociodemographic characteristics, severity of addiction, and psychopathology of the participants depending on the severity of their lifetime suicidal behaviour. In addition, we examine whether the number of suicide attempts can be estimated based on the variables that differentiate the groups. A sample of 318 men and 86 women who sought treatment for addiction were assessed. The sample was divided into: no ideation or attempts, suicidal ideation, one suicide attempt, and two or more suicide attempts. The group with two or more suicide attempts exhibited a greater severity in the addiction profile. The group with one suicide attempt presented a higher psychopathological symptomatology at the time of the assessment. The severity of the Psychiatric area was related to the group with two or more attempts and to the number of suicide attempts. The presence of any number of attempts is associated with greater severity of addiction. Providing specific intervention strategies for SUD patients depending on their suicidal behaviours is promising for clinical application.The first author was supported by a grant from the European UnionNext Generation EU by Ministerio de Universidades (Gobierno de España) and Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU). The second author was supported by a grant (589/2021) from Universidad Pública de Navarra and Fundación Bancaria Caja Navarra. Open access funding provided by Universidad Pública de Navarr

Murcy, una aplicación web para crear y responder preguntas de forma lúdica

El objetivo de este proyecto es la evolución y expansión de Murcy, una prueba de concepto que permite crear y jugar quizzes. Se desea que Murcy se convierta en un producto mínimo viable para desarrollar pruebas con usuarios reales. Para llevar a cabo esta evolución, se ha realizado un análisis de las alternativas existentes en el mercado para poder extraer nuevas funcionalidades para Murcy, los riesgos existentes y la mejor metodología de desarrollo para Murcy. Y gracias a este análisis se ha podido terminar el proyecto con resultados satisfactorios.Gracias a todo el proceso realizado se ha podido completar la evolución de Murcy a un producto mínimo viable con que realizar pruebas con usuarios reales.<br /

Protein determinants of dissemination and host specificity of metallo-β-lactamases

The worldwide dissemination of metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs), mediating resistance to carbapenem antibiotics, is a major public health problem. The extent of dissemination of MBLs such as VIM-2, SPM-1 and NDM among Gram-negative pathogens cannot be explained solely based on the associated mobile genetic elements or the resistance phenotype. Here, we report that MBL host range is determined by the impact of MBL expression on bacterial fitness. The signal peptide sequence of MBLs dictates their adaptability to each host. In uncommon hosts, inefficient processing of MBLs leads to accumulation of toxic intermediates that compromises bacterial growth. This fitness cost explains the exclusion of VIM-2 and SPM-1 from Escherichia coli and Acinetobacter baumannii, and their confinement to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. By contrast, NDMs are expressed without any apparent fitness cost in different bacteria, and are secreted into outer membrane vesicles. We propose that the successful dissemination and adaptation of MBLs to different bacterial hosts depend on protein determinants that enable host adaptability and carbapenem resistance.Fil: López, Carolina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Ayala, Juan A.. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; España. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid; EspañaFil: Bonomo, Robert A.. Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center; Estados Unidos. Case Western Reserve University; Estados Unidos. Center for Antimicrobial Resistance and Epidemiology; Estados UnidosFil: Gonzalez, Lisandro Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas; ArgentinaFil: Vila, Alejandro Jose. Center for Antimicrobial Resistance and Epidemiology; Estados Unidos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas; Argentin

Coastal erosion. Geometric detached breakwaters indicators for preventing the shoreline erosion. Fringe session

The coastline today is undoubtedly in a precarious situation. Many beaches are suffering from erosion and the obvious environmental and landscape degradation of many coastal stretches are problems. Coastal Engineers are spending time in solving. With this in mind, different protection methods have been used over time, most based on the artificial nourishment of beaches and on building structures such as groynes and detached breakwaters. Detached breakwaters are artificial structures, generally parallel to the coastline, inspired on the working of natural formations, protecting a certain stretch from wave action and being able to create accretion areas. This is why these structures have been in general use with different results, since the 1970s, in countries such as Japan, the USA, Israel, Spain, Italy and Australia. The study undertaken for this research centres precisely on this type of structure, with the purpose of providing an overall view of the state-of-the-art in this field and a conceptual model for preventing the coastal erosion. In addition, the effects of a detached breakwater on the shoreline for a series of prototypes on the Spanish coastline and whether the empirical relations given by different researchers for classifying the shoreline’s type of response were fulfilled for them all or not, were researched. There sult of this work showed how sensitive the shore’s response is in relation to the non-dimensional B/X monomial (where B is the length of the detached breakwater and X its distance to the initial coastline) and the range of figures proposed for classifying the shore’s response based on that monomial

Diseño funcional y ambiental de diques exentos de baja cota de coronación

La costa constituye una estrecha y fuertemente presionada franja, sometida a grandes desequilibrios como consecuencia de múltiples y variadas causas: oleaje, mareas y corrientes, construcción de obras marítimas que interrumpen las corrientes litorales y el transporte de sedimentos, subida del nivel medio del mar, desarrollo de áreas costeras y urbanismo masivo en la zona activa de las playas, etc. Todo ello provoca la erosión de un gran número de playas, así como su degradación ambiental y paisajística. Esta situación precaria del litoral constituye, hoy en día, un serio y preocupante problema, al que los Ingenieros de Costas dedican su actividad, en busca de soluciones que garanticen su estabilidad. Con este fin, se han venido utilizando, a lo largo del tiempo, diferentes métodos de protección, basados la mayoría de ellos en la construcción de obras marítimas, de entre las que hay que destacar los diques exentos. La investigación llevada a cabo y que se presenta en este artículo se centra precisamente en este tipo de obras costeras. Plantea como objetivo principal el desarrollo de un método de diseño funcional y ambiental (no estructural) que permita definir las características fundamentales de un dique exento en función del efecto que se quiera inducir en la costa, satisfaciendo las demandas sociales y preservando o mejorando la calidad del medio ambiente litoral. Además, se busca la aplicabilidad general del método mediante la consideración de relaciones entre variables de distinta naturaleza (climáticas, geomorfológicas y geométricas) que influyen en los cambios experimentados en la costa tras la construcción del dique exento. El estudio de las relaciones entre las distintas variables se realiza sobre los datos de una base de diecinueve diques exentos reales, existentes en el litoral mediterráneo español, y siguiendo una metodología basada en el planteamiento de monomios adimensionales y en la búsqueda de relaciones de dependencia entre ellos. Finalmente, la discusión de los resultados obtenidos conduce a la propuesta de un método de diseño de diques exentos, que considera algunas de las relaciones gráficas encontradas entre las variables estudiadas y con el que se consigue el objetivo principal anteriormente expuesto

Why offshore wind energy?

At the beginning of 2010, only 2000 wind megawatts had been installed offshore. Although the first offshore wind farm experiment took place in 1990, most of the facilities built up to now have been pilot projects. Then, offshore wind power can be considered as an incipient market. However, just at this moment, the growth of this technology finally seems to be happening, being several countries at the top of its development (the United Kingdom, Denmark, Holland, Sweden and Germany). This current situation, the raw materials problems and the general commitments to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases are leading to predict a promising future for this technology. This paper deals with a brief revision of the state of the art of offshore wind power, followed by a critical discussion about the causes of the recently growth that is currently happening. The discussion is based on the comparison of offshore wind energy with other renewable energies (like onshore wind, marine hydrodynamics, hydraulic, solar, etc.) and even with conventional powe

Integral management applied to offshore wind farms

Metodología para el diseño de parques eólicos marinos teniendo presente las variables físicas, climñaticas, ambientales, geológicas, geotécnicas, de explotación, tipológicas, estructurales, económicas y de rendimiento energétic

A proposal for pellet production from residual woody biomass in the island of Majorca (Spain)

The use of residual biomass for energy purposes is of great interest in isolated areas like Majorca for waste reduction, energy sufficiency and renewable energies development. In addition, densification processes lead to easy-to-automate solid biofuels which additionally have higher energy density. The present study aims at (i) the estimation of the potential of residual biomass from woody crops as well as from agri-food and wood industries in Majorca, and (ii) the analysis of the optimal location of potential pellet plants by means of a GIS approach (location-allocation analysis) and a cost evaluation of the pellets production chain. The residual biomass potential from woody crops in Majorca Island was estimated at 35,874 metric tons dry matter (t DM) per year, while the wood and agri-food industries produced annually 21,494 t DM and 2717 t DM, respectively. Thus, there would be enough resource available for the installation of 10 pellet plants of 6400 t·year−1 capacity. These plants were optimally located throughout the island of Mallorca with a maximum threshold distance of 28 km for biomass transport from the production points. Values found for the biomass cost at the pellet plant ranged between 57.1 €·t−1 and 63.4 €·t−1 for biomass transport distance of 10 and 28 km. The cost of pelleting amounted to 56.7 €·t−1; adding the concepts of business fee, pellet transport and profit margin (15%), the total cost of pelleting was estimated at 116.6 €·t−1. The present study provides a proposal for pellet production from residual woody biomass that would supply up to 2.8% of the primary energy consumed by the domestic and services sector in the Balearic Islands