A novel portable device to measure the temperature of both the inner and the outer tubes of a parabolic receiver in the field

The performance of parabolic trough (PT) receiver tubes (RT) has a direct impact on Solar Thermal Energy (STE) plant production. As a result, one major need of operation and maintenance (O&M) in STE plants is to monitor the state of the receiver tube as a key element in the solar field. However the lack of specific devices so far has limited the proper evaluation of operating receiver tubés thermal performance. As a consequence non-accurate approximations have been accepted until now using infrared thermal images of the glass outer tube. In order to fulfill this need, Abengoa has developed a unique portable device for evaluating the thermal performance and vacuum state of parabolic trough receiver tubes placed in the field. The novel device described in this paper, simultaneously provides the temperature of both the inner steel tube and the outer glass tube enabling a check on manufacturers specifications. The on-field evaluation of any receiver tube at any operating temperature has become possible thanks to this new measuring device. The features and usability of this new measurement system as a workable portable device in operating solar fields provide a very useful tool for all companies in the sector contributing to technology progress. The originality of the device, patent pending P201431969, is not limited to the CSP sector, also having scientific significance in the general measuring instruments field. This paper presents the work carried out to develop and validate the device, also detailing its functioning properties and including the excellent results obtained in the laboratory to determine its accuracy and standard deviation. This information was validated with data collected by O&M teams using this instrument in a commercial CSP plant. The relevance of the device has been evidenced by evaluating a wide sample of RT and the results are discussed in this paper. Finally, all the on field collected data is used to demonstrate the high impact that using this unique portable device will have on a parabolic trough solar power plant

Repression of DNA-binding dependent glucocorticoid receptor-mediated gene expression

The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) affects the transcription of genes involved in diverse processes, including energy metabolism and the immune response, through DNA-binding dependent and independent mechanisms. The DNA-binding dependent mechanism occurs by direct binding of GR to glucocorticoid response elements (GREs) at regulatory regions of target genes. The DNA-binding independent mechanism involves binding of GR to transcription factors and coactivators that, in turn, contact DNA. A small molecule that competes with GR for binding to GREs could be expected to affect the DNA-dependent pathway selectively by interfering with the protein-DNA interface. We show that a DNA-binding polyamide that targets the consensus GRE sequence binds the glucocorticoid-induced zipper (GILZ) GRE, inhibits expression of GILZ and several other known GR target genes, and reduces GR occupancy at the GILZ promoter. Genome-wide expression analysis of the effects of this polyamide on a set of glucocorticoid-induced and -repressed genes could help to elucidate the mechanism of GR regulation for these genes

Los corticoides epidurales en el tratamiento de la hernia discal

Se presenta una serie de 233 pacientes diagnosticados de hernia discal lumbar y tratados mediante infiltraciones epidurales de corticoides, asociadas a un programa de rehabilitación realizado a continuación de las inyecciones. Los resultados con dicho tratamiento fueron satisfactorios en un 75% de los casos. Se observó una mejor evolución en pacientes varones, en pacientes cuya profesión conlleva esfuerzo físico, en hernias discales L5-S1, y en aquellos que han seguido un programa de rehabilitación tras las infiltraciones.An study on 233 patients with lumbar disc herniation, treated by means of epidural injections of steroids, added to a physical therapy programme is presented. The results obtained were fully satisfactory in 75% of the cases. Better results were observed in male patients, in patients subject to heavy physical activity in their laboral life, in disc herniations at L5-S1 level, and finally in those patients following a physical therapy programme after injections

Assessment of urban-scale potential for solar PV generation and consumption

The rise of grid electricity price and a growing awareness of climate change is resulting in an increasing number of photovoltaic facilities installed in buildings. Electricity market regulation and climatic conditions, in particular solar radiation, are the main factors that determine the economic viability of a photovoltaic facility. This paper describes a method for evaluating the potential for photovoltaic (PV) production and self-consumption for the building stock of a particular city. A GIS 3D city map is used to calculate solar irradiation. Building-level electricity use is calculated based on building type, geometry and other characteristic inferred from building age, taking the cadastre GIS as main input. The methodology identifies the realistic potential for rooftop photovoltaic installations, as well as the optimum size to be installed from an economic perspective. To represent different regulations that can affect economic viability of PV installations, calculations should adapt for the specific installation conditions and regulatory situation, as for example self-consumption and net metering. The proposed methodology is applied to a case study in Irun (Spain), where results for potential of PV generation and self-consumption for the building stock are presented. The results offer public administration a realistic view of economically viable PV potential for the city and allow to analyse different mechanisms to promote their installations. It also serves for individual electricity consumers to evaluate and optimize new photovoltaic energy facilities. Finally, it serves policy makers to estimate the repercussion of electricity market regulations on the economic viability of PV systems.The work described in this article is partially funded by the PLANHEAT project, Grant Agreement Number 723757, 2016-2019, as part of the call H2020-EE-2016-RIA-IA. This study was also supported by “Irungo Udala - Ayuntamiento de Irun” who collaborated in the data acquisition and funding

Critical Micronutrients in Pregnancy, Lactation, and Infancy: Considerations on Vitamin D, Folic Acid, and Iron, and Priorities for Future Research

The Early Nutrition Academy and the European Commission-funded EURRECA Network of Excellence jointly sponsored a scientific workshop on critical micronutrients in pregnancy, lactation, and infancy. Current knowledge and unresolved questions on the supply of vitamin D, folic acid, and iron for pregnant women, lactating women, and infants, and their health effects were discussed. The question was addressed of whether, and under which circumstances, supplementation with these micronutrients in addition to usual dietary intakes is advisable. The workshop participants concluded that public health strategies for improving supplementation with these micronutrients in pregnancy, lactation, and infancy are required. Further research priorities should focus on adequately powered human intervention trials to obtain a stronger evidence base for the amounts of vitamin D, folic acid, and iron that have optimal effects on health. The conclusions of the workshop should help to inform the scientific community as well as public health policy strategies. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Base

El síndrome facetar lumbar: Tratamiento mediante infiltraciones facetarias con fenol

Se presenta una serie de 125 pacientes afectos de cuadro de lumbociatalgia atípica, diagnosticados de síndrome facetario y tratados con infiltraciones de solución fenolada en las articulaciones interapofisarias posteriores afectadas, seguidas de un programa de rehabilitación protocolizado tras las infiltraciones. A propósito de los mismos y tras una análisis estadístico de los datos obtenidos del estudio, se establecen algunos criterios para el tratamiento de pacientes aquejados de este tipo de patología.The authors present a series of 125 patients afflicted with an atypical sciatic low-back pain, who were diagnosed of "facet joint syndrome" and treated with injections of phenol solution in the affected lumbar zygapophysial joints. The patients followed a protocolized rehabilitation program. After an statistical analysis of the data obtained from the study, some criteria are stabilized for the treatment of patients suffering this pathology

Calcification response of a key phytoplankton family to millennial-scale environmental change

Coccolithophores are single-celled photosynthesizing marine algae, responsible for half of the calcification in the surface ocean, and exert a strong influence on the distribution of carbon among global reservoirs, and thus Earth’s climate. Calcification in the surface ocean decreases the buffering capacity of seawater for CO2, whilst photosynthetic carbon fixation has the opposite effect. Experiments in culture have suggested that coccolithophore calcification decreases under high CO2 concentrations ([CO2(aq)]) constituting a negative feedback. However, the extent to which these results are representative of natural populations, and of the response over more than a few hundred generations is unclear. Here we describe and apply a novel rationale for size-normalizing the mass of the calcite plates produced by the most abundant family of coccolithophores, the Noëlaerhabdaceae. On average, ancient populations subjected to coupled gradual increases in [CO2(aq)] and temperature over a few million generations in a natural environment become relatively more highly calcified, implying a positive climatic feedback. We hypothesize that this is the result of selection manifest in natural populations over millennial timescales, so has necessarily eluded laboratory experiments

Calcification response of a key phytoplankton family to millennial-scale environmental change

Coccolithophores are single-celled photosynthesizing marine algae, responsible for half of the calcification in the surface ocean, and exert a strong influence on the distribution of carbon among global reservoirs, and thus Earth’s climate. Calcification in the surface ocean decreases the buffering capacity of seawater for CO2, whilst photosynthetic carbon fixation has the opposite effect. Experiments in culture have suggested that coccolithophore calcification decreases under high CO2 concentrations ([CO2(aq)]) constituting a negative feedback. However, the extent to which these results are representative of natural populations, and of the response over more than a few hundred generations is unclear. Here we describe and apply a novel rationale for size-normalizing the mass of the calcite plates produced by the most abundant family of coccolithophores, the Noëlaerhabdaceae. On average, ancient populations subjected to coupled gradual increases in [CO2(aq)] and temperature over a few million generations in a natural environment become relatively more highly calcified, implying a positive climatic feedback. We hypothesize that this is the result of selection manifest in natural populations over millennial timescales, so has necessarily eluded laboratory experiments.HLOM was funded by PhD studentship NE/I019522/1 in association with UKOARP. REMR acknowledges NERC grant NE/H017119/1 and ERC grant SP2-GA-2008-200915. LB is grateful for financial support from EU Seventh Framework program Past4Future and from the Agence Nationale de la Recherche under project ANR-12-B06-0007 (CALHIS). PF was funded by Marie-Curie Reintegration grant (PERG-GA-2010-272134 - MILLEVARIABILI), funded by the EU PNRA 2013/AZ2.06 and GEOSMART, funded by the Italian National Antarctic Research Programme

Effect of nutrition on growth and neurodevelopment in the preterm infant: a systematic review

Introducción: Las necesidades energéticas de los bebés pretérmino son elevadas y se incrementan en la medida en que el peso corporal es menor; para ello, es importante el aporte calórico óptimo, como garantía del desarrollo posterior. Objetivo: Analizar los principales artículos relacionados con la nutrición del recién nacido pretérmino y los efectos en su crecimiento y desarrollo. Método: Revisión sistemática, con etapas dirigidas a la selección de los estudios y estrategia de búsqueda y entre los meses de marzo y septiembre del año 2014. Para la búsqueda bibliográfica se siguieron los métodos: Análisis de documentos y síntesis de la información para hacer posible la ordenación y la combinación de la información extractada, así como una evaluación comparativa. La validez de los artículos seleccionados estuvo dada por el grado de evidencias demostrado, por las recomendaciones del artículo y por la aplicabilidad a nuestro contexto. Resultados: El proceso de búsqueda permitió seleccionar 79 estudios que cumplieron con los criterios de selección. Se trata de un tema ampliamente tratado por la literatura y se constata su frecuencia en los estudios referidos a la nutrición del prematuro a corto plazo. Se evidencia la relación directa entre la ingesta nutricional y el crecimiento de la longitud de los recién nacidos prematuros. Conclusiones: Una nutrición adecuada del recién nacido pretérmino tiene efectos positivos en su crecimiento y neurodesarrollo. Se constata que, a mayor ingesta de proteínas y lípidos, la altura de los bebés prematuros resulta favorecida, pero no el peso corporal. Los estudios denotan el efecto beneficioso de la leche materna sobre el cerebro, la retina y los vasos arteriales, pero una correlación negativa entre la adiposidad y el volumen cerebral.Introduction: The energy needs of preterm infants are high and more so when the body weight is lower; for this reason, and to safeguard the infant’s future development, it is important to ensure an optimal caloric intake is obtained. Aim: To analyse leading research papers related to nutrition in the preterm newborn and its effects on growth and development. Method: Systematic review of relevant studies, based on the application of a search strategy, from March to September 2014. The literature search was conducted using document analysis and information synthesis to classify and compile the information extracted, followed by a comparative evaluation. The validity of the articles obtained was corroborated by the weight of findings obtained, by the citations received by the articles and by their applicability to our healthcare environment. Results: The search process produced 61 studies that met the selection criteria. The research question addressed has been widely examined and many studies have reported findings related to the nutrition of preterm infants. The direct relationship between nutritional intake and the growth rate of preterm infants is well documented. Conclusions: Proper nutrition in the preterm infant has positive effects on its growth and neurodevelopment. It has been reported that a greater intake of proteins and lipids favours the growth of preterm infants, but not weight gain. Studies have demonstrated the beneficial effect of breast milk on the brain, the retina and the blood vessels; however, there is a negative correlation between adiposity and brain volume