Characterization of laser-produced fast electron source for integrated simulation of fast ignition

Relativistic electron currents (∼ 10 kA µm−2) are produced by focusing an intense laser beam (I ≥ 1019W cm−2) on a solid target. Based on this mechanism, an original inertial confinement fusion scheme has been proposed which consists in heating the compressed deuterium-tritium core with a laser-produced electron beam. Experimentally the fast electron source is not well characterized and simulations of both electron generation and transport remain a difficult task. Generally, transport codes are used with a simplified fast electron source as initial condition. The fast electron spectrum is assumed to be exponential with an adjustable temperature, and the divergence is characterized by a dispersion angle. To verify these assumptions, we have performed a characterization of the laser-driven fast electron source by means of PIC simulations [1] in the cases of a planar foil and a double cone

Solar maculopathy secondary to sunlight exposure reflected from the screen of mobile devices: two case reports

Background Solar maculopathy is a well described clinical entity that usually occurs in patients that have gazed directly the sun. In this report we describe the first two cases of solar maculopathy in individuals exposed to sunlight reflected from the screen of mobile devices in the absence of direct sun gaze. Cases description Case 1. A 30-year-old Caucasic man presented with bilateral metamorphopsia, central scotoma and decreased visual acuity two days after being reading for four hours with his tablet computer in a terrace of a ski center. Case 2. A 20-year-old Caucasic woman was examined for bilateral decrease of visual acuity and central scotoma after being at the beach the day before and reading with her mobile phone for 3 hours. Both patients denied gazing directly to sunlight at any moment. In each case, exploration revealed fundus and OCT images compatible with the typical features of solar maculopathy. After 2 years of follow-up, in absence of any specific treatment, Case 1 had a complete resolution of the fundus alterations, while Case 2 still presented defects of the outer retinal layers. In both cases, an exposure to sunlight reflected from the screen of their mobile devices was documented in environments where solar radiation is thought to be augmented. Conclusion Sunlight reflection from a display screen needs to be considered as a possible risk factor for increased solar radiation and a subsequent risk of solar maculopathy

Experimental results on advanced inertial fusion schemes obtained within the HiPER project

This paper presents de results of experiments conducted within the Work Package 10 (fusion experimental programme) of the HiPER project. The aim of these experiments was to study the physics relevant for advanced ignition schemes for inertial confinement fusion, i.e. the fast ignition and the shock ignition. Such schemes allow to achieve a higher fusion gain compared to the indirect drive approach adopted in the National Ignition Facility in United States, which is important for the future inertial fusion energy reactors and for realising the inertial fusion with smaller facilitie

Desarrollo de una herramienta de creación de videojuegos de rol táctico para escenarios isométricos compuestos por bloques

Gracias al avance de la tecnología y a una mayor disponibilidad de las herramientas, en estos últimos años hemos visto aparecer un gran número de proyectos de videojuegos desarrollados por estudios independientes. Algunos géneros tradicionales, como los juegos de plataformas o los de disparos en primera persona, cuentan con entornos de desarrollo específicos y muy potentes, que permiten prototipar ideas en cuestión de horas. Sin embargo, otros géneros de mayor variabilidad, como el de los juegos de rol, no cuentan con herramientas tan maduras y estables dentro de los motores de videojuegos de última generación. Con el objetivo de ayudar a estos creadores independientes que desean desarrollar videojuegos de este género, se ha extendido una herramienta preexistente llamada IsoUnity, pensada para crear escenarios isométricos compuestos por bloques. Este proyecto amplía su funcionalidad, tanto a nivel de código como de herramientas de edición, para que se puedan crear con facilidad juegos de rol táctico con movimiento, combate por turnos y vista en perspectiva isométrica, al estilo de clásicos como Final Fantasy Tactics. Con el objetivo de ofrecer a los usuarios una herramienta actual y versátil, se han estudiado y analizado un conjunto representativo de juegos del sector y en base a ese estudio se ha desarrollado el proyecto tratando de incorporar la mayoría de elementos comunes a todos, siguiendo una metodología clásica de análisis, diseño, implementación y prueba que ha dado lugar a un prototipo plenamente funcional que ilustra las posibilidades de esta herramienta. Actualmente el prototipo está en su primera versión (v 1.0), pero se estudia y ofrece la continua mejora de éste. Este prototipo en su primera versión oficial ofrece las características más destacadas del conjunto de juegos estudiados haciendo hincapié en el sistema de turnos, la creación de personajes y habilidades y el movimiento de personajes basado en celdas desarrollado en IsoUnity

Industry 4.0 enabling sustainable supply chain development in the renewable energy sector:A multi-criteria intelligent approach

The aim of this paper is to provide a multi-criteria decision-making intelligent approach based on Industry 4.0 and Triple Bottom Line principles for sustainable supply chain development in the renewable energy sector. In particular, the solar photovoltaic energy supply chain is used as a case study, encompassing the entire energy production process, from supply to disposal. An exhaustive literature review is conducted to identify the main criteria affecting social, economic and environmental sustainability in the photovoltaic energy supply chain, and to explore the potential impact of Industry 4.0 on sustainability. Subsequently, three Fuzzy Inference Systems combining quantitative and qualitative data are built to calculate the supply chain's social, economic and environmental sustainability. Experts' opinions are used to identify the impact of Industry 4.0 technologies on the three pillars of sustainability for each supply chain stage. Finally, a novel sustainability index, Sustainability Index 4.0, is formulated to compute the overall sustainability of the photovoltaic energy supply chain in seven countries. The results show the applicability and usefulness of the proposed holistic model in helping policy makers, stakeholders and users to make informed decisions for the development of sustainable renewable energy supply chains, taking into account the impact of Industry 4.0 and digital technologies

Body percussion y Música Contemporánea. Estrategias educativas según el método BAPNE

El principal objetivo de esta publicación es proponer estrategias educativas para la introducción a la Música Contemporánea a través de la Percusión Corporal a través del método BAPNE. La finalidad es otorgar a los estudiantes de Magisterio de Educación Primaria y de Máster en Formación de Profesorado de Educación Secundaria las herramientas necesarias para introducir a sus futuros alumnos en este estilo musical, proponiendo una serie de ejercicios y actividades, tanto de creación como de interpretación y audición, para que conozcan la Música Contemporánea desde otro punto de vista. En el ámbito de la composición contemporánea existen obras en la que el cuerpo es el principal instrumento como es el caso de Vinko Globokar o Steve Reich, cuyo modelo sirve de escucha y observación en relación a la gestualidad, timbre, textura, forma y expresión corporal entre otros tantos aspectos. Esta publicación se articulará en cinco bloques: sonido, textura, grafía, expresión corporal y forma; proponiendo dentro de cada bloque actividades para su asimilación. Como conclusión solo cabe resaltar la búsqueda de nuevas vías educativas para acercar los contenidos musicales desde la motivación, implicación y trabajo cooperativo en el aula

Long-Term Operational Data Analysis of an In-Service Wind Turbine DFIG

(c) 2019 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other users, including reprinting/ republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted components of this work in other works.[EN] While wind turbine (WT) power capacities continue to increase and new offshore developments are being deployed, operation and maintenance (O&M) costs continue to rise, becoming the center of attention in the wind energy sector. The electric generator is among the top three contributors to failure rates and downtime of WTs, where the doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) is the dominant technology among variable speed WTs. Thus, the early detection of generator faults, which can be achieved through predictive maintenance, is vital in order to reduce O&M costs. The goal of this paper is to analyze a long-term monitoring campaign of an in-service WT equipped with a DFIG. A novel method named the harmonic order tracking analysis is used with two main objectives: first, to facilitate the data interpretation for non-trained maintenance personnel, and second, to reduce the amount of data that must be stored and transferred for the diagnosis of the DFIG. This method is applied and validated for the first time on an operating WT.This work was supported in part by the Agreement signed between the UCLM and the Council of Albacete to promote research in the Campus of Albacete, and in part by the European Union Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme through the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Grant (AWESOME Project) under Grant 642108. The authors would like to thank Ingeteam Power Technology S.A. UP Service, part of the AWESOME Project Consortium providing the wind turbine data.Artigao, E.; Sapena-Bano, A.; Honrubia-Escribano, A.; Martinez-Roman, J.; Puche-Panadero, R.; Gómez-Lázaro, E. (2019). Long-Term Operational Data Analysis of an In-Service Wind Turbine DFIG. IEEE Access. 7:17896-17906. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2019.2895999S1789617906

Cost-effectiveness of dexamethasone compared with aflibercept in naïve diabetic macular edema

Abstract Background To assess the cost-effectiveness of the delayed-release device of dexamethasone compared with aflibercept in the treatment of patients with naïve diabetic macular edema (DME) from a societal perspective in the healthcare sector Zaragoza III in Spain. Methods A Markov model with five states defined by visual acuity (VA) in the better-seeing eye (Snellen scale) and an additional death state were constructed. Two cohorts of patients were distributed along the VA states and treated during a year with either dexamethasone or aflibercept. One-year follow-up on each group was performed. Medical costs related to the DME treatment and follow-up, medical costs related to the DME comorbidities, and non-medical-related costs were taken into account. Costs (2020 €), health outcomes (Quality-Adjusted Life Years-QALYs), both discounted at a 3.5% annual rate, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER: €/QALY) were determined for a lifetime horizon in the base case analysis. Results Patients treated with dexamethasone were €77,349 more costly and provided 2.667 additional QALYs (€29,002/QALY) than those treated with aflibercept. The variable efficiency per patient was calculated dividing the improvement in quality of life (on the VFQ-25 scale) by the cost of the treatment. With the obtained results it can be concluded that the efficiency of treating the patients with dexamethasone is significantly superior than the efficiency of treating them with aflibercept. Conclusions The cost per QALY gained with the delayed-release device of dexamethasone compared with the one obtained by aflibercept in the naïve DME population is just below the €30,000 threshold, below which, new drugs are sometimes regarded as cost-effective strategies in Spain. In this model, the key variables with greater impact on the cost-effectiveness results were the selected time horizon, the chosen extrapolation method and the number of aflibercept and dexamethasone injections