A New Methodology for Building-Up a Robust Model for Heliostat Field Flux Characterization

The heliostat field of solar central receiver systems (SCRS) is formed by hundreds, even thousands, of working heliostats. Their adequate configuration and control define a currently active research line. For instance, automatic aiming methodologies of existing heliostat fields are being widely studied. In general, control techniques require a model of the system to be controlled in order to obtain an estimation of its states. However, this kind of information may not be available or may be hard to obtain for every plant to be studied. In this work, an innovative methodology for data-based analytical heliostat field characterization is proposed and described. It formalizes the way in which the behavior of a whole field can be derived from the study of its more descriptive parts. By successfully applying this procedure, the instantaneous behavior of a field could be expressed by a reduced set of expressions that can be seen as a field descriptor. It is not intended to replace real experimentation but to enhance researchers’ autonomy to build their own reliable and portable synthetic datasets at preliminary stages of their work. The methodology proposed in this paper is successfully applied to a virtual field. Only 30 heliostats out of 541 were studied to characterize the whole field. For the validation set, the average difference in power between the flux maps directly fitted from the measured information and the estimated ones is only of 0.67% (just 0.10946 kW/m2 of root-mean-square error, on average, between them). According to these results, a consistent field descriptor can be built by applying the proposed methodology, which is hence ready for use

Optimal Management of a Microgrid with Radiation and Wind-Speed Forecasting: A Case Study Applied to a Bioclimatic Building

An Energy Management System (EMS) that uses a Model Predictive Control (MPC) to manage the flow of the microgrids is described in this work. The EMS integrates both wind speed and solar radiation predictors by using a time series to perform the primary grid forecasts. At each sampling data measurement, the power of the photovoltaic system and wind turbine are predicted. Then, the MPC algorithm uses those predictions to obtain the optimal power flows of the microgrid elements and the main network. In this work, three time-series predictors are analyzed. As the results will show, the MPC strategy becomes a powerful energy management tool when it is integrated with the Double Exponential Smoothing (DES) predictor. This new scheme of integrating the DES method with an MPC presents a good management response in real-time and overcomes the results provided by the Optimal Power Flow method, which was previously proposed in the literature. For the case studies, the test microgrid located in the CIESOL bioclimatic building of the University of Almeria (Spain) is used

Could Duodenal Molecular Mechanisms be Involved in the Hypocholesterolemic Effect of Silicon Used as Functional Ingredient in Late‐Stage Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus?

Scope: Hypercholesterolemia increases the risk of mortality in type 2 diabetesmellitus (T2DM), especially in the late-stage. Consumption of bioactivecompounds as functional ingredients would help achieve therapeutic goals forcholesterolemia. Silicon has demonstrated a hypocholesterolemic effect andthe ability to reduce fat digestion. However, it is unclear whether silicon exertssuch effect in late-stage T2DM (LD) and the intestinal mechanisms involved.Methods and results: Three groups of eight rats were included: early-stageT2DM control (ED), LD, and the LD group treated with silicon (LD-Si) oncethe rats were diabetic. Morphological alterations of the duodenal mucosa, andlevels of markers involve in cholesterol absorption and excretion, besidecholesterolemia, and fecal excretion were assayed. Silicon included as afunctional ingredient significantly reduces cholesterolemia in part due to: 1)reducing cholesterol intestinal absorption by decreasing the absorptive areaand Acetyl-Coenzyme A acetyltransferase-2 (ACAT2) levels; and 2) increasingcholesterol excretion to the lumen by induction of the liver X receptor (LXR)and consequent increase of adenosine triphosphate-binding cassettetransporter (ABCG5/8).Conclusions: These results provide insight into the intestinal molecularmechanisms by which silicon reduces cholesterolemia and highlights theefficacy of the consumption of silicon-enriched functional foods in late-stageT2DM

Iniciativa basada en Kahoot para motivar a los alumnos de Arquitectura de Computadores

Debido al auge de la formación universitaria en remoto, es común que las clases magistrales teóricas deriven en un monólogo del profesor con baja participación del alumnado. Existe una escasa utilización, de las herramientas disponibles para participar en la clase: mensajería instantánea, micrófono o funciones de “levantar la mano”. Esta situación se agrava aún más cuando el ratio de alumnos es alto y, por tanto, es más complicada la comunicación con todos ellos, así como saber si están asimilando los conceptos. En este trabajo se describe la experiencia docente en la asignatura de Arquitectura de Computadores de incorporar una herramienta de aprendizaje móvil electrónico (M-learning), concretamente, Kahoot. Esta herramienta permite que el profesor plantee actividades participativas en el aula para reforzar el aprendizaje y aumentar la participación de los alumnos. Se ha realizado un estudio para determinar si el uso de Kahoot ha estimulado el aprendizaje de la asignatura de Arquitectura de Computadores y si ha mejorado la nota global final del alumnado.Due to the rise of remote university training, it is common for theoretical lectures to result in a monologue by the professor with low student participation. There is little use of the tools available to participate in the class: instant messaging, microphone or ’raise your hand’ functions. This situation is even worse when the ratio of students is high and, therefore, it is more complicated to communicate with all of them, as well as to know if they are assimilating the concepts. This paper describes the teaching experience in the Computer Architecture course of incorporating a mobile e-learning tool (M-learning), specifically, Kahoot. This tool allows the teacher to propose participatory activities in the classroom to reinforce learning and increase student participation. A study has been carried out to determine whether the use of Kahoot has stimulated the learning of the Computer Architecture subject and whether it has improved the students’ final overall grade

Gestión del conocimiento. Perspectiva multidisciplinaria

El libro “Gestión del Conocimiento. Perspectiva Multidisciplinaria”, es una publicación internacional, seriada, continua, arbitrada de acceso abierto a todas las áreas del conocimiento, es el esfuerzo de investigadores de varios países del mundo, orientada a contribuir con procesos de gestión del conocimiento científico, tecnológico y humanístico que consoliden la transformación del conocimiento en diferentes escenarios, tanto organizacionales como universitarios, para el desarrollo de habilidades cognitivas del quehacer diario. En este sentido, partiendo de los aportes teóricos y prácticos que presentan los autores, resultados de sus trabajos de investigación, análisis de diversas teorías, propuestas, enfoques, así como experiencias que se han dado a nivel del tema de gestión del conocimiento, presentamos a la comunidad internacional el libro Gestión del conocimiento. Perspectivas multidisciplinarias, que permitirá un mayor conocimiento y aplicación de estos conceptos, traduciéndose en una mejor aplicación y posicionamiento de las organizaciones en la utilización del conocimiento, la apropiación y transformación del mismo

Effectiveness of an intervention for improving drug prescription in primary care patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy:Study protocol of a cluster randomized clinical trial (Multi-PAP project)

This study was funded by the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias ISCIII (Grant Numbers PI15/00276, PI15/00572, PI15/00996), REDISSEC (Project Numbers RD12/0001/0012, RD16/0001/0005), and the European Regional Development Fund ("A way to build Europe").Background: Multimorbidity is associated with negative effects both on people's health and on healthcare systems. A key problem linked to multimorbidity is polypharmacy, which in turn is associated with increased risk of partly preventable adverse effects, including mortality. The Ariadne principles describe a model of care based on a thorough assessment of diseases, treatments (and potential interactions), clinical status, context and preferences of patients with multimorbidity, with the aim of prioritizing and sharing realistic treatment goals that guide an individualized management. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a complex intervention that implements the Ariadne principles in a population of young-old patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy. The intervention seeks to improve the appropriateness of prescribing in primary care (PC), as measured by the medication appropriateness index (MAI) score at 6 and 12months, as compared with usual care. Methods/Design: Design:pragmatic cluster randomized clinical trial. Unit of randomization: family physician (FP). Unit of analysis: patient. Scope: PC health centres in three autonomous communities: Aragon, Madrid, and Andalusia (Spain). Population: patients aged 65-74years with multimorbidity (≥3 chronic diseases) and polypharmacy (≥5 drugs prescribed in ≥3months). Sample size: n=400 (200 per study arm). Intervention: complex intervention based on the implementation of the Ariadne principles with two components: (1) FP training and (2) FP-patient interview. Outcomes: MAI score, health services use, quality of life (Euroqol 5D-5L), pharmacotherapy and adherence to treatment (Morisky-Green, Haynes-Sackett), and clinical and socio-demographic variables. Statistical analysis: primary outcome is the difference in MAI score between T0 and T1 and corresponding 95% confidence interval. Adjustment for confounding factors will be performed by multilevel analysis. All analyses will be carried out in accordance with the intention-to-treat principle. Discussion: It is essential to provide evidence concerning interventions on PC patients with polypharmacy and multimorbidity, conducted in the context of routine clinical practice, and involving young-old patients with significant potential for preventing negative health outcomes. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02866799Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Sensitivity analysis and study of the mixing uniformity of a microfluidic mixer

We consider a microfluidic mixer based on hydrodynamic focusing, which is used to initiate the folding process of individual proteins. The folding process is initiated by quickly diluting a local denaturant concentration, and we define mixing time as the time advecting proteins experience a specified to achieve a local drop in denaturant concentration. In previous work, we presented a minimization of mixing time which considered optimal geometry and flow conditions, and achieved a design with a predicted mixing time of 0.10 μs. The aim of the current paper is twofold. First, we explore the sensitivity of mixing time to key geometric and flow parameters. In particular, we study the angle between inlets, the shape of the channel intersections, channel widths, mixer depth, mixer symmetry, inlet velocities, working fluid physical properties, and denaturant concentration thresholds. Second, we analyze the uniformity of mixing times as a function of inlet flow streamlines. We find the shape of the intersection, channel width, inlet velocity ratio, and asymmetries have strong effects on mixing time; while inlet angles, mixer depth, fluid properties, and concentration thresholds have weaker effects. Also, the uniformity of the mixing time is preserved for most of the inlet flow and distances of down to within about 0.4 μm of the mixer wall. We offer these analyses of sensitivities to imperfections in mixer geometry and flow conditions as a guide to experimental efforts which aim to fabricate and use these types of mixers. Our study also highlights key issues and provides a guide to the optimization and practical design of other microfluidic devices dependent on both geometry and flow condition

Design sensitivity and mixing uniformity of a micro-fluidic mixe

We consider a particular hydrodynamic focusing microfluidic mixer used to initiate the folding process of individual proteins, which has been designed in a previous work and exhibited a mixing time of 0.1 μs. The aim of the current paper is twofold. First, we explore the sensitivity of mixing time to key geometric and flow parameters. In particular, we study the angle between inlets, the shape of the channel intersections, channel widths, mixer depth, mixer symmetry, inlet velocities, working fluid physical properties, and denaturant concentration thresholds. Second, we analyze the uniformity of mixing times as a function of inlet flow streamlines. We find the shape of the intersection, channel width, inlet velocity ratio, and asymmetries have strong effects on mixing time; while inlet angles, mixer depth, fluid properties, and concentration thresholds have weaker effects. Also, the uniformity of the mixing time is preserved for most of the inlet flow and distances of down to within about 0.4 μm of the mixer wall. We offer these analyses of sensitivities to imperfections in mixer geometry and flow conditions as a guide to experimental efforts which aim to fabricate and use these types of mixers. Our study also highlights key issues and provides a guide to the optimization and practical design of other microfluidic devices dependent on both geometry and flow conditions