Solar Decathlon Latin America and Caribbean: Comfort and the Balance between Passive and Active Design

This article contains an overall analysis of the results obtained by the four highest scoring teams in the Solar Decathlon Latin America and Caribbean 2015 collegiate sustainable habitat competition. Considering that the prototypes developed were based on energy self-su ciency when operational, it was considered necessary to propose this analysis based on the degree of suitability of each of these models based on their di erent performances from the perspective of comfort conditions. It was observed that the design of the prototypes did not manage to properly adjust the relationship between passive and active conditioning elements based on the location’s conditions. Accordingly, this article concludes that a balance of the two aforementioned conditioning modes recorded better results based on the measurements taken

Safety of permanent pacemaker implantation: a prospective study

Although pacemaker implantation is considered to be low risk, it is not exempt from complications and technical failures during the procedure, both in the short and long term, and the complications that such patients may present remain unknown. The aim has been to analyze the complication rates associated with permanent pacing and to identify if these differ between patients with or without previous antithrombotic therapy. We used a prospective, single center, observational study of 310 adult patients with indications of permanent pacing. They were hospitalized from 1 January to 31 December 2014 and followed up for 6 months after the pacemaker implant. The participants were distributed into two groups according to the antithrombotic therapy prior to the implant. The most frequent major complications were pneumothorax (3.87%) and lead dislodgement (8.39%), while superficial phlebitis (12.90%) and uncomplicated hematomas (22.58%) were presented as the most recurrent minor complications. Hematomas were the most frequent minor complication in the antithrombotic therapy cohort, and shoulder pain was reported as the most recurrent minor complication in the non-exposed group. Finding out about complications in pacemaker implants enables a complete view of the process, and hence the prioritization of actions aimed at improving safety and reducing associated risks

Evaluation of environmental comfort in a social housing prototype with bioclimatic double-skin in a tropical climate

The aim of this paper is to broaden understanding of the social housing prototype that students and researchers at the University of Seville developed in response to tropical climate conditions to achieve the maximum level of hygrothermal comfort through the use of passive retrofit strategies. This prototype, known as Aura 1.0, was presented at the Solar Decathlon competition where hygrothermal conditions inside the prototype were monitored over a ten-day period. Nevertheless, as the monitoring period of the environmental conditions was so reduced, the aim of this research is to assess the environmental behaviour of the prototype for a full year, under tropical climate conditions. To do so, energy and environmental simulation instruments will evaluate the performance of the architectural proposal and its passive construction systems, in particular the double skin designed with different objectives (architectural, construction, socio-economic). The simulation model has been verified by the data monitored during the exhibition phase and the performance of the building. Various hypotheses have been analysed which demonstrate that employing a double skin in the dwelling contributed to improving interior thermal comfort, especially in the roof area as opposed to the facades, given the sun’s path at a latitude close to the equator

Improving web learning through model optimization using bootstrap for a tour-guide robot

We perform a review of Web Mining techniques and we describe a Bootstrap Statistics methodology applied to pattern model classifier optimization and verification for Supervised Learning for Tour-Guide Robot knowledge repository management. It is virtually impossible to test thoroughly Web Page Classifiers and many other Internet Applications with pure empirical data, due to the need for human intervention to generate training sets and test sets. We propose using the computer-based Bootstrap paradigm to design a test environment where they are checked with better reliability

Decision-Making Mechanism to Organize the Agenda of a Guide-Robot

One of the major challenges in evolutionary robotics is constituted by the need of the robot being able to make decisions on its own, in accordance with the multiple tasks programmed, optimizing its timings and power. In this paper, we present a new automatic decision making mechanism for a robot guide that allows the robot to make the best choice in order to reach its aims, performing its tasks in an optimal way. The election of which is the best alternative is based on a series of criteria and restrictions of the tasks to perform. The software developed in the project has been verified on the tour-guide robot Urbano. The most important aspect of this proposal is that the design uses learning as the means to optimize the quality in the decision making. The modeling of the quality index of the best choice to perform is made using fuzzy logic and it represents the beliefs of the robot, which continue to evolve in order to match the "external reality”. This fuzzy system is used to select the most appropriate set of tasks to perform during the day. With this tool, the tour guide-robot prepares its agenda daily, which satisfies the objectives and restrictions, and it identifies the best task to perform at each moment. This work is part of the ARABOT project of the Intelligent Control Research Group at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid to create "awareness" in a robot guide

Integrated ozonation-enzymatic hydrolysis pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse: enhancement of sugars released to expended ozone ratio

Producción CientíficaThe combined effects of three key ozonation process parameters on the integrated ozonation-enzymatic hydrolysis pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse (SCB) were investigated, with emphasis on the relationship between sugar release and ozone consumption. A lab-scale fixed bed reactor was employed for ozonation at varying ozone doses (50, 75 and 100 mg O3/g SCB), particle sizes (420, 710 and 1000 µm) and moisture contents (30, 45 and 60% w/w) in multifactorial experiments, keeping a residence time of 30 min. The ozonated SCB showed a reduction in the content of acid-insoluble lignin from 26.6 down to 19.1% w/w, while those of cellulose and hemicellulose were retained above 45.5 and 13.6% w/w, with recoveries of 100–89.9 and 83.5–72.7%, respectively. Ozone-assisted enzymatic hydrolysis allowed attaining glucose and xylose yields as high as 45.0 and 37.8%, respectively. The sugars released/ozone expended ratio ranged between 2.3 and 5.7 g sugars/g O3, being the higher value achieved with an applied ozone input of 50 mg O3/g SCB and SCB with 420 µm particle size and 60% moisture. Such operating conditions led to efficient ozone utilization (<2% unreacted ozone) with a yield of 0.29 g sugars/g SCB. Overall, the amount of sugars released relative to the ozone consumed was improved, entailing an estimated cost of ozonation of USD 34.7/ton of SCB, which could enhance the profitability of the process.Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT) - (Project-CB-SEP-133791

Evidence of rare earth elements origin in acid mine drainage from the Iberian Pyrite Belt (SW Spain)

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a worldwide pollution problem of watersheds. In addition to toxic metal(oid)s and acidity, many elements of economic interest are released into the environment, which make AMD a potential strategic secondary source of these elements such as rare earth elements (REE). Despite the importance of these metals, their origin in AMD is still uncertain. Recent hypotheses suggest preferential leaching of REE-enriched minerals as a possible source. Leaching tests with H2SO4 have been developed to simulate the interaction under AMD formation conditions with sulfide bodies and host rocks from two representative mining areas in the Iberian Pyrite Belt: the Perrrunal and Poderosa mines (SW of Spain). The REE patterns and Ce and Eu anomalies of the rock leachates have confirmed the geochemical relationship between the AMD and certain country rocks (felsic and mafic volcanics, and shales). A detailed chemical and mineralogical study has confirmed the existence of a diversity of minerals with high concentrations of REE. Thus, the minerals with the highest REE contents are also those with the fast dissolution kinetics under acid conditions: REE phosphates (monazite and xenotime type) and carbonates (parisite type). Finally, petrographic evidence of the selective leaching of these minerals clearly supports these minerals as the main source of REE in the AMD.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the research project TRAMPA (MINECO; PID2020-119196RB-C21). Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Huelva / CBUA

Impact of Climate Change: Environmental Assessment of Passive Solutions in a Single-Family Home in Southern Spain

According to the IPCC Climate Change projections by 2050 temperatures in southern Spain will have increased noticeably during the summer. Housing—in its current form—will not be able to provide a suitable response to this new climate scenario, and will in turn prompt an increase in cooling energy consumption and a series of problems relating to health and comfort. The Design Builder simulation tool was used to quantify the impact of this future climate scenario on energy demand, as well as its effect under free-running conditions on indoor temperature. Different passive conditioning strategies were evaluated to establish their influence on the indoor comfort conditions. The case study examined a theoretical single-family residential unit model in order to establish guidelines for the pre-selection of the most suitable passive solutions. The results show that passive conditioning strategies analysed (envelope treatment, solar gain protection and night-time natural ventilation) reduce energy demand and indoor temperatures, thus increasing energy efficiency and improving indoor comfort conditions. Therefore, these passive conditioning strategies reduce the cooling energy consumption.Spanish government BIA2014–53949-R BIA2017-86383-

Wildfire effects on the hydrogeochemistry of a river severely polluted by acid mine drainage

This study evaluates for the first time the impact of a large wildfire on the hydrogeochemistry of a deeply AMDaffected river at the beginning of the wet season. To accomplish this, a high-resolution water monitoring campaign was performed within the basin coinciding with the first rainfalls after summer. Unlike similar events recorded in AMD-affected areas, where dramatic increases in most dissolved element concentrations, and decreases in pH values are observed as a result of evaporitic salts flushing and the transport of sulfide oxidation products from mine sites, a slight increase in pH values (from 2.32 to 2.88) and decrease in element concentrations (e.g.; Fe: 443 to 205 mg/L; Al: 1805 to 1059 mg/L; sulfate: 22.8 to 13.3 g/L) was observed with the first rainfalls after the fire. The washout of wildfire-ash deposited in the riverbanks and the drainage area, constituted by alkaline mineral phases, seems to have counterbalanced the usual behavior and patterns of the river hydrogeochemistry during autumn. Geochemical results indicate that a preferential dissolution occurs during ash washout (K > Ca > Na), with a quick release of K followed by an intense dissolution of Ca and Na. On the other hand, in unburnt zones parameters and concentrations vary to a lesser extent than burnt areas, being the washout of evaporitic salts the dominant process. With subsequent rainfalls ash plays a minor role on the river hydrochemistry. Elemental ratios (Fe/SO4 and Ca/Mg) and geochemical tracers in both ash (K, Ca and Na) and AMD (S) were used to prove the importance of ash washout as the dominant geochemical process during the study period. Geochemical and mineralogical evidences point to intense schwertmannite precipitation as the main driver of reduction in metal pollution. The results of this study shed light on the response of AMD-polluted rivers to certain climate change effects, since climate models predict an increase in the number and intensity of wildfires and torrential rain events, especially in Mediterranean climates.This research was supported by the AIHODIEL project (PYC20 RE 032 UHU) within the 2020 call for grants for the implementation of projects of collaborative interest in the field of innovation ecosystems co-financed by the FEDER program in Andalucía for the period 2014-2020. Jonatan Romero is financed by a FPU program of the Spanish Ministry of Education of Vocational Training (FPU20/04441). C.R Cánovas thanks the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation for the Postdoctoral Fellowship granted under application reference RYC2019–027949-I. Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Huelva / CBUA. The authors gratefully appreciate the constructive comments and suggestions from the editor Mark van Loosdrecht and two anonymous reviewers

Characterization of terrestrial hot particles from the Palomares accident using destructive and non-destructive analytical techniques

Several radioactive particles from the Palomares area have been analyzed with the nuclearmicroprobe of the National Accelerator Centre (CNA) in Seville exploring the advantages of combining -PIXE using a 5.5 MeV4He beam with conventional -PIXE analysis using 3 MeV protons. Themeasurements performed with the -particles are more sensitive to the sample surface, while the resultscollected with protons are indicative of the average composition of the hot particle. In this way, importantinformation about the depth distribution of Pu and U in the particles has been obtained. In addition, theparticles have been analyzed by SEM (EDX) and one of them has been sacrificed for the determinationof its U and Pu isotopic composition by ICP-MS and -spectrometry, being gained in this way importantinformation about the composition of the weapons involved in the Palomares accident.Junta de Andalucía Excellence Project TU-DRAMA (Ultra-sensitive techniques for radionuclides determination in environmental materials