A Comparative Study on the Influence of DC/DC-Converter Induced High Frequency Current Ripple on Lithium-Ion Batteries

Modern battery energy systems are key enablers of the conversion of our energy and mobility sector towards renewability. Most of the time, their batteries are connected to power electronics that induce high frequency current ripple on the batteries that could lead to reinforced battery ageing. This study investigates the influence of high frequency current ripple on the ageing of commercially available, cylindrical 18,650 lithium-ion batteries in comparison to identical batteries that are aged with a conventional battery test system. The respective ageing tests that have been carried out to obtain numerous parameters such as the capacity loss, the gradient of voltage curves and impedance spectra are explained and evaluated to pinpoint how current ripple possibly affects battery ageing. Finally, the results suggest that there is little to no further influence of current ripple that is severe enough to stand out against ageing effects due to the underlying accelerated cyclic ageing

Seguridad humana

Consultable des del TDXA la portada: Programa de doctorado: Seguridad y prevenciónTítol obtingut de la portada digitalitzadaEl objeto de esta tesis es la descripción y el análisis del concepto de seguridad humana. Esta expresión fue utilizada en el informe de 1994 realizado por el Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo(PNUD). Hoy esta noción es empleada por numerosos centros académicos y científicos, por muchas organizaciones internacionales no gubernamentales, por las instituciones del sistema de la Organización de Naciones Unidas, así como por un buen grupo de gobiernos y por la sociedad civil. Se investigan en este trabajo las condiciones y los elementos de un concepto humanocéntrico de la seguridad que se refiere en su sentido más básico a la vida y salud de las personas. Se describen en la misma, las características inherentes a esta nueva dimensión de la seguridad: -La seguridad humana es una preocupación universal. -Los componentes de la seguridad humana son interdependientes. -La seguridad humana tiene un carácter multidimensional. -La prevención es más útil que la intervención posterior para velar por la seguridad humana. Se analizan las siete dimensiones que lo constituyen: Seguridad económica; Seguridad alimentaria; Seguridad en la salud; Seguridad ambiental; Seguridad personal; Seguridad de la comunidad; Seguridad política. Se sostendrá que, a diferencia de los enfoques tradicionales estatocéntricos relacionados con la seguridad, esta investigación explora la idea de que las nuevas amenazas a la seguridad humana son una obstáculo para que las personas puedan poner en funcionamiento sus principales capacidades humanas. El contenido de esta tesis está organizado en torno a cinco capítulos: 1)Seguridad humana: marco conceptual; 2)Cambios en el entorno: interdependencia y vulnerabilidad mutua; 3) Herramientas para la evaluación de la seguridad humana: derechos humanos y enfoque de las capacidades; 4)Seguridad comunitaria y seguridad humana; 5) La seguridad humana y la responsabilidad social de la empresa. Aunque se trata de un concepto amplio y aún en construcción, hay algunos elementos comunes que comparten todas las definiciones que se han analizado. -El cambio en el énfasis, de la seguridad del Estado a la seguridad de las personas. Esta es considerada una de las primeras y principales contribuciones. Desde siglos, la seguridad ha sido definida como la seguridad nacional o como la seguridad del Estado. La seguridad humana ha iniciado el debate sobre las relaciones de la seguridad con las necesidades y los derechos humanos y sobre los nuevos riesgos y peligros producidos por el desarrollo del capitalismo en esta última fase de globalización. -La seguridad humana pone de relieve la interdependencia de la gente en el mundo de hoy demostrando que los problemas no tienen pasaporte, ni se paran en las fronteras nacionales. -Las tareas del Estado, principal responsable de la seguridad, deben ser completadas con iniciativas y acciones de los actores no estatales. La sociedad civil tiene un papel activo en la promoción de la seguridad humana. En muchos casos, estas organizaciones, se han convertido en las principales defensoras efectivas de la misma. Se ha tratado, en suma, de fijar el estado de la ciencia en este campo, desde una metodología interdisciplinar, como paso necesario y previo para continuar las investigaciones futuras en este ámbito. La realidad contemporánea exige la utilización de recursos teóricos y metodológicos, que se orienten hacia una revisión y redefinición de las fronteras entre las disciplinas. Esta tarea conlleva la búsqueda de síntesis y combinaciones alternativas, que permitan, desde una orientación interdisciplinaria, la generación de nuevos conceptos e instrumentos de análisis. Por ello, las ciencias sociales deben sobrepasar las fronteras y promesas del realismo positivista y sustituirlas por un ejercicio crítico que desvele las formas discursivas y las estrategias de poder que vertebran los discursos de las distintas teorías.This thesis describes and analyzes the concept of human security, an expression used in the 1994 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Today this idea is used by a number of research and academic centers, by international nongovernmental agencies, by institutional systems of the UN organizations, by many governments and society at large. In this work the conditions and elements of a human-centered concept of security are considered which describe, in very basic terms, people's life and health. Furthermore the inherent characteristics of the new dimension of security is also set out in the following terms: Human security is a universal concern. The components of human security are interdependent. Human security is, by its very nature, multidimensional. Prevention is more useful than subsequent intervention in efforts to ensure human security. The seven dimensions which constitute human security are economic, nutritional, health, personal, community and political. Contrary to an accepted state-centered security focus, this work explores the idea that new threats to human security present an obstacle hindering people from realizing their capacities. The content of this thesis is organized into five chapters: 1) Human security: conceptual framework; 2) changes in its surrounding: interdependence and mutual vulnerability; 3) Tools for assessing human security: human rights and capacities focus; 4) Community and human security; 5) Human security and social responsible in business. Although the concept is wide-ranging and still being developed, there are common elements that share all the definitions under analysis. Changes in emphasis, from State security to personal security. This is considered one of the first and central contributions. - For centuries, security has been defined as national security or State security. Human security has touched off the debate over the relationship between security of needs and human rights and concerning new risks and dangers brought on by the recent development of capitalist globalization. - Human security highlights the interdependence of the people of the world, showing that our problems do not have passports, nor do they stop at national borders. -State security roles, the main agents in this process, must be complemented by initiatives and actions outside the State sector. Civil society has an active role to play in promoting human security. Often, these organizations have become its main defenders. This thesis has, in effect, set out the state of the question in this field, using a multidisciplinary methodology as required and with a view to future research work in this field. Contemporary society demands the use of technical and methodological resources aimed at reviewing and defining the frontiers that separate different disciplines. In this respect there has been an effort here to synthesize and combine alternative tendencies, generate new concepts and instruments of analysis. Thus the social sciences should overcome barriers and promises of positivist realism and substitute them with a critical exercise that reveals discursive forms and power strategies that underpin the discourse of different theories

Applying spatio-chemical analysis to grassland ecosystems for the illustration of chemoscapes and creation of healthscapes

Grasslands are heterogeneous landscapes composed of a diversity of herbaceous and shrub vegetation that varies not only taxonomically, but biochemically in terms of primary and secondary compounds. Plant Secondary Compounds (PSC) have specific nutritional, medicinal, and prophylactic properties, to which benefits depend upon dosage, type, arrangements, and concentration that changes between and within plants across time and space. The knowledge of the plant content of PSC and their distribution in grazing environments would therefore contribute to the design and creation of healthier foodscapes for ruminants; in other words, healthscapes. Geographic information systems (GIS) have been used extensively for landscape visualization and assessment, through several spatial analysis techniques applied for the creation of virtual maps to add valuable information to a particular environment. Given the knowledge of plants and their composition, GIS emerges as a readily available and low-cost tool to assess and evaluate the distribution of plants with beneficial PSC in large and heterogeneous foodscapes. We present and propose for the very first time, the application and use of GIS to determine the spatial distribution of PSC rich plants with nutraceutical properties to illustrate, visualize, and generate healthscapes for grazing ruminants. We present healthscape maps created using botanical composition analyses and advanced image classification methods to illustrate the distribution of plants regarding their PSC and nutraceutical properties. Such maps add an extra dimension and perspective to plant chemical composition, enabling graziers to visualize in space and time centers of nutrition and prophylactics or medicines, contributing to advanced grazing management decisions toward more productive, sustainable, and healthy grazing systems. The valuable information behind the mapped PSC advances the understanding of the nutritional ecology of grazing environments and foodscapes, introducing a new dimension to the holistic management of pastoral livestock production systems

Dark tourism: análise da relação entre motivações, experiências e benefícios dos visitantes do Cemitério da Recoleta, Argentina

Dark tourism is a form of niche tourism that is undergoing increasingly rapid development. The literature identifies the cemetery as a site for dark tourism, through its association with the ideas of death and mourning; these can cause unpleasant feelings for tourists, which is a fundamental characteristic of the ‘dark tourism’ concept. The objective of this paper is to analyse the relationship between the motivations, experiences, and benefits of visiting the Recoleta cemetery in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The study is characterised as exploratory, descriptive, and has used the quantitative approach. A total of 450 respondents claimed to have visited the Recoleta cemetery. The authors tested and validated five factors through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, including social and learning motivations, reflexive and empathetic experiences, and benefits. The result provides theoretical evidence that motivations to visit the Recoleta cemetery are related to knowledge seeking, leisure, and social activities with family and friends. The experiences obtained during the visit include the eliciting of a sense of escapism, through relaxation and peace. The study offers evidence that visiting the cemetery can provide moments of contemplation, and promote reflection about life. In addition, this study identifies practical modifications that can assist in decision-making processes.El dark tourism es una forma de turismo de nicho con un desarrollo cada vez más rápido. La literatura definió al cementerio como dark tourism ya que sugiere la idea de la muerte y el duelo, que puede provocar sentimientos desagradables en los turistas, convirtiéndose en una característica fundamental de este concepto. El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar la relación entre las motivaciones, vivencias y beneficios de visitar el cementerio de la Recoleta en Buenos Aires, Argentina. El estudio se caracteriza por ser exploratorio, descriptivo y utilizó el enfoque cuantitativo. Un total de 450 encuestados afirmaron haber visitado el cementerio de la Recoleta. Los autores probaron y validaron cinco factores a través de un análisis factorial exploratorio y confirmatorio, incluidas las motivaciones sociales y de aprendizaje, las experiencias reflexivas y empáticas y los beneficios. El resultado proporciona evidencia teórica de que las motivaciones están relacionadas con la búsqueda de conocimiento, el ocio y las actividades sociales con familiares y amigos. Las experiencias obtenidas durante la visita están relacionadas con el sentimiento escapista a través de la relajación y la paz. El estudio ofrece evidencia de que visitar el cementerio puede ser un momento contemplativo, que promueve la reflexión sobre la vida. Por otro lado, las contribuciones prácticas pueden ayudar en los procesos de toma de decisiones.O dark tourism é uma forma de turismo de nicho com desenvolvimento cada vez mais rápido. A literatura definiu o cemitério como dark tourism pois sugere a ideia de morte e luto, que pode causar sentimentos desagradáveis aos turistas, tornando-se uma característica fundamental deste conceito. O objetivo deste artigo é analisar a relação entre as motivações, experiências e benefícios de visitar o cemitério da Recoleta em Buenos Aires, Argentina. O estudo caracteriza-se como exploratório, descritivo e utilizou a abordagem quantitativa. Um total de 450 entrevistados afirmaram ter visitado o cemitério da Recoleta. Os autores testaram e validaram cinco fatores por meio de análise fatorial exploratória e confirmatória, incluindo motivações sociais e de aprendizagem, experiências reflexivas e empáticas e benefícios. O resultado fornece evidências teóricas de que as motivações estão relacionadas à busca de conhecimento, lazer e atividades sociais com a família e amigos. As experiências obtidas durante a visita estão relacionadas ao sentimento escapista através do relaxamento e paz. O estudo oferece evidências de que a visita ao cemitério pode ser um momento contemplativo, promovendo a reflexão sobre a vida. Por outro lado, contribuições práticas podem auxiliar nos processos de tomada de decisão

Ethical challenges of outcome measurement in palliative care clinical practice: a systematic review of systematic reviews

Several outcome measures have been systematically implemented to be used in palliative care. However, routine use in clinical practice is not without ethical challenges, which are not commonly addressed. The objectives of this study are therefore (I) to identify the ethical challenges/issues of outcome measurement in palliative care and (II) to understand how these ethical challenges/issues are addressed in palliative care clinical practice. The study consisted of a systematic review of systematic reviews, which is a type of review that brings together a summary of reviews in one place. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCOhost searching CINAHL Complete, MEDLINE Complete, Nursing & Allied Health Collection: Comprehensive, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Methodology Register, Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts, MedicLatina, from inception to January 2018. Out of 159 articles screened, only two [2] articles were included for analysis. The main ethical challenge/issue identified in these two reviews was cognitive impairment, particularly in patients with dementia. This challenge was addressed via proxy (family carers or health professionals) reporting outcome measurement. Ethical challenges/issues are poorly addressed in the existing systematic reviews about outcome measurement in palliative care clinical practice. Only two systematic reviews addressed ethical challenges/issues, namely cognitive impairment, particularly in persons with dementia. Further research is needed on this subject and to foster the use of outcome measurement among this vulnerable group of patientsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Cognitive impairment: the main ethical issue and challenge of outcome measurement in palliative care. A systematic review of systematic reviews

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Enhancing ethical decision-making at the end-of-life: empowering conditions or team empowerment?

Background: Healthcare professionals are increasingly making end-of-life decisions (ELDs), which have become an integrated dimension of contemporary palliative and end-of-life care. ELDs are medical decisions made at the end of life that may have a potentially life-shortening effect. These situations are very often moments of high vulnerability with a profound impact on patients' ability to exercise their autonomy. Healthcare professionals perceive end-of-life decision-making as complex, difficult, and stressful. Evidence shows that making ELDs is frequently associated with burnout and moral distress. Strategies need to be implemented to enhance ethical decision-making at the end-of-life. Aim: To explore and discuss strategies on how to promote team empowerment within interdisciplinary teams to support and enhance ethical decision-making processes surrounded by uncertainty, risk, and asymmetry of information. Methods: This presentation is based on the work developed within project DELiCare: Decisions, Decision-making, and End-of-Life Care: Ethical Framework and Reasoning. The knowledge, experiences, and evidence from different fields will be mobilized and integrated to build theoretical and empirical frameworks. The structure and processes that can enhance ethico-clinical decision-making processes and their effectiveness in palliative and end-of-life care will be explored. Results: The need to make ELDs requires healthcare professionals and teams, as well as patients and family members, to embrace ethico-clinical decision-making processes under uncertainty, risk, and asymmetry of information. Shared decision-making is a cooperative process among healthcare professionals, patients, and families that enables a way of decision-making combining both the professionals’ expertise and the patient’s values, preferences, and goals. Shared decision-making processes should integrate information exchange, a deliberation period and making a decision. Communication among all stakeholders is paramount. Conclusions: Shared decision-making processes helps teams to bring together information and views, anticipate scenarios, and prepare a joint and common approach to the decision that needs to be made. This team empowering strategy fosters the sense of both individual and teamwork meaning, a core dimension of empowerment. By fostering shared decision-making processes, professionals and teams feel more empowered and are more effective in meeting patients’ values, wishes and preferences.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio