Higher COVID-19 pneumonia risk associated with anti-IFN-α than with anti-IFN-ω auto-Abs in children

We found that 19 (10.4%) of 183 unvaccinated children hospitalized for COVID-19 pneumonia had autoantibodies (auto-Abs) neutralizing type I IFNs (IFN-alpha 2 in 10 patients: IFN-alpha 2 only in three, IFN-alpha 2 plus IFN-omega in five, and IFN-alpha 2, IFN-omega plus IFN-beta in two; IFN-omega only in nine patients). Seven children (3.8%) had Abs neutralizing at least 10 ng/ml of one IFN, whereas the other 12 (6.6%) had Abs neutralizing only 100 pg/ml. The auto-Abs neutralized both unglycosylated and glycosylated IFNs. We also detected auto-Abs neutralizing 100 pg/ml IFN-alpha 2 in 4 of 2,267 uninfected children (0.2%) and auto-Abs neutralizing IFN-omega in 45 children (2%). The odds ratios (ORs) for life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia were, therefore, higher for auto-Abs neutralizing IFN-alpha 2 only (OR [95% CI] = 67.6 [5.7-9,196.6]) than for auto-Abs neutralizing IFN-. only (OR [95% CI] = 2.6 [1.2-5.3]). ORs were also higher for auto-Abs neutralizing high concentrations (OR [95% CI] = 12.9 [4.6-35.9]) than for those neutralizing low concentrations (OR [95% CI] = 5.5 [3.1-9.6]) of IFN-omega and/or IFN-alpha 2

Evaluation of the WEC sub-system of a hybrid wind-wave energy converter

Edited version embargoed until 15.06.2018 Full version: Access restricted permanently due to 3rd party copyright restrictions. Restriction set on 15.06.2017 by SC, Graduate SchoolThe sustainable development of the offshore wind and wave energy sectors requires optimising the exploitation of the resources, and it is in relation to this and the shared challenge for both industries to reduce their costs that the option of integrating offshore wind and wave energy arose during the past decade. The relevant aspects of this integration are addressed in this work, and in particular the evaluation of the Wave Energy Converter (WEC) sub-system of a hybrid wind-wave energy converter: the state of the art of combined technologies; the definition of a novel hybrid prototype, based on a preliminary feasibility analysis of a conceptual proposal; and the evaluation of a simplified version of this prototype by means of physical and numerical modelling as a mean to set the reference and define new tools and methods for future evaluation and optimisation of the prototype. Because of the novelty of combined wave and offshore wind systems, fundamental knowledge was lacking as, for example a comprehensive review and classification, which was published as a journal paper framed in the present work. In particular, the core of this PhD thesis deals with the WEC sub-system of a hybrid device that integrates an Oscillating Water Column (OWC) device into the typical monopile substructure of an offshore wind turbine. A new prototype of the hybrid energy converter has been proposed, and a patent application was filled. Furthermore, an experimental set-up was designed, built and tested at a wave flume. On the basis of this experimental campaign the performance of the device is analysed. Finally, a full 3D-numerical mirror of the experimental set-up, including the hybrid energy converter, is defined and validated, and the flume enclosure effects studied for regular waves.The School of Engineering at the University of PlymouthThe Civil Engineering Research Group at the University of Santiago de CompostelaThe Atlantic Power Cluster project (Atlantic Area Project nr. 2011-1/151, ATLANTICPOWER)The project DPI2009-14546.CO2-02 supported by the Spanish’s Ministry of Science and Innovation (Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación

Adaptive integral sliding mode based course keeping control of unmanned surface vehicle

This paper investigates the course keeping control problem for an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) in the presence of unknown disturbances and system uncertainties. The simulation study combines two different types of sliding mode surface based control approaches due to its precise tracking and robustness against disturbances and uncertainty. Firstly, an adaptive linear sliding mode surface algorithm is applied, to keep the yaw error within the desired boundaries and then an adaptive integral non-linear sliding mode surface is explored to keep an account of the sliding mode condition. Additionally, a method to reconfigure the input parameters in order to keep settling time, yaw rate restriction and desired precision within boundary conditions is presented. The main strengths of proposed approach is simplicity, robustness with respect to external disturbances and high adaptability to static and dynamics reference courses without the need of parameter reconfiguration.Ministerio de Defensa | Ref. TRABODIT PICUD-2021-0

180427_dataset_ECM

This metadata are supplementary to the journal paper “Hydrodynamic response of the WEC sub-system of a novel hybrid wind-wave energy converter” Citation: Perez-Collazo, C. et al (2018). 180427_dataset_ECM. PEARL Research Repository https://doi.org/10.24382/bnwm-qd7

180309_dataset_MDPI_Energies

This metadata are supplementary to the journal paper “A novel hybrid wind-wave energy converter for jacket-frame substructures” which can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/en11030637 (Publisher OA version) and http://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/11045 (PEARL OA version) Citation: Perez-Collazo, C., Greaves, D, and Iglesias, G. (2018). A novel hybrid wind-wave energy converter for jacket-frame substructures. PEARL Research Repository http://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/1104

170426_dataset_EWTEC

This dataset contains the research materials suporting the paper with title Hydrodynamic response of a jacket-frame mounted WEC sub-system of a novel hybrid wind-wave energy converter , published in the proceedings of the 12th European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference (EWTEC) 2017

Review of laser scanning technologies and their applications for road and railway infrastructure monitoring

Improving the resilience of infrastructures is key to reduce their risk vulnerability and mitigate impact from hazards at different levels (e.g., from increasing extreme events, driven by climate change); or from human-made events such as: accidents, vandalism or terrorist actions. One of the most relevant aspects of resilience is preparation. This is directly related to: (i) the risk prediction capability; (ii) the infrastructure monitoring; and (iii) the systems contributing to anticipate, prevent and prepare the infrastructure for potential damage. This work focuses on those methods and technologies that contribute to more efficient and automated infrastructure monitoring. Therefore, a review that summarizes the state of the art of LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging)-based data processing is presented, giving a special emphasis to road and railway infrastructure. The most relevant applications related to monitoring and inventory transport infrastructures are discussed. Furthermore, different commercial LiDAR-based terrestrial systems are described and compared to offer a broad scope of the available sensors and tools to remote monitoring infrastructures based on terrestrial systems.Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities | Ref. RTI2018-095893-B-C2

Valor del índice neutrófilo-linfocitario en la predicción de la severidad de enfermedad arterial coronaria

Introducción: La disfunción endotelial relacionada con la presencia de lesiones  aterogénicas coronarias se asocia a un proceso inflamatorio. Objetivo: Evaluar  la asociación entre el índice neutrófilo-linfocitario y la severidad de la enfermedad arterial coronaria. Método: Estudio  descriptivo-correlacional y prospectivo para evaluar valor pronóstico en 511 pacientes consecutivos que se realizaron coronariografía en el Hospital Hermanos Ameijeiras en un período de 8 meses.  Se analizó muestra de sangre basal y se estudiaron variables clínicas y angiográficos. Resultados: Se encontró relación significativa entre la mayor carga de placa aterosclerótica, expresada por el  número de vasos coronarios enfermos y el score syntax intermedio y alto, con el aumento de neutrófilos (p=0,004), la disminución de linfocitos  (p=0,003) y con el aumento del índice neutrófilo linfocitario (p=0,04). El aumento de éste índice mayor de 2 putos  se relaciona de forma independiente  con la presencia y severidad de la enfermedad coronaria: 0,111 (0,058-0,219), p=0,001. Conclusión: El aumento del índice neutrófilo linfocitario previo a la coronariografía invasiva, se asocia a mayor severidad de enfermedad arterial coronaria.