Effect of Ramping Requirement and Price Cap on Energy Price in a System with High Wind Penetration

Sebastian Martin, Yves Smeers, and Jose Aguado. Effect of Ramping Requirement and Price Cap on Energy Price in a System with High Wind Penetration. In proceedings of the 22nd International Symposium on Mathematical Programming, Pittsburgh, July 12-17, 2015The European power market is currently retiring or mothballing large capacities of conventional plants, and at the same time incorporating a significant amount of non-dispatchable renewable generation, in particular wind. We analyse the mothballing process (and the resulting system) and study how they are affected by a price cap implemented in the energy only market, and by a possible implementation of ramping products in the system.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

MOTION OF A LARGE OBJECT IN A 2D BUBBLING FLUIDIZED BED

The motion of a large object in a bubbling fluidized bed is experimentally studied using digital image analysis. A wide range of fluidized bed applications involves the motion of large objects within the bed, such objects being reactants, catalysts, agglomerates, etc. The experiments were run in a 2D bubbling fluidized bed with glass spheres as bed material. The object motion is measured using tracking techniques, while independent measurements of the dense phase velocity (using PIV) and bubble velocity were carried out. The effect of the excess gas velocity on the object motion was also analyzed. It is generally accepted that objects with densities in a range around the bed density will describe sinking-rising cycles throughout the whole bed, where the sinking motion is similar to that of the dense phase, and the rising motion is composed of a number of sudden jerks or jumps, as a result of the raising effect of passing bubbles. This work characterized the circulation patterns of an object with a density similar to that of the bed material, but much larger in size. A comparison between the object rising motion and the local bubble motion provided evidence for the study of the bubble ability to raise the object, depending on the bubble velocity and size. A comparison between the object sinking motion and the dense phase motion served to analyze the minor effect of buoyancy forces over the object sinking motion. Finally, the combined effects of the maximum attained depth and the number of jerks in the circulation time is studied, with some insight in the multiple-jerks phenomenon

Lean Six Sigma para aumentar la capacidad instalada en el servicio de Mantenimiento Preventivo en una empresa de la industria de Ascensores

La empresa de la Industria de Ascensores pertenece al sector de construcción. Se analizó a nivel de América Latina y El Caribe presentando el PBI mundial de los últimos 4 años y la participación del mercado que es del 17.9 %. También se analizó a nivel Nacional el PBI de los últimos 4 años y una participación de 12.5% en el año 2021 Se ha identificado una baja capacidad instalada en los servicios de mantenimiento preventivo por tiempos mayores al estándar de 120 minutos, al analizar las causas principales se visualizó que fueron por falta de estandarización y falta de plan de calibración de los equipos de medición, También se analizó el impacto económico identificando el pago horas extras y penalidad a la Marca KONE Se aplicó la metodología Lean Six Sigma, en relación a los diferentes enfoques identificados en nuestros hallazgos bibliográficos, siguiendo la estructura DMAIC en conjunto a las herramientas Lean como el Mapa de Flujo de Valor, Pareto, Ishikawa, análisis modal de fallas y efectos (FMEA), para identificar nuestra situación actual, asimismo, se realizó el análisis de capacidad estadístico del proceso, el análisis de varianza ANOVA en cada posible hipótesis para determinar las variables críticas del proceso, y el diseño de experimentos minimizando y estandarizando el tiempo de servicio de mantenimiento. Se identificó la falta de estandarización del proceso, el cuál tras ser mejorado, el tiempo de servicio de mantenimiento preventivo de 130,72 minutos promedio por servicio de mantenimiento preventivo a 109,85 minutos promedio por servicio de mantenimiento preventivo, asimismo, se minimizó el nivel de variabilidad del proceso de 24 minutos promedio por servicio de mantenimiento preventivo a 11,31 minutos promedio por servicio de mantenimiento preventivo. Se aumenta la capacidad instalada de 700 servicios de mantenimiento preventivos por mes a 769 servicios de mantenimiento preventivos por mes.The Elevators Industry company that is part of the construction economical sector has registered a 17.9% Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Latin America and the Caribbean market. This industry only registers a 12.5% Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Peru. Analysis observed the last 4 years. A low installed capacity has been identified in preventive maintenance services, registering lead times over the 120 minutes benchmark standard, a root cause analysis was executed and main pain drivers were the lack of standardization in the process and the lack of calibration plan for maintenance equipment. In addition, the economic impact was identified on the extra working hours and the headquarter fines over the standard fulfillment service. Lean Six Sigma methodology was implemented, according to our identified approaches from our research resources findings, including a DMAIC work structure along and Lean tools such as the Value State Map (VSM), Pareto Analysis, Ishikawa Analysis, Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), in order to determine the current status analysis. In addition, a statistical capability process analysis was executed, the variance analysis ANOVA to assess all possible hypotheses and identify critical variables of the process and implementing a design of experiments minimizing and standardizing the maintenance service average time. A lack of standardization in the maintenance process was identified, and as a result of the revised process, the average maintenance service lead time was reduced from 130,72 minutes per preventive maintenance service to 109,85 minutes per preventive maintenance service. Also, the variation lead time of the preventive maintenance service was minimized from 24 minutes per preventive maintenance service to 11,31 minutes per preventive maintenance service. Process Installed capacity was improved from 700 preventive maintenance services per month to 769 preventive maintenance services per month.Trabajo de Suficiencia Profesiona

Engineering protein assemblies with allosteric control via monomer fold-switching

The macromolecular machines of life use allosteric control to self-assemble, dissociate and change shape in response to signals. Despite enormous interest, the design of nanoscale allosteric assemblies has proven tremendously challenging. Here we present a proof of concept of allosteric assembly in which an engineered fold switch on the protein monomer triggers or blocks assembly. Our design is based on the hyper-stable, naturally monomeric protein CI2, a paradigm of simple two-state folding, and the toroidal arrangement with 6-fold symmetry that it only adopts in crystalline form. We engineer CI2 to enable a switch between the native and an alternate, latent fold that self-assembles onto hexagonal toroidal particles by exposing a favorable inter-monomer interface. The assembly is controlled on demand via the competing effects of temperature and a designed short peptide. These findings unveil a remarkable potential for structural metamorphosis in proteins and demonstrate key principles for engineering protein-based nanomachinery.This work was supported by the European Research Council (grant ERC-2012-ADG-323059 to V.M.) and by the PRODESTECH network funded through the CONSOLIDER program from the Spanish Government (grant CSD2009-00088). L.A.C. acknowledges support from Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through grants BIO2016-78768-P and RYC-2013-13197. V.M. acknowledges additional support from the W.M.Keck Foundation and from the CREST Center for Cellular and Biomomolecular Machines (grant NSF-CREST-1547848). J.M.V. acknowledges additional support from Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through grant BFU2016-75984.Peer reviewe

Subcutaneous Administration of Apolipoprotein J-Derived Mimetic Peptide -[113-122]apoJ Improves LDL and HDL Function and Prevents Atherosclerosis in LDLR-KO Mice

Mimetic peptides are potential therapeutic agents for atherosclerosis. -[113-122]apolipoprotein (apo) J (-[113-122]apoJ) is a 10-residue peptide that is predicted to form a class G* amphipathic helix 6 from apoJ; it shows anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic properties. In the present study, we analyzed the effect of -[113-122]apoJ in low-density lipoprotein receptor knockout mice(LDLR-KO) on the development of atherosclerosis and lipoprotein function. Fifteen-week-old female LDLR-KO mice fed an atherogenic Western-type diet were treated for eight weeks with -[113-122]apoJ peptide, a scrambled peptide, or vehicle. Peptides were administered subcutaneously three days per week (200 µg in 100 µL of saline). After euthanasia, blood and hearts were collected and the aortic arch was analyzed for the presence of atherosclerotic lesions. Lipoproteins were isolated and their composition and functionality were studied. The extent of atherosclerotic lesions was 43% lower with -[113-122]apoJ treatment than with the vehicle or scramble. The lipid profile was similar between groups, but the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) of -[113-122]apoJ-treated mice had a higher antioxidant capacity and increased ability to promote cholesterol efflux than the control group. In addition, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) from -[113-122]apoJ-treated mice was more resistant to induced aggregation and presented lower electronegativity than in mice treated with -[113-122]apoJ. Our results demonstrate that the -[113-122]apoJ peptide prevents the extent of atherosclerotic lesions, which could be partially explained by the improvement of lipoprotein functionality

Quantitative approach to assist neuroblastoma assessment by measuring I-123 mIBG uptake in scintigraphic images

Whole-body 123I-Metaiodobenzylguanidine (mIBG) scintigraphy is used as the primary image modality in neuroblastoma detection. It is the most sensitive and specific method for staging and response evaluation. Validated semi-quantitative scoring methods with low interobserver variability and high reproducibility have shown to be indispensable for the evaluation of response to therapy. However, low resolution, noise and acquisition difficulties, specially in children, make low definition scans. These facts increase observer dependent interpretations that limit assessment and complicate to put a scoring method succesfully into practice. It is essential to have an objective and reliable measure of response to test the activity of therapies. In this paper we propose the use of a quantitative observer-independent measurement of the strength of uptake to be used as an additional tool for assisting the International Society of Paediatric Oncology Europe Neuroblastoma Group (SIOPEN) semi-quantitative scoring method. This is the scoring method recommended by the SIOPEN Nuclear Medicine and Physics Committee, in collaborative work with the Children’s Oncology Group, as the standard one for acquiring and reporting diagnostic paediatric mIBG scans across Europe. Our proposed method is based on the ratio between the amount of specific uptake at tumours and the amount of non-specific uptake at SIOPEN anatomical sectors which has shown to be constant in all the scans of the patients.This work has been supported by "Ayudas para Actividades Preparatorias de Proyectos Coordinados entre Investigadores de la Universitat Politecnica de Valencia e Investigadores del Hospital Universitario y Politecnico La Fe", II Call, 2013, AUTOSCOREMIBG project. The authors are very grateful to the referees for their useful comments.Martínez Díaz, R.; Balaguer Guill, J.; Sánchez Ruiz, LM.; Bello Arques, P.; Castel, V.; Rivas Sanchez, A.; Cañete Nieto, A.... (2015). Quantitative approach to assist neuroblastoma assessment by measuring I-123 mIBG uptake in scintigraphic images. Image Analysis and Stereology. 34(2):135-144. doi:10.5566/ias.1219S13514434

Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks, 1990-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015

SummaryBackground The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2015 provides an up-to-date synthesis of the evidence for risk factor exposure and the attributable burden of disease. By providing national and subnational assessments spanning the past 25 years, this study can inform debates on the importance of addressing risks in context. Methods We used the comparative risk assessment framework developed for previous iterations of the Global Burden of Disease Study to estimate attributable deaths, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and trends in exposure by age group, sex, year, and geography for 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks from 1990 to 2015. This study included 388 risk-outcome pairs that met World Cancer Research Fund-defined criteria for convincing or probable evidence. We extracted relative risk and exposure estimates from randomised controlled trials, cohorts, pooled cohorts, household surveys, census data, satellite data, and other sources. We used statistical models to pool data, adjust for bias, and incorporate covariates. We developed a metric that allows comparisons of exposure across risk factors—the summary exposure value. Using the counterfactual scenario of theoretical minimum risk level, we estimated the portion of deaths and DALYs that could be attributed to a given risk. We decomposed trends in attributable burden into contributions from population growth, population age structure, risk exposure, and risk-deleted cause-specific DALY rates. We characterised risk exposure in relation to a Socio-demographic Index (SDI). Findings Between 1990 and 2015, global exposure to unsafe sanitation, household air pollution, childhood underweight, childhood stunting, and smoking each decreased by more than 25%. Global exposure for several occupational risks, high body-mass index (BMI), and drug use increased by more than 25% over the same period. All risks jointly evaluated in 2015 accounted for 57·8% (95% CI 56·6–58·8) of global deaths and 41·2% (39·8–42·8) of DALYs. In 2015, the ten largest contributors to global DALYs among Level 3 risks were high systolic blood pressure (211·8 million [192·7 million to 231·1 million] global DALYs), smoking (148·6 million [134·2 million to 163·1 million]), high fasting plasma glucose (143·1 million [125·1 million to 163·5 million]), high BMI (120·1 million [83·8 million to 158·4 million]), childhood undernutrition (113·3 million [103·9 million to 123·4 million]), ambient particulate matter (103·1 million [90·8 million to 115·1 million]), high total cholesterol (88·7 million [74·6 million to 105·7 million]), household air pollution (85·6 million [66·7 million to 106·1 million]), alcohol use (85·0 million [77·2 million to 93·0 million]), and diets high in sodium (83·0 million [49·3 million to 127·5 million]). From 1990 to 2015, attributable DALYs declined for micronutrient deficiencies, childhood undernutrition, unsafe sanitation and water, and household air pollution; reductions in risk-deleted DALY rates rather than reductions in exposure drove these declines. Rising exposure contributed to notable increases in attributable DALYs from high BMI, high fasting plasma glucose, occupational carcinogens, and drug use. Environmental risks and childhood undernutrition declined steadily with SDI; low physical activity, high BMI, and high fasting plasma glucose increased with SDI. In 119 countries, metabolic risks, such as high BMI and fasting plasma glucose, contributed the most attributable DALYs in 2015. Regionally, smoking still ranked among the leading five risk factors for attributable DALYs in 109 countries; childhood underweight and unsafe sex remained primary drivers of early death and disability in much of sub-Saharan Africa. Interpretation Declines in some key environmental risks have contributed to declines in critical infectious diseases. Some risks appear to be invariant to SDI. Increasing risks, including high BMI, high fasting plasma glucose, drug use, and some occupational exposures, contribute to rising burden from some conditions, but also provide opportunities for intervention. Some highly preventable risks, such as smoking, remain major causes of attributable DALYs, even as exposure is declining. Public policy makers need to pay attention to the risks that are increasingly major contributors to global burden. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Multi-ancestry GWAS reveals excitotoxicity associated with outcome after ischaemic stroke

During the first hours after stroke onset, neurological deficits can be highly unstable: some patients rapidly improve, while others deteriorate. This early neurological instability has a major impact on long-term outcome. Here, we aimed to determine the genetic architecture of early neurological instability measured by the difference between the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) within 6 h of stroke onset and NIHSS at 24 h. A total of 5876 individuals from seven countries (Spain, Finland, Poland, USA, Costa Rica, Mexico and Korea) were studied using a multi-ancestry meta-analyses. We found that 8.7% of NIHSS at 24 h of variance was explained by common genetic variations, and also that early neurological instability has a different genetic architecture from that of stroke risk. Eight loci (1p21.1, 1q42.2, 2p25.1, 2q31.2, 2q33.3, 5q33.2, 7p21.2 and 13q31.1) were genome-wide significant and explained 1.8% of the variability suggesting that additional variants influence early change in neurological deficits. We used functional genomics and bioinformatic annotation to identify the genes driving the association from each locus. Expression quantitative trait loci mapping and summary data-based Mendelian randomization indicate that ADAM23 (log Bayes factor = 5.41) was driving the association for 2q33.3. Gene-based analyses suggested that GRIA1 (log Bayes factor = 5.19), which is predominantly expressed in the brain, is the gene driving the association for the 5q33.2 locus. These analyses also nominated GNPAT (log Bayes factor = 7.64) ABCB5 (log Bayes factor = 5.97) for the 1p21.1 and 7p21.1 loci. Human brain single-nuclei RNA-sequencing indicates that the gene expression of ADAM23 and GRIA1 is enriched in neurons. ADAM23, a presynaptic protein and GRIA1, a protein subunit of the AMPA receptor, are part of a synaptic protein complex that modulates neuronal excitability. These data provide the first genetic evidence in humans that excitotoxicity may contribute to early neurological instability after acute ischaemic stroke. Ibanez et al. perform a multi-ancestry meta-analysis to investigate the genetic architecture of early stroke outcomes. Two of the eight genome-wide significant loci identified-ADAM23 and GRIA1-are involved in synaptic excitability, suggesting that excitotoxicity contributes to neurological instability after ischaemic stroke.Peer reviewe

Mutations in the Neuronal Vesicular SNARE VAMP2 Affect Synaptic Membrane Fusion and Impair Human Neurodevelopment

VAMP2 encodes the vesicular SNARE protein VAMP2 (also called synaptobrevin-2). Together with its partners syntaxin-1A and synaptosomal-associated protein 25 (SNAP25), VAMP2 mediates fusion of synaptic vesicles to release neurotransmitters. VAMP2 is essential for vesicular exocytosis and activity-dependent neurotransmitter release. Here, we report five heterozygous de novo mutations in VAMP2 in unrelated individuals presenting with a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by axial hypotonia (which had been present since birth), intellectual disability, and autistic features. In total, we identified two single-amino-acid deletions and three non-synonymous variants affecting conserved residues within the C terminus of the VAMP2 SNARE motif. Affected individuals carrying de novo non-synonymous variants involving the C-terminal region presented a more severe phenotype with additional neurological features, including central visual impairment, hyperkinetic movement disorder, and epilepsy or electroencephalography abnormalities. Reconstituted fusion involving a lipid-mixing assay indicated impairment in vesicle fusion as one of the possible associated disease mechanisms. The genetic synaptopathy caused by VAMP2 de novo mutations highlights the key roles of this gene in human brain development and function

Comparison of seven prognostic tools to identify low-risk pulmonary embolism in patients aged <50 years

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