Atmospheric pressure air plasma treatment of glass substrates for improved silver/glass adhesion in solar mirrors

Atmospheric pressure air plasma treatment was applied to glass substrates to improve the adhesion of the reflective silver layer of mirrors used in solar power systems. This treatment attempts to prevent problems related to the detachment of this layer that affect its energy performance. Untreated and plasma treated glass substrates were subjected to a spray coating process to fabricate mirrors. Chemical characterization by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and measurements of the water contact angle (WCA) were undertaken on the glass substrates before the plating process. The reflectivity of the mirrors was studied by spectrophotometry in the wavelength range of 2802500 nm, and the adhesion between the glass substrates and the silver layers was measured by pull-off tests. In order to determine the relationship between the parameters of the plasma treatment and the adhesion and reflectivity of the mirrors, different combinations of treatment speeds and gap distances between the glass substrates and the plasma nozzle were used. It was observed that the plasma treatment has a cleaning effect and forms oxygen-based functional groups that promote the hydrophilicity of the glass substrates. This double effect resulted in improved adhesion of the silver layer to the plasma treated substrates, with no significant loss of solar reflectance of the mirrors. The plasma treatment with the lowest gap distance (2 mm) and the lowest speed (1 m/min) achieved the best results in this work. It brought an improvement of 85.8% in the breaking strength of the untreated glass mirror and no significant variation in the solar reflectance in as-fabricated conditions. After accelerated aging, it maintained an improvement of 27.2% in the breaking strength and showed higher solar reflectance than the untreated glass mirror. © 2017 Elsevier B.V

Atmospheric plasma-polymerization of hydrophobic and wear-resistant coatings on glass substrates

In order to find a coating that promotes both the wear resistance and the hydrophobicity of glass, a non-thermal atmospheric jet plasma-polymerization system with mixtures of two precursors at different proportions were used. (Heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrodecyl)trimethoxysilane (FLUSI) was used to promote the hydrophobicity, due to its fluorocarbon chain. Aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) was used to enhance the wear resistance of the surface. The key aspect of the present work consists of determining the optimal mixture of precursors that produces a satisfactory coating in both characteristics; since coatings based on FLUSI have a low wear resistance and those based on APTES have a hydrophilic character. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), lap-shear tests, static water contact angle (WCA), tribological tests, profilometry measurements and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) were used to analyze the coatings. It is believed that the upper limit of hydrophobicity that can be attained by modifying of the surface chemistry (WCA of ~120°) has been achieved. It was observed that the wear resistance depends on the thickness and the SiOSi content of the coatings. These appear to be directly related to the proportion of APTES in the mixture. The sample that was coated with 50% of APTES and 50% of FLUSI provided the best combination of hydrophobicity and wear resistance. It showed the highest WCA (123.2°±1.5) because it has a high fluorocarbon content and the highest CF3 content. Its wear resistance is considerably better than that of the uncoated glass and is one of the highest exhibited by the hydrophobic samples

Hydrophobicity attainment and wear resistance enhancement on glass substrates by atmospheric plasma-polymerization of mixtures of an aminosilane and a fluorocarbon

Mixtures of different proportions of two liquid precursors were subjected to plasma-polymerization by a non-thermal atmospheric jet plasma system in a search for a coating that achieves a hydrophobic character on a glass substrate and enhances its wear resistance. 1-Perfluorohexene (PFH) was chosen as a low-surface-energy precursor to promote a hydrophobic character. Aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) was chosen for its contribution to the improvement of wear resistance by the formation of siloxane bonds. The objective of this work was to determine which of the precursors' mixtures that were tested provides the coating with the most balanced enhancement of both hydrophobicity and wear resistance, given that coatings deposited with fluorocarbon-based precursors such as PFH are usually low in resistance to wear and coatings deposited with APTES are generally hydrophilic. The coatings obtained were analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), static Water Contact Angle (WCA) measurements, tribological ball-on-disc tests and contact profilometry. A relationship between the achievement of a hydrophobic character and the modifications to roughness and surface morphology and the incorporation of fluorocarbon groups in the surface chemistry was observed. Also, it was seen that the wear resistance was influenced by the SiOSi content of the coatings. In turn, the SiOSi content appears to be directly related to the percentage of APTES used in the mixture of precursors. The best conjunction of hydrophobicity and wear resistance in this work was found in the sample that was coated using a mixture of APTES and PFH in proportions of 75 and 25%, respectively. Its WCA (100.2 ± 7.5°) was the highest of all samples that were measured and more than three times that of the uncoated glass (31 ± 0.7°). This sample underwent a change from a hydrophilic to a hydrophobic character. It also had the lowest wear rate of the hydrophobic samples obtained in this work, with a reduction of 28.8% in the wear rate of the uncoated glass

Evaluación del seguimiento de niños con hallazgo de hipertransaminasemia

Introduction: Although changes in liver function tests can be non-specific in numerous clinical conditions, they can be the first sign of a potentially serious disease in an asymptomatic patient. Material and methods: Retrospective cohort study, performed by reviewing the records of children of a reference hospital central laboratory with alanine aminorransferase enzyme (ALT) elevation during a 6 month aleatory period. Results: 572 blood tests with serum ALT elevation corresponding to 403 patients had been assessed during the period studied. 98 patients were excluded for presenting abnormal liver test before the study period of comorbidity that could produce ALT elevation. The remaining 305 patients, 22.6% were diagnosed with a medical condition during the first blood test that explained the ALT elevation, although only 33.3% of them were followed up until verifying their normalization. Final study sample consists of 236 patients with abnormal liver test without apparent liver disease. Adequate follow-up was found only in 29% of them. From this group, 9 patients (13%) were diagnosed with liver disease. The rest of the sample were not properly monitored. In patients with higher serum ALT levels, follow-up was early and more appropiate. Conclusions: In our area, most children without apparent liver disease are no properly monitored. Therefore, an opportunity to diagnosis and treat a potential liver disease was lost in a great number of children. All children with unexplainedhypertransaminasaemia must be studied

Basement-Cover Relationships and Their Along-Strike Changes in the Linking Zone (Iberian Range, Spain): A Combined Structural and Gravimetric Study

Contractional deformation in the transition between the Iberian and Catalan Coastal Ranges (Linking Zone) generated both thin-skinned structures detached in low-strength Triassic units and basement-involved structures. To evaluate their extent and relative contribution to the overall structure, we carried out a study combining structural geology and gravimetry. New gravity data (938 stations) and density determinations (827 samples) were acquired and combined with previous existing databases to obtain Bouguer anomaly and residual Bouguer anomaly maps of the study area. Seven serial and balanced cross sections were built, their depth geometries being constrained through the 2.5-D gravity modeling and the 3-D gravity inversion that we accomplished. The residual Bouguer anomaly map shows a good correlation between basement antiforms and gravity highs whereas negative anomalies mostly correspond to (i) Meso-Cenozoic synclines and (ii) Neogene-Quaternary basins. Cross sections depict a southern, thick-skinned domain where extensional, basement faults inherited from Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous times were inverted during the Cenozoic. To the north, we interpret the existence of both Triassic-detached and basement-involved deformation domains. The two deformation styles are vertically overlapped in the southernmost part of the Catalan Coastal Ranges but relay both across and along strike in the Eastern Iberian Range. These basement and cover relationships and their along-strike variations are analyzed in terms of the interplay between structural inheritance, its obliquity to the shortening direction, and the continuity and effectiveness of Triassic décollements in the study area

The importance of regional differences in vulnerability to climate change for demersal fisheries

Regional differences in climate vulnerability are particularly important in many countries with socio-ecological gradients or geographical and environmental spatial segregation. Many studies are regularly performed at the national level, but regional assessments can provide more detailed information and important insights into intra-national vulnerabilities. They require detailed information of many socio-ecological components that are often neglected at the regional scale but are meaningful and operational at national and international levels. In this work, we developed a climate vulnerability assessment (CVA) to investigate the vulnerability of demersal fisheries based on 19 indicators covering exposure, fisheries sensitivity, species sensitivity (SS) and adaptive capacity (AC) for nine coastal regions of Spain, contrasting the Mediterranean to Atlantic areas. Exposure was consistently larger in the Mediterranean than Atlantic regions, while AC showed the opposite trend. While fisheries and SS did not display a clear Atlantic-Mediterranean pattern, they were critical for capturing regional differences that have an impact on fisheries vulnerability. Our results highlight the generally higher vulnerability of Mediterranean demersal fisheries, mainly due to the lower AC and higher exposure of Mediterranean regions, while providing key regional elements for guiding national and international actions for adaptation. This study demonstrates that the spatial scale considered in the development of CVAs must recognise the spatial heterogeneity in the socio-ecological system within its unit of analysis in order to be a relevant tool for management and policy makers.Preprint2,27

Exploraciones, intercambios y relaciones entre el diseño y la tecnología

125 páginas.En la obra se exponen avances de los estudios que cada uno de los miembros ha realizado en relación con sus distintos proyectos, los cuales comparten como objetivo común el explorar la relación entre el diseño, la tecnología y otros ámbitos del conocimiento, con el fin de propiciar la reflexión y el análisis teórico-práctico de éstos en la interacción social y productiva. Cada uno de los capítulos, por tanto, representa una mirada específica que abona a la generación del conocimiento sobre la realidad y sus posibilidades, sobre la práctica cotidiana y la innovación. En el primero de ellos, se expone una propuesta que enlaza directamen¬te la investigación y la docencia. Al reflexionar sobre la puesta en práctica de laboratorios de aprendizaje como estrategia en las aulas, Marco Ferruzca recomienda la experiencia como una alternativa para revitalizar y mejorar la educación en diseño. El capítulo dos también divulga maneras de innovar dentro del salón de clase. En este caso, se trata de un proyecto planteado y probado a nivel internacional –con México, Uruguay y Cuba como parti¬cipantes–, dentro del cual se trabajaron diversas aproximaciones creativas orientadas al diseño de productos con distintos materiales. Alda Zizumbo defiende el postulado del diseño como una oportunidad de desarrollo para Latinoamérica. Para el tercer capítulo, Roberto García Madrid acerca a los lectores al campo profesional, inquiriéndolos acerca de los procesos que se siguen para construir soluciones de diseño. Propone la visualización como una herra¬mienta fundamental para profundizar en la comprensión de los problemas y, por tanto, de sus soluciones. En los dos últimos capítulos se cuestionan diseños ya construidos. A lo largo del cuarto, Itzel Sainz presenta un estudio de caso sobre una obra de literatura electrónica, cuyo proceso cultural activo culminó diez años atrás; similitudes respecto a los actores participantes contrastan con los retos para enfrentar un entorno distinto al del libro tradicional. ¿Qué desafíos se reve¬lan a los diseñadores de la comunicación gráfica gracias a esta experiencia? La lectura se retoma en el quinto capítulo, donde Ivonne Murillo, Rámsses Román, Roberto López Martínez y Roberto García Madrid difunden los resul¬tados de un experimento sobre el comportamiento de los usuarios frente a las páginas de dos periódicos en línea. Se cuestiona su usabilidad a la luz de constantes cambios y renovaciones, a los que se suman factores personales, sociales, culturales y tecnológicos

Temas selectos de diseño e interacción tecnológica

76 Páginas.El libro en cuestión, presenta avances de tres trabajos de investigación que a su vez reflejan tres miradas distintas a la relación entre el diseño y las tecnologías digitales. El primer trabajo denominado “Diálogo desde las universidades, un punto de partida”, elaborado por la Mtra. Itzel Sainz, es una primera aproximación teórica que contribuye a mejorar el entendimiento sobre las modalidades de aplicación del diseño en los distintos medios de comunicación gráfica que aplican las instituciones públicas de educación superior en los espacios virtuales. Por su parte, el Dr. Marco Ferruzca nos comparte a través de su texto “Inteligencia colectiva y las prácticas del diseño” una breve reseña sobre cómo este fenómeno colectivo está incidiendo en la actividad proyectual del diseño de espacios, objetos, mensajes u otros tipos de diseño. El tercer texto “Análisis de movimientos oculares a partir de la lectura en línea de dos periódicos nacionales desde la perspectiva del diseño: el caso de los periódicos “El Universal” y “La Jornada”, dirigido por la Mtra. Ivonne Murillo y la Mtra. Alejandra Zafra, con la participación de Ramses Román alumno de Diseño Industrial, el profesor invitado Roberto López y un servidor; el trabajo es un ejemplo de ese otro tipo de argumentos más objetivos que los diseñadores pueden emplear para evaluar el objeto de diseño, en este caso los mensajes gráficos

Seropositivity rates for agents of canine vector-borne diseases in Spain : a multicentre study

Background: Controlling canine vector-borne diseases (CVBD) is a major concern, since some of these diseases are serious zoonoses. This study was designed to determine seropositivity rates in Spain for agents causing the following five CVBD: leishmaniosis (Leishmania infantum: Li), heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis: Di), ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia canis: Ec), anaplasmosis (Anaplasma phagocytophilum/Anaplasma platys: An) and Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi: Bb). Methods: Anti-An, -Bb, and -Ec antibodies and the Di antigen were determined using the 4DX SNAP® Test (IDEXX Laboratories) and anti-L. infantum (Li) antibodies using the Leishmania SNAP® Test (IDEXX Laboratories) in blood and/or serum samples. Results: Among 1100 dogs examined, overall seropositivity rates were: Li (15.7%), Ec (5%), An (3.1%), Di (1.25%) and Bb (0.4%). While seropositivity towards Bb and Di was similar in all geographic regions, rates were significantly higher in the east of Spain (8.3%) for An, significantly higher in the north (20%) for Ec, and significantly higher in the Southeast (46.6%) and South (27.4%), and significantly lower in the north (0%) for Li. No statistical associations were observed between sex and the CVBD analyzed (p ≥ 0.05) while the following associations with other variables were detected: a higher seropositivity to Ec (40%) and Bb (6.7%) in dogs under one year of age compared with adults (p < 0.05); and a higher seropositivity to An and Li in dogs that lived outdoors versus indoors (p = 0.01; p < 0.001, respectively). Seropositivity rates of 2.1%, 0%, 1.7%, 0.5% and 4.2% were recorded respectively for An, Bb, Ec, Di and Li in dogs with no clinical signs (n = 556) versus 3.8%, 0.6%, 7.5%, 1.8% and 25.9% for those with signs (n = 507) suggestive of a CVBD. Conclusion: The data obtained indicate a risk for dogs in Spain of acquiring any of the five CVBD examined. Veterinarians in the different regions should include these diseases in their differential diagnoses and recommend the use of repellents and other prophylactic measures to prevent disease transmission by arthropod vectors. Public health authorities also need to become more involved in the problem, since some of the CVBD examined here also affect humans