A Cross-European Analysis of the Impact of Electricity Pricing on Battery Uptake in Residential Microgrids with Photovoltaic Units

As decentralized electricity generation is supporting grid development into the prosumer era, this paper investigates the economic viability of adding batteries to residential microgrids powered by photovoltaic units, under various electricity pricing schemes. Batteries bring the benefits of grid-stabilization and congestion relief, and they are also becoming cheaper. The problem identified is that the main grid effectively acts as a lossless storage system, especially under the net-metering scheme, whereas using a battery involves investment costs and energy losses. This mismatch is addressed by analysing residential microgrid projects under seven tariff designs, each in seven countries of the European Union, and compare the economic viability of photovoltaic systems with and without batteries. The findings show that the conditions most favourable to batteries are given by a capacity tariff scheme allowing price arbitrage. Based on these findings, the paper discusses possibilities for further support in order to bring the economic viability of microgrids with batteries on par with that of microgrids without batteries

Trogia venenata, nouvelle espèce de la flore mycologique, est-il responsable des morts subites du Yunnan ?

Depuis la fin des années 1970, dans la province du Yunnan, en Chine, plusieurs centaines de cas de mort subite ont été reliés au "Yunnan Sudden Death Syndrome". Grâce à l acharnement et la volonté des scientifiques sur le terrain et en laboratoire, le travail de recherche entrepris pendant plusieurs années sur ce syndrome a été un succès. L un des principaux objectifs des experts du "China Field Epidemiology Training Program" était avant tout d éviter la survenue de nouvelles victimes et surtout de nouveaux décès liés au "Yunnan Sudden Death Syndrome". Cette mission fut pleinement accomplie puisque en comparaison aux dizaines de décès annuels recensés les années antérieures, sur les années 2010 et 2011 seulement trois décès ont été signalés. Ce résultat provient directement des campagnes d intervention effectuées auprès de la population, qui recommandaient de ne pas manger de champignons inconnus et notamment un nouveau champignon toxique décrit à cette occasion : Trogia venenata. Les investigations réalisées et l efficacité des campagnes d intervention ciblées ont permis de démontrer le rôle de Trogia venenata dans cette affaire, en particulier son caractère toxique et sa capacité à pouvoir entraîner un décès. Malheureusement bon nombre de points au sujet du "Yunnan Sudden Death Syndrome" restent encore inconnus. Au cours des recherches, plusieurs hypothèses ont été évoquées et explorées pour éclaircir ces zones d ombre mais sans succès. De futurs travaux de recherche permettront vraisemblablement d élucider ces différentes zones d ombre et d établir un lien solide entre la (les) toxine(s), le mécanisme d action et la présentation clinique du syndrome.GRENOBLE1-BU Médecine pharm. (385162101) / SudocSudocFranceF

Hybrid magnetite nanoparticles/Rosmarinus officinalis essential oil nanobiosystem with antibiofilm activity

Biofilms formed by fungal organisms are associated with drastically enhanced resistance against most antimicrobial agents, contributing to the persistence of the fungi despite antifungal therapy. The purpose of this study is to combine the unique properties of nanoparticles with the antimicrobial activity of the Rosmarinus officinalis essential oil in order to obtain a nanobiosystem that could be pelliculised on the surface of catheter pieces, in order to obtain an improved resistance to microbial colonization and biofilm development by Candida albicans and C. tropicalis clinical strains. The R. officinalis essential oils were extracted in a Neo-Clevenger type apparatus, and its chemical composition was settled by GC-MS analysis. Functionalized magnetite nanoparticles of up to 20 nm size had been synthesized by precipitation method adapted for microwave conditions, with oleic acid as surfactant. The catheter pieces were coated with suspended core/shell nanoparticles (Fe3O4/oleic acid:CHCl3), by applying a magnetic field on nanofluid, while the CHCl3 diluted essential oil was applied by adsorption in a secondary covering treatment. The fungal adherence ability was investigated in six multiwell plates, in which there have been placed catheters pieces with and without hybrid nanoparticles/essential oil nanobiosystem pellicle, by using culture-based methods and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The R. officinalis essential oil coated nanoparticles strongly inhibited the adherence ability and biofilm development of the C. albicans and C. tropicalis tested strains to the catheter surface, as shown by viable cell counts and CLSM examination. Due to the important implications of Candida spp. in human pathogenesis, especially in prosthetic devices related infections and the emergence of antifungal tolerance/resistance, using the new core/shell/coated shell based on essential oil of R. officinalis to inhibit the fungal adherence could be of a great interest for the biomedical field, opening new directions for the design of film-coated surfaces with antibiofilm properties

Mycophilic or Mycophobic? Legislation and Guidelines on Wild Mushroom Commerce Reveal Different Consumption Behaviour in European Countries

Mycophiles forage for and pick vast quantities of a wide variety of wild mushroom species. As a result, mushroom intoxications are comparatively frequent in such countries with mycophiles. Thus, national governments are forced to release guidelines or enact legislation in order to ensure the safe commerce of wild mushrooms due to food safety concerns. It is in these guidelines and laws that one can observe whether a country is indeed mycophobic or mycophilic. Furthermore, these laws and guidelines provide valuable information on mushroom preferences and on the consumption habits of each country. As such we were interested in the questions as to whether mushroom consumption behaviour was different within Europe, and if it was possible to discover the typical or distinctive culinary preferences of Slavic or Romanic speaking people, people from special geographical regions or from different zones. This work is based on the analysis of edible mushroom lists available in specific guidelines or legislation related to the consumption and commerce of mushrooms in 27 European countries. The overall diversity of edible mushrooms authorised to be commercialised in Europe is very high. However, only 60 out of a total 268 fungal species can be cultivated. This highlights the importance of guidelines or legislation for the safe commerce of wild mushrooms. The species richness and composition of the mushrooms listed for commerce is very heterogeneous within Europe. The consumption behaviour is not only languagefamily- related, but is strongly influenced by geographical location and neighbouring countries. Indicator species were detected for different European regions ; most of them are widespread fungi, and thus prove culture-specific preferences for these mushrooms. Our results highlight tradition and external input such as trade and cultural exchange as strong factors shaping mushroom consumption behaviour

Magnetite nanoparticles for functionalized textile dressing to prevent fungal biofilms development

The purpose of this work was to investigate the potential of functionalized magnetite nanoparticles to improve the antibiofilm properties of textile dressing, tested in vitro against monospecific Candida albicans biofilms. Functionalized magnetite (Fe(3)O(4)/C(18)), with an average size not exceeding 20 nm, has been synthesized by precipitation of ferric and ferrous salts in aqueous solution of oleic acid (C(18)) and NaOH. Transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and differential thermal analysis coupled with thermo gravimetric analysis were used as characterization methods for the synthesized Fe(3)O(4)/C(18). Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the architecture of the fungal biofilm developed on the functionalized textile dressing samples and culture-based methods for the quantitative assay of the biofilm-embedded yeast cells. The optimized textile dressing samples proved to be more resistant to C. albicans colonization, as compared to the uncoated ones; these functionalized surfaces-based approaches are very useful in the prevention of wound microbial contamination and subsequent biofilm development on viable tissues or implanted devices

Obtaining and Characterisation of Thermoresistive Pigments

The paper describes the obtaining and chemical and physico-structural characterisation of a green thermoresistive pigment. The pigment is made of ZnO dopped with Sb, Bi, Cr, Co and Fe oxides and it is used at mosaics and stained glass. The procedure is based on a sequential coprecipitation “layer on layer” process in aqueous solution, followed by drying and calcinations at controlled temperature conditions, then grinding in a colloidal mill and mixed with glass powder forming the “frit pigment”. This by vitrification and frosting colours superficial the glass. The powder was analysed by SEM-EDX and DSC

Involvement of pholcodine in the cause of death in 127 forensic cases in France

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Nanoparticles for hyperthermia applications

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and unfortunately many cancer treatments have severe side effects. In order to avoid these, recent investigations into new oncological treatments have been carried out. In this context, composite biomaterials have been developed mainly from biopolymers or magnetic hydroxyapatite nanoparticles with the aim of directing and releasing drugs by means of an external magnetic field (hyperthermia). This chapter reviews recent advances in nanoparticle (NP) systems for hyperthermia applications with particular emphasis on the heating mechanisms of iron NPs (INPs) and their applications as composite biomaterials.Fil: Gutiérrez Carmona, Tomy José. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales; ArgentinaFil: Alvarez, Vera Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales; Argentin