Model-based fault diagnosis in PEM fuel cell systems

CONAPPICE 2008, Zaragoza, Spain, 24-26 September 2008.In this work, a model-based fault diagnosis methodology for PEM fuel cell systems is presented. The methodology is based on computing residuals, indicators that are obtained comparing measured inputs and outputs with analytical relationships, which are obtained by system modelling. The innovation of this methodology is based on the characterization of the relative residual fault sensitivity. To illustrate the results, a non-linear fuel cell simulator proposed in the literature is used, with modifications, to include a set of fault scenarios proposed in this work. Finally, it is presented the diagnosis results corresponding to these fault scenarios. It is remarkable that with this methodology it is possible to diagnose and isolate all the faults in the proposed set in contrast with other well known methodologies which use the binary signature matrix of analytical residuals and faults.This work was supported by the project 'Avances en el modelo y diseño de controladores para sistemas basados en pila de combustible PEM' (4800). This work has been partially financed by the Research Commission of the Generalitat of Catalunya (Grup SAC ref. 2005SGR00537) and by Spanish Ministry of Education (CICYT projects ref. DPI-2005-05415 and ref. DPI2007-62966) and with the support of the Departamento de Universidades, Investigación y Sociedad de la Información y del Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT).Peer Reviewe

Drone-Based Identification of Erosive Processes in Open-Pit Mining Restored Areas

Altres ajuts: European Union LIFE20 PRE/IT/000007Unmanned Aerial Systems, or drones, are very helpful tools for managing open-pit mining operations and developing ecological restoration activities. This article presents a method for identifying water erosion processes in active quarries by means of drone imagery remote sensing, in the absence of pre-existing imagery or mapping for comparison. A Digital Elevation Model (DEM) with a spatial resolution (SR) >10 cm and an orthophoto with an SR >2.5 cm were generated from images captured with a drone and their subsequent photogrammetric processing. By using Geographical Information Systems tools to process the DEM, a detailed drainage network was obtained, the areas of detected water erosion were separated, and the watersheds in the gullies identified. Subsequently, an estimated DEM before the erosive processes was reconstructed by interpolating the gully ridges; this DEM serves as a reference for the relief before the erosion. To calculate the volume of eroded material, the DEM of Differences was calculated, which estimates the volume difference between the previously estimated DEM and the current DEM. Additionally, we calculated the material necessary for the geomorphological adaptation of the quarry and the slope map, which are two valuable factors closely related to the monitoring of erosive processes. The results obtained allowed us to identify the erosion factors quickly and accurately in this type of mining. In the case of water-filled quarries, it would be important to characterize the subsurface relief. Essentially, the presented method can be applied with affordable and non-invasive materials to create digital grid maps at 10 cm resolution, obtaining data ready for 3D metrics, being a very practical landscape modelling tool for characterizing the restoration evolution of open-pit mining spaces

Observación de oportunidad de un Giro argelino al sur de Cabo de Palos (Mediterráneo sudoccidental)

Large anticyclonic eddies can detach from the Algerian Current, forming open-sea Algerian Eddies. These mesoscale structures have been intensively studied by means of sea surface temperature and altimetry data, and using numerical models. However, few studies describe an in situ sampling of their whole vertical structure. Furthermore, the area extending from Cape La Nao (western edge of the Balearic Channels) to the Almería-Orán Front has received very little attention, and it could be considered that there is a gap in our present oceanographic knowledge of this part of the western Mediterranean. An Algerian Eddy lasting for several months was detected in December 2021 to the south of Cape Palos. In order to analyse this eddy, an opportunity sampling was designed taking advantage of the periodic monitoring campaign RADMED 0222. This sampling revealed that the eddy had a baroclinic character, affecting the whole water column. These results suggest that this eddy was generated at the Algerian Current, finally affecting an area close to the eastern Spanish coast. The presence of these structures in this region of the western Mediterranean could alter the southward progression of the Northern Current and even the presence and structure of the Almería-Orán Front.Giros anticiclónicos de gran tamaño pueden desprenderse de la Corriente Argelina, llegando a formar giros en mar abierto. Estas estructuras de mesoescala han sido estudiadas intensamente mediante datos de temperatura superficial del mar, datos de altimetría, y modelos numéricos. Sin embargo, hay pocos trabajos que describan mediante medidas in situ la estructura vertical de estos giros. Al margen de esta circunstancia, la zona que se extiende desde el Cabo La Nao (en el extremo occidental de los Canales Baleares) hasta el Frente Almería-Orán, ha recibido poca atención, pudiéndose considerar que existe una laguna en nuestro conocimiento sobre la oceanografía de esta zona. Un giro anticiclónico fue detectado en diciembre de 2021 al sur de Cabo de Palos, pudiéndose observar durante varios meses. Para analizar este giro se diseñó un muestreo de oportunidad, aprovechando la campaña rutinaria RADMED0222. Este muestreo mostró la estructura baroclina del giro, la cual afectaba a toda su extensión vertical. Los resultados obtenidos también sugieren que el giro se formó en la Corriente Argelina, afectando finalmente a una zona próxima a la costa española. La presencia de este tipo de estructuras en esta región del Mediterráneo Occidental podría afectar a la progresión hacia el sur de la Corriente Septentrional, e incluso a la presencia y estructura del Frente Almería-Orán

Aquatic macroinvertebrates under stress: bioaccumulation of emerging contaminants and metabolomics implications

The current knowledge on bioaccumulation of emerging contaminants (ECs) in aquatic invertebrates exposed to the realistic environmental concentrations is limited. Even less is known about the effects of chemical pollution exposure on the metabolome of aquatic invertebrates. We conducted an in situ translocation experiment with passive filter-feeding caddisfly larvae (Hydropsyche sp.) in an effluent-influenced river in order to i) unravel the bioaccumulation (and recovery) dynamics of ECs in aquatic invertebrates, and ii) test whether exposure to environmentally realistic concentrations of ECs will translate into metabolic profile changes in the insects. The experiment was carried out at two sites, upstream and downstream of the discharge of an urban wastewater treatment plant effluent. The translocated animals were collected at 2-week intervals for 46 days. Both pharmaceuticals and endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) were detected in water (62 and 7 compounds, respectively), whereas in Hydropsyche tissues 5 EDCs accumulated. Overall, specimens from the upstream site translocated to the impacted site reached higher ECs concentrations in their tissues, as a reflection of the contaminants’ water concentrations. However, bioaccumulation was a temporary process susceptible to change under lower contaminant concentrations. Non-targeted metabolite profiling detected fine metabolic changes in translocated Hydropsyche larvae. Both translocations equally induced stress, but it was higher in animals translocated to the impacted site

Predictive processing in depression : Increased prediction error following negative valence contexts and influence of recent mood-congruent yet irrelevant experiences

Acord transformatiu CRUE-CSICBackground: Novel theoretical models of depression have recently emerged based on an influential new perspective in neuroscience known as predictive processing. In these models, depression may be understood as an imbalance of predictive signals in the brain; more specifically, a dominance of predictions leading to a relative insensitivity to prediction error. Despite these important theoretical advances, empirical evidence remains limited, and how expectations are generated and used dynamically in individuals with depression remains largely unexplored. Methods: In this study, we induced facial expression predictions using emotion contexts in 34 individuals with depression and 34 healthy controls. Results: Compared to controls, individuals with depression perceived displayed facial expressions as less similar to their expectations (i.e., increased difference between expectations and actual sensory input) following contexts evoking negative valence emotions, indicating that depressed individuals have increased prediction error in such contexts. This effect was amplified by recent mood-congruent yet irrelevant experiences. Limitations: The clinical sample included participants with comorbid psychopathology and taking medication. Additionally, the two groups were not evaluated in the same setting, and only three emotion categories (fear, sadness, and happiness) were explored. Conclusions: Our results shed light on potential mechanisms underlying processing abnormalities regarding negative information, which has been consistently reported in depression, and may be a relevant point of departure for exploring transdiagnostic vulnerability to mental illness. Our data also has the potential to improve clinical practice through the implementation of novel diagnostic and therapeutic tools based on the assessment and modulation of predictive signals

Diseño y validación del protocolo de medida para el espectrorradiómetro Ocean Optics USB2000+ en aplicaciones con sensores aeroportados y a bordo de satélite

Las medidas de campo obtenidas mediante espectrorradiómetros son una pieza clave para el trabajo en sinergia con imágenes de sensores aeroportados y a bordo de satélite. Sin embargo, existe muy poca información sobre los detalles técnicos de su funcionamiento. El objetivo de este estudio es establecer y validar el protocolo de medida óptimo de un espectrorradiómetro que opera en espectro visible e infrarrojo cercano. Consideramos el protocolo a seguir para la medida en el campo de reflectividades de objetos naturales y artificiales, y lo validamos con medidas hiperespectrales capturadas simultáneamente por sensores aeroportados. El espectrorradiómetro utilizado es el Ocean Optics USB2000+ (200-1100nm) y los sensores aeroportados son CASI-550 (410-962 nm) y AISA Eagle II (406-994nm)

Observations in the Spanish Mediterranean Waters: A Review and Update of Results of 30-Year Monitoring

The Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO, Spanish Institute of Oceanography) has maintained different monitoring programs in the Spanish Mediterranean waters (Western Mediterranean) since 1992. All these monitoring programs were unified in 2007 under the current program RADMED (series temporales de datos oceanográficos en el Mediterráneo), which is devoted to the in situ multidisciplinary sampling of the water column of coastal and open-sea waters by means of periodic oceanographic campaigns. These campaigns, together with a network of tide-gauges, are part of the IEO Observing system (IEOOS). In some cases, the temperature and salinity time series collected in the frame of these monitoring programs are now more than 30 years long, whereas sea level time series date to the beginning of the 1940s. This information has been complemented with international databases and has been analyzed in numerous works by the Grupo mediterráneo de Cambio Climático (GCC; Mediterranean Climate Change Group) for more than 20 years. These works have been devoted to the detection and quantification of the changes that climate change is producing on the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the Spanish Mediterranean waters. In this work, we review the results obtained by the GCC since 2005 in relation to the changes in the physical properties of the sea: water column temperature, salinity, and density, heat content, mixed layer depth, and sea level. Time series and results are updated from the last works, and the reliability of the existing time series for the detection of climatologies and long-term trends are analyzed. Furthermore, the different sources of uncertainty in the estimation of linear trends are considered in the present work. Besides this review and update of the results obtained from the data collected in the frame of the IEOOS, we conduct a review of the existing monitoring capabilities from other institutions in the Spanish Mediterranean waters and a review of results dealing with climate change in the Spanish Mediterranean obtained by such institutions. In particular, we include a review of the results obtained by SOCIB (Servicio de Observación y Predicción Costero de las Islas Baleares; Balearic Islands costal observing and forecasting system) in relation to the study of marine heat waves and the warming of the sea surface, and the results corresponding to the intense warming of the Catalan continental shelf at L’Estartit oceanographic station. All these results evidence that the surface Spanish Mediterranean waters are warming up at a rate higher than that affecting the global ocean (>2 °C/100 years). This warming and a salinity increase are also observed along the whole water column. Marine heat waves are increasing their intensity, frequency, and duration since 1982, and coastal sea level is increasing at a rate of 2.5 mm/yr. The salinity increase seems to have compensated for the warming, at least at surface and intermediate waters where no significant trends have been detected for the density. This could also be the reason for the lack of significant trends in the evolution of the mixed layer depth. All these results highlight the importance of monitoring the water column and the necessity of maintaining in situ sampling programs, which are essential for the study of changes that are occurring throughout the Spanish Mediterranean waters

A Novel Single-Cell FISH-Flow Assay Identifies Effector Memory CD4 + T cells as a Major Niche for HIV-1 Transcription in HIV-Infected Patients

Cells that actively transcribe HIV-1 have been defined as the "active viral reservoir" in HIV-infected individuals. However, important technical limitations have precluded the characterization of this specific viral reservoir during both treated and untreated HIV-1 infections. Here, we used a novel single-cell RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization-flow cytometry (FISH-flow) assay that requires only 15 million unfractionated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to characterize the specific cell subpopulations that transcribe HIV RNA in different subsets of CD4 + T cells. In samples from treated and untreated HIV-infected patients, effector memory CD4 + T cells were the main cell population supporting HIV RNA transcription. The number of cells expressing HIV correlated with the plasma viral load, intracellular HIV RNA, and proviral DNA quantified by conventional methods and inversely correlated with the CD4 + T cell count and the CD4/CD8 ratio. We also found that after ex vivo infection of unstimulated PBMCs, HIV-infected T cells upregulated the expression of CD32. In addition, this new methodology detected increased numbers of primary cells expressing viral transcripts and proteins after ex vivo viral reactivation with latency reversal agents. This RNA FISH-flow technique allows the identification of the specific cell subpopulations that support viral transcription in HIV-1-infected individuals and has the potential to provide important information on the mechanisms of viral pathogenesis, HIV persistence, and viral reactivation. Persons infected with HIV-1 contain several cellular viral reservoirs that preclude the complete eradication of the viral infection. Using a novel methodology, we identified effector memory CD4 + T cells, immune cells preferentially located in inflamed tissues with potent activity against pathogens, as the main cells encompassing the transcriptionally active HIV-1 reservoir in patients on antiretroviral therapy. Importantly, the identification of such cells provides us with an important target for new therapies designed to target the hidden virus and thus to eliminate the virus from the human body. In addition, because of its ability to identify cells forming part of the viral reservoir, the assay used in this study represents an important new tool in the field of HIV pathogenesis and viral persistence

Diagnóstico de fallos en sistemas de generación de energía basados en pilas de combustible

En este trabajo se presenta una metodología de diagnóstico de fallos basada en modelos para sistemas de generación de energía basados en pilas de combustible. La novedad de la metodología se basa en la caracterización de la sensibilidad relativa entre residuos. Para ejemplificar los resultados de dicha metodología se ha utilizado un modelo no lineal propuesto en la literatura y se han incluido en el mismo un conjunto de escenarios de fallos frecuentes en este tipo de sistemas. Finalmente, el trabajo presenta los resultados de diagnóstico para algunos de estos escenarios.Peer Reviewe

El Butlletí Epidemiològic de Catalunya: pas a pas i bona lletra: cap a una revista dʼarticles revisats per experts

Normes de publicació; Procés editorial; Publicacions del Departament de SalutNormas de publicación; Proceso editorial; Publicaciones del Departamento de SaludPublication standards; Publishing process; Department of Health publicationsEl Butlletí Epidemiològic de Catalunya (BEC) és la publicació de referència dels articles generats pels professionals de la salut pública del Departament de Salut. En aquesta nota editorial es revisen els continguts dels articles publicats al llarg de 2013, es presenta lʼactualització del procés de publicació i autoria que han de seguir els articles enviats a la revista i les propostes del Consell de Redacció del BEC per als propers anys.El Boletín Epidemiológico de Cataluña (BEC) es la publicación de referencia de los artículos generados por profesionales de la salud pública del Departamento de Salud. Esta nota editorial revisa el contenido de los artículos publicados a lo largo de 2013, se presenta la actualización de la publicación del proceso editorial y autoría que han de seguir los artículos enviados a la revista y las propuestas del Consejo de Redacción del BEC en los próximos años.The Epidemiological Bulletin for Catalonia (BEC) is the publication of reference on articles written by public health professionals of the Catalan Ministry of Health. This editorial note reviews the contents of articles published during 2013 and presents an update of the process of publication and authorship that should follow articles sent to the journal and proposals by the Editorial Board for the coming years