Dual Loop Line-Focusing Solar Power Plants with Supercritical Brayton Power cycles

Most of the deployed commercial line-focusing solar power plants with Parabolic Troughs (PTC) or Linear Fresnel (LF) solar collectors and Rankine power cycles use a Single Loop Solar Field (SF), Configuration 1 illustrated in Fig. 2, with synthetic oil as Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF) [1, 2]. However, thermal oils maximum operating temperature should be below ~400ºC for assuring no oil degradation, hence limiting the power cycle gross efficiency up to ~38%. For overcoming this limitation Molten Salts (MS) as HTF in linear solar collectors (PTC and LF) were recently experimented in pilot facilities [3, 4]. Direct MS main drawbacks are the equipments and components material corrosion and the salts freezing temperature, requiring heat tracing to avoid any sald solidification, hence increasing the Solar Field (SF) capital investment cost and parasitic energy looses. Concentrated Solar Power plants (CSP) with Dual Loop SF are being studied since 2012 [5] for gaining the synergies between thermal oils and MS properties. In the Dual Loop SF the HTF in the primary loop is thermal oil (Dowtherm A) [6] for heating the Balance Of Plant (BOP) working fluid from ~300ºC up to ~400ºC, and a secondary loop with Solar Salt (60% NaNO3, 40% KNO3) as HTF, for boosting the working fluid temperature from ~400ºC up to 550ºC [7, 8, 9]. The CSP Dual Loop state of the art technology includes Rankine power cycles, the main innovation of this paper is the integration between Dual Loop SF and the supercritical Carbon Dioxide (s-CO2) Brayton power cycles [10], see Configurations 2 and 3 illustrated in Fig. 3a, Fig 3b. A secondary innovation studied in this paper is the integration between thermal oil HTF (Dowtherm A) in linear solar collectors, a widely validated and mature technology, with the s-CO2 Brayton power cycles. This technical solution is very cost competitive with carbon steel receiver pipes, low SF operating pressure, and no requiring any heat tracing. Two main conclusions are deducted from this researching study. Firstly we demonstrated the higher gross plant efficiency ~44.4%, with 550ºC Turbine Inlet Temperature (TIT), provided by the Dual Loop with the Simple recuperated s-CO2 Brayton cycle with reheating, in comparison with 41.8% obtained from the Dual Loop SF and subcritical water Rankine power cycle. And finally the second conclusion obtained is the selection of the most cost competitive plant configuration with a Single loop SF with Dowtherma A and a s-CO2 Brayton power cycle due to the receiver material low cost and no heat tracing for the thermal oil

RISCOS DEL ASERRADOR DE AYACATA [Material gráfico]

Copia digital. Madrid : Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte. Subdirección General de Coordinación Bibliotecaria, 201

Dutch Pharmacogenetics Working Group (DPWG) guideline for the gene–drug interaction of DPYD and fluoropyrimidines

Despite advances in the field of pharmacogenetics (PGx), clinical acceptance has remained limited. The Dutch Pharmacogenetics Working Group (DPWG) aims to facilitate PGx implementation by developing evidence-based pharmacogenetics guidelines to optimize pharmacotherapy. This guideline describes the starting dose optimization of three anti-cancer drugs (fluoropyrimidines: 5-fluorouracil, capecitabine and tegafur) to decrease the risk of severe, potentially fatal, toxicity (such as diarrhoea, hand-foot syndrome, mucositis or myelosuppression). Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD, encoded by the DPYD gene) enzyme deficiency increases risk of fluoropyrimidine-induced toxicity. The DPYD-gene activity score, determined by four DPYD variants, predicts DPD activity and can be used to optimize an individual’s starting dose. The gene activity score ranges from 0 (no DPD activity) to 2 (normal DPD activity). In case it is not possible to calculate the gene activity score based on DPYD genotype, we recommend to determine the DPD activity and adjust the initial dose based on available data. For patients initiating 5-fluorouracil or capecitabine: subjects with a gene activity score of 0 are recommended to avoid systemic and cutaneous 5-fluorouracil or capecitabine; subjects with a gene activity score of 1 or 1.5 are recommended to initiate therap

The Mental Vitality @ Work study: design of a randomized controlled trial on the effect of a workers' health surveillance mental module for nurses and allied health professionals

Employees in health care service are at high risk for developing mental health complaints. The effects of mental health complaints on work can have serious consequences for the quality of care provided by these workers. To help health service workers remain healthy and productive, preventive actions are necessary. A Workers' Health Surveillance (WHS) mental module may be an effective strategy to monitor and promote good (mental) health and work performance. The objective of this paper is to describe the design of a three arm cluster randomized controlled trial on the effectiveness of a WHS mental module for nurses and allied health professionals. Two strategies for this WHS mental module will be compared along with data from a control group. Additionally, the cost effectiveness of the approaches will be evaluated from a societal perspective. The study is designed as a cluster randomized controlled trial consisting of three arms (two intervention groups, 1 control group) with randomization at ward level. The study population consists of 86 departments in one Dutch academic medical center with a total of 1731 nurses and allied health professionals. At baseline, after three months and after six months of follow-up, outcomes will be assessed by online questionnaires. In both intervention arms, participants will complete a screening to detect problems in mental health and work functioning and receive feedback on their screening results. In cases of impairments in mental health or work functioning in the first intervention arm, a consultation with an occupational physician will be offered. The second intervention arm offers a choice of self-help e-mental health interventions, which will be tailored based on each individual's mental health state and work functioning. The primary outcomes will be help-seeking behavior and work functioning. Secondary outcomes will be mental health and wellbeing. Furthermore, cost-effectiveness in both intervention arms will be assessed, and a process evaluation will be performed. When it is proven effective compared to a control group, a WHS mental module for nurses and allied health professionals could be implemented and used on a regular basis by occupational health services in hospitals to improve employees' mental health and work functioning. NTR278

Impaired work functioning due to common mental disorders in nurses and allied health professionals: the Nurses Work Functioning Questionnaire

Common mental disorders (CMD) negatively affect work functioning. In the health service sector not only the prevalence of CMDs is high, but work functioning problems are associated with a risk of serious consequences for patients and healthcare providers. If work functioning problems due to CMDs are detected early, timely help can be provided. Therefore, the aim of this study is to develop a detection questionnaire for impaired work functioning due to CMDs in nurses and allied health professionals working in hospitals. First, an item pool was developed by a systematic literature study and five focus group interviews with employees and experts. To evaluate the content validity, additional interviews were held. Second, a cross-sectional assessment of the item pool in 314 nurses and allied health professionals was used for item selection and for identification and corroboration of subscales by explorative and confirmatory factor analysis. The study results in the Nurses Work Functioning Questionnaire (NWFQ), a 50-item self-report questionnaire consisting of seven subscales: cognitive aspects of task execution, impaired decision making, causing incidents at work, avoidance behavior, conflicts and irritations with colleagues, impaired contact with patients and their family, and lack of energy and motivation. The questionnaire has a proven high content validity. All subscales have good or acceptable internal consistency. The Nurses Work Functioning Questionnaire gives insight into precise and concrete aspects of impaired work functioning of nurses and allied health professionals. The scores can be used as a starting point for purposeful intervention