Thermodynamic Analysis of ORC for Energy Production from Geothermal Resources

Abstract This study concerns a thermodynamic analysis of Organic Rankine Cycles for energy conversion from geothermal resources. A numerical flow-chart tool based on a lumped parameters approach is adopted to compute values of thermodynamic variables during each transformation composing the cycle. The equation of state is expressed by the Peng-Robinson formulation. The different plant components are outlined by single blocks, linked each other by connections through balance equations. Analyses are carried-out considering two working fluids (isopentane and isobutane). Results are obtained for several sets of operating parameters, such as the evaporation and condensation pressure for the working fluid, the mass flow rate of the geothermal fluid and the cooling water temperature. From results, thermodynamic cycles are built-up in the T-s plan, allowing to quantify effectiveness and energy benefit related to the investigated functional scenarios

Rare earths, zirconium and hafnium distribution in coastal areas: The example of Sabella spallanzanii (Gmelin, 1791)

The Zr, Hf, Y and lanthanide (REE) distribution in biological tissues of Sabella spallanzanii and Styela plicata species collected from two harbours from the northern Sicily is studied for providing information regarding the Zr, Hf and REE uptake from the environment. Previous studies determined the fractionation of dissolved REE scavenged on binding sites onto biological surfaces. By comparing the recognised shale-normalised REE patterns of studied samples with evidence from reference data, the observed behaviour of these elements in biological tissues of Sabella spallanzanii and Styela plicata is interpreted to result from the preferential uptake of intermediate REE onto carboxylic sites. Moreover, the relationship observed between the Fe content and Zr/Hf ratio suggests that preferential Hf accumulation occurs via siderophore-like binding sites. Features of the REE bioaccumulation factors (BAF), in addition to the absolute La, Ce and Sm contents and Zr-Hf fractionation, allow definition of the different origins of studied elements in the investigated localities. Higher BAF values for La and Ce associated with larger REE contents and lower Zr/Hf values strongly suggest that the environmental REE distribution in the Termini Imerese harbour is influenced by the delivery of particles from industrial sources and power plants. On the contrary, the REE contents of biological tissues collected in the Cala tourist harbour are affected by the dust dissolution from automotive traffic. These results suggest that the geochemical behaviour of REE and Zr/Hf signature can be used in environmental studies of biological tissues for reconstructing the nature of anthropogenic contaminations

Ana Zúñiga Lacruz, «Mujer y poder en el teatro español del Siglo de Oro: la figura de la reina»

Reseña de Ana Zúñiga Lacruz, Mujer y poder en el teatro español del Siglo de Oro: la figura de la reina, Reichenberger, Kassel, 2015, vol. I, xiv + 1-532 pp.; vol. II, viii + 533-1140 pp. ISBN: 9783944244419.Review of Ana Zúñiga Lacruz, Mujer y poder en el teatro español del Siglo de Oro: la figura dela reina, Reichenberger, Kassel, 2015, vol. I, xiv + 1-532 pp.; vol. II, viii + 533-1140pp. ISBN: 9783944244419

Gender diversity in corporate governance and its effect on financial performance: a study on FTSE-MIB listed companies

I examine the presence of women in Italian corporate boards after the inception of the Act 120/2011 by the Italian Government. I considered all the directors of the 40 companies listed in the FTSE – MIB index in 2015 and analyze the implications of gender diversity in corporate boards. Furthermore I study the correlation between gender diversity and financial performance. Different conclusions can be extrapolated from my analysis. My study shows a statistical significance between the presence of female directors in a company and its Return on Asset (ROA) in two different periods. The analysis led to the existence of a statistical significance between ROE and the percentage of female directors in administration boards. Finally I did not find any significant relation between Profit Margin and a diverse board

The Reason of Imagination. The Blazing Worlds of Margaret Cavendish and Siri Hustvedt

One of the peculiarities of 17th and 18th centuries literature is the link between knowledge and imagination, a relationship in which narration sometimes accompanies science, sometimes goes beyond it. The idea of imagination as a true means of knowledge is the subject of Margaret Cavendish’s best known work, The Blazing World (1666), where her alter ego is free to built a whole social and philosophical system based on corporality and subjectivity.From the same conception of imagination starts Siri Hustvedt when in 2014 rewrites The Blazing World: the story of an artist who still in the twentieth century tries to face the overwhelming misogyny with the performance of the body and the theory of embodiment. The protagonist is really close to the Duchess of Newcastle, especially for the desire to overturn the artificial categories of the gender through a real masquerade. The voices of Cavendish, Hustvedt and of all their alter ego follow each other through documents, diary pages and pure narration, in which it is difficult to say what is fiction and what is trut

Quantification of Mitochondrial Membrane Potential in the Isloated Rat Lung Using R6G

Mitochondrial membrane potential (Δm) plays a key role in vital mitochondrial functions, and its dissipation is a hallmark of mitochondrial dysfunction in various cell types. The objective of this study was to develop an experimental and computational approach for estimating Δm in intact rat lungs using the lipophilic fluorescent cationic dye rhodamine 6G (R6G). Rat lungs were isolated and connected to a ventilation-perfusion system. The experimental Protocol consisted of three single-pass phases: loading, wash, and uncoupling, in which the lungs were perfused with R6G-containing perfusate, fresh R6G-free perfusate, or R6G-free perfusate containing the mitochondrial uncoupler FCCP, respectively. This Protocol was carried out with or without lung perfusate containing verapamil, an inhibitor of the multi-drug efflux pump P-glycoprotein.Results show that the addition of FCCP resulted in an increase in R6G venous effluent concentration, and that this increase was larger in the presence of verapamil than in its absence. A physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model for the pulmonary disposition of R6G was developed and used for quantitative interpretation of the kinetic data, including estimating Δm. The estimated value of Δm (-139 ± 21 (SD) mV and -128 ± 14 mV without and with verapamil, respectively) is consistent with that estimated previously in cultured pulmonary endothelial cells. These results demonstrate the utility of the proposed approach for quantifying Δm in intact functioning lungs. This approach has potential to provide quantitative assessment of the effect of injurious conditions on lung mitochondrial function, and to evaluate the impact of therapies that target mitochondria

Impact Of Marital Stress On Medication Adherence And Physician Follow-Up After Acute Myocardial Infarction

Introduction: Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. While different types of stress have been linked to CHD development and prognosis, literature regarding the effect of marital stress on positive health behaviors in the early recovery period following myocardial infarction (MI) is limited. Objective: The present analysis was undertaken to explore the relationship between marital stress and medication adherence and physician follow up, two important components of early post-MI recovery. Methods: VIRGO study participants who reported either being married or in a committed relationship at the time of study enrollment or at a 30-day follow-up interview were eligible for assessment of marital stress via the Stockholm Marital Stress Scale. Marital stress was evaluated for its role in patients\u27 medication adherence and physician follow-up 30 days after experiencing an index MI. Bivariate analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between medication adherence, physician follow up, and demographic and medical history variables with marital stress level. Categorical and continuous variables were compared using the chi-square test and analysis of variance, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression models were constructed to examine whether increased marital stress was associated with decreased medication adherence and/or a reduced likelihood of following up with a physician within 30 days post-MI. In secondary analyses, models were stratified by sex to examine whether the relationships between marital stress and these early health behaviors differed among men and women. Results: Among 1503 individuals enrolled in VIRGO who reported a significant relationship and completed the 30-day follow-up interview, severe marital stress was not significantly associated with medication adherence (OR: 0.94 [95%CI: 0.60-1.48]), follow-up with any physician (OR: 0.84 [95%CI: 0.63-1.12]), or cardiologist-specific follow-up (OR: 0.83 [95%CI: 0.66-1.06]) in multivariate-adjusted models. While severe marital stress was significantly more likely to be reported by women than men (p \u3c0.001), in secondary analyses, sex differences were not observed for the relationships between marital stress and rates of medication adherence, any physician follow-up, or cardiologist follow-up. Conclusions: Marital stress was not significantly associated medication adherence or physician follow up visits during the early post-MI recovery period, although trends towards lower rates of adherence and physician follow-up were observed in individuals reporting severe marital stress