CFD model-based analysis and experimental assessment of key design parameters for an integrated unglazed metallic thermal collector façade

Active façade systems incorporating solar thermal collectors currently offer very promising energetic solutions. From among the available systems, a simple solution is the unglazed heat collector for potential integration in low-temperature applications. However, when adopting system definitions, the modification of some design parameters and their impact has to be fully understood. In this study, the case of an unglazed collector integrated into a sandwich panel is assessed and a specific analysis is performed for a proper assessment of the influence of key design parameters. Based on that case study of the real built system, a CFD model is developed and validated and a parametric assessment is then performed, by altering the configurations of both the panel and the hydraulic circuit. In this way, the potential of each measure to harness solar energy can be evaluated and each parameter with its different level of impact can be highlighted, to identify those of higher relevance. A characterization of the real solution completes the study, by providing the efficiency curves and the total energy collected during the experimental campaign. The maximum estimate of the efficiency of a 6 m2 façade was within a range between 0.47 and 0.34 and the heat loss factor was between 4.8 and 7.5. The case study exercises reveal the real energy efficiency and solar production patterns. There was also an opportunity to consider significant improvements to increase the output of the active façade. The main conclusions concerned the different criteria that improved the definition of the system and greater comprehension of alternative designs that may be integrated in the underlying concept.The authors are grateful to the Basque Government for fundingthis research through projects IT781-13 and IT1314-19 and to allthose involved in the different stages for their guidance andinvaluable help.The authors would also like to thank all those companies andresearchers participating in the BASSE project for their stronginvolvement during that research. Results from BASSE project haveinspired present research. The BASSE project received funding fromthe European Union, RFCS Program, Research Fund for Coal and Steel project Building Active Steel Skin (BASSE, Grant Agreement noRFSR-CT-2013-00026

A feature extraction software tool for agricultural object-based image analysis

A software application for automatic descriptive feature extraction from image-objects, FETEX 2.0, is presented and described in this paper. The input data include a multispectral high resolution digital image and a vector file in shapefile format containing the polygons or objects, usually extracted from a geospatial database. The design of the available descriptive features or attributes has been mainly focused on the description of agricultural parcels, providing a variety of information: spectral information from the different image bands; textural descriptors of the distribution of the intensity values based on the grey level co-occurrence matrix, the wavelet transform and a factor of edgeness; structural features describing the spatial arrangement of the elements inside the objects, based on the semivariogram curve and the Hough transform; and several descriptors of the object shape. The output file is a table that can be produced in four alternative formats, containing a vector of features for every object processed. This table of numeric values describing the objects from different points of view can be externally used as input data for any classification software. Additionally, several types of graphs and images describing the feature extraction procedure are produced, useful for interpretation and understanding the process. A test of the processing times is included, as well as an application of the program in a real parcel-based classification problem, providing some results and analyzing the applicability, the future improvement of the methodologies, and the use of additional types of data sets. This software is intended to be a dynamic tool, integrating further data and feature extraction algorithms for the progressive improvement of land use/land cover database classification and agricultural database updating processes. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.The authors appreciate the financial support provided by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion and the FEDER in the framework of the Project CGL2009-14220 and CGL2010-19591/BTE, the Spanish Institut Geografico Nacional (IGN), Institut Cartografico Valenciano (ICV), Institut Murciano de Investigacion y Desarrollo Agrario y Alimentario (IMIDA) and Banco de Terras de Galicia (Bantegal).Ruiz Fernández, LÁ.; Recio Recio, JA.; Fernández-Sarría, A.; Hermosilla, T. (2011). A feature extraction software tool for agricultural object-based image analysis. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture. 76(2):284-296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2011.02.007S28429676

Evolution of the use of corticosteroids for the treatment of hospitalised COVID-19 patients in Spain between March and November 2020: SEMI-COVID national registry

Objectives: Since the results of the RECOVERY trial, WHO recommendations about the use of corticosteroids (CTs) in COVID-19 have changed. The aim of the study is to analyse the evolutive use of CTs in Spain during the pandemic to assess the potential influence of new recommendations. Material and methods: A retrospective, descriptive, and observational study was conducted on adults hospitalised due to COVID-19 in Spain who were included in the SEMI-COVID- 19 Registry from March to November 2020. Results: CTs were used in 6053 (36.21%) of the included patients. The patients were older (mean (SD)) (69.6 (14.6) vs. 66.0 (16.8) years; p < 0.001), with hypertension (57.0% vs. 47.7%; p < 0.001), obesity (26.4% vs. 19.3%; p < 0.0001), and multimorbidity prevalence (20.6% vs. 16.1%; p < 0.001). These patients had higher values (mean (95% CI)) of C-reactive protein (CRP) (86 (32.7-160) vs. 49.3 (16-109) mg/dL; p < 0.001), ferritin (791 (393-1534) vs. 470 (236- 996) µg/dL; p < 0.001), D dimer (750 (430-1400) vs. 617 (345-1180) µg/dL; p < 0.001), and lower Sp02/Fi02 (266 (91.1) vs. 301 (101); p < 0.001). Since June 2020, there was an increment in the use of CTs (March vs. September; p < 0.001). Overall, 20% did not receive steroids, and 40% received less than 200 mg accumulated prednisone equivalent dose (APED). Severe patients are treated with higher doses. The mortality benefit was observed in patients with oxygen saturation </=90%. Conclusions: Patients with greater comorbidity, severity, and inflammatory markers were those treated with CTs. In severe patients, there is a trend towards the use of higher doses. The mortality benefit was observed in patients with oxygen saturation </=90%

Repositioning of the global epicentre of non-optimal cholesterol

High blood cholesterol is typically considered a feature of wealthy western countries1,2. However, dietary and behavioural determinants of blood cholesterol are changing rapidly throughout the world3 and countries are using lipid-lowering medications at varying rates. These changes can have distinct effects on the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol, which have different effects on human health4,5. However, the trends of HDL and non-HDL cholesterol levels over time have not been previously reported in a global analysis. Here we pooled 1,127 population-based studies that measured blood lipids in 102.6 million individuals aged 18 years and older to estimate trends from 1980 to 2018 in mean total, non-HDL and HDL cholesterol levels for 200 countries. Globally, there was little change in total or non-HDL cholesterol from 1980 to 2018. This was a net effect of increases in low- and middle-income countries, especially in east and southeast Asia, and decreases in high-income western countries, especially those in northwestern Europe, and in central and eastern Europe. As a result, countries with the highest level of non-HDL cholesterol—which is a marker of cardiovascular risk—changed from those in western Europe such as Belgium, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Malta in 1980 to those in Asia and the Pacific, such as Tokelau, Malaysia, The Philippines and Thailand. In 2017, high non-HDL cholesterol was responsible for an estimated 3.9 million (95% credible interval 3.7 million–4.2 million) worldwide deaths, half of which occurred in east, southeast and south Asia. The global repositioning of lipid-related risk, with non-optimal cholesterol shifting from a distinct feature of high-income countries in northwestern Europe, north America and Australasia to one that affects countries in east and southeast Asia and Oceania should motivate the use of population-based policies and personal interventions to improve nutrition and enhance access to treatment throughout the world.</p

Rising rural body-mass index is the main driver of the global obesity epidemic in adults

Body-mass index (BMI) has increased steadily in most countries in parallel with a rise in the proportion of the population who live in cities 1,2 . This has led to a widely reported view that urbanization is one of the most important drivers of the global rise in obesity 3�6 . Here we use 2,009 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight in more than 112 million adults, to report national, regional and global trends in mean BMI segregated by place of residence (a rural or urban area) from 1985 to 2017. We show that, contrary to the dominant paradigm, more than 55 of the global rise in mean BMI from 1985 to 2017�and more than 80 in some low- and middle-income regions�was due to increases in BMI in rural areas. This large contribution stems from the fact that, with the exception of women in sub-Saharan Africa, BMI is increasing at the same rate or faster in rural areas than in cities in low- and middle-income regions. These trends have in turn resulted in a closing�and in some countries reversal�of the gap in BMI between urban and rural areas in low- and middle-income countries, especially for women. In high-income and industrialized countries, we noted a persistently higher rural BMI, especially for women. There is an urgent need for an integrated approach to rural nutrition that enhances financial and physical access to healthy foods, to avoid replacing the rural undernutrition disadvantage in poor countries with a more general malnutrition disadvantage that entails excessive consumption of low-quality calories. © 2019, The Author(s)

Repositioning of the global epicentre of non-optimal cholesterol

High blood cholesterol is typically considered a feature of wealthy western countries1,2. However, dietary and behavioural determinants of blood cholesterol are changing rapidly throughout the world3 and countries are using lipid-lowering medications at varying rates. These changes can have distinct effects on the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol, which have different effects on human health4,5. However, the trends of HDL and non-HDL cholesterol levels over time have not been previously reported in a global analysis. Here we pooled 1,127 population-based studies that measured blood lipids in 102.6 million individuals aged 18 years and older to estimate trends from 1980 to 2018 in mean total, non-HDL and HDL cholesterol levels for 200 countries. Globally, there was little change in total or non-HDL cholesterol from 1980 to 2018. This was a net effect of increases in low- and middle-income countries, especially in east and southeast Asia, and decreases in high-income western countries, especially those in northwestern Europe, and in central and eastern Europe. As a result, countries with the highest level of non-HDL cholesterol�which is a marker of cardiovascular risk�changed from those in western Europe such as Belgium, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Malta in 1980 to those in Asia and the Pacific, such as Tokelau, Malaysia, The Philippines and Thailand. In 2017, high non-HDL cholesterol was responsible for an estimated 3.9 million (95 credible interval 3.7 million�4.2 million) worldwide deaths, half of which occurred in east, southeast and south Asia. The global repositioning of lipid-related risk, with non-optimal cholesterol shifting from a distinct feature of high-income countries in northwestern Europe, north America and Australasia to one that affects countries in east and southeast Asia and Oceania should motivate the use of population-based policies and personal interventions to improve nutrition and enhance access to treatment throughout the world. © 2020, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited

Kinetic modelling of the anaerobic digestion of wastewater derived from the pressing of orange rind produced in orange juice manufacturing

A simplified kinetic model for studying the anaerobic digestion of wastewater derived from the pressing of orange rind as a result of orange juice production was proposed on the basis of the experimental results obtained. The process was conducted in a laboratory-scale completely stirred tank reactor operating in batch mode at mesophilic temperature (35 °C), with COD loads in the range of 2–5 g COD. The following simplified three-step reaction scheme was proposed: (1) hydrolysis and conversion of complex organic compounds into intermediate products of lower molecular weight; (2) conversion of these intermediates to volatile fatty acids (VFA); and (3) methanization of the VFA by methanogenic microorganisms. A mathematical model based on four segregated differential equations was formulated assuming that a fraction of this substrate is non-biodegradable and the above-mentioned steps follow first-order kinetics. It was found that the kinetic constants corresponding to these three stages (K0, K1 and K2) decreased markedly with the load added to the reactor, showing the occurrence of an inhibition process. In addition, it was observed that the methanogenic step was the slowest in the overall anaerobic process. Finally, the model was validated by comparing the theoretical curves obtained with the corresponding experimental data of organic matter, VFA and methane. The deviations obtained (less than 20%) in most cases demonstrated the suitability of the mathematical model proposed and suggested that the parameters obtained represent and predict the activity of the microorganisms involved in the anaerobic digestion process of this wastewate

Metodología para la zonificación de una ciudad

El objetivo de este trabajo consiste en presentar una metodología utilizable para zonificar o dividir una ciudad en zonas homogéneas, empleando como criterio de división las características de las viviendas de la ciudad. La metodología se basa en la utilización del análisis de componentes principales (ACP) dentro de la teoría de las variables regionalizadas (TVR). Además se incluye una serie de técnicas multivariantes para verificar el grado de discriminación alcanzado entre las distintas zonas delimitadas. La explicación teórica es complementada con la aplicación de la metodología de zonificación al caso de la ciudad de Granada. The aim of this study is to present a methodology that may be used for zoning, that is, to divide a city into homogeneous zones, using the housing characteristics of the city as the criterion for such a division. The methodology is based on the use of Principal Component Analysis into the Theory of Regionalized Variables. Moreover, it included a series of multivariate techniques to verify the degree of discrimination achieved between the various zones identified. The theoretical description is complemented by the application of this zoning methodology to the case of the city of Granada.Theory of Regionalized Variables; Iterative Residual Kriging; principal components; Canonical Discriminant Function Analysis; Zoning;

NEXT21- an experiment

With the aim of creating a green, social, energy-efficient and adaptive urban living environment fit for the challenges of the 21st century and its demands, Osaka Gas commissioned the experimental residential complex `NEXT21` in Osaka in 1989, built in 1993. 15 years into its existence and three consecutive five-year cycles of ongoing inhabitation experimentation, the 30 minute documentary `NEXT21 - an experiment` looks back on the context and conditions of that visionary and pioneering multi-disciplinary design process. Due to the mounting collective concern for the threat of climate change, ecology and sustainable building have once again regained public attention since the oil crisis of the late 70’s. The challenge for designers today is to use this momentum and to transform it into a widely supported and effective sustainable development of the built environment. The precondition is to not only to start working on it with enthusiasm, but also to look back to extract valuable lessons from the richness of our recent past; results of realized pioneering projects and still ongoing experiments. The NEXT21 project in Osaka is one of the rare Open Bulding projects that did manage to capture the imagination and still up to today remains a fascinating building. Its complex design process was determined by the succesful cooperation of a group of professionals from different disciplines. An interesting question we asked was: what does this project have that the others don’t? What is it’s X-factor? Can understanding the mechanisms at work help us create better buildings and so widen the support for sustainability? To gain insight in the X-factor and it’s creation is what motivated the making of this documentary and it is our opinion crucial for the successful proliferation of ecological and sustainable building

Una aproximación geoestadística al análisis espacial de la calidad del agua subterránea

En este trabajo se presenta una metodología geoestadística para el análisis de la distribución espacial de la calidad del agua en acuíferos subterráneos. El estudio se ha desarrollado a partir de datos de muestras hidroquímicas tomadas en diferentes puntos de la red de piezómetros perteneciente al acuífero de la Vega de Granada. Desde el punto de vista metodológico el estudio geoestadístico se ha realizado en varias etapas. En primer lugar, para cada punto experimental, se han calculado los valores experimentales de tres índices de calidad del agua, comparados en el estudio (ICG, P y CE). Seguidamente se han aplicado diferentes valores de corte a cada uno de los índices anteriores, para así obtener las correspondientes ¿variables indicatrices¿. Cada una de estas variables ha sido estimada por krigeaje de indicatriz para elaborar mapas de distribución espacial de isoprobabilidad. Finalmente, con los resultados obtenidos se ha estimado la función de distribución local de la calidad del agua, para cada uno de los índices, lo que ha permitido hacer un análisis espacial detallado de la calidad del agua en términos de probabilidad