Surfaces and Interfaces for Renewable Energy

Energy is a growing need in today’s world. Citizens and governments are increasingly aware of the sustainable use that must be made of natural resources and the great negative impact on the environment produced by conventional energies. Therefore, developments in energy systems based on renewable energies must be carried out in the very near future. To ensure their sustainability, they must be made of durable materials, and for this, the study of coatings is extremely important. This is also vital in systems based on solar energy, where the optical properties of the materials must be preserved as long as possible, and to this must be added the fact that they tend to be installed in very aggressive environments from the point of view of corrosion. Therefore, this special issue aims to contribute to the development of this challenge

A Methodological Approach to Non-Motorized Itineraries with Greater Potentiality for the Train+Bike Intermodality in Andalusia

El auge del cicloturismo se apoya en el uso de itinerarios no motorizados, lo que favorece una nueva tipología turística que posibilita la dinamización de zonas rurales y periféricas. En la actualidad los estudios de movilidad sostenible contemplan, en gran medida, la intermodalidad, sobre todo entre medios de transporte de carácter público, poco contaminantes y colectivos, como es el caso del ferroviario. Andalucía dispone de una enorme variedad de itinerarios no motorizados (vías pecuarias, caminos rurales, vías verdes…) asociados a espacios de gran valor paisajístico y patrimonial. El objetivo principal de esta investigación es el establecimiento de una metodología que permita identificar los vínculos existentes entre líneas férreas en uso y estos itinerarios. Para ello, a nivel metodológico, se ha realizado primero un estudio de proximidad mediante la herramienta Buffer Geoprocessing, y posteriormente un análisis de redes para medir la accesibilidad a través de la extensión Network Analyst, en ambos casos del programa ArcGIS, aplicados al Sistema de Información Geográfica que se ha implementado. Sus resultados principales están en relación con la determinación de rutas propicias para los potenciales usuarios de la intermodalidad “tren+bici” en Andalucía. Y sus conclusiones son, por consiguiente, indicativas de cara a posteriores estudios de detalle.The rise of cycle tourism is based on the use of non-motorized itineraries, which favours a new tourist typology that makes possible the revitalization of rural and peripheral areas. At present, studies of sustainable mobility consider, to a large extent, intermodality, especially among public transportation means, which are not very polluting and collective, as in the case of railways. Andalusia has a huge variety of non-motorized itineraries (livestock trails, rural roads, greenways ...) associated with areas of great scenic and heritage value. The main objective of this research is the establishment of a methodology that allows to identify the existing links between railway lines in use and these itineraries. To do this, at the methodological level, a proximity study was carried out first using the Buffer Geoprocessing tool, and subsequently a Network Analysis to measure accessibility through this extension, in both cases of the ArcGIS program, applied to the Geographic Information System that has been implemented. Its main results are related to the determination of favourable routes for potential users of the “train+bike” intermodality in Andalusia. In addition, its conclusions are, therefore, indicative for further studies of detail

Durability Studies of Solar Reflectors Used in Concentrating Solar Thermal Technologies under Corrosive Sulfurous Atmospheres

Concentrating solar thermal (CST) technologies are a feasible and promising option to tackle worldwide energy problems. These solar facilities are sometimes located near industrial sites, where their main components—including concentrating solar reflectors—are prone to significant degradation caused by corrosive agents, especially in the presence of sulfurous atmospheres such as H2S and SO2. This paper focuses on analyzing the influence of sulfurous atmospheres on the durability of reflector materials used in CST technologies. To this end, accelerated aging tests were performed on the most commonly used materials found in solar reflectors (i.e., thick silvered glass and aluminum-based reflectors) by applying the same concentrations of H2S and SO2 under the same conditions of temperature and relative humidity. The results showed that the solar reflectors based on a silver reflective layer are significantly corroded by H2S atmospheres—several corrosion defects were found in the samples tested. However, those based on aluminum were barely affected by sulfurous environments in the conditions tested. Nonetheless, the study suggests that both reflector types are suitable candidates, depending on the purpose of the CST technology in question and the specific environmental conditions

Synchronized cell attachment triggered by photo-activatable adhesive ligands allows QCM-based detection of early integrin binding

The Quartz Crystal Microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) technique was applied to monitor and quantify integrin-RGD recognition during the early stages of cell adhesion. Using QCM-D crystals modified with a photo-activatable RGD peptide, the time point of presentation of adhesive ligand at the surface of the QCM-D crystal could be accurately controlled. This allowed temporal resolution of early integrin-RGD binding and the subsequent cell spreading process, and their separate detection by QCM-D. The specificity of the integrin-RGD binding event was corroborated by performing the experiments in the presence of soluble cyclicRGD as a competitor, and cytochalasin D as inhibitor of cell spreading. Larger frequency change in the QCM-D signal was observed for cells with larger spread area, and for cells overexpressing integrin avb3 upon stable transfection. This strategy enables quantification of integrin activity which, in turn, may allow discrimination among different cell types displaying distinct integrin subtypes and expression levels thereof. On the basis of these findings, we believe the strategy can be extended to other photoactivatable ligands to characterize cell membrane receptors activity, a relevant issue for cancer diagnosis (and prognosis) as other several pathologies.Fil: Iturri, Jagoba. Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research; AlemaniaFil: García Fernández, Luis. Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research; AlemaniaFil: Reuning, Ute. Technische Universitat Munchen; AlemaniaFil: García, Andrés J.. Georgia Institute Of Techology; Estados UnidosFil: del Campo, Aránzazu. Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research; AlemaniaFil: Salierno, Marcelo Javier. Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research; Alemania. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Reflectometer comparison for assessment of back-silvered glass solar mirrors

This paper compares the two most common reflectometers used to assess the specular reflectance of back-silvered glass mirrors for Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) applications, namely the Device and Services (D&S) 15R-USB and the Abengoa Condor SR-6.1 instruments. Comparisons are first made between the two instruments themselves using a Gage Repeatability and Reproducibility (R&R) study. Results are given for the as-cleaned collector mirrors and then as the mirrors become naturally soiled over a one month period. The results of the Gage R&R study show that for the D&S the gage itself contributes 40.97% of the variability, whilst 59.03% is due to part-to-part (location on the mirror under investigation) variability. For the Condor we show that the % Contribution from the gage is 62.18% of the total variability with only 37.82% of the contribution attributable to the location dependent reflectance. The Condor has a wider acceptance angle, and over the reflectance range of 0.91–0.95 the condor was found to measure higher than the D&S by an average of 1.53%. The differences between the soiling results obtained from the two instruments are explained, and the results are used to derive a predictive model for the soiling of solar collectors. In conclusion, both instruments have advantages and shortcomings, and the factors that influence which instrument to select are discussed

A Simplified Method to Avoid Shadows at Parabolic-Trough Solar Collectors Facilities

Renewable energy today is no longer just an affordable alternative, but a requirement for mitigating global environmental problems such as climate change. Among renewable energies, the use of solar energy is one of the most widespread. Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) systems, however, is not yet fully widespread despite having demonstrated great efficiency, mainly thanks to parabolic-trough collector (PTC) technology, both on a large scale and on a small scale for heating water in industry. One of the main drawbacks to this energy solution is the large size of the facilities. For this purpose, several models have been developed to avoid shadowing between the PTC lines as much as possible. In this study, the classic shadowing models between the PTC rows are reviewed. One of the major challenges is that they are studied geometrically as a fixed installation, while they are moving facilities, as they have a tracking movement of the sun. In this work, a new model is proposed to avoid shadowing by taking into account the movement of the facilities depending on their latitude. Secondly, the model is tested to an existing facility as a real case study located in southern Spain. The model is applied to the main existing installations in the northern hemisphere, thus showing the usefulness of the model for any PTC installation in the world. The shadow projected by a standard, the PTC (S) has been obtained by means of a polynomial approximation as a function of the latitude (Lat) given by S = 0.001 − Lat2 + 0.0121 − Lat + 10.9 with R2 of 99.8%. Finally, the model has been simplified to obtain in the standard case the shadows in the running time of a PTC facility

BIOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS OF SHORTFIN MAKO SHARK (Isurus oxyrinchus) ON SPANISH SURFACE LONGLINE FISHERY TARGETING SWORDFISH

Reproductive data of 92 pregnant females were observed in 19,905 females across the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. Overall sex-ratio showed a slight but not significant predominance of females in the Atlantic and a slight but significant predominance of males in the Indian and Pacific. Litter-size varied from 3 to 17 (mean 11.6 embryos). The sizes of the females with embryos were ≥ 250cm FL. The SST range in which specimens were distributed was 12.7º-31.5ºC but 16.5º-28.5ºC for females with embryos. The results show that the lower the SST the greater the mean size of the embryos. Several areas for parturition are described but no restrictive seasonality was identified in any of the hemispheres neither within any ocean, suggesting diverse periods with a peak in the boreal autumn (33.3%) and in the southern spring (48.6%). The data confirms low availability of pregnant females in all areas observed and low occurrence of gestation and parturition suggesting either that these phases are more likely occur in other areas, or that these pregnant females are not easily accessible to this oceanic fishing gear

PLAUSIBILITY AND UNCERTAINTY OF BASIC DATA AND PARAMETER SELECTION ON STOCK ASSESSMENTS: A REVIEW OF SOME INPUT DATA USED IN THE 2017 ASSESSMENT OF THE SHORTFIN MAKO (ISURUS OXYRINCHUS) OF THE NORTHERN ATLANTIC STOCK

Three key-elements for the case of shortfin mako used in 2017 assessment of North Atlantic stock are reviewed. The catch scenarios implemented indicate that historical T1 considered in base case scenario (C1) have greatly underestimated the level of catches during several of the initial decades, taking into consideration the history of the fisheries, fleet’s capacity and fishing effort by fleet. A hypothetical catch scenario also used (C2) probably overestimated in an important amount the catch levels of some fleets and fleets combined for the most recent period of that series. The review of CPUE series suggests that there may be qualitative and/or quantitative limitations in some of them which would likely affect some series being considered as indicators of abundance. Some key biological parameters considered in the assessment are also reviewed and discussed, such as the growth model implemented and the age of first reproduction of the females, within a context compared to other studies, preliminary estimations from tagging-recapture data and those parameters applied in other stock of the same specie, and in other species from the same family

BMP9-Induced survival effect in liver tumor cells requires p38MAPK activation

The study of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) role in tumorigenic processes, and specifically in the liver, has gathered importance in the last few years. Previous studies have shown that BMP9 is overexpressed in about 40% of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. In vitro data have also shown evidence that BMP9 has a protumorigenic action, not only by inducing epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and migration, but also by promoting proliferation and survival in liver cancer cells. However, the precise mechanisms driving these effects have not yet been established. In the present work, we deepened our studies into the intracellular mechanisms implicated in the BMP9 proliferative and pro-survival effect on liver tumor cells. In HepG2 cells, BMP9 induces both Smad and non-Smad signaling cascades, specifically PI3K/AKT and p38MAPK. However, only the p38MAPK pathway contributes to the BMP9 growth-promoting effect on these cells. Using genetic and pharmacological approaches, we demonstrate that p38MAPK activation, although dispensable for the BMP9 proliferative activity, is required for the BMP9 protective effect on serum withdrawal-induced apoptosis. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the signaling pathways involved in the BMP9 pro-tumorigenic role in liver tumor cells

Concentrador solar multi-modo

Número de publicación: ES2570593 A1 (19.05.2016) Número de Solicitud: Consulta de Expedientes OEPM (C.E.O.) P201400974 (18.11.2014)El objeto de la invención es un captador solar constituido por un concentrador cilindroparabólico (CCP) aislado térmicamente (4), una cubierta de vidrio en su plano de apertura (1), un absorbedor tubular situado en su foco por el que circula un fluido caloportador (3), con o sin encapsulamiento de vidrio (2), y un mecanismo de lamas rotativas absorbedoras (5). El invento permite, mediante la rotación de las lamas, optar entre un modo de operación en concentración solar en el absorbedor focal para el aprovechamiento de la radiación solar directa (3) y un modo de operación en placa plana convencional para aprovechamiento de la radiación solar global (6). Su uso se propone como parte de instalaciones solares térmicas con el fin de a) alimentar con un solo elemento procesos que presentan demandas combinadas de baja y media temperatura en función de su programación temporal o estacional, b) permitir un aprovechamiento solar suplementario en instalaciones de CCP durante períodos de radiación directa reducida y c) contar con capacidad adicional de regulación de temperatura y radiación.Universidad de Almería, CIEMA