Ground observations of mineral dust

Comunicación presentada en: 4th Training Course on WMO SDS-WAS Products (satellite and ground observation and modelling of atmospheric dust) celebrado del 17 al 20 de noviembre de 2014 en Casablanca, Marruecos

Analytical Model for Constructing Deliberative Agents.

This paper introduces a robust mathematical formalism for the definition of deliberative agents implemented using a case-based reasoning system. The concept behind deliberative agents is introduced and the case-based reasoning model is described using this analytical formalism. Variational calculus is used during the reasoning process to identify the problem solution. The agent may use variational calculus to generate plans and modify them at execution time, so they can react to environmental changes in real time. Reflecting the continuous development in the tourism industry as it adapts to new technology, the paper includes the formalisation of an agent developed to assist potential tourists in the organisation of their holidays and to enable them to modify their schedules on the move using wireless communication systems

Perspectives on contentions about climate change adaptation in the Canary Islands: a case study for Tenerife

This case study is aimed at exploring climate change adaptation scenarios as well as concrete actions to increase climatic resilience in a small European island: Tenerife, Canary Islands (Spain), the largest and most populated of the seven islands of the Canaries. The effects of climatic and non-climatic hazards on local population health and ecosystems are reviewed, such as heatwaves, air pollution and the atmospheric dust which comes from the Saharan dessert. The potential combination or overlapping effects of these hazards are also explored. According to the literature reviewed, heatwaves, air pollution, and Saharan dust events have been producing negative effects on the population, in terms of both morbidity and mortality, as well as the environment, such as forest fires related impacts. In terms of health impacts, elderly and local people with chronic diseases are those more vulnerable to the previous hazards. As a consequence of both population ageing and the expected increasing extreme weather events, vulnerability is believed to worsen. There are currently a certain number of policies at both the Canary Islands scale and at Tenerife scale that, either directly or indirectly, might deal with the multiple hazards analysed here. However, most of these policies have neither been specifically developed to increase the resilience against heatwaves, Saharan dust events, and climate change, nor to deal with their potential interactions. Therefore, their possible capability need to be explored along with other potential adaptation options. In order to do so, a participatory integrated assessment is proposed based on three steps: (1) a first one intended to define the issue under analysis and frame the problematique of adaptation to climate change in Tenerife; (2) a second step envisioned to explore scenarios to increase the island resilience as well as concrete actions to reduce the vulnerability to heatwaves, Saharan dust intrusion, and air pollution, and (3) a last step projected to assess the proposed scenarios and run a multi-criteria analysis so as to rank adaptation actions (this third phase will be carried out in a later stage). Local key stakeholders as well as citizens and lay people have been engaged from the beginning of the process for this purpose. Different participatory techniques have been applied, such as questionnaires, in-depth interviews and focus group sessions. One of the findings of the analysis is that there is a lack of institutions in the Islands in charge of climate change issues. According to most of the participants in the participatory techniques applied, the islands need an institutional structure in charge of mainstreaming climate change policy into private and public institutions. A second finding indicates that an integrated climate change risk management plan is also needed as well as the investment in high-resolution climatic models. Part II of this research project will be devoted to build scenarios for Tenerife. As will be presented, local citizens are not only concerned about adaptation to climate change, but how to be more resilient against external shocks, including extreme weather events as a consequence of climate change. Thus, those scenarios, still to be built, will propose paths that Tenerife may walk through from current times to 2040 in order to increase its resilience. These scenarios would concentrate on energy, agriculture, and food dependency, as well as other elements that might affect Tenerife’s resilience. Multi-criteria evaluation of adaptation actions will also be carried out in Part II, so as to compare concrete adaptation policy actions that could be implemented in certain periods of time. Thus, any alternative option could be associated to certain scenarios, such that the implementation of one alternative may put Tenerife on a concrete path to increase its resilience

Perspectives on contentions about climate change adaptation in the Canary Islands. A case study for Tenerife - Study

This technical report describes a case study on policy for adaptation to climate change delivered to DG-CLIMA. It is aimed at exploring climate change adaptation scenarios as well as concrete actions to increase climatic resilience in a small European island: Tenerife, Canary Islands (Spain), the largest and most populated of the seven islands of the Canaries. The effects of climatic and non-climatic hazards on local population health and ecosystems are reviewed, such as heatwaves, air pollution and the atmospheric dust which comes from the Saharan dessert. The potential combination or overlapping effects of these hazards are also explored. According to the literature reviewed, heatwaves, air pollution, and Saharan dust events have been producing negative effects on the population, in terms of both morbidity and mortality, as well as the environment, such as forest fires related impacts. In terms of health impacts, elderly and people with chronic diseases are those more vulnerable to the previous hazards. As a consequence of both population ageing and the expected increasing extreme weather events, vulnerability is believed to worsen. There are currently a certain number of policies at both the Canary Islands scale and at Tenerife scale that, either directly or indirectly, might deal with the multiple hazards analysed here. However, most of these policies have neither been specifically developed to increase the resilience against heatwaves, Saharan dust events, and air pollution, nor to deal with their potential interactions. Therefore, their possible capability need to be explored along with other potential adaptation options. In order to do so, a participatory integrated assessment is proposed based on three steps: a first one intended to define the issue under analysis and frame the problematique of adaptation to climate change in Tenerife by means of in-depth interviews and a questionnaire; a second step envisioned to explore scenarios to increase the island resilience as well as concrete actions to reduce the vulnerability to heatwaves, Saharan dust intrusion, and air pollution, by means of focus group sessions; and a last step projected to build the scenarios for resilience (this third phase will be carried out in a later stage). For this purpose, different participatory techniques have been applied, such as questionnaires, in-depth interviews and focus group sessions, involving local key stakeholders as well as citizens and lay people. One of the findings of the analysis is that there is a lack of institutions in charge of climate change policy issues. According to most of the participants, the Islands need an institutional structure in charge of mainstreaming climate change policy into private and public institutions. A second finding indicates that an integrated climate change risk management plan is also needed as well as the investment in high-resolution regional climatic models. The following part of this study will be devoted to build scenarios for Tenerife. As it emerged from the present study, local citizens are not only concerned about adaptation to climate change, but also about how to be more resilient against external shocks, including extreme weather events as a consequence of climate change. Thus, those scenarios, still to be built, will propose paths that Tenerife may walk through from current times to 2040 in order to increase its resilience. These scenarios would concentrate on energy, agriculture, and food dependency, as well as other driving forces that might affect Tenerife’s resilienceEste informe técnico describe un estudio de caso sobre la política de adaptación al cambio climático entregado a la DG-CLIMA. Su objetivo es explorar los escenarios de adaptación al cambio climático así como las acciones concretas para aumentar la resistencia climática en una pequeña isla europea: Tenerife, Islas Canarias (España), la mayor y más poblada de las siete islas de las Canarias. Se revisan los efectos de los peligros climáticos y no climáticos sobre la salud de la población local y los ecosistemas, como las olas de calor, la contaminación del aire y el polvo atmosférico procedente del desierto del Sahara. También se exploran los posibles efectos combinados o superpuestos de estos peligros. De acuerdo con la literatura revisada, las olas de calor, la contaminación del aire y el polvo sahariano han estado produciendo efectos negativos en la población, tanto en términos de morbilidad como de mortalidad, así como en el medio ambiente, tales como los impactos relacionados con los incendios forestales. En cuanto a los impactos sobre la salud, los ancianos y las personas con enfermedades crónicas son los más vulnerables a los peligros anteriores. Como consecuencia tanto del envejecimiento de la población como del aumento previsto de los fenómenos meteorológicos extremos, se cree que la vulnerabilidad empeorará. Actualmente existe un cierto número de políticas tanto a escala de las Islas Canarias como a escala de Tenerife que, directa o indirectamente, podrían abordar las múltiples amenazas aquí analizadas. Sin embargo, la mayoría de estas políticas no se han desarrollado específicamente para aumentar la resiliencia frente a las olas de calor, los fenómenos de polvo sahariano y la contaminación atmosférica, ni para hacer frente a sus posibles interacciones. Por lo tanto, su posible capacidad debe ser explorada junto con otras opciones potenciales de adaptación. Para ello, se propone una evaluación participativa integrada basada en tres pasos: uno primero destinado a definir la cuestión analizada y enmarcar la problemática de la adaptación al cambio climático en Tenerife mediante entrevistas en profundidad y un cuestionario; un segundo paso previsto para explorar los escenarios para aumentar la resiliencia de la isla, así como acciones concretas para reducir la vulnerabilidad a las olas de calor, la intrusión de polvo sahariano y la contaminación atmosférica, mediante sesiones de grupos focales; y un último paso previsto para construir los escenarios de resiliencia (esta tercera fase se llevará a cabo en una etapa posterior). Para ello se han aplicado diferentes técnicas participativas, como cuestionarios, entrevistas en profundidad y sesiones de grupos focales, con la participación de los principales interesados locales, así como de ciudadanos y laicos. Una de las conclusiones del análisis es que hay una falta de instituciones a cargo de los temas de políticas de cambio climático. Según la mayoría de los participantes, las Islas necesitan una estructura institucional encargada de la incorporación de la política sobre el cambio climático en las instituciones públicas y privadas. Una segunda conclusión indica que también se necesita un plan de gestión integrada de los riesgos del cambio climático, así como la inversión en modelos climáticos regionales de alta resolución. La siguiente parte de este estudio estará dedicada a la construcción de escenarios para Tenerife. Tal y como se desprende del presente estudio, los ciudadanos locales no sólo están preocupados por la adaptación al cambio climático, sino también por la forma de ser más resistentes a los impactos externos, incluidos los fenómenos meteorológicos extremos como consecuencia del cambio climático. Así, estos escenarios, aún por construir, propondrán caminos que Tenerife podrá recorrer desde la época actual hasta el año 2040 para aumentar su resiliencia. Estos escenarios se concentrarían en la energía, la agricultura y la dependencia alimentaria, así como en otras fuerzas motrices que podrían afectar a la resiliencia de Tenerife

Detection of the Saharan dust air layer in the North Atlantic free troposphere with AERONET, OMI and in-situ data at Izaña Atmospheric Observatory

Comunicación presentada en: Symposium on Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics at Mountain Sites celebrado del 8 al 10 de junio de 2010 en Interlaken, Suiza

Coupled-oscillator model to analyze the interaction between a quartz resonator and trapped ions

The novel application of a piezoelectric quartz resonator for the detection of trapped ions has enabled the observation of the quartz-ions interaction under nonequilibrium conditions, opening new perspectives for high-sensitive motional frequency measurements of radioactive particles. Energized quartz crystals have (long) decay-time constants in the order of milliseconds, permitting the coherent detection of charged particles within short time scales. In this paper we develop a detailed model governing the interaction between trapped 40Ca+ ions and a quartz resonator connected to a low-noise amplifier. We apply this model to experimental data and extract the ions’ reduced-cyclotron frequency in our 7-T Penning trap setup. We also obtain an upper limit for the coupling constant g with the present quartz-amplifier-trap (QAT) configuration. The study of the reduced-cyclotron frequency is especially important for the use of this resonator in precision Penning-trap mass spectrometry. The improvement in sensitivity can be accomplished by increasing the quality factor of the QAT configuration, which in turn will improve the performance of the system towards the strong-coupling regim

On the volatility of aromatic hydrocarbons in ionic liquids: Vapor-liquid equilibrium measurements and theoretical analysis

The use of ionic liquids (ILs) as solvent in the liquid-liquid extraction of aromatic compounds is one of their most studied applications. Nevertheless, the recovery of the extracted hydrocarbons has been much less investigated, being a required task to complete the global separation process. Taking into account the negligible vapor pressure of the ILs, this step could be easily carried out by flash distillation, which requires the study of vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE). In order to study this topic deeper, in this work a systematic analysis of the VLE and vapor-liquid-liquid equilibrium (VLLE) data for {aromatic hydrocarbon + IL} binary mixtures was carried out, from both an experimental and computational point of view. For that, new experimental VLE and VLLE data of 24 {toluene + IL} binary mixtures were measured at 323.15 K using a technique based on the static headspace gas chromatography (HS-GC), providing relevant information on the toluene retained in the liquid depending on the cation/anion structure of the IL in the mixture. Furthermore, the quantum chemical Conductor-like Screening Model for Real Solvents (COSMO-RS) method was applied to better understand the structure-property relationship determining the phase behavior of {aromatic hydrocarbon + IL} binary systems. First, the suitability of COSMO-RS to predict VLE and VLLE data of {toluene + IL} binary mixtures was evaluated by comparison to 225 experimental data at 323.15 K, including 24 different ILs over the whole composition range. Valuable conclusions were achieved respect to the molecular model of IL needed to adequately predict VLE and VLLE data of the {aromatic hydrocarbon + IL} binary mixtures. Once the computational approach was stated, COSMO-RS methodology was used to analyze the influence of the intermolecular interactions between the toluene and the IL component on the phase behavior of their mixtures. As a result, COSMO-RS was demonstrated as a useful tool for the rational design of ILs with optimized properties for the separation of aromatic + aliphatic hydrocarbon binary mixtures, considering both liquid-liquid extraction and solvent regeneration stepsThe authors are grateful to Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO) of Spain for financial support of Projects CTQ2014-52288-R and CTQ2014–53655-R and to Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid for the Project S2013/MAE-2800. Pablo Navarro thanks Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia for awarding him a postdoctoral grant (Reference SFRH/BPD/117084/2016). Marcos Larriba also thanks MINECO for awarding him a Juan de la Cierva-Formación Contract (Reference FJCI-2015-25343)

Thermal Parameter and State Estimation for Digital Twins of E-Powertrain Components

[Abstract] The performance of powertrain components in electric vehicles is tightly intertwined with their thermal behavior. In practical applications, their temperature must be monitored and kept below certain thresholds to avoid performance drops and failure. Sensors, however, cannot always be placed at critical locations. Instead, it is possible to use numerical models to estimate relevant magnitudes during system operation. Thermal effects in electric and electronic components can be represented in a compact way using lumped-parameter equivalent circuits. These can be combined with sensor readings from the device under study to develop digital twins and use them to monitor temperatures during test and operation. In this paper, we put forward a method to generate thermal digital twins of e-powertrain elements such as power inverters. The thermal equivalent circuit equations are obtained from a general-purpose simulation software tool and optimized to enable real-time execution. Kalman filters are then used to fuse the simulation results from this model and sensor measurements of component temperatures. The proposed method provides a way to estimate the inputs and parameters of the thermal circuit and can be used to avoid the drift of the simulation away from actual component behavior. The performance of this approach is demonstrated with a simple benchmark example and the thermal equivalent circuit of a three-phase inverter.10.13039/501100011688-High performant Wide Band Gap Power Electronics for Reliable, energy efficient drivetrains and Optimization through Multi-physics simulation (HiPERFORM) Project through the Electronic Components and Systems for European Leadership (ECSEL) Joint Undertaking (Grant Number: 783174) 10.13039/501100009598-AVL List GmbH through the University Partnership Program 10.13039/501100007136-Ministry of Economy of Spain through “Técnicas de co-simulación en tiempo real para bancos de ensayo en automoción” Project (Grant Number: TRA2017-86488-R) 10.13039/501100007136-Ramón y Cajal Program (Grant Number: RYC-2016-20222) 10.13039/501100010801-Galician Government (Grant Number: ED431B2016/031)Xunta de Galicia; ED431B2016/03

New memory-based hybrid model for middle-term water demand forecasting in irrigated areas

The energy demand and their associated costs in pressurized irrigation networks together with water scarcity are currently causing serious challenges for irrigation district’s (ID) managers. Additionally, most of the new water distribution networks in IDs have been designed to be operated on-demand complexing ID managers the daily decision-making process. The knowledge of the water demand several days in advance would facilitate the management of the system and would help to optimize the water use and energy costs. For an efficient management and optimization of the water-energy nexus in IDs, longer term forecasting models are needed. In this work, a new hybrid model (called LSTMHybrid) combining Fuzzy Logic (FL), Genetic Algorithm (GA), LSTM encoder-decoder and dense or full connected neural networks (DNN) for the one-week forecasting of irrigation water demand at ID scale has been developed. LSTMHybrid was developed in Python and applied to a real ID. The optimal input variables for LSTMHydrid were mean temperature (°C), reference evapotranspiration (mm), solar radiation (MJ m−2) and irrigation water demand of the ID (m3) from 1 to 7 days prior to the first day of prediction. The optimal LSTMHybrid model selected consisted of 50 LSTM cells in the encoder submodel, 409 LSTM cells in the decoder submodel and three hidden layers in the DNN submodel with 31, 96 and 128 neurons in each hidden layer, respectively. Thus, LSTMHybrid had a total of 1.5 million parameters, obtaining a representativeness higher than 94 % and an accuracy around of 20 %

Potential Molecular Targets of Oleanolic Acid in Insulin Resistance and Underlying Oxidative Stress: A Systematic Review

Oleanolic acid (OA) is a natural triterpene widely found in olive leaves that possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and insulin-sensitizing properties, among others. These OA characteristics could be of special interest in the treatment and prevention of insulin resistance (IR), but greater in-depth knowledge on the pathways involved in these properties is still needed. We aimed to systematically review the effects of OA on the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways involved in the development of IR and underlying oxidative stress in insulin-resistant animal models or cell lines. The bibliographic search was carried out on PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane, and CINHAL databases between January 2001 and May 2022. The electronic search produced 5034 articles but, after applying the inclusion criteria, 13 animal studies and 3 cell experiments were identified, using SYRCLE’s Risk of Bias for assessing the risk of bias of the animal studies. OA was found to enhance insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake, and was found to suppress the hepatic glucose production, probably by modulating the IRS/PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway and by mitigating oxidative stress through regulating MAPK pathways. Future randomized controlled clinical trials to assess the potential benefit of OA as new therapeutic and preventive strategies for IR are warranted.Andalusia 2014-2020 European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Operative Program B-AGR-287-UGR1