A solar tower fuel plant for the thermochemical production of kerosene from H2O and CO2.

Developing solar technologies for producing carbon-neutral aviation fuels has become a global energy challenge, but their readiness level has largely been limited to laboratory-scale studies. Here, we report on the experimental demonstration of a fully integrated thermochemical production chain from H2O and CO2 to kerosene using concentrated solar energy in a solar tower configuration. The co-splitting of H2O and CO2 was performed via a ceria-based thermochemical redox cycle to produce a tailored mixture of H2 and CO (syngas) with full selectivity, which was further processed to kerosene. The 50-kW solar reactor consisted of a cavity-receiver containing a reticulated porous structure directly exposed to a mean solar flux concentration of 2,500 suns. A solar-to-syngas energy conversion efficiency of 4.1% was achieved without applying heat recovery. This solar tower fuel plant was operated with a setup relevant to industrial implementation, setting a technological milestone toward the production of sustainable aviation fuels.

A Method for Determination of the Transmission Efficiency of a Silica Optical Fiber Cable Using a Solar Power Tower.

After being adequately captured and concentrated, solar radiation can be conducted by optical fiber bundles/cables and directly used for illumination (lighting) or heating of confined spaces, or indirectly used by converting it in other forms of energy (e.g., for producing electricity). This article reports preliminary tests conducted on a 7-m-long optical fiber bundle/cable with an effective aperture circular area of 14 mm in diameter, specially designed and manufactured by a leading company to transmit up to 1000 Wth of unfiltered concentrated sunlight. The cable was tested in the typical receiver position at the top of a solar concentration central tower. The main purpose was the experimental determination of the transmission efficiency of the cable in function of the incidence angle using selected groups of heliostats belonging to the heliostat field. The testing methodology proved to be capable of evaluating the performance of the cable. The cable withstood the tests without revealing any type of damage. The results obtained showed that the transmissivity of the cable is higher than 50% when the incidence angle of the solar radiation is lower than 14.7°, increasing sharply to circa 95% when the incidence angle is lower than 4.5°.

High-Temperature Monitoring in Central Receiver Concentrating Solar Power Plants with Femtosecond-Laser Inscribed FBG.

This work deals with the application of femtosecond-laser-inscribed fiber Bragg gratings (FsFBGs) for monitoring the internal high-temperature surface distribution (HTSD) in solar receivers of concentrating solar power (CSP) plants. The fiber-optic sensor system is composed of 12 FsFBGs measuring points distributed on an area of 0.4 m2, which leads to obtain the temperature map at the receiver by means of two-dimensional interpolation. An analysis of the FsFBG performance in harsh environment was also conducted. It describes the influence of calibration functions in high-temperature measurements, determines a required 10 nm spectral interval for measuring temperatures in the range from 0 to 700 °C, and reveals wavelength peak tolerances in the FsFBG fabrication process. Results demonstrate the viability and reliability of this measuring technique, with temperature measurements up to 566 °C.

Cuerpo extraño en intestino delgado / Foreign Body in the Small Intestine

RESUMEN Se presenta el caso de un paciente masculino de 39 años de edad, que acude al cuerpo de guardia del Hospital General Docente Abel Santamaría Cuadrado por presentar un cuadro de dolor abdominal de tres días de evolución. Se interviene quirúrgicamente con el diagnóstico presuntivo de apendicitis aguda complicada. En el acto quirúrgico se comprobó que el apéndice cecal era normal y al examinar el íleon terminal, a una distancia aproximada de 50 cm se encontró un divertículo de Meckel, y a 5 cm de este, una espina de pescado adherida a la pared intestinal, la cual parecía ser la causante del cuadro, ya que el divertículo también era normal. El tratamiento consistió en trasladar la espina hacia el divertículo y realizar resección intestinal de ese tramo con anastomosis término-terminal. La evolución posoperatoria fue satisfactoria y el paciente fue dado de alta a los 8 días de la operación(AU)

ABSTRACT We present the case of a male patient, 39 years of age, who presents to the emergency room of Abel Santamaría Cuadrado General Teaching Hospital with a clinical picture of abdominal pain of three days of natural history. He is surgically intervened with the presumptive diagnosis of complicated acute appendicitis. In the surgical act, the cecal appendix was verified to be normal and, when examining the terminal ileum, at a distance of approximately 50 cm, a Meckel's diverticulum was found, and, at 5 cm from this, a fish spine adhered to the intestinal wall, which seemed to be the cause of the clinical picture, since the diverticulum was also normal. The treatment consisted of transferring the spine to the diverticulum and performing intestinal resection of that section with end-to-end anastomosis. The postoperative evolution was satisfactory and the patient was discharged 8 days after the operation(AU)

Solar Energy on Demand: A Review on High Temperature Thermochemical Heat Storage Systems and Materials.

Among renewable energies, wind and solar are inherently intermittent and therefore both require efficient energy storage systems to facilitate a round-the-clock electricity production at a global scale. In this context, concentrated solar power (CSP) stands out among other sustainable technologies because it offers the interesting possibility of storing energy collected from the sun as heat by sensible, latent, or thermochemical means. Accordingly, continuous electricity generation in the power block is possible even during off-sun periods, providing CSP plants with a remarkable dispatchability. Sensible heat storage has been already incorporated to commercial CSP plants. However, because of its potentially higher energy storage density, thermochemical heat storage (TCS) systems emerge as an attractive alternative for the design of next-generation power plants, which are expected to operate at higher temperatures. Through these systems, thermal energy is used to drive endothermic chemical reactions, which can subsequently release the stored energy when needed through a reversible exothermic step. This review analyzes the status of this prominent energy storage technology, its major challenges, and future perspectives, covering in detail the numerous strategies proposed for the improvement of materials and thermochemical reactors. Thermodynamic calculations allow selecting high energy density systems, but experimental findings indicate that sufficiently rapid kinetics and long-term stability trough continuous cycles of chemical transformation are also necessary for practical implementation. In addition, selecting easy-to-handle materials with reduced cost and limited toxicity is crucial for large-scale deployment of this technology. In this work, the possible utilization of materials as diverse as metal hydrides, hydroxides, or carbonates for thermochemical storage is discussed. Furthermore, special attention is paid to the development of redox metal oxides, such as Co3O4/CoO, Mn2O3/Mn3O4, and perovskites of different compositions, as an auspicious new class of TCS materials due to the advantage of working with atmospheric air as reactant, avoiding the need of gas storage tanks. Current knowledge about the structural, morphological, and chemical modifications of these solids, either caused during redox transformations or induced wittingly as a way to improve their properties, is revised in detail. In addition, the design of new reactor concepts proposed for the most efficient use of TCS in concentrated solar facilities is also critically considered. Finally, strategies for the harmonic integration of these units in functioning solar power plants as well as the economic aspects are also briefly assessed.

Gigantomastia gravídica asociada a tejido mamario ectópico vulvar / Gestational gigantomastia associated with a vulvar ectopic mammary adenoma

Presentamos el caso de una mujer primigesta, con el antecedente de una mamoplastia de reducción, que desarrolló una gigantomastia asociada a tumoraciones vulvares, que resultaron ser tejido ectópico mamario. A pesar de la baja frecuencia de esta patología, debemos conocerla por la gran repercusión que conlleva para la paciente y el equipo sanitario, con toma de decisiones importantes para la salud y, en ocasiones la vida, de la mujer y el feto (AU)

We report the case of a primigravida who had previously undergone breast reduction and who developed gigantomastia associated with a vulvar adenoma, diagnosed as an ectopic mammary adenoma. Despite its low frequency, physicians should be familiar with this entity due to its major effects on the patient and health team, requiring decisions with important repercussions on the health - and sometimes life - of the woman and fetus (AU)

Aborto diferido como origen de una enfermedad trofoblástica persistente / Persistent trophoblastic disease presenting as missed abortion

La enfermedad trofoblástica persistente puede ser diagnosticada después de cualquier tipo de gestación, pero su frecuencia aumenta tras el hallazgo de un embarazo molar, con lo que su adecuado diagnóstico y seguimiento es vital para un tratamiento temprano y eficaz. Presentamos un caso de un aborto diferido, en el que se diagnosticó mola completa y tras la confirmación de persistencia de esta, precisó de tratamiento poliquimioterápico para lograr su curación (AU)

Persistent trophoblastic disease can be diagnosed after any type of pregnancy, but the frequency of this entity increases after molar pregnancies and consequently early diagnosis and follow-up is vital for prompt and effective treatment. We present a case of missed abortion, with diagnosis of a complete hydatiform mole. Persistent trophoblastic disease was subsequently diagnosed, requiring treatment with multiple drug therapy to achieve complete resolution (AU)

Non-equilibrium nitrogen DC-arc plasma treatment of TiO2 nanopowder.

Non-equilibrium nitrogen DC-arc plasma treatment of a commercial TiO2 anatase nanopowder was examined to obtain nitrogen-doped TiO2. By using a non-thermal discharge at low current (150 mA) and high voltage (1200 V) using pure N2 gas, light yellowish-gray TiO2 powder was successfully obtained within a short period of 5-10 min. XPS and TEM-EELS studies confirmed the existence of doped nitrogen. Due to the relatively mild conditions (plasma power of 180 W), metastable anatase structure and fine crystallite size of TiO2 (ca. 10 nm) were maintained after the plasma treatment. The in-flight powder treatment system used in this study is promising for various type of powder treatment.

Equilibrio ético para toma de decisiones asistenciales en pacientes críticos: Hospital "Abel Santamaría", 2005-2006 / Ethic equilibrium in the process of decision-making to assist severely-ill patients: “Abel Santamaria Cuadrado” general-teaching hospital

A fin de caracterizar el comportamiento del proceso de la toma de decisiones asistenciales con el paciente crítico en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos, se realizó un estudio prospectivo, longitudinal y de intervención, en el cual se estudiaron dos cohortes consecutivos de pacientes (280 cada una). Se registraron todas las decisiones asistenciales y procedimientos realizados en el primer periodo y toma de decisiones alegórica al consentimiento informado e implicado. En un segundo período de intervención, con técnicas estratégicas especializadas, se solicitó a los pacientes (que tuviesen puntaje inferior a 50 puntos en la escala de Karnofky), familiares y allegados su consentimiento informado, volviéndose a registrar el número de procedimientos y de consentimientos informados individuales obtenidos. Siempre que pudo ser posible, se le consultó el procedimiento a realizar al paciente y las acciones médicas. Cuando esto no fue posible, se tomó el criterio del familiar o allegado competente y en tercera instancia, el criterio del consenso absoluto de todo el equipo asistencial de trabajo, el consentimiento implicado. Se obtuvo un tránsito en el protagonismo de las decisiones asistenciales con el paciente crítico, donde inicialmente primaba casi absolutamente el consentimiento implicado para pasar al informado de pacientes y familiares. Además se incrementó en la medida de lo posible la participación de los pacientes graves y familiares en el proceso asistencial. Las enfermedades cardiovasculares agudas fueron las situaciones clínicas que permitieron más autonomía en el consentimiento informado, y la falla múltiple de órganos donde el consentimiento implicado predominó (AU)

Aimed at characterizing the process of decision-making to assist severely-ill patients in the Intensive Care Units a prospective, longitudinal and intervention study was conducted. Two consecutive cohorts of patients were taken (280 each one). Decision-makings and procedures in the assistance of this group of patients were carried out during the first period and the decision-makings pertaining to the informed and implied consent were registered, in the second period of intervention specialized-strategic-techniques were used to obtain from patients (having an inferior score of 50 in Karnofky scale), families and relatives their informed consent. The number of procedures and of the individual informed consent was obtained; when possible the procedures and medical measures to be taken were analyzed with the patients, when it was impossible; then families and relatives offered their criteria. In third place, the criteria of absolute consent emerged from the medical team (implied consent).In the stage of decision-making process for severely-ill patients prevailed the implied consent changing into informed consent of patients and families. Besides; it increased, when possible the participation of patients and families in the health assistance process. Acute cardiovascular diseases were the clinical entities which allowed more autonomy in the informed consent. In multiple organ failure the implied consent prevailed (AU)