Search results for "Generation"
showing 10 items of 3050 documents
Evaluation of the optimal renewable electricity mix for Lampedusa island: The adoption of a technical and economical methodology
2020
Abstract Worldwide, the majority of small islands not connected to the main grid is still dependent on fossil fuels. From an economic and environmental point of view, this condition is no more sustainable given the high costs for electricity generation and the high level of pollutant emissions. Furthermore, the dependence on fossil fuel represents a risk for the security of the supply of several small developing Countries since they are obliged to import those resources from foreign Countries. The introduction of renewable energy sources in small islands represents a valid solution to solve these problems. In this context, the paper investigates the case of Lampedusa, a small Italian island…
Towards an integrated design of renewable electricity generation and storage systems for NZEB use: A parametric analysis
2021
Abstract Although nearly zero energy buildings have attracted growing research attention, literature analysis shows that only a limited number of researches try to couple load match/grid interaction issues and environmental impacts in early design stages. The study proposes a novel multidisciplinary design approach that allows to integrate these two conflicting aspects aiming to find trade-offs. The proposed approach has been applied to a building case study, equipped with a photovoltaics system without energy storage. The results show that even though on yearly basis the energy use (5,290 kWhe) is largely overcome by the on-site energy generation (8069 kWhe), an oversized PV system alone m…
Coupling electrodialysis desalination with photovoltaic and wind energy systems for energy storage: Dynamic simulations and control strategy
2020
Abstract The presence of desalination systems in polygeneration facilities is usually limited by important difficulties in operating under non-stationary regimes typical of renewable energy sources. Reverse osmosis, namely the most common desalination technology, is characterised by slow dynamics that rarely adapts to the power fluctuations of renewables. Therefore, the possibility of using electrodialysis coupled with a hybrid photovoltaic/wind energy source was investigated in this work. In particular, the combination of photovoltaic and wind energy is very attractive in order to achieve a more stable energy production, while electrodialysis is claimed to be a more flexible process compar…
O-102 Polymeric scaffold loaded with CD133+ BMDSCs for endometrial regeneration in Asherman’s syndrome
2021
Abstract Study question Can CD133+ bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMDSCs) loaded in polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGda) and gelatin divide and decidualize? Summary answer Biocompatible porous PEGda and gelatin scaffold provides a three-dimensional environment for CD133+ cells to attach, divide, and decidualize in vitro. What is known already Intrauterine adhesions (IUA) develop due to acquired damages in the endometrium resulting in partial to complete endometrial dysfunction in the Asherman syndrome. Previous works from our group have demonstrated the engraftment of CD133+ BMDSCs and its paracrine effect on endometrial proliferation, improved endometrial thickness and clinical outcome …
Assessment of the Present and Future Offshore Wind Power Potential: A Case Study in a Target Territory of the Baltic Sea Near the Latvian Coast
2013
Offshore wind energy development promises to be a significant domestic renewable energy source in Latvia. The reliable prediction of present and future wind resources at offshore sites is crucial for planning and selecting the location for wind farms. The overall goal of this paper is the assessment of offshore wind power potential in a target territory of the Baltic Sea near the Latvian coast as well as the identification of a trend in the future wind energy potential for the study territory. The regional climate model CLM and High Resolution Limited Area Model (Hirlam) simulations were used to obtain the wind climatology data for the study area. The results indicated that offshore wind en…
Sustainable Regeneration of Brownfields
2016
Our cities are really rich of building ensembles now deserted which were, in the recent past, sources of job and productivity for the community. They are generally inside the urban fabric or in the suburbs and they are often not particularly taken into consideration because they haven’t architectonic characteristics which could justify a restoration. Due to their big extension, the planning approach turns to be diffucult. Besides, these areas, if adequately restored, could become an important economic and cultural resource and a possibility of experimentation of new sustainable technologies. All this heritage requires a planning approach based on conservation and valorization of all the cul…
Evidence of neuroplasticity in the human visual cortex following beneficial anti-VEGF treatment in exudative age-related macular degeneration
2012
Purpose Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents have been shown to improve visual acuity and prevent vision loss in exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD). As the vision improves relatively quickly in response to intravitreal injections, we wanted to know whether this improvement is reflected in electrophysiolocal markers of visual cortical processing. Methods Our interventional case series included 6 elderly patients who underwent injection treatment to the affected eye. Their visual acuity, tomographic images of retinal thickness and visual evoked potentials (VEP) were assessed before of the treatment and six weeks after the last injection. Results All patients sho…
PGC-1α signaling coordinates susceptibility to metabolic and oxidative injury in the inner retina.
2013
Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), used as a common model of central nervous system injury, are particularly vulnerable to metabolic and oxidative damage. However, molecular mechanisms underlying this sensitivity have not been determined in vivo . PGC-1α (encoded by PPARGC1A ) regulates adaptive metabolism and oxidative stress responses in a tissue- and cell-specific manner. Aberrant PGC-1α signaling is implicated in neurodegeneration, but the mechanism underlying its role in central nervous system injury remains unclear. We provide evidence from a mouse model that PGC-1α expression and activity are induced in adult retina in response to metabolic and oxidative challenge. Deletion of Ppargc1a d…
Preclinical Retinal Neurodegeneration in a Model of Multiple Sclerosis
2012
Neurodegeneration plays a major role in multiple sclerosis (MS), in which it is thought to be the main determinant of permanent disability. However, the relationship between the immune response and the onset of neurodegeneration is still a matter of debate. Moreover, recent findings in MS patients raised the question of whether primary neurodegenerative changes can occur in the retina independent of optic nerve inflammation. Using a rat model of MS that frequently leads to optic neuritis, we have investigated the interconnection between neurodegenerative and inflammatory changes in the retina and the optic nerves with special focus on preclinical disease stages. We report that, before manif…
Retinal microglia are activated by systemic fungal infection
2014
Purpose: To determine whether systemic fungal infection could cause activation of retinal microglia and therefore could be potentially harmful for patients with retinal degenerative diseases. Methods: Activation of retinal microglia was measured in a model of sublethal invasive candidiasis in C57BL/6J mice by (i) confocal immunofluorescence and (ii) flow cytometry analysis, using anti-CD11b, anti-Iba1, anti-MHCII and anti-CD45 antibodies. Results: Systemic fungal infection causes activation of retinal microglia, with phenotypic changes in morphology, surface markers expression, and microglial re-location in retinal layers. Conclusions: As an excessive or prolonged microglial activation may …