Título del artículo:

“Candy shaped vertebrae” as a form of presentation of spinal deformities in a patient with Cleidocranial syndrome

Cleidocranial Dysplasia (CCD) or Cleidocranial dysostosis is a very rare, under-diagnosed pathology caused by a variable degree of expression of a dominant gene. It is characterized by skeletal malformations, which can be expressed in different clinical and imagenologic findings, with a classic triad; late closure of cranial sutures, hypoplasia or aplasia of clavicles and dental abnormalities. We present a case of a 46 years old male, with no previous medical history, who presented to emergency department with a 4-month dorso-lumbar axial pain with no other symptoms. Imaging studies and clinical findings revealed characteristics compatible with CCD, with an unusual malformation of the vertebral bodies “candy shaped vertebrae”.

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Interdisciplinary Neurosurgery: Advanced Techniques and Case Management

Título del artículo:

Prevalence of ABCB1 3435C>T polymorphism in the Cuban population

Objectives: ABCB1 gene polymorphisms can modify P-glycoprotein function with clinical consequences. Methods: The 3435C>T polymorphism prevalence was analyzed using oligonucleotide probes and next-generation sequencing in 421 unrelated healthy individuals living in Cuba. Data were stratified by gender, ethnic background and residence. The genotype and allelic frequencies were determined. Results: The genotype distribution met the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium assumption. The allelic frequency was 63.5% for the 3435C variant. The genotype frequencies were 41.1% for CC, 44.9% for CT and 14.0% for TT. The allele and genotype distributions differed between individuals living in La Habana and Santiago de Cuba (p<0.05) when ethnic background was analyzed. The allelic distribution was similar among Admixed and Black subjects, and they differed from Caucasians. The CC genotype was equally distributed among Admixed and Black subjects, and they differed from Caucasians. The TT genotype frequency differed between Caucasians and Admixed. The CT genotype was distributed differently among the three groups. Similar distribution was obtained in Brazilians, whereas some similarities were observed in African, Spanish and Chinese populations, consistent with the mixed Cuban ethnic origin. Conclusions: This is the first report on allele and genotype frequencies of the 3435C>T polymorphism in Cuba, which may support personalized medicine programs.

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Drug Metabolism and Personalized Therapy

Título del artículo:

Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Colombian Penitentiary Staff: An Interdisciplinary View of a High-Risk Occupation

Introduction: Cardiovascular risk factors have been measured under different conditions, there is some missing information related to specific occupations, such as penitentiary staff which due to their characteristics could have an increased cardiovascular risk. Objective: To determine cardiovascular risk factors on military staff from penitentiary institutions in Santander—Colombia. Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted with 182 workers. Anthropometric parameters, blood pressure, serum lipid profile, and glucose levels were measured. Univariate and bivariate analyses were carried out to establish differences between individuals. Results: Anthropometric and biochemical measures showed that 71.3% participants were overweight or obese, 29.4% presented high blood pressure with increased levels of total cholesterol (27.5%), triglycerides (40.7%), glucose (9.3%), and 84.1% presented low levels of HDL cholesterol. Bivariate analysis found a negative correlation between BMI and HDL cholesterol (p <.05) and a positive correlation between BMI with triglycerides (p <.01), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (p <.01). Conclusion: The studied military population presented increased levels of cardiovascular risk in comparison with a similar group in age, gender of nonmilitary individuals. However, it is important to carry out comparative studies between military staff in order to determine the prevalence and other risk predicting factors present in this specific population.

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Hispanic Health Care International

Título del artículo:

Factors Associated with the Consumption of Illicit Drugs: a Review of Reviews

The aim of this study was to identify the factors associated with the consumption of illicit drugs with stronger evidence in the personal, interpersonal, and contextual domains. For this reason, a review of reviews was carried out using international quality guidelines such as PRISMA and AMSTAR, searching in six databases and yielding 7782 articles in the initial search. In the end, 45 quantitative and qualitative reviews were included. Evidence of personal, interpersonal, and contextual factors was found that could be useful for the investigation of the most specific factors according to particular settings. Ecological approaches can be meaningful as integrative frameworks for this evidence.

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International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction

Título del artículo:

Exploring empathy in first-semester nursing students using the empathy quotient (EQ)

Introduction: Empathy either considered as a dimension or a competence is crucial for the development of our social species, particularly in a situation as special as the care of others. Objectives: To determine the quotient of empathy of the first semester students of nursing at the Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia hosts Bucaramanga and its relations with the variables sex, age, social condition and city of origin. Materials and Methods: We analyzed the quotient of empathy using the EQ test Baron-Cohen and Wheelwright in all students in the first semester (N: 100). The relationship with the variables sex, age, social stratum and origin were determined by t test and F test, as well as ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: No statistical differences were found between the quotients of empathy of the sexes, age, social condition or city of origin, but variations in the distribution of the data were observed. Was determined a negative relationship between age and social condition with the quotients of empathy. Conclusions: The mean of the quotient of empathy of the population of nursing students from first semester was of 40,3 locating it in a middle position, the study group was quite heterogeneous, with a development low to medium of empathy. Strategies are necessary throughout his professional career for the development of empathy in this population of students since the vast majority will get your professional degree before reaching the brain maturity.

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Revista Cuidarte

Título del artículo:

Zika in gestation. Impact on execution skills and maturity age in infants

Introduction: Zika virus is transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes, but it can also occur through an intrauterine infection before delivery, and the virus passes to the fetus. Objective: describe the level of impairment in performance skills and maturation age of brave boys and girls of the future program with neonatal Zika virus infection. Materials and Methods: Research is framed with a quantitative correlational approach supported by field research and non-experimental design, with a sample of 15 infants aged 3, 4 and 5 years. The data collection technique used was the Abbreviated Scale. Results: Regarding the areas evaluated with respect to maturational age, it was found that the weighting of motor skills and praxis found a correlation coefficient of 0.601 (moderate) and in the sample of performance skills of 3-year-old children. With gestational zika, a correlation of 0.853 (strong) was obtained. Discussion: Zika virus infection in boys and girls, acquired during pregnancy, strongly limits the execution skills typical of maturational age in this population. Conclusions: there is a correlation between infants with gestational zika and strong involvement in the actions or behaviors that a patient has in moving and physically interacting with activities, objects and thus performing a learned motor activity.

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Revista Cuidarte

Título del artículo:

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of a Self-Concept Scale for a Colombian University Population

The purpose of the research was to obtain psychometric evidence of a measuring self-concept with the university population of a Colombian city, called EVA-42 and previously developed by the authors based on the Shavelson self-concept model. To do this, a cluster sampling of 500 university students to whom the EVA-42 was applied digitally was carried out. Indicators of goodness of fit were estimated using CFA and correlations between the subscales of the EVA-42 and another instrument for measuring self-concept called AF5; Likewise, reliability coefficients were estimated by internal consistency and scales were established using centiles. The AFC results support a penta-factorial structure with CMIN / DF = 1.758, RMSEA =. 039, TLI =. 950, CFI =. 958 and NFI =. 908, as well as Spearman-Brown values and α>. 8 for reliability of all subscales. It is concluded that the instrument is adequate for measuring self-concept with the Colombian university population.

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Ansiedad y Estres

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New PEPTIR-2.0 Peptide Designed for Use as Recognition Element in Electrochemical Biosensors with Improved Specificity towards E. coli O157:H7

The detection of pathogens through alternative methodologies based on electrochemical biosensors is being studied. These devices exhibit remarkable properties, such as simplicity, specificity, and high sensitivity in monitoring pathogens. However, it is necessary to continue conducting studies that adequately improve these characteristics, especially the recognition molecule. This work aims to design and evaluate a new peptide, named PEPTIR-2.0, as a recognition molecule in electrochemical biosensors to detect E. coli O157:H7 in water. PEPTIR-2.0 was obtained from modifications of the PEPTIR-1.0 peptide sequence, which was previously reported and exhibited excellent properties for detecting and quantifying this pathogenic microorganism. PEPTIR-1.0 is a peptide analogous to the TIR (Translocated Intimin Receptor) protein capable of interacting with the Intimin outer membrane. The basis of this study was to obtain, by using bioinformatics tools, a molecule analogous to PEPTIR-1.0 that maintains its three-dimensional structure but increases the hydrophobic interactions between it and Intimin, since these intermolecular forces are the predominant ones. The designed PEPTIR-2.0 peptide was immobilized on screen-printed electrodes modified with gold nanoparticles. The detection capacity of E. coli O157:H7 in water was evaluated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in the presence of other microorganisms, such as P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and non-pathogenic E. coli. The results showed that PEPTIR-2.0 confers remarkable specificity to the biosensor towards detecting E. coli, even higher than PEPTIR-1.0.

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Molecules

Título del artículo:

The Vagus Nerve Somatosensory-evoked Potential in Neural Disorders: Systematic Review and Illustrative Vignettes

Objective. To review the scientific publications reporting vagal nerve somatosensory-evoked potential (VSEP) findings from individuals with brain disorders, and present novel physiological explanations on the VSEP origin. Methods. We did a systematic review on the papers reporting VSEP findings from individuals with brain disorders and their controls. We evaluated papers published from 2003 to date indexed in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scielo databases. We extracted the following information: number of patients and controls, type of neural disorder, age, gender, stimulating/recording and grounding electrodes as well as stimulus side, intensity, duration, frequency, and polarity. Information about physiological parameters, neurobiological variables, and correlation studies was also reviewed. Representative vignettes were included to add support to our conclusions. Results. The VSEP was studied in 297 patients with neural disorders such as Parkinson’s disease (PD), Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, mild cognitive impairment, subjective memory impairment, major depression, and multiple sclerosis. Scalp responses marked as the VSEP showed high variability, low validity, and poor reproducibility. VSEP latencies and amplitudes did not correlate with disease duration, unified PD rating scale score, or heart function in PD patients nor with cerebrospinal fluid β amyloid, phosphor-τ, and cognitive tests from patients with mental disorders. Vignettes demonstrated that the VSEP was volume conduction propagating from muscles surrounding the scalp recording electrodes. Conclusion. The VSEP is not a brain-evoked potential of neural origin but muscle activity induced by electrical stimulation of the tragus region of the ear. This review and illustrative vignettes argue against assessing the parasympathetic system using the so-called VSEP.

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Clinical EEG and Neuroscience

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Measuring and predicting personal and household Black Carbon levels from 88 communities in eight countries

Black Carbon (BC) is an important component of household air pollution (HAP) in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs), but levels and drivers of exposure are poorly understood. As part of the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiological (PURE) study, we analyzed 48-hour BC measurements for 1187 individual and 2242 household samples from 88 communities in 8 LMICs (Bangladesh, Chile, China, Colombia, India, Pakistan, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe). Light absorbance (10−5 m−1) of collected PM2.5 filters, a proxy for BC concentrations, was calculated via an image-based reflectance method. Surveys of household/personal characteristics and behaviors were collected after monitoring. The geometric mean (GM) of personal and household BC measures was 2.4 (3.3) and 3.5 (3.9)·10−5 m−1, respectively. The correlation between BC and PM2.5 was r = 0.76 for personal and r = 0.82 for household measures. A gradient of increasing BC concentrations was observed for cooking fuels: BC increased 53% (95%CI: 30, 79) for coal, 142% (95%CI: 117, 169) for wood, and 190% (95%CI: 149, 238) for other biomass, compared to gas. Each hour of cooking was associated with an increase in household (5%, 95%CI: 3, 7) and personal (5%, 95%CI: 2, 8) BC; having a window in the kitchen was associated with a decrease in household (−38%, 95%CI: −45, −30) and personal (−31%, 95%CI: −44, −15) BC; and cooking on a mud stove, compared to a clean stove, was associated with an increase in household (125%, 95%CI: 96, 160) and personal (117%, 95%CI: 71, 117) BC. Male participants only had slightly lower personal BC (−0.6%, 95%CI: −1, 0.0) compared to females. In multivariate models, we were able to explain 46–60% of household BC variation and 33–54% of personal BC variation. These data and models provide new information on exposure to BC in LMICs, which can be incorporated into future exposure assessments, health research, and policy surrounding HAP and BC.

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Science of the Total Environment

Título del artículo:

Adenocarcinoma of the Appendix, a Differential Diagnosis in Patients with Abdominal Pain. Case Report

Introduction. Acute abdominal pain is a frequent cause of consultation to emergency services. Its incidence is about 5%, of which 10%-25% of patients require surgical treatment. Primary appendiceal neoplasms are infrequent. They currently represent 1% of malignant neoplasms of gastrointestinal origin. They are predominant in women and must be suspected in patients with risk factors. The objective is to understand the importance of timely diagnosis in approaching patients with acute abdominal pain. Case report. A woman with clinical condition of 5 days of abdominal pain. Marked cystic dilation of the cecal appendix with linear and nodular calcifications on its wall and interior found in a tomography of the abdomen. Intraoperatively, a right hemicolectomy was performed with a histological result of mucinous neoplasm of the appendix (serrated adenoma) with loss of the muscularis mucosae, classifying it as a low grade adenocarcinoma. Discussion. Appendiceal tumors represent 1% of malignant neoplasms of gastrointestinal origin, with an incidental finding (0.7-1.4%) in appendectomy procedures. The diagnosis is histopathological, and prognosis is related to its classification. It is important to know, identify and suspect this pathology due to its infrequency, which can improve the patient\'s prognosis. Conclusion. Appendiceal tumors are infrequent and should be included in the group of pathologies that cause acute abdominal pain.

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MedUNAB

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Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli O96:H19 is an Emergent Biofilm- Forming Pathogen

Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli (EIEC) is a diarrheagenic E. coli pathotype carrying a virulence plasmid that encodes a type III secretion system (TTSS) directly implicated in bacterial cell invasion. Since 2012, EIEC serotype O96:H19 has been recognized in Europe, Colombia, and most recently Uruguay. In addition to the invasion phenotype, the strains isolated from Colombian children with moderate-to-severe gastroenteritis had a strong biofilm formation phenotype, and as a result, they are referred to as biofilm-forming enteroinvasive E. coli (BF-EIEC). The objective of this study was to characterize the biofilm formation phenotype of the BF-EIEC O96:H19 strain 52.1 isolated from a child with moderate-to-severe gastroenteritis in Colombia. Random mutagenesis using Tn5 transposons identified 100 mutants unable to form biofilm; 20 of those had mutations within the pgaABCD operon. Site-directed mutagenesis of pgaB and pgaC confirmed the importance of these genes in N-acetylglucosamine- mediated biofilm formation. Both biofilm formation and TTSS-mediated host cell invasion were associated with host cell damage on the basis of cytotoxic assays comparing the wild type, invasion gene mutants, and biofilm formation mutants. Multilocus sequence typing-based phylogenetic analysis showed that BFEIEC strain 52.1 does not cluster with classic EIEC serotype strains. Instead, BF-EIEC strain 52.1 clusters with EIEC serotype O96:H19 strains described in Europe and Uruguay. In conclusion, BF-EIEC O96:H19, an emerging pathogen associated with moderate-to-severe acute gastroenteritis in children under 5 years of age in Colombia, invades cells and has a strong biofilm formation capability. Both phenotypes are independently associated with in vitro cell cytotoxicity, and they may explain, at least in part, the higher disease severity reported in Europe and Latin America.

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Journal of Bacteriology

Título del artículo:

Psycho-Neuro-Endocrine-Immunological Basis of the Placebo Effect: Potential Applications beyond Pain Therapy

The placebo effect can be defined as the improvement of symptoms in a patient after the administration of an innocuous substance in a context that induces expectations regarding its effects. During recent years, it has been discovered that the placebo response not only has neurobiological functions on analgesia, but that it is also capable of generating effects on the immune and endocrine systems. The possible integration of changes in different systems of the organism could favor the well-being of the individuals and go hand in hand with conventional treatment for multiple diseases. In this sense, classic conditioning and setting expectations stand out as psychological mechanisms implicated in the placebo effect. Recent advances in neuroimaging studies suggest a relationship between the placebo response and the opioid, cannabinoid, and monoaminergic systems. Likewise, a possible immune response conditioned by the placebo effect has been reported. There is evidence of immune suppression conditioned through the insular cortex and the amygdala, with noradrenalin as the responsible neurotransmitter. Finally, a conditioned response in the secretion of different hormones has been determined in different studies; however, the molecular mechanisms involved are not entirely known. Beyond studies about its mechanism of action, the placebo effect has proved to be useful in the clinical setting with promising results in the management of neurological, psychiatric, and immunologic disorders. However, more research is needed to better characterize its potential use. This review integrates current knowledge about the psycho-neuro-endocrine-immune basis of the placebo effect and its possible clinical applications.

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International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Título del artículo:

Leukocytoclastic vasculitis secondary to COVID-19 infection

We present the case of a 36-year-old female patient with a history of recent infection by COVID 19 with mild symptoms who started with bullous dermal lesions that evolved into ulcers with necrotic background without improvement with antihistamines and topical corticosteroids, a skin biopsy was taken which reported leukocytoclastic vasculitis, it is considered secondary to recent infection by COVID 19, for which medical management is given with subsequent improvement.

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Atencion Primaria Practica

Título del artículo:

Pellegrini stieda syndrome in an amateur cyclist

An average adult male with a history of trauma to the left knee with chronic pain that did not improve with conservative management underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the right knee with evidence of a grade II partial lesion of the medial collateral ligament with calcification of the femoral insertion.

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Atencion Primaria Practica

Título del artículo:

Laugier-Hunziker Syndrome, in older adults

Laugier-Hunziker syndrome (LHS) is a rare benign disorder, often acquired in adulthood, characterized by lentiginous hyperpigmentation of the oral mucosa and lips, associated with longitudinal melanonychia. Its importance is based on the early recognition and differential diagnosis of various oral and cutaneous hyperpigmentation pathologies. The case of a 74-year-old man with probable SLH is presented below and important differential diagnoses are discussed.

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Atencion Primaria Practica

Título del artículo:

Coinfection of tuberculosis and COVID 19 associated with pulmonary thromboembolism: Case report

Context: Currently, infection by the SARS-CoV-2 virus predominantly generates a respiratory infection, which can lead to acute and late complications, as well as mild or severe sequelae. A complication that has been evidenced is the state of hypercoagulability, such as pulmonary thromboembolism (PE) or deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Clinical case: We present the case of a patient with a recent history of COVID-19 infection who consulted for dyspnea and pain in the left hemithorax, complementary images were taken showing a large cavern at the right pulmonary base and an electrocardiogram suggestive of pulmonary thromboembolism, a CT scan was taken with protocol for PET that confirms it and smear microscopies that report positive for pulmonary tuberculosis coinfection. Discussion and conclusions: The formation of prothrombotic phenomena by COVID-19 has become a frequent complication, however, the coinfection of tuberculosis and COVID-19 is rare, this is due to a process of amplification of the deregulated immune response called «cytokine storm», which activates latent and hidden infections, in addition the use of immunosuppressive drugs in COVID-19 can lead to an expression of tuberculosis. Tuberculosis infection should be suspected in an endemic environment together with persistence of symptoms after the resolution of the viral infection, symptomatic cases before the acute viral process or in cases of atypical radiographic findings; in these cases, HIV infection or infection should be ruled out. another bacterial coinfection.

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Atencion Primaria Practica

Título del artículo:

Darier-white disease in a young adult patient

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Atencion Primaria Practica

Título del artículo:

Cerebral neurotoxoplasmosis in immunosuppressed patient. Diagnostic approach on imaging

Cerebral toxoplasmosis is an infection produced by an opportunistic organism, which in the case of immunocompetent people can be asymptomatic or produce mild symptoms, however in the immunocompromised population can generate severe symptoms and even death as a final outcome, it is necessary to have a diagnostic suspicion and provide appropriate management to avoid complications, sequelae and/or death. This case report seeks to promote the importance of clinical suspicion, diagnosis and timely treatment.

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Atencion Primaria Practica

Título del artículo:

Mycotic aneurysm: A case report

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Atencion Primaria Practica

Título del artículo:

Dulaglutide and incident atrial fibrillation or flutter in patients with type 2 diabetes: A post hoc analysis from the REWIND randomized trial

Aim: To assess the occurrence of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter (atrial arrhythmias [AA]) in patients with type 2 diabetes treated with once-weekly subcutaneous dulaglutide versus placebo. Materials and Methods: Patients without electrocardiographic (ECG)-confirmed AA at baseline and randomized in the REWIND trial were assessed for the development of AA based on an annual ECG. Additional analyses included whether dulaglutide compared with placebo reduced the composite outcome of AA or death, AA or cardiovascular death, AA or stroke and AA or heart failure. Results: Among 9543 participants (mean age 66 ± 7 years, with cardiovascular risk factors and 31% with previous cardiovascular disease) without AA at entry in the trial, 524 patients (5.5%) had at least one episode of AA during the median 5.4 years of follow-up. Incident AA occurred in 269 of the 4769 participants allocated to dulaglutide (5.6%), at a rate of 10.7 per 1000 person-years, versus 255 of the 4774 allocated to placebo (5.3%), at a rate of 10.5 per 1000 person-years (P =.59). There was also no effect of dulaglutide on the composite outcome of AA and death or AA and heart failure. Conclusion: This post hoc analysis of data from the REWIND trial showed that treatment with dulaglutide was not associated with a reduced incidence of AA in this at-risk group of patients with type 2 diabetes.

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Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism

Título del artículo:

Erratum: ‘Corrigendum to “Association of bedtime with mortality and major cardiovascular events: an analysis of 112,198 individuals from 21 countries in the PURE study” [Sleep Medicine 80 (2021) 265–272]’ (Sleep Medicine (2021) 80 (265–272), (S1389945721000745), (10.1016/j.sleep.2021.01.057))

The authors regret < Co-author Sadi Gulec (Ankara University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey) was inadvertently omitted and has been added after co-author Shrikant I. Bangdiwala. The conflict of interest section remains unchanged >. The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.

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Sleep Medicine

Título del artículo:

Functional Profile of CD8⁺ T-Cells in Response to HLA-A*02:01-Restricted Mutated Epitopes Derived from the Gag Protein of Circulating HIV-1 Strains from Medellín, Colombia

CD8+ T-cells play a crucial role in the control of HIV replication. HIV-specific CD8+ T-cell responses rapidly expand since the acute phase of the infection, and it has been observed that HIV controllers harbor CD8+ T-cells with potent anti-HIV capacity. The development of CD8+ T-cell-based vaccine against HIV-1 has focused on searching for immunodominant epitopes. However, the strong immune pressure of CD8+ T-cells causes the selection of viral variants with mutations in immunodominant epitopes. Since HIV-1 mutations are selected under the context of a specific HLA-I, the circulation of viral variants with these mutations is highly predictable based on the most prevalent HLA-I within a population. We previously demonstrated the adaptation of circulating strains of HIV-1 to the HLA-A*02 molecule by identifying mutations under positive selection located in GC9 and SL9 epitopes derived from the Gag protein. Also, we used an in silico prediction approach and evaluated whether the mutations found had a higher or lower affinity to the HLA-A*02. Although this strategy allowed predicting the interaction between mutated peptides and HLA-I, the functional response of CD8+ T-cells that these peptides induce is unknown. In the present work, peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 12 HIV-1+ HLA-A*02:01+ individuals were stimulated with the mutated and wild-type peptides derived from the GC9 and SL9 epitopes. The functional profile of CD8+ T-cells was evaluated using flow cytometry, and the frequency of subpopulations was determined according to their number of functions and the polyfunctionality index. The results suggest that the quality of the response (polyfunctionality) could be associated with the binding affinity of the peptide to the HLA molecule, and the functional profile of specific CD8+ T-cells to mutated epitopes in individuals under cART is maintained.

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Frontiers in Immunology

Título del artículo:

Effect of adding ZrM (M=Fe, Ni) intermetallic compounds on the hydrogen absorption/desorption properties of TiCr1.1V0.9 alloy

In this paper, the effect of intermetallic compounds Zr2Fe and Zr7Ni10 on the microstructure and first hydrogenation kinetic of TiCr1.1V0.9 alloy is reported. Samples were synthesized by arc melting separately and then 5% of each intermetallic was co-melt with TiCr1.1V0.9 alloy. First hydrogenation of all alloys was performed at room temperature under 2.0 MPa of hydrogen. Kinetics and absorption capacities were measured at room temperature, by using apparatus type sieverts. Results indicate that the addition of the intermetallic has an enhancing effect on the kinetic reaction without further modification of hydrogen storage capacities, going from 3.6 wt.% for as-cast alloy, to 3.61 wt.% for alloys +5 wt.% intermetallic. On the other hand, the structure and microstructural analysis were carried out by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. These results show conservation of the structure in the body-centered cubic, and two additional minor phase formations: C14 laves phase for both alloys, and an additional Ti2Ni phase for the TiCr1.1V0.9 + 5% Zr7Ni10 alloy. Finally, the thermal stabilization of the sample was determined by using differential scanning calorimetry. The results show two types of hydrides that form trapped in different clamping sites with different energies.

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Heliyon

Título del artículo:

Sustainable use of spilled turbinable energy in Ecuador: Three different energy storage systems

The incorporation of Energy Storage Systems (ESS) in an electrical power system is studied for the application of Energy Time Shift (ETS) or energy arbitrage, taking advantage of the turbinable energy discharged in hydroelectric plants. For this, three storage systems were selected: Lithium-Ion Batteries (LIB), Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB), and Hydrogen Storage Systems (H2SS). The spilled turbinable energy available at the Paute Integral hydropower complex in the Republic of Ecuador is taken as the case study. Based on real data from the operation of these plants, a distinctive element of the study, the performance of the selected energy storage systems was analyzed applying the Analytic Hierarchy of Process for decision-making, where technical, economic, and environmental criteria were considered. Electrical energy stored during the early morning seeks to displace the thermal generation during peak hours, close to the demand centers. The results show that all the storage systems analyzed satisfy the required demand, although VRFB is recommended for the ETS. From an economic point of view, LIB represents the best alternative. From a technical point of view, H2SS is slightly superior, while prioritizing environmental aspects, VRFB technology prevails. However, the selection of the best ESS alternative must be continually evaluated, due to permanent technological changes. It is concluded that ESS represent a viable alternative to improve the operational performance of hydroelectric plants, meet the variability of demand, improve the quality of the electrical energy delivered, and displace the pollution-generation plants.

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Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews