Search

The use of daylight in buildings contributes to energy savings while significantly improving visual comfort and well-being. It is therefore very important to be able to quantify illuminance to take advantage of daylight. Although several models have been proposed in recent years to determine global and diffuse illuminance, the same may not be said of direct solar illuminance, which situates this study in an area of noteworthy scientific and technological interest. Two luminous efficacy models for clear sky conditions are proposed and the results of benchmarking with previous models from the literature are presented. Data collected in Burgos (Spain) were analyzed. Specifically, eight previous models for the prediction of direct illuminance were compared with our two new models. The two new models predicted illuminance more accurately than most of the classic models. Specifically, running the models on the training data yielded Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) values of 2.58 % and 2.76 % for the first and the second model, respectively. Likewise, the test data yielded RMSE values of 3.31 % and 3.49 %, and the Mean Bias Error values with the training data were 0.06 % and 0.11 %, respectively. The models achieved high accuracy levels with both the training and the test data sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT We study the possibility that the Galactic warp is caused by the tides of the Magellanic clouds. Using a specialized N -body particle+ring code we investigate the role of extra torques on the disc induced by gravitational wakes in the dark halo created by the Large Magellanic Cloud. We find that neither the amplitude nor the orientation of the resulting warp agrees with observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim was to describe pregnancy outcomes after Zika virus (ZIKV) infection in a non-endemic region. According to the Spanish protocol issued after the ZIKV outbreak in Brazil in 2015, all pregnant women who had travelled to high-burden countries were screened for ZIKV. Serological and molecular tests were used to identify ZIKV-infected pregnant women. They were classified as confirmed ZIKV infection when reverse transcription (RT) PCR tested positive, or probable ZIKV infection when ZIKV immunoglobulin M and/or immunoglobulin G and ZIKV plaque reduction neutralization tests were positive. Women found positive using molecular or serological tests were prospectively followed-up with ultrasound scans and neurosonograms on a monthly basis until delivery; magnetic resonance imaging and amniotic fluid testing were performed after signed informed consent. Samples of placenta, and fetal and neonatal tissues were obtained. Seventy-two pregnant women tested positive for ZIKV infection: ten were confirmed by RT-PCR, and 62 were probable cases based on serological tests. The prevalence of adverse perinatal outcomes was 33.3% (three out of nine, 95% CI 12.1–64.6%): two cases of congenital ZIKV syndrome (CZS) and one miscarriage, all born to women infected in the first trimester of gestation. All ZIKV-confirmed women had persistent viraemias beyond 2 weeks (median 61.50 days; IQR 35.50–80.75). Amniotic fluid testing was only positive in the two fetuses with anomalies. The prevalence of perinatal adverse outcomes for women with ZIKV-confirmed infection was 33.3%. Amniocentesis for ZIKV RT-PCR is recommended when fetal abnormalities are found. Intensive prenatal and postnatal follow-up of ZIKV-infected pregnancies is advised in confirmed cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a case of a pregnant woman with Zika virus (ZIKV) infection and a foetus with severe brain malformations. ZIKV tested positive in amniotic fluid at 19 weeks but was negative at delivery. The newborn did not meet the case definition of congenital ZIKV syndrome because neither ZIKV RNA nor IgM antibodies were detected; however, prenatal brain lesions were confirmed after birth (Graphical Abstract). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]