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32nd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition; 1385-1389, The aim of this work is to report the results of the main characterization activities carried out on the ECOSOLE HCPV prototypal plant realized by BECAR s.r.l. and installed at ENEA Research Center located at Portici in the south of Italy. After a detailed description of the system main components, the experimental results regarding the module characterizations, the tracker accuracy, the system optical acceptance, and the module temperature survey are detailed. The second part of the paper is focused on the explanation of the performance analysis carried out on the basis of the data collected during the first three months of operation. Particular attention has been paid to the performance comparison of the two sub-arrays of the plant: the first one is realized with module using each one its-own inverter, and the second one is realized with a classic centralized inverter solution. At the end, a procedure for a detailed losses analysis is reported and the results obtained for a whole sunny day are explained.

32nd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition; 2084-2088, In this work, we have first demonstrated that soiling has a significant effect on the high concentrated photovoltaic system productivity. Next, we presented the integrated cleaning technique we have designed and we currently try to implement on the system. This innovative technique allows first reducing soiling of the HCPV modules, avoid micro-scratches on their glass surfaces and improve their energy productivity. The proposed technique is based on the use of compressed air flux. This study can lead to a final prototype achievement that we propose in terms of perspectives, such as the integration of a dirt sensor and the allocation of automatic control of all the system. These additional improvements would be useful to develop the first Moroccan proper cleaning solution for high concentration photovoltaic panels.

background The use of aspirin for the prevention of thrombotic complications in polycythemia vera is controversial. methods We enrolled 518 patients with polycythemia vera, no clear indication for aspirin treatment, and no contraindication to such treatment in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial to assess the safety and efficacy of prophylaxis with low-dose aspirin (100 mg daily). The two primary end points were the cumulative rate of nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or death from cardiovascular causes and the cumulative rate of nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, pulmonary embolism, major venous thrombosis, or death from cardiovascular causes. The mean duration of follow-up was about three years. results Treatment with aspirin, as compared with placebo, reduced the risk of the combined end point of nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or death from cardiovascular causes (relative risk, 0.41; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.15 to 1.15; P=0.09) and the risk of the combined end point of nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, pulmonary embolism, major venous thrombosis, or death from cardiovascular causes (relative risk, 0.40; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.18 to 0.91; P=0.03). Overall mortality and cardiovascular mortality were not reduced significantly. The incidence of major bleeding episodes was not significantly increased in the aspirin group (relative risk, 1.62; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.27 to 9.71). conclusions Low-dose aspirin can safely prevent thrombotic complications in patients with polycythemia vera who have no contraindications to such treatment.

31st European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition; 1487-1491, ECOSOLE is an European collaborative Project [1] started in August 2012 that involves several industrial and institutional partners with the aim to develop a complete and innovative concentrating photovoltaic system. During the first two years of activity, many specific components as cells, optics, modules and tracker have been designed and developed. This work reports the description of these devices and the main results of the characterization campaigns carried out both indoor and outdoor conditions, in order to define their technical features as well as their performances. Particular attention has been paid to the investigation on the components reliability which is a crucial point for the CPV technology diffusion.

CIRCE system is appropriate to perform a quality control of receivers in production line before being installed in a CPV module

29th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition; 2125-2127, In this paper, performance monitoring program is applied to a grid-connected high concentration photovoltaic power plant in order to identify any operational problem and to make sure of its optimal and continuous power generation working conditions. A preventive maintenance plan was also established and proposed for the whole system.

28th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition; 664-667, This work deals with the thermal analysis of the heat sink relative to a novel high-concentrating photovoltaic system developed in the framework of the European project ECOSOLE. The thermal analysis has been performed taking into consideration two different conditions, namely the worst condition that occurs when the module doesn’t produce energy and the tracker is in perfect alignment with the sun, and the design conditions with the module operating in its MPPT. 3D numerical simulations have been performed using the commercial software Comsol Multiphysics in order to evaluate the temperatures maps relative to the cell and the heat sink in both the considered conditions. Furthermore, the thermo-fluid-dynamics of the air inside and around the HCPV module frame have been characterized by means of 3D numerical simulation performed using the commercial software ANSYS Fluent.

The aim of this study was to validate a recent classification of gait in children with the spastic diplegic form of cerebral palsy (CP) by checking the reliability of different scorers in assigning subject walking performance to one of the four specific patterns described in the classification.The gait patterns of 50 children and adolescents with CP (23 males, 27 females; age range 3-17 years) were selected among patients whose videos were stored in the archives of the Pisa and Reggio Emilia Hospitals. Only video recordings of gait with homogeneous features (duration of at least 90 s, simultaneous recordings on sagittal and frontal views, and other criteria) were taken for examination. The videos were blindly scored using an observational gait scale, at first by two of the authors of the classification system (defined as ''maximum experts''), then by ten expert observers, and finally by 206 professionals of rehabilitation after a one-day training on the classification. Cohen's kappa statistics (k) and intra class correlations (ICC) were calculated.Kappa and ICC indicate an almost perfect agreement both between the two maximum experts and among the ten expert observers. Good results were also obtained in the group of one-day trained scorers. Only a few cases were assigned to the ''unclassified'' category. The profession of the observer (doctor or therapist) and previous knowledge of the classification had no significant influence on reliability scores.The results suggest that the proposed classification can be reliably applied, even utilizing short video recordings, to arrange diplegic children into different patterns. Further studies are needed to validate the use of this classification system for clinical and research aims.

Kinetic and pharmacological characteristics of Ca2+ fluxes across the saccular epithelium of trout were studied using a perfused isolated inner ear. Ca-45(2+) influx from the Ringer solution to the endolymph was 3-4 nmoles h(-1) mu(-1) endolymph, which corresponds to a global turnover rate of the endolymph calcium of 200% h(-1). Ca2+ entry into the proximal endolymph was faster than into the distal fluid. Net Ca2+ movement across the saccular epithelium depended on the direction and intensity of the chemical gradient of calcium between the Ringer solution and the endolymph. Increasing the calcium concentration in the Ringer solution up to 4.4 mmol l(-1) provoked an accumulation of Ca2+ in both proximal and distal endolymphs, and equilibrium was reached about 30 min after the beginning of perfusion. Perfusion with calcium-free Ringer partially emptied the proximal compartment of calcium, whereas the calcium levels in the distal endolymph did not vary during 70 min of perfusion. Verapamil (10(-5) mol l(-1)) and cyanide (CN, 10(-3) mol l(-1)) did not modify the accumulation of Ca2+ within the endolymph in the presence of a favourable calcium chemical gradient. Furthermore the relationship between Ca2+ net fluxes and the chemical calcium gradient across the saccular epithelium was linear, indicating a passive diffusional mechanism via a paracellular pathway. Similar relationships were found for Sr2+ fluxes across the saccular epithelium in the presence of positive chemical gradients (1, 2 and 4 mmol l(-1) Sr2+). In vivo experiments in which trout were intraperitoneously injected with CaCl2 solution confirmed the tight relationship between the calcium levels in plasma and endolymph (both proximal and distal). Sampling proximal and distal endolymphs in trout and turbot saccules revealed a decreasing proximo-distal calcium gradient in endolymph of both fish species. The present results strongly suggest that the endolymph is supplied with Ca2+ and Sr2+ via a paracellular pathway located in the proximal area of the saccular epithelium.