Enriched elderly virtual profiles by means of a multidimensional integrated assessment platform

The pressure over Healthcare systems is increasing in most developed countries. The generalized aging of the population is one of the main causes. This situation is even worse in underdeveloped, sparsely populated regions like Extremadura in Spain or Alentejo in Portugal. The authors propose to use the Situational-Context, a technique to seamlessly adapt Internet of Things systems to the needs and preferences of their users, for virtually modeling the elderly. These models could be used to enhance the elderly experience when using those kind of systems without raising the need for technical skills or the costs of implementing such systems by the regional healthcare systems. In this paper, the integration of a multidimensional integrated assessment platform with such virtual profiles is presented. The assessment platform provides and additional source of information for the virtual profiles that is used to better adapt existing systems to the elders needs

Inductive reasoning stages presented by mathematics teachers when solving a generalization problem

Se reportan seis fases del razonamiento inductivo que presentaron 19 profesores de matemáticas de secundaria al resolver un problema de generalización de un patrón cuadrático. Los datos se recolectaron mediante sus respuestas escritas y entrevistas. El análisis se realizó con base en el modelo de Cañadas y Castro (2007). Se encontró que, para generalizar de manera correcta, no basta con reconocer las regularidades en varios casos particulares, sino que se precisa de asociar esas regularidades con estructuras matemáticas que describan el patrón de manera general, y se detectaron dificultades en algunas fases que impidieron a los profesores llegar a generalizar.This investigation reports six inductive reasoning stages presented by nineteen middle school mathematics teachers when solving a generalization problem of a quadratic pattern. The data was collected through their written responses and interviews. The analysis was performed based on the model of Cañadas and Castro (2007). It was found that the correct generalization not only needed the recognition of regularities in some particular cases, but an accurate association between those regularities and the mathematical structures that describe the pattern in a general way. Furthermore, several difficulties that prevented the teachers from achieving a generalization were detected

Overview and outcomes of the OECD/NEA benchmark study of the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi NPS (BSAF), phase 2 – Results of severe accident analyses for unit 2

This is the second paper in a series of 3 in which results of severe accident analyses for Unit 2 of Fukushima Daiichi are presented, gained in phase 2 of the OECD/NEA project “Benchmark Study of the Accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (BSAF)”. Nine organizations of six countries (CNL Canada; CRIEPI, IAE, JAEA and NRA Japan; IRSN France; KAERI Korea; NRC/DOE/SNL U.S. and VTT Finland) submitted results of their calculated severe accident scenarios for Unit 2 of Fukushima Daiichi using different severe accident codes (ASTEC, MAAP, MELCOR, SAMPSON, THALES-KICHE). The present paper describes the findings of the comparison of the participants’ results for Unit 2 against each other and against plant data, the evaluation of the accident progression and the final status inside the reactors. Special focus is on reactor pressure vessel status, melt release and fission product behavior and release. Unit 2 specific aspects will be highlighted and points of consensus as well as remaining uncertainties and data needs will be summarized

Spray drying and process optimization of sour orange juice

In this study, production of sour orange juice powder utilizing a spray dryer was investigated. To prevent stickiness, maltodextrin DE 12 was used as a drying agent. While feed flow rate, feed temperature, and air flow rate were kept constant, inlet air temperature (120–160 °C) and maltodextrin content (maltodextrin dry solids/100 g feed mixture dry solids; 10–20%, w/w) were selected as the independent variables. Product properties investigated included ascorbic acid, volatile compounds, and moisture content. Ascorbic acid retention, volatiles retention, and moisture content were used in optimization of the process by response surface methodology. The optimum inlet air temperature and maltodextrin content were 156 °C and 20% w/w maltodextrin, respectively. This study revealed that by applying these optimal conditions, sour orange juice powder with 81.5% ascorbic acid retention, 5.5%, w/w moisture content, and 78% volatiles retention was produced

Absence of molecular evidence of Leptospira spp. in urine samples collected from rodents captured in Yucatán, México

Leptospira spp. is a spirochete bacteria, causal agent of leptospirosis, zoonotic disease endemic in México that represents a serious public health and veterinary problem. Rodents are recognised as the most important reservoirs of this bacteria, which is transmitted mainly through direct or indirect contact with the Leptospira spp. excreted in the urine of infected individuals. Theaim of this study was to evaluate the circulation of Leptospira spp. in urine samples of wild and synanthropic rodents from Yucatán, México. Eighty-four rodents were captured in the community of Cenotillo, Yucatán. Twenty-six urine samples were collected from the bladder and were used in the total DNA extraction. The identification of Leptospira spp. was intended through the polymerase chain reaction test in its endpoint variant. No evidence of Leptospira spp. was found in the urine samples. It is necessary to use other tissues for the identification of Leptospira spp., before concluding that the rodents used in the present study are not reservoirs of this bacteri

Microencapsulation of the Aroma from Capsicum chinense Jacq. cv. Habanero

An aroma distillate with the odour note described as ‘fresh Habanero chilli pepper’ was obtained from hydrodistillation of the fruit. GC-MS analysis of the volatile constituents from the aroma distillate allowed the identification of 100 compounds, most of them esters followed by aldehydes, alcohols, terpenes, ketones, and acids. Encapsulation process of the aroma distillate by spray drying was optimised using response surface methodology. Independent variables were inlet air temperature (150–200 °C) and carrier (maltodextrin 10 DE and gum arabic in 2:1 ratio) content (10–20% wb), while response variables were powder moisture and volatiles retention. Moisture content of the powder varied inversely proportional to the air temperature, while the volatile retention was directly related. Retention of volatiles in the powder increased when the carrier content increased, while this factor negatively affected moisture content. Based on the optimisation model of the response variables, the powder with the highest flavour quality was obtained with an air inlet temperature of 200 °C and 20% wb carrier content, with 4% moisture content and 88.6% volatiles retention

Características físicas de la carne de corderos Katahdín con Pelibuey alimentados a base de forraje y concentrado

Objective: To evaluate the effect of forage and concentrate in diet on physical characteristics of meat of crossed (F1) Katahdin with Pelibuey lambs.Design/methodology/approach: Thirty-six entire male lambs were distributed in a completely randomized design to four treatments: 1) 100% Concentrated food (CF) with 15 % of CP; 2) 70% CF30% of Maralfalfa forage (Pennisetum sp.); 3) 70% CF30% of Mombaza forage (M. maximum); 4) 70% CF30% CT-115 forage (P. purpureum). Results: No effect of diet on carcass traits and physical properties of meat was found (P0.05). The average value of pH and temperature SD were 5.58 0.12 and 6.38 0.56 °C, respectively. The little loss of water in meat (0.1%), indicates that it retains its physical-chemical characteristics for storage.Limitations on study/implications: Consumer demands of lamb meat are more focused on quality traits than quantity details, so, in order to comply with demands by market, it is necessary to carry out meat quality evaluations, compare between breeds and feeding systems to determine which genotype produces the best meat. Findings/conclusions: Lambs fed diets that include forage have similar physical characteristics of meat to those that received only concentrate food, which indicates that it is possible to produce lamb meat with excellent properties, using diets with good quality forage

Características físicas de la carne de corderos Katahdín con Pelibuey alimentados a base de forraje y concentrado

Objective: To evaluate the effect of forage and concentrate in diet on physical characteristics of meat of crossed (F1) Katahdin with Pelibuey lambs. Design/methodology/approach: Thirty-six entire male lambs were distributed in a completely randomized design to four treatments: 1) 100% Concentrated food (CF) with 15 % of CP; 2) 70% CF + 30% of Maralfalfa forage (Pennisetum sp); 3) 70% CF + 30% of Mombaza forage (M. maximum); 4) 70% CF + 30% CT-115 forage (P. Purpureum). Results: No effect of diet on carcass traits and physical properties of meat was found (P> 0.05). The average value of pH and temperature ± SD were 5.58 ± 0.12 and 6.38 ± 0.56 o C, respectively. The little loss of water in meat (0.1%), indicates that it retains its physical-chemical characteristics for storage. Limitations on study/implications: Consumer demands of lamb meat are more focused on quality traits than quantity details, so, in order to comply with demands demanded by market, it is necessary to carry out meat quality evaluations, compare between breeds and feeding systems to determine which genotype produces the best meat. Findings/conclusions: Lambs fed diets that include forage have similar physical characteristics of meat to those that received only concentrate food, which indicates that it is possible to produce lamb meat with excellent properties, using diets with good quality forage.Objetivo: Evaluar el efecto del forraje y concentrado en la dieta sobre las características físicas de la carne de corderos cruzados (F1) Katahdín × Pelibuey (KtPb). Diseño/metodología/aproximación: Treinta y seis corderos machos enteros fueron distribuidos mediante un diseño completamente al azar a cuatro tratamientos:1) 100% Alimento concentrado (AC) con 15 % de PC: 2) 70% AC + 30% de pasto Maralfalfa (Pennisetum sp); 3) 70% AC + 30% pasto Mombaza (M. maximum ); 4) 70% AC + 30%   CT-115 (P. Purpureum). Resultados: No se encontró un efecto de la dieta sobre las características de la canal y propiedades físicas de la carne (P>0.05). Los valores promedio para el pH y temperatura ± DE encontrados fueron de 5.58 ± 0.12 y 6.38 ± 0.56 o C, respectivamente. La poca pérdida de agua en la carne (0.1%), indica que esta conservo sus propiedades físico-químicas adecuadas para su almacenamiento Limitaciones del estudio/implicaciones: Las demandas de los consumidores de cortes de cordero se centran más en los rasgos de calidad que en los detalles de cantidad. Para poder cumplir con los estándares que exige el mercado, es necesario realizar evaluaciones de calidad de la carne, comparar entre razas y sistemas de alimentación para conocer cual fenotipo produce la mejor carne. Hallazgos/conclusiones: Los corderos alimentados con dietas que incluyen forraje tienen características físicas de la carne similar a los que recibieron solo concentrado, lo que indica que es posible producir carne de corderos con excelentes propiedades, utilizando dietas con forrajes de buena calidad