MULTIPLE ORIFICE BUBBLE GENERATION IN GAS-SOLID FLUIDIZED BEDS: THE ACTIVATION REGION APPROACH

This work addresses the bubble generation mechanism at multi-orifice distributors in gas-solid fluidized beds (FB). Different measurements techniques such as high speed video camera and Kistler pressure transducers were applied to obtain information from both local, and global bed dynamics. Pressure fluctuation time series are used for dynamic diagnosis of the 2-D facility used during the study. The bed was operated with different distributor plates at several bubbling conditions leading to different bubble flow patterns characterized by digital image analysis of both the dense and the bubble phases. In order to explain the bubble pattern developed within the bed and the measured bubble dynamics, a phenomenological discrete bubble model is used. This model proposes an activation region (AR) mechanism for multi-orifice bubble generation. The underlying hypothesis is that the bubble formation can be placed in a region above the distributor plate where the initial bubble size is the result of the dynamical interaction of neighbour orifices. From the analysis of the experimental results, it is observed how for two different uniform gas distribution across the distributor plate, bubble dynamics interactions play the main role as the driver of the resulting bubble flow pattern developed within the bed. Moreover, when the activation region hypothesis is used as a bubble generation mechanism in a phenomenological discrete bubble model, it is seen that the proposed activation region mechanism, explains the observed bubble generation phenomena at multi-orifice distributors, and leads to a substantial decrease of the computational cost to simulate bubbling FB dynamics

A luminosity monitor for the A4 parity violation experiment at MAMI

A water Cherenkov luminosity monitor system with associated electronics has been developed for the A4 parity violation experiment at MAMI. The detector system measures the luminosity of the hydrogen target hit by the MAMI electron beam and monitors the stability of the liquid hydrogen target. Both is required for the precise study of the count rate asymmetries in the scattering of longitudinally polarized electrons on unpolarized protons. Any helicity correlated fluctuation of the target density leads to false asymmetries. The performance of the luminosity monitor, investigated in about 2000 hours with electron beam, and the results of its application in the A4 experiment are presented.Comment: 22 pages, 12 figures, submitted to NIM

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a population at risk of type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional study in two Latin American cities

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) characteristics in a population at risk of developing type 2 diabetes in Barranquilla and Bogotá, Colombia. Methods: A cross-sectional study with 1135 participants older than 30 years-of-age recruited in Bogotá D.C., and Barranquilla by cluster sampling in 2018 to 2019. The Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC) was used to detect participants at risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D). HRQoL was assessed using the EQ-5D-3L questionnaire. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios (OR) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals CI). Results: Moderate or extreme problems appeared more frequently in the dimensions of Pain/Discomfort (60.8%) and Anxiety/Depression (30.8%). The mean score of the EQ-VAS was 74.3 (± 17.3), significantly larger in the state of complete health (11111) compared with those with problems in more than one of the quality-of-life dimensions. Being female and living in Bogota D.C., were associated with greater odds of reporting problems in the Pain (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.2–2.2) and Discomfort dimensions (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.2–2.0) respectively and Anxiety/Depression (OR 1.9; 95% CI 1.3–2.7), (OR 9.1; 95% CI 6.6–12.4), respectively. Conclusions: As living place and sex were associated with dimensions of Pain/Discomfort and Anxiety/Depression in the HRQoL in people at risk of T2D, greater attention should be paid to these determinants of HRQoL to design and reorient strategies with a territorial and gender perspective to achieve better health outcomes. Plain English summary: Diabetes is one of the four non-communicable diseases with increasing prevalence in the world, which has made it a serious public health problem. In Colombia, in 2019 diabetes affected 8.4% of the Colombian adult population and more than one million Colombian adults of this age group have hidden or undetected diabetes. This disease is not only characterized by increased premature mortality, loss of productivity, and economic impact, but it also involves a deterioration in the quality of life of people with diabetes with their respective families. However, very Little is known about health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a population at risk or with prediabetes. This study has evaluated the quality of life in patients at risk of diabetes and their behavior with some variables as sociodemographic, lifestyle, history, and established their diference in two territories of the Colombian Caribbean. The results of this study indicate that the HRQoL of people at risk of type 2 diabetes is afected by factors such as gender, city, dysglycemia, medication for hypertension and education level. Therefore, greater attention should be paid to these determinants of HRQL to design and implement strategies that reduce this risk of developing type 2 diabetes, prevent prediabetes and improve the quality of life in prediabetic or diabetic patients.This project was financed by the Colombian National Program for Science, Technology, and Health Innovation (COLCIENCIAS) in line with the theme focused on chronic non-transmutable diseases. This was in response to the 744 Call for projects in science, technology, and health innovation of 2016 in association with the Universidad del Norte of Barranquilla and the Colombian Diabetes Association.S

Relevamiento de cítricos del Noroeste Argentino (NOA) para la detección de Xylella fastidiosa, agente causal de CVC

La clorosis variegada de los cítricos (CVC), causada por la bacteria Xylella fastidiosa subsp.  pauca, afecta  principalmente naranja Valencia, Pera, Hamlin y Natal. Se detectó en Brasil en 1987 y en la Argentina, en 1984 en Misiones y 1990 en Corrientes, ambas provincias del Noreste Argentino (NEA). En el NOA, si bien no se han observado síntomas sospechosos, no existían hasta el presente reportes de análisis de muestras en laboratorio. Considerando el antecedente de detección de la bacteria en hojas asintomáticas de cítricos en Misiones, se realizó un relevamiento para determinar si X. fastidiosaestá presente en los cítricos del NOA. Personal de la EEAOC y SENASA recorrió lotes de naranja Valencia y limón de Tucumán, Salta, Jujuy y Catamarca, cuyas plantas tenían tres a diez años de edad, rango óptimo para detectar CVC. En cada lote se inspeccionó el 50% de las plantas y se extrajeron muestras de hojas del 10% del total de plantas del mismo. Se recolectaron 4186 muestras, 2277 procedentes de Salta y Jujuy (767 de limón, 1444 de naranja, 65 de mandarina y 1 de pomelo), 65 de Catamarca (18 de limón y 47 de naranja) y 1844 de Tucumán (1106 de limón, 733 de naranja dulce y 5 de mandarina). Se analizaron las muestras por PCR con los cebadores específicos para la bacteria (CVC-1 y 272-2i). Todas las muestras analizadas resultaron negativas. Hasta el presente no hay evidencias de que la bacteria causante del CVC esté presente en los cítricos del NOA.Fil: Fogliata, G. M.. Gobierno de Tucumán. Ministerio de Desarrollo Productivo. Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres; ArgentinaFil: Acosta, M. E.. Gobierno de Tucumán. Ministerio de Desarrollo Productivo. Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres; ArgentinaFil: Martinez, C. V.. Gobierno de Tucumán. Ministerio de Desarrollo Productivo. Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres; ArgentinaFil: Rojas, A, A.. Gobierno de Tucumán. Ministerio de Desarrollo Productivo. Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres; ArgentinaFil: Sanchez, Leandro Arturo. Gobierno de Tucumán. Ministerio de Desarrollo Productivo. Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; Argentina2º Congreso Argentino De FitopatologíaMar del PlataArgentinaAsociación Argentina de Fitopatólogo

The afterglow and kilonova of the short GRB 160821B

GRB 160821B is a short duration gamma-ray burst (GRB) detected and localized by the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory in the outskirts of a spiral galaxy at z=0.1613, at a projected physical offset of 16 kpc from the galaxy's center. We present X-ray, optical/nIR and radio observations of its counterpart and model them with two distinct components of emission: a standard afterglow, arising from the interaction of the relativistic jet with the surrounding medium, and a kilonova, powered by the radioactive decay of the sub-relativistic ejecta. Broadband modeling of the afterglow data reveals a weak reverse shock propagating backward into the jet, and a likely jet-break at 3.5 d. This is consistent with a structured jet seen slightly off-axis while expanding into a low-density medium. Analysis of the kilonova properties suggests a rapid evolution toward red colors, similar to AT2017gfo, and a low nIR luminosity, possibly due to the presence of a long-lived neutron star. The global properties of the environment, the inferred low mass (M_ej < 0.006 Msun) and velocities (v > 0.05 c) of lanthanide-rich ejecta are consistent with a binary neutron star merger progenitor.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures, MNRAS, in press. Moderate revision, added Figure 5 and X-ray data to Table

Brown adipose tissue volume and fat content are positively associated with whole-body adiposity in young men-not in women

Human brown adipose tissue (BAT) volume has consistently been claimed to be inversely associated with whole-body adiposity. However, recent advances in the assessment of human BAT suggest that previously reported associations may have been biased. The present cross-sectional study investigates the association of BAT volume, mean radiodensity, and F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (F-18-FDG) uptake (assessed via a static positron emission tomography [PET]-computed tomography [CT] scan after a 2-h personalized cold exposure) with whole-body adiposity (measured by DXA) in 126 young adults (42 men and 84 women; mean +/- SD BMI 24.9 +/- 4.7 kg/m(2)). BAT volume, but not F-18-FDG uptake, was positively associated with BMI, fat mass, and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) mass in men but not in women. These associations were independent of the date when the PET-CT was performed, insulin sensitivity, and body surface area. BAT mean radiodensity, an inverse proxy of BAT fat content, was negatively associated with BMI, fat mass, and VAT mass in men and in women. These results refute the widely held belief that human BAT volume is reduced in obese persons, at least in young adults, and suggest that it might even be the opposite in young men.Diabetes mellitus: pathophysiological changes and therap