Quantitative Analysis Procedure for Building Materials in Historic Buildings by Applying Infrared Thermography

[EN] Historic buildings have a great cultural and architectural value. It is necessary to analyze their state of conservation, but sometimes it is difficult to perform laboratory tests without damaging this heritage. In the field of architecture, infrared thermography is usually used to provide descriptive information about the surface temperature of building materials. This current research presents a methodology widely applicable to historic buildings. As an example of application, the study is focused in the Seminary-School of Corpus Christi of Valencia (Spain), a very outstanding building from the 16th Century. This research presents an analytical study to be able to differentiate the temperature distribution of all pixels of a thermographic image. Thermal images are a matrix of data and their study helps us in decision-making based on objective data.Lerma Elvira, C.; Mas Tomas, MDLA.; Gil Benso, E.; Vercher Sanchis, JM.; Torner-Feltrer, MEM. (2018). 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Could Black Be the New Gold? Design-Driven Challenges in New Sustainable Luxury Materials for Jewelry

Is there a new material for use in jewelry, matching gold and precious stones, capable of maintaining the same perception of “preciousness” but that is also more sustainable, ethical, and inexpensive? This article deals with a case study within the European EcoDesign Network research project, aimed at investigating how sustainable design can help prestigious companies pinpoint new materials for the creation of jewelry, focusing on new and environmentally friendly opportunities while preserving their market position and target audience. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed. Adopting the exploring design path, a jewelry background analysis pointed out both stereotypes and possible innovations in the jewelry field: an analysis was carried out on the perception of jewels by a panel guided by a cognitive ergonomics specialist, also using the eye-tracking machine to examine participants’ reactions to the jewelry involved in the study, and to establish paradigms of sustainability, preciousness, and innovation. Several meta-project proposals regarding innovations in materials and finishing were hypothesized and tested, following the main guidelines and principles of ecodesign. Lastly, a prototyping phase and some mechanical tests were implemented to verify the hypotheses of innovation. The results allowed the creation of a first set of sustainable jewelry, currently on the market

Boundary Limitation of Wavenumbers in Taylor-Vortex Flow

We report experimental results for a boundary-mediated wavenumber-adjustment mechanism and for a boundary-limited wavenumber-band of Taylor-vortex flow (TVF). The system consists of fluid contained between two concentric cylinders with the inner one rotating at an angular frequency $\Omega$. As observed previously, the Eckhaus instability (a bulk instability) is observed and limits the stable wavenumber band when the system is terminated axially by two rigid, non-rotating plates. The band width is then of order $\epsilon^{1/2}$ at small $\epsilon$ ($\epsilon \equiv \Omega/\Omega_c - 1$) and agrees well with calculations based on the equations of motion over a wide $\epsilon$-range. When the cylinder axis is vertical and the upper liquid surface is free (i.e. an air-liquid interface), vortices can be generated or expelled at the free surface because there the phase of the structure is only weakly pinned. The band of wavenumbers over which Taylor-vortex flow exists is then more narrow than the stable band limited by the Eckhaus instability. At small $\epsilon$ the boundary-mediated band-width is linear in $\epsilon$. These results are qualitatively consistent with theoretical predictions, but to our knowledge a quantitative calculation for TVF with a free surface does not exist.Comment: 8 pages incl. 9 eps figures bitmap version of Fig

Ansiedad y respuestas electrofisiológicas a una tarea de estrés mental tras un ejercicio aeróbico máximo

El objetivo del presente trabajo fue analizar las relaciones de la ansiedad con determinadas respuestas fisiológicas a una tarea de estrés mental. Para ello, se tomó una muestra de deportistas de élite varones de la Comunidad Valenciana de diferentes disciplinas deportivas. De acuerdo con las puntuaciones que los sujetos obtuvieron en las escalas STAI-R y STAI-E, completadas antes y después respectivamente, de una ergometría máxima, fueron separados en dos grupos extremos de alta y baja ansiedad. Se registraron de forma computerizada la frecuencia cardíaca y la actividad electrodérmica antes, durante y después de una tarea Stroop en ordenador. Los niveles basales de actividad electrodérmica fueron más elevados en los sujetos con ansiedad-estado alta durante el periodo anterior a la realización de la tarea y en la fase de recuperación. Sin embargo, la frecuencia cardíaca no fue diferente en función de la ansiedad, aunque sí estaba relacionada positivamente con la ejecución en tarea

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We have developed a simple iterative gravity-inversion approach to map the basement and Moho surfaces of a rift basin simultaneously. Gravity anomalies in rift basins commonly consist of interfering broad, positive crustal-thinning anomalies and narrow, negative sedimentary-basin anomalies. In our model, we assumed that the Moho and basement surfaces are in Airy isostatic equilibrium. An initial planelayered model was iterated to fit the gravity data.We applied the process to a model in which the inverted basement and Moho surfaces matched the model surfaces well and to a gravity profile across the Kosti Basin in Sudan

Measuring Enzymatic HIV-1 Susceptibility to Two Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors as a Rapid and Simple Approach to HIV-1 Drug-Resistance Testing

Simple and cost-effective approaches for HIV drug-resistance testing are highly desirable for managing increasingly expanding HIV-1 infected populations who initiate antiretroviral therapy (ART), particularly in resource-limited settings. Non-nucleoside reverse trancriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)-based regimens with an NRTI backbone containing lamivudine (3TC) or emtricitabine (FTC) are preferred first ART regimens. Failure with these drug combinations typically involves the selection of NNRTI- and/or 3TC/FTC- resistant viruses. Therefore, the availability of simple assays to measure both types of drug resistance is critical. We have developed a high throughput screening test for assessing enzymatic resistance of the HIV-1 RT in plasma to 3TC/FTC and NNRTIs. The test uses the sensitive “Amp-RT” assay with a newly-developed real-time PCR format to screen biochemically for drug resistance in single reactions containing either 3TC-triphosphate (3TC-TP) or nevirapine (NVP). Assay cut-offs were defined based on testing a large panel of subtype B and non-subtype B clinical samples with known genotypic profiles. Enzymatic 3TC resistance correlated well with the presence of M184I/V, and reduced NVP susceptibility was strongly associated with the presence of K103N, Y181C/I, Y188L, and G190A/Q. The sensitivity and specificity for detecting resistance were 97.0% and 96.0% in samples with M184V, and 97.4% and 96.2% for samples with NNRTI mutations, respectively. We further demonstrate the utility of an HIV capture method in plasma by using magnetic beads coated with CD44 antibody that eliminates the need for ultracentifugation. Thus our results support the use of this simple approach for distinguishing WT from NNRTI- or 3TC/FTC-resistant viruses in clinical samples. This enzymatic testing is subtype-independent and can assist in the clinical management of diverse populations particularly in resource-limited settings