Globalización de la Educación Superior en Paraguay, Ofertas crecientes

Obj. Analizar la incidencia del crecimiento de la educación superior en el desarrollo evolutivo del Paragua

Inspección de frutas y hortalizas mediante videocámara, estado actual de la técnica (II)

En los últimos años hemos asistido a cambios notables en el ámbito de la inspección automatizada de frutas y hortalizas. En este artículo repasamos algunos conceptos y avances en relación con la clasificación de productos hortofrutícolas mediante videocámara. Hace una década la detección de defectos externos no estaba conseguida, mientras que sí lo estaba la clasificación por tamaño y color. Actualmente podemos decir que la clasificación en base a defectos externos funciona bien: los equipos comerciales son capaces de detectar dichos defectos, separando los frutos de la máxima calidad comercial de aquellos de calidad inferior. El problema tradicional de la confusión del cáliz o el pedúnculo del fruto con un defecto se puede considerar superado. Sin embargo, la mayoría de los equipos actualmente instalados en las centrales hortofrutícolas no son capaces de discernir el tipo de defecto. Conseguir esto sería interesante, ya que permitiría conocer qué defectos son los más frecuentes, y se podría actuar de cara a la campaña siguiente en relación con el manejo del cultivo o del producto en postcosecha. Recientemente se han desarrollado sistemas de clasificación mediante videocámara capaces de discernir el tipo de defecto y de identificar podredumbre

Medición en campo de la potencia máxima entregada por paneles fotovoltaicos bajo condiciones estándar de medida

El uso de la electricidad en el medio rural necesita de fuentes de energía autónomas. Una de las opciones que sigue ganando fuerza debido a la bajada de precios es la generación de electricidad mediante paneles solares fotovoltaicos. Los paneles fotovoltaicos tienen garantías que oscilan entre los 20 y 25 años sobre la potencia máxima entregada. Medir dicha potencia necesita de unas condiciones que habitualmente no se dan y de equipos de medida normalmente muy caros. Este trabajo presenta un equipo de medida basado en PC para paneles fotovoltaicos. Asimismo discute sobre la metodología a utilizar en campo para obtener de la forma más precisa posible, medidas de la potencia entregada por un panel fotovoltaico en condiciones estándar de medida. Se considera de gran interés disponer de un mecanismo con la suficiente precisión para determinar si la bajada de potencia de un módulo está dentro de las condiciones de garantía

Functional expression of a penicillin acylase from the extreme thermophile Thermus thermophilus HB27 in Escherichia coli

Background: Penicillin acylases (PACs) are enzymes of industrial relevance in the manufacture of beta-lactam antibiotics. Development of a PAC with a longer half-life under the reaction conditions used is essential for the improvement of the operational stability of the process. A gene encoding a homologue to Escherichia coli PAC was found in the genome of the thermophilic bacterium Thermus thermophilus (Tth) HB27. Because of the nature of this PAC and its complex maturation that is crucial to reach its functional heterodimeric final conformation, the overexpression of this enzyme in a heterologous mesophilic host was a challenge. Here we describe the purification and characterization of the PAC protein from Tth HB27 overexpressed in Escherichia coli. Results: Fusions to a superfolder green fluorescent protein and differential membrane solubilization assays indicated that the enzyme remains attached through its amino-terminal end to the outer side of the cytoplasmic membrane of Tth cells. In order to overexpress this PAC in E. coli cells, a variant of the protein devoid of its membrane anchoring segment was constructed. The effect of the co-expression of chaperones and calcium supplementation of the culture medium was investigated. The total production of PAC was enhanced by the presence of DnaK/J and GrpE and even more by trigger factor and GroEL/ES. In addition, 10 mM calcium markedly improved both PAC specific and volumetric activities. Recombinant PAC was affinity-purified and proper maturation of the protein was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOF analysis of the subunits. The recombinant protein was tested for activity towards several penicillins, cephalosporins and homoserine lactones. Hydrophobic acyl-chain penicillins were preferred over the rest of the substrates. Penicillin K (octanoyl penicillin) was the best substrate, with the highest specificity constant value (16.12 mM-1.seg-1). The optimum pH was aprox. 4 and the optimum temperature was 75 [DEGREE SIGN]C. The half-life of the enzyme at this temperature was 9.2 h. Conclusions: This is the first report concerning the heterologous expression of a pac gene from a thermophilic microorganism in the mesophilic host E. coli. The recombinant protein was identified as a penicillin K-deacylating thermozymeL.T., A.H. and J.B. acknowledge funding from the Spanish Ministry of Science (grants CIT 010000-2009-29, RyC2006-02441) and an institutional grant from Fundación Ramón Areces to CBMS

Success possibilities of grid parity in particular cases in the new spanish regulatory framework

During the last 10 years the Spanish photovoltaic market has experienced one of the most important increases worldwide. The continuous raise on the price of the electricity in Spain, as in other European countries, USA and Japan, as well as the decrease of the cost of solar photovoltaic systems along this decade is opening a new way to reach grid parity point in some particular scenarios. A new Spanish legislation is being performed toward selfconsumption, and it is in this new context where the grid parity in a wide sense could be achieved. This work will study different cases in Spain, in order to determine whether grid parity would be possible along 2012. Keywords: grid parity, self-consumption, photovoltaic, net-meterin

Economic feasibility analysis of choices for not connected clients: photovoltaic off-grid systems, compared to grid based system

Off-grid photovoltaic systems are less constrained by national regulations than their grid-connected counterparts. Off-grid systems do not depend on feed-in tariff and the analysis of their cost-efficiency is more stable along time. This work calculates the economic parameters for two different technologies of photovoltaic systems and compares the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE), with the price of the electricity, including the cost for the connection of the system related to the distance to the grid. The results show that the sustained decline in photovoltaic module¿s price contributes to subsequent decline in LCOE, whereas the increase in the price of grid electricity and materials related to the connection makes off-grid systems more cost-effective for remote areas. Finally, to determine if the photovoltaic system could be an economic alternative for investments in remote regions, a comparison between the cost of grid extension and the LCOE of a high capacity photovoltaic system was undertaken

Analysis of air mass dependence of three photovoltaic arrays

The solar spectrum, which is also could be described by air mass factor, has a significant relationship with the performance of photovoltaic modules. The air mass dependence has been investigated by a theoretical method as well as an actual case of three different photovoltaic arrays: polycrystalline silicon, amorphous silicon and cadmium telluride, at the EUIT Agrícola-UPM (Madrid, Spain, 40.4426oN, 3.7295oW). The calculating results show that: AM dependence of poly-Si array is positive because an elevating AM-value indicates a red shift and poly-Si module is more red sensitive; On the contrary, as a-Si module and CdTe module are more blue sensitive, their AM dependences are negative. Furthermore, the outdoor AM dependences of three arrays are corresponding to the calculating results although the thermal annealing effect could be superimposed on spectral effect in the case of a-Si. Keywords: PV system, spectral response, polycrystalline silicon, a-Si, CdT

Student Reciprocal Peer Teaching as a Method for Active Learning: An Experience in an Electrotechnical Laboratory

Active learning is one of the most efficient mechanisms for learning, according to the psychology of learning. When students act as teachers for other students, the communication is more fluent and knowledge is transferred easier than in a traditional classroom. This teaching method is referred to in the literature as reciprocal peer teaching. In this study, the method is applied to laboratory sessions of a higher education institution course, and the students who act as teachers are referred to as ‘‘laboratory monitors.’’ A particular way to select the monitors and its impact in the final marks is proposed. A total of 181 students participated in the experiment, experiences with laboratory monitors are discussed, and methods for motivating and training laboratory monitors and regular students are proposed. The types of laboratory sessions that can be led by classmates are discussed. This work is related to the changes in teaching methods in the Spanish higher education system, prompted by the Bologna Process for the construction of the European Higher Education Are

Sitio web del instituto Politécnico Bartolomé Colón, Bilwi Puerto Cabezas, Julio 2011-Enero 2012

El objetivo con que se realizó la a presente investigación fue la de crear un sitio web para el instituto Politécnico Bartolomé Colon el cual se identifica con las siglas (IPBC) ubicado en la ciudad de Bilwi, Municipio de Puerto Cabezas

Water harvesting for young trees using Peltier modules powered by photovoltaic solar energy

Young trees transplanted from nursery into open field require a minimum amount of soil moisture to successfully root in their new location, especially in dry-climate areas. One possibility is to obtain the required water from air moisture. This can be achieved by reducing the temperature of a surface below the air dew point temperature, inducing water vapor condensation on the surface. The temperature of a surface can be reduced by applying the thermoelectric effect, with Peltier modules powered by electricity. Here, we present a system that generates electricity with a solar photovoltaic module, stores it in a battery, and finally, uses the electricity at the moment in which air humidity and temperature are optimal to maximize water condensation while minimizing energy consumption. Also, a method to reduce the evaporation of the condensed water is proposed. The objective of the system is to sustain young plants in drier periods, rather than exclusively irrigating young plants to boost their growth