The Mortality of Two Groups of Infants in Spanish Rural Region

In this study the structure of the mortality of two groups of infants settled in the same environmental context is analysed: the comarca (a typical Spanish sub-division of territory) of La Cabrera (province of León, Spain) between the years 1880 and 1932. In this geographical region of the northwest of Spain two communities of infants from different origins are found in this time period. On the one hand, an autochthonous infant population from the births of the legitimately constituted families settled in this territory. On the other, an infant population represented by a group of children who were abandoned in a foundling hospital situated in a nearby city (Ponferrada) and who were sent to this rural »comarca« to be breast-fed by wet-nurses being paid certain quantities of money. The mortality rates and the seasonality of the deaths have been analysed for both the autochthonous and non-autochthonous children. Thus we have been able to test whether differences in the structure of mortality exist. Throughout the study, the possibility that these differences in mortality could be attributed to discriminative cultural factors, expressed through preferential care and/or attention and which show in the different models of infant mortality, is considered

Implementación de aceleradores OpenCL sobre FPGA de funciones básicas necesarias en algoritmos utilizados en "deep learning"

En los algoritmos utilizados en "deep learning", como es el caso de las "Convolution neural networks", se utilizan varias fucniones matemáticas muy costosas computacionalmente. Se pretende en este TFM acelerar esas funciones mediante el uso de Kernel implementados en FPGAs, compilados desde OpenCL, y manejados desde programas que funcionan en la máquina que se pretende acelerar y que maneja, bien C++, o bien python. Uno de los objetivos fundamentales del TFM es establecer comparativas que nos permitan determinar el soporte host ideal, el sistema de comunicación ideal host-kernel, y la implementación del OpenCL óptimo.Compadre Ochando, J. (2018). Implementación de aceleradores OpenCL sobre FPGA de funciones básicas necesarias en algoritmos utilizados en "deep learning". Universitat Politècnica de València. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/115347TFG

Maximization of power generation from thermoelectric generators operating under constant heat flux

Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) are used to convert thermal energy into electricity. TEGs present an emissions-free source of power and, despite the low efficiency they offer, with typical values of 5%, they can be used to harvest waste-heat energy in different type of applications. The high robustness presented by TEGs allows their use in low-maintenance applications. TEGs can operate under two different conditions: constant temperature gradient or constant input heat flux. When a TEG operates under constant temperature gradient, the input heat flux varies with the electrical operating conditions of the TEG devices. Under these conditions the TEG is modeled by a constant voltage source with a constant resistance in series with the voltage source. When operated under constant heat flux, the temperature gradient of the TEG changes with the electrical operating conditions of the device. In this situation of constant heat flux, both the equivalent voltage source and the resistance in series with it change their values with the electrical operating point. The location of the Maximum Power Point, or MPP, of the TEG is different in both operating conditions. In constant temperature gradient the MPP is located at half of the instantaneous open-circuit voltage of the TEG, whereas under constant heat flux the MPP is located at an electrical point higher than half of the instantaneous open-circuit voltage. DC/DC converters are mainly used to operate TEGs at the MPP and Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) techniques are used to operate the TEG at the MPP. Due to the difference in the location of the MPP between constant temperature gradient and constant input heat flux, the MPPT techniques will be different between these two operating conditions. This thesis focuses in the study of the location and MPPT techniques for TEGs operated under constant heat flux. A computational model of the TEG for its operation under constant heat flux is first developed. The model of the TEG is then interfaced with the model of a boost, or step-up, converter, which implements a new MPPT algorithm to operate the TEG at the true MPP. The output energy of the power converter is used to charge a lithium-ion (Li-Ion) battery. The complete model of the TEG system is then used to compare the new algorithm proposed in this thesis against two state-of-the-art algorithms: the Fractional Open-Circuit method and the Perturb and Observe method. The comparison is made under three different input heat flux profiles: constant heat flux, ramp-varying heat flux and step-changing heat flux. The last chapter of this thesis presents a hardware implementation of the TEG system and the MPPT power converter. Experimental results are presented for the new and the two state-of-the-art algorithms and a comparison between the three algorithms are presented for the three different input heat flux profiles described previously. The TEG model and the MPPT algorithm presented in this work can be applied to any TEG applications where the TEG operates under constant heat flux

Modelado de un reactor catalítico heterogéneo para la producción de biodiesel a partir de aceite vegetal

Se ha realizado el diseño y modelado de un reactor catalítico heterogéneo para la producción de 16.000 toneladas anuales de biodiésel a partir de aceite de girasol, empleando óxido de calcio como catalizador. El reactor es del tipo continuo de tanque agitado y opera a la presión de 1 atm, temperatura de 55ºC, relación metanol: aceite a la entrada de 6:1 mol/mol y con una masa de catalizador de 456 kg. El agitador utilizado es de tipo turbina con una potencia de agitación de 7 kW. El reactor opera de forma adiabática y utiliza lana de vidrio como aislante. El coste de compra del reactor es de 15000 euros. Un estudio de seguridad HAZOP permite determinar y actuar sobre las variables más críticas en la operación del reactor. El Análisis del Ciclo de Vida del biodiesel garantiza la viabilidad medioambiental del proceso de producción de biodiésel.Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Tecnología del Medio AmbienteGrado en Ingeniería Químic

Decoloración y regeneración de resinas de intercambio iónico utilizadas en el refino de caña de azúcar: optimización y modelado

Este Trabajo Fin de Master aborda el estudio experimental a escala piloto-laboratorio de la etapa de regeneración de resinas de intercambio iónico cargadas con colorantes procedentes de la etapa de decoloración del refino de caña de azúcar, con el objetivo de encontrar las condiciones óptimas de regeneración. Los resultados demostraron una relación entre la carga de colorantes y el tiempo de regeneración, de forma que cuando se opera con altas cargas de color, sería recomendable alargar el tiempo de regeneración. Por otra parte, la alta salinidad del regenerante y llevar a cabo la etapa de desplazamiento del regenerante con agua a pH ácido (pH 2), también parecen favorecer la eficacia de la etapa de regeneración. Se ha determinado el equilibrio de adsorción de los colorantes sobre las resinas de intercambio iónico en la etapa de decoloración (adsorción), siendo la isoterma de Freundlich la que mejor reproduce dicho equilibrio (R2=0,92). En cualquier caso se ha utilizado la isoterma lineal (R2=0,84) para modelar la etapa de decoloración en columna de adsorción, por ser más sencilla y válida en el intervalo de trabajo. Por último, se ha planteado y resuelto el modelado matemático de la columna de adsorción utilizada en el laboratorio para la etapa de decoloración, utilizándose dicho modelado para analizar la influencia de variables de operación tales como el caudal de licor, longitud y porosidad del lecho. De este estudio se concluye la necesidad de una evaluación completa de costes para determinar los parámetros de operación óptimos.Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Tecnología del Medio AmbienteMáster en Ingeniería Industria

Prediction of Potential Antimigraine Activity Using Artificial Neural Networks

More than 10 million Americans, three quarters of them women, suffer some degree of recurrent migraine headaches. Feverfew [Tanacetum parthenium (L.) Schultz-Bip.) is a member of the Asteraceae family that is native to Europe. This plant is a perennial flowering aromatic plant common in gardens. It has been widely used as a self-medication of arthritis, fever, and migraine headaches for over 2000 years. Sesquiterpene lactones (SL) are the components responsible for the antimigraine activity of feverfew. In this research, the relationship between SL structural information and their biological activity was studied by using Gaussian 92 program in conjunction with artificial neural networks (ANNs).The molecular orbital parameters of SL were obtained by using Gaussian 92 program. A set of 39 SL molecules was divided into two groups, a training set containing 33 molecules and a testing set containing six molecules. An ANN was trained and tested by using training sets and testing sets on SL\u27s antimigraine activities. The results showed that ANNs successfully predicted the antimigraine activities of SL based on their different structural information

Transient response of a thermoelectric generator to load steps under constant heat flux

Most waste heat recovery applications involve a heat source that provides a limited heat flux that can be converted into electricity by a thermoelectric generator (TEG). When a TEG is used under limited or constant heat flux conditions the temperature difference across the device cannot be considered constant and will change depending on the electrical current generated by the TEG. This phenomenon is induced by the Peltier effect, which works against power generation and deviates the optimum operating point from the commonly known maximum power point (MPP). This point, dictated by the maximum power transfer theorem, is achieved when the source equivalent series resistance and the load resistance are equal, in conditions of constant temperature difference. Hence maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithms that regulate the TEG at half of the instantaneous open-circuit voltage are optimized only for applications where the TEG operates under constant temperature difference but are not ideal for constant heat flux conditions. Hill climbing MPPT methods, e.g., perturb-and-observe (P&O) or incremental conductance (IC), can reach the MPP more accurately if the sampling time is extended to the thermal time constant of the system. This article presents an analysis of the transient electrical and thermal response of a TEG to a load change. This investigation results fundamental to the design of MPPT algorithms such P&O or IC for TEGs operating under constant heat flux. A step-up (boost) dc-dc converter controlled by P&O is used to demonstrate the effects of the sampling time over of the transient response and hence the tracking performance of the MPPT algorithm

Guía para la redacción de un BEP para el desarrollo de un proyecto en BIM. Aplicación para un proyecto de instalaciones en un edificio inteligente

La presente Memoria corresponde al estudio realizado sobre la metodología Building Information Model con un punto de vista referente al área de la electrónica. El estudio revisa los estándares que regulan la metodología, la situación actual de la misma y analiza las guías existentes a nivel global. En el mismo documento se incluye una parte de la elaboración de la Guía para la redacción de un Plan de Ejecución BIM, compuesto por la propuesta global de la misma y el desarrollo de la terminología, los objetivos que deben cumplir éste tipo de documentos, los roles y responsabilidades en éstos proyectos, las dimensiones y el nivel de desarrollo de los elementos, los entregables y las familias. Dentro del desarrollo de la Guía, se hace especial hincapié en el nivel de desarrollo de un objeto, el cual se encuentra también presente en las familias de estos. Se expone la necesidad de invertir en una estandarización de los mismos e incrementar sus niveles de desarrollo para poder obtener los beneficios que nos brinda la metodología BIM. Los objetos electrónicos tan solo conforman el 5% de los elementos existentes en el mercado. Finalmente se plantea un caso práctico, el cual consiste en la carga de familias de elementos dentro de un entorno Autodesk Revit. Se elige como objeto una cámara de seguridad proporcionada por su fabricante. El mismo es válido para el usuario de la Guía elaborada previamente, a modo manual. Además a través del mismo se realiza un análisis más crítico y real de la situación actual de las limitaciones de los objetos electrónicos en este entorno.This Report relates to the study carried out on the methodology Building Information Model from an electronic area point of view. The study reviews the standards that set out the methodology and its current situation, and analyses the global existing guidelines. The same document also includes one section which outlines the elaboration of the Guía para la redacción de un Plan de Ejecución BIM (Guide for the drafting of an BIM Execution Plan), comprised of the global proposal, terminology development, the goals that should be included in these type of documents, projects‟ roles and responsibilities, the dimensions and the grade of the elements‟ development, deliverables and families. On the development Guide, it is paid attention to the level of development of an object, which is also present in the families of them. It is outlined the need for investing on standardization and increasing the development level of the objects in order to achieve the BIM methodology benefits. The electronic objects only represent 5% of the existing market elements. Finally, it is put forward a practical case which consists of the families‟ weight within Autodesk Revit context. It is chosen as an object a security camera provided by the producer. This is also appropriate for the previous carried out Guideline user, as a handbook. In addition, the above carries out a more critical and real analysis of the current situation of the electronic objects limitations in this context.Ingeniería Electrónica Industrial y Automátic

“Más, levaron para Gironyco, esclavo del señor adelantado, media onça de ungento del fígado”: aportaciones farmacológicas sobre el Recetario de Alba

This work analyzes a number of documents known as the “Recetario de Alba” which comprises the medicines prescribed for the House of Alba between 1469 and 1470. This study has contributed not only to learn about the medicines used by Castilian social elites in this period, but also to introduce us to the real medical practice, the role of apothecaries and the influence of Galenism during the second half of 15th century. To this aim, the study has firstly checked the identity of the patients who received the treatments and then has carried out the classification and analysis of the simple and compound medicines mentioned in the recipe book have been carried out, according to different aspects like their nature, route of administration and consistency.En este trabajo se analizan los documentos conocidos como Recetario de Alba, que comprende la relación de medicamentos expedidos a la Casa de Alba entre los años 1469 y 1470. Dicho análisis ha servido no solo para conocer qué medicinas se usaban en el ámbito de las élites castellanas durante ese periodo, sino también para introducirnos en la práctica médica real y en el papel del boticario y la influencia del galenismo durante la segunda mitad del siglo XV. Para ello, se ha realizado, por un lado, la comprobación de quienes fueron los beneficiarios de los medicamentos, y por otro lado, la clasificación y el análisis de los medicamentos simples y compuestos anotados en dicho recetario, atendiendo a distintos aspectos como su naturaleza, vía de administración y consistencia.