Energy harvesting from vehicular traffic over speed bumps: A review

Energy used by vehicles to slow down in areas of limited speed is wasted. A traffic energy-harvesting device (TEHD) is capable of harvesting vehicle energy when passing over a speed bump. This paper presents a classification of the different technologies used in the existing TEHDs. Moreover, an estimation of the energy that could be harvested with the different technologies and their cost has been elaborated. The energy recovered with these devices could be used for marking and lighting of roads in urban areas, making transportation infrastructures more sustainable and environmentally friendly

An Intelligent Traction Control for Motorcycles

The appearance of anti-lock braking systems (ABS) and traction control systems (TCS) have been some of the most major developments in vehicle safety. These systems have been evolving since their origin, always keeping the same objective, by using increasingly sophisticated algorithms and complex brake and torque control architectures. The aim of this work is to develop and implement a new control model of a traction control system to be installed on a motorcycle, regulating the slip in traction and improving dynamic performance of two-wheeled vehicles. This paper presents a novel traction control algorithm based on the use of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and Fuzzy Logic. An ANN is used to estimate the optimal slip of the surface the vehicle is moving on. A fuzzy logic control block, which makes use of the optimal slip provided by the ANN, is developed to control the throttle position. Two control blocks have been tuned. The first control block has been tuned according to the experience of an expert operator. The second one has been optimized using Evolutionary Computation (EC). Simulation shows that the use of EC can improve the fuzzy logic based control algorithm, obtaining better results than those produced with the control tuned only by experience.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Envejecimiento demográfico en México. Evaluación de los datos censales por edad y sexo, 1970-2000

El artículo analiza las modificaciones en la estructura de edad, y enfatiza sobre la plausibilidad de la hipótesis de sobreestimación de la población en edades avanzadas, a partir de la evaluación de la calidad de la información censal en cuanto a la declaración de la edad de dicha población en México a nivel de entidad federativa. Este último aspecto se cubre a partir de la aplicación del índice de Whipple modificado a la población adulta mayor proveniente de los censos de población de 1970 a 2000. Los resultados obtenidos muestran la existencia de errores en la declaración de edades de dicha población, así como la inconsistencia entre la proporción de dicha población y la etapa de la transición demográfica en la que se ubica en algunos estados, lo cual aporta elementos adiconales acerca de la posible sobrestimación de la población en edades avanzadas.El artículo analiza las modificaciones en la estructura de edad, y enfatiza sobre la plausibilidad de la hipótesis de sobreestimación de la población en edades avanzadas, a partir de la evaluación de la calidad de la información censal en cuanto a la declaración de la edad de dicha población en México a nivel de entidad federativa. Este último aspecto se cubre a partir de la aplicación del índice de Whipple modificado a la población adulta mayor proveniente de los censos de población de 1970 a 2000. Los resultados obtenidos muestran la existencia de errores en la declaración de edades de dicha población, así como la inconsistencia entre la proporción de dicha población y la etapa de la transición demográfica en la que se ubica en algunos estados, lo cual aporta elementos adiconales acerca de la posible sobrestimación de la población en edades avanzadas

Revision of the family Carabodidae (Acari, Oribatida) VII. Redefinition of the genus Malgasodes; redescription of M. curvisetus Mahunka, 2000; and complementary description of M. hungarorum Mahunka, 2010. Phylogenetic relationships between Malgasodes, Bovicarabodes, Afticarabodes, Congocepheus and Cavaecarabodes are discussed

The genus Malgasodes is redefined; the type species M. curvisetus Mahunka, 2000, is redescribed by meansof studies using optic and Scanning Electron Microsopy (SEM), and a complementary description of M.hungarorum Mahunka, 2000 is included. Comparison of genera Malgasodes Mahunka, 2000, Bovicarabodes Fernandez, Theron, Rollard, 2013a, Cavaecarabodes Fernandez, Theron, Rollard, Rodriguez Castillo,2014, Afticarabodes Fernandez, Theron, Rollard, 2013b, and Congocepheus Balogh, 1958 is made. Problems concerning chaetotaxy, regressive evolution and neotrichy are explained and phylogenetic relationships between Malgasodes, Bovicarabodes, Afticarabodes, Congocepheus and Cavaecarabodes are discussed.Fil: Fernández, Néstor Alfredo. North-West University. Research Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management; Sudáfrica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical; ArgentinaFil: Theron, Pieter. North-West University. Research Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management; SudáfricaFil: Rollard, Christine. Muséum National d; FranciaFil: Castillo, Elio Rodrigo Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical; Argentin

Studying the role of the strawberry Fra protein family in the flavonoid metabolism during fruit ripening

Strawberry fruits are highly appreciated worldwide due to their pleasant flavor and aroma and to the health benefits associated to their consumption. An important part of these properties is due to their content in secondary metabolites, especially phenolic compounds, of which flavonoids are the most abundant in the strawberry fruit. Although the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway is uncovered, little is known about its regulation. The strawberry Fra a (Fra) genes constitute a large family of homologs of the major birch pollen allergen Bet v 1 and for which no equivalents exist in Arabidopsis. Our group has shown that Fra proteins are involved in the formation of colored compounds in strawberries (Muñoz et al., 2010), which mainly depends on the production of certain flavonoids; that they are structurally homologs to the PYR/PYL/RCAR Arabidopsis ABA receptor, and that they are able to bind flavonoids (Casañal et al., 2013). With these previous results, our working hypothesis is that the Fra proteins are involved in the regulation of the flavonoids pathway. They would mechanistically act as the ABA receptor, binding a protein interactor and a ligand to regulate a signaling cascade and/or act as molecular carriers. The main objective of this research is to characterize the Fra family in strawberry and gain insight into their role in the flavonoid metabolism. By RNAseq expression analysis in ripening fruits we have identified transcripts for 10 members of the Fra family. Although expressed in all tissues analyzed, each family member presents a unique pattern of expression, which suggests functional specialization for each Fra protein. Then, our next approach was to identify the proteins that interact with Fras and their ligands to gain knowledge on the role that these proteins play in the flavonoids pathway. To identify the interacting partners of Fras we have performed a yeast two hybrid (Y2H) screening against cDNA libraries of strawberry fruits at the green and red stages. A protein that shares a 95% homology to the Heat stress transcription factor A-4-C like of Fragaria vesca (HSA4C) interacts specifically with Fra1 and not with other family members, which suggests functional diversification of Fra proteins in specific signaling pathways. The Y2H screening is not yet saturated, so characterization of other interacting proteins with other members of the Fra family will shed light on the functional diversity within this gene family. This research will contribute to gain knowledge on how the flavonoid pathway, and hence, the fruit ripening, is regulated in strawberry; an economically important crop but for which basic research is still very limited. References: Muñoz, C, et al. (2010). The Strawberry Fruit Fra a Allergen Functions in Flavonoid Biosynthesis. Molecular Plant, 3(1): 113–124. Casañal, A, et al (2013). The Strawberry Pathogenesis-related 10 (PR-10) Fra a Proteins Control Flavonoid Biosynthesis by Binding Metabolic Intermediates. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 288(49): 35322–35332.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Experiences of foreign nurses in Finland : barriers

The field of nursing has seen a rising demand in the past decades. Nursing immigration and migration over the decades has been phenomenal. There is increased number of nurses emigrating from developing countries to developed countries in search of better working environments, better working motivations, better skills and so fort (Tregunno et al 2009). The research is contracted by KYKY. The KYKY project was developed by Salo region adult education center and Turku University of applied science. KYKY stands for Kansainvälistyvät työyhteisöt osaaviksi ja kilpailukykyisiksi, which translates as (International work community to be competent and competitive). The objective of the project is to help sustain and retain international qualified skilled and competitive workers for example in the social and healthcare field in Salo. Southwest Finland Centre for Economic Development, the European Social Fund (ESR), Turku University of Applied sciences and Salo region adult education center funds the project. The aim of the research is to find the experiences of foreign nurses in Finland. The purpose is to create a piece of work that will be available to future aspirant of nursing education in Finland, workers, teachers and all interested. The results indicates that Foreign nurses experience cultural discrimination, language, and communication barriers amongs many others

ttl mutants are impaired in cellulose biosynthesis under osmotic stress

As sessile organisms, plants require mechanisms to sense and respond to the challenging environment, that encompass both biotic and abiotic factors that results in differential development. In these conditions is essential to balance growth and stress responses. As cell walls shape plant growth, this differential growth response cause alterations to the plant cell wall and cellulose is a major component. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms that regulate cellulose biosynthesis is essential to develop strategies to improve plant production. Previous studies have shown that the GSK3 kinase BIN2 modulate cellulose biosynthesis through phosphorylating cellulose synthases and that the expression of cellulose synthases are regulated by Brassinosteroids. Our previous work reveals that the tetratricopeptide-repeat thioreoxin-like (TTL) TTL1, TTL3, and TTL4 genes, in addition to their reported role in abiotic stress tolerance, are positive regulators of BR signaling. We observe association of TTL3 with most core components in traducing BR signalling, such as LRR-RLK BRI1, BIN2 and the transcription factor BES1 that positively regulate cellulose biosynthesis. We show that ttl mutants are affected in cellulose biosynthesis, particularly in osmotic stress conditions. Furthermore, TTL3 associates with LRR-RLKs that have been shown to be important for cellulose biosynthesis such as FEI1 in the FEI1/FEI2/SOS5 pathway. We aim to investigate the mechanisms by which TTL proteins regulate cellulose biosynthesis using a combination of genetics, biochemical, and molecular and cell biology approaches. This work was supported by grants from: (1) Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación BIO2014-55380-R, BIO2014-56153-REDT; (2) Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (BES-2015-071256); (3) Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech.This work was supported by grants from: (1) Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación BIO2014-55380-R, BIO2014-56153-REDT; (2) Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (BES-2015-071256); (3) Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

La participación del alumnado en el Proyecto Piloto "Agenda 21 Escolar" en Málaga

En la ciudad de Málaga se puso marcha, en otoño del 2013, un proceso participativo donde la comunidad educativa se comprometía a trabajar la sostenibilidad y la calidad ambiental siguiendo la metodología de la Agenda 21 local. Para lograrlo, se creó el Programa Educativo Agenda 21 escolar, cuyos componentes básicos son la participación comunitaria, la gestión sostenible del centro educativo y del municipio y la innovación curricular. Siete centros educativos se adscribieron al programa, eligieron una temática ambiental y la trabajaron durante el curso en cinco fases: organización y planificación, sensibilización y motivación, diagnóstico y reflexión, plan de acción y evaluación. De este modo, cada centro educativo creó su propio proyecto. El proyecto Agenda 21 escolar brinda la oportunidad a toda la comunidad educativa que exista una participación activa en las dinámicas de enseñanza formal y no formal, en el propio centro educativo y en su ámbito local, donde la participación del alumnado es clave para alcanzar su éxito. Por ello, el objetivo de la investigación fue evaluar la participación de una muestra de 84 alumnos/as del tercer curso de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria perteneciente a cinco centros educativos pilotos adscritos al programa. El paradigma de la investigación es empírico-analítico y el diseño descriptivo. El instrumento que se utilizó para medir la participación fue un cuestionario de escala aditiva de Likert formado por veinte ítems. El cuestionario usado fue cerrado y ordinal, de este modo los datos que se obtuvieron se pudieron tratar en hojas de cálculo. En cada centro educativo se averiguó la puntuación total que cada estudiante obtuvo del cuestionario, así como la de los/as coordinadores/as. También se calcularon las medianas y las modas en cada ítem por centro educativo, el porcentaje de las frecuencias de las respuestas del alumnado en cada fase, y el porcentaje final de la participación de la muestra en el proyecto. Se elaboraron tablas y gráficas, facilitando la interpretación de los resultados, y se comprobaron si se alcanzaron los objetivos propuestos en la investigación. Una vez analizados los resultados se concluyó que la participación de la muestra en todas las fases del proyecto no fue verdadera, salvo en la fase del plan de acción donde la participación del alumnado fue informada pero sólo asignada, es decir, en esta fase el alumnado se limitó a realizar las actividades que les propuso el profesorado.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Determining ‘Age at Death’ for Forensic Purposes using Human Bone by a Laboratory-based Analytical Method

Determination of age-at-death (AAD) is an important and frequent requirement in contemporary forensic science and in the reconstruction of past populations and societies from their remains. Its estimation is relatively straightforward and accurate (±3 years) for immature skeletons by using morphological features and reference tables within the context of forensic anthropology. However, after skeletal maturity (>35 yrs) estimates become inaccurate, particularly in the legal context. In line with the general migration of all the forensic sciences from reliance upon empirical criteria to those which are more evidence-based, AAD determination should rely more-and-more upon more quantitative methods. We explore here whether well-known changes in the biomechanical properties of bone and the properties of bone matrix, which have been seen to change with age even after skeletal maturity in a traceable manner, can be used to provide a reliable estimate of AAD. This method charts a combination of physical characteristics some of which are measured at a macroscopic level (wet & dry apparent density, porosity, organic/mineral/water fractions, collagen thermal degradation properties, ash content) and others at the microscopic level (Ca/P ratios, osteonal and matrix microhardness, image analysis of sections). This method produced successful age estimates on a cohort of 12 donors of age 53–85 yr (7 male, 5 female), where the age of the individual could be approximated within less than ±1 yr. This represents a vastly improved level of accuracy than currently extant age estimation techniques. It also presents: (1) a greater level of reliability and objectivity as the results are not dependent on the experience and expertise of the observer, as is so often the case in forensic skeletal age estimation methods; (2) it is purely laboratory-based analytical technique which can be carried out by someone with technical skills and not the specialised forensic anthropology experience; (3) it can be applied worldwide following stringent laboratory protocols. As such, this technique contributes significantly to improving age estimation and therefore identification methods for forensic and other purposes

Unraveling the mechanism of TTL genes in cellulose biosynthesis

As sessile organisms, plants require mechanisms to sense and respond to the challenging environment, that encompass both biotic and abiotic factors that results in differential development. In these conditions is essential to balance growth and stress responses. As cell walls shape plant growth, this differential growth response cause alterations to the plant cell wall where cellulose is the major component. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms that regulate cellulose biosynthesis is essential to develop strategies to improve plant production. In Arabidopsis, the TETRATRICOPEPTIDE THIOREDOXIN-LIKE (TTL) gene family is composed by four members (TTL1 to TTL4) and mutations in TTL1, TTL3, and TTL4 genes cause reduced growth under salt and osmotic stress due to defects in plant cell wall integrity. We observe association of TTL3 with most core components in traducing BR signalling, such as LRR-RLK BRI1 or GSK3 BIN2 that modulate cellulose biosynthesis through phosphorylating cellulose synthases. Here, we show that ttl mutants present defects in the plant cell wall, particularly in Isoxaben, salt or sucrose stress. Spinning disk microscopy in etiolated hypocotyls reveals that, TTL proteins are responsible for the cellulose synthase complex (CSC) stability in plasma membrane (PM) upon sucrose stress. Moreover, TTL3 associates with LRR-RLKs that have been shown to be important for cellulose biosynthesis such as FEI1 in the FEI1/FEI2/SOS5 pathway. We aim to investigate the mechanisms by which TTL proteins regulate CesA stability in PM under stress, using a combination of genetics, biochemical, and molecular and cell biology approaches.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. This work was supported by grants from: (1) Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación BIO2014-55380-R, BIO2014-56153-REDT; (2) Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (BES-2015-071256