An approach for identifyation of areas with higher expected damage and definition of priority levels for prevention plans in Murcia Province (SE Spain)

The Murcia Region is one of the most active zones in Spain, where three earthquakes took place in 1999, 2002 and 2005. In spite of their low magnitudes (Mw 4.8), these earthquakes caused important damage, the last one reaching an EMS-98 intensity of VII. After that event, the RISMUR project started, aimed at providing a general picture of the seismic risk, which allows us to identify zones requiring a more detailed analysis of where prevention plans should be prioritized. A multidisciplinary study, starting with the seismic hazard assessment, which follows the Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment methodology has been carried out at a regional scale. The expected ground motion (rock sites), for a return period of 475 years, has been characterized in terms of PGA and spectral ordinates and the corresponding maps have been drawn. In addition, a regional geotechnical study has been done and a classification of eight types of soils has been proposed, with the corresponding amplification factors. The combination of previous maps and factors, gives a new hazard map which already includes local effects. In parallel, a vulnerability assessment of the Murcian building stock is carried out, based fundamentally on the age of construction and following the EMS-98 criteria. Taking into account the expected ground motions and building vulnerabilities, the distribution of expected damage is estimated by the application of probability damage matrixes. A suite of maps representing seismic risk in terms of damage parameters for the entire region and from which we can identify the locations with higher expected damage have been obtained. We use the Coulomb stress transfer map of the region as additional criteria for defining priority areas where detailed studies should be performed. This gives information about the zones with stress load due to the previous seismicity and where new events could be triggered. The superposition of this map with the active faults of the region and the locations with higher expected damage allows us to establish a four-level priority ranking where future local-scale analyses should be made

Las anomalías precoces de la continuidad en el discurso constituyen biomarcadores predictivos de psicosis

Language is being systematized as an area of clinical research because it contains features that function as a biomarker for the prediction of psychosis. The aim of the study was to contrast two types of continuity features such as connection, iteration, and referential distance, and, on the other hand, those of verbal fluency, understood as the presence of aberrant pauses. Clinical interviews of 10 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, 10 CHR and 10 healthy controls were analyzed. For the analysis of referentiality, sentence windows were selected and for verbal fluency, 15 minutes of speech were considered. The results suggest the presence of abnormalities in referentiality and verbal fluency among the CHR population. These similarities are found in terms of occurrence and similarity to those of the schizophrenia group, which supports our hypothesis that they are predictive biomarkers.El lenguaje se está sistematizando como área de pesquisa clínica porque contiene características que funcionan como un biomarcador para la predicción de psicosis. El objetivo del estudio fue contrastar dos tipos de características de continuidad discursiva entre personas que cursan Estados Mentales de Alto Riesgo (CHR) y personas con diagnóstico de esquizofrenia. Nos referimos, por una parte, a características referenciales, tales como conexión, iteración y distancia referencial, y, por otra, a las de fluidez verbal, entendida como la presencia de pausas aberrantes. Se analizaron entrevistas clínicas de 10 pacientes diagnosticados de esquizofrenia, 10 CHR y 10 controles sanos. Para el análisis de la referencialidad se seleccionaron ventanas de oraciones y para la fluidez verbal se consideraron 15 minutos de habla. Los resultados apuntan a que existe presencia de anomalías en referencialidad y en fluidez verbal entre la población CHR. Dichas similitudes se dan en cuanto a ocurrencia y similitud respecto a las del grupo con esquizofrenia, lo que refrenda nuestra hipótesis de que constituyen biomarcadores predictivos.  

Caracterização e Análise dos Processos Produtivos em Empresas Agro-Alimentares

Através de um diagnóstico inicial baseado na análise do conhecimento, informação existente, recolha de informação e medição de parâmetros num conjunto de empresas (60) dos subsetores dos produtos cárneos, hortofrutícolas, lácteos e panificação apresenta-se através do presente relatório a caracterização dos processos e atividades produtivas em empresas do setor agroalimentar. Executando uma análise técnica ao estado da arte, através do estudo da organização das atividades produtivas, nível tecnológico e tendências no desenvolvimento de produtos, permite-se de acordo com a informação disponível realizar uma comparação das empresas em análise com a performance da indústria, globalmente, por região ou setor de atividade. Verifica-se através da análise ao presente relatório, quais os fatores que permitem a criação de valor no setor agroindustrial de uma forma contínua para a cadeia de valor organizacional. Por outro lado, entre os diversos pontos a melhorar, considerando as organizações em análise, destaca-se a cultura de inovação e a digitalização dos processos de produção (Indústria 4.0). Pretende-se, com a aplicação prática do conhecimento gerado pelo presente relatório, a criação de ferramentas que constituam soluções para a melhoria da gestão da produção que promovam a introdução de métodos de inovação na cultura e performance organizacional de forma a tornar as organizações do setor competitivas e com impacto nos mercados internacionais

Caracterização e Análise Energética de Empresas Agro-Alimentares

Através de um diagnóstico inicial baseado na análise do conhecimento, informação existente, recolha de informação e medição de parâmetros num conjunto de 60 empresas dos subsetores dos produtos cárneos, hortofrutícolas, lácteos e panificação, o presente relatório apresenta os resultados da caracterização energética em empresas do setor agroalimentar. Executando uma análise técnica ao estado da arte, através do estudo da organização, de acordo com a informação disponível, é realizada uma comparação das empresas em análise com a performance da indústria, globalmente, por região ou setor de atividade. Verifica-se, através da análise ao presente relatório, quais os fatores que permitem a criação de valor no setor agroindustrial de uma forma contínua para a cadeia de valor organizacional. Por outro lado, entre os diversos pontos a melhorar, considerando as organizações em análise, destaca-se a cultura de inovação e a digitalização dos processos de produção (Indústria 4.0). Pretende-se, com a aplicação prática do conhecimento gerado pelo presente relatório, a criação de ferramentas que constituam soluções para a melhoria da gestão da produção que promovam a introdução de métodos de inovação na cultura e performance organizacional de forma a tornar as organizações do setor competitivas e com impacto nos mercados internacionais

Safety and Health at Work - Assessment tool: Dairy Products

This manual aims to assist the Work Health and Safety Assessment Tool – Dairy Products user, in carrying out a simplified and easy-to-use occupational risk assessment with a view to adopting risk control solutions at workplaces. The design of this tool trie to provide an instrument capable of being used without internet access or specific software installation. In addition to its main purpose, this tool can also be used for workers consultation or training actions, provided as a complement of the other instruments developed within the scope of this project. The tool is organized in three distinct parts (see Figure 1): the first, where a checklist is filled out, from which a graphical overview is obtained, which will give the overview of the level of risk control (second part). This synthesis of results allows the user to immediately visualize the level of control of the main risks and in which will have to make major interventions. Finally, the third part appears, where a report is generated with solutions, particularized for each one of the risks in which the adoption of measures proves necessary.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Comprehensive clinical and molecular analysis of 12 families with type 1 recessive cutis laxa.

Autosomal recessive cutis laxa type I (ARCL type I) is characterized by generalized cutis laxa with pulmonary emphysema and/or vascular complications. Rarely, mutations can be identified in FBLN4 or FBLN5. Recently, LTBP4 mutations have been implicated in a similar phenotype. Studying FBLN4, FBLN5, and LTBP4 in 12 families with ARCL type I, we found bi-allelic FBLN5 mutations in two probands, whereas nine probands harbored biallelic mutations in LTBP4. FBLN5 and LTBP4 mutations cause a very similar phenotype associated with severe pulmonary emphysema, in the absence of vascular tortuosity or aneurysms. Gastrointestinal and genitourinary tract involvement seems to be more severe in patients with LTBP4 mutations. Functional studies showed that most premature termination mutations in LTBP4 result in severely reduced mRNA and protein levels. This correlated with increased transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) activity. However, one mutation, c.4127dupC, escaped nonsense-mediated decay. The corresponding mutant protein (p.Arg1377Alafs(*) 27) showed reduced colocalization with fibronectin, leading to an abnormal morphology of microfibrils in fibroblast cultures, while retaining normal TGFβ activity. We conclude that LTBP4 mutations cause disease through both loss of function and gain of function mechanisms

Search for composite and exotic fermions at LEP 2

A search for unstable heavy fermions with the DELPHI detector at LEP is reported. Sequential and non-canonical leptons, as well as excited leptons and quarks, are considered. The data analysed correspond to an integrated luminosity of about 48 pb^{-1} at an e^+e^- centre-of-mass energy of 183 GeV and about 20 pb^{-1} equally shared between the centre-of-mass energies of 172 GeV and 161 GeV. The search for pair-produced new leptons establishes 95% confidence level mass limits in the region between 70 GeV/c^2 and 90 GeV/c^2, depending on the channel. The search for singly produced excited leptons and quarks establishes upper limits on the ratio of the coupling of the excited fermio

Search for charginos in e+e- interactions at sqrt(s) = 189 GeV

An update of the searches for charginos and gravitinos is presented, based on a data sample corresponding to the 158 pb^{-1} recorded by the DELPHI detector in 1998, at a centre-of-mass energy of 189 GeV. No evidence for a signal was found. The lower mass limits are 4-5 GeV/c^2 higher than those obtained at a centre-of-mass energy of 183 GeV. The (\mu,M_2) MSSM domain excluded by combining the chargino searches with neutralino searches at the Z resonance implies a limit on the mass of the lightest neutralino which, for a heavy sneutrino, is constrained to be above 31.0 GeV/c^2 for tan(beta) \geq 1.Comment: 22 pages, 8 figure

Search for lightest neutralino and stau pair production in light gravitino scenarios with stau NLSP

Promptly decaying lightest neutralinos and long-lived staus are searched for in the context of light gravitino scenarios. It is assumed that the stau is the next to lightest supersymmetric particle (NLSP) and that the lightest neutralino is the next to NLSP (NNLSP). Data collected with the Delphi detector at centre-of-mass energies from 161 to 183 \GeV are analysed. No evidence of the production of these particles is found. Hence, lower mass limits for both kinds of particles are set at 95% C.L.. The mass of gaugino-like neutralinos is found to be greater than 71.5 GeV/c^2. In the search for long-lived stau, masses less than 70.0 to 77.5 \GeVcc are excluded for gravitino masses from 10 to 150 \eVcc . Combining this search with the searches for stable heavy leptons and Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model staus a lower limit of 68.5 \GeVcc may be set for the stau mas