Viabilidad de la agricultura familiar con riego informal en montaña

La agricultura irrigada juega un papel fundamental en la viabilización de los sistemas de producción agrícolas. De forma paralela a los esfuerzos del estado por construir distritos de riego, amplios sectores de agricultores han desarrollado sistemas de riego informal, especialmente en la zona andina. Se inicia localizando la agricultura familiar irrigada en las zonas altas de latinoamérica, identificando su basta presencia gracias a herramientas cartográficas; luego se estudia el desarrollo de la agricultura irrigada en 5 países andinos; después se caracteriza el riego informal en Colombia. El segundo capítulo se centra en Fómeque, la zona de estudio, donde se analizan y comparan sistemas de riego formal, semi-formal e informal. Después de caracterizar la zona, se calculan varios indicadores económicos de los sistemas de producción, complementados con indicadores de conflicto en el acceso al agua. Finalmente, basado en indicadores económicos y de consumo de agua, se caracterizan los sistemas de producción y se desarrolla un modelo de regresión lineal múltiple con el fin de explicar los excedentes familiares agrícolas. Se encuentra que si bien el acceso al agua para riego juega un papel crucial en la viabilización de los pequeños sistemas agrícolas familiares andinos, el desempeño económico no puede explicarse por el tipo de sistema de riego del que se abastece cada usuario. Así mismo, para optimizar el funcionamiento de los sistemas de riego, es necesario incluir algunas ventajas de los sistemas formales e informales en la concepción y operación.Irrigated agriculture plays a significant role in making agricultural production systems viable. Several farming groups have developed their own informal irrigation systems, alongside the State’s efforts to build irrigation districts, especially in the Andean zone. This study begins with the localization of irrigated family agriculture in the high lands in Latin America and it is possible to identify its widespread presence thanks to cartographic tools; afterwards, the development of irrigated agriculture in five Andean countries is studied; later, informal irrigation in Colombia is characterized. The second chapter focuses in Fómeque, the study zone, where formal, semi-informal and informal irrigation systems are analyzed and compared. After characterizing the zone, various economic indicators of the production systems are calculated and complemented with indicators of water access conflicts. Finally, based on economic and water consumption indicators, the production systems are characterized and a multiple lineal regression model is developed in order to explain the family agricultural surplus. Irrigated agriculture plays a significant role in making agricultural production systems viable. Several farming groups have developed their own informal irrigation systems, alongside the State’s efforts to build irrigation districts, especially in the Andean zone. This study begins with the localization of irrigated family agriculture in the high lands in Latin America and it is possible to identify its widespread presence thanks to cartographic tools; afterwards, the development of irrigated agriculture in five Andean countries is studied; later, informal irrigation in Colombia is characterized. The second chapter focuses in Fómeque, the study zone, where formal, semi-informal and informal irrigation systems are analyzed and compared. After characterizing the zone, various economic indicators of the production systems are calculated and complemented with indicators of water access conflicts. Finally, based on economic and water consumption indicators, the production systems are characterized and a multiple lineal regression model is developed in order to explain the family agricultural surplus. As a result, it is found that access to water for irrigation is vital in making small Andean family farming systems viable; nevertheless, the economic performance cannot be explained by the type of irrigation system each user is part of. Besides, in order to optimize any irrigation system, it is necessary to include some advantages of the informal and formal irrigation systems on how they were conceived and the way they operate. As a result, it is found that access to water for irrigation is vital in making small Andean family farming systems viable; nevertheless, the economic performance cannot be explained by the type of irrigation system each user is part of. Besides, in order to optimize any irrigation system, it is necessary to include some advantages of the informal and formal irrigation systems on how they were conceived and the way they operate.Doctor en Estudios Ambientales y RuralesDoctorad

Performance assessment of a kinetically-powered network for herd localization

Developing a herd localization system capable to operate unattended in communication-challenged areas arises from the necessity of improving current systems in terms of cost, autonomy or any other facilities that a certain target group (or overall users) may demand. A network architecture of herd localization is proposed with its corresponding hardware and a methodology to assess performance in different operating conditions. The system is designed taking into account an eventual environmental impact hence most nodes are simple, cheap and kinetically powered from animal movements-neither batteries nor sophisticated processor chips are needed. Other network elements integrating GPS and batteries operate with selectable duty cycles, thus reducing maintenance duties. Equipment has been tested on Scandinavian reindeer in Lapland and its element modeling is integrated into a simulator to analyze such localization network applicability for different use cases. Performance indicators (detection frequency, localization accuracy and delay) are fitted to assess the overall performance; system relative costs are enclosed also for a range of deployments

Temporal task allocation in periodic environments. An approach based on synchronization

In this paper, we study a robot swarm that has to perform task allocation in an environment that features periodic properties. In this environment, tasks appear in different areas following periodic temporal patterns. The swarm has to reallocate its workforce periodically, performing a temporal task allocation that must be synchronized with the environment to be effective. We tackle temporal task allocation using methods and concepts that we borrow from the signal processing literature. In particular, we propose a distributed temporal task allocation algorithm that synchronizes robots of the swarm with the environment and with each other. In this algorithm, robots use only local information and a simple visual communication protocol based on light blinking. Our results show that a robot swarm that uses the proposed temporal task allocation algorithm performs considerably more tasks than a swarm that uses a greedy algorithm

Effects of large-scale PV self-consumption on the aggregated consumption

Self-consumption is modifying the classical structure of the electrical grids worldwide. This energy supply method allows a distributed energy generation and the possibility of involving citizens in the electrical grid. Many countries have defined or are defining rules regarding self-consumption because of the evidence of its unstoppable growth. From the technical point of view, there are numerous associated advantages to the self-consumption, nevertheless it represents a new challenge in the management and design of the electrical grids. In general, the main generation technology for self-consumption is the PV energy. The PV generators are installed in a facility and their generation can be considered as a reduction on the local consumption or even negative consumption. Therefore, high penetration of PV self-consumption will modify the aggregated consumption shape of the electrical grid. The electrical grid should be able to respond to this new shape by adapting generation, controlling consumption or using storage systems. In this paper, we analyze the effects of high penetration of PV self-consumption on the aggregated consumption of the Spanish electrical grid. For this analysis we use historical solar resource data from different cities of Spain and historical data of the aggregated consumption of the country. The results show that PV self-consumption can smooth the aggregated consumption shape, mainly during summer periods. On the other hand, the PV self-consumption can increase the variability of the aggregated consumption shape for high penetration levels

Los procesos logísticos y su relación con las exportaciones de la SPN 0810.40.00.00 de arándanos hacia Estados Unidos desde el puerto de Salaverry entre el periodo 2015 al 2019

El objetivo del presente trabajo de investigación es determinar cómo influyen los procesos logísticos en las exportaciones de la SPN 0810.40.00.00 de arándanos hacia Estados Unidos desde el puerto de Salaverry entre el periodo 2015 al 2019. Cabe resaltar que una de las principales regiones que realizan exportaciones de arándanos es la región Norte, entre las cuales se encuentran las ciudades de Lambayeque, Ancash y Piura. Por ello, es necesario identificar los principales factores del proceso logístico en que han incurrido para poder llegar a tales cifras a lo largo del tiempo y establecer si es recomendable establecerlos como procesos estándares para cualquier empresa del rubro y se implementen para llegar a ser escalables y sostenibles en el tiempo. Por tanto, es de vital importancia identificar la relación entre las dos variables, para poder determinar si la variable proceso logístico influyen en las exportaciones. Para analizar la relación entre los procesos logísticos y las exportaciones de arándanos, se realizó una investigación cuantitativa, utilizando el cuestionario en escala de Likert y haciendo participes a 30 ejecutivos correspondientes a los rubros de comercio exterior, logística y exportaciones de las empresas exportadoras de arándanos. Además, para el análisis de resultados, se utilizó el programa SPSS, con el objetivo de corroborar las hipótesis planteadas. De esta manera, a partir de los resultados obtenidos del SPSS, se concluyó que los procesos logísticos se relacionan con las exportaciones de arándanos durante el periodo analizado, siendo las dimensiones estudiadas; almacenamiento, infraestructura, embalaje, transporte y manipulación de materiales.The objective of this research is to determine the relationship between the logistic processes and exports of the tariff item 0810400000 blueberries to the United States from the port of Salaverry between 2015 and 2019. It is worth mentioning that one of the main regions that export blueberries is the Northern region, among which are the city of Lambayeque, Ancash and Piura. For that reason, it is necessary to identify the main factors of the logistic process in which they have incurred to be able to arrive at such numbers throughout the time and to establish if it is advisable to establish them as standard processes for any company of the heading and they are implemented to become scalable and sustainable in the time. Therefore, it is of vital importance to identify the relationship between the two variables, in order to determine whether the logistics process variable influences exports. To analyze the relationship between logistic processes and blueberry exports, a quantitative research was carried out, using the Likert scale questionnaire, and involving 30 people corresponding to the areas of foreign trade, logistics, exports, coordinators, managers, and directors of blueberry exporting companies. In addition, the SPSS program was used for the analysis of results, with the objective of corroborating the hypotheses raised. In this way, from the results obtained from SPSS, it was concluded that the logistic processes are related to the blueberries exports during the analyzed period, being the dimensions studied, Storage, Infrastructure, Packaging, Transport and Material Handling.Tesi

Artificial Pheromone for Path Selection by a Foraging Swarm of Robots

Foraging robots involved in a search and retrieval task may create paths to navigate faster in their environment. In this context, a swarm of robots that has found several resources and created different paths may benefit strongly from path selection. Path selection enhances the foraging behavior by allowing the swarm to focus on the most profitable resource with the possibility for unused robots to stop participating in the path maintenance and to switch to another task. In order to achieve path selection, we implement virtual ants that lay artificial pheromone inside a network of robots. Virtual ants are local messages transmitted by robots; they travel along chains of robots and deposit artificial pheromone on the robots that are literally forming the chain and indicating the path. The concentration of artificial pheromone on the robots allows them to decide whether they are part of a selected path. We parameterize the mechanism with a mathematical model and provide an experimental validation using a swarm of 20 real robots. We show that our mechanism favors the selection of the closest resource is able to select a new path if a selected resource becomes unavailable and selects a newly detected and better resource when possible. As robots use very simple messages and behaviors, the system would be particularly well suited for swarms of microrobots with minimal abilitie

Urinary tract physiological conditions promote ciprofloxacin resistance in low-level-quinolone-resistant Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli isolates carrying chromosomally encoded low-level-quinolone-resistant (LLQR) determinants are frequently found in urinary tract infections (UTIs). LLQR mutations are considered the first step in the evolutionary pathway producing high-level fluoroquinolone resistance. Therefore, their evolution and dissemination might influence the outcome of fluoroquinolone treatments of UTI. Previous studies support the notion that low urine pH decreases susceptibility to ciprofloxacin (CIP) in E. coli. However, the effect of the urinary tract physiological parameters on the activity of ciprofloxacin against LLQR E. coli strains has received little attention. We have studied the activity of ciprofloxacin under physiological urinary tract conditions against a set of well-characterized isogenic E. coli derivatives carrying the most prevalent chromosomal mutations (ΔmarR, gyrA-S83L, gyrA-D87N, and parC-S80R and some combinations). The results presented here demonstrate that all the LLQR strains studied became resistant to ciprofloxacin (according to CLSI guidelines) under physiological conditions whereas the control strain lacking LLQR mutations did not. Moreover, the survival of some LLQR E. coli variants increased up to 100-fold after challenge with a high concentration of ciprofloxacin under UTI conditions compared to the results seen with Mueller-Hinton broth. These selective conditions could explain the high prevalence of LLQR mutations in E. coli. Furthermore, our data strongly suggest that recommended methods for MIC determination produce poor estimations of CIP activity against LLQR E. coli in UTIs.Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria PI13/0006

Self-consumption enhancement with storage system and demand-side management: GeDELOS-PV system.

Because of the recent technological developments within the field of power conditioning and the progressive decrease of incentives for PV electricity in grid-connected markets, new operation modes for PV systems should be explored beyond the traditional maximization of PV electricity feed-in. We have developed the GeDELOS-PV system as an example of added value for PV electricity which arises from the combination of modern hybrid PV technology with a lead-acid battery storage system and Demand Side Management strategies in the residential sector. We carry out simulations for long-time experiments (yearly studies) and real measurements for short and mid-time experiments (daily and weekly studies). Results show that the relationship between electricity flows and storage capacity is not linear and therefore, it becomes an important design criterio