Impact of climate conditions on the use of infrared thermography for the inspection of coated and uncoated unreinforced concrete samples

This project´s fundamental objective is to evaluate the ability of the infrared thermography technique under different climate conditions to detect and recognize anomalies, delamination and defects that cause deterioration on concrete surfaces both coated and uncoated. The use of concrete as a construction material is very extended in today´s world and it is all-important the use of inspection techniques that allow proper monitoring and maintenance of concrete infrastructure in order to manage and administrate it´s useful life, through prevention and repair of damages. With the passage of time deterioration of this material exists, especially when their surfaces are visibly exposed to the actions of the environment and inclement weather. Therefore, Infrared Thermography has been presented as attractive alternative, facing other traditional methods. However, its range of application on concrete elements has been focused from the beginning to the detection of very specific type of defects, except for recent years where it has been possible to observe some interesting developments. For this reason, it has become necessary to test IRT seeking its real potential under the conditions and situations more similar to those found in a field inspection. In order to achieve this, the method of active infrared thermography has been used to test in our laboratory different cracked concrete samples during different climate conditions. This test recreates the different weather conditions that can occur in the field by developing a climate controlled system in the lab. Finally, the analysis of the results has revealed that different climate conditions affect the reliability and performance of IRT for detecting surface defects on concrete structures. In addition, the fulfilment of concrete coatings´ function during different climate conditions was also studied. Large amount of test results have been collected and will be used in the future for improving the accuracy of the IRT technique

Impact of climate conditions on the use of infrared thermography for the inspection of coated and uncoated unreinforced concrete samples

This project´s fundamental objective is to evaluate the ability of the infrared thermography technique under different climate conditions to detect and recognize anomalies, delamination and defects that cause deterioration on concrete surfaces both coated and uncoated. The use of concrete as a construction material is very extended in today´s world and it is all-important the use of inspection techniques that allow proper monitoring and maintenance of concrete infrastructure in order to manage and administrate it´s useful life, through prevention and repair of damages. With the passage of time deterioration of this material exists, especially when their surfaces are visibly exposed to the actions of the environment and inclement weather. Therefore, Infrared Thermography has been presented as attractive alternative, facing other traditional methods. However, its range of application on concrete elements has been focused from the beginning to the detection of very specific type of defects, except for recent years where it has been possible to observe some interesting developments. For this reason, it has become necessary to test IRT seeking its real potential under the conditions and situations more similar to those found in a field inspection. In order to achieve this, the method of active infrared thermography has been used to test in our laboratory different cracked concrete samples during different climate conditions. This test recreates the different weather conditions that can occur in the field by developing a climate controlled system in the lab. Finally, the analysis of the results has revealed that different climate conditions affect the reliability and performance of IRT for detecting surface defects on concrete structures. In addition, the fulfilment of concrete coatings´ function during different climate conditions was also studied. Large amount of test results have been collected and will be used in the future for improving the accuracy of the IRT technique

Identidades y cambio político: nuevos retos para Europa ante las exigencias de la globalización

Como producto social que es, la identidad está inmersa en los procesos de cambio político, sufriendo alteraciones que pueden repercutir en el sistema político y en las instituciones. El contexto del proceso de globalización, si bien parece indicar una tendencia hacia la homogeneización de la sociedad mundial, está salpicado en ocasiones por líneas de conflicto que denotan heterogeneización y fragmentación. La identidad, no necesariamente acorde con la legalidad, se constituye como un elemento decisivo para asegurar la lealtad de los ciudadanos hacia las instituciones políticas. Desde lo local a lo global, el debilitamiento del papel del Estado aumenta la necesidad de readecuar los imaginarios identitarios a las nuevas realidades de la sociedad postnacional

On the Properties of a Class of Impulsive Competition Beverton–Holt Equations

This paper is devoted to a type of combined impulsive discrete Beverton–Holt equations in ecology when eventual discontinuities at sampling time instants are considered. Such discontinuities could be interpreted as impulses in the corresponding continuous-time logistic equations. The set of equations involve competition-type coupled dynamics among a finite set of species. It is assumed that, in general, the intrinsic growth rates and the carrying capacities are eventually distinct for the various species. The impulsive parts of the equations are parameterized by harvesting quotas and independent consumptions which are also eventually distinct for the various species and which control the populations’ evolution. The performed study includes the existence of extinction and non-extinction equilibrium points, the conditions of non-negativity and boundedness of the solutions for given finite non-negative initial conditions and the conditions of asymptotic stability without or with extinction of the solutions.This research was supported by the Spanish Government through grant RTI2018-094336-B-100 (MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE) and by the Basque Government through grant IT1207-19

Supervision of the Infection in an SI (SI-RC) Epidemic Model by Using a Test Loss Function to Update the Vaccination and Treatment Controls

This paper studies and proposes some supervisory techniques to update the vaccination and control gains through time in a modified SI (susceptible-infectious) epidemic model involving the susceptible and subpopulations. Since the presence of linear feedback controls are admitted, a compensatory recovered (or immune) extra subpopulation is added to the model under zero initial conditions to deal with the recovered subpopulations transferred from the vaccination and antiviral/antibiotic treatment on the susceptible and the infectious, respectively. Therefore, the modified model is referred to as an SI(RC) epidemic model since it integrates the susceptible, infectious and compensatory recovered subpopulations. The defined time-integral supervisory loss function can evaluate weighted losses involving, in general, both the susceptible and the infectious subpopulations. It is admitted, as a valid supervisory loss function, that which involves only either the infectious or the susceptible subpopulations. Its concrete definition involving only the infectious is related to the Shannon information entropy. The supervision problem is basically based on the implementation of a parallel control structure with different potential control gains to be judiciously selected and updated through time. A higher decision level structure of the supervisory scheme updates the appropriate active controller (i.e., that with the control gain values to be used along the next time window), as well as the switching time instants. In this way, the active controller is that which provides the best associated supervisory loss function along the next inter-switching time interval. Basically, a switching action from one active controller to another one is decided as a better value of the supervisory loss function is detected for distinct controller gain values to the current ones.The authors are grateful to the Spanish Government for Grants RTI2018-094336-B-I00 and RTI2018-094902-B-C22 (MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE), to the Institute of Health Carlos III for Grant COV20/01213 and to the Basque Government for Grant IT1207-19. They also thank the referees for their useful suggestions and corrections

A Study on COVID-19 Incidence in Europe through Two SEIR Epidemic Models Which Consider Mixed Contagions from Asymptomatic and Symptomatic Individuals

The impact of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) on the world has been partially controlled through different measures of social isolation and prophylaxis. Two new SEIR (Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Recovered) models are proposed in order to describe this spread through different countries of Europe. In both models the infectivity of the asymptomatic period during the exposed stage of the disease will be taken into account. The different transmission rates of the SEIR models are calculated by considering the different locations and, more importantly, the lockdown measures implemented in each region. A new classification of these intervention measures will be set and their influence on the values of the transmission rates will be estimated through regression analysis.The authors are grateful to the institute Carlos III for grant COV20/01213, to the Spanish Government for Grants RTI2018-094336-B-I00 and RTI2018-094902-BC22 (MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE) and to the Basque Government for Grant IT1207-19

A Modelization of the Propagation of COVID-19 in Regions of Spain and Italy with Evaluation of the Transmission Rates Related to the Intervention Measures

Two discrete mathematical SIR models (Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered) are proposed for modelling the propagation of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) through Spain and Italy. One of the proposed models is delay-free while the other one considers a delay in the propagation of the infection. The objective is to estimate the transmission, also known as infectivity rate, through time taking into account the infection evolution data supplied by the official health care systems in both countries. Such a parameter is estimated through time at different regional levels and it is seen to be strongly dependent on the intervention measures such as the total (except essential activities) or partial levels of lockdown. Typically, the infectivity rate evolves towards a minimum value under total lockdown and it increases again when the confinement measures are partially or totally removed.The authors are grateful to the institute Carlos III for grant COV20/01213, to the Spanish Government for Grants RTI2018- 094336-B-I00 and RTI2018-094902-B-C22 (MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE) and to the Basque Government for Grant IT1207-19

La adaptación de materiales docentes de marketing para estudiantes con necesidades especiales. Proyecto Speaking Library

Este trabajo presenta la experiencia docente de una Red multidisciplinar de investigadores (Red I+Do+i), en la que han participado profesorado y estudiantes. El objetivo principal de la experiencia docente “Speaking Library” es tiene una doble vertiente. Por un lado, generar documentos de trabajo especializados en investigación en docencia y en materias curriculares relevantes para el alumnado, así como en soportes más accesibles, atractivos y útiles para la comunidad educativa. Se ha tenido especial interés en los estudiantes con Necesidades Específicas de Apoyo Educativo (NEAE) y en este sentido la creación de materiales ha sido fundamentalmente audiovisual. Por otro lado, la gestión dichos materiales a través de repositorios universitarios (Universidad de Alicante y Universidad Miguel Hernández) y de un canal docente de YouTube (canal IDOi), para su ulterior difusión nacional e internacional a las distintas bases de datos y portales adecuados (OCW, blogs UA, VUALA, Blogs externos, etc.) que facilitarán su consulta. Los resultados y reflexiones finales presentan varios documentos convertidos a un formato amigable, visual y valioso para los estudiantes con NEAE, a la vez que se ha diseñado un protocolo de actuación para la elaboración de los mismos y creado un canal docente en YouTube

ODS en las aulas de ingeniería y arquitectura: tomar conciencia y transmitir

Memoria ID-014. Ayudas de la Universidad de Salamanca para la innovación docente, curso 2021-2022

Desarrollo sostenible: cómo la ingeniería lo hace posible

Memoria ID2022-019. Ayudas de la Universidad de Salamanca para la innovación docente, curso 2022-2023