Energy performance analysis between two air conditioning systems used in an educational Building in warm-climate

Energy saving measures, in the design air conditioning systems, are crucial in the development of energy schemes with rational energy consumption. Traditionally, integrated buildings systems have been assessed individually to optimize the energy performance, however they have different parameters that affect energy performance that demands the use of detailed analysis using dynamic simulation. This paper is focused on compare an air conditioning system to be implemented in educational buildings in warm-climate, considering energy schemes provide for a constant air volume (CAV) flow system with a water chiller, while the other integrates a variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system. Adding in each case dedicated outdoor air System (DOAS) units. Energy consumption achieved by each AC system is obtained considering the configuration achieving energy savings of 40% of the annual electricity demand for cooling. Finally, the use of DOAS represents an increase of 20% of total electricity consumption

Obstáculos y retos para el desarrollo de sistemas de información en el sector salud.

Objective. The purpose of  Information  Systems  in Health  (SIS)  is  to  improve  the  health  of  individuals and populations through the appropriate application of  knowledge  generated  by  the  organization  of information in such systems. Materials and methods. A literature review was conducted through the experiences and results obtained in the development and implementation of an SIS. Results. The analysis of the requirements is the starting point for the development or acquisition of any software product. The SIS must consider the inclusion of the necessary data for the investigation and allow for its organization depending on the type of inquiry that will be carried out. It must simplify and accelerate access to critical information while controlling access to data, facilitate the statistical processing of large amounts of data, and finally facilitate the exchange of data between different systems. Conclusions. The set of obstacles and challenges for the development of the SIS listed in this article confirms the high complexity of this type of information systems for which mature and detailed planning is needed.Objetivo. El propósito de los Sistemas de Información en de la Salud (SIS) es mejorar la salud de los individuos y las poblaciones mediante la aplicación apropiada del conocimiento generado por la organización de la información en dichos sistemas. Materiales y métodos. Se realizó una revisión sistemática de literatura a través de las experiencias y lineamientos en el desarrollo y la implementación de un SIS. Resultados. El análisis de los requisitos es el punto de partida para el desarrollo o la adquisición de cualquier producto de software. El SIS debe contemplar la inclusión de los datos necesarios para la investigación y permitir su organización dependiendo del tipo de investigación que se quiera realizar; debe simplificar y acelerar el acceso a la información crítica al mismo tiempo que controla el acceso a los datos; debe facilitar el tratamiento estadístico de grandes cantidades de datos; y, finalmente, debe facilitar el intercambio de datos entre diversos sistemas. Conclusiones. El conjunto de los obstáculos y retos para el desarrollo de los SIS enumerados en este artículo confirma la gran complejidad que presenta este tipo de sistemas de información, para ello se requiere de una planeación madura y detallada. &nbsp

Breeding biology and conservation of the Marsh Seedeater Sporophila palustris

El Capuchino Pecho Blanco Sporophila palustris es uno de los capuchinos menos conocidos y uno de los más amenazados. Sus poblaciones reproductivas son locales, fragmentadas y ocurren en el nordeste de Argentina, sudeste de Brasil y en Uruguay. Presentamos datos reproductivos describiendo nidos y huevos, comportamiento (incluyendo cortejo, nidificación, incubación y cuidado parental), sitios de anidación y datos sobre alimentación. El Capuchino Pecho Blanco nidifica en pastizales altos y húmedos en buen estado de conservación. Estos hábitats en general se han convertido en áreas ganaderas. Las principales amenazas son sobrepastoreo, uso generalizado del fuego, drenaje de humedales, reemplazo total del hábitat por pasturas y forestaciones y captura ilegal. La mayoría de los sitios se localizan en AICAs, pero sólo uno en Brasil y otro en Argentina se encuentran protegidos. Finalmente, proponemos una serie de medidas que contribuyen a la preservación del Capuchino Pecho Blanco y de otras aves amenazadas que conviven con este.The Marsh Seedeater Sporophila palustris is one of the most endangered and least known of the capuchino seedeaters. Breeding populations are patchy, occurring in north-east Argentina,southern Brazil, and Uruguay. We present data on the breeding biology of the species, and describe nests and eggs, behaviour (including courtship, nesting, incubation and parental care), breeding sites and food items. Marsh Seedeaters breed in well-preserved grasslands with wet soils and tall vegetation. In general, these habitats are used for extensive livestock ranching. Main threats are overgrazing, widespread use of fire, conversion of grasslands to pastures of exotic grasses and rice fields, afforestation, and illegal trapping. Most breeding sites are located in Important Bird Areas, but only one in Brazil and one in Argentina are protected. We propose a series of actions to promote the conservation of Marsh Seedeaters and other endangered birds that coexist in grassland habitats.Fil: Vizentin Bugoni, Jefferson. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; Brasil;Fil: Areta, Juan Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Salta. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del Noroeste Argentino; Argentina;Fil: Di Giacomo, Alejandro G.. Asociación Ornitológica del Plata. Aves Argentinas. Departamento de Conservación; Argentina;Fil: Di Giacomo, Adrian Santiago. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Laboratorio de Ecología y Comportamiento Animal; Argentina;Fil: Jacobs, Fernando. Universidade Federal de Pelotas. Instituto de Biologia. Departamento de Zoologia e Genética; Brasil;Fil: Afonso Coimbra, Marco A.. Universidade Federal de Pelotas. Instituto de Biologia. Núcleo de Reabilitação da Fauna Silvestre e Centro de Triagem de Animais Silvestres; Brasil;Fil: Dias, Rafael A.. Universidade Católica de Pelotas. Laboratório de Biologia e Ecologia de Cordados. Setor de Ornitologia; Brasil

Autophagy and Apoptosis Have a Role in the Survival or Death of Stallion Spermatozoa during Conservation in Refrigeration

Apoptosis has been recognized as a cause of sperm death during cryopreservation and a cause of infertility in humans, however there is no data on its role in sperm death during conservation in refrigeration; autophagy has not been described to date in mature sperm. We investigated the role of apoptosis and autophagy during cooled storage of stallion spermatozoa. Samples from seven stallions were split; half of the ejaculate was processed by single layer centrifugation, while the other half was extended unprocessed, and stored at 5°C for five days. During the time of storage, sperm motility (CASA, daily) and membrane integrity (flow cytometry, daily) were evaluated. Apoptosis was evaluated on days 1, 3 and 5 (active caspase 3, increase in membrane permeability, phosphatidylserine translocation and mitochondrial membrane potential) using flow cytometry. Furthermore, LC3B processing was investigated by western blotting at the beginning and at the end of the period of storage. The decrease in sperm quality over the period of storage was to a large extent due to apoptosis; single layer centrifugation selected non-apoptotic spermatozoa, but there were no differences in sperm motility between selected and unselected sperm. A high percentage of spermatozoa showed active caspase 3 upon ejaculation, and during the period of storage there was an increase of apoptotic spermatozoa but no changes in the percentage of live sperm, revealed by the SYBR-14/PI assay, were observed. LC3B was differentially processed in sperm after single layer centrifugation compared with native sperm. In processed sperm more LC3B-II was present than in non-processed samples; furthermore, in non-processed sperm there was an increase in LC3B-II after five days of cooled storage. These results indicate that apoptosis plays a major role in the sperm death during storage in refrigeration and that autophagy plays a role in the survival of spermatozoa representing a new pro-survival mechanism in spermatozoa not previously described

Machine Learning in Melanoma Diagnosis. Limitations About to be Overcome

[spa] Antecedentes: La clasificación automática de imágenes es una rama prometedora del aprendi-zaje automático (de sus siglas en inglés Machine Learning [ML]), y es una herramienta útil enel diagnóstico de cáncer de piel. Sin embargo, poco se ha estudiado acerca de las limitacionesde su uso en la práctica clínica diaria.Objetivo: Determinar las limitaciones que existen en cuanto a la selección de imágenes usadaspara el análisis por ML de las neoplasias cutáneas, en particular del melanoma.Métodos: Se dise ̃nó un estudio de cohorte retrospectivo, donde se incluyeron de forma conse-cutiva 2.849 imágenes dermatoscópicas de alta calidad de tumores cutáneos para su valoraciónpor un sistema de ML, recogidas entre los a ̃nos 2010 y 2014. Cada imagen dermatoscópica fueclasificada según las características de elegibilidad para el análisis por ML.Resultados: De las 2.849 imágenes elegidas a partir de nuestra base de datos, 968 (34%) cum-plieron los criterios de inclusión. De los 528 melanomas, 335 (63,4%) fueron excluidos. Laausencia de piel normal circundante (40,5% de todos los melanomas de nuestra base de datos)y la ausencia de pigmentación (14,2%) fueron las causas más frecuentes de exclusión para elanálisis por ML.Discusión: Solo el 36,6% de nuestros melanomas se consideraron aceptables para el análisispor sistemas de ML de última generación. Concluimos que los futuros sistemas de ML deberánser entrenados a partir de bases de datos más grandes que incluyan imágenes representativasde la práctica clínica habitual. Afortunadamente, muchas de estas limitaciones están siendosuperadas gracias a los avances realizados recientemente por la comunidad científica, como seha demostrado en trabajos recientes. [eng] Background: Automated image classification is a promising branch of machine learning (ML)useful for skin cancer diagnosis, but little has been determined about its limitations for generalusability in current clinical practice.Objective: To determine limitations in the selection of skin cancer images for ML analysis,particularly in melanoma.Methods: Retrospective cohort study design, including 2,849 consecutive high-quality dermos-copy images of skin tumors from 2010 to 2014, for evaluation by a ML system. Each dermoscopyimage was assorted according to its eligibility for ML analysis.Results: Of the 2,849 images chosen from our database, 968 (34%) met the inclusion criteriafor analysis by the ML system. Only 64.7% of nevi and 36.6% of melanoma met the inclusioncriteria. Of the 528 melanomas, 335 (63.4%) were excluded. An absence of normal surroundingskin (40.5% of all melanomas from our database) and absence of pigmentation (14.2%) were themost common reasons for exclusion from ML analysis.Discussion: Only 36.6% of our melanomas were admissible for analysis by state-of-the-art MLsystems. We conclude that future ML systems should be trained on larger datasets which includerelevant non-ideal images from lesions evaluated in real clinical practice. Fortunately, many ofthese limitations are being overcome by the scientific community as recent works show

Analizying MOOCs from an educational perspective in Spain

ABSTRACT: This article is the result of a Teaching Innovation Project funded by the University of Cantabria’s Vice-Rectorate for Teaching Staff. Its goals are to analyze the phenomenon of MOOCs with pedagogical criteria and to develop a Best Practice Guide. The project was developed by the Universities of Cantabria and Oviedo, all the work was divided into three phases: 1) Theoretical review and the design of classroom activities, 2) The implementation of classroom activities and analysis of the main results and 3) The development of a MOOC Best Practice Guide. The results of the second phase at the University of Cantabria are presented here. They demonstrate the need to introduce these massive open online courses into degree programmes in Education, updating higher education studies and providing valuable knowledge for understanding the educational potential (not just technological or financial) of this online training

Double Beta Decay

We review recent developments in double-beta decay, focusing on what can be learned about the three light neutrinos in future experiments. We examine the effects of uncertainties in already measured neutrino parameters and in calculated nuclear matrix elements on the interpretation of upcoming double-beta decay measurements. We then review a number of proposed experiments.Comment: Some typos corrected, references corrected and added. A less blurry version of figure 3 is available from authors. 41 pages, 5 figures, submitted to J. Phys.

Determinants of the current and future distribution of the West Nile virus mosquito vector Culex pipiens in Spain

Changes in environmental conditions, whether related or not to human activities, are continuously modifying the geographic distribution of vectors, which in turn affects the dynamics and distribution of vector-borne infectious diseases. Determining the main ecological drivers of vector distribution and how predicted changes in these drivers may alter their future distributions is therefore of major importance. However, the drivers of vector populations are largely specific to each vector species and region. Here, we identify the most important human-activity-related and bioclimatic predictors affecting the current distribution and habitat suitability of the mosquito Culex pipiens and potential future changes in its distribution in Spain. We determined the niche of occurrence (NOO) of the species, which considers only those areas lying within the range of suitable environmental conditions using presence data. Although almost ubiquitous, the distribution of Cx. pipiens is mostly explained by elevation and the degree of urbanization but also, to a lesser extent, by mean temperatures during the wettest season and temperature seasonality. The combination of these predictors highlights the existence of a heterogeneous pattern of habitat suitability, with most suitable areas located in the southern and northeastern coastal areas of Spain, and unsuitable areas located at higher altitude and in colder regions. Future climatic predictions indicate a net decrease in distribution of up to 29.55%, probably due to warming and greater temperature oscillations. Despite these predicted changes in vector distribution, their effects on the incidence of infectious diseases are, however, difficult to forecast since different processes such as local adaptation to temperature, vector-pathogen interactions, and human-derived changes in landscape may play important roles in shaping the future dynamics of pathogen transmission.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio