Improving elevation resolution in phased-array inspections for NDT

The Phased Array Ultrasonic Technique (PAUT) offers great advantages over the conventional ultrasound technique (UT), particularly because of beam focusing, beam steering and electronic scanning capabilities. However, the 2D images obtained have usually low resolution in the direction perpendicular to the array elements, which limits the inspection quality of large components by mechanical scanning. This paper describes a novel approach to improve image quality in these situations, by combining three ultrasonic techniques: Phased Array with dynamic depth focusing in reception, Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique (SAFT) and Phase Coherence Imaging (PCI). To be applied with conventional NDT arrays (1D and non-focused in elevation) a special mask to produce a wide beam in the movement direction was designed and analysed by simulation and experimentally. Then, the imaging algorithm is presented and validated by the inspection of test samples. The obtained images quality is comparable to that obtained with an equivalent matrix array, but using conventional NDT arrays and equipments, and implemented in real time.Fil: Brizuela, Jose David. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Camacho, J.. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; EspañaFil: Cosarinsky, Guillermo Gerardo. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica; ArgentinaFil: Iriarte, Juan Manuel. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica; ArgentinaFil: Cruza, Jorge F.. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; Españ

Competencies for organizational learning in Ecopetrol (PTC-3)-case study for the generation of organizational learning in the area of industrial automation in Ecopetrol – RCSA

Este articulo, es el resultado de un estudio descriptivo para caracterizar los componentes culturales y motivacionales que facilitan el desarrollo del Aprendizaje Organizacional en el área de automatización de la Refinería de Cartagena, se identifica el conocimiento e información critica que debe asegurarse en el área de automatización y se formulan herramientas para generar condiciones de aprendizaje organizacional que permita asegurar la captación, el almacenamiento y transferencia del conocimiento especializado en el área de automatización de la Refinería de Cartagena. El objetivo general establecido es generar condiciones de aprendizaje organizacional en el área de automatización industrial en, en la coordinación de control eléctrico y electrónica de Ecopetrol - RCSA.Abstract. This articulate, is the result of a fulfilled case study for characterize the cultural and motivational components that facilitate the development of the Organizational Apprenticeship in the area of automation of the Refinery of Cartagena, is identified the knowledge and information criticizes that should ensure in the area of automation and are formulated tools to generate organizational apprenticeship conditions that allows to ensure the catchment, the storage and transfer of the expert knowledge in the area of automation of the Refinery of Cartagena. The established general aim is to generate organizational apprenticeship conditions in the area of industrial automation in, in the coordination of electric and electronic control of Ecopetrol – RCSA

Tropoelastin and fibulin overexpression in the subepitelial connective tissue of human pterigium

Purpose To evaluate possible changes in the collagen and elastic components of the subepithelial connective tissue of human pterygium. Design Immunohistochemical study. Methods Immunohistochemical staining using antitropoelastin, anti-fibulin-2, and anti-fibulin-3 antibodies was performed in 10 normal conjunctival and 20 pterygium specimens. Masson trichome staining also was performed to study subepithelial connective tissue. Sirius red staining was used to identify collagen type I and III components. Tropoelastin, fibulin-2, and fibulin-3 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expressions were analyzed in 9 conjunctival and 12 pterygium specimens by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. Results The subepithelial connective tissue and vessels were more predominant in pterygium compared with the normal conjunctival tissue. Amorphous subepithelial zones were observed in the areas of the pterygium tissue, but not in normal conjunctiva. Increased tropoelastin staining was seen in the pterygium tissue with areas of degenerative changes or immature formation of elastic fibers, as well an increase in tropoelastin mRNA, in contrast with fibulin-2 and fibulin-3 messenger levels. Fibulin-2 and fibulin-3 expression was colocalized in the subepithelial connective tissue and was distributed along blood and lymphatic vessels. Collagen type III, an immature form of collagen, was increased in the pathologic samples in association with a tissue remodeling process. Conclusions Elastin metabolism is dysregulated in the pathogenesis of human pterygium with tropoelastin, fibulin-2, and fibulin-3 overexpression in the subepithelial connective tissue.Hospital Universitario Príncipe de Asturias (Alcalá de Henares, España)Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Madrid, España)

Non-destructive evaluation techniques for pressure vessels made of composite material

Los recipientes fabricados en materiales compuestos COPVs (Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels) son extensamente aplicados en la industria aeroespacial para contener líquidos a alta presión debido a sus elevadas propiedades mecánicas, además de ser un componente muy liviano. Consisten en una delgada estructura metálica (contenedor o liner) recubierta por un compuesto plástico, reforzado con fibras estructurales de carbono. Un aspecto importante en el marco del desarrollo de estos componentes, es el aseguramiento de la calidad de los recipientes una vez completado el proceso de fabricación. Este trabajo aborda la inspección de un COPV de forma cilíndrica de 100 litros de capacidad con liner de aluminio. Para ello se emplean dos técnicas de ensayos no destructivos: ultrasonido acoplado en aire y shearografía. Ambas técnicas fueron adaptadas específicamente para este tipo de recipiente y montadas sobre un escáner experimental que proporciona soporte y repetitividad a los ensayos, garantizando resultados cualitativos en la inspección de estos componentes. Los resultados que se obtuvieron con las dos técnicas se comparan y se observa un acuerdo entre ellos en lo que concierne a la calidad del proceso de fabricación del componente. A partir de los ensayos efectuados y de sus resultados se realizaron aportes y recomendaciones para una posible mejora del proceso de fabricaciónComposite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels (COPV) are extensively applied in the aerospace industry to contain high pressure liquids due to their elevated mechanical properties as well as being a lightweight component. They consist of a thin metallic structure (liner) wrapped by a plastic compound, reinforced with structural carbon fibers. An important aspect in the development of COPVs is the quality assurance once the manufacturing process has been completed. This work aims to the inspection of a cylindrical-aluminum-liner COPV of 100 liters of capacity. For this purpose, two non-destructive testing techniques were applied: aircoupled ultrasound and shearography. Both techniques were specifically adapted to the COPV geometry and mounted on an experimental scanner that provides support and repetitiveness to the tests. This mechanical arrangement guarantees qualitative results in the COPVs inspection. The obtained results with both techniques were compared and they show good agreement regarding the quality of the manufacturing process. Based on the tests carried out and their results, contributions and recommendations were made for a possible improvement of the manufacturing process.Fil: Romero Rosero, Christian Rodrigo. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Área de Energía Nuclear. Gerencia de Ende (CAC); ArgentinaFil: Cosarinsky, Guillermo Gerardo. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Área de Energía Nuclear. Gerencia de Ende (CAC); ArgentinaFil: Iriarte, Juan Manuel. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Área de Energía Nuclear. Gerencia de Ende (CAC); ArgentinaFil: Brizuela, Jose David. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica; ArgentinaFil: Poodts, Exequiel. Kohlenia; ArgentinaFil: Ruiz Gale, María Fernanda. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Área de Energía Nuclear. Gerencia de Ende (CAC); Argentin

Economic appraisal of the impact of the ban on the use of lead in gasoline on the intellectual quotient of 7-8 years old in the Community of Madrid

Fundamentos: la evaluación económica de las repercusiones sanitarias de las políticas públicas es difícil y escasa. El objetivo del presente estudio fue cuantificar monetariamente los beneficios de la reducción del plomo en la sangre de los niños de 7-8 años en la Comunidad de Madrid (España), derivada de la prohibición del plomo en las gasolinas. Métodos: se calculó la disminución de puntos de cociente intelectual (CI), utilizando dos estudios realizados en niños de 7 a 8 años según los valores de plomo en sangre que presentaban: media geométrica de 3,8 μg/dL en 1995 y 0,9 μg/dL en 2010. La mejoría neta de CI se midió en términos de capacidad de producción ganada a lo largo de la vida laboral, siguiendo los métodos de Schwartz y Salkiver. Resultados: la reducción de los niveles de plomo en sangre de estos niños evitó perder entre 135.391 y 144.153 puntos de CI. La valoración económica actual de estos puntos en términos de capacidad de producción ganada a lo largo de la vida laboral de estos sujetos se estimó en un rango entre 626,4 y 865,4 millones de euros (valor 2009). Conclusiones: las cifras de beneficios económicos encontradas derivadas de la medida de prohibición de uso de plomo en las gasolinas son importantes en términos sociales.Background: the repercussions on health of public policies are hard to assess from an economic point of view, which is why this is rarely done. The purpose of this study was to financially quantify the benefits of reducing blood lead levels in children aged 7-8 years in the Community of Madrid (Spain) as a result of the ban on the use of lead in gasoline. Methods: the decrease the intellectual quotient (IQ) points was calculated through two studies on children aged 7-8 years according to their blood lead levels. A geometric mean of 3.8 μg/dl was obtained in the 1995 study and of 0.9 μg/dl in the 2010 study. The net increase in IQ was measured in terms of productivity gained throughout the working life as per the methods of Schwartz and Salkever. Results: the decrease in blood lead levels in these children prevented a loss of between 135,391 and 144,153 IQ points; the current economic valuation of these points in terms of the productivity gained throughout the working life of this cohort of children was estimated to fall within the €626.4m- €865.4m range (2009). Conclusions: the figures of the economic benefits derived from the decision to ban leaded gasoline are very high

Multidisciplinary approach and long-term follow-up in a series of 640 consecutive patients with sarcoidosis: cohort study of a 40-year clinical experience at a tertiary referral center in Barcelona

Cohort studies of large series of patients with sarcoidosis over a long period of time are scarce. The aim of this study is to report a 40-year clinical experience of a large series of patients at Bellvitge University Hospital, a tertiary university hospital in Barcelona, Spain. Diagnosis of sarcoidosis required histological confirmation except in certain specific situations. All patients underwent a prospective study protocol. Clinical assessment and follow-up of patients were performed by a multidisciplinary team.From 1976 to 2015, 640 patients were diagnosed with sarcoidosis, 438 of them (68.4%) were female (sex ratio F/M 2:1). The mean age at diagnosis was 43.3 ± 13.8 years (range, 14-86 years), and 613 patients (95.8%) were Caucasian. At diagnosis, 584 patients (91.2%) showed intrathoracic involvement at chest radiograph, and most of the patients had normal pulmonary function. Erythema nodosum (39.8%) and specific cutaneous lesions (20.8%) were the most frequent extrapulmonary manifestations, but there was a wide range of organ involvement. A total of 492 patients (76.8%) had positive histology. Follow-up was carried out in 587 patients (91.7%), over a mean of 112.4 ± 98.3 months (range, 6.4-475 months). Corticosteroid treatment was administered in 255 patients (43.4%), and steroid-sparing agents in 49 patients (7.7%). Outcomes were as follows: 111 patients (18.9%) showed active disease at the time of closing this study, 250 (42.6%) presented spontaneous remission, 61 (10.4%) had remission under treatment, and 165 (28.1%) evolved to chronic sarcoidosis; among them, 115 (19.6%) with mild disease and 50 (8.5%) with moderate to severe organ damage. A multivariate analysis showed that at diagnosis, age more than 40 years, the presence of pulmonary involvement on chest radiograph, splenic involvement, and the need of treatment, was associated with chronic sarcoidosis, whereas Löfgren syndrome and mediastinal lymphadenopathy on chest radiograph were indicators of good outcome.Sarcoidosis is a multisystem disease with protean clinical-radiographic manifestations. Although almost half of patients follow a spontaneous resolution or under treatment, a significant number of them may have several degrees of organ damage. This study emphasizes the value of a multidisciplinary approach and long-term follow-up by specialized teams in sarcoidosis

Vídeo-electroencefalografía: una necesidad

El vídeo-EEG es una herramienta diagnóstica habitual. Los avances técnicos de la última década la han simplificado de tal modo que con poco más de un ordenador y una cámara de vídeo pueden conseguirse registros de calidad. Se requiere personal preparado para su ejecución e interpretación. Es muy útil para el diagnóstico de episodios paroxísticos, para la clasificación y caracterización de crisis epilépticas y para la cuantificación de crisis o grafoelementos epileptiformes. Dada la importancia de un diagnóstico exacto, certero, ante un episodio paroxístico, no cabe duda de que esta herramienta debe ser cada vez más asequible para evitar el mal trato a muchos enfermos neurológicos. A pesar del paso de los años, un 20-30% de pacientes diagnosticados de epilepsia no son realmente epilépticos, lo cual sigue siendo excesivo e inaceptable.The video-EEG is a common diagnostic tool nowadays. The technical achievements of the last decade have brought a simplification of the equipment required to obtain good quality recordings, with little more than a computer and a video camera being necessary. However, the medical and technical staff must be well trained to execute and interpret the study. It is very useful in the diagnosis of paroxysmal events, for the classification and characterization of epileptic seizures and to quantify epileptiform discharges. Due to the importance of a correct diagnosis to avoid mistreating many neurological patients, this tool should be accessible to clinicians. In spite of the advances of recent years, 20-30% of patients diagnosed with epilepsy are not really epileptic, a fact that it is excessive and unacceptabl

Metabolic alterations in urine extracellular vesicles are associated to prostate cancer pathogenesis and progression

Urine contains extracellular vesicles (EVs) that concentrate molecules and protect them from degradation. Thus, isolation and characterisation of urinary EVs could increase the efficiency of biomarker discovery. We have previously identified proteins and RNAs with differential abundance in urinary EVs from prostate cancer (PCa) patients compared to benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). Here, we focused on the analysis of the metabolites contained in urinary EVs collected from patients with PCa and BPH. Targeted metabolomics analysis of EVs was performed by ultrahigh- performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The correlation between metabolites and clinical parameters was studied, and metabolites with differential abundance in PCa urinary EVs were detected and mapped into cellular pathways. We detected 248 metabolites belonging to different chemical families including amino acids and various lipid species. Among these metabolites, 76 exhibited significant differential abundance between PCa and BPH. Interestingly, urine EVs recapitulated many of the metabolic alterations reported in PCa, including phosphathidylcholines, acyl carnitines, citrate and kynurenine. Importantly, we found elevated levels of the steroid hormone, 3beta-hydroxyandros-5-en-17-one-3-sulphate (dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate) in PCa urinary EVs, in line with the potential elevation of androgen synthesis in this type of cancer. This work supports urinary EVs as a non-invasive source to infer metabolic changes in PCa.Urine contains extracellular vesicles (EVs) that concentrate molecules and protect them from degradation. Thus, isolation and characterisation of urinary EVs could increase the efficiency of biomarker discovery. We have previously identified proteins and RNAs with differential abundance in urinary EVs from prostate cancer (PCa) patients compared to benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). Here, we focused on the analysis of the metabolites contained in urinary EVs collected from patients with PCa and BPH. Targeted metabolomics analysis of EVs was performed by ultrahigh- performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The correlation between metabolites and clinical parameters was studied, and metabolites with differential abundance in PCa urinary EVs were detected and mapped into cellular pathways. We detected 248 metabolites belonging to different chemical families including amino acids and various lipid species. Among these metabolites, 76 exhibited significant differential abundance between PCa and BPH. Interestingly, urine EVs recapitulated many of the metabolic alterations reported in PCa, including phosphathidylcholines, acyl carnitines, citrate and kynurenine. Importantly, we found elevated levels of the steroid hormone, 3beta-hydroxyandros-5-en-17-one-3-sulphate (dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate) in PCa urinary EVs, in line with the potential elevation of androgen synthesis in this type of cancer. This work supports urinary EVs as a non-invasive source to infer metabolic changes in PCa