Planar ESPAR Array Design with Nonsymmetrical Pattern by Means of Finite-Element Method, Domain Decomposition, and Spherical Wave Expansion

The application of a 3D domain decomposition finite-element and spherical mode expansion for the design of planar ESPAR (electronically steerable passive array radiator) made with probe-fed circular microstrip patches is presented in this work. A global generalized scattering matrix (GSM) in terms of spherical modes is obtained analytically from the GSM of the isolated patches by using rotation and translation properties of spherical waves. The whole behaviour of the array is characterized including all the mutual coupling effects between its elements. This procedure has been firstly validated by analyzing an array of monopoles on a ground plane, and then it has been applied to synthesize a prescribed radiation pattern optimizing the reactive loads connected to the feeding ports of the array of circular patches by means of a genetic algorithm

ITERL: A Wireless Adaptive System for Efficient Road Lighting

This work presents the development and construction of an adaptive street lighting system that improves safety at intersections, which is the result of applying low-power Internet of Things (IoT) techniques to intelligent transportation systems. A set of wireless sensor nodes using the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.15.4 standard with additional internet protocol (IP) connectivity measures both ambient conditions and vehicle transit. These measurements are sent to a coordinator node that collects and passes them to a local controller, which then makes decisions leading to the streetlight being turned on and its illumination level controlled. Streetlights are autonomous, powered by photovoltaic energy, and wirelessly connected, achieving a high degree of energy efficiency. Relevant data are also sent to the highway conservation center, allowing it to maintain up-to-date information for the system, enabling preventive maintenance.Consejería de Fomento y Vivienda Junta de Andalucía G-GI3002 / IDIOFondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional G-GI3002 / IDI

El diálogo transdisciplinario un enfoque de abordaje del cambio climático

La transdisciplinariedad es una forma de generación del conocimiento dialogada. Los saberes tradicionales de las ciencias naturales y de las ciencias sociales debaten abiertamente con la experiencia empírica acumulada en las personas y organizaciones sociales. Mediante este diálogo a universidad y las organizaciones campesinas buscan estrategias de adaptación al cambio climático que les permita mejorar sus condiciones de vida y augurar un futuro para sus familias. Este artículo describe una fase del diálogo transdisciplinar del II semestre del 2014, a partir de un mapeo de las parcelas y la construcción de las memorias comunitarias. El reconocimiento en la responsabilidad por la destrucción de la tierra y la reflexión sobre la vida de esa tierra permite pensar en estrategias para sobrevivir con la destrucción y cuidar esa vida. La identificación en cada comunidad de los niveles de vulnerabilidad y de resiliencia de cada parcela abre la puerta a planes de finca que enfoquen la transformación productiva a una estrategia familiar y organizacional de desarrollo humano y adaptación al cambio climático. Palabras clave: Transdisciplinariedad, investigación acción participativa, adaptación al cambio climático, resiliencia y desarrollo

Silver-Derived Antimicrobial Coatings for the Prevention of Microbial Biofilms in Metal Pipes

The authors of this study would like to acknowledge the financial and technical support of the CETAQUA Foundation; without the said support, this work would not have been possible.The datasets generated during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable requeBiodeterioration is one of the most important processes in metal pipeline corrosion, and it can be due to physical, chemical, and biological factors. Coatings rich in silver have been used to inhibit this undesirable phenomenon. In this study, the antimicrobial properties of several silver-containing products used as a coating in pipelines were determined on a pilot scale in order to evaluate the ability of silver to inhibit biofilm formation. The results showed that the coating with silver zeolite at a concentration of 2000 mg L-1 inhibited the formation of a microbial biofilm and prevented the biodeterioration process. Therefore, from our study, it can be concluded that silver zeolite shows greater protection capacity than other silver preparations and presents advantages in relation to other silver coatings that are currently availableCETAQUA Foundatio

25F VALUE EFFICIENCY ASSESSMENT OF QUALITY OF LIFE IN SPANISH MUNICIPALITIES

Área temática: F) Sector Público Palabras clave: calidad de vida, bienestar, municipios, DEA, VEA Keywords: quality of life, welfare, municipalities, DEA, VEA Clasificación JEL: R00, O18, H75, C60 1 VALUE EFFICIENCY ASSESSMENT OF QUALITY OF LIFE IN SPANISH MUNICIPALITIES Resumen En este trabajo se utiliza la metodología VEA-Value Efficiency Analysis para evaluar la calidad de vida de los 643 municipios españoles de mayor tamaño, utilizando 19 indicadores. El VEA es un refinamiento del DEA que impone consistencia sobre los pesos de los indicadores. Estos indicadores cubren aspectos relacionados con el consumo, servicios sociales, vivienda, transporte, medio ambiente, mercado laboral, salud, cultura, educación y seguridad. También se calculan índices VEA de supereficiencia para construir un ranking completo de calidad de vida. Los resultados muestran que la parte norte y centro de España obtiene los niveles mayores de calidad de vida. Abstrac

Emotions Detection based on a Single-electrode EEG Device

The study of emotions using multiple channels of EEG represents a widespread practice in the field of research related to brain computer interfaces (Brain Computer Interfaces). To date, few studies have been reported in the literature with a reduced number of channels, which when used in the detection of emotions present results that are less accurate than the rest. To detect emotions using an EEG channel and the data obtained is useful for classifying emotions with an accuracy comparable to studies in which there is a high number of channels, is of particular interest in this research framework. This article uses the Neurosky Maindwave device; which has a single electrode to acquire the EEG signal, Matlab software and IBM SPSS Modeler; which process and classify the signals respectively. The accuracy obtained in the detection of emotions in relation to the economic resources of the hardware dedicated to the acquisition of EEG signal is remarkable

External ophthalmomyiasis by Oestrus ovis treated with tobacco: clinical case report and medical literature review

External ophthalmomyiasis is an infestation of conjunctiva with larvae or maggots of certain lies. Oestrus ovis is the most common cause of human ophthalmomyiasis. The case of a 16-yearold female is described, who presented with foreign body sensation, pain, and redness in the left eye. Slit-lamp biomicroscopy revealed 32 tiny larvae crawling around the conjunctival sac. The larvae were mechanically removed under topical anesthesia, and identiied under a light microscope as irst-stage larvae of O. ovis causing external ophthalmomyiasis. She was successfully treated with topical tobacco juice. Follow-up examination of these cases is recommended to avoid possible complications

The involvement of McpB chemoreceptor from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 in virulence

Work in Dr. Manzanera’s laboratory was funded by the Spanish Ministry for Economy and Competitiveness, within the context of the research projects CTM2017-84332-R, and CGL2017-91737-EXP. Dr. Krell’s laboratory was supported by FEDER funds and Fondo Social Europeo through grants from the Junta de Andalucía (grant CVI-7335) and the Spanish Ministry for Economy and Competitiveness (grants BIO2013-42297 and BIO2016-76779-P). We thank Prof. Caroline Harwood (University of Washington) for providing a P. aeruginosa PAO1 wt strain and the mcpB mutant, that were used for initial experiments not reported here.Supplementary information accompanies this paper at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-49697-7.Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic human pathogen causing infections in a variety of plant and animal hosts. The gene mcpB, part of the chemosensory gene cluster II, encodes a soluble chemoreceptor whose function remains unknown. Previous studies show that the cheB2 gene, also located in the chemosensory cluster II, is involved in a specific response during infection and it is required for full pathogenicity of P. aeruginosa. To determine whether the McpB (or Aer2) chemoreceptor is involved in virulence processes, we generated a mcpB mutant and tested its phenotype using a virulence-measuring system. This system was developed by our group and is based on different bioassays using organisms living at different soil trophic levels, including microbial, nematode, arthropod, annelid, and plant model systems. The deletion of mcpB resulted in an attenuation of bacterial virulence in different infection models, and wild-type virulence was restored following genetic complementation of the mutant strain. Our study indicates that the McpB chemoreceptor is linked to virulence processes and may constitute the basis for the development of alternative strategies against this pathogen.CTM2017-84332-RCGL2017-91737-EXPFEDER funds and Fondo Social Europeo through grants from the Junta de Andalucía (grant CVI-7335)Spanish Ministry for Economy and Competitiveness (grants BIO2013-42297 and BIO2016-76779-P

Experiencias en entornos de Computación Ubicua mediante Arquitecturas Orientadas a Servicios

El desarrollo del proyecto Domoweb, cuyo objetivo principal, es la creación de un entorno domótico gestionado vía Web, nos ha permitido acumular experiencia sobre las arquitecturas orientadas a servicio, concretamente sobre la plataforma basada en la especificación de OSGi e implementada con software de fuentes abiertas. En este artículo, comentamos las decisiones tomadas durante el desarrollo del proyecto y ampliamos la visión inicial hacia ámbitos de computación ubicua más genéricos que el hogar digital. Además, señalamos la necesidad de integrar en la arquitectura propuesta, la gestión de los Servicios Web, ampliando de ese modo las capacidades del entorno y su funcionalidad

An Embedded System in Smart Inverters for Power Quality and Safety Functionality

The electricity sector is undergoing an evolution that demands the development of a network model with a high level of intelligence, known as a Smart Grid. One of the factors accelerating these changes is the development and implementation of renewable energy. In particular, increased photovoltaic generation can affect the network’s stability. One line of action is to provide inverters with a management capacity that enables them to act upon the grid in order to compensate for these problems. This paper describes the design and development of a prototype embedded system able to integrate with a photovoltaic inverter and provide it with multifunctional ability in order to analyze power quality and operate with protection. The most important subsystems of this prototype are described, indicating their operating fundamentals. This prototype has been tested with class A protocols according to IEC 61000-4-30 and IEC 62586-2. Tests have also been carried out to validate the response time in generating orders and alarm signals for protections. The highlights of these experimental results are discussed. Some descriptive aspects of the integration of the prototype in an experimental smart inverter are also commented upon