Activated carbons as catalytic support for Cu nanoparticles

There are a wide range of catalytic applications for Cu-based nanoparticles materials, since Cu is an abundant and inexpensive metal and Cu nanoparticles possess unusual electrical, thermal and optical properties. The possible modification of the chemical and physical properties of these nanoparticles using different synthetic strategies and conditions and/or via postsynthetic chemical treatments has been largely responsible for the rapid growth of interest in these nanomaterials and their applications in catalysis. A previous work have explored the possibilities of SBA-15 (1,2) as support for Cu nanoparticles. In the present contribution, those results will be compared with the use of a carbon material as support, since activated carbon present many advantages with respect SBA, as the high surface area.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Valorization of Tomato Processing by-Products: Fatty Acid Extraction and Production of Bio-Based Materials

A method consisting of the alkaline hydrolysis of tomato pomace by-products has been optimized to obtain a mixture of unsaturated and polyhydroxylated fatty acids as well as a non-hydrolysable secondary residue. Reaction rates and the activation energy of the hydrolysis were calculated to reduce costs associated with chemicals and energy consumption. Lipid and non-hydrolysable fractions were chemically (infrared (IR) spectroscopy, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS)) and thermally (differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)) characterized. In addition, the fatty acid mixture was used to produce cutin-based polyesters. Freestanding films were prepared by non-catalyzed melt-polycondensation and characterized by Attenuated Total Reflected-Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), DSC, TGA, Water Contact Angles (WCA), and tensile tests. These bio-based polymers were hydrophobic, insoluble, infusible, and thermally stable, their physical properties being tunable by controlling the presence of unsaturated fatty acids and oxygen in the reaction. The participation of an oxidative crosslinking side reaction is proposed to be responsible for such modifications.Andalusian Regional Government P11-TEP-7418Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad AGL2015-65246-R and AGL2017-83036-RFondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) AGL2015-65246-R and AGL2017-83036-

Advanced Synchronization Control for Inverters Parallel Operation in Microgrids Using Coupled Hopf Oscillators

A simple high-performance decentralized controller based on Hopf oscillator is proposed for three-phase parallel voltage source inverter (VSI) in islanded Microgrid. In aß frame, the oscillators equations corresponding output current and com-mon bus voltage as feedbacks are designed according to coupled oscillator synchronization properties. The enough common bus information is considered to realize external synchronization, and the current feedback is to achieve internal synchronization between VSIs. Then, the controller employs Hopf evolution dynamics to integrate their both. Therefore, a larger phase error can be eliminated when additional inverter connects, and the pre-synchronization item is proposed to be close to synchronize with the operational inverters. In addition, an integrated small-signal states pace based on averaged model for two parallel VSIs is developed, and the root locus shows the large stability margin and low sensitivity of parameters. Simulation and experiment results verifi ed the effectiveness of the proposed method in aspects of the fast dynamics response and precise current sharing performance.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Perfil de los pacientes con trastorno adaptativo que acuden a las farmacias comunitarias españolas

Objetivo: El objetivo principal era conocer los perfiles de los sujetos que cumplían los criterios diagnósticos de trastorno adaptativo en la consulta habitual de las farmacias comunitarias españolas.Material y métodos: Estudio transversal de ámbito nacional sobre una muestra de 1.512 sujetos. Se evaluaron las características del perfil socio-demográfico y clínico, así como del estado de ánimo y de salud, recogidos mediante entrevista con el farmacéutico. El estado de ánimo se valoró mediante una escala de expresiones faciales con gradación del 1 (risa) al 7 (llanto). El estado de salud se valoró mediante preguntas sobre movilidad, cuidado personal, dolor y malestar, sueño y energía, ánimo, habilidades interpersonales y cognición. La duración total de la fase experimental fue de 7 meses. Se utilizó básicamente estadística descriptiva.Resultados: La población de sujetos estudiados que cumplían criterios diagnósticos de trastorno adaptativo tenía una edad media de 43,1±14,8 años, siendo un 63,0 % mujeres. El 61,8 % de los sujetos consultó por estado de ánimo deprimido con un tiempo de evolución de la mayor parte del día en el 60,8 % de ellos y durante más de 2 semanas en el 79,0 % de ellos. El 37,1 % de los sujetos valoró su estado de ánimo como triste (gradación 5-7). El 38,1 % de sujetos presentaba estado de ánimo deprimido y ansiedad. El 12,0 % de los sujetos presentaba síntomas depresivos subclínicos. Se observó relación significativa (p<0,001) entre problemas emocionales y salud física.Conclusión: Los síntomas más frecuentes de los pacientes que refieren sintomatología de trastorno adaptivo en este estudio son consulta frecuente en la farmacia comunitaria, lo que podría sugerir que los farmacéuticos comunitarios podrían ayudar con su intervención farmacéutica en la detección precoz y abordaje de esta patología

The effects of the use of organic solid wastes on the growth of citrus trees

Two types of organic solid wastes were selected to be applied in a citrus orchard: the sewage sludge (the most common on the settlements) and the manure (the most common on the agricultural fields). The sewage sludge is a residue originated from the wastewater treatment - the solid phase. Its application as an organic fertilizer may represent an alternative to the pollution effects in nature. In an orchard of orange-trees (Citrus sinensis [L.] Osbeck), the application of sludge was compared with the application of manure and with the control in order to observe the growth response of the trees. Biometric methods where used - number of leaves per tree, diameter of the trunk, leaf area, specific leaf areas and leaf chlorophyll content. In general, the citrus plants response to the application of sewage sludge and manure was positive for the plant growth, compared to the control. The application of the manure, and especially the sewage sludge (once this fertilizer / soil amendment is available in larger amounts) may be a profitable alternative application to the use of mineral fertilizers and to other soil amendments. Moreover, as the possible destinations of sewage sludge (sea, deposition in land fields, incineration) provoke environmental problems, its agricultural reuse is essential to avoid those problems, when correctly applied in relation to trace elements and to pathogenic parameters. The reuse of this solid waste may be a clean and a safe technique to preserve the environment contamination

An Approach to Interfacing the Brain with Quantum Computers: Practical Steps and Caveats

We report on the first proof-of-concept system demonstrating how one can control a qubit with mental activity. We developed a method to encode neural correlates of mental activity as instructions for a quantum computer. Brain signals are detected utilising electrodes placed on the scalp of a person, who learns how to produce the required mental activity to issue instructions to rotate and measure a qubit. Currently, our proof-of-concept runs on a software simulation of a quantum computer. At the time of writing, available quantum computing hardware and brain activity sensing technology are not sufficiently developed for real-time control of quantum states with the brain. But we are one step closer to interfacing the brain with real quantum machines, as improvements in hardware technology at both fronts become available in time to come. The paper ends with a discussion on some of the challenging problems that need to be addressed before we can interface the brain with quantum hardware.Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades PID2019-104002GB-C21Junta de Andalucía P20-00617Shanghai’s Municipality, China 2019SHZDZX01-ZX04 and 20DZ229090