Quantitative study on the aging of kraft paper in vegetable oils

The focus of this article is on the values of the activation energy and pre-exponential factor in the Emsley/Heywood kinetic model as applied to vegetable oil-impregnated paper as a step forward in the quantitative study of the degradation of the paper

Study of the current performance of the European power transformer fleet

In many countries, diverse legislations are today asking for more rational use of energy. For this reason, several initiatives are nowadays promoting a reduction of the overall energy consumption. The European Union has published a Directive 2009/125/EC which fix eco-design requirements to energy-related products. One of these products is power transformers which are a basic piece of generation, transmission, distribution and consumption of electrical energy. The operation of these machines implies the transformation of energy, a part of this energy is dissipated in electrical and magnetic circuits. The amount of losses produce by transformers is defined during the design of these machines. So, they must comply with the above EU Directive. In fact, the Official Journal of the European Union has set a list of energy efficiency limits to be fulfilled by new machines sold in Europe (Commission Regulation 548/2014). This article presents three parts. The calculation of the maximum performance is presented in the first part. This is independent of the load percentage, the impedance and the voltage level. A description of the European fleet of power transformer, up to 100MVA is presented on the second section. In the last part of this work, the efficiency of the fleet is analysed using the maximum performance concept and considering the EU Regulation

Factors which influence the response to the negative pressure therapy (NPT) in wounds of patients of the Neiva University Hospital

Objective: identifying the factors which influence the response to the negative pressure therapy for wounds. Method: there were carried out between March and May 2013 a prospective longitudinal study at the University Hospital of Neiva with a sample of 9 patients, non-probabilistic by convenience. Results: there was clear predominance of males (88,9%) aged < 41 years old or less (77,7%). Before the treatment the patients manifested via numerical scale a pain level between 5 and 6 (44,4%), weight loss (88,9%), the average duration of treatment was 4.4 weeks, reduced wound size (88,9 %), social isolation during hospitalization (88,8%), reuse of canisters during refills (88,9%). Conclusions: nursing care for patients with wounds difficult to manage with a negative pressure therapy should be holistic; to generating a healthy environment by solving problems integrating the biopsychosocial needs affected and to minimizing the level of dependence

Efecto del ácido cítrico sobre los compuestos fenólicos, los flavonoides y la capacidad antioxidante en brotes de trigo

Wheat sprouts are a source of carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, essential nutrients and bioactive compounds that have been linked to the prevention and treatment of illnesses. The presence of these compounds in wheat sprouts may be increased by means of the application of organic acids during the growth stage. The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the effect of a sprayed application of citric acid (0, 10-2, 10-3, 10-4 and 10-5 M) on the total antioxidant capacity and total content of phenolic compounds and flavonoids in wheat sprouts. A completely randomized design was used, consisting of six repetitions. The results showed that phenolic compounds, flavonoids and antioxidant capacity increased significantly with the application of a 10-2 M foliar spray as compared to the control. As such, the spraying of low concentrations of secondary metabolism-inducing molecules during the sprout development process is a useful and effective method to stimulate the biosynthesis of bioactive phytochemicals and improve the nutraceutical quality of wheat sprouts.Los brotes o germinados son una fuente de carbohidratos, fibra, vitaminas, nutrimentos esenciales y compuestos bioactivos, los cuales se han relacionado con la prevención y tratamiento de enfermedades. La presencia de estos compuestos, en brotes de trigo, pueden incrementarse mediante la aplicación de ácidos orgánicos durante la etapa de crecimiento. El objetivo de la presente investigación fue evaluar el efecto de la aplicación por aspersión de ácido cítrico (0, 10-2, 10-3, 10-4 y 10-5 M) en la capacidad antioxidante total, contenido de compuestos fenólicos totales y flavonoides totales en brotes de trigo. Se utilizó un diseño completamente al azar con seis repeticiones. Los resultados mostraron que los compuestos fenólicos, flavonoides y la capacidad antioxidante se incrementaron significativamente con la aspersión foliar 10-2 M en relación al testigo. Por lo tanto, la aspersión de bajas concentraciones de moléculas inductoras del metabolismo secundario durante la etapa de desarrollo de brotes es un método útil y efectivo para estimular la biosíntesis de fitoquímicos bioactivos y mejorar calidad nutracéutica de los brotes de trigo.Fil: Preciado-Rangel, Pablo. Instituto Tecnológico de Torreón (México)Fil: Gaucín-Delgado, Jazmín Monserrat. Instituto Tecnológico de Torreón (México)Fil: Salas-Pérez, Lilia. Universidad Politécnica de Gómez Palacio (México)Fil: Sánchez Chavez, Esteban. Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo (México)Fil: Mendoza-Vllarreal, Rosalinda. Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro (México)Fil: Rodríguez Ortiz, Juan Carlos. Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí (México

Improving the efficiency of an air conditioning system using a fire water tank as thermal accumulator

This paper studies the substitution of air condensation by water condensation in the chiller of a university building. This building has a surface of about 30,000m2, is located in a city of the Spanish north coast, and refrigeration is needed for six months a year. In this paper, the novelty lies in the cooling system of the condensation water, since the typical cooling tower is not going to be considered; instead, the domestic cold water consumed in the building would be used to cool the chiller condensing water. As the domestic water consumption in the building is neither constant nor coincident with the cooling requirements of the chiller, the use of the fire water tank as heat storage was proposed. Thus, the chiller is cooled by the water contained in the fire tank and this fire water is then cooled by the domestic water. With this solution, the reduction in the annual energy consumption of the chiller is around 18.6%. The requirements to implement this solution in buildings are: cool water for air conditioning produced in a centralized way, a relatively high building domestic water demand and a building fire water tank. Practical application: The solution proposed in this paper can contribute to primary energy savings by improving the energy efficiency of HVAC systems. It can be adopted in all buildings that require refrigeration, have a significant consumption of domestic water, and have a water storage tank for fire or other uses. The article includes the preliminary design of a water-water heat exchanger as a possible solution for cooling the chiller, but alternative solutions could be adopted. Finally, a cost-benefit analysis has been performed, showing that the proposed solution is feasible

Interaction effects of fermentation time and sourdough content on the size and acidity in bread

The use of sourdough to provide certain physical, organoleptic and nutritional properties to bread is one of the most used biotechnological processes in the production of cereal-based foods. Sourdough, yeast and fermentation time are elements that provide rising to the bread, in addition to aroma, flavour and nutritional properties. The time of fermentation of the dough before baking and the portion of sourdough added in the dough pieces are decisive on the acids formation by microbiological action, and thus, the properties of the bread. The physical aspect is also an important factor in the final product, and it can be widely affected according to the percentage of sourdough used and the fermentation time prior to baking. This is due to the variation in the rheological properties of the dough and possibly to the competition existing in the microbiota development. In this work, the interaction effects of fermentation time and sourdough content on the size and acidity in bread are assessed. For this purpose, bread samples were prepared with a fixed amount of yeast and 0, 20 and 50% sourdough portions. Afterwards, they were allowed to ferment periods of 0, 60, 120, 180, 240, 300 and 360 minutes before being baked. The results obtained are reported in the present work.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Diagnóstico microbiológico de la infección por el VIH

Producción CientíficaEn la actualidad se calcula que en España hay alrededor de 150.000 personas infectadas por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH). Este número, junto con el hecho de que esta enfermedad se haya convertido en una patología crónica gracias a los nuevos tratamientos antirretrovirales, condiciona una gran demanda asistencial en los laboratorios de microbiología de nuestros hospitales. Esta mayor demanda tiene lugar no sólo en el terreno del diagnóstico y tratamiento de las infecciones oportunistas, sino también en pruebas que ayudan en el diagnóstico y tratamiento terapéutico de la propia infección por el virus. Consciente de ello, la Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica ha realizado una actualización de su procedimiento sobre el diagnóstico microbiológico de la infección por VIH. En dicho procedimiento se realiza una revisión de las principales novedades en el terreno del diagnóstico serológico, de la carga viral plasmática y de la detección de resistencias a los distintos retrovirales

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Evolution of Prevalence and Patterns of Cannabis Use among First-Year University Students in Spain—UniHcos Project

Among university students there has been evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic increased their psychological distress, exacerbated by social restrictions. The main objective of this study was to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the prevalence and patterns of cannabis use among university students, in contrast to previous trends since 2012. Data from 10,522 first-year university students (73.3% female, Mage 19 (SD = 1.6)) from eleven Spanish universities collected between 2012 and May 2022 was analysed. Prevalences of cannabis use and their differences by sex were studied, as well as changes in patterns of use and its use for coping during the pandemic. It was found that during lockdown, all prevalence rates of cannabis use decreased in both sexes, showing no statistically significant differences and increasing again in the new normal period in both. Among regular cannabis users, 79.7% reported maintaining or increasing their cannabis use during the pandemic, and of these, half reported using cannabis to cope. Moreover, cannabis use in the usual household increased during the lockdown. These results show that although the overall prevalence of cannabis use was reduced during the lockdown, regular users tended to maintain or increase cannabis use. This could imply two different patterns of use among students, one social and occasional versus the other regular, providing new lines of research for prevention and the implementation of social policies.This research was funded by the National Drug Plan from the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality of Spain (Grant numbers: 2010|145, 2013|034 and 2020|030) and Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Grant number: PI16/01947)

Sarcoidosis cardíaca: Una causa infrecuente de arritmias ventriculares malignas

The most frequent cause of ventricular tachycardia in our environment is, by far, chronic ischemic heart disease. However, there is also a less infrequent and more heterogeneous group of other causes that must be taken into account in the differential diagnosis. One of the most typical is sarcoidosis. We present a clinical case of cardiac sarcoidosis that is a good example of the typical pattern of the disease on imaging tests.La causa más frecuente en nuestro medio de taquicardia ventricular es, con mucha diferencia, la cardiopatía isquémica crónica. Sin embargo, también existe un grupo menos infrecuente y más heterogéneo de otras causas que hay que tener en cuenta en el diagnóstico diferencial. Una de las más típicas es la sarcoidosis. Presentamos un caso clínico de sarcoidosis cardíaca que es un buen ejemplo del patrón típico de la enfermedad en las pruebas de imagen