Emissions pollutant from diesel, biodiesel and natural gas refuse collection vehicles in urban areas

Urban pollution is more and more concern due to human health implications. In that way, emissions pollutant from commercial vehicles which move daily at fixed itineraries such as, buses and refuse collection vehicles must be monitored. In this study we have aimed to show the results of the test made on refuse collection vehicles, in real conditions, with regard to their energy consumption and emissions pollutant. A comparative study is carried out with regard to CO, HC, NOx, PM and greenhouse gas emissions, in respect of two types of engine with three different fuels. The fuels analyzed are diesel, biodiesel (B50 and B100) and compressed natural gas (CNG)

The quality of internet information relating to oral leukoplakia

Objectives: The Internet provides great opportunities for patient healthcare education, but poses risks that inaccurate, outdated or harmful information will be disseminated. Our objective was determine the quality of the information available on the internet in relation to oral leukoplakia. Study design: Sites were identified using 3 search engines (Google, Yahoo and MSN), and the search term ?oral leukoplakia?. The first 100 consecutive sites in each search were visited and classified. The websites were evaluated for quality of content by using the validated DISCERN rating instrument and the JAMA benchmarks; the existence of the Health on the Net (HON) seal was also registered. Results: The Google search yielded 54.300 sites for oral leukoplakia, while Yahoo yielded 243.000 and MSN 103.000. We reviewed 21 Google websites, 20 Yahoo websites and 19 MSN. Based on the JAMA benchmarks, only 4 sites (19.1%) met the four criteria in the Google search, versus 2 sites (10%) in the Yahoo and 5 (26.3%) in MSN. With the DISCERN instrument, no site obtained the maximum score, with Google 13 sites presented serious deficiencies (61.9%), in the Yahoo search 14 (70%), and in MSN 15 (78.9%). Lastly, 4 of the Google sites (19.1%), four of the Yahoo sites (20%) and 2 (10.5%) MSN sites presented the HON seal. Conclusions: The quality of the health care information related to oral leukoplakia on the internet is poo

Comparison of pain and swelling after removal of oral leukoplakia with CO2 laser and cold knife: a randomized clinical trial

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare conventional surgery with carbon dioxide (CO2) laser in patients with oral leukoplakia, and to evaluate the postoperative pain and swelling. Study design: A total of 48 patients (27 males and 21 females) with a mean age of 53.7 ± 11.7 years and diagnosed with oral leukoplakia were randomly assigned to receive treatment either with conventional surgery using a cold knife or with a CO2 laser technique. A visual analog scale (VAS) was used to score pain and swelling at different postoperative time points. Results: Pain and swelling reported by the patients was greater with the conventional cold knife than with the CO2 laser, statistically significant differences for pain and swelling were observed between the two techniques during the first three days after surgery. Followed by a gradual decrease over one week. In neither group was granuloma formation observed, and none of the patients showed malignant transformation during the period of follow-up. Conclusions: The CO2 laser causes only minimal pain and swelling, thus suggesting that it may be an alternative method to conventional surgery in treating patients with oral leukoplakia

¿Prosodia norteña o castellana? Aproximación a la entonación del oriente de Cantabria

Son escasos los estudios realizados hasta el momento acerca de la entonación del castellano de Cantabria. Las peculiares características geográficas y lingüísticas de esta región, su temprana incorporación a Castilla, la fuerte influencia del euskera, del asturleonés y de algunos dialectos del español justifican suficientemente su gran variedad lingüística interna. En este estudio analizamos la estructura entonativa de Laredo, con el fin de realizar una primera aproximación a la taxonomía entonativa de la zona oriental y mostrar las diferencias y semejanzas con otras variedades lingüísticas norteñas y castellanas. El análisis de los datos muestra una gran variedad de realizaciones de los acentos tonales en las dos modalidades oracionales y una fuerte influencia de la estructura acentual de las palabras en la configuración entonativa. En términos generales, hemos constatado la coexistencia de dos modelos diferentes: de una parte, el patrón norteño, conservado con regularidad en el área rural. De otra, el patrón castellano, característico del área urbana, si bien presenta interferencias con los rasgos entonativos autóctonos.To this date studies in the intonation of the Cantabrian Castillian are scarce. The peculiar geographical and linguistic characteristics of this region, its early incorporation to Castille, the strong influence of Euskera, Asturleones and of other Spanish dialects sufficiently justify its wide internal variety. In this paper an analysis of the intonational structure of Laredo is performed, with a view to stablishing a first approximation to the intonational taxonomy of the eastern area and showing the differences and similitudes with other northern varieties and Castillians. The analysis of the data shows a great variety of realizations of the tonal accents in the two orational modes and a strong influence of the accentual structure of the words on the entonative configuration. In general terms, we have confirmed the coexistence of two diferent models: on the one hand, the northern pattern, regularly preserved in rural areas and, on the other hand, the Castillian one, characteristic of urban areas, albeit showing interferences with indigenous intonative features.Son escasos los estudios realizados hasta el momento acerca de la entonación del castellano de Cantabria. Las peculiares características geográficas y lingüísticas de esta región, su temprana incorporación a Castilla, la fuerte influencia del euskera, del asturleonés y de algunos dialectos del español justifican suficientemente su gran variedad lingüística interna. En este estudio analizamos la estructura entonativa de Laredo, con el fin de realizar una primera aproximación a la taxonomía entonativa de la zona oriental y mostrar las diferencias y semejanzas con otras variedades lingüísticas norteñas y castellanas. El análisis de los datos muestra una gran variedad de realizaciones de los acentos tonales en las dos modalidades oracionales y una fuerte influencia de la estructura acentual de las palabras en la configuración entonativa. En términos generales, hemos constatado la coexistencia de dos modelos diferentes: de una parte, el patrón norteño, conservado con regularidad en el área rural. De otra, el patrón castellano, característico del área urbana, si bien presenta interferencias con los rasgos entonativos autóctonos

Computer simulations of the structure of nanoporous carbons and higher density phases of carbon

The most stable form of solid carbon is graphite, a stacking of graphene 2 layers in which the carbon atoms show sp2 hybridization which leads to strong intra3 layer bonding. Diamond is a denser phase, obtained at high pressure. In diamond the 4 carbon atoms show sp3 hybridization. Metastable solid carbon phases can be pre5 pared also with lower density than graphite (in fact, densities lower than water); for 6 instance the carbide-derived carbons. These are porous materials with a quite disor7 dered structure. Atomistic computer simulations of carbide-derived carbons indicate 8 that the pore walls can be viewed as curved and planar nanographene ribbons with 9 numerous defects and open edges. Consequently, the hybridization of the carbon 10 atoms in the porous carbons is sp2. Because of the high porosity and large specific 11 surface area, nanoporous carbons find applications in gas adsorption, batteries and 12 nanocatalysis, among others. We have performed computer simulations, employing 13 large simulation cells and long simulation times, to reveal the details of the structure 14 of the nanoporous carbons. In the dynamical simulations the interactions between 15 the atoms are represented by empirical many-body potentials. We have also investi16 gated the effect of the density on the structure of the disordered carbons and on the 17 hybridization of the carbon atoms. At low densities, typical of the porous carbide18 derived carbons formed experimentally, the hybridization is sp2. On the other hand, 19 as the density of the disordered material increases, a growing fraction of atoms with 20 sp3 hybridization appear

Characterization of european virgin olive oils using fatty acids

The possibility of discriminating between extra virgin olive oils from different regions of Spain, Italy and Portugal, by means of their fatty acid content, has been investigated. A dendrogram allowed discrimination between the oils starting from their initial grouping and progressing to differentiation on the basis of regions. Multivariant statistical analyses were applied to determine the actual discriminatory capacity of this group of compounds. The confidence associated with the final discrimination was ascertained using the theory of evidence.Se ha estudiado la posibilidad de discriminación entre aceites de oliva virgen procedentes de diferentes regiones de España, Italia y Portugal, mediante sus ácidos grasos. Para llevar a cabo la discriminación entre los aceites, desde su agrupación inicial hasta la diferenciación por regiones, se empleó una estructura arborescente. Fueron aplicados procedimientos estadísticos multivariantes para determinar la capacidad discriminante actual de este grupo de compuestos. La certeza asociada a la discriminación final fue calculada mediante la teoría de la evidencia

Labor Demand and Information Technologies: Evidence for Spain, 1980-2005

Using the EU KLEMS dataset we test the capital-skill complementarity hypothesis in a cross-section of sectors in Spain between 1980 and 2005. We analyze three groups of workers, who are classed according to skill level: high, medium and low. Capital assets have been broken down into ICT (information and communication technologies) assets and non-ICT assets. Acquisition and usage costs of ICT assets declined throughout the period studied, both in absolute terms and relative to the other capital assets and workers. Our principal finding is that the substitutibility between workers and ICT assets falls as worker skill level rises. In fact, the ICT assets were strongly complement with highly skilled workers and were not substitutive with them. Throughout the period analyzed, the fraction of employed medium- and high-skill workers rose by 21% and 12%, respectively, to the disadvantage of low-skill workers. After decomposing these changes, we found that the latter were dominated by an ajustment within sectors more than by a composition effect or adjustment between sectors. These adjustments may be explained by reference to the estimated elasticities of substitution.capital-skill complementarity, ICT, translog cost function, elasticity of substitution.

Variables que dinamizan el acceso a las tecnologías de información y comunicación en familias de ingreso medio del Valle de Aburrá

RESUMEN: El presente artículo muestra una metodología para seleccionar las variables que tengan una influencia significativa en la dinamización del acceso a las tecnologías de información y comunicación (TIC) en las familias de ingreso medio en el Valle de Aburrá, así como las interrelaciones principales entre esas variables. Las variables se escogen a partir de la combinación de tres métodos de interpretación de resultados, basados en Análisis Estructural con el software MICMAC (Impact Matrix Cross-reference Multiplication).ABSTRACT: This paper presents the methodology for the selection of the most important or essential variables to access information and communication technologies (ICT) in middle-income families from a developing country. The variables are chosen through a combination of three different methods for the interpretation of the results based on structural analysis using MICMAC (Impact Matrix Cross-reference Multiplication) software

Thematic Mapping: A Tool for Urban Governance. Contributions of Classical Graphic Semiology in the Context of New Geographical Paradigm

Bajo el paradigma de la neogeografía sobre el uso de las herramientas cartográficas, este artículo presenta una reflexión conceptual y distintas experiencias, que aúnan las aportaciones clásicas de la semiología cartográfica con las nuevas demandas de los ciudadanos. Los soportes expositivos, páginas web o atlas temáticos se han convertido en las herramientas para participar y cooperar en la ciudad, interactuar entre expertos y habitantes, reforzar las capacidades de los ciudadanos para empoderarse, y conocer con objetividad científica la realidad del espacio geográfico en el que viven.Under the paradigm of neography on the use of mapping tools, this paper presents a reflection and different experiences that combine the classic contributions of cartographic semiotics with the new demands of citizens needs. The exhibition media, web pages or thematic atlas have become the tools to participate and cooperate in the city, interact with experts and citizens, strengthen the capacity of citizens to empower, and to know the reality of scientific objectivity geographical space who live.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España) CSO2013- 46863-C3-3-