Isotope Labelling for Reaction Mechanism Analysis in DBD Plasma Processes

Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasmas and plasma catalysis are becoming an alternative procedure to activate various gas phase reactions. A low-temperature and normal operating pressure are the main advantages of these processes, but a limited energy efficiency and little selectivity control hinder their practical implementation. In this work, we propose the use of isotope labelling to retrieve information about the intermediate reactions that may intervene during the DBD processes contributing to a decrease in their energy efficiency. The results are shown for the wet reforming reaction of methane, using D2O instead of H2O as reactant, and for the ammonia synthesis, using NH3/D2/N2 mixtures. In the two cases, it was found that a significant amount of outlet gas molecules, either reactants or products, have deuterium in their structure (e.g., HD for hydrogen, CDxHy for methane, or NDxHy for ammonia). From the analysis of the evolution of the labelled molecules as a function of power, useful information has been obtained about the exchange events of H by D atoms (or vice versa) between the plasma intermediate species. An evaluation of the number of these events revealed a significant progression with the plasma power, a tendency that is recognized to be detrimental for the energy efficiency of reactant to product transformation. The labelling technique is proposed as a useful approach for the analysis of plasma reaction mechanisms

Concepciones de estudiantes de piano sobre el aprendizaje, la enseñanza y la evaluación

The Version of Record of this manuscript has been published and is available in Estudios de Psicología 2012 http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1174/021093912799803872Artistic domains of knowledge, such as music performance, have not raised the interest of researchers focused on conceptual change. By adopting the framework of implicit theories, this article addresses the conceptions of learning and instruction held by students at professional music conservatories. More specifically, our aims were to study the conceptions of learning, teaching, and assessment/evaluation held by piano students at three developmental/instructional levels, and analyze whether their conceptions constitute theoretically consistent profiles. The participants, 215 students of Intermediate and Tertiary levels, were selected according to three levels of the combined variable “Age/Level of Instruction”. Data were collected through a multiple-choice questionnaire, and analyzed with descriptive and non-parametric methods. The findings suggested that: a) students’ conceptions tend to be more sophisticated as their age and education level increase; b) each developmental/instructional group is typically associated to different conceptions; c) three increasingly sophisticated profiles of conceptions can be identified among these students. Implications for conceptual change research and limitations of the study are discussed. Further lines of research are suggestedEl campo del conocimiento artístico, como la interpretación musical, no ha despertado el interés de los investigadores que estudian el cambio conceptual. Adoptando el marco de teorías implícitas, este estudio aborda las concepciones sobre el aprendizaje y la instrucción de estudiantes de conservatorios profesionales de música. Nuestros objetivos eran estudiar las concepciones sobre aprendizaje, enseñanza, evaluación/acreditación mantenidas por estudiantes de piano de tres niveles evolutivo/educativos, y analizar si dichas concepciones constituían perfiles teóricamente consistentes. Los participantes, 215 estudiantes de Grado Medio y Superior, fueron seleccionados de acuerdo a tres niveles de la variable combinada “Edad/Nivel de Instrucción”. Los datos fueron recogidos mediante un cuestionario de opción múltiple,y analizados mediante métodos descriptivos y no-paramétricos. Los resultados sugieren que: a) las concepciones de estos estudiantes tienden a ser más sofisticadas a medida que avanza su edad y nivel educativo; b) cada grupo evolutivo/educativo está típicamente asociado a diferentes concepciones; c) entre los estudiantes, pueden identificarse tres perfiles de concepciones de sofisticación creciente. Se discuten las implicaciones para la investigación sobre cambio conceptual, las limitaciones del estudio,y se sugieren futuras líneas de investigació

Assessing the current state and restoration needs of the beaches and coastal dunes of Marismas Nacionales, Nayarit, Mexico

Around the world, population growth, land use changes and coastal infrastructure have modified coastlines. In many cases these actions have induced intense degradation and loss of the ecosystems there. Sandy beaches and coastal dunes are amongst the most threatened features. In Mexico, coastal dunes in the state of Nayarit, on the Pacific, have been affected by small scale tourism, the construction of artificial inlets and an increase in agricultural activities, even though they are part of a Biosphere Reserve. While there is a growing need for restoration or rehabilitation programs to protect these coastal dunes, such actions are almost non-existent because of financial limitations, difficulties in deciding which locations most urgently need these strategies, and the uncertainty of the results. Our goal was to evaluate the coastline of the Marismas Nacionales Biosphere Reserve, in the state of Nayarit, Mexico, examining geomorphological, ecological, and socioeconomic variables. Ninety sites were assessed, using the Re-Dune index, 41 beaches were found to be in a good state of conservation, while 43 are degraded but with the potential for success when subjected to restoration measures. Six sites were seen as highly degraded, with rehabilitation being the most viable option. By recovering the coastal dunes of Marismas Nacionales, the hurricane protection provided by them will be enhanced and sustainable social and economic development will be more likely.CEMIE-Océano 24979

Análisis y distribución de hidrocarburos policíclicos aromáticos (PAH's) en suelos y aguas de escombreras en Puertollano (Ciudad Real)

The aim of this study was to examine if the soils and waters of Puertollano area are affected by pollution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their quantification. The results show that PAHs concentrations are higher in all samples than the reference levels gathered in the Spanish legislation. The possible actions for the coal waste remediation (re-wash of waste dumps, photodegradation and biorremediation) seems to be unviable in this case because of the large volume of materials affected, the slowness of these processes, and the geomorphological characteristics of the carboniferous Puertollano basin. During the spatial regional planning, maps showing the concentration of PAHs should be made to adapt the soil for its corresponding use. It is proposed to consider as contaminants more PAHs, such as naftalene or fluorantene in waters, and phenanthrene and benzo[ghi] perilene in soils

Artificial intelligence in wind speed forecasting: a review

Wind energy production has had accelerated growth in recent years, reaching an annual increase of 17% in 2021. Wind speed plays a crucial role in the stability required for power grid operation. However, wind intermittency makes accurate forecasting a complicated process. Implementing new technologies has allowed the development of hybrid models and techniques, improving wind speed forecasting accuracy. Additionally, statistical and artificial intelligence methods, especially artificial neural networks, have been applied to enhance the results. However, there is a concern about identifying the main factors influencing the forecasting process and providing a basis for estimation with artificial neural network models. This paper reviews and classifies the forecasting models used in recent years according to the input model type, the pre-processing and post-processing technique, the artificial neural network model, the prediction horizon, the steps ahead number, and the evaluation metric. The research results indicate that artificial neural network (ANN)-based models can provide accurate wind forecasting and essential information about the specific location of potential wind use for a power plant by understanding the future wind speed values

Health-care guidelines and policies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico: a case of health-inequalities

Background Heterogeneous government responses have been reported in reaction to COVID-19. The aim of this study is to generate an exploratory review of healthcare policies published during COVID-19 by health-care institutions in Mexico. Analyzing policies within different health sub-systems becomes imperative in the Mexican case due to the longstanding fragmentation of the health-care system and health inequalities. Data and Methods Policies purposely included in the analysis were published by four public health institutions (IMSS, ISSSTE, SSA and PEMEX) during the COVID-19 epidemic in Mexico (from February 29th to June 15th, 2020) on official institutional websites. Researchers reviewed each document and classified them into seven policy categories set by the Rapid Research Evaluation and Appraisal Lab (RREAL): public health response, health-care delivery, human resources, health-system infrastructure and supplies, clinical response, health-care management, and epidemiological surveillance. Results Policy types varied by health institution. The largest number of policies were aimed at public health responses followed by health-care delivery and human resources. Policies were mainly published during the community transmission phase. Conclusions The pandemic exposed underlying health-care system inequalities and a reactive rather than prepared response to the outbreak. Additionally, this study outlines potential policy gaps and delays in the response that could be avoided in the future

Seudomicetoma dermatofítico en un gato persa : aspectos clínicos, patológicos y evolutivos

En este trabajo presentamos los aspectos clínicos, anatomopatológicos y evolutivos de un caso de dermatitis piogranulomatosa múltiple causada por hongos del género Microsporum, también conocida como seudomicetoma dermatofítico, en un gato persa, no castrado, de un año de edad al comienzo de la enfermedad. Las lesiones se caracterizaron macroscópicamente por la formación de numerosos nódulos de diferentes tamaños, localizados en la cabeza y antebrazo derecho, extendiéndose posteriormente a zona dorso lateral del tronco. La evolución de estos nódulos, que se generalizaron en algo menos de un mes, era hacia la coalescencia y fistulización, con descarga de un material grumoso blanco-grisáceo. El estudio histopatológico reveló una dermatitis piogranulomatosa, supeficial y profunda, caracterizada por presentar en el centro de los granulomas agregados de hongos septados inmersos en una matriz acidófila. La extirpación quirúrgica de un gran número de nódulos proporcionó mejorías transitorias, aunque reaparecieron nuevas lesiones. En este trabajo se describe la evolución tras dos años de seguimiento clínico. Tras el tratamiento con griseofulvina no se detectan nuevas lesiones después de 6 meses de su aplicación y seguimiento.This paper reports the clinical and histopathological features of a case of pyogranulomatous dermatitis caused by Microsporum fungi, a condition also known as dermatophyte pseudomycetoma, in a eneyear-old Persian cat. Grossly apparent fistulized nodules of varying sizes displaying a granular discharge were localized on the head, back, elbow and tail. Microscopic analysis revealed a deep piogranulomatous dermatitis characterized by centrally-located clusters of fungi within an acidophilic matrix. In just under a month, nodules had beco me generalized. Partial surgical excision and non-specific treatment provided temporary improvement, but new lesions subsequentlyappeared

"Historias de la divinal victoria de Orán" por Martín de Herrera. Edición en facsímile de la impresa en su taller de Logroño por Arnao Guillén de Brocar en 1510, publicada en conmemoración del quinto centenario de la conquista de Orán (1509)

The «Historia de la divinal conquista de Orán», the unique work we know written by Martin de Herrera (fl. 1500), is devoted to the expedition against Oran’s city promoted by the Cardinal Jiménez de Cisneros, with a mentality of crusade. The work can be considered a polyphonic historiographic poem, because, of a side, it tries to narrate the conquest in verse for persons capable of reading and of understanding numerous typological and figural references. Of another side, the Author inserts a piece of pastoral theatre on the same topic, destined to illiterate, as well as also poems to be sung by the music of popular compositions, in celebration of Oran’s conquest. In the historiographical section is inserted a version in verse of the legend of the Conquest of Jerusalem, as well as other pious romance stories that circulated in parallel, for exemple, «Gamaliel» «History of Vespasian», etc. /////////////////////////La "Historia de la divinal conquista de Orán" es una obra del escritor Martín de Herrera (fl. 1500) referida a la expedición contra la ciudad de Orán promovida por el Cardenal Jiménez de Cisneros con una mentalidad de cruzada. La obra se puede considerar polifónica porque, de un lado, pretende narrar la conquista en verso para personas capaces de leer y de entender numerosas referencias tipológicas y figurales. De otro lado, Martín de Herrera inserta una pieza de teatro pastoril sobre el mismo tema, destinado a analfabetos, así como también poemas para ser cantados con la música de composiciones populares, en celebración de la conquista de Orán. En la sección historiográfica se inserta una versión en verso de la Conquista de Jerusalén, así como también otras narraciones piadosas que circularon paralelamente a las leyendas artúricas, como "Gamaliel" o la "Historia de Vespasiano"

Estudio epidemiológico y factores pronóstico de la infección en artroplastias, durante un periodo de 6 años.

Mediante un sistema de vigilancia epidemiológica de infecciones se estudia la incidencia de infec - ción en prótesis de rodilla y cadera entre los años 2007 y 2012 en nuestro hospital. Los resultados se comparan con otros sistemas de vigilancia en España y Europa (Programa Inclimecc ® , Helics ® y según el Center for Disea - ses Control ). En nuestro hospital se han colocado un total de 3155 prótesis de cadera y rodilla (prótesis de cadera y rodilla por artrosis y prótesis cadera por fractura subcapital) con un total de infecciones registradas de 66 y una tasa media de infección de 2.09. Los factores predisponentes estudiados han sido: diabetes mellitus, obesidad, neoplasia, insuficiencia renal, artritis reumatoide y toma de corticoides, siendo los dos primeros los factores más presentes en los casos de infección (32% y 26 % respectivamente). También se ha visto que las cirugías más lar - gas (más de 110 minutos) presentan más incidencia de infección. En cuanto a la microbiología, Staph. coagulasa negativos, Acinetobacter baumanii , Staph. epidermidis , Enteroc. faecalis , Eschericlia coli, Pseudomona aerugi - nosa han sido los microorganismos predominantes. Las tasas de infección de nuestro hospital se encuentran por debajo de los niveles recomendados por la Sociedad Española de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública y también son inferiores al estándar del programa HELICS ® en España.Through a system of epidemiological surveillance of infections is studied in our hospital the in - fection incidence in hip and knee replacement between 2007 and 2012. The results are compared with other Spanish and European surveillance systems (HELICS ® and Inclimecc ® Program). In our hospital have taken place a total of 3155 hip and knee replacements (hip and knee replacements because of osteoarthritis and, in case of hip replacements, also for subcapital fractures) reporting a total of 66 infections, with infection rate of 2.09. The predisposing factors studied were: diabetes mellitus, obesity, neoplasia, renal failure, rheumatoid arthritis and taking steroids, so the first two factors were present in most cases of infection (32 % and 26 % respectively). It has also been seen that longer surgeries (over 110 minutes) show a higher incidence of infection. In terms of microbiology, Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus , Acinetobacter baumannii and Staph. Epidermidis were the most common until 2009 (4/36 CNS, 4/36 Ac. Baumanii, 3/36 Staph.Epidermidis) and in 2010 had more presence Enteroc. Faecalis (3/12) and Eschericlia coli (3/12), although Acinet. Baumanii (4/12) was still the most common. In 2012 should also be pointed Pseudomonas aeuginosa (2/8) . Infection rates in our hospital are below levels recommended by the Spanish Society of Preventive Medicine and Public Health levels and also lower than the standard infection rate of HELICS ® program in Spain

Catalogue of the geological effects of earthquakes in Spain based on the ESI-07 macroseismic scale: A new database for seismic hazard analysis

This paper summarizes the content and scope of the “Catalogue of Earthquake Geological Effects in Spain”. The catalogue has been published by the Geological Survey of Spain (IGME) and constitutes the first official publication (in Spain) on seismic hazard containing geological information. The catalogue gathers the 51 stronger earthquakes that have occurred in Spain since the Neolithic period to the present and classifies earthquakes with geological or archaeological seismic records in paleoseismic, ancient, historical and instrumental earthquakes. The catalogue offers a variety of parametric information, quality indexes (Qe, Qi, Qg), and Environmental Seismic Intensity Scale (ESI-07) based description of environmental damage structured in individual “event files”. Sixteen of the 51 catalogued events present full information files (full event files), with individualized analyses of the geological and geoarchaeological data as well as graphic information with hybrid ESI-EMS intensity maps, ShakeMaps (seismic scenarios) and complementary kmz files (Google Earth) for each of the sixteen selected earthquakes; among which is the well-known AD 1755 Lisbon earthquake-tsunami. These selected earthquakes present individual environmental earthquake effects (EEE) or earthquake archaeoseismological effects (EAE) files for each catalogued effect containing specific site geo-information and graphic data (photos, graphs, maps, etc.). The second edition of the catalogue record 1027 EEEs and 187 EAEs, of which 322 effects have individual filesThis research was funded by the Spanish Research Project MINECO-FEDER CGL2015-67169-P (QTECSPAIN-USAL). This is contribution of the QTECT-AEQUA Working Group