Real-time estimation of free spaces in regulated on-street parking spaces using artificial neural networks

[EN] In this paper we will develop a methodology for estimating the percentage of free parking spaces available in the area of the city where a user is interested through a real-time query in a mobile app. The smartphone screen will provide a colour-coded map of the requested area that indicates the saturation state of the parking spaces.Magaña Suarez, M.; Núñéz Timermans, M. (2016). Real-time estimation of free spaces in regulated on-street parking spaces using artificial neural networks. En XII Congreso de ingeniería del transporte. 7, 8 y 9 de Junio, Valencia (España). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 2504-2509. https://doi.org/10.4995/CIT2016.2015.3528OCS2504250

USE OF MEDICINAL PLANTS BY THE VILLAGERS OF TAPOTZINGO, NACAJUCA, TABASCO, MEXICO.

Health services are one of the most pressing needs in the communities of Mexico and Tabasco, this is because in various rural regions do not have affordable health care or economic resources to access this service in particular. These problems occur primarily the indigenous groups Chontals of Tabasco.From 2009 to 2011, we conducted an ethnobotanical research in five villages in the municipality of Nacajucaamong which the village of Tapotzingo, where is concentrated the greater presence of indigenous groups, Tabasco Chontal

Degradación de metil tert-butil éter (MTBE) y otros oxigenantes de la gasolina por hongos filamentosos

El amplio uso de compuestos oxigenantes (MTBE, ETBE, TAME y TBA) como aditivos de las gasolinas en varios países como México, permitió el cumplimiento de normas ambientales y tuvo efectos benéficos sobre la calidad del aire al reducir las emisiones de monóxido de carbono, hidrocarburos y óxidos de nitrógeno a la atmósfera. Sin embargo se ha asociado al MTBE en la contaminación de cuerpos de agua y aire ambiental, además de mostrar efectos negativos a la salud de animales y humanos. En el presente trabajo, se estudió y evaluó la utilización de hongos filamentosos para la biodegradación de los compuestos oxigenantes de la gasolina: MTBE, ETBE, TAME y TBA. En la primera etapa del estudio, se colectaron varias cepas puras de hongos filamentos así como algunos cultivos mixtos que contenían algún hongo. Se realizó una fase de adaptación en MTBE y TBA así como en otros sustratos (gasolina, tolueno, hexano y dietil éter, para evaluar la degradación potencial por cometabolismo del MTBE) en medios sólidos y líquidos para monitorear el crecimiento en estos sustratos. Una vez que se seleccionaron los cultivos que mostraron resultados positivos de crecimiento, se evaluó la biodegradación y la respiración (O2, CO2) en microcosmos con medios líquidos. Ninguna de las cepas puras de hongos filamentosos logró degradar alguno de los oxigenantes como única fuente de carbono ni por cometabolismo. Se obtuvo un cultivo mixto: consorcio H, compuesto por el hongo A. terreus y al menos una bacteria capaz de degradar MTBE (0.0026 mg/mL·h), TAME (0.0019 mg/mL·h), ETBE (0.0023 mg/mL·h) y TBA (0.0133 mg/mL·h) en cultivos líquidos, con rendimientos celulares muy bajos. La enzima responsable de la oxidación inicial del MTBE fue inducible por el propio oxigenante, y el rompimiento del enlace éter fue el paso limitante en su degradación. Los experimentos con antibióticos aportan evidencia de que la degradación fue debida principalmente al hongo A. terreus. El cultivo perdía la actividad degradativa si crecía en un medio rico como PDA o agar nutritivo. Un segundo cultivo mixto (consorcio UAMI), compuesto por un hongo filamentoso (no identificado) y al menos tres bacterias, degradaron MTBE (1.5 mg/g protinicial·h), TAME (1.8 mg/g protinicial·h) y TBA (3.4 mg/g protinicial·h) pero no ETBE. La ruptura del enlace éter fue el paso limitante en la oxidación del MTBE por este cultivo. Los experimentos con los organismos aislados del consorcio UAMI, muestran que la degradación del MTBE requiere la asociación simbiótica del hongo y al menos una de las tres bacterias aisladas. Ninguno de los organismos aislados fue capaz de degradar MTBE por separado. El TBA podría representar para este cultivo, un sustrato de propagación sin que se pierda la capacidad de degradación como en el caso de los medios ricos. Se obtuvo además un cultivo fúngico no axénico de Fusarium solani CBS 117476 capaz de degradar como única fuente de carbono y energía al MTBE (VmMTBE = 16.4 mg MTBE/g proteína·h, KmMTBE = 0.0015 mg/mL), TBA (VmTBA = 46.3 mg TBA/g, KmTBA = 0.082 mg/mL) y TAME (36 mg/g proteína·h) y pero no ETBE. La ruptura del enlace éter también es el paso limitante para la oxidación del MTBE por este cultivo. A la fecha solo hay un reporte de degradación de MTBE con un hongo filamentoso: Graphium sp., que degradó cometabólicamente al MTBE con n-butano a una velocidad de 1.85 mg MTBE/g proteína·h (0.35 nmol/mg proteína·min) (Hardison et al. 1997). Los rendimientos para TBA (0.36 g biomasa/g TBA) y MTBE (0.18 g biomasa/g MTBE) estuvieron dentro del rango de valores reportados en la literatura. Experimentos con MTBE marcado confirmaron que el cultivo mineraliza el 77% del carbono degradado a CO2. El hongo Fusarium solani CBS 117476 degradó los intermediarios de la degradación de MTBE: HIBA y MHP. En experimentos de crecimiento en sustratos alternativos se observó que Fusarium solani creció bien en etanol, pero cuando se incubó en MTBE o TBA la biomasa crecida en etanol, tendió a lisarse, aunque con el tiempo recuperó la actividad de degradación de MTBE y TBA. Se requieren estudios posteriores referentes a la propagación en etanol y TBA ya que la propagación de biomasa activa es uno de los pasos limitantes para la degradación de compuestos oxigenantes. Se recomienda complementar las técnicas de análisis de cromatografía de gases con algunas otras técnicas tales como HPLC que permitan el estudio de los metabolitos no volátiles en la fase acuosa, con el fin de establecer de modo más preciso la ruta de degradación de oxigenantes por los cultivos estudiados En este trabajo se mostró que la degradación de los oxigenantes de la gasolina: MTBE, ETBE, TAME y TBA como única fuente de carbono y energía, por cultivos fúngicos es factible, y su utilización en sistemas de remediación tales como la biofiltración para la eliminación de este tipo de compuestos, puede ser interesante.The extensive use of oxygenated compounds (MTBE, ETBE, TAME and TBA) as additives of gasoline in many countries like Mexico, has improved the air quality by reducing the emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen to the atmosphere. Nevertheless, MTBE has been associated to contamination of drinking water and environmental air, besides showing negative effects to the health of animals and humans. In the present work, the use of filamentous fungi in the biodegradation of oxygenates of gasoline: MTBE, ETBE, TAME and TBA was evaluated. In the first stage of this study, several pure strains of fungi were collected as well as mixed cultures containing filamentous fungi. A phase of adaptation in MTBE and TBA as well as in other substrates (gasoline, toluene, hexane and diethyl ether, in order to evaluate the potential cometabolic degradation of MTBE) in solid and liquid media for monitoring the growth in these substrates was carried out. Once the selected cultures showed positive growth, biodegradation of oxygenates and respiration (O2, CO2) in microcosms in liquid media were evaluated. None of the filamentous fungi pure strains was able to degrade the oxygenates tested as a sole source of carbon and energy or by cometabolism. A mixed culture: consortium H, containing the fungus A. terreus and at least one kind of bacterium capable to degrade MTBE (0.0026 mg/mL·h), TAME (0.0019 mg/mL·h), ETBE (0.0023 mg/mL·h) and TBA (0.0133 mg/mL·h) in liquid media, with very low yields, was obtained. The enzyme responsible for the initial oxidation of MTBE was induced by the oxygenate and the breaking of the ether bond was the limit step in its degradation. The experiments with antibiotics contribute evidence that the degradation was mainly due to the fungus A. terreus. The culture lost its degradative activity after growing in rich media like PDA or nutritive agar. A second mixed culture (consortium UAMI), integrated for a filamentous fungus (not identified) and at least three bacteria, degraded MTBE (1.5 mg/g proteininitial·h), TAME (1.8 mg/g proteininitial·h) and TBA (3.4 mg/g proteininitial·h) but not ETBE. The rupture of the ether bond was the limit step in the oxidation of MTBE by this culture. Experiments with isolated organisms from consortium UAMI, showed that the degradation of the MTBE requires the symbiotic association of the fungus and at least one of the three bacteria. None of the isolated organisms was able to degrade MTBE separately. TBA could represent, for this culture, a propagation substrate without the capacity of degradation were lost, as in the case of rich media. A non-axenic fungal culture consisting of Fusarium solani CBS 117476 capable to degrade MTBE (VmMTBE = 16.4 mg MTBE/g protein·h, KmMTBE = 0.0015 mg/mL), TBA (VmTBA = 46.3 mg TBA/g protein·h, KmTBA = 0,082 mg/mL) and TAME (degradation rate = 36 mg TAME/g protein·h) as the sole source of carbon and energy but non ETBE, was obtained. The rupture of the ether bond also is the limit step for the oxidation of MTBE by this culture. There is only one reference that reports the degradation of MTBE with a filamentous fungus: Graphium sp.; this fungus degraded MTBE cometabolically with nbutane at 1.85 mg MTBE/g protein·h (0.35 nmol/mg protein·min) (Hardison et al. 1997). The yields for TBA (0.36 g biomass/g TBA) and MTBE (0.18 g biomass/g MTBE) were within the range of values reported in literature. Experiments with uniformly labeled [14C]MTBE confirmed that the culture mineralizes 77% of the degraded carbon to CO2. The fungus Fusarium solani CBS 117476 degraded the degradation intermediates of MTBE: HIBA and MHP. In experiments of growth in alternative substrates was observed that Fusarium solani grew well in ethanol, but when it was incubated in MTBE or TBA, the biomass grown in ethanol, showed some lyses, although with the time the culture recovered the degradation activity for MTBE and TBA. Later studies of propagation in ethanol and TBA are required since the propagation of active biomass is one of the limit steps for the degradation of oxygenates. It is recommended to complement the gases chromatography analysis techniques with some other techniques such as HPLC that allow the study of the nonvolatile metabolites in the liquid phase, in order to establishing more precisely the route of degradation of oxygenates by the studied cultures. In this work it was shown that the degradation of oxygenated compounds of gasoline: MTBE, ETBE, TAME and TBA as the sole source of carbon and energy, by fungal cultures is feasible, and their use in remediation systems such as biofiltration for eliminating this kind of compounds, could be interesting

Emissions and economic costs of cycling compact fluorescent lamps with integrated ballasts

This paper proposes a way to quantify the emissions of mercury (Hg) and CO2 associated with the manufacture and operation of compact fluorescent lamps with integrated ballasts (CFLis), as well as the economic cost of using them under different operating cycles. The main purpose of this paper is to find simple criteria for reducing the polluting emissions under consideration and the economic cost of CFLi to a minimum. A lifetime model is proposed that allows the emissions and costs to be described as a function of degradation from turning CFLi on and their continuous operation. An idealized model of a CFLi is defined that combines characteristics stated by different manufacturers. In addition, two CFLi models representing poor-quality products are analyzed. It was found that the emissions and costs per unit of time of operation of the CFLi depend linearly on the number of times per unit of time it is turned on and the time of continuous operation. The optimal conditions (lowest emissions and costs) depend on the place of manufacture, the place of operation and the quality of the components of the lamp/ballast. Finally, it was also found that for each lamp, there are intervals when it is turned off during which emissions of pollutants and costs are identical regardless of how often the lamp is turned on or the time it remains on. For CO2 emissions, the lamp must be off up to 5 minutes; for the cost, up to 7 minutes and for Hg emissions, up to 43 minutes. It is advisable not to turn on a CFLi sooner than 43 minutes from the last time it was turned off

Seis Sigma en pymes con bajo volumen de producción: una experiencia de éxito en aeronáutica

Six Sigma is currently one of the most powerful tools that exists for quality improvement. Designed for highly repetitive and high volume production manufacturing processes, it has been adopted by leading large organisations in many different sectors all around the world. Our goal is to study its applicability to SMEs with low production volumes and identify key success factors and obstacles to its implementation. The methodology followed is Action Research in an SME in the aeronautics sector using the DMAIC improvement cycle applied to a specific Six Sigma project. The results confirm Six Sigma’s applicability and suggest that success depends on key factors, such as the team’s commitment, the availability of resources and prior learning.Seis Sigma es actualmente una de las herramientas más potentes para la mejora de la calidad. Concebida para procesos productivos muy repetitivos y de gran volumen de producción, ha sido adoptada por las principales grandes organizaciones de todo el mundo en muchos sectores. Nuestro objetivo es estudiar su aplicabilidad en pymes, con bajos volúmenes de producción, e identificar los principales factores de éxito y obstáculos para su implementación. Se ha empleado la metodología “investigación en acción” en una pyme del sector aeronáutico, aplicando el ciclo de mejora DMAIC a un proyecto Seis Sigma concreto. Los resultados confirman su aplicabilidad y sugieren que el éxito depende de factores claves como el compromiso del equipo, la disponibilidad de recursos y la formación previa

La repoblación forestal en España: las especies utilizadas desde 1877 a partir de las cartografías forestales

En España, la actividad repobladora moderna comenzó en la segunda mitad del siglo xix. Este artículo analiza qué uso se hizo de las diferentes especies forestales en el periodo comprendido entre 1877 y 2013. Un periodo que subdividimos en tres etapas: 1877-1939, 1940-1984 y 1985-2013. Como fuentes documentales, utilizamos las series estadísticas forestales oficiales y las cartografías forestales de 1966 y 1997, que informan de una superficie repoblada que es, respectivamente, un 33% y 18% superior a la indicada por aquéllas. Ello confirma la importancia que tuvo la repoblación en la transformación del paisaje. Las cartografías forestales, cuya utilidad para corregir las deficiencias de las estadísticas oficiales queda así confirmada, también recogieron la rápida expansión en el territorio de las especies de crecimiento rápido, como el eucalipto, el pino de Monterrey, el pino gallego y el chopo, que en 1997 ocupaban el 46% de la superficie total repoblada. El resto de las repoblaciones se realizaron con especies autóctonas del género Pinus, que fueron las más utilizadas en las tres etapas. Sin embargo, en la última etapa las especies mediterráneas del género Quercus fueron las más usadas en las repoblaciones realizadas por particulares.The modern reforestation of Spain began in the second half of the nineteenth century. The aim of this study is to analyze the tree species involved and the three different historical stages that occurred between 1877 and 2013. This analysis is based on the official statistical series and national forest maps (NFMs) published in 1966 and 1997. Using NFMs, the estimated total reforested area was found to be, respectively, 33 and 18% higher than the estimates available in the official statistics for the corresponding historical periods. This highlights the great importance that reforestation has had in shaping the Spanish landscape, as well as the value of NFMs in filling the gaps arising from data based entirely on statistical series only. The NFMs of 1966 and 1997 explain the rapid spread of fast-growing species such as eucalyptus, Monterrey and Maritime pines and poplars, which represent up to 46% of the total reforested area according to the NFM of 1997. However, native pine have been the predominant species in reforestation throughout this historical period although, from 1993 onwards, the use of native hardwoods, especially certain species of oak, came to dominate reforestation projects on privately-owned land. The national reforestation maps presented here allow further research on the spatial-temporal evolution of the reforested areas in order to gain further insights into the resulting forested stands and landscapes

A probabilistic concept of accessibility for access structures

In this paper we introduce the concept of weighted accessibility for access structures. In some sense, it represents a measure of how difficult or how easy is to recover the secret. We give also a numerical measure of accessibility for each participant depending on his position in the access structure. Both concepts, the accessibility of the access structure and the accessibility of the participants are closely related. We also provide an axiomatic characterization of the weighted accessibility for access structures based on four simple properties