Ex-post Evaluation of Geomembrane Biodigesters to Treat Organic Residuals in Mountain Ecosystems

The economic and financial efficiency of two 10 m3 geomembrane biodigesters to treat swine and cattle residuals was evaluated. The study took place at the Cooperative of Credits and Services (CCS) of the municipality of Cumanayagua, Cienfuegos, Cuba. Its aim was to apply a procedure to evaluate investment projects management, based on the logical framework approach. The indicators for evaluation and the indexes of component and management were determined in two moments within the life cycle of the biodigesters: preparation and evaluation. The biodigester for swine residues had +185% economic efficiency, totally corresponding to the results from physical and financial efficacy, along with 69% undervalued operational costs. On the other hand, the biodigester for cattle residues had -90%, -87% periodic efficiencies, along with decreased relative physical, financial and cost efficacies, as well as a reduction of operational costs to 37 and 67%, respectively. In general terms, the economic efficiency had the greatest difficulties during the first three years of the application, caused by unbalances between the planned income and the real expenses. To conclude, biodigesters ranged from low to moderate operation, according to the values preset for the research. Technology proved feasibility, but the economic and financial variables were monitored permanently

Evaluation of CNN architectures for gait recognition based on optical flow maps

This work targets people identification in video based on the way they walk (\ie gait) by using deep learning architectures. We explore the use of convolutional neural networks (CNN) for learning high-level descriptors from low-level motion features (\ie optical flow components). The low number of training samples for each subject and the use of a test set containing subjects different from the training ones makes the search of a good CNN architecture a challenging task.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

Determination of Network Configuration Considering Inventory Cost in a Supply Chain

AbstractIn this paper we show the importance of applying mathematical optimization when designing the distribution network in a supply chain, specifically in making decisions related location of facilities and inventory management, which are associated with different levels of planning but are closely related.The addressed problem is an extension of the classic capacitated facility location problem. The distinguishing features are: the inventory management, the presence of multiple plants, and the single source constraints in both echelons. A key issue is that demand at each distribution center is a function of the demands at the retailers assigned, which is a random variable whose value is not known at the time of designing the network. We focus on the mathematical modeling of the problem and the evaluation of the performance of the developed models, so, it can be observed the troubles that arise when modeling supply chains that consider different types of decisions

Estudio de Puriscal VII. Desarrollo psicomotor del niño menor de dos años

artículo -- Universidad de Costa Rica, Instituto de Investigaciones en Salud. 1982. Parte de una serie de estudios que se realizaron en la zona.Se realizó un estudio prospectivo del desarrollo psicomotor en lactantes de Puriscal, utilizando la prueba de desarrollo psicomotor de Gessel y la prueba de desarrollo intelectual (sensoriomotor) de Casati-Lezine. Todos los niños fueron evaluados a los 3, 6, 9, 12 y 18 mesas, en sus hogares. Como no hay datos longitudinales sobre el desarrollo psicomotor del niño en Costa Rica, las pruebas se utilizan pare obtener información básica y comparar los indices de desarrollo, dentro de una misma área y no para compararlos con niños de otras cultures. Los resultados muestran una tendencia ascendente en el desarrollo psicomotor, pues se presentan indices de desarrollo mas bajos en las pruebas iniciales que en las realizadas a edades mas avanzadas, observación que no ha sido reportada por otros estudios en Costa Rica. Una cause de esto puede ser que las madres tienden a no proporcionar juguetes a los niños en esta época, de lo que se puede deducir que la estimulación de las madres juega un papal de vital importancia en el desarrollo del niño. Tomando en consideración este aspecto, se pueden elaborar medidas correctivas, que sin alterar las normas culturales de las madres, prevengan problemas en el desarrollo infantil.A prospective study of psychomotor development of Puriscal children was Carried out using the Casati-Lezine test of intelectual development, and the Gesell test of psychomotor development. Children were examined at 3, 6, 9, 12 and 18 months, with tests carried out in their homes. As there are no longitudinal data in Costa Rica on psychomotor development of children, this study is designed to provide basic information on child development in the rural area. No comparisons were made with studies on development in other cultures. The results show a tendency for development indices to be lower at an early age than at a later age, probably because mothers have a tendency not to expose their infants to toys in the early months of life. Stimulation by mothers plays an important role in the child development. Corrective measures are possible without altering cultural features in the community.Universidad de Costa Rica, Instituto de Investigaciones en Salud.UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias de la Salud::Instituto de Investigaciones en Salud (INISA

Critical appraisal of pralatrexate in the management of difficult-to-treat peripheral T cell lymphoma

Aggressive T cell lymphomas are a subgroup of lymphomas with a particularly poor prognosis. This is especially true for patients with recurrent or refractory disease, who typically have limited response to salvage therapy and extremely poor overall survival. For this reason, there is a strong need to develop potentially active drugs for these malignancies. Pralatrexate is a novel antifolate designed to have high affinity for reduced folate carrier type 1. Preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated that pralatrexate has significant activity against T cell lymphomas. The dose-limiting toxicity for pralatrexate is mucositis, which can be abrogated with folic acid and vitamin B12 supplementation. Pralatrexate is the first single agent approved for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory peripheral T cell lymphoma. This approval was based on an overall objective response rate observed in the pivotal study. The overall response rate was 29%, with a median duration of 10.1 months. This article reviews the biochemistry, preclinical experience, metabolism, and pharmacokinetics of pralatrexate, including the clinical experience with this agent in lymphoma. Future areas of development are now focused on identifying synergistic combinations of pralatrexate with other agents and the evaluation of predictive markers for clinical benefit

Forecasting through deep learning and modal decomposition in multi-phase concentric jets

This work presents a set of neural network (NN) models specifically designed for accurate and efficient fluid dynamics forecasting. In this work, we show how neural networks training can be improved by reducing data complexity through a modal decomposition technique called higher order dynamic mode decomposition (HODMD), which identifies the main structures inside flow dynamics and reconstructs the original flow using only these main structures. This reconstruction has the same number of samples and spatial dimension as the original flow, but with a less complex dynamics and preserving its main features. We also show the low computational cost required by the proposed NN models, both in their training and inference phases. The core idea of this work is to test the limits of applicability of deep learning models to data forecasting in complex fluid dynamics problems. Generalization capabilities of the models are demonstrated by using the same neural network architectures to forecast the future dynamics of four different multi-phase flows. Data sets used to train and test these deep learning models come from Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) of these flows.Comment: 46 pages, 20 figures. Submitted to Expert Systems with Application

Resultados a largo plazo de intervención de Magnuson-Stack modificada para la luxación anterior recidivante de hombro

Los autores han realizado una revisión largo plazo versus corto plazo con 29 pacientes tratados mediante la técnica de Magnuson-Stack por luxación anterior recidivante de hombro. Se encontró un empobrecimiento de los resultados globales, observándose empeoramiento de la estabilidad (pasan del 90.47% de resultados excelentes al 58.62%, así como del 9.52 de resultados malos al 31.03%), aumento del arco de movilidad (movilidad excelente del 57.14 al 82.75%), permaneciendo la función prácticamente inalterada.Twenty-nine patients with recurrent shoulder dislocation trailed surgicaly by modified Magnuson-Stack procedure are colected. The authors made a long-term versus short-term review of results. They have found a worsening of results in the total longterm review. They observe a worsening of the stability (90.47% excellent results in short-term but 58.62% in long-term) (9.52% bad results in short-term but 31.03% in long-term). There are an increase of range mobility (57.14% excellent in short-term versus 82.75% in long-term). The function remain unchanged

Evaluation of methods for DNA extraction from Clostridium tyrobutyricum spores and its detection by qPCR

Clostridium tyrobutyricum is the major agent that causes the blowing defect in cheese due to the germination of its dormant spores during the ripening stage. As a result, many of the affected cheeses show cavities and cracks, which cause the product loss in most cases. Nowadays, there is not a fast method capable of detecting milk contaminated with C. tyrobutyricum spores. The aim of this study has been to develop a fast and reliable method based on real time PCR (qPCR) to detect C. tyrobutyricum spores in raw milk. One of the main limitations has been to find a good procedure for the spore disruption to extract the DNA due to its high resistance. For this reason, different disruption methods have been tested, including chemical agents, bead beating, enzymatic and microwave treatment. Furthermore, an enzymatic treatment with subtilisin was applied for milk clarification and recovery of spores. The comparison of the assayed methods has been made using sterile milk spiked with C. tyrobutyricum spores, obtained in solid or liquid medium. The results showed that microwave treatment followed by a standard DNA purification step was found to be the best disruption method. The Ct values obtained for spores were higher than those found for vegetative cells by qPCR, for the same quantity of DNA. This difference could be due to the action of the Small Acid Soluble Proteins (SASP) in the DNA packaging of spores. Moreover, spores obtained in agar plate were found more resistant to disruption than those obtained in liquid medium. Subtilisin and microwave treatments were found to be successful for DNA extraction from C. tyrobutyricum spores in milk and subsequent identification by qPCR. However, the differences observed between the amplification of DNA from spores obtained in different media and from vegetative cells have to be taken into account to optimize a method for C. tyrobutyricum detection

Detection of butyric spores by different approaches in raw milks from cow, ewe and goat

Clostridium tyrobutyricum is described as the main causative agent of late blowing defect in cheese. Currently, there are no fast methods to detect this microorganism in raw milk, which would allow determining the use of milk for fresh or cured cheese. The technique commonly used is the Most Probable Number, which is laborious and non-specific. In this work, we present the optimization of a real-time PCR-based detection method for C. tyrobutyricum spores in raw milk samples. This novel approach extracts DNA in a semi-automatic system with magnetic beads. The applicability of the developed procedure has been tested in field milk samples from cow, ewe and goat (n = 202), allowing detection of low levels of butyric spores. Raw milk samples were also analyzed by microbiological culture in a selective medium for butyric bacteria, and positive colonies were identified by multiplex PCR and 16S rDNA sequencing. Apart from C. tyrobutyricum, other Clostridium spp. were identified, which should be considered for further development of detection methods

Mineralogía del perfil de «La Muela», terciario del sector central de la Depresion del Ebro (provincia Zaragoza)

The stratigraphic sequenre of «La Muela>., at the South (Central Sector) of the Ebro basin, is studied. This profile presents two difIerentiated uoits. The first one gypsum-bearing and the second one carbonatic, which correspond to the gypsum of Zaragoza and Alcubierre Cormations respectively. 80th units present a different mineralogical assofiation. The first one is characterized by gypsum, carbonates (calcite/dolomite), clay minerals and quartz, whereas in the second one the association is carbonates (calcite and/or dolomite), clay minerals and quartz. The clay minerals systematically present are: illite, smectites, chlorite and kaolinite. However, it is possible to observe an important quantitative change between both units, with a variation in the average of smectites from 23% to 46%. The variation in the molar content of MgCO3 in the carbonates has loo to propase a model of the chemical evolution on the vertical, in agreement with the sedimentologic analysis of the materials, which correspond to playa and lacustrine deposits.El perfil estratigráfico de La Muela, sector Sur de la Depresión del Ebro. Consta de dos tramos diferenciados, el primero rico en yeso y el segundo carbonatado, que corresponden respectivamente a las Formaciones Yesos de Zaragoza y Alcubierre. Ambos tramos presentan una asociación mineralógica distinta: el primero está caracterizado por yeso, carbonatos (calcita/dolomita), minerales de la arcilla y cuarzo, mientras que el segundo la asociación consta de carbonatos (calcita y/o dolomita), minerales de la arcilla y cuarzo. Los minerales de la arcilla presentes sistemáticamente son: ilita, esmectitas, clorita y caolinita. No obstante, se observa un importante cambio cuantitativo entre ambos tramos con una variación notable en el contenido en esmectitas, que en términos medios, es del 23 al 46%. La variación del contenido molar en CO3 Mg de los carbonatos ha permitido proponer un modelo de evolución química en la vertical, que se corresponde con el análisis sedimentológico de los materiales. Se trata de depósitos de tipo playa a lacustres someros