Thermal comfort evaluation in an educational building with air conditioning located in the warm tropical climate of Colombia

The objective of this work is to evaluate the perception of thermal comfort that students have in building 10 of the Universidad de la Costa located in the city of Barranquilla. For the investigation the methods for the thermal comfort evaluation are analyzed, selecting the Steady-State methodology of Fanger according to the ASHRAE 55 Standard. With the application of the surveys, the thermal sensation that the students had in the building was evaluated, which was preferably fresh and thermal acceptability where 87% responded satisfactorily to indoor climate conditions in classrooms. It was also obtained that the perception of inner thermal comfort is between 21.1 ° C and 23 ° C of temperature. With the results obtained, recommendations are issued to ensure that students feel thermal comfort and the proper regulation of air conditioning systems

Malaria elimination campaigns in the Lake Kariba region of Zambia: a spatial dynamical model

Background As more regions approach malaria elimination, understanding how different interventions interact to reduce transmission becomes critical. The Lake Kariba area of Southern Province, Zambia, is part of a multi-country elimination effort and presents a particular challenge as it is an interconnected region of variable transmission intensities. Methods In 2012-13, six rounds of mass-screen-and-treat drug campaigns were carried out in the Lake Kariba region. A spatial dynamical model of malaria transmission in the Lake Kariba area, with transmission and climate modeled at the village scale, was calibrated to the 2012-13 prevalence survey data, with case management rates, insecticide-treated net usage, and drug campaign coverage informed by surveillance. The model was used to simulate the effect of various interventions implemented in 2014-22 on reducing regional transmission, achieving elimination by 2022, and maintaining elimination through 2028. Findings The model captured the spatio-temporal trends of decline and rebound in malaria prevalence in 2012-13 at the village scale. Simulations predicted that elimination required repeated mass drug administrations coupled with simultaneous increase in net usage. Drug campaigns targeted only at high-burden areas were as successful as campaigns covering the entire region. Interpretation Elimination in the Lake Kariba region is possible through coordinating mass drug campaigns with high-coverage vector control. Targeting regional hotspots is a viable alternative to global campaigns when human migration within an interconnected area is responsible for maintaining transmission in low-burden areas

Flexible transbronchial optical frequency domain imaging smart needle for biopsy guidance

Transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) is a procedure routinely performed to diagnose peripheral pulmonary lesions. However, TBNA is associated with a low diagnostic yield due to inappropriate needle placement. We have developed a flexible transbronchial optical frequency domain imaging (TB-OFDI) catheter that functions as a “smart needle” to confirm the needle placement within the target lesion prior to biopsy. The TB-OFDI smart needle consists of a flexible and removable OFDI catheter (430 µm dia.) that operates within a standard 21-gauge TBNA needle. The OFDI imaging core is based on an angle polished ball lens design with a working distance of 160 µm from the catheter sheath and a spot size of 25 µm. To demonstrate the potential of the TB-OFDI smart needle for transbronchial imaging, an inflated excised swine lung was imaged through a standard bronchoscope. Cross-sectional and longitudinal OFDI results reveal the detailed network of alveoli in the lung parenchyma suggesting that the TB-OFDI smart needle may be a useful tool for guiding biopsy acquisition to increase the diagnostic yield

Energy planning for fuel oil saving in an industrial laundry

In this paper was applied a method of energy planning, compatible with ISO 50001 standard, in an industrial laundry. In the analysis, three input variables were considered: level of production, technical condition of the system and operating regime. The past, present and future of fuel oil consumption in the steam generation and use was examined, establishing the causes of deterioration of consumption indicator. A study of load and capacity in the system identified potential savings through improved operating regime. A new regime for the operation of boilers was proposed and implemented, saving 16% of fuel. With the results of these measurements, the baseline was developed and goals are established.En el presente trabajo se diseña y aplica un procedimiento de planificación energética, compatible con la norma ISO 50001, a una lavandería industrial. Se analizan tres variables de entrada: nivel de producción, estado técnico del sistema y régimen de operación. Se examina el pasado, presente y futuro del consumo del fuel oíl en el sistema de generación y uso del vapor, estableciendo las causas del deterioro del indicador de consumo. A través de un estudio de carga y capacidad en el sistema se identificaron las potencialidades de ahorro mejorando el esquema de operación. Se propuso un nuevo esquema para la operación de las calderas el cual fue implementado lográndose un ahorro del 16% de combustible. Con los resultados de las mediciones se elabora la línea base y se establecen nuevas metas

Achievable information rates estimates in optically amplified transmission systems using nonlinearity compensation and probabilistic shaping

Achievable information rates (AIRs) of wideband optical communication systems using a ∼40  nm (∼5  THz)∼40  nm (∼5  THz) erbium-doped fiber amplifier and ∼100  nm (∼12.5  THz)∼100  nm (∼12.5  THz) distributed Raman amplification are estimated based on a first-order perturbation analysis. The AIRs of each individual channel have been evaluated for DP-64QAM, DP-256QAM, and DP-1024QAM modulation formats. The impact of full-field nonlinear compensation (FF-NLC) and probabilistically shaped constellations using a Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution were studied and compared to electronic dispersion compensation. It has been found that a probabilistically shaped DP-1024QAM constellation, combined with FF-NLC, yields achievable information rates of ∼75  Tbit/s∼75  Tbit/s for the EDFA scheme and ∼223  Tbit/s∼223  Tbit/s for the Raman amplification scheme over a 2000 km standard single-mode fiber transmission