Electricity microgeneration in pressure hydraulic networks

The aim of this study is to analyze and evaluate the installation of microturbines placed at selected points of water distribution systems to generating electricity from excess and unused hydraulic energy. In order to achieve this objective, we have considered some alternatives to installation in hydraulic pressurized networks of two municipalities in the province of Huelva: Cañaveral de León and Aracena. These water distribution systems are managed by the public company Giahsa. An economic feasibility analysis of the proposed installation alternatives as well as a proposal for amortization of the investment were shown in this work

Onde est@o os meus livros... ou a bibliotea nas nuvens?

At present, access to information is almost as valuable as information itself. Over the years, the role of libraries has usually been considered to include collection development, cataloging and access, and user services namely the loan of books, magazines and journals. However, this falls short in the contemporary context. That is why in addition to these functions, libraries are now information access facilitators, i.e. they make all kinds of knowledge and information easily available to users. Higher education library users may show different degrees of proficiency in the way they access both information and documents available at the libraries of their higher education institutions. This may often be related to the way libraries are able to fulfil their role of sharing information about existing library resources and their use. Bearing in mind this context, the topic of this conference presentation is our library and the different library resources available for use. This includes: the characteristics of library resources; how these library resources work, namely the abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature SCOPUS, which is the latest resource available from the library; the b-on platform (i.e. Online library of knowledge); Open-Access resources and tutorials available on the library webpage

POSTURAL STABILITY IN PERSONS WITH CEREBRAL PALSY AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PERfORMANCE IN VERTICAL JUMPING

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of postural stability of persons affected by different symptoms of cerebral palsy, and, on the other hand, to determine its relationship with the level of the neuromuscular potential of the subjects, evaluated on the base of their performance in the two-legged countermovement jump. The obtained results confirmed, first, significant differences between the subjects affected by hemiplegia and those affected by tetraparesis concerning the quality of postural stability, and, second, that the higher capacity for neuromuscular activity of the lower extremities is correlated with more stable posture. In this way, muscle strength seems to be a limiting factor in standing posture

Sma3s: A three-step modular annotator for large sequence datasets

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.Automatic sequence annotation is an essential component of modern 'omics' studies, which aim to extract information from large collections of sequence data. Most existing tools use sequence homology to establish evolutionary relationships and assign putative functions to sequences. However, it can be difficult to define a similarity threshold that achieves sufficient coverage without sacrificing annotation quality. Defining the correct configuration is critical and can be challenging for non-specialist users. Thus, the development of robust automatic annotation techniques that generate high-quality annotations without needing expert knowledge would be very valuable for the research community. We present Sma3s, a tool for automatically annotating very large collections of biological sequences from any kind of gene library or genome. Sma3s is composed of three modules that progressively annotate query sequences using either: (i) very similar homologues, (ii) orthologous sequences or (iii) terms enriched in groups of homologous sequences. We trained the system using several random sets of known sequences, demonstrating average sensitivity and specificity values of ∼85%. In conclusion, Sma3s is a versatile tool for high-throughput annotation of a wide variety of sequence datasets that outperforms the accuracy of other well-established annotation algorithms, and it can enrich existing database annotations and uncover previously hidden features. Importantly, Sma3s has already been used in the functional annotation of two published transcriptomes.This work has been partially financed by the National Institute for Bioinformatics (www.inab.org), a platform of Genoma España and the EC project ‘Advancing Clinico-Genomic Trials on Cancer’ (contract no. 026996).Peer Reviewe

Solving the Location Area Problem by Using Differential Evolution

In mobile networks, one of the hard tasks is to determine the best partitioning in the Location Area problem, but it is also an important strategy to try to reduce all the involved management costs. In this paper we present a new approach to solve the location management problem based on the Location Area partitioning, as a cost optimization problem. We use a Differential Evolution based algorithm to find the best configuration to the Location Areas in a mobile network. We try to find the best values for the Differential Evolution parameters as well as define the scheme that enables us to obtain better results, when compared to classical strategies and to other authors’ results. To obtain the best solution we develop four distinct experiments, each one applied to one Differential Evolution parameter. This is a new approach to this problem that has given us good results

Mejora de la seguridad y la vida útil de alimentos de origen vegetal mediante métodos biológicos

Los alimentos de origen vegetal están a menudo implicados en la aparición de brotes de intoxicaciones alimentarias. El control biológico de los microorganismos patógenos o alterantes en alimentos vegetales no deja de ser una herramienta interesante, como lo demuestra la intensidad de los estudios realizados en este campo sobre los agentes antimicrobianos producidos por microorganismos, en especial los conocidos como bacteriocinas, así como los antimicrobianos naturales presentes en las plantas y sus aceites esenciales. Los bacteriófagos son una herramienta muy interesante para la inactivación de patógenos en alimentos, como lo demuestra el reciente desarrollo de preparados comerciales. Los antimicrobianos naturales funcionan mejor cuando se emplean como parte de la tecnología de obstáculos o barreras, pudiendo establecer efectos sinérgicos con otros agentes antimicrobianos o con tratamientos físico químicos.Vegetable foods are often involved in outbreaks of foodborne illnesses. Biological control of human pathogenic and food spoiling bacteria in vegetable foods still remains a viable approach, as shown by the numerous studies published in recent years on antimicrobial substances from microorganismos, especially the so-called bacteriocins, as well as on plant-derived natural antimicrobial compounds and essential oils. Bacteriophages are also a relevant tool for inactivation of foodborne pathogens, as shown by recent development of commercial phage preparations. The efficacy of natural antimicrobials can be improved considerably if they are used as part of hurdle technology, since they can act synergistically with other antimicrobials or with physico-chemical treatments

Bioconservación de alimentos cárnicos

Las bacteriocinas, así como las cepas bacterianas que las producen, han sido ampliamente estudiadas para la conservación de los alimentos por métodos naturales (bioconservación). En productos cárnicos (abarcando toda la gama, desde la materia prima hasta productos elaborados) se han desarrollado numerosos estudios empleando bacteriocinas como nisina, pediocinas y otras, bien solas o aplicadas con otros antimicrobianos (como ácidos orgánicos o agentes quelantes) o tratamientos (como el calor, las altas presiones o la luz pulsada) para la inactivación de bacterias patógenas o alterantes. Los resultados de muchos de estos tratamientos son bastante prometedores, como por ejemplo el empleo de bacteriocinas como recubrimientos protectores en salchichas. Las cepas de bacterias lácticas seleccionadas por su capacidad productora de bacteriocinas ofrecen buenas perspectivas como cultivos protectores, pero sobre todo como cultivos iniciadores en la elaboración de productos cárnicos fermentados, mejorando la seguridad microbiológica de los mismos. El empleo de cultivos iniciadores bacteriocinogénicos con propiedades funcionales definidas abre nuevas vías para la innovación y el desarrollo de nuevos productos cárnicos fermentados.Bacteriocins as well as their producer strains have been widely investigated for application in natural food preservation processes (biopreservation). Numerous studies have been carried out on application of bacteriocins such as nisin, pediocin and others in different types of meat products, either singly or in combination with other antimicrobials (such as organic acids or chelating agents) or treatments (such as heat, pulsed light or high hydrostatic pressure). Many of the results reported are highly promising, like for example the application of bacteriocins in edible coatings for sausages. Bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacteria are also interesting, in view of their possible applications as protective cultures or as starter cultures in fermented meat products, increasing the product safety. Bacteriocin-producing starter cultures with additional functional properties open new possibilities for innovation and development of new fermented meat products

The nuclear and extended infrared emission of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 2992 and the interacting system Arp 245

We present subarcsecond resolution infrared (IR) imaging and mid-IR spectroscopic observations of the Seyfert 1.9 galaxy NGC 2992, obtained with the Gemini North Telescope and the Gran Telescopio CANARIAS (GTC). The N-band image reveals faint extended emission out to ~3 kpc, and the PAH features detected in the GTC/CanariCam 7.5-13 micron spectrum indicate that the bulk of this extended emission is dust heated by star formation. We also report arcsecond resolution MIR and far-IR imaging of the interacting system Arp 245, taken with the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Herschel Space Observatory. Using these data, we obtain nuclear fluxes using different methods and find that we can only recover the nuclear fluxes obtained from the subarcsecond data at 20-25 micron, where the AGN emission dominates. We fitted the nuclear IR spectral energy distribution of NGC 2992, including the GTC/CanariCam nuclear spectrum (~50 pc), with clumpy torus models. We then used the best-fitting torus model to decompose the Spitzer/IRS 5-30 spectrum (~630 pc) in AGN and starburst components, using different starburst templates. We find that, whereas at shorter mid-IR wavelengths the starburst component dominates (64% at 6 micron), the AGN component reaches 90% at 20 micron. We finally obtained dust masses, temperatures and star formation rates for the different components of the Arp 245 system and find similar values for NGC 2992 and NGC 2993. These measurements are within those reported for other interacting systems in the first stages of the interaction.Comment: 20 pages, 12 figures, accepted by MNRA

Dynamic procedure for daily PM56 ETo mapping conducive to site-specific irrigation recommendations in areas covered by agricultural weather networks.

[EN] Modern agriculture is underpinned by actual meteorological data registered using automated meteorological stations forming networks specifically created for advising purposes. In many cases, those data used to be accessible online by means of APIs (Application Programming Interface). One of the most common cases is the irrigation-advice weather network implemented with the aim of obtaining ETo values to be used in irrigation recommendations. However, those punctual values of ETo scattered throughout the territory do not allow to produce specific irrigation recommendations for each farm. The only way of disposing site-specific values of ETo is by compiling maps that describe its spatial variation. With this objective, a new dynamic procedure based on an existing regression-based technique of interpolation was proposed. Using the meteorological data registered at the end of each day, maximum and minimum temperature, maximum and minimum relative humidity, wind velocity, and radiation maps were interpolated and then, an ETo map was derived. The proposed procedure demonstrated a special adaptation capacity to the synoptic pattern of each day using some geographical features or others, as appropriate to explain the spatial variability of the interpolated meteorological variable. In those months where radiation plays a key role in the ETo value (growing season), ETo maps obtained were especially fine-grained in areas with significant relief. This procedure improved other contrasted methodologies they were compared with. The impact of using the nearest-weather-station ETo vs interpolated value on a daily water needs was investigated and near 10% average value of error was encountered in the case study.This study has received funding from the eGROUNDWATER project (GA n. 1921) , part of the PRIMA program supported by the European Union 's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, and the WATER4CAST project (PROMETEO/2021/074) , which is funded by the Conselleria de Innovacion, Universidades, Ciencia y Sociedad Digital de la Comunitat Valenciana.Meteorological data were provided by SIAR: " Sistema de Informacion Agroclimatica para el Regadio. Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentacion" . Special thanks to Carlos Garrido Garrido and Ivan Cilleros Fuentetaja for providing us an API-SIAR access. Thanks to Luis Bonet for giving us permission to use the picture of the IVIA-SIAR automated station.Garcia-Prats, A.; Carricondo-Antón, JM.; Jiménez Bello, MA.; Manzano Juarez, J.; López Pérez, E.; Pulido-Velazquez, M. (2023). Dynamic procedure for daily PM56 ETo mapping conducive to site-specific irrigation recommendations in areas covered by agricultural weather networks. Agricultural Water Management. 287:1-18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2023.10841511828

Enseñanza de Arquitecturas de Memorias Caché mediante Simuladores

En este trabajo se presentan dos experiencias docentes en la enseñanza de arquitecturas de memoria caché para la titulación de Ingeniería Informática de la Universidad de Extremadura. Estas experiencias se desarrollan desde dos puntos de vista: Sistemas caché multinivel para una asignatura de carácter fundamental ("Estructura de Computadores"), y sistemas de memoria caché en multiprocesadores, para una asignatura de carácter avanzado ("Arquitectura de Computadores")