547 research outputs found
Macroalgal- dominated coastal detritic communities from the Western Mediterranean and the Northeastern Atlantic
20 páginas, 6 tablas, 5 figuras, 1 apéndice.This is a qualitative comparison of the distribution of macroalgal-dominated coastal detritic communities from the Western Mediterranean and the Northeastern Atlantic, based on our own data from the Balearic Islands (Western Mediterranean) and available data from the literature. The macroalgal-dominated coastal detritic bottoms in both regions can be distinguished by the presence of a high number of regional exclusive non-carbonated species, and the presence of a high number of maërl-forming species in the Mediterranean. Furthermore, regional differences in the distribution of some exclusive species allowed the distinction of three zones in the Northeastern Atlantic (United Kingdom, French Brittany and Galicia), while no differences were found in the Western Mediterranean. However, the algal communities considered in the selected literature could not be qualitatively distinguished, and all the samples should be considered as maërl beds. Lithothamnion corallioides and Phymatolithon calcareum were the most widespread maërl forming species in the two regions, while in the Western Mediterranean Spongites fruticulosus was also very frequent. According to the differences in the species composition of the basal and erect strata of these beds, and also in their species richness, five different morphologies of macroalgal-dominated detritic bottoms can be distinguished. Their main characteristic species and their biogeographic distribution are detailed.The CANAL0209 survey was financed by the MarViva Foundation, the Govern de les Illes Balears and the IEO. The MEDITS_ES05_09 survey was supported by the BADEMECO project, financed by the IEO and the European Union.Peer reviewe
Identification of intergenomic translocations involving wheat, Hordeum vulgare and Hordeum chilense chromosomes by FISH
4 pages: 1 figure: 1 tableIntergenomic translocations between wheat, Hordeum chilense and Hordeum vulgare have been obtained in tritordeum background. Advanced lines from the crosses between three disomic chromosome addition lines for chromosome 2Hv, 3Hv, and 4Hv of barley (Hordeum vulgare) in Triticum aestivum cv. Chinese Spring (CS) and hexaploid tritordeum (2n=6x=42, AABBHchHch) were analyzed. Multicolour FISH using both genomic DNA from H. chilense and H. vulgare were used to establish the presence and numbers of H. vulgare introgressions into tritordeum. Interspecific H. vulgare-H. chilense and intergeneric wheat-H. vulgare and wheat-H. chilense translocations were identified. Frequencies of plants containing different kinds of intergenomic translocations between chromosome arms are presented. These lines can be useful for introgressing into tritordeum characters of interest from H. vulgare.CICYT, Spain, projects AGF98-
0945-CO2-01 and AGF99-1036-C02-02Peer reviewe
Development and evaluation of a sandwich-type ELISA for multiple and simultaneous detection of five foodborne pathogenic bacteria
The incidences of foodborne diseases caused by contamination with bacteria have increased in recent years. Food contamination can occur at any point along the food chain, from the primary production of the food, to its arrival to the final consumer [1]. Faced with this health problem, the food sector needs to perform microbiological determinations to maintain the food quality and safety. Pathogenic bacteria are found in different types of food matrices, both in raw foods that have not received any type of treatment, as in those cooked ready to eat [2], so it is essential to detect their presence. In Europe, these microbiological tests, carried out in quality control laboratories, are regulated by Regulation (EC) 2073/2005, which guarantees a safe supply for consumers health. Currently, several methods are used for foodborne bacterial pathogens detection, both conventional and rapid detection methods. Immunological-based methods stand out, due to their versatility and effectiveness although they present important limitations. Therefore, this work proposes the development of an optimized immunological-based method, based on the interaction between antibodies and antigens, that allows multiple and simultaneous detection of bacteria with higher incidence and risk in the population. These bacteria are Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli O157: H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus [3]. Moreover, it also aims to reach high detection limits in a fast and simple way. The implementation of this project would be a great advance for the control of the quality of the food sector, guaranteeing a safe supply and minimizing the appearance of foodborne diseases
Costes y beneficios de tres métodos de estudio de comunidades en el bentos rocoso mediterráneo
Here we compare the applicability, the information provided and the cost-benefit of three sampling methods usually used in the study of rocky benthic assemblages. For comparative purposes, sampling was performed seasonally and along a depth gradient (0-50 m) in the Cabrera Archipelago (western Mediterranean). The destructive scraping (collection) method was the least cost-effective but provided the best qualitative and quantitative information. The in situ visual method was the most time-effective but provided low levels of taxonomic resolution and its accuracy decreased with depth due to the increasing difficulty of recognizing species in situ due to nitrogen narcosis, reduced light and cold. The photoquadrat method showed intermediate values of cost-effectiveness and information but was not suitable for multilayered assemblages, as it only accounted for the overstory. A canonical correspondence analysis showed that depth was highlighted as the main environmental gradient (16.0% of variance) by the three methods. However, differences due to the sampling method (7.9% of variance) were greater than differences due to temporal variability (5.8% of variance), suggesting that the three methods are valid but their selection has to be carefully assessed in relation to the targeted assemblages and the specific goals of each study.Este trabajo compara la aplicabilidad, la calidad de la información, los costes y los beneficios de tres métodos de muestreo usados habitualmente en el estudio de comunidades en el bentos rocoso mediterráneo. Para fines comparativos, el muestreo se realizó estacionalmente y a lo largo de un gradiente de profundidad (0-50 m) en el Archipiélago de Cabrera (Mediterráneo Occidental). El método destructivo de raspado (recolección) tuvo altos costes, pero proporcionó la información de mejor calidad, tanto a nivel cualitativo como cuantitativo. El método visual in situ fue el más eficiente en cuanto a la obtención de información, pero proporcionó una baja resolución taxonómica y su exactitud decreció con la profundidad debido a la dificultad de reconocer especies in situ bajo condiciones de narcosis, falta de luz y frío. El método fotográfico obtuvo valores intermedios de coste-beneficio, pero no fue adecuado para caracterizar comunidades estratificadas ya que solo tuvo en cuenta el estrato superior. Un análisis CCA mostró que el principal gradiente ambiental resaltado en todos los métodos era la profundidad (16.0% de la varianza). Sin embargo, las diferencias debidas al método de muestreo (7.9% de la varianza) fueron más grandes que las debidas a la variabilidad estacional (5.8% de la varianza). En consecuencia, los tres métodos son válidos para el muestreo de comunidades rocosas mediterráneas, pero su selección debe basarse en un análisis minucioso de las comunidades a caracterizar y en los objetivos específicos de cada estudio
Distributed generation system with PEM fuel cell for electrical power quality improvement
In this paper, a physical model for a distributed generation (DG) system with power quality improvement capability is presented. The generating system consists of a 5 kW PEM fuel cell, a natural gas reformer, hydrogen storage bottles and a bank of ultra-capacitors. Additional power quality functions are implemented with a vector-controlled electronic converter for regulating the injected power. The capabilities of the system were experimentally tested on a scaled electrical network. It is composed of different lines, built with linear inductances and resistances, and taking into account both linear and non-linear loads. The ability to improve power quality was tested by means of different voltage and frequency perturbations produced on the physical model electrical network
Strengthening and measuring project management competences of engineering students
Since 2010 the Industrial Engineering School at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (ETSII UPM) has its Plan Study accredited by ABET. Since then a big motivation has been promoted from the management team encouraging teachers to work on the measurement and strengthening of student¿s competences. Generic skills or behavior acquired significant importance in the workplace, particularly in relation to project management. Because of this, and framed within the requirements of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), the curriculum of the new degrees are being developed under the competence-based learning. This situation leads to the need to have a clear measurement tool skills as a basis for developing them within the curriculum. A group of multidisciplinary teachers have been working together during two years to design measuring instruments valid for engineering students
Diseño de protocolo de ejecución de MRP para la reducción de inventarios obsoletos
55 páginasProcaps SA, un laboratorio farmacéutico ubicado en Bogotá, actualmente presenta falencias en el manejo de MRP, en el desarrollo de productos estériles y nutracéuticos, debido a que existen actividades operativas que no agregan valor al proceso y el resultado obtenido no es confiable para los tiempos de abastecimiento y cantidades solicitado. El objetivo de este proyecto es identificar la información que presenta inconsistencias con el fin de diseñar un protocolo para la ejecución de MRP segura; generando la reducción de inventarios obsoletos, y la obtención de materiales indicados en el momento justo.
La liberación de necesidades de abastecimiento o compras dependen de distintos factores por lo cual es indispensable para su ejecución contar con el tiempo necesario y con la información adecuada, después de hacer el diagnóstico de estados actuales, se identifican las fuentes informativas, después se llevan a cabo pruebas por fases donde se evalúan los resultados del nuevo flujograma creado despues de la investigaci6n, creando un protocolo que asegure la confiabilidad de la información que se ingresara en el programa para ejecutar la MRP. Después de esto se hace una comparación de la WBS inicial contra la nueva proyección, con el fin de crear los indicadores que midan la eficacia del proyecto.Procaps SA is a pharmaceutical laboratory located in Bogota, that is currently presents shortcomings in the management of materials requirement planning, likewise in the sterile and nutraceutical products development. This is due to the existence of operational activities that do not generate value to the process and the result obtained is not reliable for the times of supply and quantities requested. The project's objective is to identify the information that presents inconsistencies in order to design a protocol for the execution of MRP (Materials requirement planning) safe; generating the reduction of obsolete inventories and obtaining materials indicated at the right time. The liberation of supply or purchasing needs depends on different factors, which is why it is essential for its execution to have the necessary time and with the appropriate information after the diagnosis of current states, the identification of the informative sources is continued, tests are carried out in phases where the results of the new flowchart created after the investigation are evaluated and a protocol is created to ensure the reliability of the information will be entered in the program to execute the MRP. Finally, a comparison of the initial BWS with the new projection is made, in order to create the indicators that measure the effectiveness of the project.Especialista en Gerencia con Énfasis en Logística y Comercio InternacionalEspecializació
A Great Step Forward. Lithic Raw Material Procurement and Management among Palaeolithic Hunter-Gatherers in the Basque Crossroads
This paper is divided into three sections. The first section describes the historiographic evolution of the study of prehistoric lithic raw materials in the Basque Crossroads (in the north of the Iberian Peninsula) during the last three decades. The second section explains the currently available information about geological outcrops of flint in the eastern end of the Cantabrian Mountain range (the Basque-Cantabrian Basin), the upper Ebro valley and both sides of the western Pyrenees, in the central part of the northern Iberian Peninsula, as that was the main raw material used by hunter-gatherer groups in the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic. Finally, the last section describes the way in which progress in both aspects of research have enabled the introduction of new concepts and perspectives in the reconstruction of the social and economic dynamics of Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers. This has given rise to an innovative methodology that is able to address and solve important issues, particularly regarding mobility and territoriality patterns of those human groups, allowing the proposal of mobility and territoriality models that, while they will not match exactly the systems used by Upper Palaeolithic communities, represent significant progress in understanding the social and economic dynamics of hunter-gatherer groups
Influence of the crystallization process on the luminescence of multilayers of SiGe nanocrystals embedded in SiO2
Multilayers of SiGe nanocrystals embedded in an oxide matrix have been fabricated by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition SiO2 onto Si wafers (in a single run at 390 ◦C and 50mTorr, using GeH4, Si2 H6 and O2) followed by a rapid thermal annealing crystallize the SiGe nanoparticles. The main emission band is located at 400 nm in both cathodoluminescence and photoluminescence at 80K and also at room temperature. The annealing conditions (temperatures ranging from 700 to 1000 ◦C and for times of 30 investigated in samples with different diameter of the nanoparticles (from ≈3 to ≥5 nm) and oxide interlayer thickness (15 and establish a correlation between the crystallization of the nanoparticles, the degradation of their composition by Ge diffusion the luminescence emission band. Structures with small nanoparticles (3–4.5 nm) separated by thick oxide barriers (≈35 nm) annealed 60 s yield the maximum intensity of the luminescence. An additional treatment at 450 ◦C in forming gas for dangling-bond the intensity of the luminescence band by 25–30%
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