The influence of urban wastes on the interstitial water chemistry in coastal marine sediments of Cadiz Bay

The authors determined, with visual profiles, the concentration of nutrients (i.e. ammonia, nitrate, phosphate and silica), inorganic carbon and sulphate in the interstitial water of Cadiz Bay, as well as organic carbon in sediment, using samples from three stations on Sancti Petri sound. These three stations suffer from different contamination levels due to untreated urban wastewater. Our results show a degradation of the organic matter, principally in the first 30 cm of sediment. These concentration changes are important in the superficial water layer, indicating the efficiency of aerobic oxidation, the organic matter's principal mineralisation mechanism. Two stations, those nearest to the waste point, had the highest organic carbon concentrations in their sediment, as well as the highest vertical gradients of nutrient concentrations in their interstitial water. Sulphate reduction is the principal mechanism involved in the oxidation of organic matter. On the other hand, at the other station studied, with lower organic carbon levels, the gradients were smoother.Se han caracterizado los perfiles verticales en el agua intersticial de las concentraciones de nutrientes (amonio, nitrato, fosfato y silicato), carbono inorgánico y sulfato, así como de carbono orgánico en el sedimento en tres estaciones del caño de Sancti Petri, sujetas a distinto grado de contaminación por vertidos urbanos sin depurar. Analizando globalmente las variaciones con la profundidad de las concentraciones de las distintas especies estudiadas, se puede afirmar que existe una degradación continuada de la materia orgánica, al menos, en los primeros 30 cm del sedimento. Esta hipótesis se encuentra reforzada por la propia disminución de la concentración de carbono orgánico en el sedimento con la profundidad. Estos cambios de concentración son especialmente acusados en la lámina de agua más superficial, poniendo de manifiesto la eficiencia de la oxidación aeróbica como mecanismo de mineralización de la materia orgánica. Las dos estaciones más próximas al vertido, que poseen concentraciones de carbono orgánico más elevadas en el sedimento, presentan también mayores gradientes verticales de concentración de nutrientes en el agua intersticial, y la sulfatorreducción adquiere una mayor importancia relativa como vía de oxidación de la materia orgánica. Por el contrario, en la estación situada en el extremo sur del caño, menos afectada por los aportes de materia orgánica, se observan gradientes más suaves.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

Factor analysis of linear alkylbenzene sulphonate (LAS) vertical distribution in coastal sediments of Cadiz Bay (southwest Spain)

El comportamiento del alquilbenceno lineal sulfonato (LAS) en los sistemas costeros no se conoce con precisión, y este conocimiento es aun menor si nos restringimos al compartimento sedimentario. En este trabajo se aplica un análisis factorial a los resultados obtenidos para distintas variables determinadas en tres estaciones, tanto en sedimento como en agua intersticial, con el objetivo de evaluar sus interrelaciones con el LAS. Las variables analizadas presentan dos modos principales de distribución con la profundidad en el compartimento sedimentario: lineal y/o exponencial. En casi todos los casos, el LAS se asocia a ambos modos de distribución, lo que indica que su concentración sufre una disminución con la profundidad, pero se produce de forma especialmente acusada en la capa superficial.Very little is known concerning the behaviour of linear alkylbenzene sulphonate (LAS) in coastal systems, and even less when we consider the sedimentary field only. In the present study, a factor analysis is applied to the results obtained for different variables at three stations, both in the sediment and in interstitial water, with the aim of evaluating their relationship with LAS. The variables analysed have two main types of distribution in the sedimentary area in relation to depth: linear and/or exponential. LAS is, in most cases, associated with both types of distribution, indicating that its concentration decreases with depth, especially in the surface layer.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

Equivalent circuit and calculation of unbalanced power in three-wire three-phase linear networks

[EN] For analysis of three-wire three-phase linear systems, the transformations wye-delta and delta-wye from theorem of Kennelly are used. These transformations can be applied to balanced systems but not to unbalanced systems. This is due to the fact that zero-sequence voltages or zero-sequence currents are present in these types of connections. This modifies the value of the unbalance power in the load with respect to the generator. These zero-sequence voltages and currents that appear in generators and loads are not transferred over the network. The zero-sequence voltage in a delta-connected load and the zero-sequence current that is obtained using theorem of Kennelly in a star-connected load, or vice versa, cause different imbalance effects. Here, the equivalent circuit for any point of the system is developed. The impedances of the equivalent circuit in any node are calculated using line-to-line voltages and line currents. This equivalent circuit incorporates all energetic phenomena, including the unbalance of all downstream loads. For its verification, the phasor unbalance power is used.Montoya-Mira, R.; Diez-Aznar, J.; Blasco Espinosa, PA.; Montoya Villena, R. (2018). Equivalent circuit and calculation of unbalanced power in three-wire three-phase linear networks. IET Generation Transmission & Distribution. 12(7):1466-1473. https://doi.org/10.1049/iet-gtd.2017.0670S14661473127Emanuel, A. E. (1993). On the definition of power factor and apparent power in unbalanced polyphase circuits with sinusoidal voltage and currents. IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, 8(3), 841-852. doi:10.1109/61.252612Jeon, S.-J. (2005). Definitions of Apparent Power and Power Factor in a Power System Having Transmission Lines With Unequal Resistances. IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, 20(3), 1806-1811. doi:10.1109/tpwrd.2005.848658Czarnecki, L. S. (1994). Misinterpretations of some power properties of electric circuits. IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, 9(4), 1760-1769. doi:10.1109/61.329509Willems, J. L. (2004). Reflections on Apparent Power and Power Factor in Nonsinusoidal and Polyphase Situations. IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, 19(2), 835-840. doi:10.1109/tpwrd.2003.823182Emanuel, A. E. (1999). Apparent power definitions for three-phase systems. IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, 14(3), 767-772. doi:10.1109/61.772313Jayatunga, U., Ciufo, P., Perera, S., & Agalgaonkar, A. P. (2015). Deterministic methodologies for the quantification of voltage unbalance propagation in radial and interconnected networks. IET Generation, Transmission & Distribution, 9(11), 1069-1076. doi:10.1049/iet-gtd.2014.0661Von Jouanne, A., & Banerjee, B. (2001). Assessment of voltage unbalance. IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, 16(4), 782-790. doi:10.1109/61.956770Viswanadha Raju, G. K., & Bijwe, P. R. (2008). Efficient reconfiguration of balanced and unbalanced distribution systems for loss minimisation. IET Generation, Transmission & Distribution, 2(1), 7. doi:10.1049/iet-gtd:20070216Kersting, W. H. (2001). Causes and effects of unbalanced voltages serving an induction motor. IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, 37(1), 165-170. doi:10.1109/28.903142Pillay, P., & Manyage, M. (2006). Loss of Life in Induction Machines Operating With Unbalanced Supplies. IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion, 21(4), 813-822. doi:10.1109/tec.2005.853724Emanuel, A. E. (1998). The Buchholz-Goodhue apparent power definition: the practical approach for nonsinusoidal and unbalanced systems. IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, 13(2), 344-350. doi:10.1109/61.660900Leon-Martinez, V., Montanana-Romeu, J., & Palazon-Garcia, J. M. (2011). Unbalance Compensator for Three-Phase Industrial Installations. IEEE Latin America Transactions, 9(5), 808-814. doi:10.1109/tla.2011.6030993Reginatto, R., & Ramos, R. A. (2014). On electrical power evaluation in dq coordinates under sinusoidal unbalanced conditions. IET Generation, Transmission & Distribution, 8(5), 976-982. doi:10.1049/iet-gtd.2013.0532Diez, J. M., Blasco, P. A., & Montoya, R. (2016). Formulation of phasor unbalance power: application to sinusoidal power systems. IET Generation, Transmission & Distribution, 10(16), 4178-4186. doi:10.1049/iet-gtd.2016.0730Marzband, M., Moghaddam, M. M., Akorede, M. F., & Khomeyrani, G. (2016). Adaptive load shedding scheme for frequency stability enhancement in microgrids. Electric Power Systems Research, 140, 78-86. doi:10.1016/j.epsr.2016.06.03

Association between the Use of Antibiotics and the Development of Acute Renal Injury in Patients Hospitalized for COVID-19 in a Hospital in the Peruvian Amazon

"Introduction: A significant antibiotic prescribing pattern associated with the COVID-19 pandemic has been described. Multiple protocols included empirical antimicrobials, leading to a substantial increase in antimicrobial consumption in medical care. A higher mortality rate is described among patients diagnosed with COVID-19 who received antibiotics. Objectives: To determine the association between the use of antibiotics and the development of acute renal injury in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 in patients treated at the Hospital II EsSalud de Ucayali, 2021. Methods: A cross-sectionalanalytical study was conducted, evaluating the medical records of patients admitted to the intensive care unit between July 2020 and July 2021. For the statistical analysis, measures of central tendency and dispersion, statistical hypothesis contrast tests were used in relation to acute kidney injury (AKI), antibiotic use and associated factors, derived from linear regression models. Results: The factors that were positively associated with the development of AKI were sepsis (aPR: 2.86; 95% CI: 1.26–6.43), shock (aPR:2.49; 95% CI: 1.28–4.86), mechanical ventilation (aPR:9.11; 95% CI: 1.23–67.57), and use of vancomycin (aPR: 3.15; 95% CI: 1.19–8.27). Conclusions: In the Peruvian Amazon, there is a high consumption and inadequate prescription of antibiotics. The drugs most commonly used for the treatment of COVID-19 were: aminoglycosides, vancomycin, ivermectin, azithromycin, tocilizumab, and corticosteroids. The development of AKI among hospitalized patients was found to be related to vancomycin administration. In addition, an association was found with the use of mechanical ventilation, a high body mass index, and the presence of complications such as sepsis or shock. Therefore, inappropriate antibiotic use for COVID-19 has been associated with multiple negative outcomes and consequences.

Lagrange-Fedosov Nonholonomic Manifolds

We outline an unified approach to geometrization of Lagrange mechanics, Finsler geometry and geometric methods of constructing exact solutions with generic off-diagonal terms and nonholonomic variables in gravity theories. Such geometries with induced almost symplectic structure are modelled on nonholonomic manifolds provided with nonintegrable distributions defining nonlinear connections. We introduce the concept of Lagrange-Fedosov spaces and Fedosov nonholonomic manifolds provided with almost symplectic connection adapted to the nonlinear connection structure. We investigate the main properties of generalized Fedosov nonholonomic manifolds and analyze exact solutions defining almost symplectic Einstein spaces.Comment: latex2e, v3, published variant, with new S.V. affiliatio

Morphological variation and different branch modularity across contrasting flow conditions in dominant Pocillopora reef-building corals

© 2015, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. Pocillopora corals, the dominant reef-builders in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, exhibit a high level of phenotypic plasticity, making the interpretation of morphological variation and the identification of species challenging. To test the hypothesis that different coral morphospecies represent phenotypes that develop in different flow conditions, we compared branch characters in three Pocillopora morphospecies (P.damicornis, P. verrucosa, and P. meandrina) from two communities in the Gulf of California exposed to contrasting flow conditions. Morphological variation and branch modularity (i.e., the tendency of different sets of branch traits to vary in a coordinated way) were assessed in colonies classified as Pocillopora type 1 according to two mitochondrial regions. Our results can be summarized as follows. (1) Pocillopora type 1 morphospecies corresponded to a pattern of morphological variation in the Gulf of California. Overall, P.damicornis had the thinnest branches and its colonies the highest branch density, followed by P.verrucosa, and then by P.meandrina, which had the thickest branches and its colonies the lowest branch density. (2) The differentiation among morphospecies was promoted by different levels of modularity of traits. P.verrucosa had the highest coordination of traits, followed by P.damicornis, and P.meandrina. (3) The variation and modularity of branch traits were related to water flow condition. Morphology under the high-flow condition was more similar among morphospecies than under the low-flow condition and seemed to be related to mechanisms for coping with these conditions. Our results provide the first evidence that in scleractinian corals different levels of modularity can be promoted by different environmental conditions

Experimental observation of phase transitions of a deformed Dicke model using a reconfigurable, bi-parametric electronic platform

We experimentally study the infinite-size limit of the Dicke model of quantum optics with a parity-breaking deformation strength that couples the system to an external bosonic reservoir. We focus on the dynamical consequences of such symmetry-breaking, which makes the classical phase space asymmetric with non-equivalent energy wells. We present an experimental implementation of the classical version of the deformed Dicke model using a state-of-the-art bi-parametric electronic platform. Our platform constitutes a playground for studying representative phenomena of the deformed Dicke model in electrical circuits with the possibility of externally controlling parameters and initial conditions. In particular, we investigate the dynamics of the ground state, various phase transitions, and the asymmetry of the energy wells as a function of the coupling strength $\gamma$ and the deformation strength $\alpha$ in the resonant case. Additionally, to characterize the various behavior regimes, we present a two-dimensional phase diagram as a function of the two intrinsic system parameters. The onset of chaos is also analyzed experimentally. Our findings provide a clear connection between theoretical predictions and experimental observations, demonstrating the usefulness of our bi-parametric electronic setup

Optical nanothermometer based on the calibration of the Stokes and upconverted green emissions of Er3+ ions in Y3Ga5O12 nano-garnets

The temperature-dependent green luminescence of Y3Ga5O12 nano-garnets doped with different concentrations of Er3+ ions has been measured from 300 to 850 K and, in more detail, in the biological range from 292 to 335 K. The green emissions were obtained by excitation under 488 nm blue or 800 nm near-infrared laser radiations. Both excitations give rise to bright green luminescence that can be seen by the naked eye, and which can be associated either with Stokes processes, i.e. multiphonon relaxations followed by green spontaneous emission, in the former case or with infrared-to-visible upconversion processes in the latter. The temperature-induced changes in the Er3+ green emissions have been calibrated for both excitations and results point to a strong dependence on the concentration of optically active Er3+ ions. The maximum value of the thermal sensitivity, 64 × 10−4 K−1 at 547 K, has been obtained for the nano-garnets doped with the lowest concentration of Er3+ ions, which is one of the highest values found in the literature. These results allow to conclude that a relatively low concentration of optically active ions is advisable and the changes induced by temperature on the green emissions are independent of the laser excitation radiation used, which is necessary to calibrate the temperature of the immediate environment of the Er3+-doped Y3Ga5O12 nano-garnets.This work have been partially supported by Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad de España (MINECO) under The National Program of Materials (MAT2010-21270-C04-02/-03, and MAT2013-46649-C4-3-P/-4-P), The Consolider-Ingenio 2010 Program (MALTA CSD2007-00045), and the Indo- Spanish Joint Programme of Cooperation in Science and Technology (PRI-PIBIN-2011-1153/DST-INT-Spain-P-38-11), and by the EU-FEDER funds. V. Venkatramu is also grateful to Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi for the sanction of major research project (No. 03(1229)/12/EMR-II, dated: 16th April, 2012). V. Monteseguro wishes to thank MICINN for the FPI grant (BES-2011- 044596)

Modeling Wind-Driven Circulation and Chlorophyll Concentration in Lake Valencia

The goal of this research is to describe circulations patterns and chlorophyll concentration in Lake Valencia. The hydrodynamics of episodic events are simulated with a shallow-water model, coupled with an advection-diffusion equation. This model uses a MacCormack-TVD numerical scheme to solve the continuity and momentum equations simultaneously while the advection-diffusion equations determine the time dependent pollution dispersion, in particular the chlorophyll concentration. An analysis of chlorophyll concentration is completely developed and validated with satellite images of Lake Valencia. Although the use of shallow water models is a fairly standard in the study of lake circulation and chlorophyll concentration, its application to Lake Valencia is new. Therefore, the circulation and chlorophyll patterns developed in this numerical study represent an original contribution