Kinetic Theory of Soft Matter. The Penetrable-Square-Well Model

The penetrable-square-well (PSW) pair interaction potential is defined as $\phi (r)=\epsilon_r$ if the two interacting particles are overlapped ($r<\sigma$), $\phi(r)=-\epsilon_a$ inside a corona ($\sigma <r<\lambda$), and $\phi(r)=0$ otherwise ($r>\lambda$). Thus, the potential reduces to the conventional square-well (SW) one in the limit $\epsilon_r\to\infty$ and to the penetrable-sphere (PS) potential if $\epsilon_a\to0$ or $\lambda\to\sigma$. This paper aims at studying the temperature dependence of the Navier--Stokes transport coefficients of a dilute gas of particles interacting via the PSW model. By exploiting the fact that the PSW scattering process is analogous to that of a light ray passing through two concentric spherical media with different refractive indices, the scattering angle is analytically derived as a function of the impact parameter and the relative velocity of the colliding particles; depending on the values of those two quantities, collisions can be soft, hard, or grazing. Next, by standard application of known general results from the Chapman--Enskog method, the Navier--Stokes transport coefficients in the first-order approximation are numerically evaluated. It is found that the PSW coefficients are practically indistinguishable from the SW ones for temperatures low enough ($k_BT\lesssim 0.2 \epsilon_r$), there exists a transition regime ($0.2 \epsilon_r\lesssim k_BT\lesssim 10\epsilon_r$) where the transport coefficients interpolate between the SW and the PS ones, and finally the PSW coefficients are comparable to the PS ones for high enough temperatures ($k_BT\gtrsim 10\epsilon_r$). The results are applied to the temperature profiles of the planar Fourier flow.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures; contributed paper at the 31st International Symposium on Rarefied Gas Dynamics (Glasgow, UK, July 23-27, 2018); v2: new section adde

Recent insights into xerogel and aerogel mineral composites for CO 2 mineral sequestration

Supercritically dried composites have already been analysed and proposed as carbon dioxide sequesters. However, the economical and energetic costs of the supercritical drying process had to be re-evaluated, and were eventually found not to enhance the feasibility of the proposed route for CO2 mineral sequestration. Different composites series were synthesised with the only difference being the drying method. The structures of the porous matrix were characterised as well as their ability to capture CO2. The first results showed that the xerogel matrix is as good a host as the aerogel one, and also avoids expensive procedures such as supercritical drying for sample preparation without losing CO2 capture capacity and enhancing the efficiency of the whole carbon sequestration process. In this case, the sample preparation was simplified as much as possible, with the aim of reducing energetic and economic costs. Although good carbonation efficiencies were obtained with these cheap samples, the first results showed that previous high carbonation efficiencies could not be repeated.Junta de Andalucía TEP115Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación PIA42008-3

Procedure to use phosphogypsum industrial waste for mineral CO 2 sequestration

Industrial wet phosphoric acid production in Huelva (SW Spain) has led to the controversial stockpiling of waste phosphogypsum by-products, resulting in the release of significant quantities of toxic impurities in salt marshes in the Tinto river estuary. In the framework of the fight against global climate change and the effort to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, a simple and efficient procedure for CO 2 mineral sequestration is presented in this work, using phosphogypsum waste as a calcium source. Our results demonstrate the high efficiency of portlandite precipitation by phosphogypsum dissolution using an alkaline soda solution. Carbonation experiments performed at ambient pressure and temperature resulted in total conversion of the portlandite into carbonate. The fate of trace elements present in the phosphogypsum waste was also investigated, and trace impurities were found to be completely transferred to the final calcite. We believe that the procedure proposed here should be considered not only as a solution for reducing old stockpiles of phosphogypsum wastes, but also for future phosphoric acid and other gypsum-producing industrial processes, resulting in more sustainable production.Junta de Andalucía TEP115Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación PIA42008-3

Profiling of Organic Compounds in Bioethanol Samples of Different Nature and the Related Fractions

Forty-one bioethanol real samples and related fractions, together with a biobutanol sample, have been analyzed with gas chromatography coupled to either mass spectrometry (GC–MS) or flame ionization detection (GC–FID). Bioethanol with different water contents, samples originated from several sources of biomass, first- as well as second-generation specimens, distillation fractions, samples stocked in containers made of four different materials, and, finally, a biobutanol sample have been analyzed. The number of the compounds found through GC–MS has been 130, including alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, esters, ethers, nitrogen compounds, organic acids, furane derivates as well as other species (e.g., limonene). Afterward, a quantitative determination of major components of bioethanol has been carried out. The achieved results have revealed that, besides ethanol and, in some cases, water, species such as acetaldehyde, methanol, and higher alcohols, as well as 1,1-diethoxyethane, may be present at concentrations above 500 mg L–1. While the source of bioethanol (nature of the raw material, ethanol generation, or water content) has a direct impact on its volatile organic compound (VOC) profile, the material of the container where the biofuel has been stored does not play a significant role. Finally, the results have demonstrated that, for a given production process, different distillation fractions contain unequal VOC profiles.Authors are grateful to the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities for the financial support (Project Ref. PGC2018-100711-B-I00). C.S. thanks to the Ministry of Education, Spain for the contract FPU 13/01438

Hacia una mirada crítico - reflexiva de la telenovela

La televisión como dispositivo tecnocultural inaugura una era en la que la imagen y la tecnología se convierten en una importante fuente de producción de sentido en el ámbito cotidiano, creando imaginarios sociales y fantasías colectivas que permanecen activas en la mente de los sujetos y se manifiestan en sus procesos comunicativos. Si se toma la televisión desde esta perspectiva, se puede considerar que este medio de comunicación tiene el potencial de incidir en la construcción subjetiva del individuo, no sólo como receptor consciente sino también como ciudadano activo. Por ello es pertinente que la educación abra espacios para iniciar con los estudiantes procesos de formación de audiencias, capaces de decodificar los mensajes televisivos a través de una lectura profunda de los contenidos que consume, estudiando la televisión desde ámbitos como su lenguaje, su discurso y su naturaleza tecnológica. Dicha formación de los receptores en audiencias activas, se puede lograr a través de lo que se ha denominado como la alfabetización audiovisual, que consiste en la capacidad de decodificar, analizar y recrear en variedad de formas los contenidos televisivos. Es a partir de este aspecto que se puede tomar la telenovela como herramienta para desarrollar estrategias educativas, por ejemplo el fomento a la resolución pacífica de los conflictos, con valores como el respeto, el diálogo, la comunidad, la responsabilidad, las construcciones colectivas, etc, a partir de contenidos implícitos de las telenovelas, los cuales escapan ante los ojos del televidente desprevenido, debido a la ausencia de iniciativas educativas. Esto en palabras de Joan Ferres es denominado Educar con la televisión, lo cual hace referencia a la incorporación del medio televisivo en el aula de clase, para convertirlo en objeto de estudio, con el fin de educar desde el lenguaje audiovisual y hacer de la telenovela un instrumento pedagógico configurado desde su estructura melodramática, su lenguaje, mecanismos técnicos y económicos, impacto socio-cultural, entre otros aspectos que se le deben brindar al estudiante para que pueda analizar de manera crítica y reflexiva las historias narradas, y de este modo sustraer aprendizajes significativos. Para lograr dicho fin José Manuel Pérez Tornero propone una lectura analítica y crítica que requiere de un aprendizaje especial, que se potencie por medio de la utilización de unas operaciones y situaciones críticas que la escuela puede tomar dentro del aula de clase, para construir y formar receptores activos de la televisión. En ese orden de ideas, este proyecto pretende ofrecer una metodología de aplicación en el aula que cuenta con tres etapas que corresponden a los tres niveles de lectura que un sujeto activo debe realizar frente a la pantalla televisiva (Descriptivo, Analítico y Crítico). Estas etapas están compuestas por una serie de actividades que conducirán hacia una paulatina lectura más profunda de los contenidos televisivos, para así mejorar e innovar el proceso de enseñanza / aprendizaje, y entender la televisión, no sólo como medio para la entretención, sino también como un material lúdico que se puede utilizar en la educación

Industrial location and urban system: food industry in inland Spain

La localización municipal de las licencias de la industria de elaboración de alimentos y bebidas en las regiones interiores de España presenta una estrecha vinculación con la distribución de la población. No obstante, este patrón general enmascara notables variaciones para las distintas ramas del sector. Estas variaciones permiten elaborar una tipología basada en la distribución de cada rama entre los diferentes niveles de la jerarquía de asentamientos de este conjunto de regiones, desde las áreas metropolitanas a los pequeños núcleos rurales. Esta tipología contribuye al diseño de políticas de desarrollo local porque facilita la identificación de las preferencias locacionales de las ramas agroalimentarias y permite asignar los recursos públicos al estímulo de las actividades más afines a las características geográficas y socioeconómicas de los territorios.The location of food industries in inland Spain is closely linked to the distribution of the population at the municipality level. Nevertheless, this overarching pattern hides significant variability at the branch level. Such variability is the basis for proposing a typology of branches according to their distribution across the settlement pattern, from metropolitan areas to rural villages. This typology may enhance the design of local development policies because it identifies the locational preferences for each food branch and subsequently allows for the allocation of public resources to support the activities more suitable for each specific geographical and socioeconomic setting

Impact of Extreme Temperatures on Ambulance Dispatches Due to Cardiovascular Causes in North-West Spain

Introduction and objectives. The increase in mortality and hospital admissions associated with high and low temperatures is well established. However, less is known about the influence of extreme ambient temperature conditions on cardiovascular ambulance dispatches. This study seeks to evaluate the effects of minimum and maximum daily temperatures on cardiovascular morbidity in the cities of Vigo and A Coruña in North-West Spain, using emergency medical calls during the period 2005–2017. Methods. For the purposes of analysis, we employed a quasi-Poisson time series regression model, within a distributed non-linear lag model by exposure variable and city. The relative risks of cold- and heat-related calls were estimated for each city and temperature model. Results. A total of 70,537 calls were evaluated, most of which were associated with low maximum and minimum temperatures on cold days in both cities. At maximum temperatures, significant cold-related effects were observed at lags of 3–6 days in Vigo and 5–11 days in A Coruña. At minimum temperatures, cold-related effects registered a similar pattern in both cities, with significant relative risks at lags of 4 to 12 days in A Coruña. Heat-related effects did not display a clearly significant pattern. Conclusions. An increase in cardiovascular morbidity is observed with moderately low temperatures without extremes being required to establish an effect. Public health prevention plans and warning systems should consider including moderate temperature range in the prevention of cardiovascular morbidityD.R. was supported by a postdoctoral research followship of the Xunta de Galicia (Spain)S

Assessment of conductor thermal models for grid studies

: Existing EMS applications resort to static network models built upon constant resistances whose values are specified beforehand. However, the steady-state thermal balance of overhead conductors requires that ohmic losses be dissipated by convection and radiation heat, leading to conductor resistances being a function both of environmental factors and transmitted current. Each term of the equation involved in the thermal balance of overhead conductors is analysed allowing the influence of conductor current on conductor temperature to be separated from that corresponding to environmental factors. As a result, three approximate thermal models are elaborated, which are compared on the Spanish transmission system. Test cases are included showing that the influence of the selected model on transmission losses may be significant enough, particularly when the transmission system spans areas with diverse loading levels and weather conditions

Desarrollando una metodología de análisis de riesgos para que el sector asegurador pueda tasar los riesgos en las PYMES

En una sociedad gobernada por la información, las empresas y en particular las PYMES, dependen cada vez más de la capacidad de poder asegurar la información, no solo internamente, sino con terceros que estén dispuestos a establecer pólizas de seguros sobre la información. Pero cuando estamos hablando de activos intangibles, las aseguradoras se enfrentan a la problemática de que no existen metodologías de Análisis de Riesgos adecuadas que permitan tasar y garantizar la información de forma objetiva. En este artículo, presentamos la base de una nueva metodología que tiene como objetivo dar solución a las problemáticas presentadas por las empresas y las aseguradoras, permitiendo realizar un análisis de riesgo con menor grado de incertidumbre que los existentes en la actualidad.Esta investigación es parte del proyecto PROMETEO financiado por la Secretaría Nacional de Educación Superior, Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (SENESCYT) del Gobierno de Ecuador, y el proyecto SIGMA-CC (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad y el Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional FEDER, TIN2012-36904)