Management System for Harvest Scheduling: The Case of Horticultural Production in Southeast Spain

horticultural farmer, optimization, planning, mathematical programming, marketing, cooperative, Agribusiness, Crop Production/Industries, Demand and Price Analysis, Farm Management, Land Economics/Use,

A Decision Tree and S-Transform Based Approach for Power Quality Disturbances Classification

In this paper, it is presented an automated classification based on S-transform as feature extraction tool and Decision Tree as algorithm classifier. The signals generated according to mathematical models, including complex disturbances, have been used to design and test this approach, where noise is added to the signals from 40dB to 20dB. Finally, several disturbances, simple and complex, have been considered to test the implemented system. Evaluation results verifying the accuracy of the proposed method are presented.IEE

The conformation of chloramphenicol in the ordered and disordered phases

The conformational behavior of chloramphenicol (CHL) in the solid, liquid and vapor phases is revisited here by means of FTIR spectroscopy and QM methods. In the crystalline phase, both the IR analysis and QM computations discard the conformer proposed by Acharya et al. (Acta Cryst., 1979, B35:1360–1363) and support the one proposed by Chatterjee et al. (J. Cryst. Mol. Struct., 1979, 9:295–304), characterized by an intramolecular O–H⋯O hydrogen bond in which the primary hydroxyl group acts as hydrogen bond donor. The conformational behavior of CHL in the liquid and gas phases has been analyzed using QM calculations. The Self-Consistent Reaction Field (SCRF) method with the Onsager solvation model has been used for the initial optimizations in solution, and the lowest energy conformers have been refined using the Solvation Model based on Density (SMD). In solution environment the intramolecular O–H⋯O hydrogen bond in CHL is reversed so that the secondary hydroxyl group acts as hydrogen bond donor. In addition, the dichloroacetamide group folds back further over the phenyl ring to form an intramolecular C–Cl⋯π halogen bond. Two different halogen bonds are actually observed (each one with a different chlorine atom) resulting in two different stable conformers, that can be detected by FTIR spectroscopy due to the conformational sensitivity of the C[dbnd]O group to the conformation of the dichloroacetyl group. Finally, the stability of the conformers with the polarity of the medium is also discussed.The authors are thankful for funds from the Spanish Ministry of In-novation and Competitiveness MINECO (MAT2016-78527-P), theBasque Government, Department of Education (IT-927-16) and the EUiPROMEDAI COST Action TD1305

Projection of plane-wave calculations into atomic orbitals

The projection of the eigenfunctions obtained in standard plane-wave first-principle electronic-structure calculations into atomic-orbital basis sets is proposed as a formal and practical link between the methods based on plane waves and the ones based on atomic orbitals. Given a candidate atomic basis, ({\it i}) its quality is evaluated by its projection into the plane-wave eigenfunctions, ({\it ii}) it is optimized by maximizing that projection, ({\it iii}) the associated tight-binding Hamiltonian and energy bands are obtained, and ({\it iv}) population analysis is performed in a natural way. The proposed method replaces the traditional trial-and-error procedures of finding appropriate atomic bases and the fitting of bands to obtain tight-binding Hamiltonians. Test calculations of some zincblende semiconductors are presented.Comment: RevTex. 4 pages. 3 uuencoded compressed (tared) postscript figs. To appear in Solid St. Commu

Enhancement of dielectric barrier layer properties by sol-gel and PECVD stacks

Thin-film PV modules grown on flexible, light weight, thermally stable and low cost substrates such as stainless steel foil, are an attractive product for solar market applications. When metal foils are used as substrate, it is essential to deposit a dielectric barrier layer to isolate electrically and chemically the thin-film solar cells front the substrate. In this work, SiOx stacks deposited on ‘rough’ stainless steel by a combination of a new sol-gel formulation and a Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) deposition step are reported as a suitable dielectric barrier layer candidate. Using these SiOx multilayers, a smooth and homogeneous film was achieved. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that back contact of the solar cell (based on Molybdenum) is not affected by the presence of the barrier layer. Moreover, according to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) measurements, this approach led to excellent barrier layer properties against the diffusion of impurities from the stainless steel. A complete electrical characterization of these dielectric barrier layers was also carried out showing good electrical insulation.European Union RFSR-CT-2014-0001

Mutations in Coding and Non-Coding Regions in Varicella-Zoster Virus Causing Fatal Hemorrhagic Fever Without Rash in an Immunocompetent Patient: Case Report

Introduction: We report the case of a fatal hemorrhagic varicella primary infection in an immunocompetent man and whole-genome characterization of the virus for the investigation of biomarkers of virulence. Case: A 38-year-old patient born in Nigeria presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain and subsequently developed fatal hemorrhagic disease without skin rash. Extensive laboratory tests including serology and PCR for arenaviruses, bunyaviruses and ebolaviruses were negative. Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) PCR of sera, liver and spleen tissue samples from autopsy revealed the presence of VZV DNA. Primary infection by varicella-zoster virus with hemorrhagic manifestations was diagnosed after virological testing. The VZV genome was sequenced using a mWGS approach. Bioinformatic analysis showed 53 mutations across the genome, 33 of them producing non-synonymous variants affecting up to 14 genes. Some of them, such as ORF11 and ORF 62, encoded for essential functions related to skin or neurotropism. To our knowledge, the mutations reported here have never been described in a VZV causing such a devastating outcome. Discussion: In immunocompetent patients, viral factors should be considered in patients with uncommon symptoms or severe diseases. Some relevant mutations revealed by using whole genome sequencing (WGS) directly from clinical samples may be involved in this case and deserves further investigation. Conclusion: Differential diagnosis of varicella-zoster virus in immunocompetent adults should be considered among patients with suspected VHF, even if the expected vesicular rash is not present at admission and does not arise thereafter. Whole genome sequencing of strains causing uncommon symptoms and/or mortality is needed for epidemiological surveillance and further characterization of putative markers of virulence. Additionally, this report highlights the recommendation for a VZV vaccination policy in non-immunized migrants from developing countries.This work was supported by a grant from Instituto de Salud Carlos III. Project code MPY1372/12. The journal’s Rapid Service fee was paid by Consorcio Centro de Investigación en Red (CIBER). The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.S

Modeling of photosynthesis and respiration rate for microalgae–bacteria consortia

In this article, the influence of culture conditions (irradiance, temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen) on the photosynthesis and the respiration rates of microalgae–bacteria consortia in wastewater treatment was analyzed. Specifically, some short photo-respirometric experiments, simulating outdoor raceway reactors, were performed to evaluate the response of microalgae, heterotrophic bacteria, and nitrifying bacteria to variations in environmental parameters. Results demonstrate that irradiance is the most dominant variable to determine microalgae photosynthesis rates. However, reduction in microalgae activity was not observed at higher irradiance, ruling out the existence of photoinhibition phenomena. Related to heterotrophic and nitrifying bacteria, their activities were strongly affected by the influence of temperature and pH. Moreover, the effect of dissolved oxygen concentrations on microalgae, and bacteria activities was studied, displaying a reduced photosynthetic rate at dissolved oxygen concentrations above 20 mg/L. Data have been used to develop an integrated model for each population (microalgae, heterotrophic bacteria, and nitrifying bacteria) based on considering the simultaneous influence of irradiance, temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen. The models fit the experimental results in the range of culture conditions tested, and they were validated using data obtained by the simultaneous modifications of the variables. These individual models serve as a basis for developing a global biologic microalgae–bacteria model for wastewater treatment to improve the optimal design and management of microalgae-based processes, especially outdoors, where the cultures are subject to variable daily culture conditions

Rabia animal en España. Situación en 2012

La rabia es una de las zoonosis más importantes, resultando un serio problema de salud pública debido a su gravedad clínica, ya que produce en el hombre una encefalomielitis vírica aguda mortal. Aunque la distribución de la enfermedad es mundial, la incidencia de rabia humana se desconoce; la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) estima que cada año se producen en el mundo unas 55.000 muertes por rabia, principalmente en países en desarrollo de África y Asia.N