High-order discontinuous Galerkin method for time-domain electromagnetics on geometry-independent Cartesian meshes

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Navarro¿García, H., Sevilla, R., Nadal, E., & Ródenas, J. J. (2021). High¿order discontinuous Galerkin method for time¿domain electromagnetics on geometry¿independent Cartesian meshes. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, 122(24), 7632-7663, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/nme.6846. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.[ES] En este trabajo presentamos el método de los elementos finitos con mallados cartesianos y formulación Galerkin discontinua (cgDG), una técnica novedosa que permite la obtención de soluciones numéricas para problemas dominados por términos convectivos. Esta técnica combina la alta precisión y eficiencia de la discretización discontinua de alto orden característica de la formulación Galerkin discontinua con la simplicidad y estructura jerárquica de los mallados cartesianos independientes de la geometría. El correcto tratamiento de los elementos localizados sobre la frontera del dominio de cálculo es crucial a fin de asegurar un buen desempeño del algoritmo. El método tiene en cuenta la definición exacta de la geometría, evitando la aparición de artefactos derivados de una pobre representación de las fronteras. Por otra parte, se ha definido un procedimiento de estabilización que elimina la restricción que impone sobre el paso temporal del integrador explícito la presencia de elementos intersecados con patrones de corte extremos. La estrategia de estabilización elimina los grados de libertad inestables y reasigna los dominios de soporte de sus funciones de forma asociadas a elementos vecinos. En esta publicación presentamos u algoritmo de emparejamiento de subdominios y una estrategia de enriquecimiento a posteriori. La discretización espacial resultante de combinar estas estrategias preserva la estabilidad y precisión de la aproximación con discretizaciones conformes con la geometría. El método se valida a través de un conjunto de ejemplos numéricos de prueba y se aplica de forma satisfactoria a la resolución de problemas de interés en el ámbito de la reflexión de ondas electromagnéticas.[EN] In this work we present the Cartesian grid discontinuous Galerkin (cgDG)finite element method, a novel numerical technique that combines the high accuracy and efficiency of a high-order discontinuous Galerkin discretization with the simplicity and hierarchical structure of a geometry-independent Cartesian mesh. The elements that intersect the boundary of the physical domain require special treatment in order to minimize their effect on the performance of the algorithm. We considered the exact representation of the geometry for the boundary of the domain avoiding any nonphysical artefacts. We also define a stabilization procedure that eliminates the step size restriction of the time marching scheme due to extreme cut patterns. The unstable degrees of freedom are eliminated and the supporting regions of their shape functions are reassigned to neighbouring elements. A subdomain matching algorithm and a posterior enrichment strategy are presented. Combining these techniques we obtain a final spatial discretization that preserves stability and accuracy of the standard body-fitted discretization. The method is validated through a series of numerical tests and it is successfully applied to the solution of problems of interest in the context of electromagnetic scattering with increasing complexity.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Grant/Award Number: EP/T009071/1; Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades, Grant/Award Number: FPU17/03993; Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad, Grant/Award Number: DPI2017-89816-RNavarro-García, H.; Sevilla, R.; Nadal, E.; Ródenas, JJ. (2021). High-order discontinuous Galerkin method for time-domain electromagnetics on geometry-independent Cartesian meshes. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering. 122(24):7632-7663. https://doi.org/10.1002/nme.6846763276631222

Parasitosis gastrointestinales en equinos de campo (Equus Ferus Caballus), agropecuaria el Ancla comunidad el Hatillo Acoyapa Chontales - octubre 2020

El presente estudio se realizó en agropecuaria El Ancla comunidad el Hatillo Acoyapa Chontales en el periodo de Agosto– Diciembre 2020. Los objetivos fueron evaluar la carga parasitaria en caballos de campo según sus categorías y edades por medio el método de flotación según la técnica de sheather, determinar la carga parasitaria por campo y brindar un plan sanitario en relación a los resultados obtenidos en el estudio. De la población de 52 equinos de trabajo, incluyendo todas las etapas de vida. Se realizó la toma de la muestra al 50% de la población equivalente a 26 equinos, en donde el 81% de la muestras serán animales adultos y 19% animales jóvenes. Para la selección de la muestra, se realizó a los caballos adultos y potros que se escogieron en la población de muestra. Realizando examen diagnóstico para parasitosis gastrointestinales, tales como examen general de heces, identificación de ooquiste por medio del método de flotación (método de Sheather).Se encontraron 4 tipos de parásitos que se observaron en el estudio. Habiendo mayor proporción en los equinos jóvenes para todos los géneros encontrados, siendo el Strongylus spp el más significativo, seguido los Trichotrongylus spp , luego Eimeria spp. y en cuarto lugar Trichuris spp

Removal of veterinary antibiotics in swine manure wastewater using microalgae-bacteria consortia in a pilot scale photobioreactor

Producción CientíficaScenedesmus almeriensis microalgae-bacteria consortia were evaluated for the removal of a mixture of tetracycline (TET), ciprofloxacin (CIP), and sulfadiazine (SDZ) from the real liquid fraction of pig slurry in a pilot scale photobioreactor. After 15 days of operation, the reactor was spiked with a mixture of /L of each antibiotic. The experiment ran for 20 additional days. From the liquid phase, antibiotic removal were 77 ± 5 %, 90 ± 14 %, and 60 ± 27 % for TET, CIP, and SDZ, respectively. The antibiotics found in the solid phase were 979 ± 382 ng/g for TET and 192 ± 69 ng/g for SDZ; CIP was not detected in the biomass. The parameters analyzed before and after antibiotic addition showed that the antibiotics did not have a negative effect on the reactor biomass. The removal efficiencies of the analyzed parameters were 64.6 ± 0.6 % for TOC, 56.9 ± 0.6 % for IC, 63.9 ± 0.6 % for TN, 88.6 ± 0.9 % for N-NH, 64.9 ± 0.6 % for N-NO, and 30.1 ± 0.3 % for P-PO. This study demonstrated the good performance of microalgae-based technology for swine manure wastewater treatment, not only in terms of organic matter and nutrient removal, but also regarding the removal of antibiotics. The mass balance analysis of the entire process is presented. Additionally, the present study is a validation of previous laboratory scale batch studies operating in a quasi-continuous mode on veterinary antibiotics (VA) removal efficiencies and kinetics.Junta de Castilla León (UIC 071, CLU 2017-09 y VA080G18)Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación y Ministerio de Universidades (PID2020-113544RB-I00, PDC2021-121861-C22)EU-FEDER (CLU 2017-09, CL-EI-2021-07, UIC 315

Craniosynostosis surgery: workflow based on virtual surgical planning, intraoperative navigation and 3D printed patient-specific guides and templates

Craniosynostosis must often be corrected using surgery, by which the affected bone tissue is remodeled. Nowadays, surgical reconstruction relies mostly on the subjective judgement of the surgeon to best restore normal skull shape, since remodeled bone is manually placed and fixed. Slight variations can compromise the cosmetic outcome. The objective of this study was to describe and evaluate a novel workflow for patient-specific correction of craniosynostosis based on intraoperative navigation and 3D printing. The workflow was followed in five patients with craniosynostosis. Virtual surgical planning was performed, and patient-specific cutting guides and templates were designed and manufactured. These guides and templates were used to control osteotomies and bone remodeling. An intraoperative navigation system based on optical tracking made it possible to follow preoperative virtual planning in the operating room through real-time positioning and 3D visualization. Navigation accuracy was estimated using intraoperative surface scanning as the gold-standard. An average error of 0.62 mm and 0.64 mm was obtained in the remodeled frontal region and supraorbital bar, respectively. Intraoperative navigation is an accurate and reproducible technique for correction of craniosynostosis that enables optimal translation of the preoperative plan to the operating room. © 2019, The Author(s).This work has been supported by Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, project “PI18/01625”, co-funded by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), “A way of making Europe”

Role and Effects of Hippotherapy in the Treatment of Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review of the Literature

We thank our medical translator Megan Berry for her services and comments that contributed to improving the manuscript for publication.Cerebral palsy is described as a group of permanent neuromotor-type disorders caused by non-progressive injuries in the developmental stages of the central nervous system, and which have serious repercussions on the quality of life of affected children due to the physical and psychological damage it entails for them. Today, it is the leading cause of physical disability in childhood. Since there is no cure for this disorder, treatment is based on the improvement of symptoms, which is not always achieved through conventional therapies. For this reason, the need arises to investigate other alternative therapies, such as hippotherapy, to determine the main effects of hippotherapy as a rehabilitation therapy in children with cerebral palsy. The review was performed in accordance with the criteria of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol and was registered under the number CRD42021233003. The databases used were PubMed, Dialnet and the web browser Google Scholar. After applying the inclusion criteria, we included 11 articles. As a conclusion, we found that hippotherapy provides benefits at physical, psychological, cognitive and social levels in children with cerebral palsy, and thus it should be considered as a complementary rehabilitation therapy to conventional treatments

Safety and effectiveness of bubble continuous positive airway pressure as respiratory support for bronchiolitis in a pediatric ward

The results of several clinical trials suggest that continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for acute bronchiolitis can be more efective than high-fow nasal cannula (HFNC). The use of HFNC involved a minimum reduction (5%) in admissions to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in our hospital. Our main aim was to evaluate its safety and efectiveness as respiratory support for patients with bronchiolitis in a pediatric general ward. A secondary goal was to compare the admissions to PICU and the invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) rate of patients treated with HFNC and those treated with HFNC/b-CPAP during the 2018–2019 and 2019–2020 epidemic seasons, respectively. Two prospective single-centre observational studies were performed. For the main aim, a cohort study (CS1) was carried out from 1st of November 2019 to 15th of January 2020. Inclusion criteria were children aged up to 3 months with bronchiolitis treated with b-CPAP support when HFNC failed. Epidemiological and clinical parameters were collected before and 60 min after the onset of CPAP and compared between the responder (R) and non-responders (NR) groups. NR was the group that required PICU admission. One hundred ffty-eight patients were admitted to the ward with bronchiolitis and HFNC. Fifty-seven out of one hundred ffty-eight required b-CPAP. No adverse events were observed. Thirty-two out of ffty-seven remained in the general ward (R-group), and 25/57 were admitted to PICU (NR-group). There were statistically signifcant diferences in respiratory rate (RR) and heart rate (HR) between both groups before and after the initiation of b-CPAP, but the multivariable models showed that the main diferences were observed after 60 min of therapy (lower HR, RR, BROSJOD score and FiO2 in the R-group). For the secondary aim, another cohort study (CS2) was performed comparing data from a pre-b-CPAP bronchiolitis season (1st of November 2018 to 15th January 2019) and the b-CPAP season (2019–2020). Inclusion criteria in pre-b-CPAP season were children aged up to 3 months admitted to the same general ward with moderate-severe bronchiolitis and with HFNC support. Admissions to PICU during the CPAP season were signifcantly reduced, without entailing an increase in the rate of IMV. Conclusion: The implementation of b-CPAP for patients with bronchiolitis in a pediatric ward, in whom HFNC fails, is safe and efective and results in a reduction in PICU admissions

Anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBR) treating urban wastewater in mild climates

Feasibility of an AnMBR demonstration plant treating urban wastewater (UWW) at temperatures around 25-30 ºC was assessed during a 350-day experimental period. The plant was fitted with industrial-scale hollow-fiber membranes and fed with the effluent from the pre-treatment of a full-scale municipal WWTP. Biodegradability of the UWW reached values up to 87%, although a portion of the biodegradable COD was consumed by sulfate reducing organisms. Effluent COD remained below effluent discharge limits, achieving COD removals above 90%. System operation resulted in a reduction of sludge production of 36-58% compared to theoretical aerobic sludge productions. The membranes were operated at gross transmembrane fluxes above 20 LMH maintaining low membrane fouling propensities for more than 250 days without chemical cleaning requirements. Thus, the system resulted in net positive energy productions and GHG emissions around zero. The results obtained confirm the feasibility of UWW treatment in AnMBR under mild and warm climates

Characterizing the phenotype and mode of inheritance of patients with inherited peripheral neuropathies carrying MME mutations

[EN] Background Mutations in the metalloendopeptidase (MME) gene were initially identified as a cause of autosomal recessive Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2 (CMT2). Subsequently, variants in MME were linked to other late-onset autosomal dominant polyneuropathies. Thus, our goal was to define the phenotype and mode of inheritance of patients carrying changes in MME. Methods We screened 197 index cases with a hereditary neuropathy of the CMT type or distal hereditary motor neuropathy (dHMN) and 10 probands with familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (fALS) using a custom panel of 119 genes. In addition to the index case subjects, we also studied other clinically and/or genetically affected and unaffected family members. Results We found 17 variants in MME in a total of 20 index cases, with biallelic MME mutations detected in 13 cases from nine families (three in homozygosis and six in compound heterozygosis) and heterozygous variants found in 11 families. All patients with biallelic variants had a similar phenotype, consistent with late-onset axonal neuropathy. Conversely, the phenotype of patients carrying heterozygous mutations was highly variable [CMT type 1 (CMT1), CMT2, dHMN and fALS] and mutations did not segregate with the disease. Conclusion MME mutations that segregate in an autosomal recessive pattern are associated with a late-onset CMT2 phenotype, yet we could not demonstrate that MME variants in heterozygosis cause neuropathy. Our data highlight the importance of establishing an accurate genetic diagnosis in patients carrying MME mutations, especially with a view to genetic counselling.The authors thank the patients and healthy relatives for having participated in this project. We are grateful to the Eurobiobank CIBERER and the Biobank La Fe for their participation in the collection and processing of patient samples. We also thank the technicians at the Department of Genomics and Translational Genetics (CIPF) who participated in the quality control and processing of DNA samples (Virginia Rejas and Laura Ramírez), and the Bachelor¿s thesis student Andrea Ballester who helped with some clinical data collection. This project was funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), FEDER (Grants no. PI12/00946 and PI16/00403 to TS, PI15/00187 to CE). MF holds a grant funded by the IIS La Fe (Grant no. 2015/0085). AS-M holds a grant funded by the Fundació Per Amor a l'Art (FPAA). JFV-C holds a ' Rio Hortega' contract funded by the ISCIII.Lupo, V.; Frasquet, M.; Sánchez-Monteagudo, A.; Pelayo-Negro, A.; García-Sobrino, T.; Sedano, MJ.; Pardo, J.... (2018). Characterizing the phenotype and mode of inheritance of patients with inherited peripheral neuropathies carrying MME mutations. Journal of Medical Genetics. 55(12):814-823. https://doi.org/10.1136/jmedgenet-2018-105650814823551

A semi-industrial scale AnMBR for municipal wastewater treatment at ambient temperature: performance of the biological process

A semi-industrial scale AnMBR plant was operated for more than 600 days to evaluate the long-term operation of this technology at ambient temperature (ranging from 10 to 27 ºC), variable hydraulic retention times (HRT) (from 25 to 41 h) and influent loads (mostly between 15 and 45 kg COD·d−1). The plant was fed with sulfate-rich high-loaded municipal wastewater from the pre-treatment of a full-scale WWTP. The results showed promising AnMBR performance as the core technology for wastewater treatment, obtaining an average 87.2 ± 6.1 % COD removal during long-term operation, with 40 % of the data over 90%. Five periods were considered to evaluate the effect of HRT, influent characteristics, COD/-S ratio and temperature on the biological process. In the selected periods, methane yields varied from 70.2±36.0 to 169.0±95.1 STP L CH4·kg−1 CODinf, depending on the influent sulfate concentration, and wasting sludge production was reduced by between 8 % and 42 % compared to conventional activated sludge systems. The effluent exhibited a significant nutrient recovery potential. Temperature, HRT, SRT and influent COD/-S ratio were corroborated as crucial parameters to consider in maximizing AnMBR performance

Photolytic and photocatalytic removal of a mixture of four veterinary antibiotics

Producción CientíficaThe removal of a mixture of four veterinary antibiotics (VA) – tetracycline (TET), ciprofloxacin (CIP), sulfadiazine (SDZ) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX) – via photo-degradation (UVC) and photocatalysis with TiO2 (UVC/TiO2) was investigated in a batch reactor under different initial concentrations (20, 100, 500 and 1000 μg/L per antibiotic). Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) was used to determine the removal of these veterinary antibiotics. The removal of all antibiotics via photolysis was around 98–99% after 100 h for TET, 122 h for CIP, 212 h for SDZ and 240 h for SMX. Nevertheless, the removal of all antibiotics via photocatalysis was around 99–100% after 4.2 h for TET, 3.5 h for CIP, 7.1 h for SDZ and 16.5 h for SMX. The photolysis for the four veterinary antibiotics followed a first-order irreversible kinetic model. The photocatalysis of TET, CIP and SDZ followed a Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic model, and adsorption was considered the limiting step. SMX followed a first-order irreversible kinetic model. The photolytic degradation rate constant (k1) was 0.00073 min−1 for TET, 0.00055 min−1 for CIP, 0.00031 min−1 for SDZ and 0.00027 min−1 for SMX. While for photocatalysis k1 was 0.0044 min−1 for SMX; kL-H was 0.0284 min−1 for TET, 0.0379 min−1 for CIP and 0.0141 min−1 for SDZ. The VA degradation was enhanced by the use of a catalyst. Additionally, electrical energy per order (EEO) was assessed to estimate the electrical energy efficiency of each process. EEO values for photolysis were 339.06 kWh/m3/order for TET, 449.84 kWh/m3/order for CIP, 795.31 kWh/m3/order for SDZ and 897.71 kWh/m3/order for SMX. On the other hand, EEO values for photocatalysis were 14.96 kWh/m3/order for TET, 12.07 kWh/m3/order for CIP, 20.39 kWh/m3/order for SDZ and 62.10 kWh/m3/order for SMX. The energy consumption for photocatalysis was considerably lower than for photolysis. This study determined an overall degradation rate constant for a wide range of TET, CIP, SDZ and SMX concentrations. Furthermore, when working with a pH of 8 (a typical pH from wastewater from livestock farms) and a VA mixture whose concentrations resemble the characteristics of real water samples, that photolysis and photocatalysis are potential processes for wastewater treatment with low energy consumption.Junta de Castilla y León (projects UIC 071, CLU 2017-09 and VA080G18)Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (project PID2020-113544RB-I00)Unión Europea - Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (projects CLU 2017-09 and CTQ2017-84006-C3-1-R