Impact of Fluid Flow on Free Radical Polymerization in a Batch Reactor

In this work, the mixing process on a batch reactor is analyzed for the thermal synthesis of poly(acrylamide-co-sodium 2-acrylamide-2-methylpropane sulfonate) initiated by ammonium persulfate. The analysis is achieved by using tracer technology and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). ANSYS Fluent® software is used for numerical simulations. By studying the mixing time in the reactor, the injection point and the stirring speed are determined so that the kinetics of copolymerization is improved

Comparison of effectiveness between a conventional catheter and a manual commercial catheter: randomized trial of simulation of intraosseous access in a biological model

Introduction: In the emergency services an action of paramount importance in critically ill patients is to obtain an early vascular access. When vascular access is not established, an intraosseous route should be obtained; otherwise, the mortality of these critically ill patients is almost 100%. In Colombia, the intraosseous access is not used because of the high costs of the devices and the lack of training of the healthcare staff to conduct the procedure.Objective: To determine the efficacy of a low-cost device to establish intraosseous access.Materials and methods: Quantitative approach, experimental design in a simulated environment with chicken tarsus and metatarsus. An analysis was conducted using frequency tables and central tendency measurements. Likewise, further analyses were done using Fisher's exact test, Chi2, and Mann-Whitney test.Results: A total of 99% of the procedures were successful with both catheters. The average time for intraosseous access was 6.6 seconds with Insyte 14 catheter and 4.7 seconds with Din 1515x Illinois Desch device (P=0.001). There were no significant differences in the number of attempts to secure a successful intraosseous access using any of the 2 devices (P=0.56).Conclusion: There was no significant difference between the Ci 14 and the Si 14 catheter to establish a successful intraosseous access in the chicken tarsus and metatarsus in a simulated environment. © 2019 Sociedad Colombiana de Anestesiología y Reanimación (S.C.A.R.E.)

Addressing learner satisfaction outcomes in electronic instrumentation and measurement laboratory course organization

This paper proposes and details a course organization methodology based on learner satisfaction achievement. The approach follows the prevailing tendency in modern university reforms which are primarily concerned about “how people learn.” As a consequence, the learner has been placed as the main actor of the teaching–learning process. Nevertheless, the current learning literature has not addressed the measurement of learner satisfaction within laboratory and practical subjects. This study develops a general and comprehensive methodology for learner satisfaction measurement in practical subjects. As a case example, the proposed methodology has been applied to an electronic instrumentation and measurement course, confirming the variables with a significant influence on learner satisfaction and becoming the starting point for curriculum redesign based on the learner satisfaction approach. To assess the improvement of the proposed course organization methodology, a comparison with previous academic years has been performed showing the students’ rated score evolution. Results fully confirm the validity of the technique and the novel course organizatio

An electronic engineering curriculum design based on concept-mapping techniques

Curriculum design is a concern in European Universities as they face the forthcoming European Higher Education Area (EHEA). This process can be eased by the use of scientific tools such as Concept-Mapping Techniques (CMT) that extract and organize the most relevant information from experts’ experience using statistics techniques, and helps a working group to achieve conclusions. This paper presents an empirical exploratory research study related to the application of the CMT to the design of the Electronic Engineering (EE) Degree at the University of Seville, Spain. Considering the Career-space conclusions as the initial point, the main relevant competences were identified in a brainstorming technique. These competences are organized according to their affinity using CMT, establishing and interpreting the main clusters and their relative importance. Finally, a reliability analysis of the concept maps was carried out verifying the correctness of the procedure and validating the results for the curricula adaptatio

Modeling learner satisfaction in an electronic instrumentation and measurement course using structural equation models

The prevailing tendency in modern university reforms is towards “how people learn,” following a learner-centered approach in which the learner is the main actor of the teaching-learning process. As a consequence, one of the key indicators of the teaching-learning process is the measurement of learner satisfaction within the classroom. Learner satisfaction has traditionally been measured using survey responses to a standard learning survey. However, more scientific analysis should be performed to assess adequately not only learner satisfaction but also the main dimensions that have a positive impact on learner satisfaction. The purpose of this paper is to define a structural and measurement model in which causal relationships among these different dimensions are adequately established. The methodology is based on a multivariate regression model (Structural Equation Models) to establish scientifically a structural model for learner satisfaction within a classroom, measuring its validity and reliability. The proposed approach has been applied to model learner satisfaction in an electronic instrumentation course at the University of Seville, Spain. The results and implications of this study will contribute to improve student satisfaction with respect to the dimensions considere

Anthracene-Fused Oligo-BODIPYs: a new class of π-extended NIR-absorbing materials

Large π-conjugated systems are key in the area of molecular materials. Herein, we prepare via AuI - catalyzed cyclization a series of fully π-conjugated anthracene-fused oligo-BODIPYs. Their structural and optoelectronic properties were studied by several techniques, ranging from X-ray, UV/Vis, and cyclic voltammetry to transient absorption spectroscopy. As a complement, their electronic structures were explored by means of Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. Depending on the size and shape of the π-conjugated skeleton, unique features—such as face-to-face supramolecular organization, NIR absorption and fluorescence as well as strong electron accepting character—were noted. All in all, the aforementioned features render them valuable for technological applicationsments We gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Spanish MICINN through Projects PID2020-116490GB-I00 (Porphyrinoids) and TED2021-131255B-C43 (PERSOLAR). We also thank financial support to the Comunidad de Madrid (MAD2D-CM) and MICINN through project “Materiales disruptivos bidimensionales (2D)” within the Plan de recuperación, transformación y resiliencia (Materiales avanzados). IMDEA Nanociencia acknowledges support from the “Severo Ochoa” Programme for Centres of Excellence in R&D (MINECO, Grant SEV2016-0686). J.L. acknowledges MECD, Spain, for a F.P.U. fellowship. European Commission under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Action Cofund 2015 (EU project 713366-InterTalentum) is acknowledged for the support for G.D.S. Generous allocation of computational time from the Centro de Computación Científica UAM is gratefully acknowledged. Work in Erlangen was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) through SFB 953 project B10 and the Bavarian Collaborative Research Project “Solar Technologies go Hybrid” (SolTech

A learning methodology using Matlab/Simulink for undergraduate electrical engineering courses attending to learner satisfaction outcomes

Learner-centred approaches follow the prevailing tendency in modern University reforms which are primarily concerned about ‘‘how people learn’’. The methodologies can be learner-centred in the sense of placing the student as the main actor of the teaching–learning process by increasing his interactivity and participation, but also considering what is relevant for the student by measuring the learner satisfaction. In order to promote both aspects, this paper proposes a synchronous software-based active methodology that makes use of the simulations to show a virtual scenario to the students and challenge them to predict and discuss the evolution of the scenario. The proposed methodology improves the visual interface, promotes discussion both among students and with the teacher in a brainstorming stage and shows real-world examples. This software-based methodology has been implemented into an Electric Machinery course at the University of Seville (Spain), and the evaluation has been carried out considering both the affective and cognitive domains. Principal components analysis proves to be useful to highlight the dimensions with a higher influence on learner satisfaction and the affective and cognitive results confirm the successful implementation of the proposa

Los componentes del tracto de salida cardiaco de los primeros vertebrados mandibulados están conservados en los anfibios

Estudios recientes han modificado las nociones que se habían asumido clásicamente sobre la composición del tracto de salida cardiaco de los condrictios. En este grupo el tracto de salida consta, no sólo de un cono arterioso, de naturaleza miocárdica, sino también de un bulbo arterioso, cuya pared carece de miocardio. El bulbo es un segmento intrapericárdico, interpuesto entre el cono y la aorta ventral, tapizado por epicardio y recorrido por arterias coronarias. Dichos estudios sugieren que este diseño del tracto de salida se corresponde con la condición primitiva del carácter en los vertebrados mandibulados. Además, otra serie de investigaciones han puesto de manifiesto que el bulbo arterioso de los peces es homólogo a las porciones basales intrapericárdicas de la aorta y de la arteria pulmonar de las aves y los mamíferos. Por su parte, aunque la anatomía y fisiología del tracto de salida del corazón de los anfibios constituyen temas frecuentemente tratados en la bibliografía, existe una notable confusión en la terminología empleada para designar esta parte del corazón, motivada, probablemente, por la escasez de estudios microscópicos sobre este componente cardiaco. A tenor de los antecedentes expuestos, se ha estudiado el tracto de salida cardiaco en ejemplares adultos del anuro Xenopus laevis. Dicho estudio ha consistido en el examen anatómico de material fresco, la observación de muestras mediante microscopía electrónica de barrido, la aplicación de técnicas histomorfológicas para microscopía óptica y la realización de reconstrucciones digitales tridimensionales. El tracto de salida cardiaco de X. laevis consta, como el de los vertebrados pisciformes, de dos componentes, uno proximal y otro distal con respecto al ventrículo. El componente proximal es el cono arterioso, que está recorrido internamente por la cresta espiral y presenta, en ambos extremos, sendas hileras de válvulas. La pared del cono es de naturaleza miocárdica y está irrigada por arterias coronarias. El componente distal es asimismo intrapericárdico, está compuesto por musculatura lisa y tejido elástico, está tapizado por epicardio y recorrido por arterias coronarias y muestra una tabicación interna progresivamente más compleja en sentido caudocefálico. Nuestros resultados sugieren que dicho componente distal, que constituye las bases intrapericárdicas de las arterias sistémico-carotídeas y pulmo-cutáneas, es homólogo al bulbo arterioso de los vertebrados pisciformes. Por tanto, el bulbo arterioso se ha conservado desde los primeros vertebrados mandibulados y a partir de él se han formado las bases de los troncos aórticos y pulmonares de los tetrápodos.CGL2014-52356-P (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad), FPU15/03209 (Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte), fondos FEDER, Universidad de Málaga.Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Inference of proto-neutron star properties in core-collapse supernovae from a gravitational-wave detector network

The next Galactic core-collapse supernova (CCSN) will be a unique opportunity to study within a fully multi-messenger approach the explosion mechanism responsible for the formation of neutron stars and stellar-mass black holes. State-of-the-art numerical simulations of those events reveal the complexity of the gravitational-wave emission which is highly stochastic. This challenges the possibility to infer the properties of the compact remnant and of its progenitor using the information encoded in the waveforms. In this paper we take further steps in a program we recently initiated to overcome those difficulties. In particular we show how oscillation modes of the proto-neutron star, highly visible in the gravitational-wave signal, can be used to reconstruct the time evolution of their physical properties. Extending our previous work where only the information from a single detector was used we here describe a new data-analysis pipeline that coherently combines gravitational-wave detectors' data and infers the time evolution of a combination of the mass and radius of the compact remnant. The performance of the method is estimated employing waveforms from 2D and 3D CCSN simulations covering a progenitor mass range between 11$\mathrm{M_{\odot}}$\, and 40$\mathrm{M_{\odot}}$\, and different equations of state for both a network of up to five second-generation detectors and the proposed third-generation detectors Einstein Telescope and Cosmic Explorer. Our study shows that it will be possible to infer PNS properties for CCSN events occurring in the vicinity of the Milky Way, up to the Large Magellanic Cloud, with the current generation of gravitational-wave detectors

Clinical and functional characteristics of individuals with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency: EARCO international registry

Background Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is a rare disease that is associated with an increased risk of pulmonary emphysema. The European AATD Research Collaboration (EARCO) international registry was founded with the objective of characterising the individuals with AATD and investigating their natural history. Methods The EARCO registry is an international, observational and prospective study of individuals with AATD, defined as AAT serum levels < 11 μM and/or proteinase inhibitor genotypes PI*ZZ, PI*SZ and compound heterozygotes or homozygotes of other rare deficient variants. We describe the characteristics of the individuals included from February 2020 to May 2022. Results A total of 1044 individuals from 15 countries were analysed. The most frequent genotype was PI*ZZ (60.2%), followed by PI*SZ (29.2%). Among PI*ZZ patients, emphysema was the most frequent lung disease (57.2%) followed by COPD (57.2%) and bronchiectasis (22%). Up to 76.4% had concordant values of FEV1(%) and KCO(%). Those with impairment in FEV1(%) alone had more frequently bronchiectasis and asthma and those with impairment in KCO(%) alone had more frequent emphysema and liver disease. Multivariate analysis showed that advanced age, male sex, exacerbations, increased blood platelets and neutrophils, augmentation and lower AAT serum levels were associated with worse FEV1(%). Conclusions EARCO has recruited > 1000 individuals with AATD from 15 countries in its first 2 years. Baseline cross sectional data provide relevant information about the clinical phenotypes of the disease, the patterns of functional impairment and factors associated with poor lung function