Study of X52 steel in seawater with biocides under turbulent flow conditions

This work presents the corrosion study of the API X52 pipeline steel immersed in seawater without biocide and with 0,25, 0,5 and 0,75 ppm of biocide, under static and dynamic (turbulent flow) conditions at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The total exposure time of the steel sample in test solution was 24h. In order to control the hydrodynamic conditions, a rotating cylinder electrode(RCE) was used. The rotation speed was 1000 RPM. The steel samples were immersed in the test solution, then, an electrochemical corrosion study using linear polarization resistance (LPR), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and polarization curves (PC) was made. In the superficial analysis of the steel samples, a scanning electronic microscopy was used. The results of the electrochemical study shown that the corrosion rate is higher under turbulent flow conditions than static conditions, and as the biocide concentration increased in the test solution, the corrosion rate decreased. A localized corrosion type was found in all the samples tested

Monitoreo de Condición en Motores de Combustión Interna Monocilíndricos con Base en Adquisición y Procesamiento de Señales Experimentales

In recent years, condition monitoring based on signal analysis has become a valuable tool for the diagnosis of internal combustion engines. In this paper the experimental design for the ICE monitoring condition, based on signal analysis, is presented. The experimental configuration was development for the analysis of signals from ICE in order to monitor their condition. The conduced case study consists on the monitoring condition of a single-cylinder engine, operating under regular conditions and different speeds. The instrumentation, the adquisition systems as well as the signals analysis are also presented. The adquired signals were: engine block vibration, in-cylinder pressure and crankshaft speed. The mentioned signals were analyzed and processed by FFT and Rigid Regression. It was possible to obtain the frequency spectrum of the vibration signal and reconstruct the in-cylinder pressure of the single-cylinder engine. The presented configuration can be taken as a basis for the evaluation of others engines and for improving the schemes of monitoring condition.Keywords: Internal combustion engines, condition monitoring, signal acquisition, signal processing

Towards an Integrated Multiscale Simulation of Turbulent Clouds on PetaScale Computers

The development of precipitating warm clouds is affected by several effects of small-scale air turbulence including enhancement of droplet-droplet collision rate by turbulence, entrainment and mixing at the cloud edges, and coupling of mechanical and thermal energies at various scales. Large-scale computation is a viable research tool for quantifying these multiscale processes. Specifically, top-down large-eddy simulations (LES) of shallow convective clouds typically resolve scales of turbulent energy-containing eddies while the effects of turbulent cascade toward viscous dissipation are parameterized. Bottom-up hybrid direct numerical simulations (HDNS) of cloud microphysical processes resolve fully the dissipation-range flow scales but only partially the inertial subrange scales. it is desirable to systematically decrease the grid length in LES and increase the domain size in HDNS so that they can be better integrated to address the full range of scales and their coupling. In this paper, we discuss computational issues and physical modeling questions in expanding the ranges of scales realizable in LES and HDNS, and in bridging LES and HDNS. We review our on-going efforts in transforming our simulation codes towards PetaScale computing, in improving physical representations in LES and HDNS, and in developing better methods to analyze and interpret the simulation results

Mathematical modeling and forecasting of COVID-19: experience in Santiago de Cuba province

In the province of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, the COVID-19 epidemic has a limited progression that shows an early small-number peak of infections. Most published mathematical models fit data with high numbers of confirmed cases. In contrast, small numbers of cases make it difficult to predict the course of the epidemic. We present two known models adapted to capture the noisy dynamics of COVID-19 in the Santiago de Cuba province. Parameters of both models were estimated using the approximate-Bayesian-computation framework with dedicated error laws. One parameter of each model was updated on key dates of travel restrictions. Both models approximately predicted the infection peak and the end of the COVID-19 epidemic in Santiago de Cuba. The first model predicted 57 reported cases and 16 unreported cases. Additionally, it estimated six initially exposed persons. The second model forecasted 51 confirmed cases at the end of the epidemic. In conclusion, an opportune epidemiological investigation, along with the low number of initially exposed individuals, might partly explain the favorable evolution of the COVID-19 epidemic in Santiago de Cuba. With the available data, the simplest model predicted the epidemic evolution with greater precision, and the more complex model helped to explain the epidemic phenomenology

Reflexiones universitarias. San Pedro Valencia: renovación urbana, saneamiento ambiental y emprendimientos turísticos. Otoño 2015

Los trabajos que aquí se presentan se elaboraron por las y los estudiantes como parte de las actividades del Proyecto de Aplicación Profesional (PAP) “San Pedro Valencia: renovación urbana, saneamiento ambiental y emprendimientos turísticos”, durante el periodo de Otoño de 2015. A lo largo del periodo los autores compartieron sus reflexiones en torno a su percepción sobre el contexto en el que actúa el PAP; sobre las alternativas posibles a la problemática detectada y lo que significa pensar una alternativa; sobre los sujetos con los que se ha interactuado a lo largo de la experiencia de trabajo y sobre el papel del profesionista y del ciudadano en un mundo como el que nos tocó vivir. La obra está compuesta por reflexiones personales de las y los estudiantes que, explorando estas temáticas, comparten sus aprendizajes y observaciones de forma vívida.ITESO, A.C

UMA. Potrero de mulas. San Sebastián del Oeste, Jalisco

Las Unidades de Manejo para la Conservación de la Vida Silvestre (UMAs). El presente proyecto reside en el apoyo a la UMA “Potrero de Mulas”, ubicada en el municipio San Sebastián del Oeste del Estado de Jalisco. El objetivo principal de la visita realizada consistió en conocer las condiciones actuales en las que se encontraba la UMA, su funcionamiento, cómo se está manteniendo económicamente y cuáles son sus problemáticas. La UMA anteriormente contaba con recursos económicos que el Gobierno Federal les otorgaba como subsidios que se destinaban para el mantenimiento de la UMA así como para el desarrollo de las actividades ecoturísticas; sin embargo, después de unos años, el Gobierno Federal optó por eliminar este tipo de apoyo, por consiguiente, se retiró el apoyo económica hacia las UMAs. En consecuencia, otro de los objetivos del proyecto es que a partir de la visita de campo a la UMA, y conociendo sus problemáticas, sería enfocar el análisis respecto a la viabilidad de volver a solicitar al gobierno el apoyo económico para este tipo de proyectos.ITESO, A.C

Genotyping, sequencing and analysis of 140,000 adults from Mexico City

The Mexico City Prospective Study is a prospective cohort of more than 150,000 adults recruited two decades ago from the urban districts of Coyoacán and Iztapalapa in Mexico City1. Here we generated genotype and exome-sequencing data for all individuals and whole-genome sequencing data for 9,950 selected individuals. We describe high levels of relatedness and substantial heterogeneity in ancestry composition across individuals. Most sequenced individuals had admixed Indigenous American, European and African ancestry, with extensive admixture from Indigenous populations in central, southern and southeastern Mexico. Indigenous Mexican segments of the genome had lower levels of coding variation but an excess of homozygous loss-of-function variants compared with segments of African and European origin. We estimated ancestry-specific allele frequencies at 142 million genomic variants, with an effective sample size of 91,856 for Indigenous Mexican ancestry at exome variants, all available through a public browser. Using whole-genome sequencing, we developed an imputation reference panel that outperforms existing panels at common variants in individuals with high proportions of central, southern and southeastern Indigenous Mexican ancestry. Our work illustrates the value of genetic studies in diverse populations and provides foundational imputation and allele frequency resources for future genetic studies in Mexico and in the United States, where the Hispanic/Latino population is predominantly of Mexican descent

Creative innovation in Spanish construction firms

"This material may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the American Society of Civil Engineers"Small and medium-sized contractors are characterized by organizational structures that are highly focused on control. As a result, employees concentrate on day-to-day activities with little time or motivation to generate creative ideas. Generally, the technological improvements of these companies arise as a result of problem-solving at the construction site. Nevertheless, the actual status quo is changing. In fact, some Spanish public agencies are already considering innovation as an added value in public procurement; thus, large contractors are starting to systemize their innovative efforts. This means that small and medium-sized enterprises must modify their attitudes towards innovation in order to sustain their competitiveness. The implementation of a system that enhances innovation and acquisition of knowledge may be the solution to overcome this disadvantage. The authors analyzed the implementation of an innovation management system in a Spanish construction firm of medium size for nine years. The system builds on a set of processes aimed to generate innovation projects that allow the contractor to document the innovation, not only for internal purposes related to knowledge management, but also for external ones associated with obtaining better results in public tenders. These processes are: (a) technology watch; (b) creativity; (c) planning and executing innovation projects; (d) technology transfer; and (e) protection of results. The last step is the feedback of the entire process through the assessment of the final outcomes. The implementation of the innovation system is ensured within the organization, through training of personnel, participation of stakeholders and encouragement of the innovation culture.The research reported in this paper was partially funded by the Universidad Catolica del Maule (UCM) [Project Mejoramiento de la Calidad y Equidad de la Educacion Superior (MECESUP)-UCM0205], the Spanish Ministry of Infrastructure (Project 2004-36), and the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (UPV) (Contract UPV-2008-0629). Francisco Vea, Ricardo Lacort, and Manuel Civera are thanked for their help and support throughout the implementation of the system. Dr. Debra Westall is thanked for revising the text.Yepes, V.; Pellicer Armiñana, E.; Fernando Alarcón, L.; Correa Becerra, CL. (2015). Creative innovation in Spanish construction firms. Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice. 141:04015006-1-04015006-10. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EI.1943-5541.0000251S04015006-104015006-1014

Satellite Cells Senescence in Limb Muscle of Severe Patients with COPD

Centre de recherche de l’Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Québec, Canada Rationale: The maintenance of peripheral muscle mass may be compromised in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) due to premature cellular senescence and exhaustion of the regenerative potential of the muscles. Methods: Vastus lateralis biopsies were obtained from patients with COPD (n = 16) and healthy subjects (n = 7). Satellite cell number and the proportion of central nuclei, as a marker of muscle regenerative events, were assessed on cryosections. Telomere lengths, used as a marker of cellular senescence, were determined using Southern blot analyses. Results: Central nuclei proportion was significantly higher in patients with COPD with a preserved muscle mass compared to controls and patients with COPD with muscle atrophy (p,0.001). In COPD, maximal telomere length was significantly decreased compared to controls (p,0.05). Similarly, minimal telomere length was significantly reduced in GOLD III–IV patients with muscle atrophy compared to controls (p,0.005). Minimal, mean and maximum telomere lengths correlated with mid-thigh muscle cross-sectional area (MTCSA) (R = 0.523, p = 0.005; R = 0.435, p = 0.019 and R = 0.491, p = 0.009, respectively). Conclusions: Evidence of increased regenerative events was seen in GOLD III–IV patients with preserved muscle mass. Shortening of telomeres in GOLD III–IV patients with muscle atrophy is consistent with an increased number of senescen