Enhancing photovoltaic efficiency through evaporative cooling and a solar still

The efficiency of photovoltaic panels decreases with the increase in panel temperature while converting light into electricity. The issue of temperature rise and the associated decrease in efficiency has been widely analysed by active and passive cooling methods. In those processes, normally water is used as a cooling medium, and it results in water loss along with power loss due to circulating or compensating for the lost water. The current study aims to address both efficiency as well as water loss by combining an evaporative cooling technique with a solar still. A Photovoltaic panel with rear-side evaporative cooling is attempted by using a jute sack dipped in water at both ends. As a result of capillary action, the water from a solar still rises through the sack and cools the panel’s rear side. Solar still operation is ensured by an extended portion of glass. During desalination, the evaporated vapour from the solar still condenses on the back cover of the glass surface and is collected in a collection trough. As a result, the output power increased by 5.6 % and the electrical efficiency increased by 14.51 % and the surface temperature are reduced by 8°C. After seven hours of sunshine, the proposed PV panels and solar still system produced approximately 550 ml of water

A comparative study of the analysis of free fatty acids in cheeses (Cow's, Ewe's and Goat's) with different ripening times using NIRS: Intact samples and fat extracts

Lipolysis is of great importance in the development of the aroma and flavour of cheese and one of the usual ways of measuring it is to assess variations in fatty acids. The relative proportions of fatty acids in milk fat depend on the animal species, the stage of lactation and feed regime, the ripening time and the climatic conditions and microbiological quality of the milk. GC-MS is the reference method for the determination of fatty acids in cheeses, but the technique involves long analysis time

Effect of soiling in CPV systems

The effect of soiling in flat PV modules has been already studied, causing a reduction of the electrical output of 4% on average. For CPV's, as far as soiling produces light scattering at the optical collector surface, the scattered rays should be definitively lost because they cannot be focused onto the receivers again. While the theoretical study becomes difficult because soiling is variable at different sites, it becomes easier to begin the monitoring of the real field performance of concentrators and then raise the following question: how much does the soiling affect to PV concentrators in comparison with flat panels?? The answers allow to predict the PV concentrator electrical performance and to establish a pattern of cleaning frequency. Some experiments have been conducted at the IES-UPM and CSES-ANU sites, consisting in linear reflective concentration systems, a point focus refractive concentrator and a flat module. All the systems have been measured when soiled and then after cleaning, achieving different increases of ISC. In general, results show that CPV systems are more sensitive to soiling than flat panels, accumulating losses in ISC of about 14% on average in three different tests conducted at IESUPM and CSES-ANU test sites in Madrid (Spain) and Canberra (Australia). Some concentrators can reach losses up to 26% when the system is soiled for 4 months of exposure

Predicting the physicochemical properties and geographical ORIGIN of lentils using near infrared spectroscopy

[EN]Calibration statistical descriptors for both whole and ground lentils using Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS), combined with fiber-optic probe, are presented and discussed. The models were developed for estimating the weight, size, total raw protein, moisture, total fat, total fiber, and ash. Standard methods were used to determine compositional parameters of 42 samples of different varieties of lentils. The calibration curves show a wide range of validity for all parameters. The results showed excellent predictability for the determination of weight, fiber, and ash in whole lentils. However, size, moisture, and total fat were predicted satisfactorily in ground lentils. The total protein content could be predicted for both whole and ground lentils. Moreover, NIRS and Direct Partial Least Squares (DPLS) were used to determine whether a sample of lentils belonged to the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) “Lenteja de La Armuña” or not. The results showed that 95% of the samples were correctly classified as belonging to a PGI. This result demonstrates that this technique allows the differentiation of samples from nearby regions

Perfil sociodemográfico y caracterización en salud de mujeres víctimas de trata de personas en Chile. 2012-2017. / Sociodemographic profile and characterization in health of women victims of human trafficking in Chile. 2012-2017.

Actualmente, el fenómeno de la trata de personas tensiona los países del mundo a dirigir sus políticas hacia esta forma de esclavitud moderna, enfatizando la detección, prevención, reparación y protección de las víctimas. En Chile, los escasos estudios existentes respecto a la trata de personas se limitan a las variables descriptivas y geográficas de la caracterización del delito, sin tener en cuenta las variables de acceso, atención y tratamientos de salud en profundidad. Este estudio pretende conocer y describir las características sociodemográficas y el estado de salud de las víctimas de trata de personas en Chile, entre 2012 y el primer semestre de 2017, mediante los ingresos formales a la única casa de protección en Chile. El estudio es cuantitativo de tipo descriptivo y de corte transversal de los registros de las víctimas. Las participantes fueron 43 mujeres víctimas de trata, de 32 años de media y con uno/a o más hijos/ as. Se constata un multidiagnóstico de las víctimas, debido a la cantidad de enfermedades y programas de salud a los que ingresan. Por último, se evidencia una falta de protocolo entre la casa de protección y el sistema de salud, el cual es de vital importancia para definir la calidad de salud de las víctimas de trata de personas. Nowadays, the phenomenon of human trafficking is pressuring countries around the world to direct policies towards this form of modern slavery, emphasizing the detection, prevention, reparation and protection of victims. In Chile, the few existing studies about human trafficking are limited to the descriptive and geographical variables of the crime characterization, without taking into account the variables of access, care and health treatments. This study pretends to know and describe the sociodemographic characteristics and health status of human trafficking victims in Chile, between 2012 and the first half of 2017, considering only the registered admissions into the only human trafficking protection home in Chile. The study is quantitative of a descriptive and cross-sectional nature of the victims’ records. The participants were 43 women victims of trafficking, 32 years old on average and with one or more children. A multidiagnosis of the victims is identified due to the number of diseases and health programs they register into. Finally, there is evidence of a lack of protocol between the protection home and the health system, which is of vital importance to determine the health of the human trafficking victims

Hospital control and multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis in female patients, Lima, Peru.

We examined the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB), rate of multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB, and characteristics of TB on a female general medicine ward in Peru. Of 250 patients, 40 (16%) were positive by sputum culture and 27 (11%) by smear, and 8 (3%) had MDRTB. Thirteen (33%) of 40 culture-positive patients had not been suspected of having TB on admission. Six (46%) of 13 patients whose TB was unsuspected on admission had MDRTB, compared with 2 (7%) of 27 suspected cases (p = 0.009). Five (63%) of 8 MDRTB patients were smear positive and therefore highly infective. In developing countries, hospital control, a simple method of reducing the spread of MDRTB, is neglected

A New Clevosaurid from the Triassic (Carnian) of Brazil and the Rise of Sphenodontians in Gondwana

The early evolution of lepidosaurs is marked by an extremely scarce fossil record during the Triassic. Importantly, most Triassic lepidosaur specimens are represented by disarticulated individuals from high energy accretion deposits in Laurasia, thus greatly hampering our understanding of the initial stages of lepidosaur evolution. Here, we describe the fragmentary remains of an associated skull and mandible of Clevosaurus hadroprodon sp. nov., a new taxon of sphenodontian lepidosaur from the Late Triassic (Carnian; 237–228 Mya) of Brazil. Referral to Sphenodontia is supported by the combined presence of a marginal dentition ankylosed to the apex of the dentary, maxilla, and premaxilla; the presence of ‘secondary bone’ at the bases of the marginal dentition; and a ventrally directed mental process at the symphysis of the dentary. Our phylogenetic analyses recover Clevosaurus hadroprodon as a clevosaurid, either in a polytomy with the Late Triassic to Early Jurassic Clevosaurus and Brachyrhinodon (under Bayesian inference), or nested among different species of Clevosaurus (under maximum parsimony). Clevosaurus hadroprodon represents the oldest known sphenodontian from Gondwana, and its clevosaurid relationships indicates that these sphenodontians achieved a widespread biogeographic distribution much earlier than previously thought.Fil: Hsiou, Annie S.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Nydam, Randall L.. Midwestern University; Estados UnidosFil: Simões, Tiago R.. University of Alberta; Canadá. Harvard University; Estados UnidosFil: Pretto, Flávio A.. Universidade Federal de Santa Maria; BrasilFil: Onary, Silvio. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Martinelli, Agustín Guillermo. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Brasil. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Liparini, Alexandre. Universidade Federal de Sergipe; BrasilFil: Romo de Vivar Martínez, Paulo Rodrigo. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; BrasilFil: Soares, Marina. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; BrasilFil: Schultz, Cesar. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; BrasilFil: Caldwell, Michael Wayne. University of Alberta; Canad

SISTEMADE INDICADORES DE CALIDAD I

The present essay deals with a Quality Indicators System likely to be adopted in organizations implementing their continuous quality and improvement systems. Relations among criterion, indicator and standard and their own examples, as well as the different kinds of indicators is shown.El presente ensayo trata sobre un sistema de indicadores de la calidad que puede ser implantado en organizaciones que están implementando sistemas de calidad y mejora continua, mostrándose la relación entre criterio, indicador y estándar con sus respectivos ejemplos así como los diferentes tipos de indicadores

Impact of silica nanoparticles on the morphology and mechanical properties of sol-gel derived coatings

Although corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of sol-gel coatings have been studied independently, there are limited studies that consider both collectively. However, since any form of mechanical damage could impair the protective function of the coating, it is prudent to consider the mechanical durability of coatings as well as their corrosion resistance. The present work considers the impact of silica nanoparticles on the morphology and mechanical properties of a sol-gel derived coating. The relationships between the results obtained from tests such as atomic force microscopy (AFM), nanoindentation or erosion test with previously reported corrosion results obtained via salt spray or electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) are discussed. Results show that reinforcing a sol-gel coating with silica nanoparticles and, particularly, functionalised silica nanoparticles led to coatings with improved mechanical properties and enhanced erosion impact resistance. The role of nanoparticles on improving mechanical properties and corrosion resistance, which is of importance within the coating industry, is discussed

Non-use of primary care routine consultations for individuals with hypertension

The objectives of this study were to identify, among individuals with hypertension, sociodemographic factors associated with non-use of routine medical appointments available in primary care and check if non-use of consultations interferes with noncompliance with pharmacotherapy, uncontrolled blood pressure and hospitalization. This is a cross-sectional study with random and stratified sampling. A total of 422 individuals living in the city of Maringá, Paraná, were interviewed. There were crude and adjusted analyses using logistic regression, estimating odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. It was found that, in the six months preceding the interview, 47 (11.1%) individuals did not use routine appointments. Being male, nonwhite and using only public health services were associated with non-use of consultations. Most of those who did not use consultations also failed to comply with pharmacotherapy and presented dysregulated blood pressure. Healthcare professionals need to develop strategies in order to increase attendance of hypertensive individuals to medical appointments, giving priority to population groups of men, nonwhite individuals and those who use public health services. Greater use of consultations can assist in blood pressure control and reduce complications