Implementación de herramientas virtuales en la plataforma Moodle 2.5 para la enseñanza de la Química en la Escuela de Ingenierías Industriales de Valladolid

En este proyecto se plantea el diseño de diversas herramientas virtuales interactivas, mediante la plataforma Moodle 2.5. El estudio se ha realizado en la asignatura de “Química en la Ingeniería” (1er curso de grado de Ingeniería). El objetivo es hacer esta asignatura más clara y atractiva, de forma que se alcance una mejora en el aprendizaje y en el rendimiento académico del alumno.Departamento de Química OrgánicaProyecto de Innovación Docent

Descriptive statistical analysis of vegetable oil combustion in a commercial burner to establish optimal operating conditions

Producción CientíficaThis article studies the combustion of refined sunflower, virgin sunflower and virgin rapeseed oils in a low-pressure auxiliary air fluid pulverization burner in order to establish the optimal operating conditions. The influence of varying the type of vegetable oil, fuel flow rate and secondary airflow rate in the combustion process was analyzed. These three factors are independent in the combustion process, which means having to carry out numerous assays, combining the various factors with one another. Given the amount of variables to be optimized and the existence of three factors, a statistical approach is adopted to help interpret the results obtained and to evaluate how each factor influences the combustion results. Optimal combustion is determined based on three criteria, minimum pollutant emissions (CO, NOx and CxHy), maximum combustion performance, and minimum excess air. The result of this study showed that airflow was the principal factor affecting emissions, whereas for combustion performance, both factors (airflow and fuel flow) were determinant. In general, admissible combustion performances were obtained, with CO and NOx emissions below permitted levels. The best combustion performance was achieved under conditions of maximum fuel flow and minimum airflow rates.Junta de Castilla y Leon - Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (project VA272P18

Statistical study of combustion characteristics and optimal operation factor determination in an emulsion burner fuelled with vegetable oils

This work experimentally investigates the combustion characteristics of refined soya, sunflower and rapeseed vegetable oils and, by means of statistical techniques, determines the optimal operating factors of an emulsion burner to obtain the best combustion performance and low pollutant emissions. Given the high dimensionality of the study, the PCA provides a descriptive study of the variables involved in the combustion process and of the physicochemical properties of the vegetable oils so as to establish the correlations between them. ANOVA was then performed to identify which factors (type of vegetable oil, fuel flow, and airflow), as well as any possible interactions, have the greatest impact on the combustion results (performance as well as CO2, CO, NOx, CxHy and SOx emissions). ANOVA results showed that almost all of the factors and their interactions were significant, which makes it essential to analyse the interaction plots to see the optimal combinations of levels. This study showed that fuel flow rate was quite an important factor affecting combustion characteristics, that the type of vegetable oil influenced CxHy emissions, and that the airflow rate displayed no clear trend. Furthermore, the best combustion performance coupled with pollutant emissions that were below the lowest limits established by current legislation were achieved for a combination of maximum fuel flow and minimum airflow rates, with soya exhibiting the best performance. In general, good combustion performances were obtained with extremely low NOx emissions, and SOx emissions were not detected in any of the combustion experiments performed.Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, grant MTM2017-86061-C2-1-P, and by Consejería de Educación de la Junta de Castilla y León and FEDER, grant VA005P17 and VA002G18

Statistical Study of Combustion Characteristics and Optimal Operation Factor Determination in an Emulsion Burner Fueled with Vegetable Oils

This work experimentally investigates the combustion characteristics of refined soya, sunflower, and rapeseed vegetable oils and, by means of statistical techniques, determines the optimal operating factors of an emulsion burner to obtain the best combustion performance and low pollutant emissions. Given the high dimensionality of the study, principal component analysis provides a descriptive study of the variables involved in the combustion process and of the physicochemical properties of the vegetable oils so as to establish the correlations between them. ANOVA was then performed to identify which factors (type of vegetable oil, fuel flow, and airflow), as well as any possible interactions, have the greatest impact on the combustion results (performance as well as CO2, CO, NOx, CxHy, and SOx emissions). The ANOVA results showed that almost all of the factors and their interactions were significant, which makes it essential to analyze the interaction plots in order to see the optimal combinations of levels. This study showed that fuel flow rate was quite an important factor affecting combustion characteristics, that the type of vegetable oil influenced CxHy emissions, and that the airflow rate displayed no clear trend. Furthermore, the best combustion performance coupled with pollutant emissions below the lowest limits established by the current legislation were achieved for a combination of maximum fuel flow and minimum airflow rates, with soya exhibiting the best performance. In general, good combustion performances were obtained with extremely low NOx emissions. SOx emissions were not detected in any of the combustion experiments performed.Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, grant MTM2017-86061-C2-1-P, and by Consejería de Educación de la Junta de Castilla y León and FEDER, grant VA005P17 and VA002G18

Assessment of natural ventilation strategy to decrease the risk of COVID 19 infection at a rural elementary school

Natural ventilation in low-budget elementary schools is the main focus to ensure the health and comfort of its occupants, specifically when looking at the global pandemic related to SARS-COV-2. This paper presents an experimental and novel study of natural ventilation in a public elementary school (Los Zumacales), with a particularly low economic budget. The study was carried out during the winter months of the Covid 19 pandemic. The school is located in the rural area of Castilla y León (North-Western Spain) far from high traffic roads. In this study, a methodology of measuring CO2 concentration was applied in nine classrooms in a school. The experimental study shows the level of natural ventilation in each classroom, expressed in Air Changes per Hour (ACH), using the Decay CO2 concentration method. The method is proven by comparing the experimental values of the obtained ACH with those determined by the most powerful methods to achieve appropriate ventilation levels. Thus, ensuring health protection protocol in rural schools, against the COVID 19 pandemic. Harvard guide and Spanish regulations (RITE), two widely recognized methods have been used together with the experimentally obtained standard by Rey et al. Only one classroom showed a value lower than 3 indicating poor ventilation. In this study, the degree of thermal comfort in the nine classrooms were also analyzed according to the EN15251 standard. An average indoor temperature of approximately 19 °C was obtained, and the relative humidity was stable and correct according to Spanish regulations. In addition, the risk of infection in each classroom was estimated following the international method recommended by the federation of European Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Associations (REHVA). The probability of infection in all the cases studied was less than 14%.Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga/CBU

Sustainable savings applied to operating room ventilation at hospitals located in different climatic zones, through control and regulation strategies

Producción CientíficaIn hospitals, operating rooms are energy-intensive spaces, due to the high flow of outside air required to achieve the necessary indoor air quality. Operating rooms demand ventilation continuously, despite periods of low daily surgical activity. However, by controlling ventilation during inactive periods in the operating room, significant energy savings can be achieved, avoiding penalties on IAQ levels. This paper evaluates the energy savings achieved by introducing ventilation flow control and regulation systems in operating rooms of hospitals located in different climatic zones within Spain. In addition, emissions and economic savings have also been evaluated. Two control and regulation strategies of the air flow to be supplied and extracted in the operating rooms, during periods of inactivity, are studied and include regulation by schedule and regulation by occupancy. Data from a 900-bed university hospital center are used as a reference to evaluate the average occupancy of the operating rooms, and the energy consumption, thus validating the model for calculating the demand of a typical operating room. The energy savings for the regulation by occupancy are 37.5%, and the regulation by schedule are 40% of the annual demand, with respect to an operating room working permanently

Administration of Ligilactobacillus salivarius MP101 in an Elderly Nursing Home during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Immunological and Nutritional Impact

The elderly population living in nursing homes is particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 although individual susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection may be related to the host microbiota. The objective of this work was to investigate the effect of Ligilactobacillus salivarius MP101 on the functional (Barthel index), cognitive (GDS/FAST), and nutritional (MNA) status as well as on the nasal and fecal inflammatory profiles of elderly residents living in a nursing home that is highly affected by COVID-19. A total of 25 residents participated in the trial, which involved the daily ingestion of a dairy product (L. salivarius MP101: 9.3 log10 CFU per unit) for 4 months. Nasal and fecal samples were analyzed for 37 immune factors at recruitment and at the end of the study. After the trial, no change in the GDS/FAST scores were found but, in contrast, the values for the Barthel index and the MNA score improved significantly. The concentrations of some immune factors changed significantly after the trial, including a decrease in the concentrations of BAFF/TNFSF13B, APRIL/TNFSF13, IL8, IL31, osteopontin, sTNF-R1, and sTNF-R2, and an increase in chitinase 3-like 1, IL19, IL35, and pentraxin 3 was also observed. In conclusion, L. salivarius MP101 seems to be a promising strain for improving or maintaining health in this highly vulnerable population

Evaluation of Genotoxic and Cytotoxic Effects in Human Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes Exposed In Vitro to Neonicotinoid Insecticides News

Calypso (thiacloprid), Poncho (clothianidin), Gaucho (imidacloprid), and Jade (imidacloprid) are commercial neonicotinoid insecticides, a new class of agrochemicals in México. However, genotoxic and cytotoxic studies have not been performed. In the present study, human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) were exposed in vitro to different concentrations of the four insecticides. The genotoxic and cytotoxic effects were evaluated using the alkaline comet and trypan blue dye exclusion assays. DNA damage was evaluated using two genotoxicity parameters: tail length and comet frequency. Exposure to 9.5 × 10−6 to 5.7 × 10−5 M Jade; 2.8 × 10−4 to 1.7 × 10−3 M Gaucho; 0.6 × 10−1 to 1.4 × 10−1 M Calypso; 1.2 × 10−1 to 9.5 × 10−1 M Poncho for 2 h induced a significant increase DNA damage with a concentration-dependent relationship. Jade was the most genotoxic of the four insecticides studied. Cytotoxicity was observed in cells exposed to 18 × 10−3 M Jade, 2.0 × 10−3 M Gaucho, 2.0 × 10−1 M Calypso, 1.07 M Poncho, and cell death occurred at 30 × 10−3 M Jade, 3.3 × 10−3 M Gaucho, 2.8 × 10−1 M Calypso, and 1.42 M Poncho. This study provides the first report of genotoxic and cytotoxic effects in PBL following in vitro exposure to commercial neonicotinoid insecticides

BDinnova – Formación del profesorado en herramientas de manejo, análisis y visualización de BigData geolocalizado

Depto. de GeografíaFac. de Geografía e HistoriaFALSEsubmitte

Towards the identification of a new taphonomic agent: An analysis of bone accumulations obtained from modern Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) nests

This paper presents the results of a study of bones recovered in various current Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) nests in a Mediterranean region of the Iberian Peninsula. The Egyptian vulture, a diurnal, scavenging, rupicolous bird of prey, is one of four vulture species that currently inhabit the Iberian Peninsula. An analysis of the remains found in the nests confirms that it has a heterogeneous diet that includes remains from human activities (butchery and food production) and the carcasses of dead animals, although it is possible that they also prey on small-sized taxa. The taphonomic study determines these birds" capability of transporting, accumulating and altering bone remains. Some of the elements show marks caused by beak and/or claw impacts brought about primarily during feeding, which have characteristic typologies. Despite the fact that this is not a bone-eating vulture, it can also be seen that some bones are swallowed. The characteristics of the bone set studied here are important for establishing the origin of bone accumulations on archaeological sites