Evaluation of Different Pretreatment Systems for the Energy Recovery of Greenhouse Agricultural Wastes in a Cement Plant

This work evaluates and selects the best sequence of operations for the pretreatment of greenhouse agricultural wastes (GAW) derived from the main greenhouse crops of the west of Almeria (Spain), such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, eggplants, zucchinis, watermelons and melons, before recovering its potential energy in a cement plant located in this province. In this research, a set of operations are proposed to reduce the chlorine percentage and the moisture content presented in this kind of waste, for its use as an alternative fuel in this production facilities. A washing of the waste under optimal conditions may reduce the chlorine content by approximately 50.0% of the original value and increase the lower calorific value by 8.0%. Drying the waste with a hot gas stream could produce a recoverable waste with a moisture content lower than 3.0%, which enables its temporary storage while avoiding its degradation. The use of an adequate amount of conditioned GAW can provide a substitute up to 51% of the conventional fossil fuel currently employed in the daily operation of the facility evaluated, leading to a reduction of the CO2 emissions associated with the decrease in the fossil fuel consumption

Decision system based on neural networks to optimize the energy efficiency of a petrochemical plant

The energy efficiency of industrial plants is an important issue in any type of business but particularly in the chemical industry. Not only is it important in order to reduce costs, but also it is necessary even more as a means of reducing the amount of fuel that gets wasted, thereby improving productivity, ensuring better product quality, and generally increasing profits. This article describes a decision system developed for optimizing the energy efficiency of a petrochemical plant. The system has been developed after a data mining process of the parameters registered in the past. The designed system carries out an optimization process of the energy efficiency of the plant based on a combined algorithm that uses the following for obtaining a solution: On the one hand, the energy efficiency of the operation points occurred in the past and, on the other hand, a module of two neural networks to obtain new interpolated operation points. Besides, the work includes a previous discriminant analysis of the variables of the plant in order to select the parameters most important in the plant and to study the behavior of the energy efficiency index. This study also helped ensure an optimal training of the neural networks. The robustness of the system as well as its satisfactory results in the testing process (an average rise in the energy efficiency of around 7%, reaching, in some cases, up to 45%) have encouraged a consulting company (ALIATIS) to implement and to integrate the decision system as a pilot software in an SCADA

Risk Factors for Working Pregnant Women and Potential Adverse Consequences of Exposure: A Systematic Review

Objective: To assess the risk factors perceived as stressors by pregnant women in the work environment and the possible adverse consequences of such exposure for the normal development of pregnancy. Methods: Systematic review, guided by the PRISMA guidelines, and using Pubmed, Web of Science, Dialnet, SciELO, and REDIB databases. Methodological quality was assessed using the critical appraisal tools for non-randomised studies of the Joanna Briggs Institute. Results: A total of 38 studies were included. The main risk factors found in the work environment of pregnant women were chemical, psychosocial, physical-ergonomicmechanical factors, and other work-related factors. The main adverse consequences of exposure to these factors include low birth weight, preterm birth, miscarriage, hypertension and pre-eclampsia, as well as various obstetric complications. Conclusion: During pregnancy, working conditions that are considered acceptable in normal situations may not be so during this stage due to the major changes that occur during pregnancy. Many obstetric effects may have an important impact in the mother’s psychological status; therefore, it is important to optimise working conditions during this stage and to reduce or eliminate possible risksFunding for open access charge: Foundation for Science and Technology, Portugal (FCT)

The outcome of boosting mitochondrial activity in alcohol-associated liver disease is organ-dependent.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) accounts for 70% of liver-related deaths in Europe, with no effective approved therapies. Although mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the earliest manifestations of alcohol-induced injury, restoring mitochondrial activity remains a problematic strategy due to oxidative stress. Here, we identify methylation-controlled J protein (MCJ) as a mediator for ALD progression and hypothesize that targeting MCJ may help in recovering mitochondrial fitness without collateral oxidative damage. APPROACH AND RESULTS C57BL/6 mice [wild-type (Wt)] Mcj knockout and Mcj liver-specific silencing (MCJ-LSS) underwent the NIAAA dietary protocol (Lieber-DeCarli diet containing 5% (vol/vol) ethanol for 10 days, plus a single binge ethanol feeding at day 11). To evaluate the impact of a restored mitochondrial activity in ALD, the liver, gut, and pancreas were characterized, focusing on lipid metabolism, glucose homeostasis, intestinal permeability, and microbiota composition. MCJ, a protein acting as an endogenous negative regulator of mitochondrial respiration, is downregulated in the early stages of ALD and increases with the severity of the disease. Whole-body deficiency of MCJ is detrimental during ALD because it exacerbates the systemic effects of alcohol abuse through altered intestinal permeability, increased endotoxemia, and dysregulation of pancreatic function, which overall worsens liver injury. On the other hand, liver-specific Mcj silencing prevents main ALD hallmarks, that is, mitochondrial dysfunction, steatosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress, as it restores the NAD + /NADH ratio and SIRT1 function, hence preventing de novo lipogenesis and improving lipid oxidation. CONCLUSIONS Improving mitochondrial respiration by liver-specific Mcj silencing might become a novel therapeutic approach for treating ALD.This work was supported by grants from Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Programa Retos-Colaboración RTC2019-007125-1 (for Jorge Simon and Maria Luz Martinez-Chantar); Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Retos a la Sociedad AGL2017- 86927R (for F.M.); Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Proyectos de Investigación en Salud DTS20/00138 and DTS21/00094 (for Jorge Simon and Maria Luz Martinez-Chantar, and Asis Palazon. respectively); Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias co-founded by European Regional Development Fund/European Social Fund, “Investing in your future” PI19/00819, “Una manera de hacer Europa” FIS PI20/00765, and PI21/01067 (for Jose J. G. Marin., Pau Sancho-Bru,. and Mario F. Fraga respectively); Departamento de Industria del Gobierno Vasco (for Maria Luz Martinez-Chantar); Asturias Government (PCTI) co-funding 2018-2023/ FEDER IDI/2021/000077 (for Mario F. Fraga.); Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades MICINN: PID2020-117116RB-I00, CEX2021-001136-S PID2020-117941RB-I00, PID2020-11827RB-I00 and PID2019-107956RA-100 integrado en el Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y Innovación, cofinanciado con Fondos FEDER (for Maria Luz Martinez-Chantar, Francisco J Cubero., Yulia A Nevzorova and Asis Palazon); Ayudas Ramón y Cajal de la Agencia Estatal de Investigación RY2013-13666 and RYC2018- 024183-I (for Leticia Abecia and Asis Palazon); European Research Council Starting Grant 804236 NEXTGEN-IO (for Asis Palazon); The German Research Foundation SFB/TRR57/P04, SFB1382-403224013/ A02 and DFG NE 2128/2-1 (for Francisco J Cubero and Yulia A Nevzorova); National Institute of Health (NIH)/National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) 1U01AA026972-01 (For Pau Sancho-Bru); Junta de Castilla y León SA074P20 (for Jose J. G. Marin); Junta de Andalucía, Grupo PAIDI BIO311 (for Franz Martin); CIBERER Acciones Cooperativas y Complementarias Intramurales ACCI20-35 (for Mario F. Fraga); Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte FPU17/04992 (for Silvia Ariño); Fundació Marato TV3 201916-31 (for Jose J. G. Marin.); Ainize Pena-Cearra is a fellow of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/ EHU); BIOEF (Basque Foundation for Innovation and Health Research); Asociación Española contra el Cáncer (Maria Luz Martinez-Chantar and Teresa C. Delgado.); Fundación Científica de la Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer (AECC Scientific Foundation) Rare Tumor Calls 2017 (for Maria Luz Martinez-Chantar); La Caixa Foundation Program (for Maria Luz Martinez-Chantar); Proyecto Desarrollo Tecnologico CIBERehd (for Maria Luz Martinez-Chantar); Ciberehd_ISCIII_MINECO is funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III.S

Caracterización y evaluación energética de edificios existentes en base a medidas. Aplicación al sector residencial

En el capitulo segundo se lleva a cabo una revisión y análisis detallado de los sistemas de certificación de edificios existentes implantados actualmente en distintos países, tanto de la Unión Europea como del resto del mundo. El objetivo fundamental de esta investigación previa es el de analizar las distintas variables implicadas en los procesos de certificación existentes, así como determinar las ventajas e inconvenientes de cada sistema y su posible aplicabilidad para España.

Reflexiones sobre tres aspectos fundamentales en la formación de profesores noveles: evaluación, actividades complementarias y aprendizaje basado en problemas

Un gran número de los profesores que inician su carrera profesional en la Universidad carecen de experiencia docente previa por lo que su formación requiere apoyo y asesoramiento por parte de profesores con experiencia. Por iniciativa del ICE de la Universidad de Sevilla, en los últimos años se han desarrollado programas de formación que fomentan la creación de "Equipos", en los que profesores con experiencia y profesores principiantes analizan y critican sus funciones docentes. En el presente trabajo se resumen las actividades realizadas y los temas tratados por el Equipo del Grupo de Termotecnia de la E.S. de Ingenieros de Sevilla. El trabajo se ha centrado fundamentalmente en tres aspectos que se consideran de gran interés: evaluación, actividades complementarias y aprendizaje basado en problemas (APB). Los dos primeros son temas clásicos en las Ciencias de la Educación, pero quizá no hayan sido suficientemente tratados en el ámbito de las Enseñanzas Técnicas Universitarias . El APB es un tema relativamente nuevo, de escasa aplicación en nuestras universidades, pero a la vez de gran interés pues favorece la integración de la Teoría y la práctica, el trabajo en equipo, y el auto-aprendizaje, que son algunos de los retos a los que se enfrenta el nuevo Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior.Most of Iecturers starting out their career at University have no previous teaching experience and so, they require help and advice corning from expert teachers. In the last few years, the ICE (Institute of Educational Sciences) of the University of Seville took the initiative to develop training programs promoting the creation of "Teams" in which expert and novel teachers analyze and criticize together their teaching duties. This paper summarizes the work of the Group of Termotecnia Team and details their activities under this program. The project focuses on three basic and interesting subjects: Evaluation, complementary activities and Problem Based Learning (PBL). The first two are classical Educational Science matters but not widely covered in Technical Schools. PBL is a relatively new topic, not very used and known in our Universities, but at the same time of great interest, since encourages practice and theory integration, teamwork, and self-learning, which are sorne of future challenges for the new European Space of Higher Education

A Decision Support System for consumption optimization in a naphtha reforming plant

In a naphtha distillation process, the natural objective is to perform an entire process maximization of the production rate while meeting required product qualities by searching for an optimal operating condition by manipulating the operating variables. The objective of this paper includes performing an energy process optimization. Not only is an adequate production rate met with the required product qualities but the operating cost is also minimized through a data mining approach. The study of the influence of all process attributes in the defined Energy Efficient Indicator (EEI) allows the construction of a multivariate linear model to aidhumanexperts in the recovery of energy losses.Acanonical discriminant function carried out the data prediction step. The quality of the Decision Support System framework is illustrated by a case study considering a real database. Also, a commercial software supported by this mining framework is presented

Risk factors for working pregnant women and potential adverse consequences of exposure: A systematic review

Objective: To assess the risk factors perceived as stressors by pregnant women in the work environment and the possible adverse consequences of such exposure for the normal development of pregnancy. Methods: Systematic review, guided by the PRISMA guidelines, and using Pubmed, Web of Science, Dialnet, SciELO, and REDIB databases. Methodological quality was assessed using the critical appraisal tools for non-randomised studies of the Joanna Briggs Institute. Results: A total of 38 studies were included. The main risk factors found in the work environment of pregnant women were chemical, psychosocial, physical-ergonomicmechanical factors, and other work-related factors. The main adverse consequences of exposure to these factors include low birth weight, preterm birth, miscarriage, hypertension and pre-eclampsia, as well as various obstetric complications. Conclusion: During pregnancy, working conditions that are considered acceptable in normal situations may not be so during this stage due to the major changes that occur during pregnancy. Many obstetric effects may have an important impact in the mother’s psychological status; therefore, it is important to optimise working conditions during this stage and to reduce or eliminate possible risks

Potenciación de la lengua oral : unidad didáctica : lengua castellana y literatura (ESO)

Esta unidad didáctica es el resultado del trabajo de un grupo de docentes del segundo curso de Actualización Científica y Didáctica en 1992-93 (Resolución de 15 de mayo de 1992), orientado a la renovación y autoformación del profesoradoEn esta unidad didáctica se trabaja la comunicación y la expresión oral por considerarla instrumento permanente de aprendizaje de todas las áreas del conocimiento. Además el dominio de la lengua oral permite mejorar la expresión escrita. Así, se destaca la importancia de formar al alumnado para vivir con respeto y tolerancia en el diálogo, defendiendo y argumentando sus posturas en una sociedad democrática. Se han abordado los temas transversales de educación para la paz y educación para la igualdad de oportunidades entre los sexos, reflexionándose, en concreto, sobre el papel que la sociedad ha asignado tradicionalmente a la mujer.CanariasBiblioteca de Educación del Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte; Calle San Agustín, 5; 28014 Madrid; Tel. +34917748000; [email protected]