Luz blanca en la normativa española como mejora de la sostenibilidad

En la actualidad, en nuestro país debido al índice de reproducción cromática en las lámparas del alumbrado exterior, el color que suelen presentar es un color amarillento, lo cual puede tener graves consecuencias en la seguridad de los ciudadanos al distorsionar algunos aspectos de la realidad. Es por este motivo que pretendemos resaltar las bondades que presenta la luz blanca, como la mejora de la eficiencia energética o en el comportamiento de los usuarios a la hora de aprovechar los espacios públicos en horarios nocturnos. Para asegurarnos que la introducción de la Luz Blanca en la normativa no presenta inconvenientes, esta investigación se presenta dividida en tres campos diferentes: Crimen, Seguridad Vial y Eficiencia Energética, con el propósito de evaluar el mayor número de factores que afectan al alumbrado exterior

Eficiencia energética del alumbrado exterior en España

El alumbrado público en España representa entre un 40% y 60 % del total del consumo eléctrico de las ciudades, lo que supone unos gastos de electricidad y mantenimiento en torno a los 1.200 millones de euros al año. Sin embargo, los avances realizados en esta materia pueden ayudar a reducir este consumo energético hasta en un 45%. Si echamos un vistazo al resto de los países de la Unión Europea, podemos comprobar como España es el país que presenta un mayor consumo energético en alumbrado exterior por habitante, llegando a duplicar el valor de países como Alemania o Reino Unido. Por este motivo pretendemos realizar un pequeño análisis sobre el estado de nuestras instalaciones, para lo cual realizaremos una comparación con uno de los países más eficientes de la Unión Europea, el Reino Unido. Esta comparación nos ayudará a analizar algunos de los aspectos que consideramos que han sido pasados por alto en la normativa de eficiencia energética de alumbrado exterior de España, los cuales podrían suponer un aumento en la eficiencia de nuestros sistemas de alumbrado, con el correspondiente ahorro energético que esto podría conllevar

Phenotypic characterization of oral streptococci by classical methods

The phenotypic characteristics of 215 strains of oral streptococci were compared on the basis of the results of sorbitol, raffinose and trehalose fermentation, ammonium from arginine production, aesculin hydrolysis, H2O2 production, susceptibility to 2 U bacitracin, and growth in 4% NaCl solution. Eleven different species were identified. Among the most noteworthy findings were the low number of H2O2-producing strains of Streptococcus sobrinus, the effective discrimination between Streptococcus sanguis and Streptococcus mitis on the basis of raffinose fermentation, and the phenotypic similarity between Streptococcus oralis and the former mutans group. To avoid the creation of new species, the term biotype is proposed to designate phenotypically distinct organisms which do not qualify as different species

University, Biodiversity, and Education

Context: Biodiversity is a condition of human existence. By transforming nature, man has also transformed its context, with ensuing progressive degradation of biological diversity. This study stems from the need to improve the treatment of biodiversity from an educational perspective that includes professional education. Objective: The aim of this paper is to establish proper professional training interaction with biodiversity within their scope of action. It would be effective through more activities intended to achieve integration between professional education and the global issue of biodiversity. Methods: Empirical methods were used to reveal insufficiencies and potentialities. Theoretical methods were used to lay the foundations of this study, including its background; modeling was also used. Results: The contribution of this study consists in a pedagogical model to facilitate interaction of biodiversity with environmental education, and other factors that promote students’ culture in biological diversity. Conclusions: Assessment of transversal treatment of biodiversity throughout environmental education of undergraduates revealed positive effects on the participants. The pertinence of these actions was corroborated. Besides, emphasis was placed on the importance, topicality, and need of further research aimed to achieve proper professional training interaction with biodiversity within their scope of action. This would be effective through more activities intended to achieve integration between professional education and the global issue of biodiversity

Mass-media citizens. Challenges and discomforts of openness of information

Las siguientes páginas encierran una reflexión de los nuevos discursos de la prensa digital, el periodismo público, la profesión del comunicador y los fenómenos de una agenda mediática acentuada, principalmente, por la interacción que hoy existe en el proceso de análisis y difusión de noticias. Teniendo como premisa estos conceptos el artículo es un planteamiento teórico que, a manera de crítica, cuestiona el crecimiento del periodismo público como una revitalización de esas funciones asignadas al periodismo liberal. Se trata de una reflexión de los sistemas capitalistas que tiene que ver más con los riesgos de la sociedad de la información que con el periodismo mismo.Abstract: The following pages contain a reflection of the new discourses of digital media, public journalism, the profession of the communicator and the phenomena of a media agenda marked mainly by the interaction that exists now in the process of analyzing and disseminating news. Having premised these concepts the article is a theoretical approach which, questions the growth of public journalism as a revitalization of those functions assigned to liberal journalism. This is a reflection of capitalist systems that have more to do with the risks of the information society with journalism itself

Evaluation of the automicrobic system for the identification of Streptococcus mutans

This study was partially supported by the Andalusian Regional Governmentthrough the research project "Microbiology,Immunology,and Epidemiologyof Oral Diseases."The performance of the Automicrobic System with the Vitek gram-positive identification card (bioMérieux, France) in identifying strains of Streptococcus mutans was studied. Of 160 strains assayed, 72.5% were confirmed to be Streptococcus mutans; the remainder were identified as other species of streptocci (Streptococcus bovis, Streptococcus uberis, Streptococcus anginosus, Streptococcus sanguis I and II, Streptococcus intermedius, and Streptococcus constellatus).Andalusian Regional Governmen

Post-hydrogen Peroxide Effect in Peroxidogenic Oral Streptococci

This study was partially supported by the Andalusian Regional Government through the research project 'Microbiology, Immunology and Epidemiology o f Oral Diseases"The effects of inhibitory concentrations of hydrogen peroxide on the growth of 11 strains of four peroxidogenic species of oral streptococci (Streptococcus oralis, Streptococcus mitis. Streptococcus sanguis and Streptococcus sobrinus) were studied. The effect of H2O2 was measured as the post-hydrogen peroxide effect (PHPE), defined as the difference in the time necessary for the bacterial population in batch cult ure to increase by one decimal logarithmic unit of the number of colony forming units per millilitre, between cultures exposed to a concentration equal to the corresponding minimum inhibitory concentration of H2O2, and non-exposed cultures. No PHPE was shown by S. oralis NCTC 11427; other strains tested gave times ranging from 20 min (S. sanguis JENA 2697) to 9 h 15 min (S. mitis OGS 232). The PHPE appears to be strain- and species-dependent.Andalusian Regional Governmen

Initial pH as a determining factor of glucose consumption and lactic and acetic acid production in oral streptococci

Lactic and acetic acid production was evaluated from six strains of oral streptococci, viz Streptococcus gordonii, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus oralis, Streptococcus salivarius, Streptococcus sanguis and Streptococcus sobrinus cultured in the presence of 1, 5, 10 mM glucose and without glucose, at initial pH values of 5, 5.5, 6 and 7. S. sobrinus and S. salivarius caused the greatest decreases in pH. At pH values of 5 and 5.5, lactic acid and acetic acid production in the species tested was discordant with residual glucose levels. Acid production from protein was especially great in S. mutans and S. salivarius

Different presence of Chlamydia pneumoniae, herpes simplex virus type 1, human herpes virus 6, and Toxoplasma gondii in schizophrenia: meta-analysis and analytical study

In the present study we have performed both a meta-analysis and an analytical study exploring the presence of Chlamydia pneumoniae, herpes simplex virus type 1, human herpes virus 6, and Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in a sample of 143 schizophrenic patients and 143 control subjects. The meta-analysis was performed on papers published up to April 2014. The presence of serum immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin A was performed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test. The detection of microbial DNA in total peripheral blood was performed by nested polymerase chain reaction. The meta-analysis showed that: 1) C. pneumoniae DNA in blood and brain are more common in schizophrenic patients; 2) there is association with parasitism by T. gondii, despite the existence of publication bias; and 3) herpes viruses were not more common in schizophrenic patients. In our sample only anti-Toxoplasma immunoglobulin G was more prevalent and may be a risk factor related to schizophrenia, with potential value for prevention.Part of this work was presented at the Royal Academy of Medicine of Spain

Neural network controller for active demand side management with PV energy in the residential sector

In this paper, we describe the development of a control system for Demand-Side Management in the residential sector with Distributed Generation. The electrical system under study incorporates local PV energy generation, an electricity storage system, connection to the grid and a home automation system. The distributed control system is composed of two modules: a scheduler and a coordinator, both implemented with neural networks. The control system enhances the local energy performance, scheduling the tasks demanded by the user and maximizing the use of local generation