Multi-Sensor System For Level Measurements With Optical Fibres

A system for measuring liquid level in multiple tanks using optical fibre technology has been developed. The oil field service industry can benefit from this intrinsically safe technology. Plastic optical fibre (POF) sensor heads are excited by a 650 nm laser. Laser diodes are housed in ST connectors to obtain compact and rough prototypes and these connectors are also used in the fibre pigtails. Optical multiplexing is used to increase the measuring safety area. POF splitters and connectors are used to combine all the receiving sensor head fibres in a single one. Frequency division multiplexing is used to address each sensor head. The global system is controlled through a user friendly software application running in a PC connected to the system via an RS-232 port. A scalable prototype with a range greater than 2 meter, good linearity, better than 1.5% FS (full scale), high accuracy and resolution is developed using a unique lens to collimate and focus the light. Measurements are taken to validate the designs. Up to 8 sensor heads can be connected in the present implementation. But a greater number of sensors can be allocated with minor modifications in the electronics.Universidad Carlos III de MadridPublicad

Integer Linear Programming Optimization of Joint RRM Policies for Heterogeneous Wireless Systems

Wireless systems will be characterized by the coexistence of heterogeneous Radio Access Technologies (RATs) with different, but also complementary, performance and technical characteristics. These heterogeneous wireless networks will provide network operators the possibility to efficiently and coordinately use the heterogeneous radio resources, for which novel Joint Radio Resource Management (JRRM) policies need to be designed. In this context, this work proposes and evaluates a JRRM policy that simultaneously determines for each user an adequate combination of RAT and number of radio resources within such RAT to guarantee the user/service QoS requirements, and efficiently distribute the radio resources considering a user fairness approach aimed at maximizing the system capacity. To this aim, the JRRM algorithm, which takes into account the discrete nature of radio resources, is based on integer linear programming optimization mechanisms

The Dietary Intervention of Transgenic Low-Gliadin Wheat Bread in Patients with Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) Showed No Differences with Gluten Free Diet (GFD) but Provides Better Gut Microbiota Profile

The study evaluated the symptoms, acceptance, and digestibility of bread made from transgenic low-gliadin wheat, in comparison with gluten free bread, in Non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) patients, considering clinical/sensory parameters and gut microbiota composition. This study was performed in two phases of seven days each, comprising a basal phase with gluten free bread and an E82 phase with low-gliadin bread. Gastrointestinal clinical symptoms were evaluated using the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) questionnaire, and stool samples were collected for gluten immunogenic peptides (GIP) determination and the extraction of gut microbial DNA. For the basal and E82 phases, seven and five patients, respectively, showed undetectable GIPs content. The bacterial 16S rRNA gene V1-V2 hypervariable regions were sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform and downstream analysis was done using a Quantitative Insights into Microbial Ecology (QIIME) pipeline. No significant differences in the GSRS questionnaires were observed between the two phases. However, we observed a significantly lower abundance of some gut genera Oscillospira, Dorea, Blautia, Bacteroides, Coprococcus, and Collinsella, and a significantly higher abundance of Roseburia and Faecalibacterium genera during the E82 phase compared with the basal phase. The consumption of low-gliadin bread E82 by NCGS subjects induced potentially positive changes in the gut microbiota composition, increasing the butyrate-producing bacteria and favoring a microbial profile that is suggested to have a key role in the maintenance or improvement of gut permeability.España, MINECO Projects AGL2013-48946-C3-1-R, AGL2013-48946-C and AGL2016-80566-

Assessing children’s empathy through a Spanish adaptation of the Basic Empathy Scale: parent’s and child’s report forms

The aim of the current research was to study cognitive and affective empathy in children aged 6–12 years old, and their associations with children’s family environment and social adjustment. For this purpose, we developed the Spanish version of the Basic Empathy Scale (BES), self- and parent-report forms. Factorial analyses confirmed a two-component model of empathy in both self- and parent-report forms. Concordance between parent–child measures of empathy was low for cognitive and affective factors. Analyses of variance on the cognitive and affective components brought a significant effect of age for self-reported cognitive empathy, with older children scoring higher than younger ones. Gender brought out a significant principal effect for self-reported affective empathy, with girls scoring higher than boys. No other main effects were found for age and gender for the rest of the factors analyzed. Children’s empathy was associated with socioeconomic status and other family socialization processes, as well as children’ social behaviors. Overall the new measures provided a coherent view of empathy in middle childhood and early adolescence when measured through self and parent reports, and illustrate the similarity of the validity of the BES in a European-Spanish culture

Measurement device design: Rain gauge

The need to size large hydraulic infrastructures, exploit extensive agricultural areas or simply arrange water assets for human consumption makes the evaluation of the available water resources essential. Water is a scarce resource that is poorly distributed both, spatially and temporally. Therefore, a set of hydrological networks that allow the evaluation of water quantity and quality is required. In order to achieve this, the first step is to retrieve reliable data on rainfall. To carry out a correct evaluation of water resources, both in the small and large scale, disposing hydrological networks that involve a certain number of measuring devices becomes critical. Despite the great amount of studies that have been developed on measuring devices such as rain gauges, there are still many errors that remain in the measurements and that have not been ruled out yet, thus affecting the accuracy of the measurements. In this sense, the design of a device that provides an accurate measurement of rainfall and also results affordable, could be the key to a product with great acceptance in the market. The aim of this work is to present the design of a measurement device that provides accurate data and can be used in multiple ways: as an ordinary rain gauge, as a rain gauge recorder, or even allowing to carry on both functions simultaneously. The methodology followed for its implementation has consisted in analyzing the techniques and procedures to be trailed at quantifying rainfall, conducting a market study and analyzing specifications to be in accordance to WMO (World Meteorological Organization) [2] [3] to then go through a conceptual design and finally complete the detailed design where materials are valued and simulation tests are performed in order to meet certain accuracy and economical requirements.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Aplicación de la termografía en el estudio de la ubre de los grandes rumiantes y en sus posibles complicaciones patológicas

Se ha estudiado la aplicación de la termografía en la ubre sana y con mamitis, en ganado vacuno Frisón y de carne ecológica mestizo. Se han valorado distintos factores que influyen en la aplicación de esta técnica, tanto del animal (pelo, pliegue inguinal) como externos a éste (suciedad, ambiente). Se ha establecido la relación entre la temperatura superficial de la ubre y sus patologías, centrando el estudio en mamitis.The application of the thermography has been studied in healthy and mastitic udder, both in dairy Holstein and organic beef mixed-breed cattle. Different factors that may influence the application of this technology have been evaluated, both animal (hair, inguinal fold) and external factors (dirt, environment). The aim of this study was to establish a relation between the superficial temperature of the udder and its pathologies, focusing he study on mastitis

Article title: Analysis of the evolution in the idea of sustainability of future teachers after an intervention in the classroom

Hemos llevado a cabo una intervención con futuros maestros de Educación Primaria con la intención de trabajar el concepto de sostenibilidad. La secuencia desarrollada incluye la elaboración de un proyecto y una unidad didáctica por investigación escolar. A través de un portafolio los alumnos expresaron sus reflexiones sobre su idea de sostenibilidad. Para analizarlas se diseñó una tabla de niveles con indicadores. Más de la mitad del alumnado ha tenido una evolución significativa progresando desde ideas ligadas a aspectos físico-naturales exclusivamente, hacia un modelo emergente que incluye aspectos más sociales, complejos e interconectados.We have carried out an intervention with future teachers of Primary Education with the intention of working on the concept of sustainability. The sequence includes the elaboration of a project and a didactic unit by school research. Through a portfolio the students expressed their thoughts on their idea of sustainability. To analyze them, a table of levels with indicators was designed. More than half of the students have had a significant evolution progressing from ideas linked to natural physical aspects exclusively, towards an emerging model that includes more social, complex and interconnected aspects