Development of an adequate model for verification of design safety-margins of the HTTR nuclear test facility

This work is based on the prototype High Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) of the Japan Agency of Energy Atomic (JAEA). Its objective is to describe an adequate deterministic model to be used in the assessment of its design safety margins via damage domains. The concept of damage domain is defined and it is shown its relevance in the ongoing effort to apply dynamic risk assessment methods and tools based on the Theory of Stimulated Dynamics (TSD). To illustrate, we present results of an abnormal control rod (CR) withdrawal during subcritical condition and its comparison with results obtained by JAEA. No attempt is made yet to actually assess the detailed scenarios, rather to show how the approach may handle events of its kin

La concentración bancaria y su impacto en los mercados de capitales de los Países emergentes

La presente investigación analiza el impacto de la Concentración Bancaria en el desarrollo del Mercado de Capitales en Países Emergentes. El objetivo principal es evaluar cómo la concentración bancaria puede influir en el coste de financiación de las principales empresas que pueden obtener tanto del sistema bancario o mediante la emisión de bonos en el mercado de capitales. Para lograr dicho propósito se evaluaron los principales mercados de Sudamérica durante los años 2008 y 2009: Argentina, Brasil, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador y Perú. Como resultado de la investigación se concluye que durante el periodo de análisis, aquellos países donde los índices de concentración bancaria eran más altos, el costo de financiación de las empresas a través del sistema bancario era menor que en el mercado de capitales

Specific and generic skills in architectural geometry teaching: review and new developments

The work is devoted to exhibit how teaching methodology and learning activities experience a deep change in architectural geometry teaching when considering specific and generic skills in the teaching-learning process. These skills are not limited to technical skills, but actually reflect the competences which are claimed in the world of work nowadays

Study of risk factors for cardiovascular disease in Spanish university workers

Introducción y objetivos: las enfermedades cardiovasculares (ECV) son la principal causa de muerte mundial, por ello el objetivo de este estudio es analizar los factores de riesgo de ECV en los trabajadores de la Universidad de Alicante. Material y métodos: estudio transversal descriptivo. Muestra aleatoria (n = 124), 46,6% mujeres y 53,4% hombres, de edades entre 25-68 años. Recogida de datos mediante cuestionario online autocumplimentado. Variables: sociodemográficas, peso y talla autorreferidos, consumo de tabaco, actividad física, consumo diario de aceite de oliva, hortalizas-verduras, mantequilla-margarina-nata y consumo semanal de repostería comercial y frutos secos. Se realizó un análisis descriptivo con el paquete estadístico SPSS 19.0. Resultados: el 12% de mujeres y el 10,5% de los hombres mayores de 44 años presentan obesidad; además, el 32% de mujeres y el 23,7% de los hombres no realizan actividad física. Consume aceite de oliva a diario el total de la muestra a estudio. Conclusión: los hábitos alimentarios de los estudiados se asemejan a los patrones dietéticos mediterráneos considerados saludables. Destacar el cumplimiento de las recomendaciones de consumo de aceite de oliva y la realización de actividad física habitual como protectores de las ECV. El entorno laboral de la población estudiada favorece unos hábitos saludables.Background and objectives: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death worldwide, so the aim of this study is to analyze the risk factors of cardiovascular disease in workers at the University of Alicante (Alicante, Spain). Material and methods: Descriptive transversal study. Random sample (n = 124), 46.6% women and 53.4% men, aged between 25-68 years. On-line data collection by self-completed questionnaire. Variables: socio-demographic, self-referred weight and height, smoking habit, physical activity, daily consumption of olive oil, fruit-vegetables, butter-margarine-cream and weekly consumption of industrial baking and nuts. A descriptive analysis using SPSS 19.0 statistical package was performed. Results: 12% of women and 10.5% of men over 44 years were classified as obese. Otherwise, 32% and 23.7% of women and men respectively, do not practice any exercise routinely. Olive oil is consumed daily by all the sample studied. Conclusion: The studied eating habits are similar to those considered healthy Mediterranean dietary patterns. Daily olive oil consumption together with regular physical activity has an important role as protectors of CVD. The work environment studied has a positive influence in healthy habits

OECD/NEA PKL-4 benchmark activity. Code assessment of the relevant phenomena associated to a blind IBLOCA experiment

Code assessment and validation is one of the most relevant research lines in thermal hydraulics and best estimate codes. During the last decades, the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have sponsored dozens of experimental projects in this field. Most of them were compiled in the CSNI Code Validation Matrix in 1996. Several projects have been promoted in the new century as the SETH, PKL, PKL-2, PKL-3 and PKL-4 at the PKL test facility. In 2017 a benchmark activity was launched within the framework of the OECD/NEA PKL-4 project with the aim of assessing the capabilities of system codes to reproduce the relevant phenomena associated to the IBLOCA scenario. 16 participant organizations from 9 different countries simulated the i2.2 (run 3) experiment in semi-blind conditions. A large variety of system codes were used in the activity: ATHLET, CATHARE, KORSAR, LOCUST, RELAP5, RELAPSCDASIM, SPACE and TRACE. This paper presents the main outcomes for the code assessment of such codes. The first part describes the main features of the experiment and the selection of the key phenomena for code validation. In addition, the paper intoduces a detailed description of each phenomena and the comparison between the experimental data and the blind simulations of the participants. Finally, in the last part of the paper the main sources of uncertainty associated to the codes and the modelling are listed as well as the code assessment conclusions of the benchmark activity. In general, the results obtained by all participants showed a good performance and satisfactory agreement with experimental data, which increases the confidence in current TH code technologies. The overall quality of the contributions was partly a consequence of the excellent documentation and information provided by the PKL team.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Beef from Calves Finished with a Diet Based on Concentrate Rich in Agro-Industrial By-Products: Acceptability and Quality Label Preferences in Spanish Meat Consumers

Conjoint analysis was used to estimate the relative importance of some of the main extrinsic attributes and quality labels of beef in three Spanish cities (Córdoba, Marbella, and Santa Pola) in a study performed with 300 individuals. Consumers were segmented according to their frequency of consumption. Willingness to pay for different meats was also calculated from the conjoint analysis results. Consumer liking of beef that had been finished with an alternative concentrate rich in agro-industrial by-products and aged for three different durations as compared to conventionally finished beef was also evaluated using the same consumers. The most important attribute for Spanish consumers was the price (28%), followed by origin (25%), animal welfare certification (19%), protected geographical indication (14%), and organic agriculture certification (14%). Most consumers preferred beef from Spain at the lowest possible price and with the highest number of quality labels. Consumers were willing to pay a premium of 1.49, 3.61, and 5.53 EUR over 14 EUR/kg for organic certification, protected geographical indication, and animal welfare certification, respectively. Sensory analysis revealed that, for regular consumers, beef finished with an alternative concentrate rich in agro-industrial by-products offered several hedonic advantages (color, flavor, and tenderness) when compared to beef finished using a conventional diet, while occasional consumers did not find any difference between the two kinds of meat

Nuevas consideraciones en torno a la señalética y el color para incrementar el bienestar en los espacios hospitalarios.

El presente análisis de la adecuación y funcionalidad del sistema señalético y del empleo del color en los hospitales públicos españoles tiene por objeto proponer una mejora en el confort y estado de ánimo de sus visitantes. Con frecuencia nos olvidamos que un buen diseño arquitectónico, más allá de su capacidad por organizar adecuadamente unos espacios, puede proporcionar bienestar a sus usuarios solo teniendo en cuenta una serie de medidas relacionadas con las percepciones sensoriales. Luz, color, relación visual entre el interior y el exterior, orientación y comodidad en los desplazamientos, o adecuación y proporcionalidad espacial en función de los usos, son algunos de los factores que inciden en la tranquilidad de los usuarios.The aim of the analysis about the suitability and functionality of the signaling system and the application of color in Spanish public healthcare facilities is to detect anomalies and, consequently, to propose improvements in the comfort and state of mind of its visitors. We often forget that a good architectural design, beyond its ability to properly organize spaces, can provide well-being to its users taking into account a series of measures related to sensory perceptions. Light, color, visual relationship between exterior and interior spaces, orientation and comfort in the displacements, or adequacy and spatial proportionality depending on the uses, are some of the factors that affect the tranquility of the users.Ministerio de Economía y Competitivida

Uma abordagem às características da carcaça e da carne de coelhos da raça Nova Zelândia

The rabbit produces healthy meat, generating low methane emissions, and without competing for grain and other food resources for humans, hence adequately responding to the principles of the bioeconomy. For these properties to have a positive impact on society, it is necessary to promote the production and consumption of rabbit meat. Therefore, we evaluate the quality of carcass and meat of New Zealand breed rabbitswas assessed in 12 males reared under commercial conditions and slaughtered at two months of age under standard conditions. The average weight of animals at slaughter was 2.6 kg, and their carcass had a yield, length and compactness index of 52.6%, 32.6 cm and 41.29 g/cm, respectively. The carcass measurements offered average percentages of 38.2%, 27.4%, 18.7% and 14.8% for the legs, loin, thorax, and shoulders, respectively. The pH of the meat was at normal values and the pressure and cooking losses and tenderness showed mean valuesof 12.8%, 26.6% and 3.1 Kg/cm2, respectively. The chromatic variables showed mean values of L * = 46.9, a * = 0.54 and b * = 8.14. These results are in line with those reported for industrial breeds.El conejo produce carne saludable, generando bajas cantidades de metano, y sin competir por granos y otros recursos alimenticios para el ser humano, por lo que responde adecuadamente a los principios de la bioeconomía. Para que estas propiedades impacten positivamente en la sociedad es necesario fomentar la producción y el consumo de carne de conejo. Por ello, evaluamos la calidad de la canal y de la carne de conejos de raza Nueva Zelanda en 12 machos criados en condiciones comerciales y sacrificados a los dos meses de edad en condiciones estándares. El peso medio de los animales al sacrifico fue de 2,6 kg, y su canal presentó un rendimiento, longitud e índice de compacidad de 52,6%, 32,6 cm y 41,29 g/cm, respectivamente. El despiece de la canal ofreció porcentajes medios de 38,2%, 27,4%, 18,7% y 14,8% para las piernas, lomo, tórax y paletillas, respectivamente. El pH de la carne se situó en valores normales, y las pérdidas por presión y cocinado, y la terneza arrojaron valores medios de 12,8%, 26,6% y 3,1 Kg/cm2, respectivamente. Las variables cromáticas mostraron valores medios de L* = 46,9, a* = 0,54 y b* = 8,14. Estos resultados están alineados con los reportados en razas de tipo industrial.A qualidade da carcaça e da carne de coelhos da raça Nova Zelândia foi avaliada em 12 machos criados em condições comerciais e abatidos aos dois meses de idade em condições padrão. O peso médio dos animais ao abate foi de 2,6 kg e a carcaça apresentou rendimento, comprimento e índice de compacidade de 52,6%, 32,6 cm e 41,29 g / cm, respectivamente. O corte da carcaça ofereceu percentuais médios de 38,2%, 27,4%, 18,7% e 14,8% para as pernas, lombo, tórax e ombros, respectivamente. O pH da carne apresentou valores normais, e as perdas por pressão e cocção, e a maciez apresentaram valores médios de 12,8%, 26,6% e 3,1 Kg / cm2, respectivamente. As variáveis cromáticas apresentaram valores médios de L * = 46,9, a * = 0,54 eb * = 8,14. Esses resultados estão de acordo com os relatados em raças industriais