Producción científica y académica

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Sentinel-5P TROPOMI satellite application for NO2 and CO studies aiming at environmental valuation

William Bodah, Brian | 2022-07-10

The European Space Agency (ESA) provides opportunities for researchers on a global scale to identify gaseous pollutants using the most modern techniques of analysis by satellite images from the Sentinel-5P satellite, in the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI), for the formation of current scenarios, applied to valuation environment aimed at possible improvements attributed to air quality and human health. The general objective of this manuscript is to analyze the amounts of NO2 and CO gases with Sentinel-5P TROPOMI satellite images, collected during the year 2019, and apply the environmental valuation focused on air quality pollution, in the northern region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, in the host city, Passo Fundo (southern Brazil) from 2020 to early 2021. The air quality valuation study applied the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM). The results showed that NO2 had the highest concentration with a value of 7.88e +15 Column mol/cm2. CO presented a value of 9.43e +33 Column mol/cm2. The creation of scenarios aimed at valuation for the application of improvements in atmospheric air quality the understanding of the Willingness to Pay (WTP) of the interviewees. 514 residents of the City of Passo Fundo were queried as to their WTP for clean air quality in the city. The resulting WTP values, when applied to all households in the city as a whole, yielded an average WTP value of R$1,517,478.24 and the median WTP is R$599,390.00. It is suggested that pubic policies be written to enable these, or similar, amounts to be collected annually in order to mitigate harmful pollutants, such as NO2 and CO, currently found in the air of the City of Passo Fundo.

Geochemical and morphological evaluations of organic and mineral aerosols in coal mining areas: a case study of Santa Catarina, Brazil

Akinyemi, Segun Ajayi | 2022-03-24

Numerous researchers have described the correlation between the short-term contact of nano-particulate (NP) matter in diverse coal phases and amplified death or hospitalizations for breathing disorders in humans. However, few reports have examined the short-term consequences of source-specific nanoparticles (NPs) on coal mining areas. Advanced microscopic techniques can detect the ultra-fine particles (UFPs) and nanoparticles that contain potential hazardous elements (PHEs) generated in coal mining areas. Secondary aerosols that cause multiple and complex groups of particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5, PM1 ) can be collected on dry deposition. In this study, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) were employed to detect and define the magnitude of particulate matters on restaurants walls at coal mines due to weathering interactions. The low cost self-made passive sampler (SMPS) documented several minerals and amorphous phases. The results showed that most of the detected coal minerals exist in combined form as numerous complexes comprising significant elements (e.g., Al, C, Fe, K, Mg, S, and Ti), whereas others exist as amorphous or organic compounds. Based on the analytical approach, the study findings present a comprehensive understanding of existing potential hazardous elements in the nanoparticles and ultrafine particles from coal mining areas in Brazil.

Intelligent deep learning-enabled autonomous small ship detection and classification model

Escorcia-Gutierrez, Jose | 2022

Autonomous ship technologies have gained considerable interest due to the minimization of the challenging issues faced by the unpredictable errors of manual navigation, and therefore reduces human labor, increasing navigation security and profit margin. On autonomous shipping technologies, small ship detection is vital in ensuring shipping safety. With this motivation, this paper presents an efficient optimal mask regional convolutional neural network (Mask-CNN) technique for small ship detection (OMRCNN-SHD) on autonomous shipping technologies. Primarily, the data augmentation process is performed to resolve the issue of the limited number of real-world samples of small ships and helps to detect small ships in most cases accurately. Besides, the Mask RCNN with SqueezeNet model is used to detect ships and the hyperparameter tuning of the SqueezeNet model takes place by the use of the Adagrad optimizer. Furthermore, the Colliding Body's Optimization (CBO) algorithm with the weighted regularized extreme learning machine (WRELM) technique is employed to classify detected ships effectively. The comparative results analysis demonstrates the betterment of the OMRCNN-SHD technique over the current methods with the maximum accuracy of 98.63%.

Implications of irrigation water quality in tropical farms

Guerra , Tamara | 2022

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Irrigation system water quality is a complex issue that involves the combined effects of various surface water management parameters. Monitoring of irrigation water quality is essential for the sustainability of crop production and productivity. The department of Sucre, in northern Colombia, is predominantly a ranching and agricultural region where agriculture is the main source for livelihoods. The purpose of this study was to assess the physicochemical quality of surface water in irrigation systems at 141 farms. METHODS: To this end, 141 water samples were taken to determine 22 physicochemical parameters. All in-situ measurements and laboratory analysis were performed using standard methods. The results obtained were compared with the international standards proposed by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization. Salinity and sodicity were measured using the irrigation water classification diagram, and the level of correlation between the 22 variables was assessed by means of correlation analysis. FINDINGS: The results obtained indicate that based on the measured parameters, the water is classified as appropriate for use in irrigation systems. The maximum and minimum pH values were 9.32 and 4.40, respectively; the maximum and minimum values of electrical conductivity were 669 and 19.80 µS/cm respectively; the maximum and minimum values of total dissolved solids were 478 and 11.80 mg/L respectively, and the maximum and minimum values of the sodium adsorption ratio were 1.72 and 0.01 mEq/L, respectively. CONCLUSION: Cation and anion concentrations were within the limits allowed by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the WHO. According to the irrigation water classification diagram, the waters were classified as C1S1 and C2S1, which implies that there are no restrictions for their use in irrigation systems, water type (I) and type (II).

Frequency-based foveal load modulates semantic parafoveal-on-foveal effects

López-Pérez, Pedro Javier | 2022

During reading, we can process words allocated to the parafoveal visual region. Our ability to extract parafoveal information is determined by the availability of attentional resources, and by how these are distributed among words in the visual field. According to the foveal load hypothesis, a greater difficulty in processing the foveal word would result in less attentional resources being allocated to the parafoveal word, thereby hindering its processing. However, contradictory results have raised questions about which foveal load manipulations may affect the processing of parafoveal words at different levels. We explored whether the semantic processing of parafoveal words can be modulated by variations in a frequency-based foveal load. When participants read word triads, modulations in the N400 component indicated that, while parafoveal words were semantically processed when foveal load was low, their meaning could not be accessed if the foveal word was more difficult to process. Therefore, a frequency-based foveal load modulates semantic parafoveal processing and a semantic preview manipulation may be a suitable baseline to test the foveal load hypothesis.

A safe haven of SARS-CoV-2 in the environment: prevalence and potential transmission risks in the effluent, sludge, and biosolids

Adelodun, Bashir | 2022-02-22

The novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, which has caused millions of death globally is recognized to be unstable and recalcitrant in the environment, especially in the way it has been evolving to form new and highly transmissible variants. Of particular concerns are human-environment interactions and the handling and reusing the environmental materials, such as effluents, sludge, or biosolids laden with the SARS-CoV-2 without adequate treatments, thereby suggesting potential transmission and health risks. This study assesses the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in effluents, sludge, and biosolids. Further, we evaluate the environmental, ecological, and health risks of reusing these environmental materials by wastewater/sludge workers and farmers. A systematic review of literature from the Scopus database resulted in a total of 21 articles (11 for effluents, 8 for sludge, and 2 for biosolids) that met the criteria for meta-analysis, which are then subdivided into 30 meta-analyzed studies. The prevalence of SAR-CoV-2 RNA in effluent and sludge based on random-effect models are 27.51 and 1012.25, respectively, with a 95% CI between 6.14 and 48.89 for the effluent, and 104.78 and 1019.71 for the sludge. However, the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the biosolids based on the fixed-effect model is 30.59, with a 95% CI between 10.10 and 51.08. The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in environmental materials indicates the inefficiency in some of the treatment systems currently deployed to inactivate and remove the novel virus, which could be a potential health risk concern to vulnerable wastewater workers in particular, and the environmental and ecological issues for the population at large. This timely review portends the associated risks in handling and reusing environmental materials without proper and adequate treatments.

The effect of EGR and hydrogen addition to natural gas on performance and exhaust emissions in a diesel engine by AVL fire multi-domain simulation, GPR model, and multi-objective genetic algorithm

Zareei, Javad | 2022

In this study, the effect of adding hydrogen to natural gas and EGR ratio was conducted on a diesel engine to investigate the engine performance and exhaust gases by AVL Fire multi-domain simulation software. For this investigation, a mixture of hydrogen fuel and natural gas replaced diesel fuel. The percentage of hydrogen in blend fuel changed from 0% to 40%. The compression ratio converted from 17:1 to 15:1. The EGR ratios were in three steps of 5%, 10%, and 15%, with different engine speeds from 1000 to 1800 RPM. The Gaussian process regression (GPR) was developed to model engine performance and exhaust emissions. The optimal values of EGR and the percentage of hydrogen in the blend of HCNG were extracted using a multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA). The results showed that by increasing EGR, thermal efficiency, the engine power, and specific fuel consumption decreased due to prolongation of combustion length while cumulative heat release increased but, its effect on cylinder pressure is insignificant. Adding hydrogen to natural gas increased the combustion temperature and, consequently NOx. While the amount of CO and HC decreased. The results of GPR and MOGA illustrated that at different engine speeds, the optimum values of EGR and HCNG were 6.35% and 31%, respectively.

Substantial out-of-pocket health expenditure on prenatal check-ups: estimates from a sample of pregnant women in Cartagena, Colombia

ALVIS-ZAKZUK, NELSON J. | 2022-02-02

Objective: We aimed to estimate out-of-pocket (OOP) health expenditures and the indirect costs related to prenatal check-ups in pregnant women seen in a maternity hospital in the Colombian Caribbean region. Methods: We described the economic costs of pregnant women, with no age limits, who attended prenatal check-ups in a maternity hospital. To estimate OOP and indirect costs owing to prenatal check-ups in pregnant women, a survey was constructed, where the woman was asked about some sociodemographic variables, to characterize those attending the prenatal check-ups. Absolute and relative frequencies, averages and confidence intervals were used to characterize the population and estimate OOP and indirect costs in pregnant women. The latter were estimated from the percentile method. A bootstrapping was performed to reduce the bias within the analysis. Results: In total, 56 pregnant women were surveyed, with an average age of 25.9 years (±6.2). All women surveyed had OOP associated to the prenatal check-up in at least one costitem, and the OOP ranged between $0.3 and $108.7. Transportation was the item with the highest frequency of expenses, followed by food, other expenses, and drugs. The mean of OOP expenditures was $24.3 (CI 95% $18.1–31.4) for women who attended their prenatal check-up. Discussion: Considering the estimated OOP health expenditures caused by prenatal checkups by household income, women living with 2–3 minimum wages, these proportions were 5%, 3%, respectively. Unfortunately, this makes prenatal care a significant source of economic burden, impacting poor households in Cartagena.

Understanding spatial networking and industrial district evolution from firms’ strategies

Romero Hervas, Jose Luis | 2022-06-01

Positioned in the study of firm heterogeneity in industrial districts (IDs), this study analyses how mergers and acquisitions (M&A) differ between local and non-local acquirers, impacting district evolution. Focusing on the Castellon ceramic tile district transformation, from acquisitions over 2012–2022, M&A and their implication for the local district are discussed, cross-fertilizing strategy and IDs literatures. Findings, from using mixed-methods, reveal that in IDs, the M&A process remarkably differs between local and non-local firms. While local firms tend to specialize in the related focal business, targeting local acquisitions to achieve internal synergies from a better valuation and integration of acquisitions, foreign firms seek access to tacit knowledge through relational and network synergies through diversification. Effects on the territory from M&A are also discussed.

Sustainable local development: consolidated framework for cross-sectoral cooperation via a systematic approach

Marín-González, Freddy | 2022-05-27

Cross-sectoral cooperation (CSC) has gained recognition as the key to achieving sustainable development goals within a locality. However, existing studies focused on sustainable local development (SLD) initiatives resulting from CSC remain sparse. This article aims to review the CSC–SLD literature, using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method. Research questions were constructed using the PICOC (population, intervention, comparison, outcomes, and context) structure. The identification of scientific works occurred through the search of relevant keywords, which resulted in a final set of 38 peer-reviewed manuscripts, from 1994 to 2021. First, the main driving forces for adopting CSC, to achieve SLD, which are dispersed at multiple levels, were captured and contextualised into the micro-, meso-, macro- and mega-framework. Second, salient aspects addressed in the literature for effective CSC implementation were identified and classified into approaches, governance, structure, key actors, psychological and social aspects, and experiences themes. This resulted in a consolidated guiding principles framework for implementing CSC, to pursue SLD. Additionally, the use of theories in different aspects of CSC–SLD initiatives was discussed. This study informs the practitioners, policy-makers, and researchers the fundamentals that need to be considered when planning, designing, and implementing effective CSC interventions for SLD.

Identification and quantification of microplastics in effluents of wastewater treatment plant by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)

Hernández Fernández, Joaquín | 2022-04-20

In this research, the presence of microplastics was detected through a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis of three wastewater treatment plants. One of these plants applied only a preliminary treatment stage while the others applied up to a secondary treatment stage to evaluate their effectiveness. The results showed the presence of polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which were classified as fragments, fibers or granules. During the evaluation of the plants, it was determined that the preliminary treatment did not remove more than 58% of the microplastics, while the plants applying up to a secondary treatment with activated sludge achieved microplastic removal effectiveness between 90% and 96.9%.

Heuristic hardware for square root operation using taylor series and modified newton method

Gonzales Salvador, Gamaniel Domingo | 2022

This paper gives a heuristic equipment execution to registering square root activity for positive genuine numbers through Taylor arrangement and Newton's technique. Comparable methodology can be utilized for planning other root activities, for example, 3D shape roots, fifth roots, etc. Two unique structures are examined, one, combinational, straight forward, got from Taylor arrangement development and one consecutive, got from Newton's enhancement condition. The results are better, lower region, and lower power utilization for the subsequent engineering contrasted with the first.

Mediación pedagógica y plasticidad cerebral. Una mirada desde el Neuro-aprendizaje

Conrado Parejo, Lina | 2022-06-21

En este ensayo se presentan las mediaciones pedagógicas como parte del proceso del neuroaprendizaje en el contexto escolar; el cual hace énfasis en la figura del docente y la forma de impartir sus conocimientos; mediante los procesos psicológicos del aprendizaje. Se expone teóricamente cómo el cerebro hace parte del proceso de aprendizaje, además de la importancia de las mediaciones pedagógicas en el desarrollo de la enseñanza-aprendizaje, asimismo, los procesos que intervienen en ellos. Por lo tanto, se utiliza una metodología bajo un diseño documental, basada en la técnica de análisis lógico formal, a partir del empleo de las inferencias deductivas. En síntesis, las mediaciones pedagógicas se deben adecuar en los espacios de aprendizajes; así, permitir al estudiante, solucionar y buscar respuesta a las experiencias que se presentan a su alrededor desde una mirada crítica.

¿Logrará la inteligencia artificial remplazar la relación maestra– estudiante?

Andión Manga, Angelina | 2022-06-21

El presente ensayo argumentativo aborda un referente teórico acerca de la importancia de la relación que existe entre maestro y estudiante, y que a pesar de que la inteligencia artificial ha llegado al ámbito académico, esta no superará lo humano, es decir, la relación existente entre maestro - estudiante. Es por ello, que el presente ensayo tiene como motivación resaltar esta bonita relación que se vive diariamente en el aula de clase entre los docentes y estudiantes, y, se forja para toda la vida, siendo de ayuda para el crecimiento personal de ambos. En función de lo plantado, se presenta como objetivo principal de este ensayo evidenciar como la inteligencia artificial pude ayudar en la educación y en otro ámbito de la vida diaria, pero sin afectar o remplazar las relaciones dentro del aula de clase. Por tal motivo la metodología en este ensayo es de naturaleza documental y bibliográfico. Sus resultados refieren que la inteligencia artificial (IA) ha ayudado en gran manera al desarrollo y crecimiento de la sociedad, pero, en cuanto a educación se refiere, esta no ha podido remplazar el lazo que se tiene entre maestro y estudiante, debido a que las maquinas al ser creadas con algoritmos y programaciones no pueden expresar las emociones y relación que se logran visualizar dentro de las aulas de clases. Como conclusión se describe, a través de referentes bibliográfico como la relación maestro estudiante crece y se forma en la convivencia diaria en el aula de clases, siendo esta relación la que ayuda al maestro a educar de la mejor manera a los estudiantes, y a su vez es esa relación la que ayudará al estudiante a forjar grandes cualidades y habilidades, que le permitirán crecer como personas y ayudar en el progreso de la sociedad.

Derechos humanos e internacional humanitario

Clímaco Arquez, Yeidis | 2022-06-21

“Una importante especie biológica está en riesgo de desaparecer por la rápida y progresiva liquidación de sus condiciones naturales de vida: el hombre. Ahora tomamos conciencia de este problema cuando casi es tarde para impedirlo” Esta frase pronunciada por Fidel Castro en el año 1992 en la conferencia ONU sobre Medio Ambiente y Desarrollo, evidencia que este mismo a nivel global sufre un deterioro producto de la utilización inapropiada de los recursos naturales, ante ello resulta una verdad irrefutable mencionar que el ser humano abandona cada vez más su capacidad de raciocinio al intentar materializar sus actividades evolutivas sin atender la preservación debida.

Computational fluid dynamics simulation of suspended solids transport in a secondary facultative lagoon used for wastewater treatment

Zapata Rivera, Andrés Mauricio | 2021-08-27

The facultative lagoon hydrodynamics has been evaluated using computational fluid dynamics tools, however, little progress has been made in describing the transport of suspended solids within these systems, and their effects on fluid hydrodynamics. Traditionally, CFD models have been built using pure water. In this sense, the novelty in this study was to evaluate the influence of suspended solids transport on the hydrodynamics of an facultative lagoon. Two three-dimensional CFD models were developed, a single-phase model (pure water) and a two-phase model (water and suspended solids), for a conventional FL in Ginebra, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. Model results were compared with experimental tracer studies, displaying different tracer dispersion characteristics. Differences in the fluid velocity field were identified when suspended solids were added to the simulation. The fluid velocities in the single-phase model were greater than the fluid velocities obtained in the two-phase model, (0.127 m·s−1 and 0.115 m·s−1, respectively). Additionally, the dispersion number of each model showed that the single-phase model (0.478) exhibited a better behavior of complete mixing reactor than the two-phase model (0.403). These results can be attributed to the effect of the drag and slip forces of the solids on the velocity of the fluid. In conclusion, the fluid of FL in these models is better represented as a two-phase fluid in which the particle–fluid interactions are represented by drag and slip forces.

Intelligent deep learning-enabled autonomous small ship detection and classification model

Escorcia-Gutierrez, Jose | 2022

Autonomous ship technologies have gained considerable interest due to the minimization of the challenging issues faced by the unpredictable errors of manual navigation, and therefore reduces human labor, increasing navigation security and profit margin. On autonomous shipping technologies, small ship detection is vital in ensuring shipping safety. With this motivation, this paper presents an efficient optimal mask regional convolutional neural network (Mask-CNN) technique for small ship detection (OMRCNN-SHD) on autonomous shipping technologies. Primarily, the data augmentation process is performed to resolve the issue of the limited number of real-world samples of small ships and helps to detect small ships in most cases accurately. Besides, the Mask RCNN with SqueezeNet model is used to detect ships and the hyperparameter tuning of the SqueezeNet model takes place by the use of the Adagrad optimizer. Furthermore, the Colliding Body's Optimization (CBO) algorithm with the weighted regularized extreme learning machine (WRELM) technique is employed to classify detected ships effectively. The comparative results analysis demonstrates the betterment of the OMRCNN-SHD technique over the current methods with the maximum accuracy of 98.63%.

Dietary patterns of adolescent students during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown

Martín-Rodríguez, Alexandra | 2022-05-15

This study aimed to analyze the dietary patterns of adolescent students during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. To achieve the research´s aim 127 adolescent students, 60 men (18.88±4.18 years) and 67 women (17.61±7.43 years) completed an online questionnaire that analyzed variables regarding their nutritional profile. Adolescent students presented a dietary pattern during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown characterized by different associations of food consumption, On one hand, the consumption of healthier foods such as meat, fish, vegetables, legumes, rice, or pasta, and on the other hand non-healthier foods as food, alcohol, or pastries. Further investigations are needed to implement multidisciplinary interventions to develop healthier habits in schools and to encourage the adoption of healthy diets among adolescents.

Effectiveness of interventions based on pain neuroscience education on pain and psychosocial variables for osteoarthritis: a systematic review

Ordoñez Mora, Leidy Tatiana | 2022-02-23

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint condition. It affects more than 300 million people worldwide, who suffer from pain and physical disability. Objective: To determine the results of cognitive educational interventions for pain management and psychosocial variables in adults with OA. Method: A systematic review was conducted based on searches in MEDLINE, OVID, LILACS, Scopus, PEDro, OTseeker, The Cochrane Library, EBSCO, and Google Scholar. The search strategy included the main terms neuroscience education and osteoarthritis, without any re-strictions with regard to dates or study type (PROSPERO register CRD42021222763). Results: We included four articles that implemented the intervention in 1–6 sessions, addressing concepts related to goal orientation and providing strategies for understanding pain. The results suggest that there is an improvement between the groups (PNE) when compared, but this cannot necessarily be attributed to pain neuroscience education (PNE), as small effect sizes for variables such as pain catastrophizing and kinesiophobia were observed. The response in the modulation of acute pain following the surgical procedure may produce a variation in the responses and this may be mediated by medications. Conclusion: The study revealed an improvement in favor of the groups managed with PNE, although more studies documenting the topic are warranted.

Dietary patterns of adolescent students during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown

Alexandra, Martín-Rodríguez | 2022-05-15

This study aimed to analyze the dietary patterns of adolescent students during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. To achieve the research´s aim 127 adolescent students, 60 men (18.88±4.18 years) and 67 women (17.61±7.43 years) completed an online questionnaire that analyzed variables regarding their nutritional profile. Adolescent students presented a dietary pattern during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown characterized by different associations of food consumption, On one hand, the consumption of healthier foods such as meat, fish, vegetables, legumes, rice, or pasta, and on the other hand non-healthier foods as food, alcohol, or pastries. Further investigations are needed to implement multidisciplinary interventions to develop healthier habits in schools and to encourage the adoption of healthy diets among adolescents.