Producción científica y académica

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Trends and future perspective challenges in big data

Naeem, Muhammad Zaid | 2021-11-26

We are living in an era of big data, where the process of generating data is continuously been taking place with each coming second. Data that is more varied and extremely complex in structure (unstructured/semi-structured) with problems of indexing, sorting, searching, analyzing and visualizing are major challenges of today’s organizations. Big data is always defined by its 5-v characteristics which are Volume, Velocity, Veracity, Variety, and Value. Almost each data model comprising big data is dependent on these 5-v characteristics. A large number of researches have been done on velocity and volume, but the complete and efficient solution for the variety is still not available in the markets. Traditional solutions provided by DBMS generally use multidimensional data type. However, many new data types cannot be compatible with these traditional systems. Big Data is a general problem affecting different fields, whether it is business, economic, social security or scientific research. To analyze huge data sets in order to get insights and find patterns in data is called big data analytics. Big data analytics is the need of every corporate and state of the art organization to look forward and make useful decisions. This paper comprises of discussion on current issues, opportunities, trends, and challenges of big data aimed to discuss variety in more detail. An efficient solution for the big data variety problem will be discussed.

Evaluation and prioritization of information security controls of ISO/IEC 27002:2013 for SMEs Through Fuzzy TOPSIS

Tariq, Muhammad Imran | 2021-11-26

Managing a large number of Information Security controls with slight impact may increase the extra effort and time in the shape of implementation and mitigation of risk. Therefore, Information Security Controls need to be prioritized. The main goals of this paper are to an in-depth study of ISO/IEC 27002:2013 that consists of 114 information security controls with 35 security domains and to rank/prioritize these controls. In this study, a questioner was designed and distributed it among Information Security Experts having experience of Information Security deployment in Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The study initially studied different methodologies for prioritization of Information Security Controls, developed criteria including effectiveness, implementation time, mitigation time, risk and budgetary constraints to evaluate ISO/IEC 27002:2013 control. The study applies a Fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution TOPSIS technique to evaluate and rank the information security controls. A fuzzy TOPSIS methodology comprising linguistics data is used to get unclear conditions and, therefore, fuzzy TOPSIS is used as a tool to allow a more precise calculation of inaccurate parameters than old-style methods. We contend that evaluating of ISO/IEC 27002:2013 using fuzzy TOPSIS leads to a great accurate assessment and, therefore, supports an effective selection/ranking/ prioritization of information security controls in SMEs.

Polishing of painting process effluents through adsorption with biochar from winemaking residues

Carvalho, Fernando L. | 2022-05-02

A real industrial efuent from the pre-treatment and painting processes was polished through adsorption using alternative biochar derived from grape pomace wastes. The biochar was produced in a pilot-scale plant from composted grape pomace. Biochar showed an equilibrium between acidic and basic groups on the surface. The presence of irregular cavities in the structure and mesopores was confrmed by analyzing N2 physisorption and SEM. Concerning the efuent, Ni and Zn were the main problematic elements. The adsorption isotherms and kinetics of Ni and Zn from the efuent using the biochar could be represented by the Henry, pseudo-frst-order, and pseudo-second-order models, respectively. Adsorption equilibrium was reached within 60 min for Ni and Zn present in the real efuent. Besides, the adsorption process was endothermic, favorable, and spontaneous. These results demonstrate that Zn and Ni metals were successfully removed from the industrial efuent, presenting fnal concentration values within the limit of legislation for efuent disposal in agricultural soil.

APPMAR 1.0: a Python application for downloading and analyzing of WAVEWATCH III® wave and wind data

Rivillas, German | 2022

This work presents APPMAR 1.0, an application written in the Python programming language that downloads, processes, and analyzes wind and wave data. This application is composed of a graphical user interface (GUI) that contains two main modules: the first module downloads data from WAVEWATCH III® (WW3) production hindcasts by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); the second module applies statistical mathematics for processing and analyzing wave and wind data. This application provides useful graphical results that describe mean and extreme wave and wind climate. APPMAR generates plots of exceedance probability, joint probability distribution, wave direction, Weibull distribution, and storm frequency analysis. Currently, APPMAR only downloads and analyzes wave and wind data from WW3 hindcasts, but it is under development to other datasets and marine climate parameters. This application has been tested in the Magdalena River mouth, Colombia, and Cancún, México, where observational wave and wind data are scarce.

An iris segmentation using harmony search algorithm and fast circle fitting with blob detection

Malinowski, Kamil | 2022-03-04

Pupil and iris segmentation based on ellipsis or circle recognition are sensitive to light reflections and reflected images. The method presented here is independent of size and shape and at the same time insensitive to light reflections and reflected mirror images. The pupil detected using the algorithm can be a reference point to further segmentation of the sclera of the eye as well as of the iris. The method is also effective when the pupil and iris are not positioned perpendicularly to the camera eye. The algorithm’s average segmentation accuracy for all tested databases was 96% when considering only noisy and distorted images whilst a result of 100% was achieved with unblurred and clear images. The proposed method can be quickly and simply reproduced with a combination of known image processing methods. The developed algorithm for detecting the eyelid boundaries is effective with noisy and poor quality images due to the use of edge approximation using the Harmony Search Algorithm. An optimized shape detection method was used to detect the pupil and its edges. A method based on the variation and the average was used to eliminate shadows and eyelashes. The proposed scheme was tested on the UBIRIS.v1 database, MMU.v1 database and MILES databases, providing high results and short segmentation time. Segmentation accuracy for UBIRIS.v1 was 98.14%, for MMU.v1 – 90% and for MILES – 99.8%.

Working group recommendations for the practice of teleneuropsychology in Latin America

Crivelli, Lucía | 2021-10-20

Objective: Teleneuropsychology (teleNP) could potentially expand access to services for patients who are confined, have limited personal access to healthcare, or live in remote areas. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased the use of teleNP for cognitive assessments. The main objective of these recommendations is to identify which procedures can be potentially best adapted to the practice of teleNP in Latin America, and thereby facilitate professional decision-making in the region. Method: Steps taken to develop these recommendations included (1) formation of an international working group with representatives from 12 Latin American countries; (2) assessment of rationale, scope, and objectives; (3) formulation of clinical questions; (4) evidence search and selection; (5) evaluation of existing evidence and summary; and (6) formulation of recommendations. Levels of evidence were graded following the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine system. Databases examined included PubMed, WHO-IRIS, WHO and PAHO-IRIS, Índice Bibliográfico Español en Ciencias de la Salud (IBCS), and LILACS. Results: Working group members reviewed 18,400 titles and 422 abstracts and identified 19 articles meeting the criteria for level of evidence, categorization, and elaboration of recommendations. The vast majority of the literature included teleNP tests in the English language. The working group proposed a series of recommendations that can be potentially best adapted to the practice of teleNP in Latin America. Conclusions: There is currently sufficient evidence to support the use of videoconferencing technology for remote neuropsy chological assessments. These recommendations will likely contribute to the advancement of teleNP research and practice in the region.

Investigation of biochar from Cedrella fissilis applied to the adsorption of atrazine herbicide from an aqueous medium

Hernandes, Paola T | 2022

Biochar was produced from the sawdust of the wood forest species Cedrella fissilis and later used as an adsorbent to remove atrazine herbicide from aqueous media. Biochar showed high thermal stability, an amorphous structure, and a highly irregular surface, mainly composed of carbon-containing bonds. The isothermal curves confirmed that the increase in temperature favored the adsorption of the herbicide. The Langmuir model best suited the experimental equilibrium data, with the maximum adsorption capacity of 7.68 mg g-1 at 328 K. The thermodynamic parameters confirmed a spontaneous process of an endothermic nature governed by physical interactions (interactions of van der Waals and hydrogen bonds). Kinetic studies showed that equilibrium was reached within 180 min. The linear driving force model (LDF) showed good statistical adjustment to the experimental data, where it was observed that the diffusion coefficient increased with the concentration of adsorbate. Biochar can be reused in up to three cycles. Finally, the adsorbent showed good efficiency in real water samples from rivers contaminated with atrazine, with 76.58% and 71.29% removal. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd.

Changes in cognitive functioning after COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis Inglés

Crivelli, Lucía | 2022

With an increasing number of individuals recovering from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, there is an urgent need to study the medium- and long-term consequences of the disease. Growing evidence suggests that some patients exhibit symptoms such as fatigue, “brain fog,” or cognitive complaints after the acute infection stage, commonly referred to as “Long COVID.”1 A 6-month study using multidimensional data from the medical records of 73,435 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients showed that, after the first 30 days of illness, individuals have an increased risk of death, higher health resource utilization, and an increased burden from neurocognitive disorders.1 Indeed, evidence from previous epidemics shows that subsequent neurological and, particularly, cognitive complications can occur, such as in the severe influenza epidemic from 1918 to 1921 (also known as the Spanish flu).2 More recently, cases of encephalitis, sensory impairment, coma, and severe neurological damage were reported during the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) outbreak in 20123 and vascular or inflammatory damage of the brain and central nervous system in people affected by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) outbreak in 2003.4 Cognitive dysfunction has a significant impact on functionality and quality of life.5 Given the high incidence of COVID-19 and the associated economic, health, and social burden of the epidemic, studying its occurrence and underlying mechanisms is crucial. In the current systematic review, we assess whether there is an increased occurrence of cognitive deficits in adult patients with COVID-19 who previously had no cognitive impairment.

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.