Role of cognitive and functional performance in the interactions between elderly people with cognitive decline and an avatar on TV

The complexity of new information technologies (IT) may limit the access of elderly people to the information society, exacerbating what is known as “the digital divide,” as they appear to be too challenging for elderly citizens regardless of the integrity of their cognitive status. This study is an attempt to clarify how some cognitive functions (such as attention or verbal memory) may determine the interaction of cognitively impaired elderly people with technology. Twenty participants ranging from mild cognitive impairment to moderate Alzheimer’s disease were assessed by means of a neuropsychological and functional battery and were asked to follow simple commands from an avatar appearing on a TV by means of a remote control, such as asking the participant to confirm their presence or to respond Yes/No to a proposal to see a TV program. The number of correct answers and command repetitions required for the user to respond were registered. The results show that participants with a better cognitive and functional state in specific tests show a significantly better performance in the TV task. The derived conclusion is that neuropsychological assessment may be used as a useful complementary tool for assistive technology developers in the adaptation of IT to the elderly with different cognitive and functional profiles. Further studies with larger samples are required to determine to what extent cognitive functions can actually predict older users’ interaction with technology.     

Global sensitivity analysis of the blade geometry variables on the wind turbine performance

The need for implementing efficient blade designs gains relevance as wind turbine developments require longer blades. The design of blade geometry, traditionally divided in 2D airfoils and spanwise distributions, is usually addressed as an optimization problem. A correct identification of the design variables is crucial to avoid unnecessary computational cost or insufficient exploration of the design space. This paper deals with the identification of the design variables that affect the wind turbine performance. First, the number of design variables for an accurate airfoil representation is resolved. A methodology, based on statistical hypothesis testing applied to the airfoil approximation errors, is presented to assess the accuracy of types of B‐splines. Second, the study is extended to chord and twist distributions besides airfoil geometry with the purpose of assessing the sensitive blade variables in the wind turbine performance. Global sensitivity analysis as multi‐variable linear regressions and variance‐based methods are used. Latin hypercube sampling is applied to generate efficient inputs. MATLAB‐based code is developed to obtain outputs: annual energy production, maximum blade tip deflection, overall sound power level and blade mass. As result of the study, a list of non‐affecting variables is deduced. These variables can be avoided in the optimization without loss of gain in the performance. The method is a powerful tool to analyse in a preliminary phase a design problem involving a high amount of variables and complex physical relations by means of combining different multi‐disciplinar calculation codes and performing statistical treatments. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Methylene blue adsorption by chemically activated waste pork bones

Bone is an inorganic template containing organic material inside which can be converted into hydroxyapatite‐rich material by pyrolysis. Nowadays, there is a growing research interest in the use of hydroxyapatite, the chemical formula of which is Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂. In the present work, pork bone, an abundant biomass source and food waste, has been converted into structured porous hydroxyapatite by a three‐step process including precharring under mild conditions, chemical activation, and thermal activation. The investigated activating agents were NaOH, KOH, K₂CO₃, H₂SO₄, and H₃PO₄. A thorough investigation of the influence of different activating protocols on the chemical and textural properties of the produced material was carried out by nitrogen adsorption–desorption at 77 K, potentiometric titrations, Fourier transform infrared, and X‐ray diffraction techniques. Chemical activation with NaOH, K₂CO₃, and H₂SO₄ increased the specific surface area up to 53%. H₃PO₄ reduced both surface area and pore volume, and KOH showed little influence on the pore structure. The produced materials were evaluated by methylene blue adsorption tests and showed significant improvement as a result of chemical activation. As a main effect, acid treatment increased methylene blue adsorption kinetics, probably owing to an increase in micropororosity, whereas alkali activation enhanced the adsorption capacity of the resultant biochar.     

Screening of Fe–Cu-Zeolites Prepared by Different Methodology for Application in NSR–SCR Combined DeNOx Systems

The NO_x NH₃-SCR performance of several Cu and Fe catalysts supported on BETA and ZSM-5 zeolites has been studied in single SCR and double NSR–SCR configuration, and the activity related to the nature and reducibility of metal species on the catalyst surface. Intermediate ammonia formed in NSR improved greatly NO_x conversion at the exit of the double NSR–SCR configuration, which was practically totally converted to N₂.     

On the Effect of Reduction and Ageing on the TWC Activity of Pt/Ce0.68Zr0.32O2 under Simulated Automotive Exhausts

The three-way activity under complex feed-streams of a series of Pt/Ce_0.68Zr_0.32O₂ catalysts, either fresh or submitted to different ageing treatments, both before and after reduction, has been studied and related to the species present on the catalysts in view of their characteristics and TPR behaviour.     

Testing of self‐similarity and helical symmetry in vortex generator flow simulations

Vortex generators (VGs) are used increasingly by the wind turbine industry as flow control devices to improve rotor blade performance. According to experimental observations, the vortices generated by VGs have previously been observed to be self‐similar for both the axial (u_z) and azimuthal (u_θ) velocity components. Furthermore, the measured vortices have been observed to obey the criteria for helical symmetry. These are powerful results, as it reduces the highly complex 3‐D flow to merely four parameters and therefore significantly facilitates the modeling of this type of flow, which in a larger perspective can assist in parametric studies to increase the total power output of wind turbines. In this study, corresponding computer simulations using Reynolds‐averaged Navier–Stokes equations have been carried out and compared with the experimental observations. The main objective is to investigate how well the simulations can reproduce these aspects of the physics of the flow, i.e., investigate if the same analytical model can be applied and therefore significantly facilitate the modeling of this type of flow, which in a larger perspective can assist in parametric studies to increase the total power output of wind turbines. This is especially interesting since these types of flows are notoriously difficult for the turbulence models to predict correctly. Using this model, parametric studies can be significantly reduced, and moreover, reliable simulations can substantially reduce the costs of the parametric studies themselves. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) hulls: a posible commercial source of pectins

Commercial exploitation of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) generates a volume of hulls that could be used in the production of pectins on an industrial scale. Therefore, pectins from cocoa hulls were extracted at different pH and temperature conditions, and their main chemical characteristics were evaluated. EDTA at 0.5% was used for the extraction at pHs 3, 4 and 5 and temperatures of 60, 75 and 90 degrees C, under a 3 2 factorial design. The response variables were yield, content of anhydrous galacturonic acid (AGA), content of metoxil, degree of esterification and equivalent weight of the pectins extracted. The strength of the pectic gel was determined with a TA-XT2 texturometer. Strawberry jam was made with the pectin extracted, and its acceptability was determined using a 7-point hedonic scale. The results obtained were as follows: an extraction yield from 2.64 to 4.69 g/100 g; an AGA content between 49.8 and 64.06 g/100 g; a content of metoxil between 4.72 and 7.18 g/100 g; a degree of esterification between 37.94 and 52.20%; an equivalent weight from 385.47 to 464.61 g/equivalent of H+, and a degree of gelation between 28.64 and 806.03 g force. The pectin extracted at pH 4 and 90 degrees C showed a gelation power of 422.16 g force, purity 62.26 g/100 g of AGA, and a yield of extraction of 3.89 g/100 g and allowed to prepare ajam with an average level of liking of "like moderately". Pectins from cocoa hulls show potential application in the food industry, but it is necessary to optimize the extraction parameters to increase its yield.     

Anatomical basis for cell transplantation into mouse seminiferous tubules

Cell transplantation into the seminiferous tubules is a useful technique for the study of physiological and pathological conditions affecting the testis. However, the precise three-dimensional organization and, particularly, the complex connectivity of the seminiferous network have not yet been thoroughly characterized. To date, the technical approaches to address these issues have included manual dissection under the stereomicroscope, reconstruction of histological serial sections, and injection of contrast dyes, but all of them have yielded only partial information. Here, using an approach based on the microinjection of a self-polymerizing resin followed by chemical digestion of the surrounding soft tissues, we reveal fine details of the seminiferous tubule scaffold and its connections. These replicas of the testis seminiferous network were studied by scanning electron microscopy. The present results not only establish a morphological basis for more precise microinjection into the mouse seminiferous tubules but also enable a more profound investigation of physiological and embryological features of the testis.