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Coagulation is the main process for removing natural organic matter (NOM), considered to be the major disinfection by-products (DBPs) precursor in drinking water production. In this work, k-means clusters analysis were used to classify influent waters from two different surface drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) located in the Mediterranean region. From this, enhanced coagulation models based on response surface methodology (RSM) were then developed to optimise coagulation at two water catchments (river and reservoir). The cluster analysis classified the water quality of the raw waters into two groups related to baseline and peak organic loads. The developed enhanced coagulation models were based on the turbidity, total organic carbon (TOC) and UV254 removals. Sensitivity analysis applied to the models (after predictors selection) determined the factors relative individual contributions for each DWTP scenario. Then, profile plots for enhanced coagulation were studied to identify the optimal levels for each case. Models mean R2 were 0.85 and 0.86 in baseline and 0.85 and 0.84 in peak scenario for river and reservoir catchments, respectively. Results of this study indicate that the surface water quality variation in river DWTP is seasonal and is expressed by an increase of turbidity, while in the reservoir DWTP is related to extreme weather events showing high levels of dissolved organic load (TOC and UV254). During baseline cases, where raw waters present low levels of organics, the three factors optimal adjustment should be ensured to optimise coagulation. Then, during peak scenarios, where influent waters present high organics, the optimal for enhanced coagulation relies on the correct adjustment of Cd. The presented work provides models for drinking water production aimed to propose the optimum conditions for enhanced coagulation, considering the influent water characteristics under different weather conditions.
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Agua Potable , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua , Purificación del Agua , Desinfección , Ríos , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/análisis , Calidad del AguaRESUMEN
Introducción: Las calcificaciones intracraneales pueden tener múltiples etiologías, y la distribución y las características que presenten en la neuroimagen pueden orientar hacia unas u otras. Es importante descartar las entidades más frecuentes que cursan con calcificaciones intracraneales, pero no deben olvidarse otras causas genéticas mucho más remotas, como el síndrome de Coats plus. Caso clínico: Lactante exprematura de 34 semanas de edad gestacional, diagnosticada de retinopatía a los 9 meses al presentar estrabismo. A los 2 años de edad se realizó una resonancia magnética por hemiparesia derecha, en la que se observó una imagen sugestiva inicialmente de neoplasia. Al completar el estudio con una tomografía computarizada craneal, se observaron extensas calcificaciones de predominio en los ganglios basales y lesiones quísticas. Tras descartarse las etiologías más frecuentes de calcificaciones intracraneales, se llegó a la asociación de la retinopatía y la clínica neurológica y se confirmó el síndrome de Coats plus mediante estudio genético, que reveló la presencia de dos variantes en heterocigosis no documentadas hasta la fecha en el gen CTC1. Conclusión: El síndrome de Coats plus es una enfermedad autosómica recesiva extraordinariamente infrecuente, provocada por mutaciones en el gen CTC1, que supone la aparición de telangiectasias retinianas, quistes cerebrales, calcificaciones en los núcleos profundos y leucoencefalopatía, además de otras afecciones óseas y gastrointestinales. El tratamiento es sintomático y la enfermedad tiene un mal pronóstico
Introduction: Intracranial calcifications can have a number of different causes, and the distribution and characteristics they present in neuroimaging can orient the specialist towards one or another. It is important to rule out the most frequent entities that are accompanied by intracranial calcifications, but other more remote genetic causes, such as Coats plus syndrome, should not be overlooked. Case report: Ex-premature female Infant with a gestational age of 34 weeks, diagnosed with retinopathy at 9 months after presenting strabismus. At 2 years of age, an MRI scan was performed for right hemiparesis, in which an image suggestive of a neoplasm was initially observed. Upon completion of the study with a cranial computed tomography scan, extensive calcifications were observed predominantly in the basal ganglia along with cystic lesions. After ruling out the most frequent causations of intracranial calcifications, the association between the retinopathy and the neurological features was established, and Coats plus syndrome was confirmed by a genetic study that revealed the presence of two hitherto unreported variants in heterozygosis in the CTC1 gene. Conclusion: Coats plus syndrome is an extraordinarily rare autosomal recessive disease, caused by mutations in the CTC1 gene, which involves the appearance of retinal telangiectasias, brain cysts, calcifications in deep nuclei and leukoencephalopathy, as well as other bone and gastrointestinal conditions. Treatment is symptomatic and the disease has a poor prognosis
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Humanos , Femenino , Preescolar , Encefalopatías/diagnóstico por imagen , Calcinosis/diagnóstico por imagen , Enfermedades de la Retina/diagnóstico , Enfermedades de la Retina/genética , Encefalopatías/etiología , Calcinosis/etiología , Paresia/diagnóstico por imagen , Cráneo/diagnóstico por imagen , Enfermedades de la Retina/fisiopatología , Crioterapia , Fotocoagulación , Vitrectomía , Electroencefalografía , Diagnóstico DiferencialRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: Intracranial calcifications can have a number of different causes, and the distribution and characteristics they present in neuroimaging can orient the specialist towards one or another. It is important to rule out the most frequent entities that are accompanied by intracranial calcifications, but other more remote genetic causes, such as Coats plus syndrome, should not be overlooked. CASE REPORT: Ex-premature female Infant with a gestational age of 34 weeks, diagnosed with retinopathy at 9 months after presenting strabismus. At 2 years of age, an MRI scan was performed for right hemiparesis, in which an image suggestive of a neoplasm was initially observed. Upon completion of the study with a cranial computed tomography scan, extensive calcifications were observed predominantly in the basal ganglia along with cystic lesions. After ruling out the most frequent causations of intracranial calcifications, the association between the retinopathy and the neurological features was established, and Coats plus syndrome was confirmed by a genetic study that revealed the presence of two hitherto unreported variants in heterozygosis in the CTC1 gene. CONCLUSION: Coats plus syndrome is an extraordinarily rare autosomal recessive disease, caused by mutations in the CTC1 gene, which involves the appearance of retinal telangiectasias, brain cysts, calcifications in deep nuclei and leukoencephalopathy, as well as other bone and gastrointestinal conditions. Treatment is symptomatic and the disease has a poor prognosis.
TITLE: Lactante con calcificaciones intracraneales y retinopatia.Introduccion. Las calcificaciones intracraneales pueden tener multiples etiologias, y la distribucion y las caracteristicas que presenten en la neuroimagen pueden orientar hacia unas u otras. Es importante descartar las entidades mas frecuentes que cursan con calcificaciones intracraneales, pero no deben olvidarse otras causas geneticas mucho mas remotas, como el sindrome de Coats plus. Caso clinico. Lactante exprematura de 34 semanas de edad gestacional, diagnosticada de retinopatia a los 9 meses al presentar estrabismo. A los 2 años de edad se realizo una resonancia magnetica por hemiparesia derecha, en la que se observo una imagen sugestiva inicialmente de neoplasia. Al completar el estudio con una tomografia computarizada craneal, se observaron extensas calcificaciones de predominio en los ganglios basales y lesiones quisticas. Tras descartarse las etiologias mas frecuentes de calcificaciones intracraneales, se llego a la asociacion de la retinopatia y la clinica neurologica y se confirmo el sindrome de Coats plus mediante estudio genetico, que revelo la presencia de dos variantes en heterocigosis no documentadas hasta la fecha en el gen CTC1. Conclusion. El sindrome de Coats plus es una enfermedad autosomica recesiva extraordinariamente infrecuente, provocada por mutaciones en el gen CTC1, que supone la aparicion de telangiectasias retinianas, quistes cerebrales, calcificaciones en los nucleos profundos y leucoencefalopatia, ademas de otras afecciones oseas y gastrointestinales. El tratamiento es sintomatico y la enfermedad tiene un mal pronostico.
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Ataxia/genética , Neoplasias Encefálicas/genética , Calcinosis/genética , Quistes del Sistema Nervioso Central/genética , Leucoencefalopatías/genética , Espasticidad Muscular/genética , Enfermedades de la Retina/genética , Convulsiones/genética , Ataxia/diagnóstico por imagen , Ganglios Basales/diagnóstico por imagen , Ganglios Basales/patología , Neoplasias Encefálicas/diagnóstico por imagen , Calcinosis/diagnóstico por imagen , Calcinosis/patología , Quistes del Sistema Nervioso Central/diagnóstico por imagen , Quistes del Sistema Nervioso Central/patología , Preescolar , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Femenino , Heterocigoto , Humanos , Leucoencefalopatías/diagnóstico por imagen , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Espasticidad Muscular/diagnóstico por imagen , Mutación Missense , Paresia/etiología , Enfermedades de la Retina/diagnóstico por imagen , Vasos Retinianos/patología , Convulsiones/diagnóstico por imagen , Proteínas de Unión a Telómeros/genética , Tomografía Computarizada por Rayos X , Sustancia Blanca/diagnóstico por imagen , Sustancia Blanca/patologíaRESUMEN
The growing development of technologies and processes for resource treatment and recovery is offering endless possibilities for creating new plant-wide configurations or modifying existing ones. However, the configurations' complexity, the interrelation between technologies and the influent characteristics turn decision-making into a complex or unobvious process. In this frame, the Plant-Wide Modelling (PWM) library presented in this paper allows a thorough, comprehensive and refined analysis of different plant configurations that are basic aspects in decision-making from an energy and resource recovery perspective. In order to demonstrate the potential of the library and the need to run simulation analyses, this paper carries out a comparative analysis of WWTPs, from a techno-economic point of view. The selected layouts were (1) a conventional WWTP based on a modified version of the Benchmark Simulation Model No. 2, (2) an upgraded or retrofitted WWTP, and (3) a new Wastewater Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRF) concept denominated as C/N/P decoupling WWTP. The study was based on a preliminary analysis of the organic matter and nutrient energy use and recovery options, a comprehensive mass and energy flux distribution analysis in each configuration in order to compare and identify areas for improvement, and a cost analysis of each plant for different influent COD/TN/TP ratios. Analysing the plants from a standpoint of resources and energy utilization, a low utilization of the energy content of the components could be observed in all configurations. In the conventional plant, the COD used to produce biogas was around 29%, the upgraded plant was around 36%, and 34% in the C/N/P decoupling WWTP. With regard to the self-sufficiency of plants, achieving self-sufficiency was not possible in the conventional plant, in the upgraded plant it depended on the influent C/N ratio, and in the C/N/P decoupling WWTP layout self-sufficiency was feasible for almost all influents, especially at high COD concentrations. The plant layouts proposed in this paper are just a sample of the possibilities offered by current technologies. Even so, the library presented here is generic and can be used to construct any other plant layout, provided that a model is available.
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Aguas Residuales , Purificación del Agua/instrumentación , Aguas del Alcantarillado , Eliminación de Residuos LíquidosRESUMEN
Wastewater treatment selection is a complex task usually addressed by applying separate tools for the correct assessment of multi-criteria evaluation. Novedar_EDSS integrates technical, environmental, economic and social assessment capabilities in one single platform. The aim of this work is to evaluate and demonstrate the capabilities of this environmental decision support system (EDSS). For that purpose, 4 case studies of real projects were selected to validate the results in the EDSS by comparing them with those from the study of alternatives performed by the decision makers. Moreover, 1 conceptual case study was applied to support the selection of the most properly strategy for plant retrofitting. Results have demonstrated that the EDSS provides key aspects when deciding the retrofitting process to apply and, when compared to real projects, it recommends analogue treatments as those applied in the projects, ranking them in the same order. Therefore, results in the validation process performed show that this tool provides a reliable basis to support decision makers to select properly treatment alternatives in wastewater treatment plant pre-design.
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Técnicas de Apoyo para la Decisión , Eliminación de Residuos Líquidos/métodos , Toma de Decisiones , Europa (Continente) , América del Sur , Aguas Residuales/análisisRESUMEN
Pharmaceuticals are designed to improve human and animal health, but may also be a threat to freshwater ecosystems, particularly after receiving urban or wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents. Knowledge on the fate and attenuation of pharmaceuticals in engineered and natural ecosystems is rather fragmented, and comparable methods are needed to facilitate the comprehension of those processes amongst systems. In this study the dynamics of 8 pharmaceuticals (acetaminophen, sulfapyridine, sulfamethoxazole, carbamazepine, venlafaxine, ibuprofen, diclofenac, diazepam) and 11 of their transformation products were investigated in a WWTP and the associated receiving river ecosystem. During 3 days, concentrations of these compounds were quantified at the influents, effluents, and wastage of the WWTP, and at different distances downstream the effluent at the river. Attenuation (net balance between removal and release from and to the water column) was estimated in both engineered and natural systems using a comparable model-based approach by considering different uncertainty sources (e.g. chemical analysis, sampling, and flow measurements). Results showed that pharmaceuticals load reduction was higher in the WWTP, but attenuation efficiencies (as half-life times) were higher in the river. In particular, the load of only 5 out of the 19 pharmaceuticals was reduced by more than 90% at the WWTP, while the rest were only partially or non-attenuated (or released) and discharged into the receiving river. At the river, only the load of ibuprofen was reduced by more than 50% (out of the 6 parent compounds present in the river), while partial and non-attenuation (or release) was observed for some of their transformation products. Linkages in the routing of some pharmaceuticals (venlafaxine, carbamazepine, ibuprofen and diclofenac) and their corresponding transformation products were also identified at both WWTP and river. Finally, the followed procedure showed that dynamic attenuation in the coupled WWTP-river system could be successfully predicted with simple first order attenuation kinetics for most modeled compounds.
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Ríos/química , Aguas Residuales/química , Animales , Ecosistema , Monitoreo del Ambiente , Humanos , Preparaciones Farmacéuticas , Eliminación de Residuos Líquidos , Contaminantes Químicos del AguaRESUMEN
A continuous, on-line quantification of the nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from a full-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) placed in a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was performed in this study. In general, N2O emissions from the biological wastewater treatment system were 97.1 ± 6.9 g N2O-N/Kg [Formula: see text] consumed or 6.8% of the influent [Formula: see text] load. In the WWTP of this study, N2O emissions accounted for over 60% of the total carbon footprint of the facility, on average. Different cycle configurations were implemented in the SBR aiming at reaching acceptable effluent values. Each cycle configuration consisted of sequences of aerated and non-aerated phases of different time length being controlled by the ammonium set-point fixed. Cycles with long aerated phases showed the largest N2O emissions, with the consequent increase in carbon footprint. Cycle configurations with intermittent aeration (aerated phases up to 20-30 min followed by short anoxic phases) were proven to effectively reduce N2O emissions, without compromising nitrification performance or increasing electricity consumption. This is the first study in which a successful operational strategy for N2O mitigation is identified at full-scale.
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Reactores Biológicos , Óxido Nitroso/análisis , Aguas del Alcantarillado/química , Eliminación de Residuos Líquidos/métodos , Contaminantes Atmosféricos/análisis , Contaminación del Aire , Compuestos de Amonio/análisis , Huella de Carbono , Eliminación de Residuos Líquidos/economíaRESUMEN
Using low-cost sensors, data can be collected on the occurrence and duration of overflows in each combined sewer overflow (CSO) structure in a combined sewer system (CSS). The collection and analysis of real data can be used to assess, improve, and maintain CSSs in order to reduce the number and impact of overflows. The objective of this study was to develop a methodology to evaluate the performance of CSSs using low-cost monitoring. This methodology includes (1) assessing the capacity of a CSS using overflow duration and rain volume data, (2) characterizing the performance of CSO structures with statistics, (3) evaluating the compliance of a CSS with government guidelines, and (4) generating decision tree models to provide support to managers for making decisions about system maintenance. The methodology is demonstrated with a case study of a CSS in La Garriga, Spain. The rain volume breaking point from which CSO structures started to overflow ranged from 0.6 mm to 2.8 mm. The structures with the best and worst performance in terms of overflow (overflow probability, order, duration and CSO ranking) were characterized. Most of the obtained decision trees to predict overflows from rain data had accuracies ranging from 70% to 83%. The results obtained from the proposed methodology can greatly support managers and engineers dealing with real-world problems, improvements, and maintenance of CSSs.
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In this study, methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emission dynamics of a plug-flow bioreactor located in a municipal full-scale wastewater treatment plant were monitored during a period of 10 weeks. In general, CH4 and N2O gas emissions from the bioreactor accounted for 0.016% of the influent chemical oxygen demand (COD) and 0.116% of the influent total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) respectively. In order to identify the emission patterns in the different zones, the bioreactor was divided in six different sampling sites and the gas collection hood was placed for a period of 2-3 days in each of these sites. This sampling strategy also allowed the identification of different process perturbations leading to CH4 or N2O peak emissions. CH4 emissions mainly occurred in the first aerated site, and were mostly related with the influent and reject wastewater flows entering the bioreactor. On the other hand, N2O emissions were given along all the aerated parts of the bioreactor and were strongly dependant on the occurrence of process disturbances such as periods of no aeration or nitrification instability. Dissolved CH4 and N2O concentrations were monitored in the bioreactor and in other parts of the plant, as a contribution for the better understanding of the transport of these greenhouse gases across the different stages of the treatment system.
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Contaminación del Aire/análisis , Reactores Biológicos , Metano/análisis , Óxido Nitroso/análisis , Eliminación de Residuos Líquidos/métodos , Aguas Residuales/química , Contaminación del Aire/estadística & datos numéricosRESUMEN
The first flush effect in combined sewer systems during storm events often causes overflows and overloads of the sewage treatment, which reduces the efficiency of the sewage treatment and decreases the quality of the receiving waters due to the pollutants that are contributed. The use of retention tanks constitutes a widely used way to mitigate this effect. However, the management of the pollutant loads encounters difficulties when the retention tanks are emptied. A new approach is proposed to solve this problem by fulfilling the treatment requirements in real time, focussing on the characteristics of the wastewater. The method is based on the execution of an Ant Colony Optimisation algorithm to obtain a satisfactory sequence for the discharge of the retention tanks. The discharge sequence considers the volume of stormwater and its concentration of pollutants including Suspended Solids, Biological Oxygen Demand and Chemical Oxygen Demand, Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphorus. The Ant Colony Optimisation algorithm was applied successfully to a case study with overall reduction of pollutant loads stored in retention tanks. The algorithm can be adapted in a simple way to the different scenarios, infrastructures and controllers of sewer systems.
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Algoritmos , Monitoreo del Ambiente/métodos , Eliminación de Residuos Líquidos/estadística & datos numéricos , Aguas Residuales/química , Aguas Residuales/estadística & datos numéricos , Contaminación del Agua/estadística & datos numéricos , Nitrógeno/análisis , Fósforo/análisis , Movimientos del Agua , Contaminantes del Agua/análisisRESUMEN
Combined sewer overflow (CSO) events produced in combined sewer systems (CSS) during wet weather conditions are a threat for the receiving water bodies. The large number of CSO structures normally present in a CSS makes that the monitoring of the complete CSO network in a simultaneous way would drastically increase the investment costs. In this paper, a new methodology is presented aiming to characterize the occurrence and duration of CSO events by means of low-cost temperature sensors. Hence, a large number of CSO structures can be simultaneously monitored and the system can be characterized as a whole. The method assumes temperature differences between the overflowing mix of wastewater and stormwater and the sewer gas phase, so the temperature shift produced during a rainfall episode is related to a CSO event occurrence. The method has been tested and validated in La Garriga CSS (Spain) where the temperature at 13 CSO weirs was monitored for a period of 1 year (57 rainfall episodes). For the whole set of CSO events, occurrence and duration were successfully determined in 80% of cases. Advantages, limitations and potential applications of the method are discussed at the end of the paper.
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Continuous release of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) present in effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is nowadays leading to the adoption of specific measures within the framework of the Directive 2000/60/EC (Water Framework Directive). The ozonation process, normally employed for drinking water production, has also proven its potential to eliminate PPCPs from secondary effluents in spite of their low concentrations. However, there is a significant drawback related with the costs associated with its implementation. This lack of studies is especially pronounced regarding the economic valuation of the environmental benefits associated to avoid the discharge of these pollutants into water bodies. For the first time the shadow prices of 5 PPCPs which are ethynilestradiol, sulfamethoxazole, diclofenac, tonalide and galaxolide from treated effluent using a pilot-scale ozonation reactor have been estimated. From non-sensitive areas their values are -73.73; -34.95; -42.20; -10.98; and -8.67 respectively and expressed in /kg. They represent a proxy to the economic value of the environmental benefits arisen from undischarged pollutants. This paper contributes to value the environmental benefits of implementing post-treatment processes aimed to achieve the quality standards required by the Priority Substances Directive.
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Cosméticos/química , Ozono/química , Preparaciones Farmacéuticas/química , Eliminación de Residuos Líquidos/economía , Aguas Residuales/análisis , Purificación del Agua/economía , Reactores Biológicos , Membranas Artificiales , Modelos Económicos , Estructura Molecular , Eliminación de Residuos Líquidos/métodos , Purificación del Agua/métodosRESUMEN
The distinctive characteristics of nanoparticles, resulting from properties that arise at the nano-scale, underlie their potential applications in the biomedical sector. However, the very same characteristics also result in widespread concerns about the potentially toxic effects of nanoparticles. Given the large number of nanoparticles that are being developed for possible biomedical use, there is a need to develop rapid screening methods based on in silico methods. This study illustrates the application of conceptual Density Functional Theory (DFT) to some carbon nanotubes (CNTs) optimized by means of static DFT calculations. The computational efforts are focused on the geometry of a family of packed narrow-diameter carbon nanotubes (CNTs) formed by units from four to twelve carbons evaluating the strength of the C-C bonds by means of Mayer Bond Orders (MBO). Thus, width and length are geometrical features that might be used to tune the electronic properties of the CNTs. At infinite length, partial semi-conductor characteristics are expected.
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Nanotubos de Carbono/química , Simulación por Computador , Conductividad Eléctrica , Modelos Químicos , NanomedicinaRESUMEN
The current complexity involved in wastewater management projects is arising as the XXI century sets new challenges leading towards a more integrated plant design. In this context, the growing number of innovative technologies, stricter legislation and the development of new methodological approaches make it difficult to design appropriate flow schemes for new wastewater projects. Thus, new tools are needed for the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) conceptual design using integrated assessment methods in order to include different types of objectives at the same time i.e. environmental, economical, technical, and legal. Previous experiences used the decision support system (DSS) methodology to handle the specific issues related to wastewater management, for example, the design of treatment facilities for small communities. However, tools developed for addressing the whole treatment process independently of the plant size, capable of integrating knowledge from many different areas, including both conventional and innovative technologies are not available. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to present and describe an innovative knowledge-based methodology that handles the conceptual design of WWTP process flow-diagrams (PFDs), satisfying a vast number of different criteria. This global approach is based on a hierarchy of decisions that uses the information contained in knowledge bases (KBs) with the aim of automating the generation of suitable WWTP configurations for a specific scenario. Expert interviews, legislation, specialized literature and engineering experience have been integrated within the different KBs, which indeed constitute one of the main highlights of this work. Therefore, the methodology is presented as a valuable tool which provides customized PFD for each specific case, taking into account process unit interactions and the user specified requirements and objectives.
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Arquitectura y Construcción de Instituciones de Salud/métodos , Eliminación de Residuos Líquidos/métodos , Simulación por Computador , Bases de Datos Factuales , Modelos TeóricosRESUMEN
The preliminary design and economic assessment of small wastewater treatment plants (less than 2000 population equivalent) are issues of particular interest since wastewaters from most of these agglomerations are not covered yet. This work aims to assess nine different technologies set-up for the secondary treatment in such type of facilities embracing both economic and environmental parameters. The main novelty of this work is the combination of an innovative environmental decision support system (EDSS) with a pioneer approach based on the inclusion of the environmental benefits derived from wastewater treatment. The integration of methodologies based on cost-benefit analysis tools with the vast amount of knowledge from treatment technologies contained in the EDSS was applied in nine scenarios comprising different wastewater characteristics and reuse options. Hence, a useful economic feasibility indicator is obtained for each technology including internal and external costs and, for the first time, benefits associated with the environmental damage avoided. This new methodology proved to be crucial for supporting the decision process, contributing to improve the sustainability of new treatment facilities and allows the selection of the most feasible technologies of a wide set of possibilities.
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Eliminación de Residuos Líquidos/métodos , Purificación del Agua/métodos , Reactores Biológicos/normas , Análisis Costo-Beneficio , Técnicas de Apoyo para la Decisión , Filtración/normas , Estanques/química , Dióxido de Silicio/química , Eliminación de Residuos Líquidos/instrumentación , Purificación del Agua/instrumentaciónRESUMEN
Current management of sanitation infrastructures (sewer systems, wastewater treatment plant, receiving water, bypasses, deposits, etc) is not fulfilling the objectives of up to date legislation, to achieve a good ecological and chemical status of water bodies through integrated management. These made it necessary to develop new methodologies that help decision makers to improve the management in order to achieve that status. Decision Support Systems (DSS) based on Multi-Agent System (MAS) paradigm are promising tools to improve the integrated management. When all the different agents involved interact, new important knowledge emerges. This knowledge can be used to build better DSS and improve wastewater infrastructures management achieving the objectives planned by legislation. The paper describes a methodology to acquire this knowledge through a Role Playing Game (RPG). First of all there is an introduction about the wastewater problems, a definition of RPG, and the relation between RPG and MAS. Then it is explained how the RPG was built with two examples of game sessions and results. The paper finishes with a discussion about the uses of this methodology and future work.
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Modelos Teóricos , Eliminación de Residuos Líquidos/métodos , RíosRESUMEN
Objetivos: La incidencia de la pielonefritis durante el embarazo alcanza hasta un 2%. Para prevenirla recomendamos realizar análisis de orina en el primer trimestre con el objeto de detectar bacteriuria asintomática, debiéndose tratar aquellos casos con urocultivo positivo. Métodos: Se recogen de forma retrospectiva todos los casos diagnosticados de pielonefritis aguda en embarazadas ingresadas en nuestro Centro a lo largo del año 2004 y se tabulan los datos demográficos, métodos diagnósticos, tratamientos, evolución, nuevos episodios y repercusiones sobre la fecha del parto y del recién nacido. Resultados: Estudiamos todos los casos de pielonefritis en embarazadas ocurridas en nuestro centro durante un año (4.700 partos). Objetivamos que el despistaje de bacteriuria se hacía, de manera incorrecta con sedimento urinario (piuria). La incidencia fue de 0,21%, atribuyendo dicha cifra tan baja a que, posiblemente, alguna enferma con pielonefritisno ingresó en nuestro centro. Las evoluciones fueron favorables, siendo el único germen aislado E. coli. Las pielonefritis del primer trimestre recidivaron. Conclusiones: En todos los embarazos se debe realizar urocultivo en el primer trimestre debiendo, después del tratamiento adecuado, repetir el urocultivo, sobre todo si la bacteriuria ocurre en el primer trimestre de embarazo (AU)
Objective: The incidence of pyelonephritis during pregnancy reaches 2%. We recommend obtaining a urinalysis during the first trimester in order to detect asymptomatic bacteriuria and treat those cases with positive urine culture. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all cases diagnosed as acute pyelonephritis in pregnant women admitted to our hospital during 2004 and analyzed demographic data, diagnostic methods, treatments, outcome, new episodes and the impact on the date of birth and the newborns. Results: We studied all the cases of pyelonephritis in pregnant women diagnosed in our hospital for one year (4,700 childbirths). We found that screening of bacteriuria was done incorrectly based on the presence of pyuria in the sediment of urine specimen. The incidence was 0.21 %, and such a low rate might be related to the possibility that some patients were not admitted in our hospital. Prognosis was excellent being E. coli the only agent isolated in all cases. Pyelonephritis that occurred during the first trimester relapsed. Conclusions: A urine culture must be obtained during the first trimester of pregnancy and should be repeated after completion of adequate therapy of an infection, particularly if bacteriuria is detected in the first trimester (AU)
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Humanos , Femenino , Adolescente , Adulto , Pielonefritis/epidemiología , Complicaciones Infecciosas del Embarazo/epidemiología , Pielonefritis/diagnóstico , Pielonefritis/prevención & control , Complicaciones Infecciosas del Embarazo/diagnóstico , Complicaciones Infecciosas del Embarazo/prevención & control , Hospitales Generales/estadística & datos numéricos , Estudios Retrospectivos , Incidencia , Factores SocioeconómicosRESUMEN
During the past decade the pressure of the whole spectrum of stakeholders has increased considerably leading the consideration of different types of objectives, i.e. economical, technical, legal and environmental, into the process design efforts. Thus, the traditional design approaches should turn into more complex assessment methods including different types of objectives in order to conduct integrated assessments. The objective of this paper is to present and discuss the usefulness of three evaluation tools, based on multicriteria decision analysis, to support the conceptual design of activated sludge systems These support tools consist of: i) preliminary multiobjective optimization, where the most promising options (those located near to the optimum) are compared based on the results of dynamic simulation, ii) identification of strong and weak points for each option by means of classification trees and the subsequent extraction of knowledge-based rules, and iii) evaluation of the trade-offs between a certain evaluation criteria and the overall process performance through the integrated application of mathematical modelling and qualitative knowledge extracted during the design process.