5 research outputs found
Estudio de la refrigeración de una piscina de combustible gastado con un código CFD
No full textTras el accidente nuclear de Fukushima se demostró que las piscinas de combustible gastado en las centrales nucleares ven comprometida su refrigeración a largo plazo en caso de una pérdida total de energía eléctrica (SBO), ya que si experimentan un SBO de larga duración no existen a priori sistemas para mantener la refrigeración de los elementos combustibles que no dependan de los diésel de emergencia o de la red externa. En este trabajo se ha estudiado la refrigeración de una piscina de combustible gastado con el programa CFD STAR-CCM+, tanto en condiciones normales como en caso de pérdida del sistema de refrigeración. Posteriormente se ha evaluado la misma mediante el empleo de sistemas pasivos que permiten refrigerar los elementos combustibles durante cierto tiempo tras la pérdida del sistema de refrigeración y de una manera pasiva. De esta manera se consigue cierto margen antes de la entrada en ebullición del agua de la piscina, mejorándose por tanto la refrigeración de la misma. ABSTRACT. After the Fukushima nuclear accident, it was proved that the cooling of the current spent fuel pools are not sure for long term in case of a Station Blackout (SBO) Accident. If a long lasting blackout SBO occurs there are no systems available to keep cooling the spent fuel assemblies that do not rely on diesel generators or the external grid. During this thesis, the author has studied the spent fuel pool cooling, in ordinary conditions and if the spent fuel pool loses its cooling system, using the CFD program STAR-CCM+. Afterwards, the spent fuel pool cooling has been studied through the use of passive systems. Those two systems are able to cool the spent fuel assemblies in a passive way during a certain period of time after losing the cooling system. As a consequence, the pool´s water would boil later and the spent fuel pools safety would be enhanced
La evolución del entorno laboral durante la industria 4.0
No full textSe busca evaluar las estrategias de formación continua para cerrar brechas de habilidades digitales, mejorar la adaptabilidad de los empleados y proponer recomendaciones para una transición efectiva hacia esta nueva era industrial. Se realizó una revisión sistemática siguiendo la declaración PRISMA 2020. La investigación incluyó 18 artículos relevantes obtenidos de bases de datos como Redalyc (9), SciELO (5), Araucaria (1) y CONCYTEC (3), seleccionados por su pertinencia en el análisis de la evolución del entorno laboral durante la Industria 4.0. La implementación de las tecnologías de la Industria 4.0 muestra mejoras significativas en la eficiencia operativa y una reducción de riesgos laborales. No obstante, persisten desafíos relacionados con la falta de habilidades digitales y la resistencia al cambio en ciertos sectores. Los estudios revisados resaltan la necesidad de implementar estrategias de formación continua para facilitar la adaptación tecnológica y cerrar brechas de competencias. Es fundamental cerrar las brechas de habilidades digitales mediante estrategias de capacitación continua que fomenten la adaptabilidad de los trabajadores. Además, las empresas deben equilibrar la integración tecnológica con el bienestar de los empleados, promoviendo una transición sostenible y efectiva hacia esta nueva era industrial
Origins of ion energy distribution function (IEDF) in high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) plasma discharge
No full textThe ion energy distribution function (IEDF) in high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) discharges was studied by plasma sampling energy-resolved mass spectroscopy. HIPIMS of chromium (Cr), titanium (Ti) and carbon ( C) targets in argon (Ar) atmosphere was analysed. Singly and doubly charged ions of both the target and the gas were detected. Time-averaged IEDFs were measured for all detected ions at the substrate position at a distance of 150mm from the target. The effects of target current and discharge pressure on the IEDF were investigated. Measurements were done at two pressures and for three peak discharge currents. The IEDF of both the target and the gas ions was found to comprise two Maxwellian distributions. Quantitative analysis of target IEDFs at a low pressure showed that the main peak had a lower average energy with an approximate value of E-AV = 1 eV which is attributed to collisions with thermalized gas atoms and ions. The higher energy distribution has a tail extending up to 70 eV, which is assumed to originate from a Thompson distribution of sputtered metal atoms which, due to collisions, are thermalized and appear as a Maxwell distribution. The proportion of high energy IEDFs for metal ions increases monotonically as a function of Id. The effective ion temperature k(B)T, extracted from the main low energy peak, showed a weak dependence on peak current. The effective ion temperature extracted from the high energy tail showed a strong correlation with the change in Id. The IEDF at high pressure shows that a proportion of high energy IEDFs was very low and dominated by a low energy main peak. The gas IEDF at high pressure was completely thermalized. The metal-ion-to-gas-ion ratio was found to increase with Id and with the sputtering yield of the target material
Molecular Identification and Physiological Characterization of Halophilic and Alkaliphilic Bacteria belonging to the Genus Halomonas
No full textAlkaline saline lakes are unusual extreme environments formed in closed drainage basins. Qabar - oun and Um - Alma lakes are alkaline saline lakes in the Libyan Sahara. There were only a few reports (Ajali et al., 1984) on their microbial diversity before the current work was undertaken. Five Gram-negative bacterial strains, belonging to the family of Halomonadaceae, were isolated from the lakes by subjecting the isolates to high salinity medium, and identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing as Halomonas pacifica, Halomonas sp, Halomonas salifodinae, Halomonas elongata and Halomonas campisalis. Two of the Halomonas species isolated (H. pacifica and H. campisalis) were chosen for further study on the basis of novelty (H. pacifica) and on dual stress tolerance (high pH and high salinity) shown by H. campisalis. Both species showed optimum growth at 0.5 M NaCl, but H. campisalis alone was able to grow in the absence of NaCl. H. pacifica grew better than H. campisalis at high salinities in excess of 1 M NaCl and was clearly a moderately halophile. H. pacifica showed optimum growth at pH 7 to 8, but in contrast H. campisalis could grow well at pH values up to 10. 13C - NMR spectroscopy was used to determine and identify the compatible solutes accumulated by H. pacifica and H. campisalis grown in rich and minimal media at different concentrations of NaCl. H. pacifica and H. campisalis accumulated betaine in rich (LB) medium with ectoine only appearing at the highest salinity tested (2.5 M NaCl). In contrast, in M9 minimal medium, no betaine was detected and ectoine and hydroxyectoine were accumulated at high salinities. H. campisalis was able to grow well with urea or nitrate as the sole source of nitrogen and was shown to be capable of efficiently removing nitrate from the medium under aerobic assimilatory conditions, where it is incorporated into biomass
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Global Action to reduce HIV stigma and discrimination
No full textThere is no question that the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV and AIDS can be reduced through intervention. The inclusion of stigma and discrimination reduction as a critical component of achieving an AIDS‐free generation in recent UNAIDS, UN and PEPFAR political initiatives is promising. Yet national governments need evidence on effective interventions at the individual, community and societal levels in order to strategically incorporate stigma and discrimination reduction into national AIDS plans. Currently, the heterogeneity of stigma and discrimination reduction approaches and measurement makes it challenging to compare and contrast evaluated interventions. Moving forward, it is critical for the research community to: (1) clearly link intervention activities to the domains of stigma to be shifted; (2) assess the stigma domains in a consistent manner; and (3) link stigma and discrimination reduction with HIV prevention, care and treatment outcomes (e.g., uptake, adherence and retention of ART). These steps would further advance the scientific evidence base of stigma and discrimination reduction and allow for the identification of effective interventions that could be scaled up by national governments. 10.7448/IAS.16.3.18881 © 2013 Grossman C I et al; licensee International AIDS Society Published 13 November 2013 Corresponding author: Cynthia I Grossman, HIV Care Engagement and Secondary Prevention Program, Division of AIDS Research, National Institutes of Mental Health, 6001 Executive Boulevard, RM 6201, MSC 9619, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. ([email protected]) Adherence to HIV antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a critical determinant of HIV‐1 RNA viral suppression and health outcomes. It is generally accepted that HIV‐related stigma is correlated with factors that may undermine ART adherence, but its relationship with ART adherence itself is not well established. We therefore undertook this review to systematically assess the relationship between HIV‐related stigma and ART adherence. We searched nine electronic databases for published and unpublished literature, with no language restrictions. First we screened the titles and abstracts for studies that potentially contained data on ART adherence. Then we reviewed the full text of these studies to identify articles that reported data on the relationship between ART adherence and either HIV‐related stigma or serostatus disclosure. We used the method of meta‐synthesis to summarize the findings from the qualitative studies. Our search protocol yielded 14,854 initial records. After eliminating duplicates and screening the titles and abstracts, we retrieved the full text of 960 journal articles, dissertations and unpublished conference abstracts for review. We included 75 studies conducted among 26,715 HIV‐positive persons living in 32 countries worldwide, with less representation of work from Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Among the 34 qualitative studies, our meta‐synthesis identified five distinct third‐order labels through an inductive process that we categorized as themes and organized in a conceptual model spanning intrapersonal, interpersonal and structural levels. HIV‐related stigma undermined ART adherence by compromising general psychological processes, such as adaptive coping and social support. We also identified psychological processes specific to HIV‐positive persons driven by predominant stigmatizing attitudes and which undermined adherence, such as internalized stigma and concealment. Adaptive coping and social support were critical determinants of participants’ ability to overcome the structural and economic barriers associated with poverty in order to successfully adhere to ART. Among the 41 quantitative studies, 24 of 33 cross‐sectional studies (71%) reported a positive finding between HIV stigma and ART non‐adherence, while 6 of 7 longitudinal studies (86%) reported a null finding (Pearson's χ2=7.7; p=0.005). We found that HIV‐related stigma compromised participants’ abilities to successfully adhere to ART. Interventions to reduce stigma should target multiple levels of influence (intrapersonal, interpersonal and structural) in order to have maximum effectiveness on improving ART adherence. 10.7448/IAS.16.3.18640 © 2013 Katz I T et al; licensee International AIDS Society Received 11 April 2013; Revised 22 August 2013; Accepted 29 August 2013; Published 13 November 2013 Corresponding author: Alexander C Tsai, Center for Global Health, Room 1529‐E3, Massachusetts General Hospital, 100 Cambridge Street, 15th floor, Boston, MA 02114, USA. Tel: +1‐617‐724‐1120. Fax: +1‐617‐724‐1637. ([email protected]) HIV‐related stigma and discrimination continue to hamper efforts to prevent new infections and engage people in HIV treatment, care and support programmes. The identification of effective interventions to reduce stigma and discrimination that can be integrated into national responses is crucial to the success of the global AIDS response. We conducted a systematic review of studies and reports that assessed the effectiveness of interventions to reduce HIV stigma and discrimination between 1 January 2002 and 1 March 2013. Databases searched for peer‐reviewed articles included PubMed, Scopus, EBSCO Host –CINAHL Plus, Psycinfo, Ovid, Sociofile and Popline. Reports were obtained from the www.HIVAIDSClearinghouse.eu, USAID Development Experience Clearinghouse, UNESCO HIV and AIDS Education Clearinghouse, Google, WHO and UNAIDS. Ancestry searches for articles included in the systematic review were also conducted. Studies of any design that sought to reduce stigma as a primary or secondary objective and included pre‐ and post‐intervention measures of stigma were included. Of 2368 peer‐reviewed articles and reports identified, 48 were included in our review representing 14 different target populations in 28 countries. The majority of interventions utilized two or more strategies to reduce stigma and discrimination, and ten included structural or biomedical components. However, most interventions targeted a single socio‐ecological level and a single domain of stigma. Outcome measures lacked uniformity and validity, making both interpretation and comparison of study results difficult. While the majority of studies were effective at reducing the aspects of stigma they measured, none assessed the influence of stigma or discrimination reduction on HIV‐related health outcomes. Our review revealed considerable progress in the stigma‐reduction field. However, critical challenges and gaps remain which are impeding the identification of effective stigma‐reduction strategies that can be implemented by national governments on a larger scale. The development, validation, and consistent use of globally relevant scales of stigma and discrimination are a critical next step for advancing the field of research in this area. Studies comparing the effectiveness of different stigma‐reduction strategies and studies assessing the influence of stigma reduction on key behavioural and biomedical outcomes are also needed to maximize biomedical prevention efforts. 10.7448/IAS.16.3.18734 © 2013 Stangl A L et al; licensee International AIDS Society Received 14 May 2013; Revised 23 August 2013; Accepted 29 August 2013; Published 13 November 2013 Corresponding author: Anne L Stangl, 1120, 20th St. NW Suite 500N, Washington, DC 20036, USA. Tel: +1‐202‐797‐0007. ([email protected]) Global scale up of antiretroviral therapy is changing the context of HIV‐related stigma. However, stigma remains an ongoing concern in many countries. Groups of people living with HIV can contribute to the reduction of stigma. However, the pathways through which they do so are not well understood. This paper utilizes data from a qualitative study exploring the impact of networked groups of people living with HIV in Jinja and Mbale districts of Uganda. Participants were people living with HIV (n=40), members of their households (n=10) and their health service providers (n=15). Data were collected via interviews and focus group discussions in 2010, and analyzed inductively to extract key themes related to the approaches and outcomes of the groups’ anti‐stigma activities. Study participants reported that HIV stigma in their communities had declined as a result of the collective activities of groups of people living with HIV. However, they believed that stigma remained an ongoing challenge. Gender, family relationships, social and economic factors emerged as important drivers of stigma. Challenging stigma collectively transcended individual experiences and united people living with HIV in a process of social renegotiation to achieve change. Groups of people living with HIV provided peer support and improved the confidence of their members, which ultimately reduced self‐stigma and improved their ability to deal with external stigma when it was encountered. Antiretroviral therapy and group‐based approaches in the delivery of HIV services are opening up new avenues for the collective participation of people living with HIV to challenge HIV stigma and act as agents of social change. Interventions for reducing HIV stigma should be expanded beyond those that aim to increase the resilience and coping mechanisms of individuals, to those that build the capacity of groups to collectively cope with and challenge HIV stigma. Such interventions should be gender sensitive and should respond to contextual social, economic and structural factors that drive stigma. 10.7448/IAS.16.3.18636 © 2013 Mburu G et al; licensee International AIDS Society Received 8 April 2013; Revised 22 August 2013; Accepted 29 August 2013; Published 13 November 2013 Corresponding author: Gitau Mburu, International HIV/AIDS Alliance, Preece House, 91–101 Davigdor Road, Hove BN3 1RE, UK. Tel: +44‐1273‐718900. Fax: +44‐1273‐718901. ([email protected]) HIV stigma and discrimination are major issues affecting people living with HIV in their everyday lives. In Thailand, a project was implemented to address HIV stigma and discrimination within communities with four activities: (1) monthly banking days; (2) HIV campaigns; (3) information, education and communication (IEC) materials and (4) “Funfairs.” This study evaluates the effect of project interventions on reducing community‐level HIV stigma. A repeated cross‐sectional design was developed to measure changes in HIV knowledge and HIV‐related stigma domains among community members exposed to the project. Two cross‐sectional surveys were implemented at baseline (respondent n=560) and endline (respondent n=560). T‐tests were employed to assess changes on three stigma domains: fear of HIV infection through daily activity, shame associated with having HIV and blame towards people with HIV. Baseline scales were confirmed at endline, and each scale was regressed on demographic characteristics, HIV knowledge and exposure to intervention activities. No differences were observed in respondent characteristics at baseline and endline. Significant changes were observed in HIV transmission knowledge, fear of HIV infection and shame associated with having HIV from baseline to endline. Respondents exposed to three specific activities (monthly campaign, Funfair and IEC materials) were less likely to exhibit stigma along the dimensions of fear (3.8 points lower on average compared to respondents exposed to none or only one intervention; 95% CI: −7.3 to −0.3) and shame (4.1 points lower; 95% CI: −7.7 to −0.6), net of demographic controls and baseline levels of stigma. Personally knowing someone with HIV was associated with low fear and shame, and females were less likely to possess attitudes of shame compared to males. The multivariate linear models suggest that a combination of three interventions was critical in shifting community‐level stigma – monthly campaign, Funfair and IEC materials. This is especially important given Thailand's new national AIDS strategy to reduce HIV‐related stigma and discrimination by half by 2016. Knowing which interventions to invest in for HIV stigma reduction is crucial for country‐wide expansion and scale‐up of intervention activities. 10.7448/IAS.16.3.18711 © 2013 Jain A et al; licensee International AIDS Society Received 24 April 2013; Revised 21 August 2013; Accepted 29 August 2013; Published 13 November 2013 Corresponding author: Aparna Jain, International Center for Research on Women, Washington, DC, USA. Tel: +1‐917‐657‐6299. ([email protected]) Globally, HIV‐related stigma is prevalent in healthcare settings and is a major barrier to HIV prevention and treatment adherence. Some intervention studies have showed encouraging outcomes, but a gap continues to exist between what is known and what is actually delivered in medical settings to reduce HIV‐related stigma. This article describes the process of implementing a stigma reduction intervention trial that involved 1760 service providers in 40 hospitals in China. Guided by Diffusion of Innovation theory, the intervention identified and trained about 15–20% providers as popular opinion leaders (POLs) to disseminate stigma reduction messages in each intervention hospital. The intervention also engaged governmental support in the provision of universal precaution supplies to all participating hospitals in the trial. The frequency of message diffusion and reception, perceived improvement in universal precaution practices and reduction in the level of stigma in hospitals were measured at 6‐ and 12‐month follow‐up assessments. Within the intervention hospitals, POL providers reported more frequent discussions with their co‐workers regarding universal precaution principles, equal treatment of patients, provider‐patient relationships and reducing HIV‐related stigma. Service providers in the intervention hospitals reported more desirable intervention outcomes than providers in the control hospitals. Our evaluation revealed that the POL model is compatible with the target population, and that the unique intervention entry point of enhancing universal precaution and occupational safety was the key to improved acceptance by service providers. The involvement of health authorities in supporting occupational safety was an important element for sustainability. This report focuses on explaining the elements of our intervention rather than its outcomes. Lessons learned from the intervention implementation will enrich the development of future programs that integrate this or other intervention models into routine medical practice, with the aim of reducing HIV‐related stigma and improving HIV testing, treatment and care in medical settings. 10.7448/IAS.16.3.18710 © 2013 Li L et al; licensee International AIDS Society Received 23 April 2013; Revised 19 August 2013; Accepted 29 August 2013; Published 13 November 2013 Corresponding author: Li Li, UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Behavior, Center for Community Health, 10920 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 350, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA. Tel: +1‐310‐794‐2446. Fax: +1‐310‐794‐8297. ([email protected]) Stigma associated with HIV has been documented as a barrier for accessing quality health‐related services. When the stigma manifests in the healthcare setting, people living with HIV receive substandard services or even be denied care altogether. Although the consequences of HIV stigma have been documented extensively, efforts to reduce these negative attitudes have been scarce. Interventions to reduce HIV stigma should be implemented as part of the formal training of future healthcare professionals. The interventions that have been tested with healthcare professionals and published have several limitations that must be surpassed (i.e., lack of comparison groups in research designs and longitudinal follow‐up data). Furthermore, Latino healthcare professionals have been absent from these intervention efforts even though the epidemic has affected this population disproportionately. In this article, we describe an intervention developed to reduce HIV stigma among medical students in Puerto Rico. A total of 507 medical students were randomly introduced into our intervention and control conditions. The results show statistically significant differences between the intervention and control groups; intervention group participants had lower HIV stigma levels than control participants after the intervention. In addition, differences in HIV stigma levels between the groups were sustained for a 12‐month period. The results of our study demonstrate the efficacy of the modes of intervention developed by us and serve as a new training tool for future healthcare professionals with regard to stigma reduction. 10.7448/IAS.16.3.18670 © 2013 Varas‐Díaz N et al; licensee International AIDS Society Received 15 April 2013; Revised 23 August 2013; Accepted 29 August 2013; Published 13 November 2013 Corresponding author: Nelson Varas‐Díaz, Graduate School of Social Work, University of Puerto Rico, P.O. Box 23345, San Juan, Puerto Rico. ([email protected]) Within healthcare settings, HIV‐related stigma is a recognized barrier to access of HIV prevention and treatment services and yet, few efforts have been made to scale‐up stigma reduction programs in service delivery. This is in part due to the lack of a brief, simple, standardized tool for measuring stigma among all levels of health facility staff that works across diverse HIV prevalence, language and healthcare settings. In response, an international consortium led by the Health Policy Project, has developed and field tested a stigma measurement tool for use with health facility staff. Experts participated in a content‐development workshop to review an item pool of existing measures, identify gaps and prioritize questions. The resulting questionnaire was field tested in six diverse sites (China, Dominica, Egypt, Kenya, Puerto Rico and St. Christopher & Nevis). Respondents included clinical and non‐clinical staff. Questionnaires were self‐ or interviewer‐administered. Analysis of item performance across sites examined both psychometric properties and contextual issues. The key outcome of the process was a substantially reduced questionnaire. Eighteen core questions measure three programmatically actionable drivers of stigma within health facilities (worry about HIV transmission, attitudes towards people living with HIV (PLHIV), and health facility environment, including policies), and enacted stigma. The questionnaire also includes one short scale for attitudes towards PLHIV (5‐item scale, α = 0.78). Stigma‐reduction programmes in healthcare facilities are urgently needed to improve the quality of care provided, uphold the human right to healthcare, increase access to health services, and maximize investments in HIV prevention and treatment. This brief, standardized tool will facilitate inclusion of stigma measurement in research studies and in routine facility data collection, allowing for the monitoring of stigma within healthcare facilities and evaluation of stigma‐reduction programmes. There is potential for wide use of the tool either as a stand‐alone survey or integrated within other studies of health facility staff. 10.7448/IAS.16.3.18718 © 2013 Nyblade L et al; licensee International AIDS Society Received 29 April 2013; Revised 16 August 2013; Accepted 29 August 2013; Published 13 November 2013 Corresponding author: Laura Nyblade, Health Policy Project and RTI International, 701 13th St., NW, Suite 750,Washington, DC 20005, USA. Tel: +1‐202‐728‐1961. ([email protected]) In Kenya, human rights violations have a marked impact on the health of people living with HIV. Integrating legal literacy and legal services into healthcare appears to be an effective strategy to empower vulnerable groups and address underlying determinants of health. We carried out an evaluation to collect evidence about the impact of legal empowerment programmes on health and human rights. The evaluation focused on Open Society Foundation‐supported legal integration activities at four sites: the Academic Model of Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) facility, where the Legal Aid Centre of Eldoret (LACE) operates, in Eldoret; Kenyatta National Hospital's Gender‐based Violence Recovery Centre, which hosts the COVAW legal integration program; and Christian Health Association of Kenya (CHAK) facilities in Mombasa and Naivasha. In consultation with the organizations implementing the programs, we designed a conceptual logic model grounded in human rights principles, identified relevant indicators and then coded structure, process and outcome indicators for the rights‐related principles they reflect. The evaluation included a resource assessment questionnaire, a review of program records and routine data, and semi‐structured interviews and focus group discussions with clients and service providers. Data were collected in May–August 2010 and April–June 2011. Clients showed a notable increase in practical knowledge and awareness about how to access legal aid and claim their rights, as well as an enhanced ability to communicate with healthcare providers and to improve their access to healthcare and justice. In turn, providers became more adept at identifying human rights violations and other legal difficulties, which enabled them to give clients basic information about their rights, refer them to legal aid and assist them in accessing needed support. Methodological challenges in evaluating such activities point to the need to strengthen rights‐oriented evaluation methods. Legal empowerment programmes have the potential to promote accountability, reduce stigma and discrimination and contribute to altering unjust structures and systems. Given their apparent value as a health and human rights intervention, particu
