Optimal tuning of PID controllers with derivative filter for stable processes using three points from the step response.

This paper proposes a novel approach for tuning Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) controllers, utilizing experimental data obtained from an open-loop step input. We propose to use the measurements of the times taken to reach 5%, 35.3% and 85.

Development of a semi-structured questionnaire to analyse supply chain resilience in the post-COVID business era.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had and is having devastating effects on the health of the population, but also on the economic health of companies and their supply chains. The old paradigms of the commercial and industrial world have been inevitably disrupted: global supply chains have shifted from a system based on efficiency to one oriented towards resilience. To this regard, the present research paper aims at investigating how Supply Chain Resilience will evolve in the new paradigms of the post-COVID business era.

Business Continuity Training: Educational Programme Proposal.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had and is having devastating effects on the health of the population, but also on the economic health of companies and their supply chains. The old paradigms of the commercial and industrial world have been inevitably disrupted: global supply chains have shifted from a system based on efficiency to one oriented towards resilience. Business continuity has become a key activity to be considered in all business processes.

Resilient Roadmap to Minimise the Impact of COVID-19 in the Spanish Enterprises.

If something has failed in the management of COVID-19 crisis, this has been the lack of resilience to anticipate, adapt and recover from this event. This paper analyses the impact of COVID-19 in different sectors in Spain, highlighting which ones were more negatively affected by the pandemic after the first COVID-19 wave and which ones created growth and employment during the recovery phase. In this sense, the most negative impacted sectors were culture, tourism and retail while tobacco, pharmaceuticals computer, electronic and optical products sectors pushed the Spanish economy towards recovery.

Highly Active CoO-Based Catalysts for Total Oxidation of Light C1-C3 Alkanes Prepared by a Simple Soft Chemistry Method: Effect of the Heat-Treatment Temperature and Mixture of Alkanes.

In the present work, a simple soft chemistry method was employed to prepare cobalt mixed oxide (CoO) materials, which have shown remarkably high activity in the heterogeneously catalyzed total oxidation of low reactive VOCs such as the light alkanes propane, ethane, and methane. The optimal heat-treatment temperature of the catalysts was shown to depend on the reactivity of the alkane studied. The catalytic activity of the CoO catalysts was found to be as high as that of the most effective catalysts based on noble metals.

A new method for experimental tuning of PI controllers based on the step response.

In this paper we present a new method for tuning Proportional Integral (PI) controllers from experimental data obtained through an open loop step test over the process to be controlled. The tuning procedure requires first the measurement of the process gain, and the times taken to reach the 5%, 35.3% and 85.

Sterile Insect Technique Programme against Mediterranean Fruit Fly in the Valencian Community (Spain).

The Mediterranean fruit fly, (Wied.), is an endemic pest in fruit-growing areas of the Spanish Mediterranean coast. In the Valencian Community, it represents a serious problem in the cultivation of citrus and numerous species of fruit, such as peach, cherry, apricot, persimmon, etc.

Knowledge Registration Module Design for Enterprise Resilience Enhancement.

The present situation characterized by the coronavirus pandemic has made businesses to be aware about the importance of being resilient to face undesirable impacts like the one caused by this pandemic. One of the constituent capacities of enterprise resilience is the recovery ability to bounce back and restore the operations after disruptions' occurrence. This paper is focused on the recovery perspective of enterprise resilience and its enhancement through knowledge registration.

(Ag)Pd-FeO Nanocomposites as Novel Catalysts for Methane Partial Oxidation at Low Temperature.

Nanostructured composite materials based on noble mono-(Pd) or bi-metallic (Ag/Pd) particles supported on mixed iron oxides (II/III) with bulk magnetite structure (FeO) have been developed in order to assess their potential for heterogeneous catalysis applications in methane partial oxidation. Advancing the direct transformation of methane into value-added chemicals is consensually accepted as the key to ensuring sustainable development in the forthcoming future. On the one hand, nanosized FeO particles with spherical morphology were synthesized by an aqueous-based reflux method employing different Fe (II)/Fe (III) molar ratios (2 or 4) and reflux temperatures (80, 95 or 110 °C).

Low temperature conversion of levulinic acid into γ-valerolactone using Zn to generate hydrogen from water and nickel catalysts supported on sepiolite.

In the present article, γ-valerolactone has been obtained from levulinic acid with a yield exceeding 25% using very mild conditions without feeding hydrogen (30 °C, atmospheric pressure, water as the hydrogen source). The overall reaction conducted is a two-step process: first, a redox reaction involving the oxidation of metallic Zn to ZnO for hydrogen production through the water splitting reaction and, second, a catalytic reaction involving Ni-supported catalysts for the production of γ-valerolactone from levulinic acid. Ni active sites have been supported on sepiolite, an abundant and cheap material.

Easy Method for the Transformation of Levulinic Acid into Gamma-Valerolactone Using a Nickel Catalyst Derived from Nanocasted Nickel Oxide.

Different nickel catalysts have been tested for the transformation of levulinic acid into γ-valerolactone using an easy hydrothermal method, taking advantage of the properties of the high temperature water. A metallic nickel catalyst derived from NiO synthesized by a nanocasting procedure can achieve a productivity to γ-valerolactone, which is two orders of magnitude higher than that obtained by a commercial nickel catalyst. This nanocasted metallic nickel catalyst has shown bifunctionality as it is capable of activating water as the source for hydrogen and undertaking the further hydrogenation step.

Ferric sludge derived from the process of water purification as an efficient catalyst and/or support for the removal of volatile organic compounds.

Ferric chloride solutions are used as coagulants or flocculants in water treatment operations for human consumption. This treatment produces large amounts of clay-type solids formed mainly of montmorillonite with iron oxides and humic substances. This ferric sludge can be used as an efficient catalyst for the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by total oxidation.

Eco-Friendly Cavity-Containing Iron Oxides Prepared by Mild Routes as Very Efficient Catalysts for the Total Oxidation of VOCs.

Iron oxides (FeOx) are non-toxic, non-expensive and environmentally friendly compounds, which makes them good candidates for many industrial applications, among them catalysis. In the present article five catalysts based on FeOx were synthesized by mild routes: hydrothermal in subcritical and supercritical conditions (Fe-HT, Few200, Few450) and solvothermal (Fe-ST1 and Fe-ST2). The catalytic activity of these catalysts was studied for the total oxidation of toluene using very demanding conditions with high space velocities and including water and CO₂ in the feed.

Sodium concentration in rehydration fluids for children with ketoacidotic diabetes: effect on serum sodium concentration.

Objectives: To analyze in a retrospective cohort if sodium concentration in the rehydration fluids influence natremia in children with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).

Study Design: Consecutive episodes of diabetic ketoacidosis admitted in a tertiary care referral center from 2000 to 2005. Rehydration was programmed for 48 hours with a 2-bag system.

Microwave disinfestation of bulk timber.

In this paper a complete microwave system for bulk timber disinfestation is developed and tested. A commercial FEM simulator has been used to design the applicator, looking for structures providing uniform field distributions, which is a factor of capital relevance for a successful treatment. Special attention has also been given to the reduction of electromagnetic energy leakage.

Studies on the safety and immunogenicity of the South African bluetongue virus serotype 2 monovalent vaccine: specific detection of the vaccine strain genome by RT-PCR.

In order to study the safety and the immunogenicity of the South African vaccine against the serotype 2 bluetongue virus, two groups of seven sheep were vaccinated with the vaccine used in the French island of Corsica. Vaccinated and non-vaccinated sheep were observed clinically and their rectal temperatures were recorded daily. The serological response in vaccinated animals confirmed the immunogenicity of the vaccine.

Inoculation of lactating ewes by the intramammary route with Mycoplasma agalactiae: comparative pathogenicity of six field strains.

Contagious agalactia affects goats and sheep. In most infected sheep, the causal agent, Mycoplasma agalactiae, induces mastitis and/or agalactia, keratoconjunctivitis and arthritis. However, a few strains of M.

Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis is more efficient than ribotyping and random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis in discrimination of Pasteurella haemolytica strains.

One hundred thirty-three strains of Pasteurella haemolytica of both biotypes (90 and 43 strains of biotypes A and T, respectively) and almost all the serotypes were subjected to ribotyping, random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis for epidemiological purposes. A total of 15 patterns recorded as ribotypes HA to HO were found for the P. haemolytica biotype A strains, with ribotypes HA, HC, and HD being encountered most often (66 strains [74%]); and 20 ribotypes, designated HA' to HT', that were clearly distinct from those observed for biotype A strains were observed for strains of biotype T.

Salmonella abortusovis, strain Rv6, a new vaccinal vehicle for small ruminants.

Salmonella abortusovis strain Rv6 (Sao Rv6) is a live attenuated vaccine used for a few years to protect ewes against abortive salmonellosis. As Salmonellae, particularly Salmonella aro mutants, have considerable potential as vehicles for the presentation of heterologous vaccine antigens, Sao Rv6 was tested in order to develop a vaccinal vehicle for small ruminants. Five vector plasmids were tested in Sao Rv6; these plasmids, which carry Maltose Binding Protein (MBP) expressed as protein, but differ in their promotors, had been previously tested in S.

Salmonella Abortusovis experimental infection induced by the conjunctival route: clinical, serological and bacteriological study of the dose effect in female lambs.

The aim of this work was to explore the first stages of infection with Salmonella Abortusovis after a mucosal inoculation, and to establish an experimental model limiting the bacteriological investigations to the inoculation site. Four groups of 6 ewe-lambs were infected by the conjunctival route with decreasing doses of Salmonella Abortusovis. The clinical and serological survey was completed by a daily bacteriological examination of nasal swabs and faeces.

Subcutaneous and conjunctival vaccination with a live attenuated strain of Salmonella Abortusovis: effect of gestation on serological response of ewes.

Annual serological testing of flocks vaccinated by the subcutaneous route with a live, attenuated strain of Salmonella Abortusovis has previously demonstrated the persistence of agglutinating antibodies. It has however been impossible to determine whether the antibodies originated from the vaccination or from an enzootic infection. The serological response, as measured by a microtechnique of seroagglutination using a stained antigen, was studied in an isolated flock of 30 adult ewes.

Abortion and serological reaction of ewes after conjunctival instillation of Salmonella enterica subsp enterica ser abortusovis.

The aim of the experiment was to evaluate in pregnant ewes the clinical, bacteriological and serological effects of conjunctival instillation of S abortusovis. An individual dose of 1 x 10(10) viable S abortusovis were administered to 20 ewes 92 d after mating. Among 18 pregnant ewes, 8 aborted 110 +/- 13 d after mating, 4 had stillborn lambs and 6 a clinically normal lambing (114 +/- 1.

Experimental ovine salmonellosis (Salmonella abortusovis): pathogenesis and vaccination.

Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica ser. Abortusovis, a sheep-adapted serotype, causes a contagious disease.