Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

In this article, a model project of a 300 KW gasifier that uses agricultural residues to generate electricity in the department of León, Nicaragua, was integral evaluated. An integral evaluation model was used to assess the project, which included a financial evaluation indicating profitability through the net present value and the internal rate of return; the economic evaluation through the net economic present value and the economic internal rate resulted in the same profitable. Also, the socioeconomic benefits of the project and the environmental impacts in the form of greenhouse gas emissions were evaluated. Therefore, it is determined that for the assumptions considered in this study, the electricity generation activity using agricultural waste gasification is Integrally profitable.

A dairy drink was obtained by mixing the raw materials whey, cow's milk and soy milk. The products to be used in the formulation of the beverages were characterized physically-chemically. A  factorial design was carried out, where the levels of starch and whey were established. For this, the sugar concentration was fixed in the formulation of each of the experimental runs and the rest was completed with the whole cow's milk and soy milk components mixed in a 7/3 ratio. The best evaluated formulation was developed on a pilot scale and characterized. In the case of 1.2% starch, regardless of the whey content in the formulations, better results were always obtained. It was appreciated that the sensory quality of the product is conditioned by both the viscosity and the milky taste. The best evaluated formulation by the tasters was the one containing 1.2% starch and 30% whey. The sensory characterization of the beverage showed excellent quality, due to the perception of a correct combination of coffee flavor, soy flavor, and milk flavor. It presented a total solids content of 17.8% and an acidity of 0.07%.

The National University of Engineering (UNI) in its strategic development project 2020-2030 expresses the importance of university functions in the educational work of this alma mater, from teaching, research and extension; the latter refers to the fact that the extension must link the community; All this is closely linked to what is expressed in the National Plan to Fight Poverty, 2022 - 2026 promoted by the (Government of Reconciliation and National Unity, 2021, p.31) where it emphasizes that "An innovative initiative in higher education has been the University Program in the Countryside (UNICAM), aimed at caring for young people from rural communities”; In this program, the work modality that is carried out is by encounters, adjusting to the socio-productive reality of the families in the field; Therefore, the UNI assumed the commitment from the year 2021 to teach higher technicians in agro-industrial technologies and irrigation, the purpose being to promote educational actions as the National University of Engineering that lead to the extension and linking of families and communities, contributing to the creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship.

A model for simulating the drying of paddy (Oryza sativa L.) in a continuous fluidised bed dryer was employed. Equipment and material models were applied to describe the process. The equipment model was based on the differential equations obtained by applying mass and energy balances to each element of the dryer. In the case of the material model, mass and heat transfer rates in a single isolated particle were considered. Simulation results were verified by comparison with experimental data from the literature. There was a very good agreement between experimental data and simulation. The effects of gas temperature and velocity, particle diameter, dry solid flow, and solid temperature on the drying process were studied. It was found that the changes in gas velocity, dry solids flow, and solid temperature had essentially no effect on the drying process.

This paper studies the determinants of economic growth in Nicaragua using annual data for the period 1990-2017. The objective of this study is to determine the factors that influenced economic growth in Nicaragua by estimating an Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) model. It was found that in the long run, a one percent increase in employment is associated with an increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita of 0.4 percent; in addition, a one percent increase in schooling could be associated with 0.6 percent in GDP per capita. However, in the short term, the greatest sensitivities are found in the term GDP per capita lagged one period, since a one percent increase in this variable is correlated with a 0.23 percent increase in GDP per capita. Significant variations are also present for changes in public consumption, as a one percent increase in public consumption could be associated with a 0.14 percent increase in GDP per capita.

Material structure is a crucial part of the design of any product where the intention is to dissipate loads and lighten material. Because some structures today are increasingly complex in geometry and internal structure, it becomes impossible to opt for traditional methods to manufacture them. In this sense, additive manufacturing enables the creation of complex structures with intricate geometries. As manufacturers seek to optimize material properties and performance in a variety of stress conditions, bio-inspired engineering looks at nature for solving the most complex human challenges. By imitating nature’s patterns and shapes, we can optimize fracture resistance, energy absorption, and toughness in materials. In this work, we employ voronoi tessellation patterns and computer-aided design software to design an algorithm for the creation of irregular porous structures, similar to those found in nature (e.g., trabecular bone). This algorithm is scalable and applicable to any product that needs to comply with lightweight requirements and outstanding mechanical properties. Herein, the authors perform static compression tests to determine mechanical properties. The results indicated that the mechanical properties depend directly on the microstructural characteristics of the porous structure itself. Besides, surface area and porosity are the principal parameters to be controlled. Finally, the algorithm has a wide range of engineering applications in the automotive and aerospace industries.

The objective of the article is to analyze the degree of use of performance indicators associated with the four perspectives of the Balanced Scorecard considering different strategic goals in the context of agro-industrial companies. Samples of rural companies located in the State of Pernambuco have been investigated considering the adoption of strategic goals associated with innovation, improvement and continuity, carrying out the use of 48 performance indicators, classified from four perspectives of the Balanced Scorecard. The data was collected through surveys structured from a questionnaire. Two different statistical techniques were used to analyze the results: descriptive statistics and the Kruskal-Wallis test. The results obtained demonstrate the identification of traits regarding the group of performance indicators that have obtained high percentages of use in the three strategic goals tested. It was observed that the companies that adopt strategic goals regarding continuity, presented declared standards of use that are lower than those presented by companies that adopt strategic innovation and improvement goals. No statistically significant discrepancies were found regarding the intensity of use of the indicators of the Balanced Scorecard perspectives when the joint analysis of internal balance considering each of the strategic goals.

Because psychoactive substance use is a topic that has received worldwide attention, this area has added several scientific outcomes. It is essential to conduct a comprehensive analysis comprising as many studies as are available to summarize the separate studies and provide an overall view of how the research field has been evolving over the last few decades. This paper performs a bibliometric analysis using a large dataset of published papers from 2000 to 2021. The study examined 1022 publications from those 20 years. About 79% used statistical analyses, and machine learning techniques were utilized by almost 21%. It is worth mentioning that the publications related to statistical analysis were grouped in the following way: multivariate or univariate statistical analysis (52.4%), Bayesian analysis (21.7%), and spatial analysis (50.5%). There were several key points regarding the overall results of the research. Results illustrated that publications had grown significantly during the last two decades. The majority of the publications come from the United States. In addition, the most prolific authors and journals were identified. Over the last decade, due to advanced technological methods, more research has been focused on enhancing and designing Bayesian techniques for using psychoactive substances.

The study aims to establish the regimes and parameters of extraction of bioactive substances from raw plant materials by means of extraction with reduced atmospheric pressure for the purpose of manufacturing non-alcoholic functional syrups. The work is performed by leading specialists of the Kemerovo State University using conventional methods. Preparation of the extracts involves aqueous alcoholic treatment of the crushed mass of raw plant materials selected according to the functional parameters. Extraction is performed in a Soxhlet extractor with an advanced liquid ring vacuum pump. The extraction process is monitored by changes in the content of terpenoids in the extract obtained and the mass fraction of dry matter. As a result, the study establishes the parameters and regimes for carrying out and intensifying the extraction of terpenoids and dry matter from fennel, anise, caraway, and dill: pressure – 0.2 MPa, extraction temperature – 50°С, duration of the process – 45 min, solvent – 40 % aqueous alcoholic solution, raw material particle size – 2-3 mm. These process conditions guarantee the highest degree of extraction of terpenoids and dry matter from raw materials, as well as reduce the time and economic costs.

This document evaluated the incidence of the type of workplace on the health levels of a group of respondents, with the aim of empirically evidencing the possible differences raised in the literature. According to the results obtained, it was found that the type of employment is likely not to have a significant effect on self-assessed health levels. It was also found that it does not increase the probability of suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes, blood pressure or other diseases and that these conditions may be the result of other factors.