Raman microprobe characterization of electrodeposited S-rich CuIn(S,Se)2 for photovoltaic applications: Microstructural analysis

This article reports a detailed Raman scattering and microstructural characterization of S-rich CuIn(S,Se)2 absorbers produced by electrodeposition of nanocrystalline CuInSe2 precursors and subsequent reactive annealing under sulfurizing conditions. Surface and in-depth resolved Raman microprobe measurements have been correlated with the analysis of the layers by optical and scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and in-depth Auger electron spectroscopy. This has allowed corroboration of the high crystalline quality of the sulfurized layers. The sulfurizing conditions used also lead to the formation of a relatively thick MoS2 intermediate layer between the absorber and the Mo back contact. The analysis of the absorbers has also allowed identification of the presence of In-rich secondary phases, which are likely related to the coexistence in the electrodeposited precursors of ordered vacancy compound domains with the main chalcopyrite phase, in spite of the Cu-rich conditions used in the growth. This points out the higher complexity of the electrodeposition and sulfurization processes in relation to those based in vacuum deposition techniques

Improving degradation of emerging organic compounds by applying chaotic advection in Managed Aquifer Recharge in randomly heterogeneous porous media

Improving degradation rates of emerging organic compounds (EOCs) in groundwater is still a challenge. Although their degradation is not fully understood, it has been observed that some substances are preferably degraded under specific redox conditions. The coupling of Managed Aquifer Recharge with soil aquifer remediation treatment, by placing a reactive layer containing organic matter at the bottom of the infiltration pond, is a promising technology to improve the rate of degradation of EOCs. Its success is based on assuming that recharged water and groundwater get well mixed, which is not always true. It has been demonstrated that mixing can be enhanced by inducing chaotic advection through extraction-injection-engineering. In this work, we analyze how chaotic advection might enhance the spreading of redox conditions with the final aim of improving degradation of a mix of benzotriazoles: benzotriazole, 5-methyl-benzotriazole, and 5-chloro-benzotriazole. The degradation of the first two compounds was fastest under aerobic conditions whereas the third compound was best degraded under denitrification conditions. We developed a reactive transport model that describes how a recharged water rich in organic matter mixes with groundwater, how this organic matter is oxidized by different electron acceptors, and how the benzotriazoles are degraded attending for the redox state. The model was tested in different scenarios of recharge, both in homogenous and in heterogenous media. It was found that chaotic flow increases the spreading of the plume of recharged water. Consequently, different redox conditions coexist at a given time, facilitating the degradation of EOCs

Improving degradation of emerging organic compounds by applying chaotic advection in Managed Aquifer Recharge in randomly heterogeneous porous media

Improving degradation rates of emerging organic compounds (EOCs) in groundwater is still a challenge. Although their degradation is not fully understood, it has been observed that some substances are preferably degraded under specific redox conditions. The coupling of Managed Aquifer Recharge with soil aquifer remediation treatment, by placing a reactive layer containing organic matter at the bottom of the infiltration pond, is a promising technology to improve the rate of degradation of EOCs. Its success is based on assuming that recharged water and groundwater get well mixed, which is not always true. It has been demonstrated that mixing can be enhanced by inducing chaotic advection through extraction-injection-engineering. In this work, we analyze how chaotic advection might enhance the spreading of redox conditions with the final aim of improving degradation of a mix of benzotriazoles: benzotriazole, 5-methyl-benzotriazole, and 5-chloro-benzotriazole. The degradation of the first two compounds was fastest under aerobic conditions whereas the third compound was best degraded under denitrification conditions. We developed a reactive transport model that describes how a recharged water rich in organic matter mixes with groundwater, how this organic matter is oxidized by different electron acceptors, and how the benzotriazoles are degraded attending for the redox state. The model was tested in different scenarios of recharge, both in homogenous and in heterogenous media. It was found that chaotic flow increases the spreading of the plume of recharged water. Consequently, different redox conditions coexist at a given time, facilitating the degradation of EOCs.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Co-design of sectoral climate services based on seasonal prediction information in the Mediterranean

We present in this contribution the varied experiences gathered in the co-design of a sectoral climate services collection, developed in the framework of the MEDSCOPE project, which have in common the application of seasonal predictions for the Mediterranean geographical and climatic region. Although the region is affected by low seasonal predictability limiting the skill of seasonal forecasting systems, which historically has hindered the development of downstream services, the project was originally conceived to exploit windows of opportunity with enhanced skill for developing and evaluating climate services in various sectors with high societal impact in the region: renewable energy, hydrology, and agriculture and forestry. The project also served as the scientific branch of the WMO-led Mediterranean Climate Outlook Forum (MedCOF) that had as objective -among others- partnership strengthening on climate services between providers and users within the Mediterranean region. The diversity of the MEDSCOPE experiences in co-designing shows the wide range of involvement and engagement of users in this process across the Mediterranean region, which benefits from the existing solid and organized MedCOF community of climate services providers and users. A common issue among the services described here -and also among other prototypes developed in the project- was related with the communication of forecasts uncertainty and skill for efficiently informing decision-making in practice. All MEDSCOPE project prototypes make use of an internally developed software package containing process-based methods for synthesising seasonal forecast data, as well as basic and advanced tools for obtaining tailored products. Another challenge assumed by the project refers to the demonstration of the economic, social, and environmental value of predictions provided by these MEDSCOPE prototypes.The work described in this paper has received funding from the MEDSCOPE project co-funded by the European Commission as part of ERA4CS, an ERA-NET initiated by JPI Climate, grant agreement 690462.Peer Reviewed"Article signat per 16 autors/es: Eroteida Sánchez-García, Ernesto Rodríguez-Camino, Valentina Bacciu, Marta Chiarle, José Costa-Saura, Maria Nieves Garrido, Llorenç Lledó, Beatriz Navascués, Roberta Paranunzio, Silvia Terzag, Giulio Bongiovanni, Valentina Mereu, Guido Nigrelli, Monia Santini, Albert Soret, Jostvon Hardenberg"Postprint (published version

Meridianins inhibit GSK3β in vivo and improve behavioral alterations induced by chronic stress.

Major depression disorder (MDD) is a severe mental alteration with a multifactorial origin, and chronic stress is one of the most relevant environmental risk factors associated with MDD. Although there exist some therapeutical options, 30% of patients are still resistant to any type of treatment. GSK3β inhibitors are considered very promising therapeutic tools to counteract stress‐related affectations. However, they are often associated with excessive off‐target effects and undesired secondary alterations. Meridianins are alkaloids with an indole framework linked to an aminopyrimidine ring from Antarctic marine ascidians. Meridianins could overcome several of the aforementioned limitations since we previously demonstrated that they can inhibit GSK3β activity without the associated neurotoxic or off‐target effects in rodents. Here, we show that meridianins delivered into the lateral ventricle inhibited GSK3β in several brain regions involved with stress‐related symptoms. We also observed changes in major signaling pathways in the prefrontal cortex (Akt and PKA) and hippocampus (PKC and GluR1). Moreover, meridianins increased synaptic activity, specifically in the CA1 but not in the CA3 or other hippocampal subfields. Finally, we chronically treated the mice subjected to an unpredictable mild chronic stress (CUMS) paradigm with meridianins. Our results showed improvements produced by meridianins in behavioral alterations provoked by CUMS. In conclusion, meridianins could be of therapeutic interest to patients with stress‐related disorders such as MDD

Colorimetric sensor for bad odor detection using automated color correction

Colorimetric sensors based on color-changing dyes offer a convenient approach for the quantitative measurement of gases. An integrated, mobile colorimetric sensor can be particularly helpful for occasional gas measurements, such as informal air quality checks for bad odors. In these situations, the main requirement is high availability, easy usage, and high specificity towards one single chemical compound, combined with cost-efficient production. In this contribution, we show how a well stablished colorimetric method can be adapted for easy operation and readout, making it suitable for the untrained end user. As an example, we present the use of pH indicators for the selective and reversible detection of NH3 in air (one relevant gas contributing to bad odors) using gas-sensitive layers dip coated on glass substrates. Our results show that the method can be adapted to detect NH3 concentrations lower than 1 ppm, with measure-to-result times in the range of a few minutes. We demonstrate that the color measurements can be carried out with the optical signals of RGB sensors, without losing quantitative performance

Factores de riesgo del cáncer laríngeo

Introduction: laryngeal carcinoma represents a health problem. The risk of laryngeal cancer in Cuba is high when compared with other countries of the region. Objective: to determine the characteristics and risk factors of laryngeal cancer in hospitalized patients. Material and method: a descriptive, cross sectional and retrospective study was conducted with a total target group of 95 inpatients having the diagnosis of laryngeal cancer at Abel Santamaria Cuadrado university hospital, and at Pepe Portilla pediatric provincial hospital, Pinar del Río. Theoretical, empirical and statistical methods (absolute and relative frequencies) were used taking an arithmetical instrument to record the data from the clinical charts. Pinar del Río, Consolación del Sur and Guane municipalities showed the most increased percentages. Transglottic was the topographic region most affected followed by supraglottic with the same percentage. Results: male sex in the 8th decade of life had the highest percentage. Smoking prevailed among the toxic habits and the greatest percentage of patients did not intake alcoholic beverages. High blood pressure was the most concomitant disease. Conclusions: smoking addition continues as the most relevant risk factor.Introducción: el carcinoma de laringe representa un problema sanitario. El riesgo de cáncer de laringe en Cuba es alto si se compara con otros países de la región. Objetivo: determinar las características de los factores de riesgo del cáncer laríngeo en pacientes ingresados. Material y método: se realizó un estudio, descriptivo, transversal y retrospectivo. El universo estuvo constituido por 95 pacientes que fueron el total de ingresados con el diagnóstico de cáncer de laringe en los Hospital General Docente "Abel Santamaría Cuadrado" de Pinar del Río y Hospital Provincial Pediátrico "Pepe Portilla" de Pinar del Río. Se utilizaron los métodos teóricos, empíricos y estadísticos (frecuencias absolutas y relativas), tomando un instrumento para registrar los datos provenientes de las historias clínicas. Pinar del Río, Consolación del Sur y Guane fueron los municipios de porcentajes más elevados. Las localizaciones topográficas más afectadas fueron la transglótica, seguido de la glótica y supraglótica con el mismo porcentaje. Resultados: el sexo masculino de la 8va. década fue el de más alto porcentaje. En cuanto a los hábitos tóxicos predominó la adicción al tabaco y el mayor porcentaje de los pacientes no ingerían bebidas alcohólicas. La enfermedad concomitante más representada fue la hipertensión arterial. Conclusiones: la adicción al tabaco sigue siendo el factor de riesgo más relevante

Anti-MPER antibodies with heterogeneous neutralization capacity are detectable in most untreated HIV-1 infected individuals

Background The MPER region of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein gp41 is targeted by broadly neutralizing antibodies. However, the localization of this epitope in a hydrophobic environment seems to hamper the elicitation of these antibodies in HIV infected individuals. We have quantified and characterized anti-MPER antibodies by ELISA and by flow cytometry using a collection of mini gp41-derived proteins expressed on the surface of 293T cells. Longitudinal plasma samples from 35 HIV-1 infected individuals were assayed for MPER recognition and MPER-dependent neutralizing capacity using HIV-2 viruses engrafted with HIV-1 MPER sequences. Results Miniproteins devoid of the cysteine loop of gp41 exposed the MPER on 293T cell membrane. Anti-MPER antibodies were identified in most individuals and were stable when analyzed in longitudinal samples. The magnitude of the responses was strongly correlated with the global response to the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein, suggesting no specific limitation for anti-MPER antibodies. Peptide mapping showed poor recognition of the C-terminal MPER moiety and a wide presence of antibodies against the 2F5 epitope. However, antibody titers failed to correlate with 2F5-blocking activity and, more importantly, with the specific neutralization of HIV-2 chimeric viruses bearing the HIV-1 MPER sequence; suggesting a strong functional heterogeneity in anti-MPER humoral responses. Conclusions Anti-MPER antibodies can be detected in the vast majority of HIV-1 infected individuals and are generated in the context of the global anti-Env response. However, the neutralizing capacity is heterogeneous suggesting that eliciting neutralizing anti-MPER antibodies by immunization might require refinement of immunogens to skip nonneutralizing responses

Wind Forecasting Based on the HARMONIE Model and Adaptive Finite Elements

In this paper, we introduce a new method for wind field forecasting over complex terrain. The main idea is to use the predictions of the HARMONIE meso-scale model as the input data for an adaptive finite element mass-consistent wind model. The HARMONIE results (obtained with a maximum resolution of about 1 km) are refined in a local scale (about a few metres). An interface between both models is implemented in such a way that the initial wind field is obtained by a suitable interpolation of the HARMONIE results. Genetic algorithms are used to calibrate some parameters of the local wind field model in accordance to the HARMONIE data. In addition, measured data are considered to improve the reliability of the simulations. An automatic tetrahedral mesh generator, based on the meccano method, is applied to adapt the discretization to complex terrains. The main characteristic of the framework is a minimal user intervention. The final goal is to validate our model in several realistic applications on Gran Canaria island, Spain, with some experimental data obtained by the AEMET in their meteorological stations.This work has been supported by the Spanish Government, ‘‘Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación’’, Grant Contracts: CGL2011-29396-C03-01 and CGL2011-29396-C03-02, and by ‘‘Junta de Castilla León’’, ‘‘Consejería de Educación’’, Grant Contract SA266A12-2

Gp120/CD4 blocking antibodies are frequently elicited in ART-naïve chronically HIV-1 infected individuals

Antibodies with the ability to block the interaction of HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) gp120 with CD4, including those overlapping the CD4 binding site (CD4bs antibodies), can protect from infection by HIV-1, and their elicitation may be an interesting goal for any vaccination strategy. To identify gp120/CD4 blocking antibodies in plasma samples from HIV-1 infected individuals we have developed a competitive flow cytometry-based functional assay. In a cohort of treatment-naïve chronically infected patients, we showed that gp120/CD4 blocking antibodies were frequently elicited (detected in 97% plasma samples) and correlated with binding to trimeric HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins. However, no correlation was observed between functional CD4 binding blockade data and titer of CD4bs antibodies determined by ELISA using resurfaced gp120 proteins. Consistently, plasma samples lacking CD4bs antibodies were able to block the interaction between gp120 and its receptor, indicating that antibodies recognizing other epitopes, such as PGT126 and PG16, can also play the same role. Antibodies blocking CD4 binding increased over time and correlated positively with the capacity of plasma samples to neutralize the laboratory-adapted NL4.3 and BaL virus isolates, suggesting their potential contribution to the neutralizing workforce of plasma in vivo. Determining whether this response can be boosted to achieve broadly neutralizing antibodies may provide valuable information for the design of new strategies aimed to improve the anti-HIV-1 humoral response and to develop a successful HIV-1 vaccine