Microstructural, chemical, and mechanical characterization of extruded Al-Cu-Li rods

This work investigates the influence of the alloying elements in rods of the alloys Al-Cu-Li produced by novel powder metallurgy routes. In the first route, the powders were mixed and uniaxial cold-pressed, followed by hot extrusion to produce 5 mm diameter rods. The second route introduced an intermediate step of heat treatment that was carried out at 525 ºC for 1 h in a pure N2 atmosphere before the extrusion. This was done to evaluate the importance of homogenization of the alloying elements during the heat treatment, as well as the tendency to form new phases in the extruded rods. The obtained rods were characterized by SEM, EBSD, Vickers micro-hardness, chemical composition (ICP-OES), and tensile tests. The results obtained showed that the alloy 1 (AA2060) presents a more homogeneous microstructure than alloy 2 (AA2196), and it is observed the benefit of Mg addition, which improves the microstructure after HT. The EBSD analysis showed a typical preferential orientation of a duplex fiber texture. The ICP-OES analysis reports losses of Li and Mg for both alloys. Regarding to the measurement of hardness, the results were very different depending on the alloy and the HT prior to the extrusion process.Paula Rodriguez Gonzalez reports financial support was provided by the Regional Government of Madrid through the project ADITIMAT-CM (Ref. S2018/NMT-4411) and by the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (Read & Publish Agreement CRUE-CSIC 2023)

Electrochemical comparative study on corrosion behavior of conventional and powder metallurgy titanium alloys in physiological conditions

This article focuses on the electrochemical study of two titanium alloys employed in the manufacture of orthopedic implants – Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-6Al-7Nb – both of them obtained through powder metallurgy (PM). For comparative purposes, Ti-6Al-4V fabricated conventionally has also been investigated. Samples were immersed in a simulated body fluid (SBF) and incubated at 37 °C for different immersion time. Under these experimental conditions, we compared the influence of the processing method of alloys (PM or conventional) and their composition in the corrosion resistance. The corrosion resistance of these alloys in contact with SBF was evaluated with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The resulting impedance plots of all of them showed good reproducibility. For the lowest frequency tested (10 mHz) all of the samples showed high impedance modulus value approximately on the order of 106 Ω. This behavior is usually ascribed to a high corrosion protection performance. Although no significant differences in the evolution of the corrosion behavior for different immersion times has been found; the Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy processed by PM delivers a steady growth of corrosion resistance from day one until twelve weeks immersion. This sample showed the best performance between the two studied compositions. The resulting impedance plots show how powder metallurgy allows obtaining materials with similar or superior corrosion resistance in physiological conditions, than alloys obtained conventionally. Alloys characterization by scanning electron microscopy revealed no evidence of pitting corrosion phenomenon.Authors acknowledge funds provided by Spanish Government (programme MINECO, Ref. MAT2012-38650-C02-01) and regional government of Madrid (programme MULTIMAT-CHALLENGE, Ref. S2013/MIT-2862)

A novel tool for the evaluation and assessment of demand response activities in the industrial sector

This paper introduces a novel tool for industrial customers to perform a cost-benefit analysis regarding the implementation of Demand Response (DR) strategies in their facilities with the final goal of softening the impact of RES intermittency in the grid. The dynamic simulation tool focuses on assessing the participation of industries in reserve energy markets in the same conditions as generators offering capacity reserve, energy reserve or both of them and taking into account all the technical restrictions of production processes as well as possible extra costs due to the implementation of DR (additional labour cost, productivity losses, etc.) Main innovations of the methodology are the DR assessment carried out per process and the introduction of the margin of decision as a decision making strategy for the energy consumer. Along the paper, the methodology behind this tool is introduced step by step in order to show how the technical, economic and environmental analyses are performed. At the end, it is included the application of the methodology to a real paper factory in Germany. Results of the dynamic simulation tool are provided and discussed, showing the potential of the paper manufacturing in DR programmes as well as the benefits associated to it.This work was completed in the framework of the DRIP project (11ENV/DE/340) co-funded by the European Commission through the LIFE Environment Programme. The authors deeply thank all the participants in the project for their help and support that made possible this work.Rodríguez-García, J.; Álvarez, C.; Carbonell-Carretero, J.; Alcázar-Ortega, M.; Peñalvo López, E. (2016). A novel tool for the evaluation and assessment of demand response activities in the industrial sector. Energy. 113:1136-1146. doi:10.1016/j.energy.2016.07.146S1136114611

The conservation status and distribution of Mediterranean saproxylic beetles

The Mediterranean Red List assessment is a review of the conservation status at regional level of approximately 6,000 species of animals and plants. This report summarizes the results for a key group of Mediterranean biodiversity: saproxylic beetles. Despite their key role in the ecosystem´s health and food chain, saproxylic beetles are still largely misunderstood and the current information gaps on these species´ population status, trends, and distribution are a reflection on how little we still know about them. The geographical scope followed for this assessment is the Mediterranean region according to the Mediterranean Basin Biodiversity Hotspot, with the exception of the Macaronesian islands, which have not been included in this study. All the obligate saproxylic beetles endemic or almost endemic to the Mediterranean region – 320 species and 1 subspecies – are included

Stratification of radiosensitive brain metastases based on an actionable S100A9/RAGE resistance mechanism

© The Author(s) 2022. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.Whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) is the treatment backbone for many patients with brain metastasis; however, its efficacy in preventing disease progression and the associated toxicity have questioned the clinical impact of this approach and emphasized the need for alternative treatments. Given the limited therapeutic options available for these patients and the poor understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the resistance of metastatic lesions to WBRT, we sought to uncover actionable targets and biomarkers that could help to refine patient selection. Through an unbiased analysis of experimental in vivo models of brain metastasis resistant to WBRT, we identified activation of the S100A9-RAGE-NF-κB-JunB pathway in brain metastases as a potential mediator of resistance in this organ. Targeting this pathway genetically or pharmacologically was sufficient to revert the WBRT resistance and increase therapeutic benefits in vivo at lower doses of radiation. In patients with primary melanoma, lung or breast adenocarcinoma developing brain metastasis, endogenous S100A9 levels in brain lesions correlated with clinical response to WBRT and underscored the potential of S100A9 levels in the blood as a noninvasive biomarker. Collectively, we provide a molecular framework to personalize WBRT and improve its efficacy through combination with a radiosensitizer that balances therapeutic benefit and toxicity.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits - the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants - determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait‐based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits - almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives

Categorización semántica de las partes del cuerpo en español: descripción semántica

A lo largo de este trabajo vamos a llevar a cabo un análisis semántico del léxico referente a las partes del cuerpo humano con el fin de conocer cómo dividen los hablantes de español de la provincia de Palencia las partes del cuerpo y qué relaciones establecen entre sus partes. En concreto, nos centraremos en las partes internas y externas de la cabeza y del troncoThroughout this work we will carry out a semantic analysis of the vocabulary relating to parts of the human body in order to know how to divide Spanish speakers in the province of Palencia body parts and the relationships established between its parts. In particular, we will focus on the internal and external parts of the head and trun

Exposicions d'estudiants de la UdG

Quatre estudiants de la UdG presenten el seu treball: el primer, a càrrec d'Elisa Alcázar sobre les parts del cos i les emocions en xinès; el segon, a càrrec de Paula Martínez sobre els termes de parentiu en hindi; el tercer, d'Audrey Aiguaviva sobre el temps i espai en aimara i el quart i últim, a càrrec de Paula Marcé sobre els numerals en wòlo

A lo que venga ... ! Alcohol, drogas y vulnerabilidad sexual en el Perú actual

La Oficina de las Naciones Unidas contra la Droga y el Delito - ONUDD y el Programa Conjunto de las Naciones Unidas sobre el VIH/SIDA – ONUSIDA, decidieron llevar a cabo de manera conjunta un estudio sobre el vínculo y las relaciones que se presentan entre el uso de drogas y el VIH/SIDA en el Perú. El principal motivo fue la inexistencia de datos e información sobre este tema que permitan orientar el diseño de políticas y programas. Además, este interés también provino de la observación que la mayoría de los estudios sobre este asunto en el mundo se concentran en la relación entre el uso de drogas inyectables y la transmisión del VIH. Sin embargo, en el Perú, los estudios epidemiológicos no han encontrado un número significativo de usuarios de drogas inyectables; las drogas son administradas por los usuarios mediante la inhalación (cocaína) o fumadas como es el caso del cannabis y la pasta básica de cocaína. El uso de drogas no inyectables, tanto lícitas como ilícitas, está considerablemente difundido e íntimamente ligado a actividades sexuales inseguras, incrementando potencialmente el riesgo de contraer el VIH. La realización del estudio que a continuación se presenta, fue encargada a la Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH), convirtiéndose en el primer estudio de esta naturaleza. Su originalidad se encuentra en los elementos propuestos para la comprensión de las relaciones multifactoriales de la asociación entre el uso de drogas y el comportamiento sexual. A través de metodologías cualitativas y cuantitativas se han obtenido datos e información en cuatro regiones del país: Lima, Callao, Chiclayo e Iquitos. La información ha sido recogida en poblaciones vulnerables y afectadas por el VIH como: travestis, gays, trabajadoras sexuales mujeres, niños de la calle, población privada de libertad, personas viviendo con VIH y personas en rehabilitación por el uso de drogas. Esta publicación permite identificar las principales formas en las que se presenta la relación entre el fenómeno de consumo de drogas psicoactivas no inyectables y la infección por VIH. Da a conocer la magnitud y tendencias de esta relación, así como también ayuda a comprender mejor el alcance del daño que acarrean estos problemas en las poblaciones vulnerables y afectadas por el VIH. Se confía que el presente estudio llame a la reflexión sobre las políticas y el accionar tanto del Estado como de la sociedad en su conjunto, e incite al diseño de metodologías de prevención e intervención específicas para las poblaciones más afectadas, así como también, a alertar a la población en general sobre los riesgos del uso de drogas y el VIH