Diferencias entre hombres y mujeres en el mercado laboral español

In this paper we show the differences between women and men in the Spanish labor market, focusing the interest in gender gaps in terms of unemployment and vocational behavior, and provides a reflection on why these differences. Furthermore, it highlights the significant role of discrimination against women and the effects it generates in terms of poverty and economic inequality

Aprovechamiento energético e integrado por fraccionamiento de biomasa lignocelulósica forestal y agroindustrial

Se caracteriza la materia prima y las fases líquidas de la autohidrólisis de 5 materiales lignocelulósicos: Eucalyptus globulus, Arundo donax, tallos de girasol (Helianthus annuus), tagasaste (Chamaecytisus proliferus) y Paulownia fortunei para evaluar su viabilidad para la obtención de energía y otros productos químicos a través de un fraccionamiento integral vía autohidrólisis. En todos los casos se ha utilizado la planta completa sin hojas, frutas o ramillas y en el caso de los tallos de girasol, se han desmedulado. De entre los materiales estudiados, los tallos de girasol y el tagasaste presentan unos contenidos en holocelulosa (74,2% y 80,3%) mayores que el Eucalyptus globulus y unos contenidos en lignina menores (19,9% y 19,8%). Todas las materias primas superan al Eucalyptus globulus por su contenido en xilano (entre 18,3% y 23,9%) pero ninguna alcanza su valor de concentración de glucano (46,8%). Existe un incremento en la solubilización de las hemicelulosas al aumentar la temperatura de la autohidrólisis con unos óptimos de extracción entre 185ºC y 195ºC para Arundo donax, tagasaste o Paulownia fortunei, temperatura inferior a la de las mejores condiciones de extracción de Eucalyptus globulus. Se obtienen elevados contenidos en oligómeros (tagasaste: 13,9%, tallos de girasol: 21,5%, Paulownia fortunei: 11,7%) respecto a Eucalyptus globulus (10,3% a 196ºC)._________________________________Five raw materials and liquors from autohydrolysis process were characterized: Eucalyptus globulus, Arundo donax, sunflower stalks (Helianthus annuus), tagasaste (Chamaecytisus proliferus) and Paulownia fortunei, for energy and others chemicals using autohydrolysis and integral fractionation. Tagasaste and sunflower stalks had holocellulose contents (74,2% and 80,3%) higher than holocellulose content from Eucalyptus globulus and lignin contents lower (19,9% y 19,8%) than lignin from Eucalyptus globulus. All raw materials had xylan contents (between 18,3% and 23,9%) and glucan contents higher and lower respectively than xylan and glucan from Eucalyptus globulus (glucane: 46,8%). Hemicelluloses solubilization were increased with autohydrolysis temperature. The optimal range was 185ºC to 195ºC for Arundo donax, tagasaste and Paulownia fortunei. This temperature is lower than better condition for Eucalyptus globulus. The oligosaccharides contents were high (tagasaste: 13,9%, sunflower stalks: 21,5%, Paulownia fortunei: 11,7%) with respect to Eucalyptus globulus (10,3% a 196ºC)

Cold alkaline extraction of Elephant grass for optimal subsequent extraction of hemicelluloses and energy production

There is growing scientific and industrial interest in obtaining useful substances by fractionating lignocellulosic biomass from non-food plant crops for use by the bioenergy industry. The primary goals are to ensure process sustainability and to comply with the principles of circular economy. In this work, we optimized energy production from Elephant grass by previously using cold alkaline extraction to remove its hemicellulose fraction. Elephant grass contains a high proportion of lignin (20%) and hemicelluloses (27.4%), and therefore is an excellent alternative to wood materials for energy production by direct burning. Energy production was optimized to identify the best operating conditions among those tested, namely: alkali concentrations of 80–120 g NaOH L– 1, temperatures of 20–40 °C, and treatment times of 30–90 min. Using the optimum conditions thus established (viz., 100 g NaOH L– 1, 30 °C, and 30 min) raised the high heating value (HHV) to 19.151 MJ kg– 1 (i.e., by 4% relative to the starting material). Also, it allowed the content in elemental C to be preserved, that in H increased by 4.86% and, more environmentally significant, most sulphur (46.9%) to be removed from the solid phase upon treatment. Cold alkaline extraction of the raw material additionally enabled relatively selective separation of the hemicellulose fraction from the cellulose and lignin fractions. Thus, 30.1% of all hemicellulose was dissolved in the treatment liquor and made valorizable while 93.0% of cellulose and 82.1% of lignin present in the raw material remained in the solid phase.Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. Funding for open acces charge: Universidad de Huelva/CBUA. This study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the National Programme for Research Aimed at the Challenges of Society (CTQ201785251-C2-1and 2-R and PID2020-112875RB-C21), additional cofunding, in an 80:20 proportion, by FEDER (Project Green Asphalt, ref. 802C1800001) and the Andalusian Regional Government (Economy, Knowledge, Enterprises and University Council/IDEA Agency) and by micro-projects of research “Cátedra de la provincia” of the University of Huelva

Aprovechamiento integral de Eucalyptus globulus en un esquema de biorrefinería en doble etapa

Se han aplicado dos tratamientos previos al proceso de pasteado etanol-sosa sobre madera de Eucalyptus globulus para evaluar su influencia sobre las propiedades de las pastas celulósicas obtenidas. Se aplica una primera etapa optimizada de autohidrólisis para maximizar la extracción de derivados hemicelulósicos preservando el glucano, seguida de una deslignificación enzimática mediante un sistema lacasa/mediador (siringaldehído). Se aplican diseños experimentales para la optimización de los procesos. Las condiciones de operación óptimas en la etapa de deslignificación enzimática han sido: concentración de lacasa 18,5 U/g, concentración de siringaldehído 1,5 %, temperatura 45 ºC y tiempo de operación 60 min., con las cuales se alcanza una eliminación del 16,8 % de la lignina existente en la materia prima y se afecta ligeramente al glucano (conservando entre el 82,2 % y 89,7 % del glucano inicial). Paralelamente se obtienen dos fases líquidas valorizables, ricas en derivados hemicelulósicos y polifenólicos. En este esquema de proceso para obtención de pasta celulósica etanol-sosa a partir de madera eucalipto requiere una menor concentración de reactivos químicos, menores tiempos de operación y temperaturas más bajas, lo que supone una mejora económica y medioambiental respecto del proceso convencional de pasteado

Leguminosas leñosas de rápido crecimiento como cultivos energéticos en el Suroeste de la Península Ibérica

Este estudio pretende evaluar las posibilidades del empleo de leguminosas leñosas de rápido crecimiento como cultivos destinados a la producción de biomasa como fuente de energía. El ensayo consistió en el cultivo de 14 especies / procedencias de los géneros Leucaena (L. leucocephala, L. salvadorensis, L. diversifolia, L. collinsi), Prosopis (P. alba y P. julyflora), Sesbania (S. sesban), Chamaecytisus (C. proliferus var palmensis) y Retama (R. monosperma). Las plantas fueron producidas a partir de semillas e inoculadas con bacterias del género Rhizobium. Tras una fase de vivero fueron transplantadas en dos parcelas de ensayo sometidas a dos regímenes de riego. Durante el cultivo se monitorizó el crecimiento (altura, diámetro y peso). La producción anual de biomasa se evaluó durante 3 años consecutivos bajo tres sistemas de aprovechamiento: cortas anuales o a los 2, y 3 años. Todas las especies y variedades salvo Leucaena salvadorensis y Sesbania sesban mostraron una buena adaptación edafo-climática a las características de la zona de estudio (Huelva). La variación en las tasas de crecimiento entre especies fue muy grande desde las 0.3 toneladas de materia seca leñosa por hectárea y año (Retama monosperma, Prosopis julyflora) hasta las 25-35 t/ha y año (Luecaena leucocephala). Todas las especies soportaron bien las cortas anuales menos Chamaecytisus proliferus que se mostró muy sensible a la corta del primer año sobretodo en la parcela más regada._____________________________________We cultivate 14 species / provenances of genera Leucaena (L. leucocephala, L. salvadorensis, L. diversifolia, L. collinsi), Prosopis (P. alba and P. julyflora), Sesbania (S. sesban), Chamaecytisus (C. proliferus var palmensis) and Retama (R. monosperma). The plants were produced from seeds and inoculated with specific bacteria of the genus Rhizobium. After a nursery phase, seedling were planted in two experimental plots subjected to two water regimes. Annual biomass production was evaluated under three management systems: annual biannual and three annual clear-cutting All the species and varieties except Leucaena salvadorensis and Sesbania sesban showed a good edafo-climatic adaptation to the characteristics of the study area (Huelva). Variation in growth rates among species was high, from the 0.3 t of woody dry matter per hectare and year (Retama monosperma, Prosopis juliflora) until 25-35 t ha-1 year-1 (Leucaena leucocephala). All the species supported annual cutting with a vigorous re-sprouts except Chamaecytisus proliferus that was very susceptible especially in the most irrigated plots

Clinical implications of antigen transfer mechanisms from malignant to dendritic cells: Exploiting cross-priming

Expansion and activation of cytolytic T lymphocytes bearing high-affinity T-cell receptors specific for tumor antigens is a major goal of active cancer immunotherapy. Physiologically, T cells receive promitotic and activating signals from endogenous professional antigen-presenting cells (APC) rather than directly from malignant cells. This phenomenon fits with the broader concept of cross-presentation that earlier was demonstrated for minor histocompatibility and viral antigens. Many mechanisms have been found to be capable of transferring antigenic material from malignant cells to APC so that it can be processed and subsequently presented by MHC class I molecules expressed on APC. Dendritic cells (DC) are believed to be the most relevant APC mediating cross-presentation because they can take up antigens from apoptotic, necrotic, and even intact tumor cells. There exist specific molecular mechanisms that ensure this transfer of antigenic material: 1) opsonization of apoptotic bodies; 2) receptors for released heat shock proteins carrying peptides processed intracellularly; 3) Fc receptors that uptake immunocomplexes and immunoglobulins; and 4) pinocytosis. DC have the peculiar capability of reentering the exogenously captured material into the MHC class I pathway. Exploitation of these pieces of knowledge is achieved by providing DC with complex mixtures of tumor antigens ex vivo and by agents and procedures that promote infiltration of malignant tissue by DC. The final outcome of DC cross-presentation could be T-cell activation (cross-priming) but also, and importantly, T-cell tolerance contingent upon the activation/maturation status of DC. Artificial enhancement of tumor antigen cross-presentation and control of the immune-promoting status of the antigen-presenting DC will have important therapeutic implications in the near future

Potentiation of therapeutic immune responses against malignancies with monoclonal antibodies

Immunotherapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) can be defined as those that exert their functions by tampering with immune system cell molecules, causing an enhancement of antitumor immune responses. Some of these antibodies are agonistic ligands for surface receptors involved in the activation of lymphocytes and/or antigen-presenting cells, whereas others are antagonists of mechanisms that normally limit the intensity of immune reactions. Several mAbs of this category have been described to display in vivo antitumor activity in mouse models. Only anti–CTLA-4 (CD152) mAb has entered clinical trials, but the preclinical effects described for anti- CD40, anti-CD137 (4-1BB), anti-CD102 (intercellular adhesion molecule-2), and regulatory T cell-depleting mAbs should lead to their prompt clinical development. Their use in combination with immunizations against tumor antigens has been reported to be endowed with synergistic properties. This new group of antitumor agents holds promise for at least additive effects with conventional therapies of cancer and deserves intensive translational research

Galaxy clusters and groups in the ALHAMBRA Survey

We present a catalogue of 348 galaxy clusters and groups with $0.2<z<1.2$ selected in the 2.78 $deg^2$ ALHAMBRA Survey. The high precision of our photometric redshifts, close to $1\%$, and the wide spread of the seven ALHAMBRA pointings ensure that this catalogue has better mass sensitivity and is less affected by cosmic variance than comparable samples. The detection has been carried out with the Bayesian Cluster Finder (BCF), whose performance has been checked in ALHAMBRA-like light-cone mock catalogues. Great care has been taken to ensure that the observable properties of the mocks photometry accurately correspond to those of real catalogues. From our simulations, we expect to detect galaxy clusters and groups with both $70\%$ completeness and purity down to dark matter halo masses of $M_h\sim3\times10^{13}\rm M_{\odot}$ for $z<0.85$. Cluster redshifts are expected to be recovered with $\sim0.6\%$ precision for $z<1$. We also expect to measure cluster masses with $\sigma_{M_h|M^*_{CL}}\sim0.25-0.35\, dex$ precision down to $\sim3\times10^{13}\rm M_{\odot}$, masses which are $50\%$ smaller than those reached by similar work. We have compared these detections with previous optical, spectroscopic and X-rays work, finding an excellent agreement with the rates reported from the simulations. We have also explored the overall properties of these detections such as the presence of a colour-magnitude relation, the evolution of the photometric blue fraction and the clustering of these sources in the different ALHAMBRA fields. Despite the small numbers, we observe tentative evidence that, for a fixed stellar mass, the environment is playing a crucial role at lower redshifts (z$<$0.5).Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. Catalogues and figures available online and under the following link: http://bascaso.net46.net/ALHAMBRA_clusters.htm

Neural fuzzy model applied to autohydrolysis of Paulownia trihybrid

A central composite factorial design was used in conjunction with the software ANFIS Edit MATLAB 6.5 to develop fuzzy neural model that reproduced the experimental results of the dependent variables with errors less than 6%. The model is therefore effective with a view to simulating the autohydrolysis process. In this study it was evaluated the potential of a species trihybrid Paulownia fortunei, tormentosa and elongata as an industrial crop in terms of its contents in holocellulose, lignin, xylo-oligomers, monomers and other glucan and its use for making cellulose pulp. It was optimized biomass autohydrolysis processes to obtain valuable liquid and solid phases that can be used to produce liquid fuels and cellulosic pulp. The process was modelled in order to optimize the extraction of xylo-oligomers and xylose in the liquid phase while preserving the integrity of cellulose fibres.The authors acknowledge financial support from the Grupo Empresarial ENCE, S.A. (San Juan delPuerto factory, Huelva, Spain) and VICIDEX EUROPA S.L., and the CICYT-FEDER (Science and Technology Inter Ministerial Commission, Spanish Government European Regional Development Fund), projects numbers CTQ2006-10329/PPQ and AGL2009-13113 for their support, and to the "Ramon y Cajal", "Juan de la Cierva" and FPU Programs of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation