Development of the safety code AINA for the European DEMO designs

In order to evaluate plasma evolution and in-vessel components strains, a safety code called AINA has been developing during the last ten years for different fusion reactors designs. This work describes the new AINA code which is being adapted for the four European DEMO designs (HCPB, DCLL, HCLL and WCLL) after an in-depth critical analysis of the former AINA versions with the purpose of performing a proper, reliable, versatile and flexible tool for the future safety studies. At this point, a new 0D plasma dynamics approach and a 1D finite-difference thermal model for the DEMO HCPB configuration and the divertor have been developed. By means of the feedback among both blocks, a preliminary safety analysis is carrying out checking the integrity of in-vessel components both when a plasma perturbation induces a Loss Of Plasma Control (LOPC) and a thermo-hydraulic accident takes place in the Plasma Facing Components (PFCs) or in the Vacuum Vessel such as a Loos Of Coolant Accident (LOCA). Initial results show deficiencies in the Blanket design which may be extremely significant when some of the described unexpected scenarios takes place leading the reactor to a melting episode.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Contribution to safety analyses of DEMO HCPB using AINA code

The motivation of the current work, framed under the safety EUROfusion activities to develop DEMO, is to present the conclusions drawn from our contribution to the safety studies of the HCPB DEMO carried out by the team tasked with AINA code development. During 2016 and 2017 a new AINA version was built in order to evaluate plasma evolution and in-vessel components strains inside the European DEMO designs. As a result, AINA is able to foresee several accident scenarios as plasma disruptions or structural meltings due to LOPCs (Loss Of Plasma Control) and in-vessel melt either of FW, blanket structure and/or divertor modules because of thermal stresses due to LOCAs. After due analysis, it has concluded that it would be desirable to carry out a design review focused on ensuring a suitable operating temperature range with a bigger safety margin for all the materials which make up the HCPB BB, as well as the need to guarantee a quick detection and actuation by means of a proper system, depending on the affected equipment, when the most demanding transients take place which may drive the reactor to melting scenarios and very energetic plasma disruptions. These events include an increase of fueling above 50%, a permanent improvement in the confinement time and a punctual impurity increase above 300%. Other perturbations has been studied which provide information on non-dangerous cases, impossible situations or melting processes.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Readmission for Acute Exacerbation within 30 Days of Discharge Is Associated with a Subsequent Progressive Increase in Mortality Risk in COPD Patients: A Long-Term Observational Study

Background and Objective Twenty per cent of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients are readmitted for acute exacerbation (AECOPD) within 30 days of discharge. The prognostic significance of early readmission is not fully understood. The objective of our study was to estimate the mortality risk associated with readmission for acute exacerbation within 30 days of discharge in COPD patients. Methods The cohort (n = 378) was divided into patients readmitted (n = 68) and not readmitted (n = 310) within 30 days of discharge. Clinical, laboratory, microbiological, and severity data were evaluated at admission and during hospital stay, and mortality data were recorded at four time points during follow-up: 30 days, 6 months, 1 year and 3 years. Results Patients readmitted within 30 days had poorer lung function, worse dyspnea perception and higher clinical severity. Two or more prior AECOPD (HR, 2.47; 95% CI, 1.51-4.05) was the only variable independently associated with 30-day readmission. The mortality risk during the follow-up period showed a progressive increase in patients readmitted within 30 days in comparison to patients not readmitted; moreover, 30-day readmission was an independent risk factor for mortality at 1 year (HR, 2.48; 95% CI, 1.10-5.59). In patients readmitted within 30 days, the estimated absolute increase in the mortality risk was 4% at 30 days (number needed to harm NNH, 25), 17% at 6-months (NNH, 6), 19% at 1-year (NNH, 6) and 24% at 3 years (NNH, 5). Conclusion In conclusion a readmission for AECOPD within 30 days is associated with a progressive increased long-term risk of death

Equipment for the continuous measurement and identification of gamma radioactivity on aerosols

© 20xx IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.This paper describes an equipment for continuous measurement and identification of gamma radioactivity in aerosols developed by the Nuclear Engineering Research Group (NERG) at the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC) and Raditel Serveis i Subministraments Tecnològics, Ltd. A spectrometric analysis code has been specially designed for it. Spectrum analysis identifies and determines activity concentration of aerosol emitters captured by a fiberglass paper filter. This new equipment is currently operating in three radioactivity monitoring stations of the Environmental Radiological Surveillance Network of the Generalitat of Catalunya (local Catalan government): two near Ascó and Vandellòs Nuclear Power Plants in the province of Tarragona and one in the city of Barcelona. Two more monitors are expected to be deployed at Roses, Girona, Spain, and Puigcerdà, Barcelona, Spain. Measurements and evolution analysis results of emitters identified at these stations were also provided.Postprint (author's final draft

A new code for spectrometric analysis for environmental radiological surveillance on monitors focused on gamma radioactivity on aerosols

© 20xx IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.This paper presents a new code for the analysis of gamma spectra generated by an equipment for continuous measurement of gamma radioactivity in aerosols with paper ¿lter. It is called pGamma and has been developed by the Nuclear Engineering Research Group at the Technical University of Catalonia - Barcelona Tech and by Raditel Serveis i Subministraments Tecnològics, Ltd. The code has been developed to identify the gamma emitters and to determine their activity concentration. It generates alarms depending on the activity of the emitters and elaborates reports. Therefore it includes a library with NORM and arti¿cial emitters of interest. The code is being adapted to the monitors of the Environmental Radiological Surveillance Network of the local Catalan Government in Spain (Generalitat de Catalunya) and is used at three stations of the Network.Postprint (author's final draft

Transcriptomics and molecular evolutionary rate analysis of the bladderwort (Utricularia), a carnivorous plant with a minimal genome

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The carnivorous plant <it>Utricularia gibba </it>(bladderwort) is remarkable in having a minute genome, which at ca. 80 megabases is approximately half that of <it>Arabidopsis</it>. Bladderworts show an incredible diversity of forms surrounding a defined theme: tiny, bladder-like suction traps on terrestrial, epiphytic, or aquatic plants with a diversity of unusual vegetative forms. <it>Utricularia </it>plants, which are rootless, are also anomalous in physiological features (respiration and carbon distribution), and highly enhanced molecular evolutionary rates in chloroplast, mitochondrial and nuclear ribosomal sequences. Despite great interest in the genus, no genomic resources exist for <it>Utricularia</it>, and the substitution rate increase has received limited study.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Here we describe the sequencing and analysis of the <it>Utricularia gibba </it>transcriptome. Three different organs were surveyed, the traps, the vegetative shoot bodies, and the inflorescence stems. We also examined the bladderwort transcriptome under diverse stress conditions. We detail aspects of functional classification, tissue similarity, nitrogen and phosphorus metabolism, respiration, DNA repair, and detoxification of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Long contigs of plastid and mitochondrial genomes, as well as sequences for 100 individual nuclear genes, were compared with those of other plants to better establish information on molecular evolutionary rates.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The <it>Utricularia </it>transcriptome provides a detailed genomic window into processes occurring in a carnivorous plant. It contains a deep representation of the complex metabolic pathways that characterize a putative minimal plant genome, permitting its use as a source of genomic information to explore the structural, functional, and evolutionary diversity of the genus. Vegetative shoots and traps are the most similar organs by functional classification of their transcriptome, the traps expressing hydrolytic enzymes for prey digestion that were previously thought to be encoded by bacteria. Supporting physiological data, global gene expression analysis shows that traps significantly over-express genes involved in respiration and that phosphate uptake might occur mainly in traps, whereas nitrogen uptake could in part take place in vegetative parts. Expression of DNA repair and ROS detoxification enzymes may be indicative of a response to increased respiration. Finally, evidence from the bladderwort transcriptome, direct measurement of ROS <it>in situ</it>, and cross-species comparisons of organellar genomes and multiple nuclear genes supports the hypothesis that increased nucleotide substitution rates throughout the plant may be due to the mutagenic action of amplified ROS production.</p

¿Perciben del mismo modo alumnado y profesorado el desarrollo de competencias docentes? El caso de un grado de ciencias de la actividad física y el deporte

La competencia docente hace referencia a la capacidad del profesorado para resolver con éxito las exigencias complejas que se le planteen en el contexto educativo. Estas competencias deben ser adquiridas, en parte, durante la formación inicial del profesorado. Esta investigación pretende comparar como perciben el profesorado y alumnado el desarrollo de competencias docentes en un grado de Ciencias de la Actividad física y el Deporte. Para ello, se pasó en el curso 2014-15 una escala de valoración autoadministrada a 65 estudiantes de 4º curso y otra a 29 profesores/as. Existen diferencias significativas en la percepción del profesorado y alumnado en 24 de las 46 competencias del cuestionario. En todas las competencias el alumnado proporcionó una puntuación media más elevada que el profesorado, excepto en 9 competencias transversales. Resulta necesario seguir profundizando en las razones de esta diferencia de percepción realizando entrevistas y grupos focales que aporten información más cualitativa

Valoración y plan del sistema de gestión de seguridad y salud en el trabajo de la IPS CUMO Cooperativa de Urólogos del Meta y la Orinoquia

El presente trabajo tiene como finalidad presentar un diseño y diagnóstico del SG-SST de la IPS CUMO, su lugar de ubicación es la ciudad de Villavicencio en el departamento del meta, se caracteriza por ser una entidad que brinda servicios en la especialidad de urología. En primera instancia se propone la implementación de un diagnóstico inicial teniendo en cuenta SG-SST de la empresa y sus diferentes estrategias implementadas, esto con la finalidad de realizar un plan de mejoramiento, y con respecto a esto efectuar un seguimiento continuo el cual permita solventar o fortalecer las falencias halladas; a través de la detección de peligros y riesgos teniendo en cuenta la actividad en la cual basan su economía principal, de esta manera se propone definir las medidas a tomar teniendo en cuenta actividades que garanticen y promuevan acciones preventivas las cuales van asociados a las diferentes enfermedades laborales ocasionadas de acuerdo a las funciones y actividades ejercidas por los empleados de la empresa; razón por la cual se establece el plan de trabajo anual teniendo en cuenta los indicadores que aparecen en la resolución 0312 de 2019, específicamente el ciclo PHVA, y la política de SST.The purpose of this paper is to present a design and diagnosis of the SG-SST of the IPS CUMO, its location is the city of Villavicencio in the department of Meta, it is characterized as an entity that provides services in the specialty of urology. In the first instance, the implementation of an initial diagnosis is proposed taking into account SG-SST of the company and its different strategies implemented, this in order to carry out an improvement plan, and with respect to this, carry out continuous monitoring which allows to solve or strengthen the shortcomings found; Through the detection of hazards and risks taking into account the activity on which they base their main economy, in this way it is proposed to define the measures to be taken taking into account activities that guarantee and promote preventive actions which are associated with different diseases. labor caused according to the functions and activities carried out by the employees of the company; which is why the annual work plan is established taking into account the indicators that appear in resolution 0312 of 2019, specifically the PDCA cycle, and the OSH politic

Spanish cardiac catheterization in congenital heart diseases registry. First official report from the ACI-SEC and the GTH-SECPCC (2020)

Introduction and objectives: The Interventional Cardiology Association of the Spanish Society of Cardiology (ACI-SEC) and the Spanish Society of Pediatric Cardiology Working Group on Interventional Cardiology (GTH-SECPCC) introduce their annual activity report for 2020, the starting year of the pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Methods: All Spanish centers with cath labs and interventional activity in congenital heart diseases were invited to participate. Data were collected online, and analyzed by an external company together with members from the ACI-SEC and the GTH-SECPCC. Results: A total of 16 centers participated (all of them public) including 30 cath labs experienced in the management of congenital heart diseases, 7 of them (23.3%) dedicated exclusively to pediatric patients. A total of 1046 diagnostic studies, and 1468 interventional cardiac catheterizations were registered. The interventional procedures were considered successful in 93.4% of the cases with rates of major procedural complications and mortality of 2%, and 0.1%, respectively. The most frequent procedures were atrial septal defect closure (377 cases), pulmonary angioplasty (244 cases), and the percutaneous closure of the patent ductus arteriosus (199 cases). Conclusions: This report is the first publication from the Spanish Cardiac Catheterization in Congenital Heart Diseases Registry. The data recorded are conditioned by the COVID-19 pandemic. Diagnostic cardiac catheterization still plays a key role in this field. Most interventional techniques have reported excellent security and efficacy rates