Disseny d'un sistema de gestió d'energia elèctrica per a habitatge unifamiliar

A dia d’avui la societat està lluitant contra el canvi climàtic amb l’objectiu marcat d’arribar a ser una societat sostenible i respectuosa amb el planeta. La base d’aquest treball és l’autosostenibilitat i la reducció de la contaminació mediambiental, descrivint una estratègia de control per gestionar l’energia d’una forma eficient. En aquest projecte s’estudia com elaborar la instal·lació autosostenible d’un habitatge unifamiliar de la península ibèrica utilitzant energies renovables i bateries, fent el mínim ús de la xarxa convencional i controlant-t’ho tot per una micro-xarxa. Per aconseguir-ho he fet un estudi energètic exhaustiu de l’habitatge i dels diferents components, dispositius i energies renovables del mercat, arribant a la conclusió que per aquest cas el millor seria l’ús d’energia fotovoltaica, una bateria, un inversor híbrid i un Smart Meter. També caldria instal·lar un PLC i usar un eliminador de l’stand by, bombetes i endolls intel·ligents, per així controlar els electrodomèstics. El cost del projecte quedaria amortitzat en 11 anys i aconseguiríem estalviar 1.077 tCO2 anualment. Aquest projecte es basa en el marc legal descrit per la normativa ISO 50001.A día de hoy la sociedad está luchando contra el cambio climático con el objetivo marcado de llegar a ser una sociedad sostenible i respetuosa con el planeta. La base de este trabajo es la autosostenibilidad i la reducción de la contaminación medioambiental, describiendo una estrategia de control para gestionar la energía de forma eficiente. En este proyecto se estudia como elaborar la instalación autosostenible de un domicilió unifamiliar de la península ibérica usando energías renovables i baterías, haciendo el mínimo uso de la red convencional i controlándolo todo con una micro red. Para conseguirlo he realizado un estudió energético exhaustivo del domicilió i de los diferentes componentes, dispositivos i energías renovables del mercado, llegando a la conclusión que para este caso el mejor sería el uso de la energía fotovoltaica, una batería, un inversor hibrido i un Smart Meter. También haría falta la instalación de un PLC i usar un eliminador de stand-by, bombillas i enchufes inteligentes, para controlar los electrodomésticos. El coste del proyecto quedaría amortizado en 11 años i se conseguirá ahorrar 1077 tCO2 anualmente. Este proyecto se basa en el marco legal descrito por la normativa ISO 50001.Today, society is fighting climate change with the main aim of becoming a sustainable and respectful society on the planet. The basis of this dissertation is self-sustainability and the reductions of environmental pollution, describing a control strategy to manage energy in an efficient way. This project studies how to develop the installation of a self-sustaining single-family home in the Iberian Peninsula using renewable energy and batteries, making minimum use of the conventional grid and controlling everything through a micro-network. To achieve this, we have made an exhaustive energy study of the house and the different components, devices and renewable energies of the market, concluding that for this case the best would be the use of photovoltaic energy, a battery, an inverter hybrid and a Smart Meter. You should also install a PLC and use a stand by killer, light bulbs and smart plugs to control appliances. The cost of the project would be amortized over 11 years and we would be able to save 1,077 tCO2 annually. This dissertation is based on the regulatory framework described by the ISO 50001.Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::7 - Energia Assequible i No ContaminantObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::13 - Acció per al Clim

La Mare de Déu de Montserrat. Una verge trobada

Màster de Cultures Medievals. Assignatura Mística Medieval en el Pensament Europeu (Exposició Virtual 2017PID-UB/027) - Universitat de Barcelona Tutora: Blanca GaríFitxa per a l’Exposició Virtual Paisatges d'espiritualitat religiosa. Espais i pràctiques s. XII-XVI. Objecte: Mare de Déu de Montserra

Detection of nuclear biomarkers for chromosomal instability

Chromosomal instability (CIN) is a hallmark of cancer, which is characterized by the gain or loss of chromosomes as well as the rearrangement of the genetic material during cell division. Detection of mitotic errors such as misaligned chromosomes or chromosomal bridges (also known as lagging chromosomes) is challenging as it requires the analysis and manual discrimination of chromosomal aberrations in mitotic cells by molecular techniques. In interphase cells, more frequent in the cell population than mitotic cells, two distinct nuclear phenotypes are associated with CIN: the micronucleus and the toroidal nucleus. Several methods are available for the detection of micronuclei, but none for toroidal nuclei. Here, we provide a method to quantify the presence of both nuclear biomarkers for the evaluation of CIN status in non-mitotic cells particularly suited for genotoxicity screens

Use of environmental isotopes (13C, 15N, and 18O) for evaluating sources and fate of nitrate and tetrachloroethene in an alluvial aquifer

Environmental isotopes and geochemical parameters were used to evaluate the sources and fate of nitrate (NO3-) and tetrachloroethene (PCE) in an alluvial contaminated aquifer. Isotope data and redox parameters data indicated that biodegradation does not play any role in the attenuation of these compounds along the groundwater flow system. Furthermore, nitrate isotopes and concentration data allowed the authors to distinguish two nitrate inputs and relate them to their possible sources. The primary source originates from septic waste and the secondary source is associated with nitrogenous fertilizer application. Regarding PCE, the δ13C values do not change for almost 1000 m along the groundwater flow system despite large decreases of PCE concentration, thus confirming that physical processes do not alter the isotopic composition of organic compounds; this finding has a significant implication for the use of carbon isotope ratios for fingerprinting sources of PCE in VOC plumes. This study has shown that combined use of environmental isotopes and geochemical parameters is an efficient approach for water resource management studies in sites polluted by various types of contaminants

Psychological benefits of Forest Bathing during the COVID-19 pandemic: a pilot study in a Mediterranean forest close to urban areas

The practice of Shinrin-Yoku or Forest Bathing is an outdoor therapeutic modality with mounting evidence suggesting positive effects on individuals' psychological wellbeing and overall health. However, its benefits have mainly been studied in Asian biomes and more research is needed to evaluate if its benefits are also generalizable to other regions such as European-Mediterranean forests. To preliminarily explore this issue, 16 healthy adults (87.5% women, mean age 47.5) were assessed before and after a 3-hour session of Forest Bathing with meditation exercises in a Mediterranean forest near Barcelona (Spain). Changes in state anxiety, negative affect, positive affect and state mindfulness were assessed. Results show significant increases in positive affect, vigour, friendship and mindfulness, and decreases in negative affect, anxiety, anger, fatigue, tension, and depressive mood. Effect sizes observed for all the outcomes were significant and large, ranging from d = 1.02 to d = 2.61. This study encourages more applied research of the forest therapy model and the practice of Shinrin-Yoku in Mediterranean forests to increase the general population's psychological wellbeing and to deal with the growing prevalence of the psychological side-effects generated by the COVID-19 in European countries such as Spain

Lysosomal degradation ensures accurate chromosomal segregation to prevent chromosomal instability

Lysosomes, as primary degradative organelles, are the end-point of different converging pathways including macroautophagy. To date, lysosome degradative function has been mainly studied in interphase cells, while their role during mitosis remains controversial. Mitosis dictates the faithful transmission of genetic material among generations, and perturbations of mitotic division lead to chromosomal instability, a hallmark of cancer. Heretofore, correct mitotic progression relies on the orchestrated degradation of mitotic factors, which was mainly attributed to ubiquitin-triggered proteasome-dependent degradation. Here, we show that mitotic transition does not only rely on proteasome-dependent degradation, as impairment of lysosomes increases mitotic timing and leads to mitotic errors, thus promoting chromosomal instability. Furthermore, we identified several putative lysosomal targets in mitotic cells. Among them, WAPL, a cohesin regulatory protein, emerged as a novel SQSTM1-interacting protein for targeted lysosomal degradation. Finally, we characterized an atypical nuclear phenotype, the toroidal nucleus, as a novel biomarker for genotoxic screenings. Our results establish lysosome-dependent degradation as an essential event to prevent chromosomal instability

Enhanced denitrification in groundwater and sediments from a nitrate-contaminated aquifer after addition of pyrite

Using chemical, isotopic and microbiologic techniques we tested in laboratory experiments the extent to which the addition of pyrite to groundwater and sediments from a nitrate-contaminated aquifer could stimulate denitrification by indigenous bacteria. In addition to this biostimulated approach, a combined biostimulated and bioaugmented treatment was also evaluated by inoculating the well-known autotrophic denitrifying bacterium Thiobacillus denitrificans. Results showed that the addition of pyrite enhanced nitrate removal and that denitrifying bacteria existing in the aquifer material were able to reduce nitrate using pyrite as the electron donor, obviating the need for the inoculation of T. denitrificans. The results of the 16S rRNA and nosZ gene-based DGGE and the quantitative PCR (qPCR) showed that the addition of pyrite led to an increase in the proportion of denitrifying bacteria and that bacterial populations closely related to the Xanthomonadaceae might probably be the autotrophic denitrifiers that used pyrite as the electron donor. Not only autotrophic but also heterotrophic denitrifying bacteria were stimulated through pyrite addition and both populations probably contributed to nitrate removal. Isotopic analyses (δ15N and δ18ONO3) were used to monitor enhanced denitrification and the N and O isotopic enrichment factors (−26.3±1.8¿ and −20.4± 1.3¿, respectively) allowed to calculate the degree of natural nitrate attenuation in the aquifer. Furthermore, flow-through experiments amended with pyrite confirmed the long-term efficiency of the process under the study conditions. Further research under field conditions is needed to determine whether stimulation of denitrification by pyrite addition constitutes a feasible bioremediation strategy for nitrate-contaminated aquifers

Phosphofructokinases Axis Controls Glucose-Dependent mTORC1 Activation Driven by E2F1.

Cancer cells rely on mTORC1 activity to coordinate mitogenic signaling with nutrients availability for growth. Based on the metabolic function of E2F1, we hypothesize that glucose catabolism driven by E2F1 could participate on mTORC1 activation. Here, we demonstrate that glucose potentiates E2F1-induced mTORC1 activation by promoting mTORC1 translocation to lysosomes, a process that occurs independently of AMPK activation. We showed that E2F1 regulates glucose metabolism by increasing aerobic glycolysis and identified the PFKFB3 regulatory enzyme as an E2F1-regulated gene important for mTORC1 activation. Furthermore, PFKFB3 and PFK1 were found associated to lysosomes and we demonstrated that modulation of PFKFB3 activity, either by substrate accessibility or expression, regulates the translocation of mTORC1 to lysosomes by direct interaction with Rag B and subsequent mTORC1 activity. Our results support a model whereby a glycolytic metabolon containing phosphofructokinases transiently interacts with the lysosome acting as a sensor platform for glucose catabolism toward mTORC1 activity