Water supply and energy in residential buildings: Potential savings and financial profitability

This article examines the suitability of water supply installations in residential buildings for the pressure conditions of the main water network, and evaluates the energy saving possibilities associated with pumping water into homes. It assesses the situation and the options for renovation in a sample of 151 buildings in the city of Zaragoza (Spain), estimating the savings in electric power and the possible financial returns that could be obtained. The results show that in half the buildings, the installations are inadequate and lead to inefficient energy use, which could be avoided by renovation. However, they also show that in many cases, this type of retrofitting would not be profitable for the building owners, meaning that technically viable solutions may not necessarily be financially viable. To mitigate or avoid the energy inefficiency in question, the public sector could step in by informing and financing support for building owners and regulating in the areas of town planning and construction

Sal k 5, a member of the widespread Ole e 1-like protein family, is a new allergen of Russian thistle (Salsola kali) pollen.

Salsola kali is an Amaranthaceae weed with important repercussions for pollinosis in temperate areas. Ole e 1-like members are relevant allergens in pollen from different species. We aimed to characterize and produce as recombinant allergen S. kali Ole e 1-like protein. METHODS:The natural allergen was purified at homogeneity after three chromatographic steps. Specific cDNA was sequenced and expressed in Pichia pastoris yeast. Structural relationships of natural and recombinant forms were carried out by 2D electrophoresis and spectroscopic analyses. Its immunological relevance was analyzed by ELISA and immunoblotting using an IgG antiserum and monoclonal antibodies specific to Ole e 1, as well as sera from 57 allergic patients recruited from two Spanish regions where this pollinosis is frequent. RESULTS:The purified allergen, Sal k 5, is an acidic glycoprotein of 151 amino acid residues and 17,628 Da of molecular mass. Its amino acid sequence exhibits 68 and 32% identity with the allergens of Che a 1 and Ole e 1, respectively. The recombinant protein was correctly processed and its structural and immunologic equivalence to the natural form was proven. A sensitization frequency between 30 and 40% was observed in pollinic patients from the center and east coast of Spain. CONCLUSIONS:Sal k 5 is a member of the Ole e 1-like protein family which can be considered an important allergen from S. kali. Its inclusion in diagnosis protocols would allow the accurate defining of patients allergic to this pollen

Proteomic analysis in the brain and liver of sea bream (Sparus aurata) exposed to the antibiotics ciprofloxacin, sulfadiazine, and trimethoprim

Antibiotics, frequently detected in aquatic ecosystems, can negatively impact the health of resident organisms. Although the study on the possible effects of antibiotics on these organisms has been increasing, there is still little information available on the molecular effects on exposed non-target organisms. In our study we used a label free proteomic approach and sea bream, Sparus aurata, to evaluate the effects of exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of the antibiotic compounds ciprofloxacin (CIP), sulfadiazine (SULF) and trimethoprim (TRIM) produced at the protein level. Individuals of sea bream were exposed to single compounds at 5.2 ± 2.1 μg L− 1 of CIP, 3.8 ± 2.7 μg L− 1 of SULF and 25.7 ± 10.8 μg L− 1 of TRIM for 21 days. After exposure, the number of differentially expressed proteins in the liver was 39, 73 and 4 for CIP, SULF and TRIM respectively. In the brain, there was no alteration of proteins after CIP and TRIM treatment, while 9 proteins were impacted after SULF treatment. The differentially expressed proteins were involved in cellular biological, metabolic, developmental, growth and biological regulatory processes. Overall, our study evidences the vulnerability of Sparus aurata, after exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of the major antibiotics CIP, SULF and TRIM and that their chronic exposure could lead to a stress situation, altering the proteomic profile of key organs such as brain and liver.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO), Spain Universidad de Cádiz, Spain Asociación Universitaria Iberoamericana de Postgrado, Spain Ministerio de Asuntos Económicos y Transformación Digital, Gobierno de España, Spain Latin American Association of Postgraduates13 página

Sliding window multi-curve resolution: application to gas chromatography - ion mobility spectrometry

Blind source separation (BSS) techniques aim to extract a set of source signals from a measured mixture in an unsupervised manner. In the chemical instrumentation domain source signals typically refer to time-varying analyte concentrations, while the measured mixture is the set of observed spectra. Several techniques exist to perform BSS on ion mobility spectrometry, being simple-to-use interactive self-modelling mixture analysis (SIMPLISMA) and multivariate curve resolution (MCR) the most commonly used. The addition of a multi-capillary gas chromatography column using the ion mobility spectrometer as detector has been proposed in the past to increase chemical resolution. Short chromatography times lead to high levels of co-elution, and ion mobility spectra are key to resolve them. For the first time, BSS techniques are used to deconvolve samples of the gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry tandem. We propose a method to extract spectra and concentration profiles based on the application of MCR in a sliding window. Our results provide clear concentration profiles and pure spectra, resolving peaks that were not detected by the conventional use of MCR. The proposed technique could also be applied to other hyphenated instruments with similar strong co-elutions

Rethinking globalised resistance : feminist activism and critical theorising in international relations

This article argues that a feminist approach to the 'politics of resistance' offers a number of important empirical insights which, in turn, open up lines of theoretical inquiry which critical theorists in IR would do well to explore. Concretely, we draw on our ongoing research into feminist 'anti-globalisation' activism to rethink the nature of the subject of the politics of resistance, the conditions under which resistance emerges and how resistance is enacted and expressed. We begin by discussing the relationship of feminism to critical IR theory as a way of situating and explaining the focus and approach of our research project. We then summarise our key empirical arguments regarding the emergence, structure, beliefs, identities and practices of feminist 'anti-globalisation' activism before exploring the implications of these for a renewed critical theoretical agenda in IR

Epigenetic regulation of Gfi1 in endocrine-related cancers: a role regulating tumor growth

Prostate and breast cancer constitute the most common cancers among men and women worldwide. The aging population is one of the main risk factors for prostate and breast cancer development and accumulating studies link aging with epigenetic changes. Growth factor independence-1 (Gfi1) is a transcriptional repressor with an important role in human malignancies, including leukemia, colorectal carcinoma, and lung cancer, but its role in prostate and breast cancer is unknown. We have found that Gfi1 epigenetic silencing is a common event in prostate and breast cancer. Gfi1 re-expression in prostate and breast cancer cell lines displaying Gfi1 epigenetic silencing decreases cell proliferation, reduced colony formation density, and tumor growth in nude mice xenografts. In addition, we found that Gfi1 repress alpha 1-anti-trypsin (AAT) and alpha 1-anti-chymotrypsin (ACT) expression, two genes with important functions in cancer development, suggesting that Gfi1 silencing promotes tumor growth by increasing AAT and ACT expression in our system. Finally, Gfi1 epigenetic silencing could be a promising biomarker for prostate cancer progression because it is associated with shorter disease-free survival. In conclusion, our findings strongly indicate that Gfi1 epigenetic silencing in prostate and breast cancer could be a crucial step in the development of these two-well characterized endocrine related tumors

Efecto de 16 semanas de ejercicio físico multicomponente para la prevención de la fragilidad y el riesgo de caídas en mayores de 65 años

Resumen: Introducción: Las personas de edad avanzada son vulnerables a la fragilidad y al riesgo de sufrir accidentes acentuados, sobre todo una vez superados los 65 años. Sin embargo, el ejercicio físico se ha mostrado como una herramienta eficaz para paliar la aparición temprana de la fragilidad. Diferentes programas de ejercicio físico multicomponente, en los cuales el entrenamiento de fuerza de forma especial, sumado a otros con objetivos centrados en la resistencia, agilidad y equilibrio, han mostrado efectos positivos sobre la disminución de la fragilidad como antesala de la dependencia y la discapacidad. Objetivos: Comprobar el efecto positivo de la practica de ejercicio físico sobre la disminución de la fragilidad, la mejora de la calidad de vida y de la capacidad funcional en adultos mayores. Métodos: 34 adultos en estado de fragilidad. con una edad media de 78,5 años se sometieron a una intervención de 16 semanas de ejercicio físico multicomponente. Resultados y discusión: El número de participantes con índice de fragilidad disminuyó (del 79,31% al 20,69%); el 72,41 % disminuyó su limitación funcional, y el porcentaje de personas con alto riesgo de caídas pasó del 58,62% al 37, 93 Conclusiones: La introducción de un programa de ejercicio físico multicomponente se plantea como una herramienta muy eficaz de disminución de la fragilidad y de aumento de la capacidad funcional en personas mayores.Abstract: Introduction: The elderly are vulnerable to frailty and the risk of serious accidents, especially after 65 years. However, physical exercise has been shown as an effective tool to mitigate the early onset of fragility. Different programs of multicomponent physical exercise, in which strength training in a special way, added to others with objectives focused on endurance, agility and balance, have shown positive effects on the reduction of fragility as a prelude to dependence and disability .Aim: To verify the positive effect of the practice of physical exercise on the reduction of fragility, the improvement of the quality of life and of the functional capacity in older adults. Methods: 34 adults in a state of fragility. With a mean age of 78,5 years they underwent a 16-week intervention of multicomponent physical exercise. Results & discussion: The number of participants with frailty index decreased (from 79.31% to 20.69%); 72.41% decreased their functional limitation, and the percentage of people at high risk of falls increased from 58.62% to 37, 93. Conclusions: The introduction of a multicomponent physical exercise program is proposed as a very effective tool for reducing frailty and increasing functional capacity in older people.Resumo: Introdução: Os idosos são vulneráveis à fragilidade e ao risco de acidentes graves, principalmente após os 65 anos. No entanto, o exercício físico tem se mostrado uma ferramenta eficaz para mitigar o início precoce da fragilidade. Diferentes programas de exercícios físicos multicomponentes, nos quais o treinamento de força de maneira especial, somado a outros com objetivos focados em resistência, agilidade e equilíbrio, têm demonstrado efeitos positivos na redução da fragilidade como um prelúdio para a dependência e a incapacidade. Objectivos: Verificar o efeito positivo da prática de exercícios físicos na redução da fragilidade, na melhoria da qualidade de vida e da capacidade funcional em idosos.. Métodos: 34 adultos em estado de fragilidade. Com idade média de 78,5 anos, foram submetidos a uma intervenção de 16 semanas de exercício físico multicomponente. Resultados e Discussão: O número de participantes com índice de fragilidade diminuiu (de 79,31% para 20,69%); 72,41% diminuíram sua limitação funcional e o percentual de pessoas com alto risco de quedas aumentou de 58,62% para 37, 93. Conclusões: A introdução de um programa de exercícios físicos multicomponentes é proposta como uma ferramenta muito eficaz para reduzir a fragilidade e aumentar a capacidade funcional em pessoas idosas