Diseño constructal de CPCs y la evolución de los diseños Tolokatsin

CIES2020 - XVII Congresso Ibérico e XIII Congresso Ibero-americano de Energia SolarRESUMEN: En el presente trabajo, se demuestra el truncamiento óptimo de los CPCs empleando la Ley Cosntructal, estableciendo diferentes grupos funcionales que establecen los grados de libertad del sistema. Los grados de libertad involucran los parámetros geométricos que repercuten de manera directa en la potencia térmica que incide sobre el absorbedor (función objetivo). Al realizar la variación de los parámetros geométricos, se identifica el valor óptimo de operación. Posteriormente, se analiza la evolución de los diseños Tolokatsin en los 30 años de existencia, verificando un óptimo desempeño mediante una serie de pruebas experimentales en las que se recabaron mediciones de temperatura e irradiancia, para cuantificar la potencia térmica útil (carga de calentamiento) en el horno solar.ABSTRACT: In the present work, the optimal truncation of the CPCs is demonstrated using the Cosntructal Law, establishing different functional groups that establish the degrees of freedom of the system. The degrees of freedom involve the geometric parameters that directly affect the thermal power that affects the absorber (objective function). When performing the variation of the geometric parameters, the optimum operating value is identified. Subsequently, the evolution of Tolokatsin designs in the 30 years of existence is analyzed, verifying optimum performance through a series of experimental tests in which temperature and irradiance measurements were collected, to quantify the useful thermal power (heating load) in the solar oven.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

In1-ghrelin splicing variant is overexpressed in pituitary adenomas and increases their aggressive features

Pituitary adenomas comprise a heterogeneous subset of pathologies causing serious comorbidities, which would benefit from identification of novel, common molecular/cellular biomarkers and therapeutic targets. The ghrelin system has been linked to development of certain endocrine-related cancers. Systematic analysis of the presence and functional implications of some components of the ghrelin system, including native ghrelin, receptors and the recently discovered splicing variant In1-ghrelin, in human normal pituitaries (n 5 11) and pituitary adenomas (n 5 169) revealed that expression pattern of ghrelin system suffers a clear alteration in pituitary adenomasas comparedwith normal pituitary, where In1-ghrelin is markedly overexpressed. Interestingly, in cultured pituitary adenoma cells In1-ghrelin treatment (acylated peptides at 100 nM; 24–72 h) increasedGHandACTHsecretion, Ca21 and ERK1/2 signaling and cell viability, whereas In1-ghrelin silencing (using a specific siRNA; 100 nM) reduced cell viability. These results indicate that an alteration of the ghrelin system, specially its In1-ghrelin variant, could contribute to pathogenesis of different pituitary adenomas types, and suggest that this variant and its related ghrelin system could provide new tools to identify novel, more general diagnostic, prognostic and potential therapeutic targets in pituitary tumors

A Somatostatin Receptor Subtype-3 (SST3) Peptide Agonist Shows Antitumor Effects in Experimental Models of Nonfunctioning Pituitary Tumors

[Purpose] Somatostatin analogues (SSA) are efficacious and safe treatments for a variety of neuroendocrine tumors, especially pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNET). Their therapeutic effects are mainly mediated by somatostatin receptors SST2 and SST5. Most SSAs, such as octreotide/lanreotide/pasireotide, are either nonselective or activate mainly SST2. However, nonfunctioning pituitary tumors (NFPTs), the most common PitNET type, mainly express SST3 and finding peptides that activate this particular somatostatin receptor has been very challenging. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to identify SST3-agonists and characterize their effects on experimental NFPT models.[Experimental Design] Binding to SSTs and cAMP level determinations were used to screen a peptide library and identify SST3-agonists. Key functional parameters (cell viability/caspase activity/chromogranin-A secretion/mRNA expression/intracellular signaling pathways) were assessed on NFPT primary cell cultures in response to SST3-agonists. Tumor growth was assessed in a preclinical PitNET mouse model treated with a SST3-agonist. [Results] We successfully identified the first SST3-agonist peptides. SST3-agonists lowered cell viability and chromogranin-A secretion, increased apoptosis in vitro, and reduced tumor growth in a preclinical PitNET model. As expected, inhibition of cell viability in response to SST3-agonists defined two NFPT populations: responsive and unresponsive, wherein responsive NFPTs expressed more SST3 than unresponsive NFPTs and exhibited a profound reduction of MAPK, PI3K-AKT/mTOR, and JAK/STAT signaling pathways upon SST3-agonist treatments. Concurrently, SSTR3 silencing increased cell viability in a subset of NFPTs. [Conclusions] This study demonstrates that SST3-agonists activate signaling mechanisms that reduce NFPT cell viability and inhibit pituitary tumor growth in experimental models that expresses SST3, suggesting that targeting this receptor could be an efficacious treatment for NFPTs.This work has been funded by the following grants: Junta de Andalucía [CTS-1406 (R.M. Luque), BIO-0139 (J.P. Castaño)]; Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades [BFU2016-80360-R (J.P. Castaño)] and Instituto de Salud Carlos III, co-funded by European Union [ERDF/ESF, “Investing in your future”: PI16/00264 (R.M. Luque), CP15/00156 (M.D. Gahete) and CIBERobn]. CIBER is an initiative of Instituto de Salud Carlos III

Seropositivity rates for agents of canine vector-borne diseases in Spain : a multicentre study

Background: Controlling canine vector-borne diseases (CVBD) is a major concern, since some of these diseases are serious zoonoses. This study was designed to determine seropositivity rates in Spain for agents causing the following five CVBD: leishmaniosis (Leishmania infantum: Li), heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis: Di), ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia canis: Ec), anaplasmosis (Anaplasma phagocytophilum/Anaplasma platys: An) and Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi: Bb). Methods: Anti-An, -Bb, and -Ec antibodies and the Di antigen were determined using the 4DX SNAP® Test (IDEXX Laboratories) and anti-L. infantum (Li) antibodies using the Leishmania SNAP® Test (IDEXX Laboratories) in blood and/or serum samples. Results: Among 1100 dogs examined, overall seropositivity rates were: Li (15.7%), Ec (5%), An (3.1%), Di (1.25%) and Bb (0.4%). While seropositivity towards Bb and Di was similar in all geographic regions, rates were significantly higher in the east of Spain (8.3%) for An, significantly higher in the north (20%) for Ec, and significantly higher in the Southeast (46.6%) and South (27.4%), and significantly lower in the north (0%) for Li. No statistical associations were observed between sex and the CVBD analyzed (p ≥ 0.05) while the following associations with other variables were detected: a higher seropositivity to Ec (40%) and Bb (6.7%) in dogs under one year of age compared with adults (p < 0.05); and a higher seropositivity to An and Li in dogs that lived outdoors versus indoors (p = 0.01; p < 0.001, respectively). Seropositivity rates of 2.1%, 0%, 1.7%, 0.5% and 4.2% were recorded respectively for An, Bb, Ec, Di and Li in dogs with no clinical signs (n = 556) versus 3.8%, 0.6%, 7.5%, 1.8% and 25.9% for those with signs (n = 507) suggestive of a CVBD. Conclusion: The data obtained indicate a risk for dogs in Spain of acquiring any of the five CVBD examined. Veterinarians in the different regions should include these diseases in their differential diagnoses and recommend the use of repellents and other prophylactic measures to prevent disease transmission by arthropod vectors. Public health authorities also need to become more involved in the problem, since some of the CVBD examined here also affect humans

Kinetic energy bounds for particles confined in spherically-symmetric traps with non-standard dimensions

The kinetic energy of non-relativistic single-particle systems with arbitrary D-dimensional central potentials is found to be bounded from below by means of the orbital hyperangular quantum number, the dimensionality and some radial and logarithmic expectation values of the form langrkrang and langrk (ln r)mrang. Beyond the intrinsic physico-mathematical interest of this problem, we want to contribute to the current development of the theory of independent particles confined in spherically symmetric traps with non-standard dimensions. The latter has been motivated by the recent experimental achievements of the evaporative cooling of dilute (i.e. almost non-interacting) fermions in magnetic traps.We are very grateful for partial support from Junta de Andalucía (under the grants FQM-0207 and FQM-481), Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (under the project FIS2005-00973), and the European Research Network NeCCA (under the project INTAS-03-51-6637). RGF acknowledges the support of Junta de Andalucía under the program of Retorno de Investigadores a Centros de Investigación Andaluces, and PSM the support of Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia under the program FPU

Spain: Underwater Exploration on a Narrow Continental Shelf

In spite of Spain’s long coastline (nearly 8000 km) and its well-established tradition in underwater archaeology, the prehistoric settlement of the continental shelf is practically unknown with very few finds. Underwater research has focused on naval archaeology and, until very recently, no attempt had been made to look for prehistoric underwater sites. In the past decade,new research projects have been launched to explore selected areas on the Cantabrian shelf and offshore of Gibraltar. This chapter summarises the currently available evidence of submerged prehistoric archaeology and the preliminary results of these new project

Irrigation Cartographic Units (ICU) in the Ebro River Basin in Aragón

Different data sources were used: (i) Cartography of the boundaries of the Water Users` Associations limits elaborated by the General Water Users Associations (if existing); (ii) cartography of irrigated area from the Ebro River Basin Authority; (iii) Cartography of the projected expansion of the irrigated area from the Ebro River Basin Authority (Ebro Hydrological Plan 2010-2015); and (v) Water Use inventory from the Ebro River Basin Authority (https://iber.chebro.es/geoportal/).Irrigation Cartographic Units (ICU) in the Ebro River Basin in Aragó

Irrigation modernization in the Ebro – Aragón region of Spain: Past and future trends

Irrigation modernization has been analyzed in the part of the Aragón region within the Ebro River Basin, in northeastern Spain. A geodatabase was built with 1144 irrigation cartographical units (ICUs) adding up to 476 k ha with access to water and equipped with on-farm irrigation hardware. ICUs were classified in eight categories related to irrigation modernization. The classification revealed that in the past two decades an integral irrigation modernization was achieved in 103 k ha. In a second modernization, 13 k ha were transformed to reduce their dependence on grid energy. A third type of modernization, oriented to the digitalization of irrigation management processes, is only incipient at this time. Public investments in modernization during this period were estimated at 36.8?M€/year. This intense, publicly co-funded, policy-driven process will be far from sufficient to complete the modernization of all irrigated land in the study area in another twenty-year period. In a concurrent process, obsolete, socially unfavored and structurally deficient irrigated areas are being abandoned for irrigation and even for farming. Specific indicators were proposed to approach the abandonment process, revealing that irrigation intensity in temperate climate, riparian ICUs was only 20?%. Irrigation in the study area needs to progress towards sustainable intensification, concentrating agricultural production in areas equipped with the technology and the water management capacities required to face the current agronomical and environmental challenges. The on-going processes of irrigation modernization, new irrigation developments and irrigation abandonment should be coordinated to serve this purpose.Esta investigación ha sido financiada por el Departamento de Agricultura, Ganadería y Medio Ambiente del Gobierno de Aragón y el Fondo Europeo Agrícola de Desarrollo Rural (FEADER) de la Unión Europea a través del Programa de Desarrollo Rural. El código de la subvención es #GCP2021001800 y el título de la subvención es «Grupo Operativo Partenariado del Agua de la cuenca del Ebro-Aragón».Publishe

The European Solar Telescope

The European Solar Telescope (EST) is a project aimed at studying the magnetic connectivity of the solar atmosphere, from the deep photosphere to the upper chromosphere. Its design combines the knowledge and expertise gathered by the European solar physics community during the construction and operation of state-of-the-art solar telescopes operating in visible and near-infrared wavelengths: the Swedish 1m Solar Telescope, the German Vacuum Tower Telescope and GREGOR, the French Télescope Héliographique pour l'Étude du Magnétisme et des Instabilités Solaires, and the Dutch Open Telescope. With its 4.2 m primary mirror and an open configuration, EST will become the most powerful European ground-based facility to study the Sun in the coming decades in the visible and near-infrared bands. EST uses the most innovative technological advances: the first adaptive secondary mirror ever used in a solar telescope, a complex multi-conjugate adaptive optics with deformable mirrors that form part of the optical design in a natural way, a polarimetrically compensated telescope design that eliminates the complex temporal variation and wavelength dependence of the telescope Mueller matrix, and an instrument suite containing several (etalon-based) tunable imaging spectropolarimeters and several integral field unit spectropolarimeters. This publication summarises some fundamental science questions that can be addressed with the telescope, together with a complete description of its major subsystems

Role of age and comorbidities in mortality of patients with infective endocarditis

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics of patients with IE in three groups of age and to assess the ability of age and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to predict mortality. Methods: Prospective cohort study of all patients with IE included in the GAMES Spanish database between 2008 and 2015. Patients were stratified into three age groups:<65 years, 65 to 80 years, and = 80 years.The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was calculated to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of the CCI to predict mortality risk. Results: A total of 3120 patients with IE (1327 < 65 years;1291 65-80 years;502 = 80 years) were enrolled.Fever and heart failure were the most common presentations of IE, with no differences among age groups.Patients =80 years who underwent surgery were significantly lower compared with other age groups (14.3%, 65 years; 20.5%, 65-79 years; 31.3%, =80 years). In-hospital mortality was lower in the <65-year group (20.3%, <65 years;30.1%, 65-79 years;34.7%, =80 years;p < 0.001) as well as 1-year mortality (3.2%, <65 years; 5.5%, 65-80 years;7.6%, =80 years; p = 0.003).Independent predictors of mortality were age = 80 years (hazard ratio [HR]:2.78;95% confidence interval [CI]:2.32–3.34), CCI = 3 (HR:1.62; 95% CI:1.39–1.88), and non-performed surgery (HR:1.64;95% CI:11.16–1.58).When the three age groups were compared, the AUROC curve for CCI was significantly larger for patients aged <65 years(p < 0.001) for both in-hospital and 1-year mortality. Conclusion: There were no differences in the clinical presentation of IE between the groups. Age = 80 years, high comorbidity (measured by CCI), and non-performance of surgery were independent predictors of mortality in patients with IE.CCI could help to identify those patients with IE and surgical indication who present a lower risk of in-hospital and 1-year mortality after surgery, especially in the <65-year group