Trophic Ecology during the Ontogenetic Development of the Pelagic Thresher Shark Alopias pelagicus in Baja California Sur, Mexico

The trophic ecology of the Pelagic Thresher shark (Alopias pelagicus) was evaluated based on chemical ecology using stable isotope ratios of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) in the vertebrae and muscles. Individuals were caught between August 2013 and October 2019 on both the coasts of Baja California Sur, Mexico. In Bahía Tortugas, the mean vertebrae (n = 35) values were 12.72 ± 1.06‰ (δ15N) and −14.79 ± 0.61‰ (δ13C), while in muscles (n = 32) these values were 16.63 ± 0.76‰ (δ15N) and −17.18 ± 0.39‰ (δ13C). In Santa Rosalía, the mean vertebrae (n = 125) isotopic values were 14.4 ± 1.59‰ (δ15N) and −14.18 ± 0.51‰ (δ13C), while in muscles (n = 43), these values were 18.08 ± 0.96‰ (δ15N) and −16.43 ± 0.34‰ (δ13C). These results show higher δ15N values in Santa Rosalía as an effect of baseline isotopic differences between the two regions, whereas the δ13C values were lower in Bahía Tortugas, suggesting offshore ecological behavior (p 0.05), suggesting a high overlap between their isotopic niches. Therefore, Alopias pelagicus uses the same ecological niche throughout its life, and there is consistency between sexes. The mean trophic position for both tissues and regions was 4.5, which corresponds to a tertiary predator, without any differences between stages or sex. Due to their higher energetic needs, juveniles and females showed the greatest isotopic niche amplitude; thus, their ecological niche is the widest.Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Project SIP-IPN 2022057

Influence of Formate Concentration on the Rheology and Thermal Degradation of Xanthan Gum

Xanthan gum solutions have gained increasing interest for their use as environmentally friendly chemicals in the oil industry. Xanthan is compatible with most concentrate brines used for controlling formation damage and fluid loss. Particularly, formate brines reinforce the ordered structure of the biopolymer in solution, gel strength, and the specific gravity of the resulting fluid. In this paper, we studied the effect of thermal aging on the rheological behavior of xanthan solutions as a function of the concentration in potassium formate. Ionic strength below a threshold concentration does not prevent the degradation of the structure of xanthan after being submitted to aging at 165 °C. Aged solutions show an important loss of strength in their mechanical properties, lower pH, and higher content in furfural and hydroxymethylfurfural. Highly concentrated formate brines are necessary to maintain the strength of the rheological properties after exposure to high-temperature environmentsThis research was funded by the EU-FEDER Program, grant numbers P18-RT-4684 and CTQ-2017-89792-

Oil-in-Oil emulsions of stearic acid dispersed in silicone oil with enhanced energy storage capability for heat transfer fluids

Non-aqueous phase change emulsions are very unknown and promising multifunctional fluids consisting of phase change materials dispersed in carrier fluids, both being oily phases. The oil-in-oil phase change emulsions allow the possibility of using the same medium for latent heat storage and transport under more extreme pressure and temperature conditions. In this paper, stable emulsions composed of stearic acid with a melting point of 68–71 °C dispersed in silicone oil have been developed. Stearic acid-in-silicone oil emulsion samples with different phase concentrations were evaluated by analysing their thermophysical properties, viscous and viscoelastic behaviour and microstructure. Emulsion properties below the melting point of the phase change material were greatly influenced by the concentration of the disperse phase. Thus, as the temperature lowered, a well-developed three-dimensional network of stearic acid crystalline structures interconnected with each other was formed. Furthermore, emulsion physicochemical and thermal stabilities were examined and proved under several mechanical–thermal cycles, withstanding more than 100 cycles in the calorimeter. The results indicate that stearic acid-in-silicone oil emulsions are an attractive candidate for energy storage applications with a phase change enthalpy in emulsions with the 10 wt% of phase change material of 22.32 J/g.Non-aqueous phase change emulsions are very unknown and promising multifunctional fluids consisting of phase change materials dispersed in carrier fluids, both being oily phases. The oil-in-oil phase change emulsions allow the possibility of using the same medium for latent heat storage and transport under more extreme pressure and temperature conditions. In this paper, stable emulsions composed of stearic acid with a melting point of 68–71 C dispersed in silicone oil have been developed. Stearic acid-in-silicone oil emulsion samples with different phase concentrations were evaluated by analysing their thermophysical properties, viscous and viscoelastic behaviour and microstructure. Emulsion properties below the melting point of the phase change material were greatly influenced by the concentration of the disperse phase. Thus, as the temperature lowered, a well-developed three- dimensional network of stearic acid crystalline structures interconnected with each other was formed. Furthermore, emulsion physicochemical and thermal stabilities were examined and proved under several mechanical–thermal cycles, withstanding more than 100 cycles in the calorimeter. The results indicate that stearic acid-in-silicone oil emulsions are an attractive candidate for energy storage applications with a phase change enthalpy in emulsions with the 10 wt% of phase change material of 22.32 J/g

Non-bituminous binders formulated with bio-based and recycled materials for energy-efficient roofing applications

Non-bituminous binders have been designed as potential roofing materials with sustainable characteristics. To that end, three bio-based rosin esters (R), a waste cooking oil (O) and a recycled polyethylene from greenhouse agriculture (LDPEr) have been used in their formulations. A comprehensive rheological, microstructural, calorimetric, and technological characterization have been performed on binary (polymer/oil or rosin/oil) and ternary (polymer/rosin/oil) blends, allowing the compatibility among binder compounds to be studied. Additionally, thermal conductivity and solar radiation tests have been conducted on a selected non-bituminous binder and compared with a reference polymer modified bitumen. The formulation composed of 61.0% phenolic-modified rosin, 30.5% oil and 8.5% LDPEr has shown suitable mechanical properties for roofing materials, and has exhibited enhanced energy efficiency derived from its light yellowish to brownish color. Under the experimental radiant flux conditions, surface temperature of the non-bituminous binder was 8 °C lower than that of the black bitumen. Moreover, conduction heat transfer through this roofing material was about 14% lower than that conducted through a bitumen-based membrane with the same thickness. Accordingly, developed binders are expected to behave as reflective building materials aiming to reduce the heat island effects and save energy.This work is part of GreenAsphalt project (ref. 802C1800001), cofunded by FEDER European Programme (80%) and Junta de Andalucía (Consejería de Economía, Conocimiento, Empresas y Unversidades/ Agencia-IDEA), and has been also co-funded by FEDER/Junta de Andalucía-Consejería de Economía y Conocimiento/Project UHU- 1256916. Clara Delgado-S´anchez also acknowledges financial support from Junta de Andalucía through post-doctoral Grant No. DC 01228 (PAIDI 2020), co-funded by the EU Fondo Social Europeo (FSE). Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Huelva / CBUA

Acute effect of moderate-intensity exercise on spirometric variables in broncodilated asthmatic subjects. A pilot study

Background: Exercise-Induced Bronchospasm (BIE) occurs in 70 % to 80 % of asthmatics and its occurrence is more frequent at the end of a session of physical exercise, mainly of vigorous intensity. Objective: To evaluate the acute effect of moderateintensity physical exercise on spirometric variables in asthmatic subjects. Methodology: A before-and-after type quasi-experimental design. Ten subjects were included (mean age = 23 ± 4 years), which were divided into two groups: five asthmatic subjects and five healthy subjects. Both groups performed 10 min of warm-up, 20 min of treadmill exercise at an intensity of 60 % of the Heart Rate Reserve, and a final cool-down of 5 minutes. Lung function was assessed before and 15 minutes after exercise. Results: There were statistically significant differences between groups (with asthma = 6 % vs. without asthma = -1 %, p = 0.03) in the pre-post-exercise changes of the ratio of the forced expiratory volume in one second and the forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC). The multivariate analysis showed that post-exercise FVC in subjects with asthma was significantly lower than in subjects without asthma, after adjusting for the baseline assessment and total body mass. Conclusion: Moderate-intensity exercise on a treadmill did not shows clinically significant differences on the changes pre-post exercise of the studied spirometric variables, since the changes on FEV1 or FVC did not exceed 10 % having as reference the baseline evaluation

A Mathcad‐based educational experience to address the design of nonisothermal plug flow reactors

Mathcad is a simple-to-use and intuitive mathematical software that helps students to minimize the mathematical difficulties involved in solving engineering problems. The design of nonisothermal plug flow reactors (PFR) is a fundamental issue within the field of chemical reaction engineering; however, its teaching–learning process is hindered by students' mathematical difficulties in solving ordinary differential equations. In this paper, the software Mathcad was conveniently integrated into an educational experience through the resolution of two real case studies. In the first one, a simple liquid-phase reaction is considered in a PFR working at different operating conditions, whereas the second case evaluates a PFR taking place multiple reactions (parallel reactions) with a heat exchanger attached. The assessment of this experience, which was held into two 5-h Mathcad workshops, revealed that Mathcad made the design of non-isothermal PFR more appealing, facilitated the understanding of the design process, and brought another dimension to the way the students perform complex calculations

Microvascular cerebral blood flow fluctuations in association with apneas and hypopneas in acute ischemic stroke

Altres ajuts: The authors thank Dr. Arjun Yodh, Dr. John A. Detre, Dr. Janos Lückl, and Rosa Maria Miralda for their useful discussions. They acknowledge the support from Redes Temáticas de Investigación Cooperativa (RETICS-INVICTUS RD012/0014 and RETICS-INVICTUS PLUS RD16/0019/0010), the "Severo Ochoa" Programme for Centres of Excellence in R&D (SEV-2015-0522), the Obra Social "la Caixa" Foundation (LlumMedBcn) LASERLAB-EUROPE IV (EU-H2020 654148), "Fundació La Marató TV3" (201709.31), Marie Curie initial training network (OILTEBIA 317526), Societat Catalana de Pneumologia (SOCAP), and Sociedad Española de Neumología y Cirugía Torácica (SEPAR).In a pilot study on acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients, unexpected periodic fluctuations in microvascular cerebral blood flow (CBF) had been observed. Motivated by the relative lack of information about the impact of the emergence of breathing disorders in association with stroke on cerebral hemodynamics, we hypothesized that these fluctuations are due to apneic and hypopneic events. A total of 28 patients were screened within the first week after stroke with a pulse oximeter. Five (18%) showed fluctuations of arterial blood oxygen saturation (=3%) and were included in the study. Near-infrared diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) was utilized bilaterally to measure the frontal lobe CBF alongside respiratory polygraphy. Biphasic CBF fluctuations were observed with a bilateral increase of 27.1% 17.7% and 29.0% 17.4% for the ipsilesional and contralesional hemispheres, respectively, and a decrease of -19.3% 9.1% and -21.0% 8.9% for the ipsilesional and contralesional hemispheres, respectively. The polygraph revealed that, in general, the fluctuations were associated with apneic and hypopneic events. This study motivates us to investigate whether the impact of altered respiratory patterns on cerebral hemodynamics can be detrimental in AIS patients

CALIFA, the Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area survey: IV. Third public data release

This paper describes the third public data release (DR3) of the Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area (CALIFA) survey. Science-grade quality data for 667 galaxies are made public, including the 200 galaxies of the second public data release (DR2). Data were obtained with the integral-field spectrograph PMAS/PPak mounted on the 3.5 m telescope at the Calar Alto Observatory. Three different spectral setups are available: i) a low-resolution V500 setup covering the wavelength range 3745-7500 Å (4240-7140 Å unvignetted) with a spectral resolution of 6.0 Å (FWHM) for 646 galaxies, ii) a medium-resolution V1200 setup covering the wavelength range 3650-4840 Å (3650-4620 Å unvignetted) with a spectral resolution of 2.3 Å (FWHM) for 484 galaxies, and iii) the combination of the cubes from both setups (called COMBO) with a spectral resolution of 6.0 Å and a wavelength range between 3700-7500 Å (3700-7140 Å unvignetted) for 446 galaxies. The Main Sample, selected and observed according to the CALIFA survey strategy covers a redshift range between 0.005 and 0.03, spans the color-magnitude diagram and probes a wide range of stellar masses, ionization conditions, and morphological types. The Extension Sample covers several types of galaxies that are rare in the overall galaxy population and are therefore not numerous or absent in the CALIFA Main Sample. All the cubes in the data release were processed using the latest pipeline, which includes improved versions of the calibration frames and an even further improved image reconstruction quality. In total, the third data release contains 1576 datacubes, including ~1.5 million independent spectra. © 2016 ESO.SFS thanks the CONACYT-125180 and DGAPA-IA100815 projects for providing him support in this study. R.G.B., R.G.D., and E.P. are supported by grants AYA2014-57490-P and JA-FQM-2828. SZ is supported by the EU Marie Curie Integration Grant >SteMaGE> No. PCIG12-GA-2012-326466 (Call Identifier: FP7-PEOPLE-2012 CIG). J. F.-B. from grant AYA2013-48226-C3-1-P from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO), as well as from the FP7 Marie Curie Actions of the European Commission, via the Initial Training Network DAGAL under REA grant agreement 289313 B.G-L- acknowledges financial support by the Spanish MINECO under grants AYA2013-41656-P and AYA2015-68217-P Support for L.G. is provided by the Ministry of Economy, Development, and Tourism's Millennium Science Initiative through grant IC12009, awarded to The Millennium Institute of Astrophysics, MAS. L.G. also acknowledges support by CONICYT through FONDECYT grant 3140566, and AYA2013-42227-P from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion and TIC 114 and PO08-TIC-3531 from Junta de Andalucia. AG acknowledges support from the FP7/2007-2013 under grant agreement no. 267251 (AstroFIt). RAM was funded by the Spanish programme of International Campus of Excellence Moncloa (CEI). JMA acknowledges support from the European Research Council Starting Grant (SEDmorph; P.I. V. Wild). I.M. and A.d.O. acknowledge the support by the projects AYA2010-15196 from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion and TIC 114 and PO08-TIC-3531 from Junta de Andalucia. AMI acknowledges support from Agence Nationale de la Recherche through the STILISM project (ANR-12-BS05-0016-02). M.M. acknowledges financial support from AYA2010-21887-004-02 from the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad. PSB acknowledges support from the Ramon y Cajal program, grant ATA2010-21322-C03-02 from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO). C.J.W. acknowledges support through the Marie Curie Career Integration Grant 303912. V.W. acknowledges support from the European Research Council Starting Grant (SEDMorph P.I. V. Wild) and European Career Re-integration Grant (Phiz-Ev P.I. V. Wild). YA acknowledges financial support from the Ramon y Cajal programme (RyC-2011-09461) and project AYA2013-47742-C4-3-P, both managed by the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad, as well as the >Study of Emission-Line Galaxies with Integral Field Spectroscopy> (SELGIFS) programme, funded by the EU (FP7-PEOPLE-2013-IRSES-612701) within the Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions scheme. ROM acknowledges support from CAPES (Brazil) through a PDJ fellowship from project 88881.030413/2013-01, program CSF-PVE.Peer Reviewe