Tools suit design and implementation to manage and support research activities on laboratories

En este documento se recoge el diseño, desarrollo e implementación de una modificación para equipos de laboratorio utilizados para la toma de muestras, convirtiéndolo en un dispositivo automatizado basado en Arduino. Mediante el control de motores de paso a través de la placa Arduino y una interfaz gráfica sencilla e intuitiva se ha creado un conjunto de herramientas para el soporte a la investigación en los laboratorios. Este diseño está pensado para poder ser implementada en los equipos de microscopía más comunes en los laboratorios mediante pequeños ajustes del diseño base, configurado para un modelo gen´erico de microscopio. El diseño electro-mecánico del dispositivo está realizado sobre Arduino, implementando módulos de control para motores paso a paso, utilizados comúnmente para maquinaria CNC e impresoras 3D. Además, las imágenes se recogen mediante una cámara USB incorporada en el visor del microscopio y conectada a un computador. En cuanto a la herramienta software está desarrollada en lenguaje JAVA, con un diseño sencillo de interfaz gráfica para facilitar el uso de cara al usuario final y que gestiona toda la información relevante y la muestra de forma organizada mediante distintos paneles

Exploring the effect of the pulp bleaching on the thermo-rheological behavior of sustainable cellulose nanofiber-based oleogels

Taking advantage of the high thickening capacity of cellulose nanofibers in castor oil, sustainable lubricating oleogels were obtained. Methanol was used as mediator to transfer the nanofibers, originally present as a hydrogel, into the vegetable oil. The effect of the pulp bleaching on the oleogels’ thermo-rheological behavior was analyzed. Viscous flow curves and small/large amplitude dynamic shear tests were carried out on both bleached and unbleached samples of the same elm kraft pulp. Substantial differences were observed, above all when the oleogels were subjected to stress values beyond the onset of their linear viscoelastic regimes. The oleogel prepared with nanofibers from the unbleached pulp was found to endure large shear deformations better than that from the bleached pulp, and was less sensitive to temperature. Hence, the complex shear modulus (|G*|) corresponding to the oleogel based on 1.4 wt% bleached nanofiber decreased by 55.7% upon a non-linear stress of 200 Pa was applied for 30 min. However, a less severe structural breakdown, i.e., a decay in |G* | of 28.9% (half of the previous one), was monitored when the oleogel based on the unbleached nanofiber was submitted to the same testing conditions. It should also be underlined that such an oleogel showed an extraordinary capacity to recovery its structure after the large shear deformation process.This work is part of two Research Projects sponsored by “Programa Operativo FEDER-Andalucía 2014–2020 ′′ (UHU-1255843 and UHU- 202008). Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Huelva/ CBUA. The authors gratefully acknowledge their financial support. S.D. Fern´andez-Silva acknowledges “Ayudas para la Contrataci´on Predoctoral de Personal Investigador en Formaci´on 2021, Junta de Andalucía” (PREDOC_01696), for funding his PhD Thesis

Potential valorization of waste cooking oils into sustainable bio-lubricants

This work explores the feasibility of using waste cooking oils (WCO) as eco-lubricants. Five WCO from different food facilities were studied. Three of them were fractionated into both lighter and heavier fractions by molecular distillation. A comprehensive chemical characterization (fatty acids distribution, polar compounds and acidity) was carried out on all WCOs and their fractions, which led to set relationships with the oils’ properties (such as viscosity index, low temperature viscous flow behavior, oxidation resistance, etc.). It is worth mentioning the high viscosity index values found in waste cooking oils with both low total polar compounds and acidity level, as well as the benefit which acidity had on their fluidity at low temperature and their lubricity. Moreover, it was also noteworthy that the lighter fractions, merely constituted by free fatty acids (FFA), presented an improved oxidative resistance. The largest OOT enhancement, 12.4%, was found for the light fraction of a non-segregated oil. Moreover, a better thermal stability was shown by the heavier fractions. Finally, both fractions exhibited enhanced friction-reducing capability as compared to their parent WCO. The light fractions from a nonsegregated oil, a fast food restaurant oil and a deep-fried food establishment oil yielded wear reductions of 11.7%, 44.3% and 36.8%, respectively. Therefore, molecular distillation has been proved to be a key strategy to obtain more efficient liquid eco-lubricants.This work explores the feasibility of using waste cooking oils (WCO) as eco-lubricants. Five WCO from different food facilities were studied. Three of them were fractionated into both lighter and heavier fractions by molecular distillation. A comprehensive chemical characterization (fatty acids distribution, polar compounds and acidity) was carried out on all WCOs and their fractions, which led to set relationships with the oils’ properties (such as viscosity index, low temperature viscous flow behavior, oxidation resistance, etc.). It is worth mentioning the high viscosity index values found in waste cooking oils with both low total polar compounds and acidity level, as well as the benefit which acidity had on their fluidity at low temperature and their lubricity. Moreover, it was also noteworthy that the lighter fractions, merely constituted by free fatty acids (FFA), presented an improved oxidative resistance. The largest OOT enhancement, 12.4%, was found for the light fraction of a non-segregated oil. Moreover, a better thermal stability was shown by the heavier fractions. Finally, both fractions exhibited enhanced friction-reducing capability as compared to their parent WCO. The light fractions from a non- segregated oil, a fast food restaurant oil and a deep-fried food establishment oil yielded wear reductions of 11.7%, 44.3% and 36.8%, respectively. Therefore, molecular distillation has been proved to be a key strategy to obtain more efficient liquid eco-lubricants.This work was supported by “Programa Operativo FEDER-Andalucía 2014–2020 from "Consejería de Economía y Conocimiento de la Junta de Andalucía” and the University of Huelva [grant numbers UHU- 1255843 and UHU-202008]. Also, the Social Innovation Chair of “Aguas de Huelva” at the University of Huelva. Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Huelva / CBUA. The authors gratefully acknowledge the recollected waste cooking oil and kindly supplied by the authorized waste manager (GRU 2066) BIOLIA

Preliminary insights into electro-sensitive ecolubricants: A comparative analysis based on nanocelluloses and nanosilicates in castor oil

The newest generation of lubricants needs to adapt to stricter environmental policies. Simple and sustainable formulations with tunable rheological properties under the action of electric potentials may be the key. The present research explored the feasibility of producing electro-sensitive ecolubricants based on nanocellulose (crystalline and fibrillar) or nanoclay (Cloisite 15A montmorillonite and halloysite nanotubes) dispersions in castor oil, at concentrations that ranged from 2 to 6 wt.%. Broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) measurements allowed for a first estimate on the electro-responsive potential of the nanofluids. The nanocelluloses and the montmorillonite suspensions presented a relaxation event in the dielectric loss, e", centered at ca. 2-4 kHz, which is related to interfacial polarization. Moreover, their actual electro-rheological (ER) effect under high electric potentials up to 4 kV/mm was assessed by determining the magnitude of the yield stress from steady flow curves at 25 °C. It was found that the nanocelluloses and the montmorillonite showed an enhancement of three orders of magnitude in their yield stress values at 4 kV/m. This enhancement was much greater than in the halloysite nanoclay, which did not exhibit any polarization). This is the starting point for the development of environmentally friendly ER lubricating fluids, based on nanocellulose and montmorillonites (layered nanosilicates), which might assist in reducing the friction and wear through the application of controlled electric fields.publishersversionpublishe

Mitochondrial bioenergetics boost macrophage activation, promoting liver regeneration in metabolically compromised animals

Background and aims: Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is the leading cause of early posttransplantation organ failure as mitochondrial respiration and ATP production are affected. A shortage of donors has extended liver donor criteria, including aged or steatotic livers, which are more susceptible to IRI. Given the lack of an effective treatment and the extensive transplantation waitlist, we aimed at characterizing the effects of an accelerated mitochondrial activity by silencing methylation-controlled J protein (MCJ) in three preclinical models of IRI and liver regeneration, focusing on metabolically compromised animal models. Approach and results: Wild-type (WT), MCJ knockout (KO), and Mcj silenced WT mice were subjected to 70% partial hepatectomy (Phx), prolonged IRI, and 70% Phx with IRI. Old and young mice with metabolic syndrome were also subjected to these procedures. Expression of MCJ, an endogenous negative regulator of mitochondrial respiration, increases in preclinical models of Phx with or without vascular occlusion and in donor livers. Mice lacking MCJ initiate liver regeneration 12 h faster than WT and show reduced ischemic injury and increased survival. MCJ knockdown enables a mitochondrial adaptation that restores the bioenergetic supply for enhanced regeneration and prevents cell death after IRI. Mechanistically, increased ATP secretion facilitates the early activation of Kupffer cells and production of TNF, IL-6, and heparin-binding EGF, accelerating the priming phase and the progression through G1 /S transition during liver regeneration. Therapeutic silencing of MCJ in 15-month-old mice and in mice fed a high-fat/high-fructose diet for 12 weeks improves mitochondrial respiration, reduces steatosis, and overcomes regenerative limitations. Conclusions: Boosting mitochondrial activity by silencing MCJ could pave the way for a protective approach after major liver resection or IRI, especially in metabolically compromised, IRI-susceptible organs.Funding information: Supported by grants from Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades MICINN (PID2020-117116RB-100, RTI2018-096759-A-100, RTI2018-095114-B-I00, PID2019-108977RB-100 and RTI2018-095700-B100, integrado en el Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y Innovación, cofinanciado con Fondos FEDER, to M.L.M.-C., T.C.D., C.P., P.M.-S., and N.G.A.A., respectively), Subprograma Retos Colaboración RTC2019-007125-1; Fundación Científica de la Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer (AECC Scientific Foundation) Rare Tumor Calls 2017 (to M.L.M.-C.); Asociación Española contra el Cáncer (to T.C.D. and M.S.-M); La Caixa Foundation Program (HR17-00601, to M.L.M.-C.), Proyectos Investigación en Salud DTS20/00138 (to M.L.M.-C.); Departamento de Industria del Gobierno Vasco (to M.L.M.-C.); Departamento de Educación del Gobierno Vasco (to N.G.-U. and J.S.); Acción Estratégica Ciber Emergentes 2018 (Ciberehd-ISCIII) and Gilead Sciences International Research Scholars Program in Liver Disease (to M.V.-R.); Ciberehd_ISCIII_MINECO is funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos IIIAcknowledgments: We thank MINECO for the Severo Ochoa Excellence Accreditation to CIC bioGUNE (SEV-2016-0644). We acknowledge Begoña Rodríguez Iruretagoyena for the technical support provided

Smart Solar Micro-exchangers for Sustainable Mobility of University Camps

Publicado el resumen en: https://www.wmcaus.org/files/WMCAUS2020_Book.pdf. Pendiente de publicación de las contribuciones en IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering.A significant number of universities have several campuses located in urban or rural settings, or with scattered university buildings that require the use of means of transportation. This implies the mobility and potential displacement of a large community of students, professors and researchers. The use of electric bicycles (e-bikes) is an intermediate alternative between the bicycle and electric cars. It can be an important stimulus for the promotion of the decarbonisation of the University Campus, avoiding the traffic congestion and reducing space requirements for parking. This paper presents the smart solar micro-exchanger model managed through a sustainable mobility web platform, applied to the case study of the University of Malaga (Spain). It is a solar charging station for e-bike, whose design is based on the principles of solar architecture (providing great security to e-bike). It managed by a web platform and app that allows the user to make reservations and learn about the savings in CO2 emissions. The system allows performing an aerobic sports activity without sweating problems when you reach the job. The platform also incorporates a database of quiet and safe routes for e-bike users.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

Community structure of woody plants on islands along a bioclimatic gradient

Peer reviewe

A survey for variable young stars with small telescopes: II - mapping a protoplanetary disc with stable structures at 0.15 au

The HOYS citizen science project conducts long term, multifilter, high cadence monitoring of large YSO samples with a wide variety of professional and amateur telescopes. We present the analysis of the light curve of V1490 Cyg in the Pelican Nebula. We show that colour terms in the diverse photometric data can be calibrated out to achieve a median photometric accuracy of 0.02 mag in broadband filters, allowing detailed investigations into a variety of variability amplitudes over timescales from hours to several years. Using Gaia DR2 we estimate the distance to the Pelican Nebula to be 870 +70 −55 pc. V1490 Cyg is a quasi-periodic dipper with a period of 31.447 ± 0.011 d. The obscuring dust has homogeneous properties, and grains larger than those typical in the ISM. Larger variability on short timescales is observed in U and Rc−Hα, with U-amplitudes reaching 3 mag on timescales of hours, indicating the source is accreting. The Hα equivalent width and NIR/MIR colours place V1490 Cyg between CTTS/WTTS and transition disk objects. The material responsible for the dipping is located in a warped inner disk, about 0.15 AU from the star. This mass reservoir can be filled and emptied on time scales shorter than the period at a rate of up to 10−10 M�/yr, consistent with low levels of accretion in other T Tauri stars. Most likely the warp at this separation from the star is induced by a protoplanet in the inner accretion disk. However, we cannot fully rule out the possibility of an AA Tau-like warp, or occultations by the Hill sphere around a forming planet

CERT1 mutations perturb human development by disrupting sphingolipid homeostasis

Neural differentiation, synaptic transmission, and action potential propagation depend on membrane sphingolipids, whose metabolism is tightly regulated. Mutations in the ceramide transporter CERT (CERT1), which is involved in sphingolipid biosynthesis, are associated with intellectual disability, but the pathogenic mechanism remains obscure. Here, we characterize 31 individuals with de novo missense variants in CERT1. Several variants fall into a previously uncharacterized dimeric helical domain that enables CERT homeostatic inactivation, without which sphingolipid production goes unchecked. The clinical severity reflects the degree to which CERT autoregulation is disrupted, and inhibiting CERT pharmacologically corrects morphological and motor abnormalities in a Drosophila model of the disease, which we call ceramide transporter (CerTra) syndrome. These findings uncover a central role for CERT autoregulation in the control of sphingolipid biosynthetic flux, provide unexpected insight into the structural organization of CERT, and suggest a possible therapeutic approach for patients with CerTra syndrome.This work was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), NIH (R01NS109858, to VAG); the Paul A. Marks Scholar Program at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (to VAG); a TIGER grant from the TAUB Institute at the Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Scientists (to VAG); the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF 31003A-179371, to TH); the European Joint Program on Rare Diseases (EJP RD+SNF 32ER30-187505, to TH); the Swiss Cancer League (KFS-4999-02-2020, to GD); the EPFL institutional fund (to GD); the Kristian Gerhard Jebsen Foundation (to GD); the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) (310030_184926, to GD); the Swiss Foundation for Research on Muscle Disease (FSRMM, to MAL); the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (Discovery Grant 2020-04241, to JEB); the Italian Ministry of Health Young Investigator Grant (GR-2011-02347754, to EL); the Fondazione Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica – Città della Speranza (18-04, to EL); the Wroclaw Medical University (SUB.E160.21.004, to RS); the National Science Centre, Poland (2017/27/B/NZ5/0222, to RS); Telethon Undiagnosed Diseases Program (TUDP) (GSP15001); the Temple Street Foundation/Children’s Health Foundation Ireland (RPAC 19-02, to IK); the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) (PO2366/2–1, to BP); the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain (to ELM, EBS, and BMD); the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81871079 and 81730036, to HG and KX); and the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), NIH (R01 DK115574, to SSC).The DEFIDIAG study is funded by grants from the French Ministry of Health in the framewok of the national French initiative for genomic medicine. The funders were not involved in the study design, data acquisition, analysis, or writing of the manuscript. Funding for the DECIPHER project was provided by Wellcome. The DDD study presents independent research commissioned by the Health Innovation Challenge Fund (grant number HICF-1009-003), a parallel funding partnership between Wellcome and the Department of Health, and the Wellcome Sanger Institute (grant number WT098051). The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of Wellcome or the Department of Health. The study has UK Research Ethics Committee approval (10/H0305/83, granted by the Cambridge South REC, and GEN/284/12, granted by the Republic of Ireland REC). The research team acknowledges the support of the National Institute for Health Research, through the Comprehensive Clinical Research Network.S

Optimasi Portofolio Resiko Menggunakan Model Markowitz MVO Dikaitkan dengan Keterbatasan Manusia dalam Memprediksi Masa Depan dalam Perspektif Al-Qur`an

Risk portfolio on modern finance has become increasingly technical, requiring the use of sophisticated mathematical tools in both research and practice. Since companies cannot insure themselves completely against risk, as human incompetence in predicting the future precisely that written in Al-Quran surah Luqman verse 34, they have to manage it to yield an optimal portfolio. The objective here is to minimize the variance among all portfolios, or alternatively, to maximize expected return among all portfolios that has at least a certain expected return. Furthermore, this study focuses on optimizing risk portfolio so called Markowitz MVO (Mean-Variance Optimization). Some theoretical frameworks for analysis are arithmetic mean, geometric mean, variance, covariance, linear programming, and quadratic programming. Moreover, finding a minimum variance portfolio produces a convex quadratic programming, that is minimizing the objective function ðð¥with constraintsð ð 𥠥 ðandð´ð¥ = ð. The outcome of this research is the solution of optimal risk portofolio in some investments that could be finished smoothly using MATLAB R2007b software together with its graphic analysis