Periphyton and phytoplankton assessment in a shrimp nursery: signature pigments analysis

[EN] Understanding microalgae composition is key for an improved aquaculture system management. The primary objective of this research was to estimate microalgae community structure in a Marsupenaeus japonicus nursery. The secondary objective was to analyze the environmental parameters (salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, total dissolved ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and phosphates) and shrimp density effect on abundance, composition and development of microalgae in a shrimp nursery. Periphyton and phytoplankton composition and abundance were determined using HPLC signature pigment analysis coupled with CHEMTAX software. Environmental parameters were measured in the tanks with probes or in the laboratory following standard procedures of water quality analysis. A nonparametric repeated-measures ANOVA statistical analysis was done to test differences between treatments. Spearman rank correlation analyses were performed on environmental and biological variables with phytoplankton or periphyton groups in order to examine significant relationship. The results showed diatoms were significantly higher than any other groups in both phytoplankton and periphyton communities. Shrimp density effect on periphyton, phytoplankton composition and environmental parameters was minor. Nutrients played a key role on phytoplankton development, but had a minor effect on periphyton, which was more affected by colonization processes and other environmental variables. The analysis of signature pigments allowed to report the presence of previously undetected groups on periphyton, prasinophytes and prymnesiophytes, which are characterized by high nutritional value. This is especially important in nurseries because shrimp grazing on periphyton can increase post-larvae survival.Financial support for this research was provided by Conselleria d'Educacio, Investigacio, Cultura i Esport of the Generalitat Valenciana, through the program VALi+D, file Number ACIF/2014/244. The authors want to thank the anonymous reviewer for the accurate revision and useful comments which helped to improve the original manuscript.Llario, F.; Rodilla, M.; Falco, S.; Escrivá, J.; Sebastiá-Frasquet, M. (2020). Periphyton and phytoplankton assessment in a shrimp nursery: signature pigments analysis. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology. 17(2):857-868. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-019-02515-zS85786817

In Vivo insulin-dependent glucose uptake of specific tissues is decreased during aging of mature wistar rats

Copyright (1997) The Endocrine Society .The paper can be found at the following URL on the website http://endo.endojournals.org

Estudio de calidad de vida de pacientes con coxartrosis

La artroplastia de cadera secundaria a artrosis es una de las intervenciones más frecuentes dentro de la cirugía ortopédica. La coxartrosis produce una limitación funcional severa, que invalida a los pacientes y los hace dependientes para sus actividades cotidianas. Se calcula la calidad de vida aportada en las intervenciones de reemplazo articular de cadera de 85 pacientes con coxartrosis utilizando el “EQ-5D”. La puntuación media preoperatoria fue 0,222 ± 0,320 y la postoperatoria 0,794 ± 0,251. El incremento de calidad de vida en función de la edad de los pacientes siguió una tendencia descendente (β= −0,010), sin diferencias significativas (p=0,214). El incremento de calidad de vida no se vió condicionado por la presencia de infección (p>0,5), duración de la intervención (p>0,5) ni tiempo de estancia hospitalaria (p>0,5). La sustitución de esta articulación ha transformado la vida de muchos de los pacientes incrementando su calidad de vida, principalmente en pacientes que ingresan por coxartrosis en comparación con otros diagnósticos.Hip replacement secondary to osteoarthritis is one of the most performed surgeries in orthopaedic surgery. Osteoarthritis produces a severe functional limitation that invalidates patients and makes them dependent for their daily activities. It is calculated the quality of life provided by hip replacement procedure in 85 osteoarthritis patients using the “EQ-5D”. The mean preoperative score was 0.222 ± 0.320 and the postoperative score 0.794 ± 0.251. The increase in quality of life according to patients age followed a descendent tendency (β= −0.010), without a statitically relationship (p=0.214). The increase in quality of life was not conditioned by infection (p>0.5), length of stay (p>0.5) or length of the procedure (p>0.5). Joint replacement has changed the lives of many patients, increasing their quality of life, mainly in osteoarthritis patients compared to patients with other diagnosis

Experimental verification of hybrid renewable systems as feasible energy sources

[EN] Renewable energies are a central element in the search for energy sustainability, so they are becoming a substantial component of the energy scenario of every country, both as systems connected to the grid or in stand-alone applications. Feasibility of these renewable energy systems could be necessary not only in their application in isolated areas, but also in systems connected to the grid, in this last case when their contribution reaches a substantial fraction of the total electricity demand. To overcome this reliability problem, hybrid renewable systems could become essential and activities to optimize their design should be addressed, both in the simulation and in the experimental areas. In this paper, a laboratory to simulate and verify the reliability of hybrid renewable systems is presented and its application to the feasibility analysis of multicomponent systems including photovoltaic panels, wind generator and biomass gasification plant, plus energy storage in a battery bank, are described.Pérez-Navarro, Á.; Alfonso-Solar, D.; Ariza-Chacón, HE.; Cárcel Carrasco, FJ.; Correcher Salvador, A.; Escrivá-Escrivá, G.; Hurtado, E.... (2016). Experimental verification of hybrid renewable systems as feasible energy sources. Renewable Energy. 86(2):384-391. doi:10.1016/j.renene.2015.08.030S38439186

The impact of a web-based lifestyle educational program (‘Living Better’) Reintervention on hypertensive overweight or obese patients

‘Living Better’, a self-administered web-based intervention, designed to facilitate lifestyle changes, has already shown positive short-and medium-term health benefits in patients with an obesity–hypertension phenotype. The objectives of this study were: (1) to examine the long-term (3-year) evolution of a group of hypertensive overweight or obese patients who had already followed the ‘Living Better’ program; (2) to analyze the effects of completing this program a second time (reintervention) during the COVID-19 pandemic. A quasi-experimental design was used. We recruited 29 individuals from the 105 who had participated in our first study. We assessed and compared their systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), body mass index (BMI), eating behavior, and physical activity (PA) level (reported as METs-min/week), at Time 0 (first intervention follow-up), Time 1 (before the reintervention), and Time 2 (post-reintervention). Our results showed significant improvements between Time 1 and Time 2 in SBP (-4.7 (-8.7 to -0.7); p = 0.017), DBP (-3.5 (-6.2 to -0.8); p = 0.009), BMI (-0.7 (-1.0 to -0.4); p 0.24). Implementation of the ‘Living Better’ program maintained positive long-term (3-year) health benefits in patients with an obesity–hypertension phenotype. Moreover, a reintervention with this program during the COVID-19 pandemic produced significant improvements in blood pressure, BMI, eating behavior, and PA. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

All-Silicon spherical-Mie-resonator photodiode with spectral response in the infrared region

[EN] Silicon is the material of choice for visible light photodetection and solar cell fabrication. However, due to the intrinsic band gap properties of silicon, most infrared photons are energetically useless. Here, we show the first example of a photodiode developed on a micrometre scale sphere made of polycrystalline silicon whose photocurrent shows the Mie modes of a classical spherical resonator. The long dwell time of resonating photons enhances the photocurrent response, extending it into the infrared region well beyond the absorption edge of bulk silicon. It opens the door for developing solar cells and photodetectors that may harvest infrared light more efficiently than silicon photovoltaic devices that are so far developed.The authors acknowledge financial support from the following projects: FIS2009-07812, MAT2012-35040, network ‘Nanophotonics for Energy Efficiency’ Grant agreement 248855, TEC2012-34397, Consolider 2007-0046 Nanolight, AGAUR 2009 SGR 549 and the PROMETEO/2010/043. We also acknowledge the fruitful discussions with Professor Javier Garcı´a de Abajo.Garín Escrivá, M.; Fenollosa Esteve, R.; Alcubilla, R.; Shi, L.; Marsal, LF.; Meseguer Rico, FJ. (2014). All-Silicon spherical-Mie-resonator photodiode with spectral response in the infrared region. Nature Communications. 5:2-6. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms4440S265Schockley, W. & Queisser, H. J. Detailed balance limit of efficiency of pn junction solar cells. J. Appl. Phys. 32, 510–519 (1961).Cao, L. et al. Engineering light absorption in semiconductor nanowire devices. Nat. Mater. 8, 643–647 (2009).Kelzenberg, M. D. et al. Enhanced absorption and carrier collection in Si wire arrays for photovoltaic applications. Nat. Mater. 9, 239–244 (2010).Ünlü, M. S. & Strite, S. Resonant cavity enhanced photonic devices. J. Appl. Phys. 78, 607–639 (1995).Xu, Q., Schmidt, B., Pradhan, S. & Lipson, M. Micrometre-scale silicon electro-optic modulator. Nature 435, 325–327 (2005).Serpengüzel, A., Kurt, A. & Ayaz, U. K. Silicon microspheres for electronic and photonic integration. Photon. Nanostructur.: Fundam. Appl. 6, 179–182 (2008).Kim, S. K. et al. Tuning light absorption in core/shell silicon nanowire photovoltaic devices through morphological design. Nano Lett. 12, 4971–4976 (2012).Yu, L. et al. Bismuth-catalyzed and doped silicon nanowires for one-pump-down fabrication of radial junction solar cells. Nano Lett. 12, 4153–4158 (2012).Fan, Z. et al. Three-dimensional nanopillar-array photovoltaics on low-cost and flexible substrates. Nat. Mater. 8, 648–653 (2009).Wallentin, J. et al. InP Nanowire array solar cells achieving 13.8% efficiency by exceeding the ray optics limit. Science 339, 1057–1060 (2013).Krogstrup, P. et al. Single-nanowire solar cells beyond the Shockley–Queisser limit. Nat. Photon. 7, 306–310 (2013).Fenollosa, R., Meseguer, F. & Tymczenko, M. Silicon colloids: from microcavities to photonic sponges. Adv. Mater. 20, 95–98 (2008).Pell, L. E., Schricker, A. D., Mikulec, F. V. & Korgel, B. A. Synthesis of amorphous silicon colloids by trisilane thermolysis in high temperature supercritical solvents. Langmuir 20, 6546–6548 (2004).Shi, L. et al. Monodisperse silicon nanocavities and photonic crystals with magnetic response in the optical region. Nat. Commun. 4, a.n.1904 (2013).Levine, J. D., Hotchkiss, G. B. & Wammerbacher, M. D. Basic properties of the spheral solar cell. Proc. 22nd IEEE PVSC p1045IEEE: Las Vegas, (1991).Breen, T. L., Tien, J., Oliver, S. R. J., Hadzic, T. & Whitesides, G. M. Design and self-assembly of open, regular, 3D mesostructures. Science 284, 948–951 (1999).Gracias, D. H., Tien, J., Breen, T. L., Hsu, C. & Whitesides, G. M. Forming electrical networks in three dimensions by self-assembly. Science 289, 1170–1172 (2000).Gumennik, A. et al. Silicon-in-silica spheres via axial thermal gradient in-fibre capillary instabilities. Nat. Commun. 4, a.n.2216 (2013).Yamamoto, K. et al. Thin-film poly-Si solar cells on glass substrate fabricated at low temperature. Appl. Phys. A 69, 179–185 (1999).Cesare, G., de, Caputo, D. & Tucci, M. Electrical properties of ITO/crystalline-silicon contact at different deposition temperatures. IEEE Electron Dev. Lett. 33, 327–329 (2012).Eversole, J. D., Lin, H.-B., Huston, A. L. & Campillo, A. J. Spherical-cavity-mode assignments of optical resonances in microdoplets using elastic scattering. J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 7, 2159–2168 (1990).Poruba, A. et al. Optical absorption and light scattering in microcrystalline silicon thin films and solar cells. J. Appl. Phys. 88, 148–160 (2000)

Desarrollo y Aplicación de una Metodología CSAU para el Caso de un ATWS en un BWR utilizando Métodos de Teoría de la Información

Se ha desarrollado una metodología tipo CSAU utilizando herramientas de teoría de la información para evaluar la incertidumbre en los parámetros de entrada y de los modelos que pueden afectar al parámetro crítico de seguridad (PCS). Para ello se han desarrollado dos herramientas auxiliares los programas GEDIPA-V1 y UNTHERCO –V1, el primero averigua la distribución de un parámetro o parámetros utilizando teoría de la información y evalúa también los momentos de la distribución con sus intervalos de confianza a partir de los datos. Mientras que el segundo realiza el muestreo por MONTECARLO de los parámetros de entrada cuya importancia ha sido puesta de manifiesto previamente mediante el PIRT y el análisis de sensibilidad. En el caso de que la información sobre un parámetro sea incompleta se aplica el principio de la máxima entropía o el de la máxima entropía relativa para obtener su función de distribución. La metodología se ha aplicado a la C.N. de Cofrentes para determinar el valor del Parámetro Crítico de Seguridad de un ATWS con un 95/95 de cubrimiento y confianza.Muñoz-Cobo González, JL.; Escrivá Castells, FA.; Mendizabal, R.; Pelayo, F.; Melara San Román, J. (2013). Desarrollo y Aplicación de una Metodología CSAU para el Caso de un ATWS en un BWR utilizando Métodos de Teoría de la Información. Sociedad Nuclear Española. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/71591

The evolution and changing ecology of the African hominid oral microbiome.

The oral microbiome plays key roles in human biology, health, and disease, but little is known about the global diversity, variation, or evolution of this microbial community. To better understand the evolution and changing ecology of the human oral microbiome, we analyzed 124 dental biofilm metagenomes from humans, including Neanderthals and Late Pleistocene to present-day modern humans, chimpanzees, and gorillas, as well as New World howler monkeys for comparison. We find that a core microbiome of primarily biofilm structural taxa has been maintained throughout African hominid evolution, and these microbial groups are also shared with howler monkeys, suggesting that they have been important oral members since before the catarrhine-platyrrhine split ca. 40 Mya. However, community structure and individual microbial phylogenies do not closely reflect host relationships, and the dental biofilms of Homo and chimpanzees are distinguished by major taxonomic and functional differences. Reconstructing oral metagenomes from up to 100 thousand years ago, we show that the microbial profiles of both Neanderthals and modern humans are highly similar, sharing functional adaptations in nutrient metabolism. These include an apparent Homo-specific acquisition of salivary amylase-binding capability by oral streptococci, suggesting microbial coadaptation with host diet. We additionally find evidence of shared genetic diversity in the oral bacteria of Neanderthal and Upper Paleolithic modern humans that is not observed in later modern human populations. Differences in the oral microbiomes of African hominids provide insights into human evolution, the ancestral state of the human microbiome, and a temporal framework for understanding microbial health and disease