Estudio de las nuevas técnicas de renderizado en tiempo real y sus posibilidades

[ES] En este estudio abordamos las posibilidades de las nuevas técnica de renderizado en tiempo real. A lo largo de estos últimos años el real-time rendering le ha ido ganando terreno poco a poco al offline rendering muy extendido para la visualización de productos, info-arquitectura o incluso cine. Exploramos el como usar estas técnicas desde un punto de vista puramente técnico, enumerando sus posibles aplicaciones, que irían desde nuevos catálogos virtuales de producto e infografías en Streaming mediante WebGL, pasando por sustituir los clásicos usos del offline render, o incluso la creación de contenido docente para realización de cursos y masters.[EN ]n this study, we break trough the possibilities of the new real time rendering techniques. Along these lasts years, the real-time rendering has been gaining weight against the older offline rendering techniques extensively used in product visualization, archviz or even film industry. We explore the know how use these techniques with a technical point of view, numbering the possible applications, that would be, new online product catalogs and Streaming infographics via WebGL, as a substitute of the older offline rendering workflows, or even creation of academy content to offer masters and courses.Gandía Jordá, F. (2018). Estudio de las nuevas técnicas de renderizado en tiempo real y sus posibilidades. Universitat Politècnica de València. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/106410TFG

Evidences of persisting thermal structures in Couette flows

[EN] DNS of passive thermal turbulent Couette flow at several friction Reynolds numbers (180, 250, and 500), and the Prandtl number of air are presented. The time averaged thermal flow shows the existence of long and wide thermal structures never described before in Couette flows. These thermal structures, named CTFS (Couette Thermal Flow Superstructures), are defined as coherent regions of hot and cold temperature fluctuations. They are intrinsically linked to the velocity structures present in Couette flows. Two different 2D symmetries can be recognized, which get stronger with the Reynolds number. These structures do not affect the mean flow or mean quantities as the Nusselt number. However, turbulent intensities and thermal fluxes depend on the width of the structures, mainly far from the walls. Since the width of the structures is related to the channel width, the statistics of thermal Couette flow are to some point box-dependent.This work was supported by the MINECO/FEDER, under project ENE2015-71333-R. The computations of the new simulations were made possible by a generous grant of computing time from the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre, reference FI-2018-1-0037. FAA is partially funded by GVA/FEDER project ACIF2018. We are very grateful for the advices and revision provided by one of the referees of the article, as it has helped to enrich its content.Alcántara-Ávila, F.; Gandía-Barberá, S.; Hoyas, S. (2019). Evidences of persisting thermal structures in Couette flows. International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow. 76:287-295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatfluidflow.2019.03.001S2872957

Stratification effect on extreme-scale rolls in plane Couette flows

[EN] The existence of the large-scale structures appearing in turbulent Couette flows is studied by means of a direct numerical simulation data set of active thermal Couette flows for different friction Richardson numbers, at the Prandtl number of air. The existence of these structures is linked to the nonexistence of an active thermal flow. As soon as the Richardson number is greater than 1.5, the structures are less energetic, and for a value of only 3, the structures have vanished. This is due to the reorganization of the intense Reynolds stress events. Thus, large-scale structures will hardly appear in real-life Couette flows of air with a stable wall-normal gradient of temperature.This work was supported by Grant No. RTI2018-102256-B-I00 of MINECO/FEDER. The computations of the new simulations were made possible by a generous grant of computing time from the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre, Grant No. AECT-2020-2-0005. F.A.A. is partially funded by Generalitat Valenciana, GVA/FEDER project ACIF2018.Gandía-Barberá, S.; Alcántara-Ávila, F.; Hoyas, S.; Avsarkisov, V. (2021). Stratification effect on extreme-scale rolls in plane Couette flows. Physical Review Fluids. 6(3):1-18. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevFluids.6.0346051186

Oligomerización de receptores acoplados a proteína G y enfermedad de Parkinson

La enfermedad de Parkinson es una condición neurodegenerativa del sistema nervioso central que puede aparecer en la madurez pero cuya incidencia aumenta dramáticamente en la tercera edad. Por este motivo, en las sociedades industrializadas, donde la esperanza de vida es alta, la enfermedad tiene un elevado coste socio-económico. El origen de la patología radica en la pérdida selectiva de neuronas dopaminérgicas de una región concreta de los ganglios basales. En consecuencia, se produce un desequilibrio neuroquímico (ej.; glutama to/dopamina/adenosina) que afecta en última instancia a los procesos controlados por los ganglios basales (ej.; el control motor, la cognición, las emociones y el aprendizaje). Recientemente, se ha demostrado que los receptores acoplados a proteína G pueden expresarse en la membrana plasmática como homodímeros y heterómeros. Estos complejos oligoméricos pueden funcionar como procesadores computacionales dinámicos, modulando la señalización celular y por tanto el flujo de información a través de los circuitos neuronales. Así, desde un punto de vista cuantitativo y/o cualitativo la señal generada por la estimulación de un receptor concreto del heterómero puede ser diferente de aquella obtenida mediante la coestimulación de los diferentes integrantes del complejo. Este nuevo concepto, además de exhortar la reinterpretación de la farmacodinámica clásica de receptores acoplados a proteína G, impulsará el diseño de nuevas terapias basadas en la combinación de fármacos cuya diana sean los oligómeros de receptores, por ejemplo, el oligómero formado por los receptores de glutamato, dopamina y adenosina en el tratamiento de la enfermedad de Parkinson

Muscle damage, physiological changes and energy balance in ultra-endurance mountain event athletes

The biological response to ultra-endurance mountain race events is not yet well understood. The aim of this study was to determine the biochemical and physiological changes after performing an ultra-endurance mountain race in runners. We recruited 11 amateur runners (age: 29.7 ± 10.2 years; height: 179.7 ± 5.4 cm; body mass: 76.7 ± 10.3 kg). Muscle damage, lactate concentration, energy balance, rating of perceived exertion (RPE), heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), body composition changes, and jump performance were analyzed before, during (only lactate, HR, and HRV), and after the race. Athletes completed 54 km in 6 h, 44 min (±28 min). After the race, myoglobin and creatine kinase concentration increased from 14.9 ± 5.2 to 1419.9 ± 1292.1 μg/L and from 820.0 ± 2087.3 to 2421.1 ± 2336.2 UI/L, respectively (p < 0.01). In addition, lactate dehydrogenase and troponin I significantly increased after the race (p < 0.01). Leukocyte and platelet count increased by 180.6% ± 68.9% and 23.7% ± 11.2%, respectively (p < 0.001). Moreover, after the competition, athletes presented a 3704 kcal negative energy balance; a significant increase in RPE values; a decrease in countermovement and squat jump height; and a decrease in body mass and lower limb girths. During the event, lactate concentration did not change and subjects presented a mean HR of 158.8 ± 17.7 beats/min, a significant decrement in vagal modulation, and a significant increase in sympathetic modulation. Despite the relative “low” intensity achieved, ultra-endurance mountain race is a stressful stimulus that produces a high level of muscle damage in the athletes. These findings may help coaches to design specific training programs that may improve nutritional intake strategies and prevent muscle damage.Actividad Física y Deport

D1.1 Refined scenarios and requirements, consolidated use cases, and qualitative techno-economic feasibility assessment

This document describes scenarios, consolidated use cases and associated requirements for wireless access networks in the 2020-2030 timeframe. These are based on METIS project and also taking into account work done in other 5G projects and forums such as ITU-R and NGMN. The document introduces spectrum authorization modes and describes spectrum usages scenarios, spectrum bands and spectrum demand for 5G services. Finally, this document provides qualitative techno-economic feasibility assessment by analyzing main players involved in service delivery, from the radio access network point of view, and describing their mutual positions and relationships.Monserrat Del Río, JF.; Martín-Sacristán Gandía, D. (2016). D1.1 Refined scenarios and requirements, consolidated use cases, and qualitative techno-economic feasibility assessment. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.32091.7760

Dissociable Effects of Executive Load on Perceived Exertion and Emotional Valence during Submaximal Cycling

Endurance physical exercise is accompanied by subjective perceptions of exertion (reported perceived exertion, RPE), emotional valence, and arousal. These constructs have been hypothesized to serve as the basis for the exerciser to make decisions regarding when to stop, how to regulate pace, and whether or not to exercise again. In dual physical-cognitive tasks, the mental (executive) workload generated by the cognitive task has been shown to influence these perceptions, in ways that could also influence exercise-related decisions. In the present work, we intend to replicate and extend previous findings that manipulating the amount of executive load imposed by a mental task, performed concomitantly with a submaximal cycling session, influenced emotional states but not perceived exertion. Participants (experienced triathletes) were asked to perform a submaximal cycling task in two conditions with different executive demands (a two-back version of the n-back task vs. oddball) but equated in external physical load. Results showed that the higher executive load condition elicited more arousal and less positive valence than the lower load condition. However, both conditions did not differ in RPE. This experimental dissociation suggests that perceived exertion and its emotional correlates are not interchangeable, which opens the possibility that they could play different roles in exercise-related decision-making.Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Secretaria de Estado de Investigacion, Desarrollo e Innovacion; Convocatoria 2017 de Proyectos I + D, de Retos a la Sociedad; Spain) DEP2017-89879-RSpanish Government (Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad, Secretaria de Estado de Investigacion, Desarrollo e Innovacion; Convocatoria 2017 de Proyectos I + D de Excelencia, Spain - Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional, FEDER, European Union) PSI2017-85488-

Total oxidation of naphthalene using palladium nanoparticles supported on BETA, ZSM-5, SAPO-5 and alumina powders

A range of catalysts based on Pd nanoparticles supported on inorganic supports such as BETA and ZSM-5 zeolites, a silicoaluminophosphate molecular sieve (SAPO-5) and γ-alumina as a standard support have been tested for the total oxidation of naphthalene (100 ppm, total flow 50 ml/min) showing a conversion to carbon dioxide of 100% between 165 and 180 °C for all the analysed catalysts. From the combined use of zeolites with PVP polymer protected Pd based nanoparticles, enhanced properties have been found for the total abatement of naphthalene in contrast with other kinds of catalysts. A Pd/BETA catalyst has been demonstrated to have excellent activity, with a high degree of stability, as shown by time on line experiments maintaining 100% conversion to CO2 during the 48 h tested.The authors would like to thank the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación and PLAN E funds (Project CTQ2009-10813/PPQ) and Generalitat Valenciana and FEDER (PROMETEO/2009/047) for financial support. F.J. Varela-Gandía thanks the University of Alicante for the PhD studentship. Á. Berenguer-Murcia thanks the Spanish Ministry for Science and Innovation for a Ramon y Cajal fellowship (RyC 2009-03913)

Activated Carbon from Stipa tenacissima for the Adsorption of Atenolol

The Stipa tenacissima S. is an endemic species of the Western Mediterranean countries, which grows on the semi-arid grounds of North Africa and South Spain. This biomass offers an abundant, renewable, and low-cost precursor for the production of activated carbon (AC). In that context, ACs were prepared by chemical activation of Stipa tenacissima leaves (STL) using phosphoric acid (H3PO4). The effects of activation temperature and impregnation ratio on the textural and chemical surface properties of the prepared activated carbons were investigated. Activation temperatures of 450 and 500 °C turned out to be the most suitable to produce activated carbons with well-developed porous textures. The best results in terms of developed surface area (1503 m2/g) and micropore volume (0.59 cm3/g) were observed for an STLs to phosphoric acid ratio of 1:2 and a carbonization temperature of 450 °C. The adsorption capacity of the optimal activated carbon was found to be 110 mg/g for the atenolol drug. The adsorption equilibrium was well explained by the pseudo-second-order model and Langmuir isotherm. This study showed that the chemical activation method using H3PO4 as an activating agent was suitable for developing STL-based activated carbon prepared for the removal of atenolol drug in an aqueous solution and compared with commercial activated carbon supplied by Darco

The Parkinson's disease-associated GPR37 receptor interacts with striatal adenosine A2A receptor controlling its cell surface expression and function in vivo

G protein-coupled receptor 37 (GPR37) is an orphan receptor associated to Parkinson's disease (PD) neuropathology. Here, we identified GPR37 as an inhibitor of adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) cell surface expression and function in vivo. In addition, we showed that GPR37 and A2AR do oligomerize in the striatum. Thus, a close proximity of GPR37 and A2AR at the postsynaptic level of striatal synapses was observed by double-labelling post-embedding immunogold detection. Indeed, the direct receptor-receptor interaction was further substantiated by proximity ligation in situ assay. Interestingly, GPR37 deletion promoted striatal A2AR cell surface expression that correlated well with an increased A2AR agonist-mediated cAMP accumulation, both in primary striatal neurons and nerve terminals. Furthermore, GPR37−/− mice showed enhanced A2AR agonist-induced catalepsy and an increased response to A2AR antagonist-mediated locomotor activity. Overall, these results revealed a key role for GPR37 controlling A2AR biology in the striatum, which may be relevant for PD management