Determination of an empirical model for the deformation of a dam on the basis of the hydrostatic thrust and temperature

The deformational control of structures has its main exponent in the geometric control of large dams. Considering the constructive typology, they can suffer deformation, which is function of the hydrostatic thrust and the temperature that supports the dam under usual circumstances. The project designer usually calculates the deformation that the dam will suffer on the basis of thrust and temperature, but this calculation is theoretical, and it must be contrasted with the real data about deformation that are periodically observed in the dam, in order to certificate the adequate evolution of the structure through time. This research work is focused on the determination of an empirical model that allows the calculation of the deformation on the basis of the simultaneous observations of a direct pendulum that have been recorded with the correspondent temperatures during 14 years. This empirical model is later contrasted and validated with the records taken during the subsequent year. Although it is only valid for the dam where the tests were held (La Cohilla Dam, Cantabria, Spain), the methodology is suitable for any other structure. The main contribution of this research is the methodology itself, which allows obtaining an empirical model that determines the expected deformation, whatever the conditions of hydrostatic thrust and temperature are. It complements the theoretical model that the project designer has established, which is done just for a certain set of conditions of these variables

Influence of vertical movement in bathymetries and its influence on the measurement conditions

Bathymetries constitute a fundamental element of building objects settled on land submerged land: dikes, docks, underwater pipelines; in addition to dredges, volume of reservoir, etc. In civil engineering the bathymetry affect areas of small extent in which measures should be the most accurate as possible, influencing many factors in its precision. Among these factors can be distinguished: speed of sound in water, positioning system, vessel movements (pitch and roll) and vertical movement of the boat. Vertical movement of the vessel is perhaps one of the least studied factors, but their influence on the accuracy of bathymetries could be very important depending on swell conditions and depth that exists at the time of measurement. This paper defines a mathematical model based on measurements of bathymetry observed with GPS that lets you define wave conditions that found the boat according to its trajectory and speed. From this point, the article quantifies the effect of the vertical movement of the boat to correct its effect on the measured depths with an echo-sounder. Finally, from the results it is possible to obtain a set of recommendations about operations to measure a bathymetry depending on the accuracy that you should obtain

Ulcera crónica lingual inducida por lipoma de la cavidad oral: caso clinico

Aunque se trata de uno de los tumores benignos más frecuentes del organismo, el hallazgo de lipomas en la cavidad oral es un hecho inusual. En esta localización suelen presentar un crecimiento lento, indoloro y asintomático que puede dar lugar a tumoraciones redondeadas y bien definidas de gran tamaño. En estos casos son frecuentes los síntomas relacionados con la compresión de las estructuras vecinas. En el presente trabajo estudiamos el caso clínico de un paciente en el que el lipoma intraoral fue el hallazgo definitivo tras el diagnostico diferencial exhaustivo de una úlcera crónica de la lengua y del suelo de la boca. La clave para el diagnóstico fueron las pruebas de imagen (TC y RNM) y el estudio citológico mediante punción aspiración con aguja fina. El tratamiento quirúrgico mediante extirpación del lipoma consiguió la curación de la úlcera. Finalmente revisamos la bibliografía pertinente y más actual acerca de la clínica, el diagnostico y el tratamiento de los lipomas de la cavidad oral.Although lipomas are among the most frequent tumors in the human body, their presentation in the oral cavity is not common. Oral cavity lipomas usually show a slow painless and assymptomatic growing. When these tumors reach big sizes, they can cause compressive symptons and deformities. In this paper we present the case of a patient in whom oral lipoma was the final finding in the differential diagnosis of a chronic mucosal ulcer. CT scan and MRI images and microscopical examination after fine-needle aspiration were the clue for the final diagnosis. The surgical excision of the tumor was the basis for the healing of the ulcer. We also review the most relevant and recent literature about clinic, diagnosis and treatment for these tumors

CCAAT/enhancer binding protein β directly regulates the expression of the complement component 3 gene in neural cells: implications for the pro-inflammatory effects of this transcription factor

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.[Background]: The CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β (C/EBPβ) is a transcription factor, which was first identified as a regulator of differentiation and inflammatory processes mainly in adipose tissue and liver; however, its function in the brain was largely unknown for many years. Previous studies from our laboratory indicated that C/EBPβ is implicated in inflammatory process and brain injury, since mice lacking this gene were less susceptible to kainic acid-induced injury. [Methods]: We first performed cDNA microarrays analysis using hippocampal RNA isolated from C/EBPβ+/+ and C/EBPβ−/− mice. Immunocytochemical and immunohistochemical studies were done to evaluate C/EBPβ and C3 levels. Transient transfection experiments were made to analyze transcriptional regulation of C3 by C/EBPβ. To knockdown C/EBPβ and C3 expression, mouse astrocytes were infected with lentiviral particles expressing an shRNA specific for C/EBPβ or an siRNA specific for C3. [Results]: Among the genes displaying significant changes in expression was complement component 3 (C3), which showed a dramatic decrease in mRNA content in the hippocampus of C/EBPβ−/− mice. C3 is the central component of the complement and is implicated in different brain disorders. In this work we have found that C/EBPβ regulates C3 levels in rodents glial in vitro and in the rat Substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) in vivo following an inflammatory insult. Analysis of the mouse C3 promoter showed that it is directly regulated by C/EBPβ through a C/EBPβ consensus site located at position −616/-599 of the gene. In addition, we show that depletion of C/EBPβ by a specific shRNA results in a significant decrease in the levels of C3 together with a reduction in the increased levels of pro-inflammatory agents elicited by lipopolysaccharide treatment. [Conclusions]: Altogether, these results indicate that C3 is a downstream target of C/EBPβ, and it could be a mediator of the pro-inflammatory effects of this transcription factor in neural cells.This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Innovation Grant SAF2010-16365. JAMG was supported by CIBERNED.We acknowledge the support of the publication fee by the CSIC Open Access Publication Support Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI).Peer reviewe

Integration of Remote-Sensing Techniques for the Preventive Conservation of Paleolithic Cave Art in the Karst of the Altamira Cave

[EN] Rock art offers traces of our most remote past and was made with mineral and organic substances in shelters, walls, or the ceilings of caves. As it is notably fragile, it is fortunate that some instances remain intact¿but a variety of natural and anthropogenic factors can lead to its disappearance. Therefore, as a valuable cultural heritage, rock art requires special conservation and protection measures. Geomatic remote-sensing technologies such as 3D terrestrial laser scanning (3DTLS), drone flight, and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) allow us to generate exhaustive documentation of caves and their environment in 2D, 2.5D, and 3D. However, only its combined use with 3D geographic information systems (GIS) lets us generate new cave maps with details such as overlying layer thickness, sinkholes, fractures, joints, and detachments that also more precisely reveal interior¿exterior interconnections and gaseous exchange; i.e., the state of senescence of the karst that houses the cave. Information of this kind is of great value for the research, management, conservation, monitoring, and dissemination of cave art.This research was funded by the Department of Innovation, Industry, Tourism and Trade of the Regional Government of Cantabria in the context of aid to encourage industrial research and innovation in companies, project ¿SImulador Climático del Karst de cuevas de especial valor. (SICLIKA),¿ grant number 2016/INN/25.Bayarri, V.; Prada, A.; García García, F.; Díaz-González, LM.; De Las Heras, C.; Castillo, E.; Fatás, P. (2023). Integration of Remote-Sensing Techniques for the Preventive Conservation of Paleolithic Cave Art in the Karst of the Altamira Cave. Remote Sensing. 15(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/rs1504108715

Crystalline morphology of thermoplastic starch/talc nanocomposites induced by thermal processing

A structural study about the changes induced by plasticization of native corn starch was carried out in this work. The influence of talc nanoparticles presence during starch thermal processing was also evaluated. Macroscopic observation of the granules appearance evolution during melt-mixing and thermo-compression was supported by a theoretical description related to these processing methods. Melt-mixing induced a polymorphic transformation from A- to Vh-type and a reduction in the degree of crystallinity. Homogenous appearance of the plasticized starch was in accordance to the disruption of granules integrity, evidenced by SEM. This observation agreed to the distinctive XRD pattern of plasticized starch from unprocessed granules. Talc incorporation did not require the adjustment of processing parameters in order to obtain a homogenous thermoplastic material, with an adequate particles distribution within the matrix. Regardless talc presence, plasticized starch presented a Vh-type crystalline structure. Thermo-compression led to particles alignment promoted by talc laminar morphology.Fil: Castillo, Luciana Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Planta Piloto de Ingeniería Química. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Planta Piloto de Ingeniería Química; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingeniería; ArgentinaFil: Lopez, Olivia Valeria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Planta Piloto de Ingeniería Química. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Planta Piloto de Ingeniería Química; ArgentinaFil: García, María Alejandra. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Barbosa, Silvia Elena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Planta Piloto de Ingeniería Química. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Planta Piloto de Ingeniería Química; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingeniería; ArgentinaFil: Villar, Marcelo Armando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Planta Piloto de Ingeniería Química. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Planta Piloto de Ingeniería Química; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingeniería; Argentin

Influence of the sociocultural perspective on the sensory perception of wine consumers in Mexico and Spain

The increasing globalization of companies and markets, including the wine market, makes this study important as a cultural comparison between the sensory perception of wine in Mexico and Spain. Eighty consumers were selected with different consumption habits, and hedonic (Acceptance and Simple Preference) and descriptive (Word Association Task and the Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) method) sensory tests were performed. The results revealed that there were differences in the conceptualization of wine in the Word Association Task. Both populations preferred wines of Spanish origin over those of Mexican origin, especially in the case of red wine.Postprint (published version

The importance of atmospheric correction for airborne hyperspectral remote sensing of shallow waters: application to depth estimation

Accurate determination of water depth is indispensable in multiple aspects of civil engineering (dock construction, dikes, submarines outfalls, trench control, etc.). To determine the type of atmospheric correction most appropriate for the depth estimation, different accuracies are required. Accuracy in bathymetric information is highly dependent on the atmospheric correction made to the imagery. The reduction of effects such as glint and cross-track illumination in homogeneous shallow-water areas improves the results of the depth estimations. The aim of this work is to assess the best atmospheric correction method for the estimation of depth in shallow waters, considering that reflectance values cannot be greater than 1.5% because otherwise the background would not be seen. This paper addresses the use of hyperspectral imagery to quantitative bathymetric mapping and explores one of the most common problems when attempting to extract depth information in conditions of variable water types and bottom reflectances. The current work assesses the accuracy of some classical bathymetric algorithms (Polcyn? Lyzenga, Philpot, Benny?Dawson, Hamilton, principal component analysis) when four different atmospheric correction methods are applied and water depth is derived. No atmospheric correction is valid for all type of coastal waters, but in heterogeneous shallow water the model of atmospheric correction 6S offers good results