Laser Shock Microformingof Thin Metal Sheets with ns Lasers

Continuous and long-pulse lasers have been used for the forming of metal sheets in macroscopic mechanical applications. However, for the manufacturing of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), the use of ns laser pulses provides a suitable parameter matching over an important range of sheet components that, preserving the short interaction time scale required for the predominantly mechanical (shock) induction of deformation residual stresses, allows for the successful processing of components in a medium range of miniaturization without appreciable thermal deformation.. In the present paper, the physics of laser shock microforming and the influence of the different experimental parameters on the net bending angle are presented

Valorización energética de la biomasa : aplicación en industrias del sector agroalimentario

La utilización de la biomasa proveniente del sector agroalimentario como una fuente de energía renovable es de gran interés en la actualidad. Ésta puede generar energía, a través de procesos tanto termoquímicos como bioquímicos, susceptible de utilizarse en forma de calor, energía mecánica o electricidad, y en diferentes estados de agregación: sólida, líquida o gas. La Digestión Anaerobia de vertidos de destilerías vínicas es un ejemplo idóneo de los procesos bioquímicos de conversión de la biomasa para obtener energía, ya que la vinaza se genera en el propio proceso de obtención del alcohol etílico (destilación de vinos y subproductos de la vinificación) producido por fermentación de una disolución azucarada y el metano se genera en la digestión anaerobia del residuo de la destilación. En este trabajo se estudia el funcionamiento y operación de diferentes tecnologías anaerobias susceptibles de ser utilizadas para la degradación de vertidos de destilerías vínicas (vinazas de vino) en condiciones anaerobias termofílicas (55°C), estableciéndose una comparación entre procesos con biomasa en suspensión y sistemas con biomasa adherida de tipo filtro anaerobio. En este último caso, además, se comparan diferentes tipos de materiales soportes y se analiza el efecto de la tasa de recirculación sobre el proceso.____________________________________Nowadays, the use of food industry biomass as a resource of renewable energy is a very interesting management alternative. Biomass can be converted to energy via thermal, biochemical and mechanical processes. This energy can be used like heat, mechanic o electric energies, and in different aggregation states (solid, liquid or gaseous). Anaerobic digestion of wine distilleries wastewater (vinasses) is a suitable example of biochemical conversion process of biomass to obtain energy. Vinasses are generated in the obtaining of ethylic alcohol on wine and wine-subproducts distillation process. This alcohol is previously generated in the biological fermentation of sugars from must. Subsequently, the biogas, mainly methane, can be obtained from anaerobic digestion of the residue of alcohol distillation, the vinasses. This work presents the main operational conditions of different anaerobic technologies used for anaerobic digestion of wine distilleries wastewater (vinasses) in the thermophilic range of temperature (55ºC). This study makes the comparison between technologies that used suspended biomass and fixed-film biorreactors (anaerobic filters). In the anaerobic filter technology there is a comparison between different support media and different recirculation rate regimes and its influence in the process

Characterization of minimal lesions related to the presence of visna/maedi virus in the mammary gland and milk of dairy sheep

[EN] Background: In order to characterize the complete range of lesions, especially minimal, affecting mammary gland and viral antigen distribution and target cells using immunohistochemistry in naturally Visna/maedi (VM) 84 infected sheep were studied, forty-four from flocks with clinical cases (A) and 35 randomly sampled from two abattoirs (B) together with five negative controls (C). An immunocytochemistry technique was developed and further milk samples (n = 39) were used to study viral excretion, carrier cells and the role of milk and colostrum in the transmission of the disease. Results: All sheep from group C and three sheep from group B were negative to VM in tissue sections by histopathology, immunohistochemistry and PCR, and also in serum using ELISA. Several degrees of CD3 + lymphocytic interstitial mastitis were observed in groups A and B: minimal (+) n = 26 sheep; moderate (++), n = 32 and severe (+++), n = 12. No differences in lesion distribution were observed between groups A and B. Viral presence was confirmed by immunohistochemistry using two different antibodies and/or PCR in every tissue with lesions while serology was negative in six sheep with lesions. Two milk samples taken from milk tanks from two flocks from group A and fourteen milk samples from 29 infected sheep from group B were positive to VM (most of them from animals with moderate and severe lesions). Positivity was only found in macrophages, even in focal and minimal lesions, while no positivity was observed in epithelial or any other cells in either tissue and milk samples. Conclusions: This new observation of the minimal lesions described in this work increased the prevalence of VM lesions in mammary gland up to 90.9% and VM should be considered as a differential diagnosis when minimal interstitial lesions are detected. A high prevalence of VM was observed in intensive milk-producing sheep, ELISA serology did not detect as positivity all infected animals, while histology, IHC or PCR showed higher sensitivity. The cytological technique developed was very useful in milk-cell studies using hematoxylin and eosin and immunocytochemistry. Viral detection in milk samples (16/39) confirms a potential but limited role of milk/colostrum in viral transmissionSIThis work was supported by LE361A12–1 project of Castilla y León Government and FPU13/01081 grant of the Spanish Government. LE361A12– 1 project financed the materials necessary for collection, analysis and interpretation of data. FPU13/01081 grant financed the pre-doctoral contract of the main performer of experiments and manuscript writer E

Evaluación de la proximidad de sistemas ovinos de la raza Segureña a un modelo de producción agroecológico

La sociedad europea demanda cada vez más que la producción de alimentos sea respetuosa con el medio ambiente, cuidando además su calidad nutritiva. Muchos de los sistemas pastorales de pequeños rumiantes presentes en España cumplen con la mayoría de los criterios de sostenibilidad. Los sistemas de la raza Segureña se basan en un modelo pastoral en una de las zonas más desfavorecidas del territorio español. Con el presente trabajo se pretende valorar la cercanía que dichos sistemas tienen a un modelo agroecológico optimizado. Los resultados muestran un valor de cercanía o proximidad del 64,4%, pudiendo este valor aumentar realizando algunas modificaciones funcionales o de manejo. El manejo alimentario es el aspecto que tiene una mayor proximidad, en cambio los factores relacionados con la sanidad son los que presentan menores valores de proximidad. Potenciar los aspectos agroecológicos que favorezcan la sostenibilidad a través de criterios que sean fácilmente comprensibles por los consumidores, mejora las posibilidades de comercialización de los productos de estos sistemas en nichos de mercado especializados

Quality and measurement aberrations on holographic lenses

Abstract: In this paper, we have evaluated the quality of holographic lenses stored in an environmentally friendly photopolymer. Optical quality metrics has been used to test the holographic lenses. The metrics values obtained shows that the negative asymmetrical holographic lenses have the best optical quality.Work funded by Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Spain, under project PID2019-106601RB-I00; Generalitat Valenciana, Spain, under projects CDEI-GENT/2018/024, PROMETEO/2021/006, and IDIFEDER/2021/014 (co-funded by European Union through the FEDER Programme); Universidad de Alicante, Spain: Predoctoral Fellowship FPU-UA to Tomás Lloret

El diseño y análisis de algoritmos paralelos en la Universidad de La Laguna

Para lograr nuestros objetivos en la enseñanza de las asignaturas relacionadas con el Diseño y Análisis de Algoritmos Paralelos en la Universidad de La Laguna hemos desarrollado varias herramientas. La primera de las dos que se presentan aquí es un lenguaje de programación de alto nivel que permite la escritura y verificación de los numerosos algoritmos para el modelo PRAM. La segunda herramienta expande el modelo de librería de paso de mensajes (InmosC, PVM) con macros y funciones que permiten el anidamiento de sentencias paralelas. La eficiencia proporcionada es comparable con la obtenida usando el lenguaje nativo de la máquina paralela

Association between residential proximity to environmental pollution sources and childhood renal tumors

FI=3.835 (año 2016), Q1Background: Few risk factors for childhood renal tumors are well established. While a small fraction of cases might be attributable to susceptibility genes and congenital anomalies, the role of environmental factors needs to be assessed. Objectives: To explore the possible association between residential proximity to environmental pollution sources (industrial and urban areas, and agricultural crops) and childhood renal cancer, taking into account industrial groups and toxic substances released. Methods: We conducted a population-based case-control study of childhood renal cancer in Spain, including 213 incident cases gathered from the Spanish Registry of Childhood Tumors (period 1996-2011), and 1278 controls individually matched by year of birth, sex, and region of residence. Distances were computed from the respective subject's residences to the 1271 industries, the 30 urban areas with ≥75,000 inhabitants, and the agricultural crops located in the study area. Using logistic regression, odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) for categories of distance to pollution sources were calculated, with adjustment for matching variables and socioeconomic confounders. Results: Excess risk (OR; 95%CI) of childhood renal tumors was observed for children living near (≤2.5km) industrial installations as a whole (1.97; 1.13-3.42) - particularly glass and mineral fibers (2.69; 1.19-6.08), galvanization (2.66; 1.14-6.22), hazardous waste (2.59; 1.25-5.37), ceramic (2.35; 1.06-5.21), surface treatment of metals (2.25; 1.24-4.08), organic chemical industry (2.22; 1.15-4.26), food and beverage sector (2.19; 1.18-4.07), urban and waste-water treatment plants (2.14; 1.07-4.30), and production and processing of metals (1.98; 1.03-3.82) -, and in the proximity of agricultural crops (3.16; 1.54-8.89 for children with percentage of crop surface ≥24.35% in a 1-km buffer around their residences). Conclusions: Our study provides some epidemiological evidence that living near certain industrial areas and agricultural crops may be a risk factor for childhood renal cancer.This study was funded by Spain's Health Research Fund (Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria - FIS 12/01416 and FIS CP11/00112).N

Fossils in Iberian Prehistory: A Review of the Palaeozoological Evidence.

This paper constitutes the first comprehensive review of animal fossils retrieved in Iberian archaeological sites. Out of 633 items from 82 sites, 143 were analyzed and a further 13 assessed and their status clarified by us on 20 sites. Among others, this study is the first one in Iberia to assess the role played by fossil scaphopods and to carry out a systematic description of shark teeth. The relevance of those 156 fossils we assessed through a comparison with all the finds located in the Iberian literature. Failure to report fossils properly did not allow us to warrant such status for 352 items. We believe that the poor record of fossils in Iberian archaeological sites is the result of a combination of methodological and theoretical constraints. For that reason, we contend that the items herein reported probably represent a fraction, however substantial, of the evidence at hand.UPPH/49/06 aprobado por la Consejería de Cultura de la Junta de Andalucía (España) HAR 2016-77789-P HUM-949 (Universidad de Sevilla), RNM-179 (Universidad de Málaga) ICArEHB (Universidad de Algarve, Portugal

Neurogenic inducers based on the chromone scaffold, a new family of multitarget directed ligands for Alzheimer's disease

Resumen del trabajo presentado a la XXXVIII Reunión Anual del Grupo Español de Neurotransmisión y Neuroprotección (GENN), celebrada en Almagro (Ciudad Real) del 13 al 15 de diciembre de 2017.The highly complex pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative illnesses have led to replace the traditional one-drug - one-target by the multi-target-directed ligands (MTDLs) paradigm, in which a single molecule is designed to be active against several pharmacological targets. Continuing with our interest in neuroprotective and neurogenic compounds, in this work we describe a new family of donepezil flavonoid hybrids exhibiting nanomolar affinities for the sigma-1 receptor and a combined inhibition of key enzymes in AD, such as 5-lipoxygenase, acetylcholinesterase, and monoaminoxidases. In general, they scavenge free radical species and are predicted to be brain-permeable. In phenotypic assays, new hybrids protect neuronal cells against mitochondrial oxidative stress and promote maturation of neural stem cells into a neuronal phenotype. Therefore, new donepezil - flavonoid hybrids could contribute to the protection and even, the reparation of neuronal tissues, of great therapeutic interest in AD and neurodegenerative diseases.Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness MINECO (grant SAF2015-64948-C2-1-R) and Spanish National Research Council CSIC (grant PIE-201580E109).Peer Reviewe

Acute and long-term success of ventricular tachycardia ablation in patients with ischemic heart disease in a Mexican center

Objective. To report the results of ventricular tachycardia (VT) catheter ablation in ischemic heart disease (IHD), and to identify risk factors associated with recurrence in a Mexican center. Materials and methods. We made a retrospective review of the cases of VT ablation performed in our center from 2015 to 2022. We analyzed the characteristics of the patients and those of the procedures separately and we determined factors associated with recurrence. Results. Fifty procedures were performed in 38 patients (84% male; mean age 58.1 years). Acute success rate was 82%, with a 28% of recurrences. Female sex (OR 3.33, IC 95% 1.66–6.68, p=0.006), atrial fibrillation (OR 3.5, IC 95% 2.08–5.9, p=0.012), electrical storm (OR 2.4, IC 95% 1.06–5.41, p=0.045), functional class greater than II (OR 2.86, IC 95% 1.34–6.10, p=0.018) were risk factors for recurrence and the presence of clinical VT at the time of ablation (OR0.29, IC95% 0.12–0.70, p=0.004) and the use of more than 2 techniques for mapping (OR 0.64, IC 95% 0.48–0.86, p=0.013) were protective factors. Conclusions. Ablation of ventricular tachycardia in ischemic heart disease has had good results in our center. The recurrence is similar to that reported by other authors and there are some factors associated with it.Objective. To report the results of ventricular tachycardia (VT) catheter ablation in ischemic heart disease (IHD), and to identify risk factors associated with recurrence in a Mexican center. Materials and methods. We made a retrospective review of the cases of VT ablation performed in our center from 2015 to 2022. We analyzed the characteristics of the patients and those of the procedures separately and we determined factors associated with recurrence. Results. Fifty procedures were performed in 38 patients (84% male; mean age 58.1 years). Acute success rate was 82%, with a 28% of recurrences. Female sex (OR 3.33, IC 95% 1.66–6.68, p=0.006), atrial fibrillation (OR 3.5, IC 95% 2.08–5.9, p=0.012), electrical storm (OR 2.4, IC 95% 1.06–5.41, p=0.045), functional class greater than II (OR 2.86, IC 95% 1.34–6.10, p=0.018) were risk factors for recurrence and the presence of clinical VT at the time of ablation (OR0.29, IC95% 0.12–0.70, p=0.004) and the use of more than 2 techniques for mapping (OR 0.64, IC 95% 0.48–0.86, p=0.013) were protective factors. Conclusions. Ablation of ventricular tachycardia in ischemic heart disease has had good results in our center. The recurrence is similar to that reported by other authors and there are some factors associated with it