DC Powering Solutions for the Future Circular Collider: Converter Topologies, Protection, and Control

[EN] The future circular collider (FCC) is a cutting-edge particle accelerator being planned by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). It is designed to delve deeper into the mysteries of the universe than its predecessor, the large hadron collider (LHC). With a circumference of over 80 km, the FCC requires a reliable and efficient power transmission network to operate smoothly. The available power options for the FCC include a high-voltage dc transmission and radio frequency powering networks based on HVdc converters, such as the modular multilevel power converters or the 12-pulse thyristor rectifiers, each providing several benefits in power transmission efficiency and cost-effectiveness. However, the converter selection, its control, and the protection aspects must be carefully designed to meet the unique requirements of the installation. This article examines different dc powering scenarios for the FCC and proposes a control and protection scheme compatible with the accelerator's operation mode. This approach ensures that the power system meets the FCC's specific needs and operates safely and effectively. The validity of the proposed control and protection strategies is verified by means of detailed computer simulations.Colmenero, M.; Blanquez, FR.; Blasco-Gimenez, R. (2023). DC Powering Solutions for the Future Circular Collider: Converter Topologies, Protection, and Control. IEEE Open Journal of the Industrial Electronics Society. 4:694-708. https://doi.org/10.1109/OJIES.2023.3336981694708

Sexual Dimorphism in the Behavioral Responses and the Immunoendocrine Status in d-Galactose-Induced Aging

Altres ajuts: R.B.C. received a predoctoral grant FI-DGR (2012FI_B1 00198) from Secretaria d' Universitat i Recerca del Departament d'Economia i Coneixement de la Generalitat de Catalunya.For almost 20 years, chronic systemic d-galactose, a monosaccharide abundantly present in milk products, fruits, and vegetables, has been used as a tool to achieve models of accelerated aging. Its neurotoxicity, induced by abnormal accumulation of reactive oxygen species and advanced glycation end products, has been widely reported. However, behavioral outcomes are still controversial and little is known about sex-dependent vulnerability. We performed a comprehensive behavioral and multifunctional screening of the chronic effects of low (50 mg/kg) and high (100 mg/kg) doses of d-galactose in 6-month-old male and female gold-standard C57BL/6 mice. Twelve classical tests with convergent validity analyzed sensorimotor, emotional and cognitive domains, indicating the existence of thresholds of response. Distinct vulnerability patterns were found in a selective sex- and dose-dependent manner. In males, d-galactose induced sensorimotor impairment and immunoendocrine senescence, but the low dose resulted in improved learning and memory. Oppositely, d-galactose-treated females exhibited a dose-dependent worse motor and spatial learning, but improved memory. Behavioral outcome items point at distinct neuronal substrates underlying the functional capacity of d-galactose-treated animals to meet task-dependent performance demands. They support that males and females can be regarded as two exceptional natural scenarios to study the functional interplay in the cross talk of homeostatic networks in aging

ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEMS: A CONFIGURATIONAL RESEARCH APPROACH

The entrepreneurial ecosystem approach has emerged as a framework capable of providing a systemic understanding of entrepreneurship. Considering that entrepreneurial ecosystems admit different configurations, this article aims to stimulate a reflection on the application of the configurational approach in the analysis of entrepreneurial ecosystems. An analysis model based on six dimensions of entrepreneurial ecosystems is indicated: geographic breadth, sectorial diversity, mode of governance, degree of maturity, innovative effort, and environmental munificence. This proposal is justified by indicating a possibility for a more subtle and rigorous understanding of entrepreneurial ecosystems, allowing for more precise and reliable policy recommendations for the creation and strengthening of entrepreneurial ecosystems

Seasonal pattern of the coastal fish assemblage in Anegada Bay, Argentina

The seasonal variation of the inshore fish assemblage of Anegada Bay, North Patagonia, Argentina is described here. Three areas were seasonally sampled from 2007 to 2009 by means of a gang of bottom gill-nets. We found 21 coastal fish species, but species richness and fish number and weight changed throughout the year. The six species classified as dominant have national and regional value for artisanal and recreational fishing and were responsible for the seasonal variation in the fish assemblage. Both cluster and non-metric multidimensional scaling analyses based on fish number and fish weight indicated two major sample groups encompassing spring and summer (the warmer seasons) and autumn and winter (the colder seasons). The fish assemblage had higher species richness, dominance and abundance during the warmer seasons than during the colder seasons in the same years and at the same sites. Water temperature was the main environmental factor structuring the fish assemblage in Anegada Bay. We suggest that partial breeding migration toward the bay during warmer months could explain the seasonal pattern observed. Nevertheless, variation in temperature conditions agreed well with the pattern of seasonal changes, leading to an interaction between abiotic and biotic influences in determining the variability in this seasonal fish assemblage. We conclude that an understanding of species temporal and spatial patterns in areas of high ecological and economic value, as exemplified by Anegada Bay, are essential for the implementation of a management approach oriented toward ecosystem sustainability.Fil: Llompart, Facundo Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Colautti, Dario César. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico La Plata. Instituto de Limnología "Dr. Raul A. Ringuelet"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas - Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas (sede Chascomús); ArgentinaFil: Cruz Gimenez, Adriana Milena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Baigún, Claudio Rafael M.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas - Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas (sede Chascomús); Argentin

Obstruction level detection of sewers videos using convolutional neural networks

Worldwide, sewer networks are designed to transport wastewater to a centralized treatment plant to be treated and returned to the environment. This is a critical process for preventing waterborne illnesses, providing safe drinking water and enhancing general sanitation in society. To keep a perfectly operational sewer network several inspections are manually performed by a Closed-Circuit Television system to report the obstruction level which may trigger a cleaning operative. In this work, we design a methodology to train a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) for identifying the level of obstruction in pipes. We gathered a database of videos to generate useful frames to fed into the model. Our resulting classifier obtains deployment ready performances. To validate the consistency of the approach and its industrial applicability, we integrate the Layer-wise Relevance Propagation (LPR) algorithm, which endows a further understanding of the neural network behavior. The proposed system provides higher speed, accuracy, and consistency in the sewer process examination.This work is partially supported by the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia (CONACYT), Estudiante No. CVU: 630716, by the RIS3CAT Utilities 4.0 SENIX project (COMRDI16-1-0055), cofounded by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) under the FEDER Catalonia Operative Programme 2014- 2020. It is also partially supported by the Spanish Government through Programa Severo Ochoa (SEV2015-0493), by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology through TIN2015-65316-P project, and by the Generalitat de Catalunya (contracts 2017-SGR-1414).Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Combined matrices of sign regular matrices

This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Linear Algebra and its Applications. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Linear Algebra and its Applications, VOL 498, (2016). DOI 10.1016/j.laa.2014.12.010.The combined matrix of a nonsingular matrix A is the Hadamard (entry wise) product C(A) = A ◦ (A−1)T . Since each row and column sum of C(A) is equal to one, the combined matrix is doubly stochastic when it is nonnegative. In this work, we study the nonnegativity of the combined matrix of sign regular matrices, based upon their signature. In particular, a few coordinates of the signature ε of A play a crucial role in determining whether or not C(A) is nonnegative. © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Research supported by Spanish DGI grant number MTM2010-18674.Bru García, R.; Gasso Matoses, MT.; Gimenez Manglano, MI.; Santana-De Asis, MDJ. (2016). Combined matrices of sign regular matrices. Linear Algebra and its Applications. 498:88-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.laa.2014.12.010S889849

Diagonal entries of the combined matrix of a totally negative matrix

[EN] The combined matrix of a nonsingular matrix A is the Hadamard (entrywise) product . This paper deals with the characterization of the diagonal entries of a combined matrix C(A) of a given nonsingular real matrix A. A partial answer describing the diagonal entries of C(A) in the positive definite case was given by Fiedler in 1964. Recently in 2011, Fiedler and Markham characterized the sequence of diagonal entries of the combined matrix C(A) for any totally positive matrix A when the size is 3. For this case, we characterize totally negative matrices and we find necessary and sufficient conditions for the sequence of diagonal entries of C(A), in both cases, symmetric and nonsymmetric.This work was supported by Spanish DGI [grant number MTM-2014-58159-P]; Dominican Republic FONDOCYT [grant number 2015-1D2-166].Bru García, R.; Gasso Matoses, MT.; Gimenez Manglano, MI.; Santana-De Asis, MDJ. (2017). Diagonal entries of the combined matrix of a totally negative matrix. Linear and Multilinear Algebra. 65(10):1971-1984. https://doi.org/10.1080/03081087.2016.1261079S19711984651

Combinatory effect of BRCA1 and HERC2 expression on outcome in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND: BRCA1 is a main component of homologous recombination and induces resistance to platinum in preclinical models. It has been studied as a potential predictive marker in lung cancer. Several proteins modulate the function of BRCA1. The E3 ubiquitin ligase HERC2 facilitates the assembly of the RNF8-UBC13 complex to recruit BRCA1 to DNA damage sites. The combined analysis of multiple components of the pathway leading to the recruitment of BRCA1 at DNA damage sites has the potentiality to improve the BRCA1 predictive model. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 71 paraffin-embedded tumor samples from advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients treated with first-line platinum based chemotherapy and measured the mRNA expression levels of BRCA1, RNF8, UBC13 and HERC2 using real-time PCR. The mRNA expression was categorized using median value as cut-off point. RESULTS: The median progression-free survival of all 71 patients was 7.2 months whereas the median overall survival of the study population was 10.7 months. Among patients with low BRCA1 expression, the median PFS was 7.4 months in the presence of low HERC2 levels and 5.9 months for patients expressing high HERC2 levels (p\u2009=\u20090.01). The median OS was 15.3 months for patients expressing low levels of both genes and 7.4 months for those with low BRCA1 but high HERC2 (p\u2009=\u20090.008). The multivariate analysis showed that among patients with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0-1, the combined low expression of both BRCA1 and HERC2 clearly reduced the risk of progression (p\u2009=\u20090.03) and of death (p\u2009=\u20090.004). CONCLUSIONS: These findings confirm the potentiality of integrated DNA repair components analysis in predicting the sensitivity to platinum in lung cancer. The study indicates a predictive role for HERC2 mRNA expression and paves the way for further refinement of the BRCA1 predictive model