Hybrid Nonlinear MPC of a Solar Cooling Plant

Solar energy for cooling systems has been widely used to fulfill the growing air conditioning demand. The advantage of this approach is based on the fact that the need of air conditioning is usually well correlated to solar radiation. These kinds of plants can work in different operation modes resulting on a hybrid system. The control approaches designed for this kind of plant have usually a twofold goal: (a) regulating the outlet temperature of the solar collector field and (b) choosing the operation mode. Since the operation mode is defined by a set of valve positions (discrete variables), the overall control problem is a nonlinear optimization problem which involves discrete and continuous variables. This problems are difficult to solve within the normal sampling times for control purposes (around 20–30 s). In this paper, a two layer control strategy is proposed. The first layer is a nonlinear model predictive controller for regulating the outlet temperature of the solar field. The second layer is a fuzzy algorithm which selects the adequate operation mode for the plant taken into account the operation conditions. The control strategy is tested on a model of the plant showing a proper performance.Unión Europea OCONTSOLAR ID 78905

Deformation of canonical morphisms and the moduli of surfaces of general type

In this article we study the deformation of finite maps and show how to use this deformation theory to construct varieties with given invariants in a projective space. Among other things, we prove a criterion that determines when a finite map can be deformed to a one--to--one map. We use this criterion to construct new simple canonical surfaces with different $c_1^2$ and $\chi$. Our general results enable us to describe some new components of the moduli of surfaces of general type. We also find infinitely many moduli spaces $\mathcal M_{(x',0,y)}$ having one component whose general point corresponds to a canonically embedded surface and another component whose general point corresponds to a surface whose canonical map is a degree 2 morphism.Comment: 32 pages. Final version with some simplifications and clarifications in the exposition. To appear in Invent. Math. (the final publication is available at springerlink.com

Signs of Overload After an Intensified Training

[EN] This study investigated eff ects of a 9-week intensified aerobic training and 3-weeks of recovery on signs of overload in 9 healthy active young males. Blood and saliva samples were collected and psychological questionnaires were administered during baseline (T1), intermediate load (T2), maximal load (T3), and recovery (T4) periods. Maximal oxygen uptake increased and blood lactate concentration decreased in T3, while running time in a 3 000 m track fi eld test was significantly shorter. No signifi cant changes were found in hematocrit, haemoglobin concentration, white blood cell count, lactate dehydrogenase, transaminases, interleukin-6, tumour necrosis factor- α , myeloperoxidase and markers of oxidative stress in plasma, or salivary cortisol and testosterone. Increases in diff erent negative aff ectscales and in the total mood disturbance score of the Profi le of Mood States were observed during T3. Scores in the stress scales of the Recovery- Stress Questionnaire for Athletes and in the State Anxiety Scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory also showed signifi cant increases during T3. The lack of eff ects in biomarkers together with the changes observed in psychological assessment indicates that an intensifi ed training can produce psychological disturbances prone to early overreaching development. Additionally, it seems that psychological parameters are sensitive markers to detect stress produced by load increases.SIThis work was supported by the Acción Estratégica Sobre el Deporte, Spain (grants n ° 2006-56141-C03-01 to J. G., n ° 2006- 56141-C03-02 to S.M., and n ° 2006-56141-C03-03 to F.S.

Intestinal microbiota transplantation to germ-free mice in a in vivo model of nafld associated with a quercetin treatment

15 p.To select mice donors for intestinal microbiota transplantation based on its metabolic phenotype in response to a high fat diet (HFD) and quercetin treatment (Q). Intestinal microbiota. Resumen de un trabajo resultado del proyecto de investigación financiado por la Consejería de Educación de la Junta de Castilla y León (referencia LE063U16)S

Functional Interactions between Gut Microbiota Transplantation, Quercetin, and High‐Fat Diet Determine Non‐Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Development in Germ‐Free Mice

[EN] Scope: Modulation of intestinal microbiota has emerged as a new therapeutic approach for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Herein, it is addressed whether gut microbiota modulation by quercetin and intestinal microbiota transplantation can influence NAFLD development. Methods and results: Gut microbiota donor mice are selected according to their response to high-fat diet (HFD) and quercetin in terms of obesity and NAFLD-related biomarkers. Germ-free recipients displayed metabolic phenotypic differences derived from interactions between microbiota transplanted, diets, and quercetin. Based on the evaluation of hallmark characteristics of NAFLD, it is found that gut microbiota transplantation from the HFD-non-responder donor and the HFD-fed donor with the highest response to quercetin results in a protective phenotype against HFD-induced NAFLD, in a mechanism that involves gut–liver axis alteration blockage in these receivers. Gut microbiota from the HFD-responder donor predisposed transplanted germ-free mice to NAFLD. Divergent protective and deleterious metabolic phenotypes exhibited are related to definite microbial profiles in recipients, highlighting the predominant role of Akkermansia genus in the protection from obesity-associated NAFLD development. Conclusions: The results provide scientific support for the prebiotic capacity of quercetin and the transfer of established metabolic profiles through gut microbiota transplantation as a protective strategy against the development of obesity-related NAFLDSIM.V.G.M. and S.S.C. share senior authorship. D.P. and E.N. made equal contribution to the study. D.P., E.N., S.M.F., M.V.G.M., and S.S.C. performed most of the experiments. J.L.O. and F.J. performed statistical analysis. R.J. and J.G.G. assisted for in vivo models. S.S.C. designed the experiments and supervised the study. All the authors wrote the manuscript. The authors thank Drs. Gérard and Rabot, from MICALIS Institute (INRA), for providing germ-free mice. This work was supported by grants from Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) (BFU2013-48141-R, BFU2017-87960-R), Junta de Castilla y León (LE135U13, GRS 1428/A/16), Junta de Castilla y León and FEDER, (LE063U16), and IIS Hospital La Fe (2017_0092_PP). D.P. was supported by a fellowship from Junta de Castilla y León co-financed by the European Social Fund. E.N. was supported by Fundación de Investigación Sanitaria of León. M.V.G.M. was supported by CIBERehd contracts. CIBERehd is funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spai

Intestinal Microbiota Transplantation From HFD-fed and Quercetin Treated Donors Results in a Complex Metabolic Phenotype Transfer that Modulates Obesity-Related NAFLD in Germ Free Mice

2 p.Intestinal microbiota imbalance and related gut-liver axis activation have been identified as key mechanisms in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) development. Modulation of intestinal microbiota, through administration of prebiotics or faecal microbiota transplantation, is a promising therapeutic approach for obesity associated diseases including NAFLD. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the benefits of gut microbiota transplantation from donors to germ free mice (GFm) following an experimental treatment with the flavonoid quercetin in a high fat diet (HFD)-based NAFLD model. Resumen de un trabajo resultado del proyecto de investigación financiado por la Consejería de Educación de la Junta de Castilla y León (referencia LE063U16)S

Metabolic Phenotype Transfer Through Gut Microbiota Transplantation from HFD-Fed and Quercetin Treated Donors Modulates Obesity-Related NAFLD in Germ-Free Mice

1 p.Gut microbiota is involved in obesity, metabolic syndrome and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Strategies to modulate it, including faecal transplantation and administration of prebiotics as quercetin, are actively being examined. The present study aims to investigate benefits of experimental gut microbiota transfer from donors to germ-free mice (GFm) in a high-fat diet (HFD)-based NAFLD model. Resumen de un trabajo resultado del proyecto de investigación financiado por la Consejería de Educación de la Junta de Castilla y León (referencia LE063U16)S

Akkermansia spp. mediates protection from obesity-associated NAFLD development in germ free mice following intestinal microbiota transplantation from high fat diet and quercetin treated donors

1 p.Dysbiosis and gut-liver axis alteration have been pointed as important contributors to obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) development. Modulation of intestinal microbiota (IM) emerge as a promising therapeutic strategy for obesity-associated NAFLD. This study aims to determine the effect of IM transplantation and quercetin supplementation in a high fat diet (HFD)-based NAFLD model in germ free mice (GFm). Resumen de un trabajo resultado del proyecto de investigación financiado por la Consejería de Educación de la Junta de Castilla y León (referencia LE063U16)S

Protective effect of quercetin treatment on HFD-induced intestinal dysbiosis and barrier dysfunction in an in vivo model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

1 p.Gut microbiota is involved in obesity, metabolic syndrome and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Quercetin may have the ability to modulate the intestinal microbiota composition, suggesting therapeutic potential in NAFLD. The present study aims to investigate the beneficial effect of quercetin treatment on dysbiosis, intestinal barrier dysfunction and gut-liver axis alteration in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. Resumen de un trabajo resultado del proyecto de investigación financiado por la Consejería de Educación de la Junta de Castilla y León (referencia LE063U16)S