Acerca del proyecto Modelos constructivos y urbanísticos de la arquitectura de Hispania: definición, evolución y difusión. Del periodo romano a la antigüedad tardía (Marqhis)

The MArqHis project is an initial experience involving different research teams studying Roman architecture based on the socioeconomic characteristics and the context of the construction processes and techniques. It constitutes a first attempt to compare and/or unify the documentation, analysis and interpretation methodologies that reflect on the evolution of Hispanic architecture based on a significant chro- nological and geographical sample of the territories on the Iberian Peninsula.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad HAR2012-36963-C05-00Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad HAR2012-36963-C05-01Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad HAR2012-36963-C05-02Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad HAR2012-36963-C05-04Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad HAR2012-36963-C05-0

El cicle de modelització com a eina d'anàlisi d'una unitat didàctica sobre energia

En aquesta recerca es reflexiona sobre com el cicle de modelització proposat per Couso i Garrido-Espeja (2017) per al disseny de seqüències didàctiques, pot servir per analitzar com una unitat didàctica tracta de promoure la modelització. La unitat didàctica escollida "Energia i emocions" correspon al model d'energia (transferència, conservació i degradació de l'energia), i s'emmarca dins de la proposta curricular 'Competències de pensament científic. Ciències 12-15'. Aquesta va ser dissenyada amb l'objectiu de promoure la modelització en un ensenyament contextualitzat. No obstant això, les maneres d'entendre la pràctica científica de modelització i de promoure aquesta a la classe de ciències són diverses. En aquest sentit, el cicle de modelització del nostre marc ha resultat una eina útil per analitzar, al voltant de les idees clau del model d'energia, cadascuna de les activitats proposades en el disseny de la unitat didàctica. Com a resultat de l'anàlisi realitzada hem evidenciat que la proposta didàctica conté un gran nombre d'activitats que promouen l'avaluació de les idees clau del model, facilitant l'obtenció de proves o aprofundint en l'exploració del fenomen. En canvi, no són tan freqüents les activitats d'estructuració d'idees dels estudiants ja que són escasses aquelles que incentiven l'expressió i consens d'un model finalEn esta investigación se reflexiona sobre cómo el ciclo de modelización propuesto por Couso y Garrido-Espeja (2017) para el diseño de secuencias didácticas puede servir para analizar cómo una unidad didáctica trata de promover la modelización. La unidad didáctica escogida "Energía y emociones" corresponde al modelo de energía (transferencia, conservación y degradación de la energía), y se enmarca en la propuesta curricular 'Competencias de pensamiento científico. Ciencias 12-15'. Esta fue diseñada con el objetivo de promover la modelización en una enseñanza contextualizada. Sin embargo, existen diversos modos de entender la práctica científica de modelización y de promoverla en la clase de ciencias. En este sentido, el ciclo de modelización de nuestro marco ha resultado una herramienta útil para analizar, en torno a las ideas clave del modelo de energía, cada una de las actividades propuestas en el diseño de la unidad didáctica. Como resultado del análisis realizado hemos evidenciado que la propuesta didáctica contiene un gran número de actividades que promueven la evaluación de las ideas clave del modelo, facilitando la obtención de pruebas o profundizando en la exploración del fenómeno. En cambio, no son tan frecuentes las actividades de estructuración de ideas de los estudiantes ya que son escasas las que incentivan la expresión y el consenso de un modelo finalIn this research we reflect on how the modelling cycle proposed by Couso and Garrido-Espeja (2017) for the design of teaching sequences can be used to analyse how a teaching and learning sequence tries to promote modelling. The chosen teaching sequence "Energy and emotions" is addressed to the energy model (transfer, conservation and degradation of energy) and is part of a larger curricular project titled 'Scientific thinking competencies. Science 12-15'. This teaching and learning sequence was designed with the aim of promoting modelling in a contextualized teaching approach. However, there are several ways to conceptualise and promote modelling as a scientific practice in the science class. In this sense, the modelling cycle of our framework has been a useful tool for analysing the activities around key ideas of the energy model proposed in the design of the teaching and learning sequence. As a result of this analysis, we have found that the teaching sequence contains a large number of activities that promote the evaluation of key ideas of the model among students by obtaining further evidence or deepening in the exploration of the phenomena. Instead, activities promoting structuring ideas are not so frequent since there are few ones that motivate the expression and consensus of a final mode

Homogenization of unsaturated bentonite during hydration

Bentonite barriers are a key component in may designs of deep geological repositories for high level nuclear waste. During the hydration stage, the bentonite undergoes non-uniform changes in dry density that may persist even after reaching a fully saturated state. Since dry density controls the properties of the bentonite that ensure the functions of safety of the barrier, the potential of bentonite for homogenization or otherwise is a matter of high relevance. The paper presents the results and the analyses of two hydration tests on initially heterogenous samples, especially designed to explore the phenomena and processes underlying the homogenisation of bentonite materials. The formulation and constitutive model used in the analyses are briefly presented followed by a description of the tests. Subsequently, the experimental dataobtained from the tests are discussed together with the results of the hydromechanical analyses performed. Particular attention is given to the degree of homogenization of the specimens achieved at the end of the tests. The simulations have resulted in a very satisfactory agreement with test observations, especially egarding the final state of the samples, thus enhancing the confidence in the numerical tool employed.The work presented has been developed in the framework of the Bentonite Mechanical Evolution Project (BEACON). The project receives funding from the Euratom research and training programme 2014-2018 under grant agreement No 745942. The support of Conacyt (Id. no. 710153) to the third author is also gratefully acknowledged.Postprint (published version

Investigar sobre la contaminació a l'aula de Secundària

Primera versió del material per a treballar la contaminació de l'aire a Secundària. El material de l'alumnat i la guia docent s'ha desenvolupat en el marc del Projecte ATENC!

Advances for the Hepatitis A virus antigen production using a virus strain with codon frequency optimization adjustments in specific locations

The available cell-adapted hepatitis A virus (HAV) strains show a very slow replication phenotype hampering the affordable production of antigen. A fast-growing strain characterized by the occurrence of mutations in the internal ribosome entry site (IRES), combined with changes in the codon composition has been selected in our laboratory. A characterization of the IRES activity of this fast-growing strain (HM175-HP; HP) vs. its parental strain (HM175; L0) was assessed in two cell substrates used in vaccine production (MRC-5 and Vero cells) compared with the FRhK-4 cell line in which its selection was performed. The HP-derived IRES was significantly more active than the L0-derived IRES in all cells tested and both IRES were more active in the FRhK-4 cells. The translation efficiency of the HP-derived IRES was also much higher than the L0-derived IRES, particularly, in genes with a HP codon usage background. These results correlated with a higher virus production in a shorter time for the HP strain compared to the L0 strain in any of the three cell lines tested, and of both strains in the FRhK-4 cells compared to Vero and MRC-5 cells. The addition of wortmannin resulted in the increase of infectious viruses and antigen in the supernatant of FRhK-4 infected cells, independently of the strain. Finally, the replication of both strains in a clone of FRhK-4 cells adapted to grow with synthetic sera was optimal and again the HP strain showed higher yields

High resolution fluorescence imaging of cancers using lanthanide ion-doped upconverting nanocrystals

During the last decade inorganic luminescent nanoparticles that emit visible light under near infrared (NIR) excitation (in the biological window) have played a relevant role for high resolution imaging of cancer. Indeed, semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) and metal nanoparticles, mostly gold nanorods (GNRs), are already commercially available for this purpose. In this work we review the role which is being played by a relatively new class of nanoparticles, based on lanthanide ion doped nanocrystals, to target and image cancer cells using upconversion fluorescence microscopy. These nanoparticles are insulating nanocrystals that are usually doped with small percentages of two different rare earth (lanthanide) ions: The excited donor ions (usually Yb3+ ion) that absorb the NIR excitation and the acceptor ions (usually Er3+, Ho3+ or Tm3+), that are responsible for the emitted visible (or also near infrared) radiation. The higher conversion efficiency of these nanoparticles in respect to those based on QDs and GNRs, as well as the almost independent excitation/emission properties from the particle size, make them particularly promising for fluorescence imaging. The different approaches of these novel nanoparticles devoted to "in vitro" and "in vivo" cancer imaging, selective targeting and treatment are examined in this reviewJ.A.C. is a Concordia University Research Chair in Nanoscience and is grateful to Concordia University for financial support of his research. J.A.C. and F.V. are grateful for financial support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada. R.N. is grateful for NSERC financial support through the Alexander Graham Bell Graduate Scholarship Program. B.F.Z. is grateful to les Fonds Québécois de Recherche sur la Nature et les Technologies (FQRNT) for financial support through the Graduate Scholarship Program. This work was also supported in part by the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid (Projects CCG087-UAM/MAT-4434 and S2009/MAT-1756), by the Spanish Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (MAT 2010–16161). EMR acknowledges financial support from Fundación Alfonso Martín Escudero and Marie Curie IOF Fellowship Program (project 274404 LUNAMED

Inactivation of hepatitis A virus and human norovirus in clams subjected to heat treatment

Bivalve mollusk contamination by enteric viruses, especially human noroviruses (HuNoV) and hepatitis A virus (HAV), is a problem with health and economic implications. The aim of the study was the evaluation of the effect of heat treatment in clams (Tawera gayi) experimentally contaminated with HuNoV using a PMA-viability RTqPCR assay to minimize measurement of non-infectious viruses, and used HAV as a model to estimate infectivity loss. Spiked clams were immersed in water at 90°C to ensure that internal meat temperature was maintained above 90°C for at least 5 min. The treatment resulted in >3.89 ± 0.24 log10 TCID50/g reduction of infectious HAV, confirming inactivation. For HuNoV, RTqPCR assays showed log10 reductions of 2.96 ± 0.79 and 2.56 ± 0.56, for GI and GII, respectively, and the use of PMA resulted in an additional log10 reduction for GII, providing a better correlation with risk reduction. In the absence of a cell culture system which could be used to determine HuNoV infectivity reduction, a performance criteria based on PMA-RTqPCR log reduction could be used to evaluate food product safety. According to data from this study, heat treatments of clams which cause reductions >3.5 log10 for GII as measured by PMA-RTqPCR assay may be regarded as an acceptable inactivation treatment, and could be set as a performance criterion to test the effectiveness of other time-temperature inactivation processes

Deploying unsupervised clustering analysis to derive clinical phenotypes and risk factors associated with mortality risk in 2022 critically ill patients with COVID-19 in Spain

Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; 2019-nCoV; Fenotips; Factors de risc; Infecció greu per SARS-CoV-2Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; 2019-nCoV; Fenotipos; Factores de riesgo; Infección grave por SARS-CoV-2Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; 2019-nCoV; Phenotypes; Risk factors; Severe SARS-CoV-2 infectionBackground The identification of factors associated with Intensive Care Unit (ICU) mortality and derived clinical phenotypes in COVID-19 patients could help for a more tailored approach to clinical decision-making that improves prognostic outcomes. Methods Prospective, multicenter, observational study of critically ill patients with confirmed COVID-19 disease and acute respiratory failure admitted from 63 ICUs in Spain. The objective was to utilize an unsupervised clustering analysis to derive clinical COVID-19 phenotypes and to analyze patient’s factors associated with mortality risk. Patient features including demographics and clinical data at ICU admission were analyzed. Generalized linear models were used to determine ICU morality risk factors. The prognostic models were validated and their performance was measured using accuracy test, sensitivity, specificity and ROC curves. Results The database included a total of 2022 patients (mean age 64 [IQR 5–71] years, 1423 (70.4%) male, median APACHE II score (13 [IQR 10–17]) and SOFA score (5 [IQR 3–7]) points. The ICU mortality rate was 32.6%. Of the 3 derived phenotypes, the A (mild) phenotype (537; 26.7%) included older age ( 65 years), high severity of illness and a higher likelihood of development shock. Crude ICU mortality was 20.3%, 25% and 45.4% for A, B and C phenotype respectively. The ICU mortality risk factors and model performance differed between whole population and phenotype classifications. Conclusion The presented machine learning model identified three clinical phenotypes that significantly correlated with host-response patterns and ICU mortality. Different risk factors across the whole population and clinical phenotypes were observed which may limit the application of a “one-size-fits-all” model in practice.This study was supported by the Spanish Intensive Care Society (SEMICYUC) and Ricardo Barri Casanovas Foundation. The study sponsors have no role in the study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, or writing of the report