L'hort ecològic a l'escola

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Exercise increases the dynamics of diurnal cortisol secretion and executive functionin people wiht MCI

Summary: Regular physical activity is protective against and beneficial for Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), dementia, and Alzheimer´s disease. The mechanisms underlying these benefits remain unknown although it has been suggested that exercise-induced changes in the circadian pattern of cortisol secretion may be implicated. Fitness, salivary cortisol levels (0 and 30 mins post awakening, midday, 5pm and 9pm) and cognitive function were determined in a group of amnestic MCI patients (n=39) before and after a three-month exercise program (n=19) or usual care (n=20). At base fitness measures were positively correlated with peak levels of cortisol and a greater fall in cortisol concentration from peak levels to midday. The exercise intervention successfully increased fitness and resulted in a greater fall in cortisol concentration from peak to midday, compared to the control group. The exercise intervention enhanced indices of executive function, although memory, mood, and functionality were not affected

Mexican Trypanosoma cruzi T. cruzi I Strains with Different Degrees of Virulence Induce Diverse Humoral and Cellular Immune Responses in a Murine Experimental Infection Model

It is has been shown that the majority of T. cruzi strains isolated from Mexico belong to the T. cruzi I (TCI). The immune response produced in response to Mexican T. cruzi I strains has not been well characterized. In this study, two Mexican T. cruzi I strains were used to infect Balb/c mice. The Queretaro (TBAR/MX/0000/Queretaro)(Qro) strain resulted in 100% mortality. In contrast, no mortality was observed in mice infected with the Ninoa (MHOM/MX/1994/Ninoa) strain. Both strains produced extended lymphocyte infiltrates in cardiac tissue. Ninoa infection induced a diverse humoral response with a higher variety of immunoglobulin isotypes than were found in Qro-infected mice. Also, a stronger inflammatory TH1 response, represented by IL-12p40, IFNγ, RANTES, MIG, MIP-1β, and MCP-1 production was observed in Qro-infected mice when compared with Ninoa-infected mice. We propose that an exacerbated TH1 immune response is a likely cause of pathological damage observed in cardiac tissue and the primary cause of death in Qro-infected mice

Node mapping criterion for highly saturated interior PMSMs using magnetic reluctance network

Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine (IPMSM) are high torque density machines that usually work under heavy load conditions, becoming magnetically saturated. To obtain properly their performance, this paper presents a node mapping criterion that ensure accurate results when calculating the performance of a highly saturated IPMSM via a novel magnetic reluctance network approach. For this purpose, a Magnetic Circuit Model (MCM) with variable discretization levels for the different geometrical domains is developed. The proposed MCM caters to V-shaped IPMSMs with variable magnet depth and angle between magnets. Its structure allows static and dynamic time stepping simulations to be performed by taking into account complex phenomena such as magnetic saturation, cross-coupling saturation effect and stator slotting effect. The results of the proposed model are compared to those obtained by Finite Element Method (FEM) for a number of IPMSMs obtaining excellent results. Finally, its accuracy is validated comparing the calculated performance with experimental results on a real prototype

Laser induced forward transfer: Propelling liquids with light

Laser‐induced forward transfer (LIFT) constitutes an interesting alternative to conventional printing techniques in microfabrication applications. Originally developed to print inorganic materials from solid films, it was later proved that LIFT was feasible for printing liquids as well, which substantially broadened the range of printable materials. Any material which can be suspended or dissolved in an ink can be in principle printed through LIFT. The principle of operation of LIFT relies on the localized absorption of a focused laser pulse in a thin film of the ink containing the material to print (donor). This results in the generation of a cavitation bubble which expansion displaces a fraction of the liquid around it, leading to the formation of a jet which propagates away the donor and towards the receiving substrate, placed at a short distance from the liquid free surface. The contact of the jet with this receiving substrate results in the deposition of a sessile droplet. Thus, each droplet results from a single laser pulse, and the generation of micropatterns is achieved through the printing of successive droplets. A similar ejection and deposition process is produced by generating a cavitation bubble below the surface of a liquid contained in a reservoir in the film-free laser printing configuration. In this work we review our main achievements on the laser printing of inks, paying special attention to the analysis of the liquid transfer dynamics and its correlation with the printing outcomes

Camino de una universidad virtual para convertirse en un nodo de conocimiento abierto: El caso de la UOC

In November 2021, UNESCO approved its Recommendation on open science, whose implementation makes it possible to incorporate “open culture” into any international, national, regional, or institutional policy related to information or research. The recommendation explicitly recognizes open science as a requirement for leaving no one behind with regard to access to academic knowledge and the benefits of scientific progress. This same conviction led the UOC to elaborate its own Open knowledge action plan in 2018. This Plan, with a time horizon extending until 2030, constitutes the roadmap and institutional proposal of the UOC to become a hub for open and global knowledge, thus contributing to fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations' 2030 Agenda. In its fifth year of implementation, and with eight more years to go, in this article, we share the preliminary results of the process and reflect upon the way in which its implementation helps the University to become a global knowledge hub with a greater social impact. All this, based on the particularity of being a Plan adopted by and for a fully online university.En noviembre de 2021, la UNESCO aprobó su Recomendación sobre ciencia abierta, cuya aplicación hace ineludible incorporar la “cultura abierta” a cualquier política internacional, nacional, regional o institucional vinculada a la información o la investigación. Todo ello, bajo el reconocimiento explícito de la ciencia abierta como requisito para no dejar a nadie atrás en lo que respecta al acceso al conocimiento académico y a los beneficios del progreso científico. Es esta misma convicción la que llevó a la UOC a elaborar su propio Plan de acción de conocimiento abierto en 2018. El Plan, con horizonte temporal hasta el 2030, es la hoja de ruta y apuesta institucional de la UOC para convertirse en un nodo de conocimiento abierto y global, y así contribuir a la consecución de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible marcados por la Agenda 2030 de las Naciones Unidas. En el quinto año de implementación, y aún con ocho años más de recorrido, en el presente artículo, las personas que han estado a cargo de impulsar el plan comparten los resultados preliminares del proceso y reflexionan sobre de qué manera su puesta en marcha ayuda a la Universidad a ser un nodo de conocimiento global, con mayor impacto social. Todo ello, desde la singularidad de ser un Plan adoptado por y para una universidad totalmente online