Preliminary structural and seismic performance assessment of the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba: The Abd al-Rahman I sector

This manuscript discusses some preliminary results on the structural and the seismic performance of the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba, a UNESCO World Heritage. The area is characterized by a moderate seismic hazard. The building was built from the 8th to the 16th century and it has undergone several transformations. Owing to the complexity of the building, this work has focused on the assessment of the Abd al-Rahman I sector, which is the most aged part of the complex. For that, first, a 3D numerical finite element model of the sector has been done in the OpenSees framework and calibrated. To do so, an experimental non-destructive campaign has been carried out. Second, the model has been used to evaluate the structural behaviour, under vertical and horizontal loads, considering different scenarios. Finally, the crack patterns and the seismic safety have been obtained. The results showed that the numerical damage obtained for the gravitational loads is in good agreement with the data collected from the in situ surveys. Also, particular attention should be paid to the cymatiums, as they are the most demanded part of the system. Regarding its seismic performance, the building presents a higher capacity in the direction of the arcades. For the seismic demand, slight damage is expected in both principal directions of the building, which could be easily repaired. Damage concentration is expected in the contact between the perimetral wall and the arcades. This work has expanded the study of the features of the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba to the structural and seismic analysis with advanced numerical FE computing, which has not been done to date. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first time that a macro-modelling approach with solid elements is presented for the seismic assessment of heritage buildings using the OpenSees framework. The methodology to do so is also presented. Apart from showing how advanced numerical analyses can provide useful information to assess the existing damage on monumental buildings, this work aims at contributing to the assessment of the vulnerability and the safety of one of the most emblematic mosque-like buildings of the world.20 página

The Schr\"oder functional equation and its relation to the invariant measures of chaotic maps

The aim of this paper is to show that the invariant measure for a class of one dimensional chaotic maps, $T(x)$, is an extended solution of the Schr\"oder functional equation, $q(T(x))=\lambda q(x)$, induced by them. Hence, we give an unified treatment of a collection of exactly solved examples worked out in the current literature. In particular, we show that these examples belongs to a class of functions introduced by Mira, (see text). Moreover, as a new example, we compute the invariant densities for a class of rational maps having the Weierstrass $\wp$ functions as an invariant one. Also, we study the relation between that equation and the well known Frobenius-Perron and Koopman's operators.Comment: 9 page

A 3D joint interpretation of magnetotelluric and seismic tomographic models: the case of the volcanic island of Tenerife

In this work we have done a 3D joint interpretation of magnetotelluric and seismic tomography models. Previously we have described different techniques to infer the inner structure of the Earth. We have focused on volcanic regions, specifically on Tenerife Island volcano (Canary Islands, Spain). In this area, magnetotelluric and seismic tomography studies have been done separately. The novelty of the present work is the combination of both techniques in Tenerife Island. For this aim we have applied Fuzzy Clusters Method at different depths obtaining several clusters or classes. From the results, a geothermal system has been inferred below Teide volcano, in the center of Tenerife Island. An edifice hydrothermally altered and full of fluids is situated below Teide, ending at 600 m below sea level. From this depth the resistivity and VP values increase downwards. We also observe a clay cap structure, a typical feature in geothermal systems related with low resistivity and low VP values.Comment: Preprint of the published paper without figure

Elastin-like recombinamers with acquired functionalities for gene-delivery applications

Producción CientíficaIn this work, well-defined elastin-like recombinamers (ELRs) were studied as a choice to the existing nonviral vectors due to their biocompatibility and ease of scale-up. Functional motifs, namely penetratin and LAEL fusogenic peptides were incorporated into a basic ELR sequence, and imidazole groups were subsequently covalently bound obtaining ELRs with new functionalities. Stable polyplexes composed of plasmid DNA and ELRs were formed. A particle size around 200 nm and a zeta potential up to nearly +24 mV made them suitable for gene delivery purposes. Additionally, viability and transfection assays with C6 rat glioma cell line showed an increase in the cellular uptake and transfection levels for the construction containing the LAEL motif. This study highlights the importance of controlling the polymer functionality using recombinant techniques and establishes the utility of ELRs as biocompatible nonviral systems for gene-therapy applications.ERDF Funding from the EU and MINECO; contract grant number: MAT2010-15982FCCI Subprogram: Modality ACI-COLABORA Spain-India 2010-2012; contract grant numbers: MAT2010-15310, PRIPIBAR- 2011-1403, MAT2012-38043, and MAT2013-41723-RJCyL; contract grant numbers: VA049A11, VA152A12, and VA155A12CIBER-BBN, JCyL, and the Instituto de Salud Carlos III under the “Network Center of Regenerative Medicine and Cellular Therapy of Castilla and Leon” and DST (Indo-Spanish), (New Delhi

Epidemiological aspects of facial trauma in a third level hospital in Mexico

Background: Facial trauma is common in early adulthood and may require complex surgery and even high mortality. Methods: Retrospective, cross-sectional study at the Hospital General de México during the period from January 2018 to December 2021. Patients with a diagnosis of fracture of the facial region, who had a complete clinical record, of any age, were included. Patients who did not comply with the treatment in the hospital unit, with incomplete clinical records, were excluded. Through non-probability sampling, a sample of 156 patients was formed. The descriptive data analysis was carried out by calculating frequencies and percentages for the qualitative variables. For the quantitative variables, measures of central tendency and dispersion were calculated according to the distribution of the variables (mean and standard deviation). for variables with normal distribution and median with interquartile range for variables with non-normal distribution). Results: 156 patients were included, the male sex predominated (89.7%), the age group from 21 to 30 years (35.3%), the injury mechanism of aggression by a third party (54.5%). Facial fractures occurred in the following descending order: orbit (64.7%), zygoma (41.7% n=65), mandibular (23.1% n=36), nasal (22.4% n=35), maxilla (21.8% n=34), NOE (4.5% n=7), Le Fort (3.8% n=6), and palate (3.8% n=6). Within orbital fractures, the most frequently affected region was the orbital floor (42.3%). The patients with orbital fracture were mostly men (88.1% versus 11.9%). The highest frequency of these fractures was between the ages of 21 and 30 (38.6%). Surgical treatment of fractures in general was established in 44.9%, performing open reduction and internal fixation of fractures in 41.0%. Conclusions: The most frequent facial fractures are: orbit, zygoma, and mandibular; they mainly affect the male sex in the second decade of life, they are produced mainly by aggressions to third parties. The management of facial fractures is predominantly surgical, through open reduction and internal fixation

Life cycle of Amblyomma mixtum (Acari: Ixodidae) parasitizing different hosts under laboratory conditions.

Amblyomma mixtum is a tick species in the Amblyomma cajennense complex. The known geographic range of A. mixtum extends from Texas in theUSAto western Ecuador and some islands in the Caribbean. Amblyomma mixtum is a vector of disease agents of veterinary and public health importance. The objective of this study was to describe the life cycle of A. mixtum under laboratory conditions. Bovines, rabbits and sheep were infested with larvae, nymphs, and adult ticks under controlled conditions to assess several biological parameters. Eggs, larvae, nymphs and adults were kept in an incubator (27 C temperature and 80% relative humidity) when they were off the host. The average life cycle of A. mixtum was 88 and 79 days when fed on rabbits and cattle, respectively. Sheep were found to be unsuitable because no ticks attached. The rabbit is a more practical host to maintain a colony of A. mixtum under laboratory conditions. The data from this study can be considered as an example for the life cycle of A. mixtum. However, caution must be exercised when making comparisons to the biology of A. mixtum in its natural habitat

ENTRAP and its potential interaction with European networks

AbstractENTRAP comprises a pan-European cooperation of leading scientific institutions and regulatory bodies in the field of nuclear-waste characterization and its quality assurance for the safe disposal of radioactive waste. Here, the scope of this cooperation is presented and explained and links or interfaces for a potential collaboration with partners fulfilling tasks of IDG-TP are pursued

Imaging leachate runoff from a landfill using magnetotellurics: The Garraf karst case

Electrical and active source electromagnetic geophysical methods have been traditionally employed to approach and tackle environmental problems, such as those caused by landfills. However, since these problems are more consequential and cover broader areas, it is necessary to use deeper penetration methods, such as magnetotellurics. In the Garraf Massif (Catalan Coastal Ranges, NE Spain), an urban waste disposal landfill had been in operation from 1974 to 2006, during which more than 26 million metric tons of garbage had been deposited. This landfill overlies karstic terrain, thus principally impacting groundwater circulation. Previous electrical resistivity tomography profiles had partially imaged the infill but were not able to penetrate below the base of the original landfill. During 2019 and 2020 we performed a magnetotelluric study over the landfill and its surrounding with the goals of characterizing the electrical resistivity of the infill and below it. The 2D and 3D resistivity models confirmed the highly conductive nature of the leachate and allowed us to identify its presence below the landfill base, which we quantified with maximum thicknesses of 90 m. This proved that landfill leachate had filtered through the original impermeable layer, enhanced by the karstic drainage structure