320 research outputs found
Microstructural description of ion exchange membranes: The effect of PPy-based modification
Properties of ion exchange membranes (IEMs) both cationic and anionic were widely analysed before and after chemical. The modification aims to reduce the crossover phenomena typically observed in RFBs by incorporating polypyrrole (PPy) at the inner of commercial IEMs. In this work, we have explored the insight of membranes by structural and generalized conductivity considerations and its implications in terms of physicochemical characteristics. Transport Structural Parameters (TSP) have been obtained from the electrolyte concentration dependencies (NaCl, in this work). AEMs successfully increased their specific conductivity (between 2.5 and 3.9 times) whereas CEMs slightly decreased (between 1.3 and 2 times). This approach was useful for the description of membrane electro-transport by using the so-called two-phase model which considers an IEM as an heterophase system (particularly, gel and interstitial phase) and their arrangement. AEMs almost doubled increased whereas CEMs doubled decreased their internal microphase arrangement in terms of structural parameter (α). A modification of the established model was applied to the CEMs to better understand their specific behaviour after polymerization. Up to 3.5 times the diffusion coefficient was obtained in AEMs after PPy modification. Finally, based on TSP obtained we propose a microstructural description for the IEMs studied in this workThis work has been funded by the European Union under the
HIGREEW project, Affordable High-performance Green Redox Flow
batteries (Grant agreement no. 875613) H2020: LC-BAT-4-2019, by the
Spanish Ministry of Economy PID 2020-116712RBC21 and Madrid
Regional Research Council (CAM) grant. n. P2018/EMT-4344 BIOTRESC
A board game-based virtual environment for intelligent bots programming,
[EN] Nowadays, there are few virtual environments based on board games with a didactic purpose. In fact, a new board game-based environment is rarely created for training bots unless it is necessary for a study. However, the development of intelligent bots applied to such games would be a stimulus to motivate disciplines such as programming or Artificial Intelligence. In this paper, we present a virtual environment based on a well-known board game such as Catan, which allows the incorporation of bots that can play against each other. In this sense, the virtual environment allows the development of new bots with their respective own strategies and algorithms, so that simulations of games can be carried out to measure their effectiveness. In addition, it also allows the simulation of multiple games to develop bots that incorporate learning techniques based on Artificial Intelligence or Machine Learning. In this sense, the virtual environment offers a very interesting tool to be used in subjects related to these disciplinesHeras, A.; Sanchez-Anguix, V.; Alberola Oltra, JM.; Pérez Pascual, MA. (2023). A board game-based virtual environment for intelligent bots programming,. IATED. 1-7. https://doi.org/10.21125/inted.2023.08511
Source of Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease outside United Kingdom
Bovine imports during the 1980s and the first half of the 1990s from the UK contributed substantially to the global spread of this disease
DFT calculation, a practical tool to predict the electrochemical behaviour of organic electrolytes in aqueous redox flow batteries
Herein, a computational predictive tool for redox flow batteries based on NBO and ADCH charge distribution
studies is presented and supported by experimental evidence. Using highly water soluble (>2 M) non-planar 2,2′
-
bipyridinium salts as a case of study, this work presents a DFT protocol that successfully predicts the stability and
forecasts their potential application as active materials for Aqueous Organic Redox Flow Batteries (AORFB). An
initial theoretical-experimental characterization of selected bipyridines served to determine the effect of the ring
size, geometry, and electron density on the physico-chemical properties of the materials. Nonetheless, the NBO
and ADCH charge analyses were essential tools to understand the stability of the reduced species in terms of
electronic delocalization and the importance of the molecular design on the stability of electrolyte for AORFB.
Based on these results, the cell performance of seven-membered 2,2′
-bypiridinium salt, (2), and m-Me substituted homologous, (4), were compared. The significantly lower capacity decay rendered by compound 4 based electrolyte, (0.35%/cycle) compared with compound 2 based electrolyte, (0.71%/cycle) was in good agreement with the predicted stability. The aim of this work is to highlight the powerful synergy between DFT calculations and organic chemistry in predicting the behaviour of different negolytesThis work has been funded by the European Union under the
HIGREEW project, Affordable High-performance Green Redox Flow
batteries (Grant agreement no. 875613). H2020: LC-BAT-4-2019. A.C.
Lopes acknowledges the Ramon y Cajal (RYC2021-032277-I) research
fellowship, the financial support from Ministerio de Ciencia e
Innovacion ´ / AEI /10.13039/501100011033 and from European Union
NextGenerationEU/PRTR. We also thank the CCC-UAM (Graforr project) for allocation of computer tim
Comisión de plan de estudios de la titulación de Ingeniería Técnica de Telecomunicaciones, especialidad en Sonido e Imagen de la EPS
La red docente de la Comisión de plan de estudios de la titulación de Ingeniería Técnica de Telecomunicación, especialidad en Sonido e Imagen de la EPS ha realizado durante el curso 2007/08 un estudio de los objetivos y competencias del futuro título de grado, así como el análisis y diseño de la posible estructura en bloques y asignaturas obligatorias en la que se podría distribuir dicho título. El estudio toma como base los resultados obtenidos en redes de cursos anteriores (ver memoria de redes 2005/06 y 2006/07), las cuales estaban orientadas al diseño curricular dentro del marco de los créditos ECTS para la convergencia al Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior, y sobre todo, se basa en la experiencia de los propios participantes en trabajos o redes previas. El objetivo principal de este proyecto es el diseño curricular del futuro título de grado en Ingeniería de Telecomunicación en Sonido e Imagen, directamente relacionada con la actual Ingeniería Técnica de Telecomunicación, especialidad en Sonido e Imagen, que se imparte en la Universidad de Alicante. Para ello se han seguido las pautas generales establecidas por el Real Decreto de ordenación de Enseñanzas Universitarias Oficiales (BOE, 30 de octubre de 2007), así como otros documentos elaborados por el Colegio Oficial de Ingenieros Técnicos de Telecomunicación y la Comisión de Universidades de Ingeniería Técnica de Telecomunicación
Intramuscular Stimulation of Muscle Afferents Attains Prolonged Tremor Reduction in Essential Tremor Patients
This study proposes and clinically tests intramuscular electrical stimulation below motor threshold to achieve prolonged reduction of wrist flexion/extension tremor in Essential Tremor (ET) patients. The developed system consisted of an intramuscular thin-film electrode structure that included both stimulation and electromyography (EMG) recording electrodes, and a control algorithm for the timing of intramuscular stimulation based on EMG (closed-loop stimulation). Data were recorded from nine ET patients with wrist flexion/extension tremor recruited from the Gregorio Mara\uf1\uf3n Hospital (Madrid, Spain). Patients participated in two experimental sessions comprising: 1) sensory stimulation of wrist flexors/extensors via thin-film multichannel intramuscular electrodes; and 2) surface stimulation of the nerves innervating the same target muscles. For each session, four of these patients underwent random 60-s trials of two stimulation strategies for each target muscle: 1) selective and adaptive timely stimulation (SATS) - based on EMG of the antagonist muscle; and 2) continuous stimulation (CON) of target muscles. Two patients underwent SATS stimulation trials alone while the other three underwent CON stimulation trials alone in each session. Kinematics of wrist, elbow, and shoulder, together with clinical scales, were used to assess tremor before, right after, and 24 h after each session. Intramuscular SATS achieved, on average, 32% acute (during stimulation) tremor reduction on each trial, while continuous stimulation augmented tremorgenic activity. Furthermore, tremor reduction was significantly higher using intramuscular than surface stimulation. Prolonged reduction of tremor amplitude (24 h after the experiment) was observed in four patients. These results showed acute and prolonged (24 h) tremor reduction using a minimally invasive neurostimulation technology based on SATS of primary sensory afferents of wrist muscles. This strategy might open the possibility of an alternative therapeutic approach for ET patients
Coordinación de competencias de tratamiento de señal y comunicaciones en estudios de Telecomunicación en EPS-UA
Los objetivos del presente trabajo son el seguimiento, la coordinación, la evaluación y la mejora en la distribución de competencias de las asignaturas obligatorias de los cursos primero, segundo y tercero del Grado en Ingeniería en Sonido e Imagen en Telecomunicación y una asignatura obligatoria del Máster en Ingeniería de Telecomunicación. La red tiene carácter transversal y se centra en materias de tratamiento de señal y comunicaciones de estudios de Telecomunicación en la Escuela Politécnica Superior de la Universidad de Alicante. Para alcanzar los objetivos se plantea llevar a cabo una colaboración de la que formen parte las subdirecciones de las titulaciones, la dirección del departamento y las profesoras y los profesores de las asignaturas relacionadas con las competencias de tratamiento de señal y comunicaciones en el Grado y Máster Universitario de estudios de Telecomunicación en la Escuela Politécnica Superior. En el proceso se elaboraron documentos para facilitar la puesta en común y la concreción de acuerdos de mejora
Influence of previous mental state on psychological outcomes of Spanish out-of-hospital professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic
Producción CientíficaThis study aimed to describe factors relating to the psychological distress of healthcare workers (HCWs) in Spanish out-of-hospital emergency medical services (EMS), according to the previous or non-use of psychotropic drugs or psychotherapy. A multicentre, cross-sectional descriptive study was designed. The study population were all physicians, nurses, and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) working in any Spanish out-of-hospital EMS between February and April 2021. The main outcomes were the levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and self-efficacy, assessed by DASS-21 and G-SES. Differences in levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and self-efficacy, according to sex, age, previous use of psychotropic drug or psychotherapy, work experience, professional category, type of work, and modification of working conditions were measured using the Student’s t-test for independent samples, one-way ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation, or 2-factor analysis of covariance. A total of 1636 HCWs were included, of whom one in three had severe mental disorders because of the pandemic. The interaction of the previous or non-use of psychotropic drugs or psychotherapy with the rest of the factors considered did not modify the levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and self-efficacy. However, HCWs with a history of psychotropic drug or psychotherapy use had a more intense negative emotional response and lower self-efficacy, regardless of their sex, professional category, type of work, or change in the working conditions. These HCWs are considered particularly vulnerable to the development or recurrence of new disorders or other comorbidities; therefore, the implementation of monitoring and follow-up strategies should be a priority
Cerebrospinal fluid biomarker supported diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and rapid dementias: a longitudinal multicentre study over 10 years
To date, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, particularly protein 14-3-3 testing, presents an important approach in the identification of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease cases. However, one special point of criticism of 14-3-3 testing is the specificity in the differential diagnosis of rapid dementia. The constant observation of increased cerebrospinal fluid referrals in the national surveillance centres over the last years raises the concern of declining specificity due to higher number of cerebrospinal fluid tests performed in various neurological conditions. Within the framework of a European Community supported longitudinal multicentre study (‘cerebrospinal fluid markers') we analysed the spectrum of rapid progressive dementia diagnoses, their potential influence on 14-3-3 specificity as well as results of other dementia markers (tau, phosphorylated tau and amyloid-β1-42) and evaluated the specificity of 14-3-3 in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease diagnosis for the years 1998-2008. A total of 29 022 cerebrospinal fluid samples were analysed for 14-3-3 protein and other cerebrospinal fluid dementia markers in patients with rapid dementia and suspected Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the participating centres. In 10 731 patients a definite diagnosis could be obtained. Protein 14-3-3 specificity was analysed for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease with respect to increasing cerebrospinal fluid tests per year and spectrum of differential diagnosis. Ring trials were performed to ensure the comparability between centres during the reported time period. Protein 14-3-3 test specificity remained high and stable in the diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease during the observed time period across centres (total specificity 92%; when compared with patients with definite diagnoses only: specificity 90%). However, test specificity varied with respect to differential diagnosis. A high 14-3-3 specificity was obtained in differentiation to other neurodegenerative diseases (95-97%) and non-neurological conditions (91-97%). We observed lower specificity in the differential diagnoses of acute neurological diseases (82-87%). A marked and constant increase in cerebrospinal fluid test referrals per year in all centres did not influence 14-3-3 test specificity and no change in spectrum of differential diagnosis was observed. Cerebrospinal fluid protein 14-3-3 detection remains an important test in the diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Due to a loss in specificity in acute neurological events, the interpretation of positive 14-3-3 results needs to be performed in the clinical context. The spectrum of differential diagnosis of rapid progressive dementia varied from neurodegenerative dementias to dementia due to acute neurological conditions such as inflammatory diseases and non-neurological origi
Cerebrospinal fluid biomarker supported diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and rapid dementias:a longitudinal multicentre study over 10 years
To date, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, particularly protein 14-3-3 testing, presents an important approach in the identification of
Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease cases. However, one special point of criticism of 14-3-3 testing is the specificity in the differential
diagnosis of rapid dementia. The constant observation of increased cerebrospinal fluid referrals in the national surveillance
centres over the last years raises the concern of declining specificity due to higher number of cerebrospinal fluid tests performed
in various neurological conditions. Within the framework of a European Community supported longitudinal multicentre study
(‘cerebrospinal fluid markers’) we analysed the spectrum of rapid progressive dementia diagnoses, their potential influence on
14-3-3 specificity as well as results of other dementia markers (tau, phosphorylated tau and amyloid-b1–42) and evaluated the
specificity of 14-3-3 in Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease diagnosis for the years 1998–2008. A total of 29 022 cerebrospinal fluid samples
were analysed for 14-3-3 protein and other cerebrospinal fluid dementia markers in patients with rapid dementia and
suspected Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease in the participating centres. In 10 731 patients a definite diagnosis could be obtained.
Protein 14-3-3 specificity was analysed for Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease with respect to increasing cerebrospinal fluid tests per year and spectrum of differential diagnosis. Ring trials were performed to ensure the comparability between centres during the
reported time period. Protein 14-3-3 test specificity remained high and stable in the diagnosis of Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease
during the observed time period across centres (total specificity 92%; when compared with patients with definite diagnoses
only: specificity 90%). However, test specificity varied with respect to differential diagnosis. A high 14-3-3 specificity was
obtained in differentiation to other neurodegenerative diseases (95–97%) and non-neurological conditions (91–97%). We
observed lower specificity in the differential diagnoses of acute neurological diseases (82–87%). A marked and constant
increase in cerebrospinal fluid test referrals per year in all centres did not influence 14-3-3 test specificity and no change in
spectrum of differential diagnosis was observed. Cerebrospinal fluid protein 14-3-3 detection remains an important test in the
diagnosis of Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease. Due to a loss in specificity in acute neurological events, the interpretation of positive
14-3-3 results needs to be performed in the clinical context. The spectrum of differential diagnosis of rapid progressive dementia
varied from neurodegenerative dementias to dementia due to acute neurological conditions such as inflammatory diseases
and non-neurological origin.peerReviewe
- …