Synthesis and characterization of M(II) phosphonates (M = Fe, Co, Zn, Mn) as precursors for PEMFCs electrocatalysts

Metal phosphonates are promising precursors for applications such as proton conductivity [1] and catalysis [2]. Specifically, upon calcination metal polyphosphates are generated that can be used as non-noble metal alternatives [3] to the highly expensive commercial catalysts (Pt) for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). In this work, we present the synthesis and characterization of metal polyphosphates obtained from transition divalent metal phosphonates (M= Fe, Mn, Co and Zn) both as monometallic and bimetallic systems (solid solutions). For the preparation of the metal phosphonate precursors, two types of organic linkers were selected, i.e. 2-R,S-hydroxiphosphonoacetic acid [HO3PCH(OH)COOH, HPAA] and nitrilotrismethylenephosphonic acid [N(CH2PO3H2)3, ATMP]. The as synthesized compounds were calcined between 700 and 1000 ºC under N2. Depending on the metal/phosphorous molar ratio in the precursor phases, different compositions were found, the corresponding metal pyrophosphate being the major component according to the crystallographic data. Interestingly, in most of cases the solid solutions were preserved in the final product, for instance Fe-Mn, Fe-Co and Fe-Zn. All calcined materials have been also characterized by XPS, SEM/EDS, FTIR-Raman.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Thermal impact from a thermoelectric power plant on a tropical coastal lagoon

Tropical coastal areas are sensitive ecosystems to climate change, mainly due to sea level rise and increasing water temperatures. Furthermore, they may be subject to numerous stresses, including heat releases from energy production. The Urias coastal lagoon (SE Gulf of California), a subtropical tidal estuary, receives cooling water releases from a thermoelectric power plant, urban and industrial wastes, and shrimp farm discharges. In order to evaluate the plant thermal impact, we measured synchronous temperature time series close to and far from the plant. Furthermore, in order to discriminate the thermal pollution impact from natural variability, we used a high-resolution hydrodynamic model forced by, amongst others, cooling water release as a continuous flow (7.78 m3 s?1) at 6 °C overheating temperature. Model results and field data indicated that the main thermal impact was temporally restricted to the warmest months, spatially restricted to the surface layers (above 0.6 m) and distributed along the shoreline within ?100 m of the release point. The methodology and results of this study can be extrapolated to tropical coastal lagoons that receive heat discharges.<br/

The effect of a multicomponent intervention on steatosis is partially mediated by the reduction of intermuscular abdominal adipose tissue in children with overweight or obesity: the EFIGRO Project

OBJECTIVE: In adults, there is evidence that improvement of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) depends on the reduction of myosteatosis. In children, in whom the prevalence of MAFLD is alarming, this muscle-liver crosstalk has not been tested. Therefore, we aimed to explore whether the effects of a multicomponent intervention on hepatic fat is mediated by changes in intermuscular abdominal adipose tissue (IMAAT) in children with overweight/obesity. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 116 children with overweight/obesity were allocated to a 22-week family-based lifestyle and psychoeducational intervention (control group, n = 57) or the same intervention plus supervised exercise (exercise group, n = 59). Hepatic fat percentage and IMAAT were acquired by MRI at baseline and at the end of the intervention. RESULTS: Changes in IMAAT explained 20.7% of the improvements in hepatic steatosis (P < 0.05). Only children who meaningfully reduced their IMAAT (i.e., responders) had improved hepatic steatosis at the end of the intervention (within-group analysis: responders -20% [P = 0.005] vs. nonresponders -1.5% [P = 0.803]). Between-group analysis showed greater reductions in favor of IMAAT responders compared with nonresponders (18.3% vs. 0.6%, P = 0.018), regardless of overall abdominal fat loss. CONCLUSIONS: The reduction of IMAAT plays a relevant role in the improvement of hepatic steatosis after a multicomponent intervention in children with overweight/obesity. Indeed, only children who achieved a meaningful reduction in IMAAT at the end of the intervention had a reduced percentage of hepatic fat independent of abdominal fat loss. Our findings suggest that abdominal muscle fat infiltration could be a therapeutic target for the treatment of MAFLD in childhood.This project was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Health's Fondos de Investigación Sanitaria del Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI13/01335), the Spanish Ministry of the Economy Industry and Competitiveness (DEP2016-78377-R), and by European Regional Development Funds (ERDF): Una Manera de Hacer Europa. Support was also provided by the Regional Government of Navarra's Department of Economic Development (0011-1365-2019-000152 & 0011-1365-2020-000243), co-funded by European Regional Development Funds (ERDF 2014-2020 for Navarra). CC-S is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (FJC2018-037925-I). MM is supported by Junta de Andalucía and European Union (SNGJ Ref-8025). MO is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (BES-2017-080770). This study was supported by the University of Granada Plan Propio de Investigación 2021 -Excellence actions: Unit of Excellence on Exercise, Nutrition and Health (UCEENS)- and the Junta de Andalucía, Consejería de Conocimiento, Investigación y Universidades, European Regional Development Funds (ref. SOMM17/6107/UGR)

210Pb-derived history of PAHs and PCBs accumulationin sediments of a tropical inner Lagoon (Las Matas,Gulf of Mexico) near a major oil refinery

Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured in a sediment core from the tropical freshwater inner lagoon of Las Matas, near the petroleum industrial area of Minatitla´n-Coatzacoalcos, in the Gulf of Mexico. A 210Pb-derived chronology was used to reconstruct the historical PAH and PCB accumulation in the site during one century (1906–2005). Both geochemical and sedimentological data indicated that a major change occurred in 1947 ± 4, including a shift to coarser sediments and a significant decrease of Al, Li, Fe, organic C and total N contents. This was likely due to the changes in hydrology caused by the confinement of Las Matas Lagoon due to the construction of the Trans-Isthmus road in 1946. PAHs in these samples show relatively low concentrations (259–1176 ng g1), and the congener relative abundances indicate the influence of pyrogenic (petroleum combustion) sources. Total PCB concentrations in the sediments ranged from 24 to 77 ng g1, and are composed by low chlorinated PCBs, with 3- and 4-CB as the prevalent species (51–65% and 29–40%, respectively). PAHs and PCBs were detected at depths corresponding to the early 1900s, when Minatitla´n refinery started operations, although their time evolution appears to be influenced by different accumulation processes. The PCB background is most likely produced by the combustion of natural organic matter, and an industrial contribution can be recognized when normalizing with OC contents. We concluded that atmospheric deposition is the most significant source of PAHs and PCBs for this water body. This study also provided evidence of the alteration of the wetlands surrounding this industrial area due to urbanization; the fragmentation and alteration of Las Matas Lagoon hydrology contributes to the gradual loss of the wetlands in the zone

Recensiones [Revista de Historia Económica Año III Primavera-Verano 1985 n. 2 pp. 349-381]

José F. de la Peña. Oligarquía y propiedad en Nueva España, 1550-1624 (Por Carlos D. Malamud).-- Aldo de Maddalena. (Por Antonio Miguel Bernal).-- Esteban Rodríguez Ocaña. El cólera de 1834 en Granada. Enfermedad catastrófica y crisis social (Por Octavio Ruiz Manjón-Cabeza).-- Arno J. Mayer. La persistencia del Antiguo Régimen. Europa hasta la Gran Guerra (Por Guillermo Gortázar).-- Isabel Sánchez Casado. La Estadística del Estado en los periodos constitucionales (Por Joaquín del Moral Ruiz).-- José A. Ayala ; Mª del Carmen Bel Adell ; et al. Estudios sobre Historia Económica Contemporánea en la región de Murcia (Por Clara Eugenia Núñez).-- Carmen Martín Gaite. El conde de Guadalhorce. Su época y su labor (Por Juan Velarde Fuertes).-- José Morilla Critz. La crisis económica de 1929 (Por Jordi Palafox).-- Luis Germán Zubero. Aragón en la II República. Estructura económica y comportamiento político (Por Mercedes Cabrera).-- Ricardo Robledo Hernández. La renta de la tierra en Castilla la Vieja y León (1836-1913) (Por Carlos Bárdela)Publicad

Disentangling the geologic, human and climate drivers influencing sediment deposition in volcanic lakes on the Azores Archipelago

IAL-IPA joint meeting "Lakes as Memories of the Landscape", Patagonia, Argentina, 27 November-01 December 2022The Azores Archipelago Western (AAWG) and Central (AACG) groups present a high diversity of tectono-volcanic settings, and, therefore, a wide range of lake-watershed system morphometries. This archipelago has suffered from anthropic impacts, mainly abrupt land-use changes, since medieval times (between 700 and 850 CE), and increasingly after the Portuguese arrival in the 15th century. In this complex geologic and human context, we used a multiproxy approach in sediment records from Lakes Caldeirão (Corvo Island), Funda (Flores Island), and Caveiro (Pico Island) to demonstrate a complex interlinking among several environmental drivers over the last millennia. Paleoenvironmental changes have been defined by a multivariate analysis of sedimentary facies, biogeochemical and mineralogical data. This analysis highlights that the most prominent sedimentary process in the AAWG lakes (Caldeirao and Funda) is hydrological grain size sorting, driven by runoff. Additionally, smooth catchment slopes of the low-gradient lake, Caldeirão, modulated this process by favouring rock grain size diminution through weathering, whereas the steep topographic-bathymetric profile of the high-gradient lake, Funda, do through water-level fluctuations. The frequent volcanic activity of the AACG and the small size of Caveiro lake catchment favoured the deposit of pyroclastic tephra through direct fallout in the lake, over the catchment-sourced inputs, reworked by climate and tectonic activity. The biogeochemical and mineral composition of the sedimentary records present extreme change rates at 1288+28-22-1388+41-32 CE, corresponding with the age of the most intense landscape transformation. Therefore, to obtain robust climate reconstructions from these Azorean lacustrine records, we present a detailed statistical approach to isolate the climate signal from volcano-tectonic, morphometric, and anthropic driversThis research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness research projects PaleoNAO (CGL2010-15767), RapidNAO (CGL2013-40608-R), PaleoModes (CGL2016-75281-C2), and NEOCLIM (PID2020-113798GB-C33), and through Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT) (DL57/2016/ICETA/EEC2018/25) and the DISCOVERAZORES (PTDC/CTA-AMB/28511/2017)N

Carbon burial and storage in tropical salt marshes the influence of sea level rise

Los hábitats de vegetación costera pueden ser sumideros importantes de carbono orgánico (Corg) y mitigar el calentamiento global mediante secuestrar cantidades significativas de CO2 atmosférico y almacenan Corg sedimentario durante largos períodos, aunque su capacidad de entierro y almacenamiento en Corg puede verse afectada por el aumento continuo del nivel del mar y la intervención humana. Datos geoquímicos de núcleos de sedimentos fechados 210Pb publicados, recolectados de microtidios costeros de baja energía humedales en El Salvador (Bahía Jiquilisco) y en México (Laguna Salada; Laguna Estero de Urias; Sian Ka'an Reserva de la Biosfera) se revisaron para evaluar los cambios temporales (en los últimos 100 años) de las concentraciones de Corg, tasas de almacenamiento y enterramiento en marismas tropicales bajo la influencia del aumento y contraste del nivel del mar. Grado de antropización. La distribución del tamaño de grano se usó para identificar cambios hidrodinámicos, y δ13C para distinguir sedimentos terrígenos de los acumulados bajo la influencia de la transgresión marina. A pesar de que los rangos de tasa de acreción en todos los registros de sedimentos fueron comparables, concentraciones de Corg (0.2–30%), poblaciones entre las áreas de estudio. Sin embargo, en la mayoría de los sitios, el aumento del nivel del mar disminuyó las concentraciones de Corg y las reservas de sedimentos, pero aumentó las tasas de entierro de Corg. Las concentraciones de Corg más bajas se atribuyeron a la entrada de equipos marinos reelaborados partículas, que contribuyen con una menor cantidad de Corg que los sedimentos terrígenos; mientras que mayor entierro Corg las tasas fueron impulsadas por las altas tasas de acumulación, influenciadas por el aumento de las inundaciones y las intervenciones humanas en los alrededores. La acumulación de Corg y la conservación a largo plazo en las marismas tropicales pueden ser tan altas como en manglares o marismas templadas y, además de la reducción de las poblaciones de Corg por el aumento continuo del nivel del mar, la perturbación de los inventarios de Corg enterrados a largo plazo podría causar altas emisiones de CO2, por lo que deben ser protegidos como parte de los esfuerzos de mitigación del cambio climático

Divalent Metal Vinylphosphonate Layered Materials: Compositional Variability, Structural Peculiarities, Dehydration Behavior, and Photoluminescent Properties

A family of M-VP (M = Ni, Co, Cd, Mn, Zn, Fe, Cu, Pb; VP = vinylphosphonate) and M-PVP (M = Co, Cd; PVP = phenylvinylphosphonate) materials have been synthesized by hydrothermal methods and characterized by FTIR, elemental analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Their structures were determined either by single crystal X-ray crystallography or from laboratory X-ray powder diffraction data. The crystal structure of some M-VP and M-PVP materials is two-dimensional (2D) layered, with the organic groups (vinyl or phenylvinyl) protruding into the interlamellar space. However, the Pb-VP and Cu-VP materials show dramatically different structural features. The porous, three-dimensional (3D) structure of Pb-VP contains the Pb center in a pentagonal pyramid. A Cu-VP variant of the common 2D layered structure shows a very peculiar structure. The structure of the material is 2D with the layers based upon three crystallographically distinct Cu atoms; an octahedrally coordinated Cu2+ atom, a square planar Cu2+ atom and a Cu+ atom. The latter has an unusual co-ordination environment as it is 3-coordinated to two oxygen atoms with the third bond across the double bond of the vinyl group. Metal-coordinated water loss was studied by TGA and thermodiffractometry. The rehydration of the anhydrous phases to give the initial phase takes place rapidly for Cd-PVP but it takes several days for Co-PVP. The M-VP materials exhibit variable dehydration-rehydration behavior, with most of them losing crystallinity during the process.Proyecto nacional MAT2010-15175 (MICINN, España