Synthesis, characterization and performance of robust poison-resistant ultrathin film yttria stabilized zirconia – nickel anodes for application in solid electrolyte fuel cells

We report on the synthesis of undoped ∼5 μm YSZ-Ni porous thin films prepared by reactive pulsed DC magnetron sputtering at an oblique angle of incidence. Pre-calcination of the amorphous unmodified precursor layers followed by reduction produces a film consisting of uniformly distributed tilted columnar aggregates having extensive three-phase boundaries and favorable gas diffusion characteristics. Similarly prepared films doped with 1.2 at.% Au are also porous and contain highly dispersed gold present as Ni-Au alloy particles whose surfaces are strongly enriched with Au. With hydrogen as fuel, the performance of the undoped thin film anodes is comparable to that of 10–20 times thicker typical commercial anodes. With a 1:1 steam/carbon feed, the un-doped anode cell current rapidly falls to zero after 60 h. In striking contrast, the initial performance of the Au-doped anode is much higher and remains unaffected after 170 h. Under deliberately harsh conditions the performance of the Au-doped anodes decreases progressively, almost certainly due to carbon deposition. Even so, the cell maintains some activity after 3 days operation in dramatic contrast with the un-doped anode, which stops working after only three hours of use. The implications and possible practical application of these findings are discussed.European Union 298300Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad MAT2013‐40852R, 201560E05

The Representation of Queer Teen Identities in Sex Education (Netflix, 2019-)

This article provides an analysis of the representation of LGBTIQ+ teen identities in the first two seasons of ‘Sex Education’ (Netflix, 2019-). Utilising a methodology of analysis anchored in Queer Theory and in the concept of intersectionality, we will study the construction of those characters whose gender expression and/or sexual orientation defy the limits established by cisheteronormativity, as well as those whose desires (whether straight or not) do not fit within what Western societies understand as «normal», since we consider the rejection of the norm as a constitutive element of queerness. The main objectives are a.) to determine which images, knowledge and epistemological constructions regarding sexogenic diversity are disseminated by the show; and b.) to define which discourses are articulated regarding queer (non)identities and the violence suffered by LGBTIQ+ people

On the monitoring of surface displacement in connection with volcano reactivation in Tenerife, Canary Islands, using space techniques

Geodetic volcano monitoring in Tenerife has mainly focused on the Las Cañadas Caldera, where a geodetic micronetwork and a levelling profile are located. A sensitivity test of this geodetic network showed that it should be extended to cover the whole island for volcano monitoring purposes. Furthermore, InSAR allowed detecting two unexpected movements that were beyond the scope of the traditional geodetic network. These two facts prompted us to design and observe a GPS network covering the whole of Tenerife that was monitored in August 2000. The results obtained were accurate to one centimetre, and confirm one of the deformations, although they were not definitive enough to confirm the second one. Furthermore, new cases of possible subsidence have been detected in areas where InSAR could not be used to measure deformation due to low coherence. A first modelling attempt has been made using a very simple model and its results seem to indicate that the deformation observed and the groundwater level variation in the island may be related. Future observations will be necessary for further validation and to study the time evolution of the displacements, carry out interpretation work using different types of data (gravity, gases, etc) and develop models that represent the island more closely. The results obtained are important because they might affect the geodetic volcano monitoring on the island, which will only be really useful if it is capable of distinguishing between displacements that might be linked to volcanic activity and those produced by other causes. One important result in this work is that a new geodetic monitoring system based on two complementary techniques, InSAR and GPS, has been set up on Tenerife island. This the first time that the whole surface of any of the volcanic Canary Islands has been covered with a single network for this purpose. This research has displayed the need for further similar studies in the Canary Islands, at least on the islands which pose a greater risk of volcanic reactivation, such as Lanzarote and La Palma, where InSAR techniques have been used already

Paleostress evolution during the exhumation of high-p marbles, Samaná Complex, northern Hispaniola.

The marble of the Samaná complex presents a widespread foliation formed during its exhumation following a general decompressive strain path from high pressure (2.0>P>0.7 GPa) and low temperature (350 MPa during deformation. In contrast, mean flow stress during grain-boundary migration is estimated in |σ1-σ3| 110 MPa Ma-1). All of these data suggest that exhumation always occurred near the brittle-ductile regime of deformation. © 2017, Instituto Geologico y Minero de Espana. All rights reserved.El trabajo ha sido financiado por los proyectos de investigación CGL2010-14890 y CGL2011-23628, auspiciados por el plan nacional I+D+i del Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad del Gobierno de España.Peer reviewe

Designing bioactive porous titanium interfaces to balance mechanical properties and in vitro cells behavior towards increased osseointegration

Titanium implant failures are mainly related to stress shielding phenomenon and the poor cell interaction with host bone tissue. The development of bioactive and biomimetic Ti scaffolds for bone regeneration remains a challenge which needs the design of Ti implants with enhanced osseointegration. In this context, 4 types of titanium samples were fabricated using conventional powder metallurgy, fully dense, dense etched, porous Ti, and porous etched Ti. Porous samples were manufactured by space holder technique, using ammonium bicarbonate particles as spacer in three different ranges of particle size (100–200 μm, 250–355 μm and 355–500 μm). Substrates were chemically etched by immersion in fluorhydric acid at different times (125 and 625 s) and subsequently, were characterized from a micro-structural, topographical and mechanical point of view. Etched surfaces showed an additional roughness preferentially located inside pores. In vitro tests showed that all substrates were biocompatible (80% of cell viability), confirming cell adhesion of premioblastic cells. Similarly, osteoblast showed similar cell proliferation rates at 4 days, however, higher cell metabolic activity was observed in fully dense and dense etched surfaces at 7 days. In contrast, a significant increase of alkaline phosphatase enzyme expression was observed in porous and porous etched samples compared to control surfaces (dense and dense etched), noticing the suitable surface modification parameters (porosity and roughness) to improve cell differentiation. Furthermore, the presence of pores and rough surfaces of porous Ti substrates remarkably decreased macrophage activation reducing the M1 phenotype polarization as well M1 cell marker expression. Thus, a successful surface modification of porous Ti scaffolds has been performed towards a reduction on stress shielding phenomenon and enhancement of bone osseointegration, achieving a biomechanical and biofunctional equilibrium.Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain grant MAT2015-71284-PJunta de Andalucía – FEDER (Spain) Project Ref. P12-TEP-140

Un SIG corporativo en el IGN para la gestión integrada, publicación y análisis de datos geográficos

El Instituto Geográfico Nacional inició en el año 2003 los estudios previos necesarios para un proyecto ambicioso y a la vez esencial para el cumplimiento de sus responsabilidades básicas, la implantación de un Sistema de Información Geográfica (SIG) corporativo que atendiera a tres finalidades fundamentales: a) la gestión integrada de los datos geográficos y cartográficos que produce, en forma de Bases Cartográficas Numéricas (BCN) y en forma de mapas, respectivamente, incluyendo su actualización coordinada; b) la publicación de tales datos en papel, en soporte digital y de manera electrónica (Infraestructura de Datos Espaciales (IDE)); c) el análisis y consulta desde clientes ligeros y pesados para todo tipo de aplicaciones. Por lo tanto, el sistema constituye a la vez el soporte básico para la publicación de cartografía y para la consulta de los datos geográficos desde clientes a través de la Web,mediante el desarrollo de servicios de análisis

COVID-19 pandemic on coronary artery and cerebrovascular diseases in Southern Spain: interrupted time series analysis

Objective: Healthcare systems have been put under intense pressure by the COVID-19 pandemic, although some studies have shown a decline in hospital admissions for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases during the first and second wave of the pandemic. In addition, studies analyzing gender and procedural differences are scarce. The present study aimed to determine the impact of the pandemic on hospital admissions for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and cerebrovascular disease (CVD) in Andalusia (Spain) and analyzed differences by gender and by percutaneous coronary interventions performed. Patients and methods: An interrupted time series analysis of AMI and CVD hospital admissions in Andalusia (Spain) was carried out to measure the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. AMI and CVD cases admitted daily in public hospitals of Andalusia between January 2018 and December 2020 were included. Results: During the pandemic, significant reductions in AMI [-19%; 95% confidence interval (CI): (-29%, -9%), p<0.001] and CVD [-17%; 95% CI: (-26%, -9%); p<0.01] in daily hospital admissions were observed. Differences were also produced according to the diagnosis (ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction, Non-ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction, other AMI and stroke), with a greater reduction in females for AMI and in males for CVD. Although there were more percutaneous coronary interventions during the pandemic, no significant reductions were observed. Conclusions: A decline in AMI and CVD daily hospital admissions during the first and second wave of COVID-19 pandemic was noted. Gender differences were observed, but no clear impact was observed in percutaneous interventions

CHRONOFALLS: A multicentre nurse-led intervention in the chronoprevention of in-hospital falls in adults

Background: Falls are among the most common and serious adverse events for hospitalised patients. In-hospital falls pose a major medical and economic challenge for public health worldwide. Nevertheless, the issue is often addressed without regard to certain relevant variables such as the time of the fall. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the implementation of a nurse-led intervention based on the temporal patterns of falls and their aetiology on the occurrence of falls. Methods: A mixed-method research design was carried out in three phases: a) a longitudinal prospective study (audits, chronobiological analyses and implementation of a multicentre nurse-led intervention based on temporal patterns of falls); b) a retrospective study of fall records; and c) a qualitative study based on focus groups. The protocol was published in 2021. Results: A difference was observed in the number of fall records before and after the chronopreventive intervention (retrospective: 64.4% vs. 35.6%; p < 0,001). According to the interrupted series analysis, considering the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, a reduction in falls of 2.96% (95% CI 1.70%-4.17%) was observed. The concepts of falls, the COVID-19 pandemic and the causes of non-registration have emerged as categories for qualitative analysis. Conclusions: A multicentric nurse-led program based on tailored organisational, educational and behavioural chronopreventive measures seems to lead to a reduction in the number of in-hospital falls. The findings of the present study, highlighting the implementation of chronopreventive measures, can serve as a basis for future health policies

Intra and Inter-Population Morphological Variation of Shape and Size of the Chilean Magnificent Beetle, Ceroglossus chilensis in the Baker River Basin, Chilean Patagonia

The alteration of habitat generates different degrees of stress in insects. It has been suggested that the degrees of phenotypic disturbances reflect the ability of an individual to overcome the effects of stress. The Baker River Basin in the Aysén Region, Chilean Patagonia has a very fragmented landscape, due to the destruction of the native forest and the use of land for agriculture and animal husbandry. This alteration should generate different degrees of disturbances in the insect communities, whose effects may be quantified by geometric morphometric tools. We analyzed morphological differences in 244 males and 133 females of the the Chilean magnificent beetle, Ceroglossus chilensis (Eschscholtz) (Coleoptera: Carabidae) collected in January, 2007, in mixed forests of Nothofagus dombeyi Mirbel (Ørsted) (Fagales: Nothofagaceae) and N. nitida Hofmus and in Second-growth forest of N. pumilio (Poepp. & Endl.) Krasser. Males were generally wider in the pronotum, while females had wider abdominal sternites. Although there were significant differences in shape and size between mature forests and second-growth forest, these were less significant among the sites within each type of vegetal formation. Individuals had more shape variations in the mature forest. We suggest that differences in shape are due at least in part to the isolation of the habitat. The differences found between sexes raises the question of how morphological variations and sexual dimorphism may be affected spatially by natural selection

Simulation of impulse response for indoor visible light communications using 3D CAD models

n this article, a tool for simulating the channel impulse response for indoor visible light communications using 3D computer-aided design (CAD) models is presented. The simulation tool is based on a previous Monte Carlo ray-tracing algorithm for indoor infrared channel estimation, but including wavelength response evaluation. The 3D scene, or the simulation environment, can be defined using any CAD software in which the user specifies, in addition to the setting geometry, the reflection characteristics of the surface materials as well as the structures of the emitters and receivers involved in the simulation. Also, in an effort to improve the computational efficiency, two optimizations are proposed. The first one consists of dividing the setting into cubic regions of equal size, which offers a calculation improvement of approximately 50% compared to not dividing the 3D scene into sub-regions. The second one involves the parallelization of the simulation algorithm, which provides a computational speed-up proportional to the number of processors used