Wissen fabrik. Una carta per a Zürich

Al 1998 Marcel Meili escrivia “Perifèria. Una carta para Zurich”. Una crida a arquitectes i dissenyadors per donar significat als talls i ruptures que la infraestructura dels setanta i els llargs murs de les àrees industrials havien deixat a la ciutat. Recordant els pensaments de Robert Walser, en aquest context de vies ràpides però fragments separats, la intersecció entre un tall d'escala infraestructural i la possibilitat d'una linealitat d'escala humana evidenciaria la necessitat de intervenció. Sent conscients que les infraestructures van sempre lligades a la condició de marginalitat, la única manera d'evitar la barrera psicològica seria ocupant-ne els intersticis: domesticar la superestructura i donar-li un ús específic. En un terrain vague entre viaductes, es planteja un edifici per donar visibilitat als projectes de gran escala proposats per universitats, grups d'investigació o individuals. El nivell superior de la fàbrica, pensat per al públic general, permetria la observació i debat al voltant dels treballs exposats i en desenvolupament com si d'un museu es tractés. D'aquesta manera es genera una economia que es basa en el procés i no en el producte i el fet de que la transformació en coneixement, a través del museu, representi el motor per seguir produint. Una economia immaterial basada en la producció de coneixement; un escenari “Yes to All” on l'inesperat hi pot tenir cabuda

Disseny d'un canó per llançar samarretes

Els objectius generals d'aquest Treball de Fi de Grau (TFG) es dissenya i fabricar un canó llança samarretes, encarregat pel BAXI Manresa. Aquesta idea va començar el 22 de desembre del 2022, amb una oferta a tots els estudiants de la UPC de Manresa per desenvolupar i fabricar un canó llança samarretes per l'equip de bàsquet de Manresa el BAXI, per poder-lo fer servir en les seves competicions locals, per poder formar part de l'espectacle. Vam ser dels pocs alumnes que vam presentar a fer el canó i al cap d'una avaluació vam ser elegits per desenvolupar el seu canó. En aquest TFG veurem com s'ha anat plasmant la idea inicial, amb les condicions que demanava el BAXI, si les hem pogut complir totes. Comprovarem si els càlculs realitzats s'apropen a com es comporta el canó en la vida real. És veure el disseny preliminar pensat en 3D plasmat en un prototip de PVC per comprovar la seva viabilitat, i observa possibles problemes. Un cop tinguem els resultats del prototip passa a una versió final, i poder fer més estudis de comportament i fent canvis sobre el terreny per provar altres opcions.Los objetivos generales de este Trabajo de Fin de Grado (TFG) es diseñar y fabricar un cañón lanza camisetas, encargado por el BAXI Manresa. Esta idea comenzó el 22 de diciembre de 2022, con una oferta a todos los estudiantes de la UPC de Manresa para desarrollar y fabricar un cañón lanza camisetas para el equipo de baloncesto de Manresa el BAXI, para poder utilizarlo en sus competiciones locales, para poder formar parte del espectáculo. Fuimos de los pocos alumnos que presentamos a realizar el cañón y al cabo de una evaluación fuimos elegidos para desarrollar su cañón. En este TFG veremos cómo se ha ido plasmando la idea inicial, con las condiciones que pedía el BAXI, si las hemos podido cumplir todas. Comprobaremos si los cálculos realizados se acercan a cómo se comporta el cañón en la vida real. Es ver el diseño preliminar pensado en 3D plasmado en un prototipo de PVC para comprobar su viabilidad, observando posibles problemas. Una vez tengamos los resultados del prototipo pasa a una versión final, y poder realizar más estudios de comportamiento y haciendo cambios sobre el terreno para probar otras opciones.The general objectives of this Final Degree Project (TFG) is to design and manufacture a jersey launcher cannon commissioned by BAXI Manresa. This idea began on December 22, 2022, with an offer to all students of the UPC Manresa to develop and manufacture a shirt launcher cannon for the basketball team of Manresa BAXI, to use it in their local competitions, to be part of the show. We were one of the few students who presented to make the cannon and after an evaluation we were chosen to develop their cannon. In this TFG, we will drink how the idea has been shaped, with the conditions requested by BAXI, if we have been able to meet all of them. We will check if the calculations are close to how the gun behaves in real life. It is to see the preliminary design thought in 3D translated into a PVC prototype to check its feasibility, observing possible problems. Once we have the results of the prototype it goes to a final version, and to be able to do more behavioral studies and making changes in the field to test other options

The Cortical Actin Determines Different Susceptibility of Naïve and Memory CD4+ T Cells to HIV-1 Cell-to-Cell Transmission and Infection

Memory CD4+ T cells are preferentially infected by HIV-1 compared to naïve cells. HIV-1 fusion and entry is a dynamic process in which the cytoskeleton plays an important role by allowing virion internalization and uncoating. Here, we evaluate the role of the cortical actin in cell-to-cell transfer of virus antigens and infection of target CD4+ T cells. Using different actin remodeling compounds we demonstrate that efficiency of HIV-internalization was proportional to the actin polymerization of the target cell. Naïve (CD45RA+) and memory (CD45RA−) CD4+ T cells could be phenotypically differentiated by the degree of cortical actin density and their capacity to capture virus. Thus, the higher cortical actin density of memory CD4+ T cells was associated to increased efficiency of HIV-antigen internalization and the establishment of a productive infection. Conversely, the lower cortical actin density in naïve CD4+ T cells restricted viral antigen transfer and consequently HIV-1 infection. In conclusion, the cortical actin density differentially affects the susceptibility to HIV-1 infection in naïve and memory CD4+ T cells by modulating the efficiency of HIV antigen internalization

Modelling the impacts of emission changes on O3 sensitivity, atmospheric oxidation capacity and pollution transport over the Catalonia region

oai:publications.copernicus.org:egusphere109352Tropospheric ozone (O3) is an important surface pollutant in urban areas, and it has complex formation mechanisms that depend on the atmospheric chemistry and meteorological factors. The severe reductions observed in anthropogenic emissions during the COVID-19 pandemic can further our understanding of the photochemical mechanisms leading to O3 formation and provide guidance for policies aimed at reducing air pollution. In this study, we use the air quality model WRF-Chem coupled with the urban canopy model BEP-BEM to investigate changes in the ozone chemistry over the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB) and its atmospheric plume moving northwards, which is responsible for the highest number of hourly O3 exceedances in Spain. The trajectories of the air masses from the AMB to the Pyrenees are studied with the Lagrangian particle dispersion model FLEXPART-WRF. The aim is to investigate the response of ozone chemistry to changes in the precursor emissions. The results show that with the reduction in emissions: 1) the ozone chemistry tends to enter the nitrogen oxide (NOx)-limited or transition regimes; however, highly polluted urban areas are still in the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)-limited regime, 2) the reduced O3 production is overwhelmed by reduced nitric oxide (NO) titration, resulting in a net increase in the O3 concentration (up to 20 %) in the evening, 3) the increase in the maximum O3 level (up to 6 %) during the lockdown could be attributable to an enhancement in the atmospheric oxidation capacity (AOC), 4) the daily maximum levels of ozone and odd oxygen species (Ox) generally decreased (4 %) in May with the reduced AOC, indicating an improvement in the air quality, and, 5) ozone precursor concentration changes in the AMB contribute to the pollution plume moving along the S&ndash;N valley to the Pyrenees. Our results indicate that O3 abatement strategies cannot rely only on NOx emission control but must include a significant reduction in anthropogenic sources of VOCs (e.g., for power plants and heavy industry). In addition, our results show that mitigation strategies intended to reduce O3 should be designed according to the local meteorology, air transport, particular ozone regimes and AOC of the urban area.</p

Implementing the flipped classroom methodology to the subject "Applied computing" of two engineering degrees at the University of Barcelona

This work is focused on the implementation, development, documentation, analysis, and assessment of the flipped classroom methodology, by means of the just-in-time teaching strategy, for a pilot group (1 out of 6) in the subject “Applied Computing” of both the Chemical and Materials Engineering Undergraduate Degrees of the University of Barcelona. Results show that this technique promotes self-learning, autonomy, time management as well as an increase in the effectiveness of classroom hoursPeer Reviewe

Effect of Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. Boulardii and b-galactomannan oligosaccharide on porcine intestinal epithelial and dendritic cells challenged in vitro with Escherichia coli F4 (K88)

Probiotic and prebiotics, often called “immune-enhancing” feed additives, are believed to deal with pathogens, preventing the need of an immune response and reducing tissue damage. In this study, we investigated if a recently developed b-galactomannan (bGM) had a similar protective role compared to Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. Boulardii (Scb), a proven probiotic, in the context of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) infection. ETEC causes inflammation, diarrhea and intestinal damage in piglets, resulting in large economic loses worldwide. We observed that Scb and bGM products inhibited in vitro adhesion of ETEC on cell surface of porcine intestinal IPI-2I cells. Our data showed that Scb and bGM decreased the mRNA ETEC-induced gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-a, IL-6, GM-CSF and chemokines CCL2, CCL20 and CXCL8 on intestinal IPI-2I. Furthermore, we investigated the putative immunomodulatory role of Scb and bGM on porcine monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) per se and under infection conditions. We observed a slight up-regulation of mRNA for TNF-a and CCR7 receptor after coincubation of DC with Scb and bGM. However, no differences were found in DC activation upon ETEC infection and Scb or bGM co-culture. Therefore, our results indicate that, similar to probiotic Scb, prebiotic bGM may protect intestinal epithelial cells against intestinal pathogens. Finally, although these products may modulate DC activation, their effect under ETEC challenge conditions remains to be elucidated.This work was supported by grants from the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA, France) and grant AGL 2009-11936 of the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICIIN, Spain). We gratefully acknowledge Dr I. Badiola (CReSA) for providing ETEC GN1034 strain and Dr J. Domínguez-Juncal (Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, INIA, Madrid, Spain) for kindly providing antibodies for pig cell surface markers.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Implementing the flipped classroom methodology to the subject 'applied computing' of two engineering degrees at the University of Barcelona

This work is focused on the implementation, development, documentation, analysis, and assessment of the flipped classroom methodology, by means of the just-in-time teaching strategy, for a pilot group (1 out of 6) in the subject 'Applied Computing' of both the Chemical and Materials Engineering Undergraduate Degrees of the University of Barcelona. Results show that this technique promotes self-learning, autonomy, time management as well as an increase in the effectiveness of classroom hours

Systematic kinetic modeling of the propyl tert-butyl ether synthesis reaction

The kinetics of the liquid-phase addition of 1-propanol to isobutene to produce propyl tert-butyl ether (PTBE) has been studied using the ion-exchange resin Amberlyst¿ 35 as the catalyst. Reaction rates free from mass transfer limitations have been experimentally determined in the temperature range 303-352 K, for different initial proportions of alcohol and isobutene, and using two different reactor types (i.e., a batch stirred tank reactor, to obtain most of the experimental data, and a tubular reactor, to validate those results). To find out the best kinetic model, a systematic approach has been adopted. The overall etherification reaction has been decomposed as the result of elementary steps based on Langmuir-Hinshelwood-Hougen-Watson or Eley-Rideal mechanisms. Candidate kinetic equations have been originated from all possible combinations of adsorbed and non-adsorbed compounds, and rate-determining step. The possible effect of the interaction between the reaction medium and the resin on reaction rates has been also examined. Since all experimental data have been used at once in the fit of the kinetic equations, all combinations of significant or non-significant temperature dependence of model parameters have been also considered. As a result, 1404 candidate kinetic equations have been fitted separately to experimental data. Discrimination among models is based on mathematical and physico-chemical criteria. The final choice of the best kinetic model involves multimodel inference. It corresponds to an Eley-Rideal mechanism where one 1-propanol molecule adsorbed on the catalyst reacts with one isobutene molecule from the liquid phase to form one adsorbed PTBE molecule, the surface reaction being the rate-determining step

Kinetics of the simultaneous syntheses of ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) and butyl tert-butyl ether (BTBE) over AmberlystTM 35

The kinetics of the simultaneous syntheses of ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) and butyl tert-butyl ether (BTBE) over Amberlyst¿ 35 (A35) has been studied at 315-353 K in the liquid phase. Different kinetic modeling approaches¿namely, empirical power-law modeling, mechanistic modeling based on Langmuir-Hinshelwood-Hougen-Watson (LHHW) and Eley-Rideal (ER) formalisms, and information-based modeling¿have been compared. Empirical kinetic equations yield optimal quality of the fit, whereas mechanistic equations can explain the mechanisms of the studied reactions. The best mechanistic equation for both reactions corresponds to an ER-type mechanism in which an alcohol molecule (ethanol or 1-butanol) is adsorbed on one active site and reacts with isobutene from solution to produce the corresponding adsorbed ether molecule (ETBE or BTBE), which desorbs. A model built based on previous data has been used to check the validity of the inferred mechanism, while significantly reducing the number of adjustable parameters in the model

Liquid-phase synthesis of butyl tert-butyl ether catalysed by ion-exchange resins: kinetic modelling through in-depth model discrimination

The kinetics of the butyl tert-butyl ether (BTBE) synthesis reaction over Amberlyst¿ 35 as the catalyst has been studied at 303-356 K in the liquid phase in two different reactor systems: batch and fixed-bed. Internal mass transfer effects were detected at temperatures above 333 K for catalyst particles larger than 0.25 mm. Particles smaller than 0.08 mm did not show mass transfer limitations under the whole assayed temperature range. The best kinetic model has been searched among a large number of kinetic equations resulting from the systematic combination of all possible elementary reactions, adsorbed species, and rate-determining step based, according to the Langmuir-Hinshelwood-Hougen-Watson and the Eley-Rideal formalisms. The significance of the temperature effect on the kinetic parameters and of the effect of the interaction between the catalyst and the reaction medium on the reaction rate has been checked. All proposed kinetic equations have been fitted to experimental rate data free from mass transfer limitations. The model discrimination procedure has been based on mathematical and physicochemical criteria. The resulting kinetic model is consistent with an Eley-Rideal type mechanism where one 1-butanol molecule adsorbs on one active site of the catalyst, it reacts with one isobutene molecule from the liquid phase to give one adsorbed BTBE molecule, which finally desorbs. The rate-determining step is the surface reaction. The catalyst activity is affected by the resin-medium interaction. 1-Butanol adsorption on the catalyst is more exothermic than BTBE adsorption, and isobutene adsorption is negligible