Aplicación de una pila de combustible de óxidos solidos a un sistema de producción combinada de electricidad y calor utilizando amoniaco como combustible

En el presente trabajo se realiza un estudio acerca de un sistema micro-CHP (Combined Heat and Power) para producir electricidad y calor, basado en una pila de combustible de hidrogeno utilizando amoniaco como combustible. El diseño de la pila se hace con el objetivo de obtener 5 kW de potencia eléctrica, además del aprovechamiento de la energía sobrante de las corrientes calientes para producir agua caliente sanitaria (ACS) gracias a una red de intercambiadores de calor. La generación del hidrógeno necesario para el funcionamiento de la pila se consigue gracias a un reactor de descomposición catalítico de lecho fijo alimentado con amoniaco. El sistema integra un reactor de combustión de amoniaco para trabajar de forma térmicamente independiente. Para realizar el estudio, se modela el sistema utilizando el software AspenOne HYSYS®, que permite simular el comportamiento de los equipos que integra el sistema y realizar los cálculos de balances de materia y energía necesarios, en base a datos químicos y termodinámicos. Una vez realizado el modelado del sistema, se procede al estudio del comportamiento del mismo ante diferentes cambios en las principales variables, estudiando los efectos que tienen estos cambios en las eficacias, tanto térmica como eléctrica, con el fin de encontrar los parámetros en los cuales su funcionamiento es óptimo.<br /

Giant Enhancement in the Supercapacitance of NiFe-Graphene Nanocomposites Induced by a Magnetic Field

The rapid rise in energy demand in the past years has prompted a search for low-cost alternatives for energy storage, supercapacitors being one of the most important devices. It is shown that a dramatic enhancement (≈1100%, from 155 to 1850 F g−1) of the specific capacitance of a hybrid stimuli-responsive FeNi3-graphene electrode material can be achieved when the charge/ discharge cycling is performed in the presence of an applied magnetic field of 4000 G. This result is related to an unprecedented magnetic-field-induced metal segregation of the FeNi3 nanoparticles during the cycling, which results in the appearance of small Ni clusters (<5 nm) and, consequently, in an increase in pseudocapacitive sites. The results open the door to a systematic improvement of the capacitance values of hybrid supercapacitors, while moving the research in this area towards the development of magnetically addressable energy-storage devices

Red Light-Emitting Electrochemical Cells Employing Pyridazine-Bridged Cationic Diiridium Complexes

A rigid dinuclear Ir(III) complex showing high photoluminescence quantum yield in pure films was successfully used to fabricate light-emitting electrochemical cells with and without ionic liquid additives. The devices showed nearly instantaneous electroluminescence after biasing and maximum quantum yield approaching 1%. The lifetime of the devices was found to be limited to approximately 20 hours, which we correlated with the irreversible oxidation of the complex as seen from electrochemical measurements. This work validates the use of highly luminescent dinuclear iridium complexes in light-emitting electrochemical cells. Future studies will pursue materials with more efficient photoluminescence as well as improved electrochemical stability

CVD synthesis of carbon spheres using NiFe-LDHs as catalytic precursors: structural, electrochemical and magnetoresistive properties

The gram-scale synthesis of carbon spheres with a diameter of ca. 740 nm has been achieved by means of a chemical vapour deposition method using NiFe-layered double hydroxides as a solid catalytic precursor. The presence of the catalyst (FeNi3) allows controlling the final size distribution, resulting in a monodisperse sample. Their structural properties exhibited a high degree of graphitization according to their ID/IG ratio. In addition, their morphological features were unveiled by FIB-SEM and HRTEM, showing that they are formed by solid inner cores, and presenting labile chain-like structures due to accretion procedures. The solution and posterior sonication of the samples in toluene gave rise to the well-defined isolated spheres. The textural and electrochemical properties of the spheres have been tested showing non-mesoporous structures with a good behaviour as electrode materials for supercapacitors due to the presence of redox functionalities on their surface. Finally, magneto-transport measurements have been carried out, demonstrating semiconductor behaviour, as well as a positive magnetoresistance effect (ca. 72%) for the lowest studied temperature (2 K)

Sistema de Información del Paisaje Andaluz

Se entiende la creación del Sistema de Información del Paisaje Andaluz (SIPA) como una herramienta básica para el conocimiento, la protección, gestión y ordenación de los paisajes andaluces. El sistema responde a la necesidad de integrar los numerosos y complejos elementos que han de considerarse para la identificación, caracterización, cualificación y seguimiento del paisaje en un modelo objetivo, replicable, homogéneo y sistemático. El sistema se integra en la REDIAM: Red de Información Ambiental de Andalucía, de la Consejería de Medio Ambiente de la Junta de Andalucía

Respuesta y supervivencia libre de progresión en tumores vesicales en estadiosT2-T4 tratados con tratamiento trimodal de conservación vesical

Objective: Toevaluatetheresponseandthefree-survivalprogressioninpacientsdiagnosed of invasivebladdercancerwhohavebeentreatedwithtransurethralresection, chemotherapyandradiotherapy.Thismultimodaltreatmentiscomparedwithanot random serieofpatientstreatedbyradicalcistectomy. Material andmethods: Retrospectiveanalysisof43casesofinvasivebladdercancertreated with twoschemesofbladderpreservationbetween1994–2007.Theyarecomparedwith145 cases treatedwithradicalcistectomyinthesameperiodoftime. Pronosticvariablesincludedinthestudyareclinicalstage,gradeofdifferentiation, presence ofureteralobstruction,chemotherapymodality,radiotherapydosesandp53and ki-67 expression. Results: Meanandmediantimeare51and39monthsinpatientswithmultimodal treatment.Completeresponseisachievedin72%ofcasestreatedwithbladder preservation.Ureteralobstructionisaprognosticfactor(OR:7,3;p:0,02).72%patientswith complete responsemantainitattheendofthestudy.Noneofanalyzedvariablesare predictors ofmaintenanceoftheresponse. Survivalrateswithaintactbladderwere6977% and6177% atthreeandfiveyears. Radiotherapydosesgreaterthan60Gy(OR:6,1;po0,001) andtheabsenceofureteral obstruction (OR:7,5;po0,002) werepronosticvariables. Free-survivalinpatientswithcompleteresponsewas8077% and58710% atthreeand five years. At theendofthestudy,53,5%ofpatientshadaintactbladderandfree-disease. Inthesameperiodoftime,145radicalcistectomieswereperformedduetomuscleinvasive bladdercancer.Meanandmediantimeinthisgroupwere29and18monthsrespectively. Stadisticalanalysisrevealsaworseclinicalstageinthegroupofpatientstreatedwith multimodaltreatment(p:0.01). Free-survivalwas7275% and6377%at3and5yearsinthegroupofradical cistectomies.Therewasnotstadisticalsignificantdifferencesbetweencistectomiesand bladderpreservation. Conclusions: Patientstreatedwithbladderpreservationhaveafree-survivalsimilartothose tretedwithradicalcistectomy.Radiotherapy doses greaterthan60Gyandabsenceofureteral obstructionwerefree-survivalprognosticvariables

Drug repurposing in oncology: a systematic review of randomized controlled clinical trials

Quality pharmacological treatment can improve survival in many types of cancer. Drug repurposing offers advantages in comparison with traditional drug development procedures, reducing time and risk. This systematic review identified the most recent randomized controlled clinical trials that focus on drug repurposing in oncology. We found that only a few clinical trials were placebo-controlled or standard-of-care-alone-controlled. Metformin has been studied for potential use in various types of cancer, including prostate, lung, and pancreatic cancer. Other studies assessed the possible use of the antiparasitic agent mebendazole in colorectal cancer and of propranolol in multiple myeloma or, when combined with etodolac, in breast cancer. We were able to identify trials that study the potential use of known antineoplastics in other non-oncological conditions, such as imatinib for severe coronavirus disease in 2019 or a study protocol aiming to assess the possible repurposing of leuprolide for Alzheimer’s disease. Major limitations of these clinical trials were the small sample size, the high clinical heterogeneity of the participants regarding the stage of the neoplastic disease, and the lack of accounting for multimorbidity and other baseline clinical characteristics. Drug repurposing possibilities in oncology must be carefully examined with well-designed trials, considering factors that could influence prognosis

Fundamental Insights into the Covalent Silane Functionalization of NiFe Layered Double Hydroxides

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are a class of 2D anionic materials exhibiting wide chemical versatility and promising applications in different fields ranging from catalysis to energy storage and conversion. However, the covalent chemistry of this kind of 2D materials is still barely explored. Herein, we report the covalent functionalization with silanes of a magnetic NiFe-LDH. The synthetic route consists of a topochemical approach followed by the anion exchange reaction of a surfactant molecules prior to the covalent functionalization with the (3- aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) molecules. The functionalized NiFe-APTES was fully characterized using X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis coupled with mass spectrometry and 29Si solid state nuclear magnetic resonance, among others. The effect on the electronic properties of the functionalized LDH was studied by a magnetic study in combination with Mössbauer spectroscopy. Moreover, the reversibility of the silane-functionalization at basic pH was demonstrated, and the quality of the resulting LDH proved by studying the electrochemical performance in the oxygen evolution reaction in basic media. Furthermore, the anion exchange capability for the NiFe-APTES was tested employing Cr(VI), resulting in an increase of 200 % of the anion retention. This report allows a new level in the tunability of LDHs opening the door to the synthesis of new hybrid materials and architectures

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels in Cord Blood from Growth Restricted Fetuses with Doppler Alteration Compared to Adequate for Gestational Age Fetuses

Background and Objectives: Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a severe obstetric disease characterized by a low fetal size entailing a set of undesired consequences. For instance, previous studies have noticed a worrisome association between FGR with an abnormal neurodevelopment. However, the precise link between FGR and neurodevelopmental alterations are not yet fully understood yet. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a critical neurotrophin strongly implicated in neurodevelopmental and other neurological processes. In addition, serum levels of BDNF appears to be an interesting indicator of pathological pregnancies, being correlated with the neonatal brain levels. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze the blood levels of BDNF in the cord blood from fetuses with FGR in comparison to those with weight appropriate for gestational age (AGA). Materials and Methods: In this study, 130 subjects were recruited: 91 in group A (AGA fetuses); 39 in group B (16 FGR fetuses with exclusively middle cerebral artery (MCA) pulsatility index (PI) 95th percentile). Serum levels of BDNF were determined through ELISA reactions in these groups. Results: Our results show a significant decrease in cord blood levels of BDNF in FGR and more prominently in those with UA PI >95th percentile in comparison to AGA. FGR fetuses with exclusively decreased MCA PI below the 5th percentile also show reduced levels of BDNF than AGA, although this difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions: Overall, our study reports a potential pathophysiological link between reduced levels of BDNF and neurodevelopmental alterations in fetuses with FGR. However, further studies should be conducted in those FGR subjects with MCA PI < 5th percentile in order to understand the possible implications of BDNF in this group.Depto. de Salud Pública y Materno - InfantilFac. de MedicinaTRUEUnión EuropeaComunidad de MadridInstituto de Salud Carlos IIIHalekulani S.LFundación Santiago Dexeus Fontpu

Effectiveness of Fingolimod versus Natalizumab as Second-Line Therapy for Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis in Spain: Second-Line GATE Study

Background: There is a lack of head-to-head studies comparing the efficacy of fingolimod (FIN) and natalizumab (NTZ) as second-line therapy for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Methods: Multicenter, observational study, in which, information of 388 patients randomly selected and treated with FIN or NTZ in routine clinical practice was retrospectively collected with the main objective of comparing the annualized relapse rate (ARR) over the first year, after FIN or NTZ treatment initiation. Results: Mean ARR during the first year of treatment was 0.28 in FIN group and 0.12 in NTZ group (p = 0.0064); nevertheless, the difference between groups lost statistical significance when the propensity score analysis was performed. Time to disability -progression was similar in both treatment groups (12.3 +/- 6.7 months in FIN, and 12.8 +/- 0.1 months in NTZ; p = 0.4654). Treatment persistence after the first year of treatment was higher in patients treated with FIN (95%) than in those treated with NTZ (84%; p = 0.0014). Conclusions: After 12 months of treatment, both FIN and NTZ reduced the ARR, but ARR percent reduction was significantly higher with NTZ. Treatment persistence was higher in patients receiving FIN