Olfactory fMRI Connectivity Analysis Based on Granger Causality with Application in Anosmia Assessment

In this work, we describe hubs organization within the olfactory network with Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). Granger causality analyses were applied in the supposed regions of interest (ROIs) involved in olfactory tasks, as described in [1]. We aim to get deeper knowledge about the hierarchy of the regions within the olfactory network and to describe which of these regions, in terms of strength of the connectivity, impair in different types of anosmia

Effects of resistance training program on muscle mass and muscle strength and the relationship with cognition in Older Women

The aim of this study was to study the effects of a resistance training programme on Maximal Dynamic Strength (MDS) and muscle morphology of the upper limbs (UL) and lower limbs (LL), as well as to analyse their association with cognition, in a population of older women. The study had a duration of 24 months and a total of 93 Chilean older women participated. The participants were divided into two groups: The Physical Activity Group (PAG, n = 45, age (X ± SD) 77.93 ± 3.54 years), and the Sedentary Group (SG, n = 48, age (X ± SD) 77.71 ± 3.41 years). The PAG carried out a muscle strength training routine twice per week. The following variables were evaluated: Muscle function through maximal dynamic strength (1RM), muscle morphology through arm and calf circumference (AC and CC, respectively), and cognition (Mini Mental State Examination: MMSE). The results show that the SG recorded significant decreases (percent changes; p < 0.05) in the analysed variables: MMSE (-3.5%), MDS in UL (-3.3%), MDS in LL (-4.1%), AC (-4.5%), CC (-4.1%), and BMI (-3.1%). However, the PAG improved significantly in all the analysed variables except in BMI: MMSE (3.9%), MDS in UL (3.6%), MDS in LL (3.5%), AC (1.8%), and CC (2.5%). Moreover, there was a significant association (p < 0.05) between the changes in the muscle strength variables and the changes in cognition level. Therefore, it can be concluded that a two-year muscle strength training programme (load intensity between 30-55% 1RM) in older women improves Maximal Dynamic Strength in UL and LL, as well as muscle mass in arms and calves. Furthermore, it can be asserted that the changes in muscle strength levels could predict the changes in the levels of cognition in older women. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Sistema de programación y control automático de un riego por goteo subterráneo en un cultivo de olivar

En esta comunicación se presenta un nuevo sistema de programación y control automático del riego por goteo subterráneo para un cultivo de olivar ecológico de una finca situada en el T.M. de Tabernas en Almería (España) y propiedad de la empresa Rafael Alonso Aguilera S.L. La finca se riega mediante un novedoso sistema de riego subterráneo patentado por esta empresa. El sistema de control propuesto está basado en el establecimiento de un balance hídrico diario en el en el sistema suelo-planta a partir de la estimación de las necesidades de riego del cultivo en tiempo real a partir de los datos climáticos medidos en tiempo real a partir de una estación agroclimática. Se presentan también los resultados de la evaluación del funcionamiento del sistema a lo largo de un periodo de 5 años y se analiza el ahorro de agua proporcionado por la combinación del sistema de control del riego y del método de riego subterráneo

Analysis of mass transfer capacity in raceway reactors

In the present work, a methodology is proposed to determine the mass transfer capacity in existing microalgae raceway reactors to minimize excessive dissolved oxygen accumulation that would otherwise reduce biomass productivity. The methodology has been validated using a 100 m2 raceway reactor operated in semi-continuous mode. The relevance of each raceway reactor section was evaluated as well as the oxygen transfer capacity in the sump to different air flow rates. The results confirm that dissolved oxygen accumulates in raceway reactors if no appropriate mass transfer systems are provided. Therefore, mass transfer in the sump is the main contributor to oxygen removal in these systems. The variation in the volumetric mass transfer coefficient in the sump as a function of the gas flow rate, and therefore the superficial gas velocity in the sump, has been studied and modelled. Moreover, the developed model has been used to estimate the mass transfer requirements in the sump as a function of the target dissolved oxygen concentration and the oxygen production rate. The proposed methodology allows us to determine and optimize the mass transfer capacity in the sump for any existing raceway reactor. Moreover, it is a powerful tool for the optimization of existing reactors as well as for the design optimization of new reactors

Anatomo-functional organization in brain networks

There are several studies focused on comparing rsFC networks with their structural substrate \cite{hagmann2008, honey2010}. However an accurate description of how anatomo-­functional connections are organized, both at physical and topological levels, is still to be defined. Here we present an approach to quantify the anatomo-functional organization and discuss its consistency

Domination spaces and factorization of linear and multilinear summing operators

[EN] It is well known that not every summability property for multilinear operators leads to a factorization theorem. In this paper we undertake a detailed study of factorization schemes for summing linear and nonlinear operators. Our aim is to integrate under the same theory a wide family of classes of mappings for which a Pietsch type factorization theorem holds. Our construction includes the cases of absolutely p-summing linear operators, (p, sigma)-absolutely continuous linear operators, factorable strongly p-summing multilinear operators, (p(1), ... , p(n))-dominated multilinear operators and dominated (p(1), ... , p(n); sigma)-continuous multilinear operators.Supported by the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (Spain) under Grant MTM2015-66823-C2-2. Supported by the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (Spain) under Grant MTM2012-36740-C02-02.Achour, D.; Dahia, E.; Rueda, P.; Sánchez Pérez, EA. (2016). Domination spaces and factorization of linear and multilinear summing operators. Quaestiones Mathematicae. 39(8):1071-1092. https://doi.org/10.2989/16073606.2016.1253627S1071109239

Altered brain rhythms and functional network disruptions involved in patients with generalized fixation-off epilepsy

Fixation-off sensitivity (FOS) denotes the forms of epilepsy elicited by elimination of fixation. FOS-IGE patients are rare cases [1]. In a previous work [2] we showed that two FOS-IGE patients had different altered EEG rhythms when closing eyes; only beta band was altered in patient 1 while theta, alpha and beta were altered in patient 2. In the present work, we explain the relationship between the altered brain rhythms in these patients and the disruption in functional brain networks