Hierarchical and cooperative model predictive control of electrical grids by using overlapping information

© 20xx IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.The presented study deals with hierarchical and cooperative model predictive control (MPC) of electrical grids. The aim of this study is minimizing electrical frequency deviation while ensuring power levels do not rise too much. The original system is a simply interconnected one divided in several areas and, in order to control eventually disconnected areas due to communication blackouts, an expansion of the original system to a hierarchical version of itself by overlapping original system’s areas.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Combined heat and power using high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells for comfort applications

Global concerns about nowadays’ energy shortage problems as well as climate change eects have encouraged alternatives to classical energy sources such as fossil fuels and nuclear power plants. In this context, combined heat and power is presented as a useful option due to its ability of generating both electrical and thermal energy more eciently than conventional methods. Regarding this, high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells are not only a reliable way of implementing combined heat and power systems, but also a better solution in terms of energy conversion eciency and greenhouse gases emissions reduction. Therefore, high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells are being installed around the world and policies encouraging its utilisation are being promoted.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Combined heat and power using high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells for housing facilities

© 20xx IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes,creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.Recently, new alternatives to conventional energy sources such as fossil fuels are arising due to global problems related to climate change effect and energy shortage. In this context, fuel cells and combined heat and power technologies appear as a possible solution due to their ability to provide both electrical and thermal energy more efficiently compared to traditional methods. Related to this, high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells offer the possibility of implementing combined heat and power systems, and they are also considered an efficient technology that emits less greenhouse gases. In this article a model predictive control based energy management system for a specific house is presented. Simulation and control models of the system are presented, together with dimensions and energy profiles used. Finally, control objectives and the proposed control algorithm are detailed, and the results when trying to match residential heat and power demands are discussed.Peer ReviewedObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::7 - Energia Assequible i No ContaminantPostprint (author's final draft

Mutanome and expression of immune response genes in microsatellite stable colon cancer

The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of the mutanome in the prognosis of microsatellite stable stage II CRC tumors. The exome of 42 stage II, microsatellite stable, colon tumors (21 of them relapse) and their paired mucosa were sequenced and analyzed. Although some pathways accumulated more mutations in patients exhibiting good or poor prognosis, no single somatic mutation was associated with prognosis. Exome sequencing data is also valuable to infer tumor neoantigens able to elicit a host immune response. Hence, putative neoantigens were identified by combining information about missense mutations in each tumor and HLAs genotypes of the patients. Under the hypothesis that neoantigens should be correctly presented in order to activate the immune response, expression levels of genes involved in the antigen presentation machinery were also assessed. In addition, CD8A level (as a marker of T-cell infiltration) was measured. We found that tumors with better prognosis showed a tendency to generate a higher number of immunogenic epitopes, and up-regulated genes involved in the antigen processing machinery. Moreover, tumors with higher T-cell infiltration also showed better prognosis. Stratifying by consensus molecular subtype, CMS4 tumors showed the highest association of expression levels of genes involved in the antigen presentation machinery with prognosis. Thus, we hypothesize that a subset of stage II microsatellite stable CRC tumors are able to generate an immune response in the host via MHC class I antigen presentation, directly related with a better prognosis

Proyecto AMBERIA (CGL2014-52163): avance de resultados

Bienal de la Real Sociedad de Historia Natural (22º. 2017. Coimbra)En la XXI Bienal de la Real Sociedad Española de Historia Natural celebrada en Burgos en el año 2015, se expuso una presentación del proyecto AMBERIA: “El ámbar de Iberia: un excepcional registro de los bosques cretácicos en los albores de los ecosistemas terrestres modernos”, subvencionado por el MINECO, que acababa de ser concedido. El objetivo de ese trabajo fue exponer las líneas maestras de las investigaciones que se iban a realizar en un tema tan apasionante como son las resinas fósiles con inclusiones biológicas del Cretácico Inferior (Albiense superior, alrededor de 105 Ma). Ahora el objetivo del presente trabajo es dar a conocer algunos de los resultados más interesantes que hemos obtenido durante el desarrollo de este proyecto.Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, EspañaMuseo Geominero, Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, EspañaDepartamento de Zoología y Antropología Física, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, EspañaDepartament de Dinàmica de la Terra i de l’Oceà and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat, Universitat de Barcelona, EspañaMuseo de Prehistoria y Arqueología de Cantabria, EspañaMuseum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Estados UnidosDepartament Ciències Agràries i del Medi Natural, Universitat Jaume I, EspañaUniversidad Nebrija, EspañaInstitut de Ciència i Tecnologia ambientals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, EspañaPeer reviewe

Amber in Portugal: state of the art

XXXIV Jornadas de Paleontología y IV Congreso Ibérico de Paleontología (Villareal, Portugal. Sep 2018) p 279-287Portuguese amber has received very little attention from the paleontological and geological points of view. To our knowledge, only twelve amber outcrops or amber-bearing areas have been detected in Portugal. The first outcrops were cited in times as old as 1867 and 1910, and although some of them were considered Jurassic in age, most likely the amber came from Cretaceous deposits. The Portuguese outcrops are poor in amber and, thus far, only a dipteran (Nematocera) insect has been found as bioinclusion (Cascais amber); the area of Estoril-Cascais, near Lisbon, provides amber interesting from the paleoentomological standpoint. In contrast, prehistoric amber from Portugal, namely as diverse types of beads and pendants, has been researched in some detail during the last decades. The 25 archeological localities known occur from north to south, ranging in ages from the Neolithic through the Chalcolithic to the Late Bronze Age. Further research is required to prospect the known paleontological localities, and also to look for new ones, in order to obtain stratigraphically contextualized samples and to perform the first infrared and/or Raman spectroscopy analyses. This will allow comparing these with the infrared and/or Raman spectra of archeological pieces to shed light on the origin of the amber as a raw material during prehistoric times. The potential discovery of a paleontological locality yielding abundant bioinclusions would be of great interest, as it would allow taxonomic and paleoecological comparisons with the rich Cretaceous outcrops from the north and northeastern Iberian PeninsulaMuseo Geominero, Instituto Geológico y Minero de EspañaDepartament de Dinàmica de la Terra i del Oceà and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio). Facultat de Ciències de laTerra. Universitat de BarcelonaDepartamento de Prehistoria, Historia Antigua y Arqueología. Universidad de SalamancaDepartamento de Biodiversidad, Ecología y Evolución, Facultad de Biología, Universidad ComplutenseMuseo de Ciencias Naturales de ÁlavaDepartamento de Prehistoria y Arqueología, Universidad de GranadaOxford University Museum of Natural HistoryInstitute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA)Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de MadridDepartamento de História, Estudos Europeus, Arqueologia e Artes, Faculdade de Letras, Universidade de Coimbra, Instituto de Arqueologi

Dinosaur bonebed amber from an original swamp forest soil

[EN] Dinosaur bonebeds with amber content, yet scarce, offer a superior wealth and quality of data on ancient terrestrial ecosystems. However, the preserved palaeodiversity and/or taphonomic characteristics of these exceptional localities had hitherto limited their palaeobiological potential. Here, we describe the amber from the Lower Cretaceous dinosaur bonebed of Ariño (Teruel, Spain) using a multidisciplinary approach. Amber is found in both a root layer with amber strictly in situ and a litter layer mainly composed of aerial pieces unusually rich in bioinclusions, encompassing 11 insect orders, arachnids, and a few plant and vertebrate remains, including a feather. Additional palaeontological data-charophytes, palynomorphs, ostracods- are provided. Ariño arguably represents the most prolific and palaeobiologically diverse locality in which fossiliferous amber and a dinosaur bonebed have been found in association, and the only one known where the vast majority of the palaeontological assemblage suffered no or low-grade pre-burial transport. This has unlocked unprecedentedly complete and reliable palaeoecological data out of two complementary windows of preservation-the bonebed and the amber-from the same site.Funding Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades: CGL2017-84419 (Eduardo Barrón, Xavier Delclòs); Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades: PGC2018-094034-B-C22 (Luis Alcalá) ; Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad: CGL2015-69805-P (Carles Martín-Closas) ; Generalitat de Catalunya: 2017SGR-824 (Carles Martín-Closas, Xavier Delclòs) ; Generalitat de Catalunya: 2020FI_B1 00002 (Sergio Álvarez-Parra) ; Oxford University Museum: Research Fellowship (Ricardo Pérez-de la Fuente) ; Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades: BES-2016-076469 (Jordi Pérez-Cano) ; Austrian Academy of Sciences: Project 661 (Khaled Trabelsi) ; Université de Tunis: LR18 ES07 (Khaled Trabelsi) ; Generalitat Valenciana: APOSTD2019 (Alba Sánchez-García) ; European Regional Development Fund: IGME13-4E-1518 (Rafael P Lozano)Peer reviewe

Bladder cancer index: cross-cultural adaptation into Spanish and psychometric evaluation

BACKGROUND: The Bladder Cancer Index (BCI) is so far the only instrument applicable across all bladder cancer patients, independent of tumor infiltration or treatment applied. We developed a Spanish version of the BCI, and assessed its acceptability and metric properties. METHODS: For the adaptation into Spanish we used the forward and back-translation method, expert panels, and cognitive debriefing patient interviews. For the assessment of metric properties we used data from 197 bladder cancer patients from a multi-center prospective study. The Spanish BCI and the SF-36 Health Survey were self-administered before and 12 months after treatment. Reliability was estimated by Cronbach's alpha. Construct validity was assessed through the multi-trait multi-method matrix. The magnitude of change was quantified by effect sizes to assess responsiveness. RESULTS: Reliability coefficients ranged 0.75-0.97. The validity analysis confirmed moderate associations between the BCI function and bother subscales for urinary (r = 0.61) and bowel (r = 0.53) domains; conceptual independence among all BCI domains (r ≤ 0.3); and low correlation coefficients with the SF-36 scores, ranging 0.14-0.48. Among patients reporting global improvement at follow-up, pre-post treatment changes were statistically significant for the urinary domain and urinary bother subscale, with effect sizes of 0.38 and 0.53. CONCLUSIONS: The Spanish BCI is well accepted, reliable, valid, responsive, and similar in performance compared to the original instrument. These findings support its use, both in Spanish and international studies, as a valuable and comprehensive tool for assessing quality of life across a wide range of bladder cancer patients

Traumatic stress symptoms among Spanish healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a prospective study

Abstract Aim To investigate the occurrence of traumatic stress symptoms (TSS) among healthcare workers active during the COVID-19 pandemic and to obtain insight as to which pandemic-related stressful experiences are associated with onset and persistence of traumatic stress. Methods This is a multicenter prospective cohort study. Spanish healthcare workers (N = 4,809) participated at an initial assessment (i.e., just after the first wave of the Spain COVID-19 pandemic) and at a 4-month follow-up assessment using web-based surveys. Logistic regression investigated associations of 19 pandemic-related stressful experiences across four domains (infection-related, work-related, health-related and financial) with TSS prevalence, incidence and persistence, including simulations of population attributable risk proportions (PARP). Results Thirty-day TSS prevalence at T1 was 22.1%. Four-month incidence and persistence were 11.6% and 54.2%, respectively. Auxiliary nurses had highest rates of TSS prevalence (35.1%) and incidence (16.1%). All 19 pandemic-related stressful experiences under study were associated with TSS prevalence or incidence, especially experiences from the domains of health-related (PARP range 88.4–95.6%) and work-related stressful experiences (PARP range 76.8–86.5%). Nine stressful experiences were also associated with TSS persistence, of which having patient(s) in care who died from COVID-19 had the strongest association. This association remained significant after adjusting for co-occurring depression and anxiety. Conclusions TSSs among Spanish healthcare workers active during the COVID-19 pandemic are common and associated with various pandemic-related stressful experiences. Future research should investigate if these stressful experiences represent truly traumatic experiences and carry risk for the development of post-traumatic stress disorder

Modelling human choices: MADeM and decision‑making

Research supported by FAPESP 2015/50122-0 and DFG-GRTK 1740/2. RP and AR are also part of the Research, Innovation and Dissemination Center for Neuromathematics FAPESP grant (2013/07699-0). RP is supported by a FAPESP scholarship (2013/25667-8). ACR is partially supported by a CNPq fellowship (grant 306251/2014-0)