Caracterización morfométrica y tipológica de conos aluviales en La Rioja y en el Pirineo Aragonés

[Resumen] Este trabajo muestra un modelo de distribución de conos aluviales en los valles del aja y del Najerilla, en el extremo noroccidental del Sistema Ibérico y de la Depresión del Ebro (La Rioja), y en el valle del Gállego, inscrito en la banda del flysch, en el Pirineo Central. La distribución se ha realizado a partir de los cinco grupos de conos clasificados por un Análisis de Cluster, en función de su área y pendiente, y de la litología de sus cuencas. Posteriormente, el análisis de los residuales de la relación entre área y pendiente de los conos y el área de sus cuencas ha permitido establecer una tipología y caracterizar aquellos conos aluviales significativamente diferentes y a la vez más representativos en los distintos sectores de las áreas de estudio. Las principales diferencias se basan en la agradación/incisión en las zonas proximal y distal de los conos y en las fases de encajamiento; ambas varían según la litología de sus cuencas.[Abstract] This paper shows a model of distribution of alluvial fans in the aja and Najerilla valleys, in the northwestern extreme of the Iberian System and the Ebro Depresion (The Rioja), and the Gallego valley, draining the eocen flysch band in the Central Pyrenees. The distribution was carried out with five groups of alluvial fans classified by Cluster Analysis, according to the area and slope, and basins lithology. Aftherwards, the residuals analysis between alluvial fans area and slope and basins area made it possible to establish a typology and to characterize these alluvial fans which are significantly different and at the same time more representative in different sectors of the study areas. The main differences come from aggradattion/ dissection in the proximal and distal areas and the incision stage of alluvial fans; both changing according to the basins lithology

Representación cartográfica mediante técnicas de SIG de formas del relieve y procesos geomorfológicos activos en el sector de Veguellina de Órbigo (León, noroeste de España)

En el presente trabajo se ha realizado un estudio de las formas del relieve y de procesos geomorfológicos activos en las proximidades de Veguellina de Órbigo (provincia de León). El objetivo es la caracterización detallada del medio físico de la zona de estudio como base para estudios de susceptibilidad de riesgos geológicos y su representación en un mapa geomorfológico y de procesos activos a escala 1:25000. El procedimiento metodológico ha consistido en una primera fase de estudio bibliográfico sobre trabajos previos en la zona. En una segunda fase se ha abordado el análisis geomorfológico del territorio, que se ha realizado combinando técnicas de fotointerpretación estereoscópica, trabajos de campo y con la ayuda de la cartografía base (curvas de nivel, ortofotos y MDT del Instituto Geográfico Nacional), identificando los relieves y los procesos de toda la zona, con su validación sobre el terreno en 28 puntos de observación. En la tercera fase se ha creado una base de datos en ArcGis tanto espacial como de atributos, que ha supuesto la digitalización de las distintas unidades cartográficas diferenciadas en la fase anterior, siguiendo durante el proceso de edición del mapa el método propuesto por el Instituto Geológico y Minero de España (IGME). Como resultados, se han determinado tres grandes unidades geomorfológicas en las que se dan procesos geomorfológicos específicos que se han Mapa Geomorfológico y de Procesos Activos final. Este mapa permite identificar los distintos procesos superficiales que han dado y dan lugar al relieve actual, reconocer las interacciones entre ellos y establecer la evolución del relieve a lo largo del tiempo, sirviendo como base del conocimiento del medio físico para su uso en distintos aspectos relacionados con el Medio Ambiente, como son la planificación territorial y el análisis de riesgos geológicos.Trabajo financiado por la Junta de Castilla y León, proyecto LE311A12-

Análisis del relieve y cartografía de procesos geomorfológicos activos mediante SIG en la zona de confluencia de los ríos Tuerto y Porquera (provincia de León, España)

La configuración del relieve terrestre y los cambios que tienen lugar en el entorno natural de los asentamientos humanos tienen una gran trascendencia social y económica debido a que marcan las condiciones de habitabilidad y desarrollo futuro de las actividades antrópicas. Partiendo de este hecho, el principal objetivo de este estudio es la realización de una cartografía geomorfológica en la cual aparezcan reflejados los principales procesos activos de tipo geológico, como base para la realización en el futuro de estudios de susceptibilidad de riesgos geológicos y determinar las zonas en las que la ocupación humana pueda verse afectada por daños relacionados con procesos naturales relacionados con el medio físico. Para la elaboración de esta cartografía geomorfológica se han realizado tareas de fotointerpretación en visión estereoscópica y representación en un Sistema de Información Geográfica (ArcGis 10.1), utilizando como base el Modelo Digital del Terreno MDT05/MDT05-LIDAR con una resolución espacial de 5x5 metros, aplicando distintas herramientas, utilizando también la capa de la BCN25 de curvas de nivel, así como trabajo de campo de comprobación y descripción del relieve y procesos activos. En el mapa obtenido se pueden distinguir tres tipos de dominios geomorfológicos, cada uno con sus procesos geológicos activos predominantes: dominio paleozoico con procesos gravitacionales, dominio neógeno con procesos gravitacionales y de erosión y, por último, dominio fluvial con presencia de abanicos aluviales y llanuras de inundación principalmente

Los indicadores sintéticos de bienestar. La medición de la calidad de vida de las personas mayores

Traballo Fin de Grao en EconomíaEn este trabajo, hemos estudiado de manera aproximada la calidad de vida através de diferentes indicadores, centrándonos en un segmento poblacional concreto, las personas mayores de 65 años. Para ello, hemos definido en primer lugar algunos de los conceptos claves para abordar esta tarea, como es la calidad de vida y el envejecimiento activo. En segundo lugar, describimos qué son los indicadores sociales y mostramos la utilidad de los indicadores sintéticos para aproximar, a través de una magnitud multidimensional, los conceptos descritos. En último lugar, realizamos una propuesta de un indicador sintético para la medición de la calidad de vida de las personas mayores en Europa, compendiando toda la información contenida en el cuerpo del trabajo. Número de palabras: 9.99

Radiopurity of Micromegas readout planes

Micromesh Gas Amplification Structures (Micromegas) are being used in an increasing number of Particle Physics applications since their conception fourteen years ago. More recently, they are being used or considered as readout of Time Projection Chambers (TPCs) in the field of Rare Event searches (dealing with dark matter, axions or double beta decay). In these experiments, the radiopurity of the detector components and surrounding materials is measured and finely controlled in order to keep the experimental background as low as possible. In the present paper, the first measurement of the radiopurity of Micromegas planes obtained by high purity germanium spectrometry in the low background facilities of the Canfranc Underground Laboratory (LSC) is presented. The obtained results prove that Micromegas readouts of the microbulk type are currently manufactured with radiopurity levels below 30 microBq/cm2 for Th and U chains and ~60 microBq/cm2 for 40K, already comparable to the cleanest detector components of the most stringent low background experiments at present. Taking into account that the studied readouts were manufactured without any specific control of the radiopurity, it should be possible to improve these levels after dedicated development.Comment: 15 pages, 2 figure

CD44-high neural crest stem-like cells are associated with tumour aggressiveness and poor survival in neuroblastoma tumours

BACKGROUND: Neuroblastoma is a paediatric tumour originated from sympathoadrenal precursors and characterized by its heterogeneity and poor outcome in advanced stages. Intra-tumoral cellular heterogeneity has emerged as an important feature in neuroblastoma, with a potential major impact on tumour aggressiveness and response to therapy. CD44 is an adhesion protein involved in tumour progression, metastasis and stemness in different cancers; however, there has been controversies about the significance of CD44 expression in neuroblastoma and its relationship with tumour progression. METHODS: We have performed transcriptomic analysis on patient tumour samples studying the outcome of patients with high CD44 expression. Adhesion, invasion and proliferation assays were performed in sorted CD44high neuroblastoma cells. Tumoursphere cultures have been used to enrich in undifferentiated stem-like cells and to asses self-renewal and differentiation potential. We have finally performed in vivo tumorigenic assays on cell line-derived or Patient-derived xenografts. FINDINGS: We show that high CD44 expression is associated with low survival in high-grade human neuroblastoma, independently of MYCN amplification. CD44 is expressed in a cell population with neural crest stem-like features, and with the capacity to generate multipotent, undifferentiated tumourspheres in culture. These cells are more invasive and proliferative in vitro. CD44 positive cells obtained from tumours are more tumorigenic and metastatic, giving rise to aggressive neuroblastic tumours at high frequency upon transplantation. INTERPRETATION: We describe an unexpected intra-tumoural heterogeneity within cellular entities expressing CD44 in neuroblastoma, and propose that CD44 has a role in neural crest stem-like undifferentiated cells, which can contribute to tumorigenesis and malignancy in this type of cancer. FUNDING: Research supported by grants from the "Asociación Española contra el Cáncer" (AECC), the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation SAF program (SAF2016-80412-P), and the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant to RP).Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation SAF program (SAF2016-80412-P

Background studies and shielding effects for the TPC detector of the CAST experiment

Sunset solar axions traversing the intense magnetic field of the CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST) experiment may be detected in a Time Projection Chamber (TPC) detector, as X-rays signals. These signals could be masked, however, by the inhomogeneous background of materials in the experimental site. A detailed analysis, based on the detector characteristics, the background radiation at the CAST site, simulations and experimental results, has allowed us to design a shielding which reduces the background level by a factor of ~4 compared to the detector without shielding, depending on its position, in the energy range between 1 and 10 keV. Moreover, this shielding has improved the homogeneity of background measured by the TPC.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, accepted in New Journal of Physic

Coal pit lakes in abandoned mining areas in León (NW Spain): characteristics and geoecological significance

1-14 pMining activity introduces severe changes in landscapes and, subsequently, in land uses. One of the most singular changes is the existence of pit lakes, which occur in active and, more frequently, abandoned mines. Pit lakes are produced by water table interception when open-pit mines deepen. Their characteristics are highly variable, depending on the type of mine, the environment or the climate. In León province there is a long tradition of coal mining that dates back to the nineteenth century, and hundreds of open pits from the 1970s to 2018 have been opened, producing permanent landscape changes. This work analyses the main parameters, including morphological measurements, depth and pH values obtained from aerial photos and field work, of 76 coal pit lakes more than 30 m in length. The vast majority of these pit lakes were unknown until now and were not included in inventories or maps. The data obtained provide baseline knowledge that will allow, in the future, potential uses (storage of water for various uses, recreational use, wildlife habitat, and geological heritage sites) for these pit lakes and establish their importance as a new geoecological environment.S

Sputter optimization of AlN on diamond substrates for high frequency SAW resonators

The AlN/diamond structure is an attractive combination for SAW devices and its application at high frequencies. In this work, the synthesis of AlN thin films by reactive sputtering has been optimized on diamond substrates in order to process high frequency devices. Polished microcrystalline and as-grown nanocrystalline diamond substrates have been used to deposit AlN of different thickness under equal sputtering conditions. For the smoother substrates, the FWHM of the rocking curve of the (002) AlN peak varies from 3.8° to 2.7° with increasing power. SAW one port resonators have been fabricated on these films, whose electrical characterization (in terms of S11 parameters) is reported

Study of the Briquetting Process of Walnut Shells for Pyrolysis and Combustion

Walnut shells can be used as fuels in power plants directly or as biochars obtained by pyrolysis or torrefaction. They are an example of clean waste biomass which shows a low ash content and a high Net Calorific Value, making them excellent for energy recovery in industrial and non-industrial applications, such as in bakeries, restaurants, and homes. Their main inconvenience is their low bulk density. Densification is a possible solution that reduces the costs of transportation, handling, and storage. In this work, after the characterization of the walnut shells, briquettes were obtained using a hydraulic piston press briquette machine under different conditions to find the best quality without the need for previous grinding for pelletizing. This method features easy operation and maintenance, and the briquette shape could be adapted as desired. The quality of the briquettes was measured through their density and durability. After fixing a compaction pressure to obtain acceptable briquettes, the factors affecting their quality were studied: operating temperature, moisture content, and the presence of small amounts of walnuts. Good quality briquettes were obtained with a compaction pressure of 66 MPa, with densities around 1040 kg/m3, and durabilities higher than 94% when the process was carried at 140 °C. The greatest increase in durability was observed between briquettes obtained at room temperature and those obtained at 80 °C. The presence of small amounts of walnuts, common after the shelling process, improved the durability. Although water is necessary, briquettes obtained from biomass with only 1% of moisture showed better durabilities. Therefore, walnut shells are suitable for obtaining good quality briquettes according to the specifications of solid biofuels established in the standards, without the need for any pretreatment.This research was funded by the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (Spain) [grant number AEI/10.13039/501100011033], by the University of Alicante [grant number UAUSTI21-03] and by the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competividad [Research Project CTQ2016-76608-R]