Large Signal Model of a Four-quadrant AC to DC Converter for Accelerator Magnets

This paper presents the large signal model of a four-quadrant AC to DC converter, which is expected to be used in the area of particle accelerators. The system’s first stage is composed of a three-phase boost PWM (Pulse Width Modulated) rectifier with DSP (Digital Signal Processing) based power factor correction (PFC) and output voltage regulation. The second stage is a full-bridge PWM inverter that allows fast four-quadrant operation. The structure is fully reversible, and an additional resistance (brake chopper) is not needed to dissipate the energy when the beam deflection magnet acts as generator

Switched mode power amplifier with active filter for low energy correction magnets

This paper presents a complete characterisation of a 400 W (+- 40 V +- 10 A) switched mode power amplifier that will be employed in the area of particle accelerators. The results of the analysis of this converter have been verified in a 3U crate prototype built by CERN PS/P

Dopamine D4 receptor activation counteracts nigrostriatal pathway activation by morphine: relevance in drug addiction.

Morphine induces dopamine release in the caudate putamen (CPu), which promotes stereotyped behavior and habit learning for drug-seeking and –taking. Nigrostriatal pathway stimulation by morphine is due to a removal of tonic inhibition arising from SNr GABA interneurons on SNc dopaminergic neurons through the mu opioid receptor (MOR). Long-term morphine exposure produces a series of adaptations in SNc dopamine neurons, which affect neuron excitability and dopamine output to CPu. We have previously shown that dopamine D4 receptor (D4R) stimulation counteracts acute and chronic morphine-induced accumulation of several transcription factors in the CPu (Gago et al., 2011 Brain Res.). Since D4R is expressed in the SNr (Rivera et al., Brain Res. 2003), we postulate that a functional D4R-MOR interaction at the midbrain level could exists. We have investigated the role of D4R in the morphine-induced nigroestriatal dopamine metabolism in the rat brain using biochemical and immunohistochemical techniques. We also have studied the influence of D4R on morphine-induced morphological changes in SNc dopamine neurons using both immunohistochemical and image analysis techniques. Finally, we examined a possible underlying mechanism of the D4R-MOR interaction at the SN level using in vitro quantitative receptor autoradiography. We have found that D4R activation restores dopamine metabolism in the nigroestriatal pathway after acute morphine treatment and prevents morphine-induced rise of tyroxine hydroxylase and dopamine transporter. Rats receiving a continuous treatment of morphine (6 days) showed SNc dopamine neurons with smaller size and higher circularity index compared with the controls animals. These morphine-induced morphological adaptatives changes were prevented when a D4R agonist (PD168,077) was administered at the same time with morphine. Autoradiographic studies demonstrated that the D4R agonist reduce the affinity of MOR. The present study provides evidence for the existence of a fully blocking effect of the D4R on the activation of dopaminergic nigroestriatal pathway by morphine.Financiación: P09-CVI- 4702 (Proyecto de Excelencia de la Junta de Andalucía

Music as soft power: the electoral use of spotify

The changes brought by new technologies and the ensuing rapid development of the communication field have resulted in an increasing number of studies on politicians’ use of the internet and social media. However, while election campaigns have been the predominant research area in political communication scholarship, music has not yet been taken as an object of study alongside spectacularisation and politainment. Aside from some preliminary studies, systematic research on music in politics is scarce. The literature holds that music is a universal language. Music in politics can therefore be deemed to be an identification tool that can help politicians connect with voters and bring together positions between the different actors of international relations. This is an exploratory study about the use of music in political campaigning. It is focused on the role played by the Spotify playlists created by the main political parties in recent election campaigns in Spain. The initial hypothesis is that some of the candidates strategically selected songs to be shared with their followers. A quantitative content analysis (N = 400) of some Spotify playlists showed that there were significant differences in the selection of songs among the different political parties. This research contributes to the understanding of how Spotify has been used for electoral campaigning, as well as shedding some light on the current communication literature on music and politics

Accuracy of a method based on atomic absorption spectrometry to determine inorganic arsenic in food : Outcome of the collaborative trial IMEP-41

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Transparency in citizen participation tools and public information: A comparative study of the Spanish city councils' websites

Communication is indispensable for institutions in regaining trust and credibility among citizens. In this context, transparency management and the promotion of citizen participation online are essential. After December 2015, when the Spanish transparency law 19/2013 was fully in force at the local level, all local municipalities were required to show all the public information on their websites published in a clear and understandable way. This requirement turns the Spanish local administrations into an interesting case study to assess efforts to improve their relationships with their citizens; hence this research aims to measure the Spanish transparency level on public information and participation. For that purpose, a set of indicators were used to analyze the content of those websites that corresponded to a representative sample of municipalities with 10,000 or more inhabitants (N=394). Findings pointed to a very low transparency level and major deficiencies related to online engagement with resources that are required by law

Transparency, Accountability and Participation in Local Governments: A Comparative Study of Spanish Council Websites

Citizens’ disaffection with political institutions has resulted in an ever more pronounced distancing between the represented and their representative democratic institutions, with a commensurate increase in citizens’ initiatives aimed at obtaining a higher degree of participation in public life. The imbalance experienced by representative democracy in this respect accounts for the need to improve the way in which institutions communicate. This study aims to assess local communication in the regions of Murcia and Navarre by analysing the level of transparency of their institutional websites. The 41 indicators that underpin Mapa Infoparticip@ (www.mapainfoparticipa.com) in Spain are used to see what similarities and differences can be identified when applying the criteria of transparency and participation in these two single-province Autonomous Communities. The findings show a deficit in implementing norms of transparency. This fact affects the role these institutions play as sources of public information and citizen participation, and it appears in a clearer way in municipalities with a smaller population

Guía de recursos para la investigación antropológica.

Sin resume

Primary Angioplasty in a Catastrophic Presentation: Acute Left Main Coronary Total Occlusion—The ATOLMA Registry

Objectives. To determine the outcome predictors of in-hospital mortality in acute total occlusion of the left main coronary artery (ATOLMA) patients referred to emergent angioplasty and to describe the clinical presentation and the long-term outcome of these patients.Background. ATOLMA is an uncommon angiographic finding that usually leads to a catastrophic presentation. Limited and inconsistent data have been previously reported regarding true ATOLMA, yet comprehensive knowledge remains scarce.Methods. This is a multicenter retrospective cohort that includes patients presenting with myocardial infarction due to a confirmed ATOLMA who underwent emergency percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Results. In the period of the study, 7930 emergent PCI were performed in the five participating centers, and 46 of them had a true ATOLMA (0.58%). At admission, cardiogenic shock was present in 89% of patients, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation was required in 67.4%. All the patients had right dominance. Angiographic success was achieved in 80.4% of the procedures, 13 patients (28.2%) died during the catheterization, and the in-hospital mortality rate was 58.6% (27/46). At one-year and at the final follow-up, 18 patients (39%) were alive, including four cases successfully transplanted. Multivariate analysis showed that postprocedural TIMI flow was the only independent predictor of in-hospital mortality (OR 0.23, (95% CI 0.1-0.36),p<0.001).Conclusions. Our study confirms that the clinical presentation of ATOLMA is catastrophic, presenting a high in-hospital mortality rate; nevertheless, primary angioplasty in this setting is feasible. Postprocedural TIMI flow resulted as the only independent predictor of in-hospital mortality. In-hospital survivors presented an encouraging outcome. ATOLMA and left dominance could be incompatible with life

The role of Cis-Regulatory elements in morphological adaptation to cave environment in Astyanax mexicanus

Trabajo presentado en EMBO Workshop Enhanceropathies: Understanding enhancer function to understand human disease, celebrado en Santander (España) del 06 al 09 de octubre de 2021