Underwater energy harvesting system based on plucked-driven piezoelectrics

Postprint (author's final draft

Experimental validation and modeling of plucked piezoelectric for underwater energy harvesting system

Underwater wireless sensing systems are envisioned for stand-alone applications and as an addition to cabled observatory systems such as the OBSEA marine observatory. Therefore, this work presents a solution on how to generate power for marine wireless sensors using underwater motion energy. In this pare it is described a prototype based on a Bristol cylinder which can generate electrical voltage using piezoelectric bimorphs. Collecting water motion energy using piezoelectric energy harvesting is particularly difficult due to the mismatch between the low frequency of water kinetics and the high-frequency requirements of piezoelectric transducers. Therefore, to achieve frequency up-conversion we propose the use of the plucking technique applied to propose the use of the plucking technique applied to piezoelectric energy harvester. Experimental results show that the proposed energy harvester achieves a maximum power density of 350µW/cm3.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Design and characterization of an oscillating energy harvester with planked piezoelectric for observatory OBSEA

Peer Reviewe

Ionización con rayos x como tratamiento cuarentenario alternativo o complementario al frío para el control de la mosca mediterránea de la fruta en mandarinas “clemenules”

Tratamientos ionizantes con rayos X a las dosis de 0 (control), 195 y 395 Gy se han ensayado como tratamientos cuarentenarios contra la mosca mediterránea de la fruta. El ensayo se realizó sobre mandarinas 'Clemenules' (Citrus reticulata Blanco) infestadas artificialmente con larvas de tercer estadio de desarrollo de Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae). Los resultados se compararon con un tratamiento estándar de cuarentena por frío (14 días a 1,5ºC). El porcentaje de larvas de C. capitata que no llegaron a pupar fue de 14, 67, 97 y 100%, respectivamente, en frutos sometidos a 0, 195, 395 Gy y frío. El porcentaje de larvas que no llegaron a adultos fue del 16% en el control y del 100% en el resto de tratamientos. En otros ensayos se evaluó la combinación de tratamientos con rayos X a dosis bajas (0, 30, 54 y 164 Gy) con exposiciones a frío de corta duración (1ºC durante 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 o 12 días). Aunque la mortalidad de larvas y pupas aumentó con la dosis de rayos X y la duración de la exposición al frío, con la combinación de irradiación a 30 Gy y 2 días de frío ya se anuló completamente la emergencia de adultos. La irradiación con rayos X, como tecnología alternativa o coadyuvante de la refrigeración, se ha mostrado altamente eficaz y podría reducir sensiblemente los tiempos de cuarentena necesarios actualmente para las exportaciones españolas de mandarinas. Previamente a su recomendación como tratamiento de cuarentena comercial, es preciso contrastar estos resultados de laboratorio en ensayos a gran escala y evaluar su efecto sobre la calidad del fruto

Three-dimensional cell culture of chimeric antigen receptor T cells originated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells towards cellular therapies

3D cell culture; CAR T cells; Adoptive cell therapyCultiu cel·lular 3D; Cèl·lules T CAR; Teràpia cel·lular adoptivaCultivo celular 3D; Células T CAR; Terapia celular adoptivaBackground aims With the objective of improving the ex vivo production of therapeutic chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, we explored the addition of three-dimensional (3D) polystyrene scaffolds to standard suspension cell cultures. Methods We aimed to mimic the structural support given by the lymph nodes during in vivo lymphocyte expansion. Results We observed an increase in cell proliferation compared with standard suspension systems as well as an enhanced cytotoxicity toward cancer cells. Moreover, we directly obtained the CAR T cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells, thus minimizing the ex vivo manipulation of the therapeutic cells and opening the way to synergies among different cell populations. Conclusions We propose the use of commercially available 3D polystyrene systems to improve the current immune cell cultures and resulting cell products for emerging cellular (immuno)therapies.This research was funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III through Consorcio Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) with the projects “Alycia” (Nr. BBN18PI01) and “Gels4ACT” (Nr. BBN20PIV02). The authors are also grateful for the financial support received from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2020-115296RA-I00, PID2019-105622RBI00 and the “Ramón y Cajal” program [RYC-2017-22614]). The work was supported as well by the Max Planck Society through the Max Planck Partner Group “Dynamic Biomimetics for Cancer Immunotherapy” in collaboration with the Max Planck for Medical Research (Heidelberg, Germany). This research was also supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme H2020-MSCA-COFUND-2016 (DOC-FAM, grant agreement Nr. 754397). The authors acknowledge financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the “Severo Ochoa” Programme for Centres of Excellence in R&D (CEX2019-000917-S)

Feasibility of Double-Blind Clinical Trials with Oral Diacetylmorphine: A Randomized Controlled Phase II Study in an Inpatient Setting

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of conducting double-blind controlled randomized clinical trials using twice-a-day immediate-release oral diacetylmorphine (DAM) in heroin-dependent patients, by means of measuring the capacity of oral DAM to block opiate withdrawal and clinicians' ability to distinguish it from morphine and methadone. This was a randomized, phase II, double-blind, multicenter pilot study comparing immediate-release oral DAM, slow-release oral morphine and oral methadone administered twice a day during 10 days. Forty-five heroin-dependent patients were randomly assigned to these three treatment groups in an inpatient regime. Patients were stabilized with a mean of 350 mg (SD = 193) of immediate-release oral DAM, 108 mg (SD = 46.2) of slow-release oral morphine and 40 mg (SD = 17.9) of methadone. No statistically significant differences were found between any studied medication in clinical outcome. Neither patients nor clinicians were able to identify the administered medication. This study shows the feasibility of double-blind clinical trials using b.i.d. immediate-release oral DAM allowing further phase III clinical trials in the process of introducing oral DAM as a medication for heroin-dependent patients not responding to standard maintenance treatments

Ionización con rayos X como tratamiento cuarentenario alternativo o complementario al frío para el control de la mosca mediterránea de la fruta en mandarinas ‘Clemenules

[SPA] Tratamientos ionizantes con rayos X a las dosis de 0 (control), 195 y 395 Gy se han ensayado como tratamientos cuarentenarios contra la mosca mediterránea de la fruta. El ensayo se realizó sobre mandarinas 'Clemenules' (Citrus reticulata Blanco) infestadas artificialmente con larvas de tercer estadio de desarrollo de Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae). Los resultados se compararon con un tratamiento estándar de cuarentena por frío (14 días a 1,5ºC). El porcentaje de larvas de C. capitata ue no llegaron a pupar fue de 14, 67, 97 y 100%, respectivamente, en frutos sometidos a 0, 195, 395 Gy y frío. El porcentaje de larvas que no llegaron a adultos fue del 16% en el control y del 100% en el resto de tratamientos. En otros ensayos se evaluó la combinación de tratamientos con rayos X a dosis bajas (0, 30, 54 y 164 Gy) con exposiciones a frío de corta duración (1ºC durante 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 o 12 días). Aunque la mortalidad de larvas y pupas aumentó con la dosis de rayos X y la duración de la exposición al frío, con la combinación de irradiación a 30 Gy y 2 días de frío ya se anuló completamente la emergencia de adultos. La irradiación con rayos X, como tecnología alternativa o coadyuvante de la refrigeración, se ha mostrado altamente eficaz y podría reducir sensiblemente los tiempos de cuarentena necesarios actualmente para las exportaciones españolas de mandarinas. Previamente a su recomendación como tratamiento de cuarentena comercial, es preciso contrastar estos resultados de laboratorio en ensayos a gran escala y evaluar su efecto sobre la calidad del fruto. [ENG] X-ray irradiation at doses of 0 (control), 195, and 395 Gy was tested as a quarantine treatment against the Mediterranean fruit fly. ‘Clemenules’ clementine mandarins (Citrus reticulata Blanco), artificially infested with third instar larvae of Ceratits capitata Wiedemann (Diptera: Tephritidae), were exposed to X-rays and, by mean of comparison, to the standard cold temperature quarantine treatment (14 days at 1.5ºC). The percentages of third instar larvae that failed to pupariate and failed to reach the adult stage were 14, 67, 97, and 100%, and 16, 100, 100, and 100% on mandarins exposed to 0, 195, and 395 Gy, and cold-treated, respectively. In another set of experiments, the combination of X-rays at low doses (0, 30, 54, and 164 Gy) with short-term cold exposure (1ºC for 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12 days) was evaluated. The mortality of both larvae and pupae increased as both the irradiation dose and the duration of cold exposure increased. However, adult emergence was completely prevented after exposure to X-rays at 30 Gy followed by a 2-day exposure to 1ºC. Therefore, X-ray irradiation, as an alternative or complementary treatment to cold exposure, is a highly effective technique that could greatly reduce the period of time that is currently needed for quarantine treatment of Spanish citrus exports. Large-scale testing and evaluation of the impact on fruit quality should be conducted before delivery of final comercial recommendations.Los autores agradecen a Alfonso Kurtz su asistencia técnica. Este trabajo fue financiado en parte por el MEC y fondos FEDER de la UE (Proyectos INIA RTA03-103-C6-1 y AGL2004-05271/AGR). La autora Alicia Marcilla disfruta de una beca predoctoral concedida por el INIA

Lack of the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 shifts cannabinoid-dependent excitatory synaptic plasticity in the dentate gyrus of the mouse brain hippocampus

[EN] The transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) participates in synaptic functions in the brain. In the dentate gyrus, post-synaptic TRPV1 in the granule cell (GC) dendritic spines mediates a type of long-term depression (LTD) of the excitatory medial perforant path (MPP) synapses independent of pre-synaptic cannabinoid CB1 receptors. As CB1 receptors also mediate LTD at these synapses, both CB1 and TRPV1 might be influencing the activity of each other acting from opposite synaptic sites. We tested this hypothesis in the MPP–GC synapses of mice lacking TRPV1 (TRPV1-/-). Unlike wild-type (WT) mice, low-frequency stimulation (10min at 10Hz) of TRPV1-/- MPP fibers elicited a form of long-term potentiation (LTP) that was dependent on (1) CB1 receptors, (2) the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), (3) rearrangement of actin filaments, and (4) nitric oxide signaling. These functional changes were associated with an increase in the maximum binding efficacy of guanosine-5′-O-(3-[35S]thiotriphosphate) ([35S]GTPgS) stimulated by the CB1 receptor agonist CP 55,940, and a significant decrease in receptor basal activation in the TRPV1-/- hippocampus. Finally, TRPV1-/- hippocampal synaptosomes showed an augmented level of the guanine nucleotide-binding (G) Gai1, Gai2, and Gai3 protein alpha subunits. Altogether, the lack of TRPV1 modifies CB1 receptor signaling in the dentate gyrus and causes the shift from CB1 receptor-mediated LTD to LTP at the MPP–GC synapses.This work was supported by the Basque Government (IT1230- 19, to PG); MINECO/FEDER, UE (SAF2015-65034-R, to PG); Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2019-107548RBI00, to PG); Red de Trastornos Adictivos, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISC-III); and European Regional Development Funds-European Union (ERDF-EU, Investing in your future; RD16/0017/0012, to PG); MINECO CTQ2017-85686-R (Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, to JS); JE-H is a Postdoctoral Researcher contracted with funds of Red de Trastornos Adictivos, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISC-III), and European Regional Development Funds-European Union (ERDF-EU, Investing in your future; RD16/0017/0012), and the Basque Government (IT1230-19). IB-D holds a Postdoctoral Orientation Period contract (BES-2016-076766, BES-C-2016-0051). SA has a Ph.D. contract granted by University of the Basque Country (PIF 16/251). ES-G is funded by Ikerbasque and MINECO (PGC2018- 093990-A-I00; MICIU/AEI/FEDER, UE)