Nanoplastics: From tissue accumulation to cell translocation into Mytilus galloprovincialis hemocytes. resilience of immune cells exposed to nanoplastics and nanoplastics plus Vibrio splendidus combination

Plastic litter is an issue of global concern. In this work Mytilus galloprovincialis was used to study the distribution and effects of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS NPs) of different sizes (50 nm, 100 nm and 1 mu m) on immune cells. Internalization and translocation of NPs to hemolymph were carried out by in vivo experiments, while endocytic routes and effects of PS NPs on hemocytes were studied in vitro. The smallest PS NPs tested were detected in the digestive gland and muscle. A fast and size-dependent translocation of PS NPs to the hemolymph was recorded after 3 h of exposure. The internalization rate of 50 nm PS NPs was lower when caveolae and clathrin endocytosis pathways were inhibited. On the other hand, the internalization of larger particles decreased when phagocytosis was inhibited. The hemocytes exposed to NPs had changes in motility, apoptosis, ROS and phagocytic capacity. However, they showed resilience when were infected with bacteria after PS NP exposure being able to recover their phagocytic capacity although the expression of the antimicrobial peptide Myticin C was reduced. Our findings show for the first time the translocation of PS NPs into hemocytes and how their effects trigger the loss of its functional parameters

Physics for non-physicists - Two bio-degrees reforms in Spanish universities: Health Biology and Biology

We present a review of two different innovative experiences of Physics education for Bio-Sciences in two Spanish Universities - the Health Biology degree of the Universidad de Alcalá de Henares (UAH) and the Biology degree of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM). Both experiences took place simultaneously and coincident with the implementation of Bologna Plan. Although they were developed under different contextual constraints, set by the respective Faculties, they share a number of similar pedagogical strategies which are analyzed. In both cases the reforms allowed a substantial improvement in learning results compared to those obtained in the previous Physics courses in the respective degreesLHM participated in the GIREP-MPTL 2018 on behalf of the project IPLS-Spain, promoted and supported by an inter-university group of physics teachers and young biologist

Experimental and computational study of the effect of temperature on the electro-polymerization process of Thiophene

Temperature effect on the nucleation and growth mechanisms (NGM) of poly(thiophene) (PTh) was investigated through experimental and computational tools. The computational simulation method was based on a kinetic Monte Carlo algorithm. It reproduced key processes such as diffusion, oligomerization, and the precipitation of oligomers onto the electrode surface. Electrochemical synthesis conditions at temperatures between 263 and 303 K were optimized. The deconvolution of the i-t transients reflected two contributions: a progressive nucleation with three-dimensional growth controlled by diffusion and the other by charge transfer, PN3Ddif and PN3Dct, respectively. As temperature decreased, a diminution of the charge associated to each contribution was observed and the nucleation induction time increased. Experimental and computational evidence indicated that temperature does not change the nucleation and growth mechanism (NGM). This effect was ascribed to kinetic factors rather than to film conductivity. This work contrasts simulation and experimental evidence and demonstrates how computational simulations can help to understand the electrochemical process of conducting polymers formation.Fil: Camarada, María Belén. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; Chile. Universidad de Talca; ChileFil: Romero, M.. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; ChileFil: Gimenez, Maria Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Física Enrique Gaviola. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Física Enrique Gaviola; ArgentinaFil: Schmickler, Wolfgang. Universitat Ulm; AlemaniaFil: del Valle, M. A.. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; Chil

Deployment of Digital Video and Audio Over Electrical SCADA Networks

With the arrival of new hardware and software technologies, supervisory control and data acquisition human-machine interfaces (SCADA/HMI), usually text-based, can now benefit from the advantages the inclusion of multimedia information brings. However, due to the special requirements imposed by such systems, integrating audio and video data into the SCADA interfaces is not a trivial task. In this document we analyze those special characteristics and propose solutions so this integration is possible in power systems communication.Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología TIC2000-0367-P4-0

Probabilistic Guarded P Systems, A New Formal Modelling Framework

Multienvironment P systems constitute a general, formal framework for modelling the dynamics of population biology, which consists of two main approaches: stochastic and probabilistic. The framework has been successfully used to model biologic systems at both micro (e.g. bacteria colony) and macro (e.g. real ecosystems) levels, respectively. In this paper, we extend the general framework in order to include a new case study related to P. Oleracea species. The extension is made by a new variant within the probabilistic approach, called Probabilistic Guarded P systems (in short, PGP systems). We provide a formal definition, a simulation algorithm to capture the dynamics, and a survey of the associated software.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad TIN2012- 37434Junta de Andalucía P08-TIC-0420

Framework of fully integrated hybrid systems

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00521-011-0672-9A framework of fully integrated hybrid systems (HSs) is proposed for the development and management of HS which involve databases, advanced user interfaces, symbolic systems, and artificial neural networks. This framework provides a common input–output interface among those HS modules developed on the framework, with a completely two-directional flow control and a highly parallel processing. This integration framework facilitates the incorporation of heterogeneous modules, together with their subsequent management and updating

Phase coexistence in highly deuterated ferroelectric triglycine selenate: Landau description

The phase transition in a 90% deuterated sample of TGSe has been investigated by calorimetric and dielectric measurements. As a consequence of the presence of an internal crack in the sample, the transition takes place in two stages separated by an interval where the paraelectric and the ferroelectric phases coexist without latent heat contribution. From the latent heat, the specific heat excess and the Curie law for the dielectric constant, it is shown that the transition follows a 2-4-6 Landau potential, whose coefficients are determined. This potential describes completely all the data, including those corresponding to the coexistence interval.Dirección General de Investigación Científica y Técnica (DGICYT) FIS2005-0244

High-energy radiation from collisions of high-velocity clouds and the Galactic disc

High-velocity clouds (HVCs) are interstellar clouds of atomic hydrogen that do not follow normal Galactic rotation and have velocities of a several hundred kilometres per second. A considerable number of these clouds are falling down towards the Galactic disc. HVCs form large and massive complexes, so if they collide with the disc a great amount of energy would be released into the interstellar medium. The cloud-disc interaction produces two shocks: one propagates through the cloud and the other through the disc. The properties of these shocks depend mainly on the cloud velocity and the disc-cloud density ratio. In this work, we study the conditions necessary for these shocks to accelerate particles by diffusive shock acceleration and we study the non-thermal radiation that is produced. We analyse particle acceleration in both the cloud and disc shocks. Solving a time-dependent two-dimensional transport equation for both relativistic electrons and protons, we obtain particle distributions and non-thermal spectral energy distributions. In a shocked cloud, significant synchrotron radio emission is produced along with soft gamma rays. In the case of acceleration in the shocked disc, the non-thermal radiation is stronger; the gamma rays, of leptonic origin, might be detectable with current instruments. A large number of protons are injected into the Galactic interstellar medium, and locally exceed the cosmic ray background. We conclude that under adequate conditions the contribution from HVC-disc collisions to the galactic population of relativistic particles and the associated extended non-thermal radiation might be important.Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísica

Ultrametric spaces, valued and semivalued groups arising from the theory of shape

In this paper we construct many generalizad ultrametrics in the sets of shape morphisms between topological spaes. We recognize a topology in these sets which is independen on the shape representation of the spaces. We construct valuations an semivaluations on groups of shape equivalences and on n-th shape groups. We also connect shape theory, for arbitrary topological spaces, with the algebraic theory of generalized ultrametric spaces developed by S. Priess-Crampe and P. Ribenboim among other authors