A DECOMPOSITION PROCEDURE BASED ON APPROXIMATE NEWTON DIRECTIONS

The efficient solution of large-scale linear and nonlinear optimization problems may require exploiting any special structure in them in an efficient manner. We describe and analyze some cases in which this special structure can be used with very little cost to obtain search directions from decomposed subproblems. We also study how to correct these directions using (decomposable) preconditioned conjugate gradient methods to ensure local convergence in all cases. The choice of appropriate preconditioners results in a natural manner from the structure in the problem. Finally, we conduct computational experiments to compare the resulting procedures with direct methods, as well as to study the impact of different preconditioner choices.

Networked youth research for empowerment in digital society. The WYRED project

European Commision (EC). Funding H2020/CSA. Project Code: 72706

EVALUATION OF THE COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF GRID-CONNECTED PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR ENERGY IN WINERIES

The objective of this study was to analyze the cost-effectiveness of photovoltaic (PV) solar energy in wineries. The factors analysed were solar radiation, cost of PV installation, prices in the public electricity grid, size of the winery, power of installed panels, influence of the decreased consumption during weekends, and seasonality in the consumption. The study has been based on the European TESLA project, in which 39 energy audits were carried out in wineries in four European countries. A winery of 30,000 hL/year was characterized as a representative winery. The results showed that seasonality was key in the profitability of the system for self-consumption, related to the optimum power to be installed of PV. It was recommended to install, as an optimal PV power, the stable electrical power that is demanded in the daytime period. Optimizing the installed power of PV panels in the representative winery, the percentage of electrical energy consumption covered by photovoltaic energy varied between 16% and 22%. The percentage of the cost of electric energy covered varied between 18% and 24%, with payback values between 18 years (3.1 peak sun hours of solar radiation -PSH) and 10 years (5.6 peak sun hours of solar radiation - PSH). All the factors involved were analyzed

Use of Spectroscopic Techniques to Monitor Changes in Food Quality during Application of Natural Preservatives: A Review

Consumer demand for food of high quality has driven research for alternative methods of food preservation on the one hand, and the development of new and rapid quality assessment techniques on the other hand. Recently, there has been a growing need and interest in healthier food products, which has led to an increased interest in natural preservatives, such as essential oils, plant extracts, and edible films and coatings. Several studies have shown the potential of using biopreservation, natural antimicrobials, and antioxidant agents in place of other processing and preservation techniques (e.g., thermal and non-thermal treatments, freezing, or synthetic chemicals). Changes in food quality induced by the application of natural preservatives have been commonly evaluated using a range of traditional methods, including microbiology, sensory, and physicochemical measurements. Several spectroscopic techniques have been proposed as promising alternatives to the traditional time- consuming and destructive methods. This review will provide an overview of recent studies and highlight the potential of spectroscopic techniques to evaluate quality changes in food products following the application of natural preservatives

Local lung immune response to mycobacterium bovis challenge after BCG and M. Bovis heat-inactivated vaccination in European Badger (meles meles)

Tuberculosis (TB) vaccination could be used as a key part of integrated strategies for the disease’s control if an effective and safe vaccine under field conditions is obtained. Recent studies in Spain have evaluated the protective efficacy of two oral vaccines against experimental challenge with live intra-bronchial Mycobacterium bovis in captive badgers: the live-attenuated M. bovis BCG vaccine (Danish strain) and a heat-inactivated M. bovis (HIMB) vaccine. With the objective of increasing the knowledge of the cellular development progress of infection and generating further tools to discriminate between mild and severe TB lesions between and within animals, the immunopathology of tuberculous lesions was studied to characterize the local immune response (cell type profile) within lung granulomas from control (non-vaccinated), BCG vaccinated and HIMB-vaccinated experimentally infected badgers with M. bovis. Four immunohistochemical protocols, for the specific detection of macrophages, T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes and plasma cells within TB granulomas in formalin fixed sections of the right middle lung lobe (lobe targeted for the M. bovis delivery), were performed. Immunolabelled sections were scanned and five randomly selected areas were analyzed with digital image analysis software. The results were expressed as the proportion of the positively immunolabelled area within the total area of the selected site. Data was analyzed using the statistical analysis software (SAS). In the three treatment groups, macrophages were the most abundant inflammatory cells within the granulomas, followed by B lymphocytes and plasma cells. T lymphocyes were absent in those granulomas. This would suggest a predominance of a non-specific innate response mediated by phagocytic cells over an adaptative humoral immune response. The proportion of macrophages and plasma cells was higher in BCG and HIMB-vaccinated badgers, respectively, suggesting the establishment of an adaptative humoral response in HIMB-vaccinated badgers. The lower bacterial load at the lung level, as well as the volume of lesions in lungs using magnetic resonance imaging in badgers with the HIMB vaccine in relation with local immune response presented, must be highlighted, since it would be an advantage in favor of its use under field conditions in terms of reducing TB transmission and environmental contamination.This work has been funded by Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MCIU) and the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) reference project RTI2018-096010-B-C21 (FEDER co-funded) and, by PCTI 2018–2020 (GRUPIN: IDI2018-000237) and FEDER. Ms. Cristina Blanco Vázquez was granted with a predoctoral fellowship funded by INIA-CCAA (FPI-INIA) (2018 call). Ms. Ileana Z. Martínez was supported by a Fundación Carolina PhD scholarship (2017 call). We have received funds by RTI2018-096010-B-C21 (FEDER co-funded) to cover publication costs

Desarrollo de los componentes sociales de la deportividad en futbolistas alevines

El fútbol base demanda de un tratamiento ético que incluya nosolo aspectos como el respeto, sino también: la cortesía, generosidad y ayuda.El objetivo del presente estudio fue elaborar un programa de intervenciónespecíficamente diseñado para jugadores de fútbol alevín centrado enla mejora de los aspectos sociales de la deportividad y analizar el cambioque genera. Participaron ciento veintiséis (n = 126) futbolistas federados deentre 10 y 12 años de edad. Se utilizó un diseño cuasi-experimental, conuna fase de intervención de seis semanas de duración. Se administró la subescalafactores sociales de la deportividad de la Escala Multidimensionalde Orientaciones hacia la deportividad adaptada al fútbol base (Lamoneda,Huertas, Córdoba y García, 2014). En el análisis estadístico se recurrió a laprueba de Willcoxon y al test exacto de Fisher´s. Se encontraron mejorías enaquellos jugadores que participaron en el programa en la cortesía hacia eloponente, atención e interés por el jugador lesionado y respeto al colegiadoincluso cuando se equivoca. Se hallaron grandes limitaciones en la mejorade la capacidad del jugador para alentar al árbitro a que rectifique una situacióninjusta para el oponente. En el grupo control se apreció un descensode la percepción de conductas de fair play. Los resultados obtenidos en esteestudio permiten pensar que la inclusión de programas educativos en lasplanificaciones deportivas resulta beneficiosa como elemento preventivofrente a la tendencia hacia la pérdida de valores en el fútbol

Diseño y validación de un instrumento para analizar el trabajo por rincones en las aulas de Educación Infantil

El trabajo por rincones en la etapa de Educación Infantil es una estrategia metodológica muy recurrente entre el profesorado. Este artículo describe el proceso de diseño y validación de un instrumento para indagar en la organización, funcionamiento y gestión de los rincones. Se trata de una escala de observación compuesta por 37 ítems agrupados en 4 categorías, cuya consistencia interna, fiabilidad y bondad de ajuste ha sido analizada a partir de la opinión de 1.350 docentes en Andalucía. Los resultados muestran cualidades psicométricas rigurosas de un instrumento que podría contribuir a evaluar y mejorar la práctica del trabajo por rincones.The work by corners in the stage of Preschool Education is a methodological strategy very recurrent between the teachers. This article describes the process of design and validation of an instrument to investigate the organization, functioning and management of the corners. This is an observation scale composed of 37 items grouped into 4 categories, whose internal consistency, reliability and goodness of fit has been analyzed based on the opinion of 1.350 teachers in Andalusia. The results show the rigorous psychometric qualities of an instrument that could contribute to evaluate and improve the practice of working in corners

Different doses of adenoviral vector expressing IL-12 enhance or depress the immune response to a coadministered antigen: the role of nitric oxide

Joint immunization with two recombinant adenoviruses, one expressing hepatitis C virus (HCV) core and E1 proteins and another expressing IL-12 (RAdIL-12), strongly potentiates cellular immune response against HCV Ags in BALB/c mice when RAdIL-12 was used at doses of 1 x 105-1 x 107 plaque-forming units. However, cellular immunity against HCV Ags was abolished when higher doses (1 x 108 plaque-forming units) of RAdIL-12 were used. This immunosuppressive effect was associated with marked elevation of IFN-gamma and nitric oxide in the serum and increased cell apoptosis in the spleen. Administration of N-nitro-L -arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, to mice that received high doses of RAdIL-12 was lethal, whereas no apparent systemic toxicity by L -NAME was observed in those immunized with lower doses of the adenovirus. Interestingly, in mice immunized with recombinant adenovirus expressing core and E1 proteins of HCV in combination with RAdIL-12 at low doses (1 x 107 plaque-forming units), L -NAME inhibited T cell proliferation and CTL activity in response to HCV Ags and also production of Abs against adenoviral proteins. In conclusion, gene transfer of IL-12 can increase or abolish cell immunity against an Ag depending of the dose of the vector expressing the cytokine. IL-12 stimulates the synthesis of NO which is needed for the immunostimulating effects of IL-12, but apoptosis of T cells and immunosuppression ensues when IFN-gamma and NO are generated at very high concentrations

Methylthioadenosine phosphorylase gene expression is impaired in human liver cirrhosis and hepatocarcinoma

Methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) is a key enzyme in the methionine and adenine salvage pathways. In mammals, the liver plays a central role in methionine metabolism, and this essential function is lost in the progression from liver cirrhosis to hepatocarcinoma. Deficient MTAP gene expression has been recognized in many transformed cell lines and tissues. In the present work, we have studied the expression of MTAP in human and experimental liver cirrhosis and hepatocarcinoma. We observe that MTAP gene expression is significantly reduced in human hepatocarcinoma tissues and cell lines. Interestingly, MTAP gene expression was also impaired in the liver of CCl4-cirrhotic rats and cirrhotic patients. We provide evidence indicating that epigenetic mechanisms, involving DNA methylation and histone deacetylation, may play a role in the silencing of MTAP gene expression in hepatocarcinoma. Given the recently proposed tumor suppressor activity of MTAP, our observations can be relevant to the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of multistep hepatocarcinogenesis