Performance of new GNSS satellite clocks

In Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), the on-board clocks are a key component from which timing and navigation signals are generated. This thesis reviews the performance of the first Passive Hydrogen Maser (PHM) launched by the Galileo system in 2008; and demonstrates how the new PHM can be consider as the best clock in space, pushing the physical clock error contribution below the noise floor of geodetic time transfer capabilities. Furthermore, overall GNSS clock peformance is reviewe

Proximate composition and amino acid profile of European eel skin: influence of body weight

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISUGAs industrias de procesamento de peixe de todo o mundo están a descartar millóns de quilogramos de residuos de peixe ao ano. A eliminación destes residuos supón un importante inconveniente na industria de transformación de peixe. A pel grosa da anguía considérase un residuo na industria de transformación de peixe e na casa e adoita converterse en produtos de baixo valor no mercado. Os obxectivos deste estudo foron avaliar as variacións da composición química xeral e do contido de aminoácidos da pel de anguía en relación co peso corporal. O contido de humidade diminuíu e o contido de lípidos aumentou co peso das anguías. A pel da anguía tiña un alto contido proteico, que non variou significativamente co peso da anguía. A glicina foi o aminoácido máis abundante. O aminoácido esencial predominante era a leucina. As anguías máis pequenas contiñan niveis máis altos de treonina, valina, isoleucina, leucina, lisina, ácido glutámico e tirosina que os outros grupos. As anguías máis grandes contiñan niveis máis altos de metionina, hidroxiprolina, glicina, arginina, alanina e prolina que os outros grupos. Os índices de proteínas mostraron que a pel das anguías máis pequenas era de maior calidade nutricional.Fish processing industries worldwide are discarding million kilograms of fish waste per year. The disposal of these wastes is an important handicap in fish processing industry. The thick eel skin is considered a waste product in the fish processing industry and in the home and is usually converted into low market-value products. The aims of this study were to evaluate the variations in the general chemical composition and amino acid content of eel skin in relation to body weight. The moisture content decreased and the lipid content increased with the weight of the eels. Eel skin had a high protein content, which did not vary significantly with eel weight. Glycine was the most abundant amino acid. The predominant essential amino acid was leucine. The smaller eels contained higher levels of threonine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, glutamic acid and tyrosine than the other groups. The larger eels contained higher levels of methionine, hydroxyproline, glycine, arginine, alanine and proline than the other groups. The protein indices showed that the skin from smaller eels was of higher nutritional quality.Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED431E 2018/0

Physically-sound simulation of low-velocity impact on fiber reinforced laminates

A high-fidelity virtual tool for the numerical simulation of low-velocity impact damage in unidirectional composite laminates is proposed. A continuum material model for the simulation of intraply damage phenomena is implemented in a numerical scheme as a user subroutine of the commercially available Abaqus finite element package. Delaminations are simulated using of cohesive surfaces. The use of structured meshes, aligned with fiber directions allows the physically-sound simulation of matrix cracks parallel to fiber directions, and their interaction with the development of delaminations. The implementation of element erosion criteria and the application of intraply and interlaminar friction allow for the simulation of fiber splits and their entanglement, which in turn results in permanent indentation in the impacted laminate. It is shown that this simulation strategy gives sound results for impact energies bellow and above the Barely Visible Impact Damage threshold, up to laminate perforation condition

Validación del índice de masa corporal auto-referido en la Encuesta Nacional de Salud

Objective. To assess the validity of self-reported body mass index in the National Health Survey. 120 participants were selected and questioned about their weight and height with exactly the same questions that the National Health Survey uses. Afterwards, and once informed consent was obtained, participants were weighed and measured, and this data was used as the gold standard. On average, participants underestimated their weight by 1.39 kg, overestimated their height by 0.55 cm and underestimated their body mass index by 0.71 kg/m2. The sensitivity of self-reported self reported body mass index (BMI) to detect overweight was 77%, the specificity was 97%, the positive predictive value was 0.95 and the negative predictive value was 0.86. The Kappa index was 0.76 and the quadratically weighted Kappa index was 0.85. The correlation coefficient between self-reported and measured BMI was 0.96 and the intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.97. Self-reported data is an efficient way of obtaining information about BMI, although with limitations, because self-reported data tends to underestimate weight and overestimate height, thus underestimating BMI and the proportion of participants with elevated BMI

Relevance of Qualitative Research Approach in Evaluating Mental Health Interventions among Victims of Violence

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Effect of smoking on body weight: longitudinal analysis of the SUN cohort

Our aim was to investigate prospectively the association between two major cardiovascular risk factors: smoking and weight gain. METHODS: We prospectively evaluated 7565 individuals taking part in a dynamic cohort study over a median follow-up period of 50 months. Self-reported weight and physical activity levels had been validated previously. The adjusted mean difference in weight gain relative to never-smokers (the reference group) was estimated for different levels of tobacco exposure. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, baseline body mass index, sedentary lifestyle, changes in physical activity level, total energy intake, fiber intake, food consumption between meals, and sugary soft drink, fast food and alcohol consumption, it was found that individuals who stopped smoking during follow-up had a greater relative weight gain: men 1.63 kg (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-2.19 kg), and women 1.51 kg (95% CI, 1.11-1.91 kg). In addition, active smokers had a greater weight gain than never-smokers: men 0.49 kg (95% CI, 0.11-0.87 kg), and women 0.36 kg (95% CI, 0.07-0.65 kg). CONCLUSIONS: Individuals who stopped smoking during follow-up and active smokers both experienced significantly greater weight gains than never-smokers. This association between cardiovascular risk factors should be taken into account when developing prevention programs

A prospective study of eating away-from-home meals and weight gain in a Mediterranean population: the SUN (Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra) cohort

OBJECTIVE: The traditional Mediterranean food pattern is more easily preserved when meals are eaten at home; however, as a result of recent socio-economic changes, away-from-home meal consumption has increased rapidly in Mediterranean countries. Little research has been conducted so far to investigate the long-term health effects of these changes in the Mediterranean area. DESIGN: In a prospective Spanish dynamic cohort of 9182 university graduates (the SUN Study; Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra, University of Navarra Follow-up) with a mean age of 37 years, followed up for an average of 4.4 years, we assessed the association between the frequency of eating out of home and weight gain or incident overweight/obesity. Dietary habits were assessed with an FFQ previously validated in Spain. RESULTS: During follow-up, eating-out consumers (two times or more per week) had higher average adjusted weight gain (+129 g/year, P < 0.001) and higher adjusted risk of gaining 2 kg or more per year (OR = 1.36; 95 % CI 1.13, 1.63) than non-eating-out consumers. Among participants with baseline BMI < 25 kg/m2, we observed 855 new cases of overweight/obesity. Eating away-from-home meals was significantly associated with a higher risk of becoming overweight/obese (hazard ratio = 1.33; 95 % CI 1.13, 1.57). CONCLUSIONS: A higher frequency of meals eaten out of home may play a role in the current obesity epidemic observed in some Mediterranean countries

Biocomponents from Opuntia robusta and Opuntia streptacantha fruits protect against diclofenac-induced acute liver damage in vivo and in vitro

This study aimed to investigate whether Opuntia spp-extracts protect against diclofenac (DF)-induced hepatotoxicity. Rats were pretreated with Opuntia extracts, betanin (Bet) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) followed by a single challenge of diclofenac. Liver tissue was collected for biochemical and histological analysis. Primary rat hepatocytes were treated with diclofenac (400 mu mol/L) with and without pretreatment with Opuntia extract. Apoptosis was measured by caspase-3 activity and necrosis by Sytox green staining. RNA was isolated, and realtime qPCR was performed to assess mRNA levels of stress and apoptosis-related genes MnSOD (SOD2), GADD45B and P53. ROS production was measured using the fluorescent MitoSOX assay. Results demonstrated that Opuntia spp-extracts protect against DF-induced liver toxicity via reducing oxidative stress and the inhibition of P53

Ultra-processed foods and type-2 diabetes risk in the sun project: A prospective cohort study

The association between ultra-processed foods (UPF) consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) has not been much explored. We aimed to evaluate the association between consumption of UPF and the incidence of T2D