Educació ambiental : diagnosi dels equipaments del Parc del Garraf

El present projecte es centra en l'estudi de l'educació ambiental als equipaments del Parc del Garraf. Amb l'estudi de les característiques d'aquest tipus d'educació en aquests equipaments, que es troben tant a l'interior del parc com fora, però amb influència directa sobre ell, s'ha pogut constatar que l'educació ambiental és l'eina principal utilitzada per a articular la coneixença del parc i apropar els usuaris al medi natural del Garraf, materialitzant-se en una elevada i diversificada oferta de programes i activitats. A l'anàlisi realitzat, es determina que segons la naturalesa dels equipaments estudiats, el tractament d'una mateixa temàtica es desenvolupa de manera molt diferent en funció de les seves característiques intrínseques i els recursos disponibles. Finalment s'ha elaborat un conjunt de propostes per tal de millorar els programes d'activitats, la infraestructura i el conjunt de característiques dels equipaments seleccionats, relacionats directa o indirectament amb l'educació ambiental.El presente proyecto se centra en el estudio de la educación ambiental en los equipamientos del Parque del Garraf. Con el estudio de las características de este tipo de educación en estos equipamientos, que se encuentran tanto en el interior del parque como fuera, pero con influencia directa sobre él, se ha podido constatar que la educación ambiental es el medio principal utilizado para articular el conocimiento del parque i acercar a los usuarios al medio natural del Garraf, materializándose en una elevada i diversificada oferta de programas y actividades. En el análisis realizado se determina que según la naturaleza de los equipamientos estudiados, el tratamiento de una misma temática se desarrolla de manera muy diferente en función de sus características intrínsecas y los recursos disponibles. Finalmente se ha elaborado un conjunto de propuestas por tal de mejorar los programas de actividades, la infraestructura y las características de los equipamientos seleccionados, relacionados directa o indirectamente con la educación ambiental.The present project tries to focuse on the environmental education's features about the equipments at the Parc del Garraf. With the study of this type of education features about these equipments, which are located both inside the parc as outside, but with direct influence on it, it has been shown that environmental education is the main tool which is been served to manage knowledge about the parc and to zoom the Garraf's environment to users, which is materialized in a high and diversified offer about schedules and activities. In the analysis we have done, depending on the type of the equipments we've studied, the treatment of a single subject is very different instead of their intrinsic features and available resources. Finally, it has been developed a set of proposals to improve the schedules of activities, infrastructure, and the features of the equipments we have selected related direct or indirectly with environmental education

CIBERER : Spanish national network for research on rare diseases: A highly productive collaborative initiative

Altres ajuts: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII); Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación.CIBER (Center for Biomedical Network Research; Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red) is a public national consortium created in 2006 under the umbrella of the Spanish National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII). This innovative research structure comprises 11 different specific areas dedicated to the main public health priorities in the National Health System. CIBERER, the thematic area of CIBER focused on rare diseases (RDs) currently consists of 75 research groups belonging to universities, research centers, and hospitals of the entire country. CIBERER's mission is to be a center prioritizing and favoring collaboration and cooperation between biomedical and clinical research groups, with special emphasis on the aspects of genetic, molecular, biochemical, and cellular research of RDs. This research is the basis for providing new tools for the diagnosis and therapy of low-prevalence diseases, in line with the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium (IRDiRC) objectives, thus favoring translational research between the scientific environment of the laboratory and the clinical setting of health centers. In this article, we intend to review CIBERER's 15-year journey and summarize the main results obtained in terms of internationalization, scientific production, contributions toward the discovery of new therapies and novel genes associated to diseases, cooperation with patients' associations and many other topics related to RD research

Au Single Metal Atom for Carbon Dioxide Reduction Reaction

CO2 is the gas that contributes the most to the greenhouse effect and, therefore, to global warming. One of the greatest challenges facing humanity is the reduction of the concentration of CO2 in the air. Here, we analyze the possible use of Au1@g-C3N4 electrocatalyst to transform CO2 into added-value products. We use density functional theory (DFT) to determine the reaction Gibbs energies for eight electron–proton transfer reaction paths of the electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) using a single Au atom supported on 2D carbon nitride support. Our simulations classify the Au1@g-C3N4 electrocatalysts as “beyond CO” since their formation is energetically favored, although their strong binding with a Au single atom does not allow the desorption process. DFT calculations revealed that the lowest energy pathway is CO2 (g) → COOH* → CO* → HCO* → HCOH* → CH2OH* → CH2* → CH3* → CH4 (g), where the first hydrogenation of CO to HCO is predicted as the rate-limiting step of the reaction with slightly lower potential than predicted for Cu electrodes, the most effective catalysts for CO2RR. Methane is predicted to be the main reaction product after eight proton–electron transfers (CO2 + 8 H+ + 8e− → CH4 + 2H2O). The generation of formaldehyde is discarded due to the large formation energy of the adsorbed moiety and the production of methanol is slightly less favorable than methane formation. Our computational study helps to identify suitable electrocatalysts for CO2RR by reducing the amount of metal and using stable and low-cost supports

On the Reaction Mechanism of the Rhodium-Catalyzed Arylation of Fullerene (C60) with Organoboron Compounds in the Presence of Water

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were carried out to study the reaction mechanism of the Suzuki–Miyaura rhodium-catalyzed hydroarylation of fullerene (C60) by phenylboronic acid in the presence of water. As found experimentally, our results confirm that addition of the phenyl group and the hydrogen atom in C60 occurs at the [6,6] bond. The rate-determining step corresponds to the simultaneous transfer of a hydrogen atom from a water molecule to C60 and the recovery of the active species. The use of 2-phenyl-1,3,2-dioxaborinane and the 4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-2-phenyl-1,3,2,-dioxaborolane instead of phenylboronic acid as organoborate agents does not lead to great modifications of the energy profile. The possible higher steric hindrance of 4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-2-phenyl-1,3,2,-dioxaborolane should not inhibit its use in the hydroarylation of C60. Overall, we show how organoboron species arylate C60 in rhodium-based catalysis assisted by water as a source of protonsA.P. thanks the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) for a Ramûn y Cajal contract (RYC-2009-05226) and grant no. CTQ2014-59832-JIN, and a European Commission Career Integration Grant (CIG09-GA-2011-293900). J.P.M. gratefully acknowledges a Ph.D. fellowship (register/application no. 217067/312543) from the Mexican National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT). M.S. acknowledges funding through a European Union (EU) FEDER fund (UNGI08-4E-003 and UNGI10-4E-801), the Generalitat de Catalunya (Spain) (project 2014SGR931), a Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA) Academia prize (2014), and MINECO project CTQ2014-54306-

The importance of the bite angle of metal(III) salen catalysts in the sequestration of CO2 with epoxides in mild conditions

Located in the middle of the fever to solve the problem of CO2 emissions in the environment, CO2 sequestration by reaction with epoxides is one of the key tools, as it not only fixes CO2, but also makes it functional by leading to cyclic carbonates. Herein, the results are focused specifically on the formation of cyclic organic carbonates catalyzed by metal-salen complexes, previously achieved with yttrium and scandium, that are compared with those of analogous complexes containing metals from the first transition series, such as cobalt or chromium. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations allow to determine whether this switch of metals will be feasible and provide the basis for instigating future experimental efforts in this regard. The calculations analyzing the structure and electronics of the catalysts allow us to give not only a clear picture of whether these catalysts will be efficient, but also allow us to assess which metal center is the most convenient and/or whether the catalytic reaction will occur under mild conditions. Advanced buried volume calculations with the SambVca packages shed light on the different catalytic pockets of monometallic first row transition metals vs. group III salen complexes. Our predictive catalysis results show that the bite O-M-O angle plays an essential role in the catalysis

On the Reaction Mechanism of the Rhodium-Catalyzed Arylation of Fullerene (C60) with Organoboron Compounds in the Presence of Water

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were carried out to study the reaction mechanism of the Suzuki–Miyaura rhodium-catalyzed hydroarylation of fullerene (C60) by phenylboronic acid in the presence of water. As found experimentally, our results confirm that addition of the phenyl group and the hydrogen atom in C60 occurs at the [6,6] bond. The rate-determining step corresponds to the simultaneous transfer of a hydrogen atom from a water molecule to C60 and the recovery of the active species. The use of 2-phenyl-1,3,2-dioxaborinane and the 4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-2-phenyl-1,3,2,-dioxaborolane instead of phenylboronic acid as organoborate agents does not lead to great modifications of the energy profile. The possible higher steric hindrance of 4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-2-phenyl-1,3,2,-dioxaborolane should not inhibit its use in the hydroarylation of C60. Overall, we show how organoboron species arylate C60 in rhodium-based catalysis assisted by water as a source of protonsA.P. thanks the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) for a Ramûn y Cajal contract (RYC-2009-05226) and grant no. CTQ2014-59832-JIN, and a European Commission Career Integration Grant (CIG09-GA-2011-293900). J.P.M. gratefully acknowledges a Ph.D. fellowship (register/application no. 217067/312543) from the Mexican National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT). M.S. acknowledges funding through a European Union (EU) FEDER fund (UNGI08-4E-003 and UNGI10-4E-801), the Generalitat de Catalunya (Spain) (project 2014SGR931), a Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA) Academia prize (2014), and MINECO project CTQ2014-54306-

CoSe₂ Nanoparticles Grown on Carbon Fiber Paper: An Efficient and Stable Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Development of a non-noble-metal hydrogen-producing catalyst is essential to the development of solar water-splitting devices. Improving both the activity and the stability of the catalyst remains a key challenge. In this Communication, we describe a two-step reaction for preparing three-dimensional electrodes composed of CoSe₂ nanoparticles grown on carbon fiber paper. The electrode exhibits excellent catalytic activity for a hydrogen evolution reaction in an acidic electrolyte (100 mA/cm² at an overpotential of ∼180 mV). Stability tests though long-term potential cycles and extended electrolysis confirm the exceptional durability of the catalyst. This development offers an attractive catalyst material for large-scale water-splitting technology

Foraging at solid urban waste disposal sites as risk factor for cephalosporin and colistin resistant Escherichia coli carriage in white storks (Ciconia ciconia)

White stork (Ciconia ciconia) may act as a reservoir and vehicle of cephalosporin resistant (CR) Escherichia coli. Between 2011 and 2014, we sampled white storks from colonies exposed to different degrees of anthropic pressure across the major areas of natural distribution of white storks in Spain. Cloacal swab samples (n = 467) were obtained from individuals belonging to 12 different colonies from six different regions. Additionally, 70 samples were collected from recently deposited droppings at the base of nesting platforms. We phenotypically characterized E. coli isolates, confirmed presence of CR genes and classified plasmids. Risk factors for acquiring these genes were assessed. Overall, 8.8% (41 out of 467) storks carried CR E. coli in their cloaca and five (7.1%) were identified from recently deposited droppings; therefore, 46 isolates were further characterized. Of them, 20 contained blaCTX–M–1, nine blaCMY–2, six blaCTX–M–14, four blaSHV–12, three blaCTX–M–15, two blaCTX–M–32, one blaCTX–M–1 together with blaCMY–2, and one blaCTX–M–1 together with blaSHV–12. All were multidrug-resistant, and four harbored the plasmid-mediated colistin resistance mcr-1 gene. CR genes were associated with the presence of IncI1, IncFIB, and IncN replicon families. XbaI-macrorestriction analysis revealed a great diversity among most of the XbaI-PFGE types, but indistinguishable types were also seen with isolates obtained from different locations. Clonal complex 10 was the most common among CR E. coli and two blaCTX–M–15 positive isolates were identified as B2-ST131. Carriage of CR E. coli was significantly higher in colonies located close to solid urban waste disposal sites in which foraging on human waste was more likely and in one case to cattle grazing. The co-occurrence of blaCMY–2 and mcr-1 on plasmids of E. coli isolated from wild birds as early as 2011 is of note, as the earliest previous report of mcr-1 in wild birds is from 2016. Our study shows that foraging at landfills and in association with cattle grazing are important risk factors for the acquisition of CR E. coli in white storks.This work was partially supported by the grants AGL2013-47852-R and RTI2018-095586-B-C22 from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO), project RTA2011-00111-C03 funded by the Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA) and by the CERCA program from Generalitat de Catalunya. The VHIR-HUVH was supported by Plan Nacional de I+D+i 2013–2016, Instituto de Salud Carlos III and the Spanish Ministry of Health (FIS PI15/00604) and the Subdirección General de Redes y Centros de Investigación Cooperativa, MINECO, Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI RD16/0016/0003) – co-financed by European Development Regional Fund “A way to achieve Europe. AM-M is a Ph.D. student registered with the Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona. The contract of LM-G was supported by INIA and the European Social Fund. JP-P was funded by a grant from the Complutense University of Madrid (CT45/15-CT46/15). FT-M was supported by the Isabel Maria Lopez Martinez Memorial Scholarship at the University of Saskatchewan (Canada). Trapping activities of adult birds were partially supported in the framework of SEO/BirdLife Migra program and financed by Fundación Iberdrola España and Storch Schweiz, by grant CGL2012-32544 from the MINECO, and by grant 511/2012 from the Organismo Autónomo de Parques Nacionales.Peer reviewe

Modified connectivity of vulnerable brain nodes in multiple sclerosis, their impact on cognition and their discriminative value

Brain structural network modifications in multiple sclerosis (MS) seem to be clinically relevant. The discriminative ability of those changes to identify MS patients or their cognitive status remains unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate connectivity changes in MS patients related to their cognitive status, and to define an automatic classification method to classify subjects as patients and healthy volunteers (HV) or as cognitively preserved (CP) and impaired (CI) patients. We analysed structural brain connectivity in 45 HV and 188 MS patients (104 CP and 84 CI). A support vector machine with k-fold cross-validation was built using the graph metrics features that best differentiate the groups (p<0.05). Local efficiency (LE) and node strength (NS) network properties showed the largest differences: 100% and 69.7% of nodes had reduced LE and NS in CP patients compared to HV. Moreover, 55.3% and 57.9% of nodes had decreased LE and NS in CI compared to CP patients, in associative multimodal areas. The classification method achieved an accuracy of 74.8-77.2% to differentiate patients from HV, and 59.9-60.8% to discriminate CI from CP patients. Structural network integrity is widely reduced and worsens as cognitive function declines. Central network properties of vulnerable nodes can be useful to classify MS patients