An Interpretation of the Recent Evolution of the City of Barcelona through the Traffic Maps

Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) maps show, in a comprehensive way for expert as well as non-experts, the evolution of the relatively recent past (1965) until the most current image (2005). They help to analyse Barcelona’s city street network and retrace traffic congestion. The changes in the traffic patterns are due to random actions, resulting from individual liberties and voluntary planning, serving the general interest.

Improving Water Quantity and Quality Supply Security by Managed Artificial Recharge Technologies in the Lower Llobregat Aquifers Integrated into a Conjunctive Surface and Groundwater Management Scheme for Barcelona,Spain

The large concentration of human population,industry and services in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona has to confront scarce water resources,serious seasonal and inter-annual variations and quality deficiencies in the sources.A large fraction of these water resources are in the medium-size Llobregat River basin and the remaining ones correspond to a surface water transfer,seawater desalination and wastewater reclamation.Groundwater dominated water resources availability before 1950.Afterwards,water supply has evolved progressively to integrated water resources management,which includes serious water quality concerns to deal with population density,river pollution,seawater intrusion in the main aquifer,and brine generation in the mid Llobregat basin due to old mining of saline minerals.The role of the alluvial aquifers has progressively evolved from being the main water source to reserve storage to cope with seasonal and drought water resources availability.River-enhanced recharge and artificial recharge are needed to assure enough groundwater storage before surface water becomes scarce and/or suffers a serious temporal loss of quality.Enhanced river recharge started in 1950.Treated river water injection in dual-purpose wells was put into operation in the early 1970s.Basin and pond recharge was added later,as well as a deep well injection barrier along the coast to reduce seawater intrusion and to allow increased groundwater abstraction in moments of water scarcity.There is a progressive evolution from solving water quantity problems to consideration of water quality improvement during recharge,with attention to emergent concern pollutants in river water and in reclaimed water to be considered for artificial recharge.Improvement of artificial recharge operation activities has been introduced and research is being carried out on the difficult behavior to degrade organic pollutants during infiltration and in the terrain.This paper presents the different activities carried out and presents the research activities,and comments on the economic,social and administrative issues involved as well.

Microbiota from <i>Helix aspersa</i>Müller in Barcelona Area (Spain)

In recent decades snail consumption has been increasing throughout Europe. The Heliciculture meets this need and gets snail farms, in order to get consistent production in the shortest possible time. The research provided, has a main objective to establish the microbiota of Helix aspersa Müller, both from healthy animals, and individuals with gastrointestinal processes. The samples selected for the study were feces obtained from snails collected in both breeding farms as field snails. In the case, farm animals were selected apparently form healthy individuals and others were with signs of gastrointestinal process study. Aliquots of each sample were plated on a range of culture media and incubated under different conditions of temperature and respiration. From the results we can note that the healthy snails (farmed or free-living) have been isolated and identified mostly, as strains belonging to the genera Pediococcus, Lactobacillus and Lactococcus and five strains of yeasts of the genera Candida and Cryptococcus. Individuals suffering from gastrointestinal disturbances processes have been isolated in high proportion species of Klebsiella, Pantoea, Citrobacter and Enterobacter. The results obtained indicate that the snails with health problems reduce the presence of strains of Lactobacillus and Lactococcus in favor of increasing and/or establishing colonization by strains of Enterobacteriaceae.

Preventive care for burnout: General practitioner pilot program in Barcelona

Background: Despite the prevalence of “professsional exhaustion syndrome” or “burnout”, very few intervention programs for healthcare professionals have been proposed, and even fewer have been evaluated. The Catalan Health Institute requested an intervention that would be preventive, integrated, and would differentiate between those affected by burnout and those with established psychopathologic disorders requiring specific treatment. Aims: To describe the experience and initial reflections from the first cohort of primary care physicians in the Barcelona public health system to participate in a program designed to prevent burnout. Methods: Descriptive analysis of the characteristics of this secondary prevention program: design, cost estimates, recruitment and screening, and activities (training, organization, and group techniques). Particular emphasis on the process of identifying potentially affected professionals, how they were offered the opportunity to participate, and the coordinated and confidential nature of the program. Results: Of a target population of 969 family doctors and pediatricians in public primary care services in Barcelona, 6 (0.61%) applied for full program participation. All of them, along with 2 non-medical professionals in primary care services who joined the program, met the clinical and psychometric criteria (Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure, General Health Questionnaire, and the 16 Personality Factors Questionnaire) of the desired participant profile. Conclusions: The level of participation could suggest defects in program design or, alternatively, problems in the concept of burnout. This construct may be more useful for detecting stress attributed to occupational contexts than for facilitating participation in activities related to its prevention or treatment.

Stochastic simulation of successive waves of COVID-19 in the province of Barcelona

Analytic compartmental models are currently used in mathematical epidemiology to forecast the COVID-19 pandemic evolution and explore the impact of mitigation strategies.In general,such models treat the population as a single entity,losing the social,cultural and economical specificities.We present a network model that uses socio-demographic datasets with the highest available granularity to predict the spread of COVID-19 in the province of Barcelona.The model is flexible enough to incorporate the effect of containment policies,such as lockdowns or the use of protective masks,and can be easily adapted to future epidemics.We follow a stochastic approach that combines a compartmental model with detailed individual microdata from the population census,including social determinants and age-dependent strata,and time-dependent mobility information.We show that our model reproduces the dynamical features of the disease across two waves and demonstrates its capability to become a powerful tool for simulating epidemic events.

深层动力与成就策略型自主学习能力的培养

本文提出培养学生深层动力与成就策略能力,引导其脱离学习动力匮乏的困境,唤醒各阶段学习的深层动力,激发其求知旨趣。同时启发学生进行成就策略型自主学习,独立设置明确的学习目标,创建学习计划,并有效地进行过程监控和调节,高效完成任务,进而为学生奠定一生获取知识的良好习惯。从重视学习过程质量、“探究”型培养模式构建、应用型项目练习和口试考核机制等四个方面具体实施,实现基础向高阶思维的转变,以及学生思辨能力、发现问题、分析问题和解决问题能力的养成,促使自主学习能力的大幅度提升。

基于样本熵的港口集装箱吞吐量可预测性测度研究

港口吞吐量历史时间序列数据具有较强的随机性,而不同特征的时间序列数据的预测精度差异较大,由此产生了时间序列数据可预测性的测度问题。学术界认为,这种可预测性可以用熵进行描述。文章采用样本熵表征测度我国20个港口集装箱吞吐量时间序列数据的复杂性,然后运用自回归综合移动平均模型(ARIMA)预测港口吞吐量。结果表明,样本熵与其预测精度之间的相关性较弱,ARIMA模型对于港口生命周期处于“成长”阶段的港口或者大型港口的预测精度更好。研究结论有助于理解熵和时间序列数据可预测性之间的关系。

Topical ocular administration of DPP-Ⅳ inhibitors:a new approach for treating diabetes-induced retinal neurodegeneration

Retinal neurodegeneration plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy(DR),the leading cause of preventable blindness.In fact,the American Diabetes Association has defined DR as a highly specific neurovascular complication(Solomon et al.,2017).Therefore,it is no longer acceptable to consider DR as merely a microvascular complication.In this regard,the term diabetic retinal disease(DRD)has been proposed as a broader term comprising microangiopathy and neurodegeneration.However,there are currently no treatments available that directly target the neurodegenerative changes of DR.This paper will give new insights into the translational research in this field with particular emphasis on glucagon-like peptide 1/dipeptidyl peptidase IV(GLP-1/DPP-IV)inhibitors.

衔接连贯理论与语篇翻译研究的新视点

衔接连贯理论与语篇翻译关系密切。衔接理论与连贯理论采取不同的理论视点、从不同侧面指导翻译实践。诸多流派翻译理论也从不同侧面讨论“衔接与连贯”的问题,但是在语境翻译、机器翻译以及语言合作方面,“衔接连贯理论”研究还有很大的研究空间,需要应对信息化时代语言发展中的语境、多模态翻译、机器翻译、社交媒体和网络文本翻译以及特定领域翻译任务的挑战,通过文化语境的差异性、自然语言处理的局限性和语言合作方面等完善解决。

From partial to complete:Wing-and tail-feather moult sequence and intensity depend on species,life-cycle stage,and moult completeness in passerines

Passerines moult during various life-cycle stages.Some of these moults involve the retention of a variable quantity of wing and tail feathers.This prompts the question whether these partial moults are just arrested complete moults or follow different processes.To address it,I investigated whether three relevant features remain constant across partial and complete moults:1) moult sequence(order of activation) within feather tracts(e.g.,consecutive outward moult of primaries) and among tracts(e.g.,starting with marginal coverts,followed by greater coverts second,tertials,etc.);2) dynamics of moult intensity(amount of feathers growing along the moult progress);and 3) protection of wing quills by overlapping fully grown feathers.To study the effect of moult completeness on these three features,I classified moults of 435 individuals from 61 species in 3 groups:i) complete and partial,ii) without and iii) with retention of feathers within tracts.To study the effect of life-cycle stage,I used postbreeding,postjuvenile,and prebreeding moults.I calculated phylogenetically corrected means to establish feather-moult sequence within tracts.I applied linear regression to analyse moult sequence among tracts,and polynomial regression to study the dynamics of moult intensity as moult progresses.Sequence and intensity dynamics of partial moults tended resemble those of the complete moult as moult completeness increased.Sequence within and among feather tracts tended to shift as moult intensity within tracts and number of tracts increased.Activation of primaries advanced in relation to the other feather tracts as number of moulted primaries increased.Tertial quills were protected by the innermost greater covert regardless of moult completeness.These findings suggest that moult is a self-organised process that adjusts to the degree of completeness of plumage renewal.However,protection of quills and differences among species and between postjuvenile-and prebreeding-moult sequences also suggest an active control linked to feather function,including protection and signalling.

青光眼局部用药的依从性及其障碍

目的:评估接受局部眼内压(IOP)降低治疗患者的药物依从性,并确定接受青光眼专家治疗的患者与接受普通眼科医生随访患者之间的药物依从性是否存在差异及导致依从性差的多个障碍。方法:横断面调查研究。纳入2020-10/2021-02共54名患者行局部降眼压药物,且受试者完成了一份定制调查问卷,评估药物依从性及其障碍。结果:约60%受试者未完全依从局部治疗。Pearson检验表明,依从性与是否接受青光眼专家的随访之间无显著关联(χ^(2)=1.2468,P=0.5361)。其次,43%的受试者排斥滴眼液,Logistic回归分析显示,受试者表现出低依从性(β_(1)=3.168,P=0.0367)。结论:问卷可有效评估对局部降IOP治疗的药物依从性及其障碍。本研究药物依从率非常低,因此必须实施策略应对影响依从性最常见的障碍。

Solar hydrogen production from electrochemical ammonia splitting powered by a single perovskite solar cell

For carbon-free electrochemical fuel formation,the electrochemical cell must be powered by renewable energy.Obtaining solar-powered H_(2) fuel from water typically requires multiple photovoltaic cells and/or junctions to drive the water splitting reaction.Because of the lower thermodynamic requirements to oxidize ammonia compared to water,solar cells with smaller open circuit voltages can provide the required potential for ammonia splitting.In this work,a single perovskite solar cell with an open-circuit potential of 1.08 V is coupled to a 2-electrode electrochemical cell employing hybrid electroanodes functionalized with Ru-based molecular catalysts.The device is active for more than 30 min,producing N_(2) and H_(2) in a 1:2.9 ratio with 89%faradaic efficiency with no external applied bias.This work illustrates that hydrogen production from ammonia can be driven by conventional semiconductors.

5-Bromo-2'-deoxyuridine labeling:historical perspectives,factors infiuencing the detection,toxicity,and its implications in the neurogenesis

The halopyrimidine 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine(BrdU)is an exogenous marker of DNA synthesis.Since the introduction of monoclonal antibodies against BrdU,an increasing number of methodologies have been used for the immunodetection of this synthesized bromine-tagged base analogue into replicating DNA.BrdU labeling is widely used for identifying neuron precursors and following their fate during the embryonic,perinatal,and adult neurogenesis in a variety of vertebrate species including birds,reptiles,and mammals.Due to BrdU toxicity,its incorporation into replicating DNA presents adverse consequences on the generation,survival,and settled patterns of cells.This may lead to false results and misinterpretation in the identification of proliferative neuroblasts.In this review,I will indicate the detrimental effects of this nucleoside during the development of the central nervous system,as well as the reliability of BrdU labeling to detect proliferating neuroblasts.Moreover,it will show factors influencing BrdU immunodetection and the contribution of this nucleoside to the study of prenatal,perinatal,and adult neurogenesis.Human adult neurogenesis will also be discussed.It is my hope that this review serves as a reference for those researchers who focused on detecting cells that are in the synthetic phase of the cell cycle.

Low-power SiPM readout BETA ASIC for space applications

The BETA application-specific integrated circuit(ASIC)is a fully programmable chip designed to amplify,shape and digitize the signal of up to 64 Silicon photomultiplier(SiPM)channels,with a power consumption of approximately~1 mW/channel.Owing to its dual-path gain,the BETA chip is capable of resolving single photoelectrons(phes)with a signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)>5 while simultaneously achieving a dynamic range of~4000 phes.Thus,BETA can provide a cost-effective solution for the readout of SiPMs in space missions and other applications with a maximum rate below 10 kHz.In this study,we describe the key characteristics of the BETA ASIC and present an evaluation of the performance of its 16-channel version,which is implemented using 130 nm technology.The ASIC also contains two discriminators that can provide trigger signals with a time jitter down to 400 ps FWHM for 10 phes.The linearity error of the charge gain measurement was less than 2%for a dynamic range as large as 15 bits.

Phosphorylation-driven aggregative proteins in neurodegenerative diseases:implications and therapeutics

Protein aggregation is related to a large number of neurodegenerative disorders.Particularly in some cases,aggregation is induced by hyperphosphorylation of a given protein.This is the case of tau,TAR DNA-binding protein 43(TDP-43),amyloid-beta peptides(Aβ)and alpha-synuclein(α-syn),which play a key pathogenic role in Alzheimer’s disease(AD),Parkinson’s disease(PD)and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,among others(Tenreiro et al.,2014;Chiti and Dobson,2017).In this perspective,we will discuss both the relationship between phosphorylation and amyloid aggregation as well as current and future therapeutic strategies aimed at inhibiting specific kinases involved in the phosphorylation step or inhibiting subsequent protein aggregation.

Biomaterial engineering strategies for modeling the Bruch's membrane in age-related macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration,a multifactorial inflammatory degenerative retinal disease,ranks as the leading cause of blindness in the elderly.Strikingly,there is a scarcity of curative therapies,especially for the atrophic advanced form of age-related macular degeneration,likely due to the lack of models able to fully recapitulate the native structure of the outer blood retinal barrier,the prime to rget tissue of age-related macular degeneration.Standard in vitro systems rely on 2D monocultures unable to adequately reproduce the structure and function of the outer blood retinal barrier,integrated by the dynamic interaction of the retinal pigment epithelium,the Bruch's membrane,and the underlying choriocapillaris.The Bruch's membrane provides structu ral and mechanical support and regulates the molecular trafficking in the outer blood retinal barrier,and therefo re adequate Bruch's membrane-mimics are key for the development of physiologically relevant models of the outer blood retinal barrie r.In the last years,advances in the field of biomaterial engineering have provided novel approaches to mimic the Bruch's membrane from a variety of materials.This review provides a discussion of the integrated properties and function of outer blood retinal barrier components in healt hy and age-related macular degeneration status to understand the requirements to adequately fabricate Bruch's membrane biomimetic systems.Then,we discuss novel materials and techniques to fabricate Bruch's membrane-like scaffolds for age-related macular degeneration in vitro modeling,discussing their advantages and challenges with a special focus on the potential of Bruch's membrane-like mimics based on decellularized tissue.

小胶质细胞在卒中中的作用

小胶质细胞在缺血后的炎症反应和受损组织的清除中扮演关键角色,它们对缺血引起的干扰反应迅速,致力于恢复失去的稳态。然而,被修改的环境,包括离子失衡、关键的神经元-小胶质细胞相互作用的中断、去极化传播以及来自坏死神经元的危险信号的产生,诱导了小胶质细胞的形态和表型转变。这导致它们表现为促炎表型并增加吞噬活动。从缺血后的第3天开始,巨噬细胞渗透到坏死组织核心,而小胶质细胞则在病灶周边聚集。此外,炎症促使代谢转向有利于糖酵解、戊糖磷酸途径和脂质合成。这些转变与吞噬脂质的摄入相结合,促进了脂滴生成、合成代谢,并使小胶质细胞增殖。增殖的小胶质细胞释放营养因子,有助于神经保护和修复。然而,一些小胶质细胞持续积累脂质,并转变为功能失调且可能有害的泡沫细胞。研究还表明,有些小胶质细胞要么清除凋亡细胞能力的受损,要么消除突触、活神经元或内皮细胞。然而,阐明被吞噬细胞的生存能力、局部环境特征、组织损伤程度和时间序列将是至关重要的。缺血为小胶质细胞提供了丰富多样的、依赖于区域和损伤的刺激,随着时间演变导致出现不同的小胶质细胞表型,包括表现为促炎性或功能失调特征的细胞,以及显示出促进修复功能的细胞。准确分析小胶质细胞表型,以及更精确地了解相关的缺血后组织条件,是对卒中进行针对性干预的必要步骤。

Small molecules to target tau amyloid aggregation

Protein aggregation has been linked with many neurodegenerative diseases,such as Alzheimer’s disease(AD)or Parkinson’s disease.AD belongs to a group of heterogeneous and incurable neurodegenerative disorders collectively known as tauopathies.They comprise frontotemporal dementia,Pick’s disease,or corticobasal degeneration,among others.The symptomatology varies with the specific tau protein variant involved and the affected brain region or cell type.However,they share a common neuropathological hallmark-the formation of proteinaceous deposits named neurofibrillary tangles.Neurofibrillary tangles,primarily composed of aggregated tau(Zhang et al.,2022),disrupt normal neuronal functions,leading to cell death and cognitive decline.

Primary repair of esophageal atresia Gross type C via thoracoscopic magnetic compression anastomosis:Is it the best option?

Magnetic compression anastomosis is a promising treatment option for patients with complex esophageal atresia;but,at the present time,should not be the first therapeutic option in those cases where the surgeon can perform a primary anastomosis of the two ends of the esophagus with acceptable tension.

Design and redesign journey of a drug for transthyretin amyloidosis

The misfolding and subsequent aggregation of proteins into amyloid fibrils underlie the onset of a variety of human disorders collectively known as amyloidosis.Transthyretin(TTR)is one of the>30 amyloidogenic proteins identified to date and is associated with a group of highly debilitating and life-threatening disorders called TTR amyloidosis(ATTR).ATTR comprises senile systemic amyloidosis,which is linked to wild-type(WT)TTR aggregation,and hereditary ATTR,a dominantly inherited disorder caused by the deposition of one of over 130 TTR genetic variants.Senile systemic amyloidosis is a prevalent age-related amyloidosis,affecting up to 25%of the population over 80 years of age,and is characterized by the build-up of TTR fibrils in the myocardium.Regarding hereditary ATTR,the clinical presentation is highly heterogeneous,primarily affecting the peripheral nervous system(familial amyloid polyneuropathy-FAP)or the heart(familial amyloid cardiomyopathy).In rare cases,aggregation develops in the central nervous system,giving rise to a phenotype known as familial leptomeningeal amyloidosis(Carroll et al.,2022).