The bentonite barrier of underground repositories for high-level radioactive waste will be hydrated by the groundwater while it is subjected to high temperatures due to the radioactive decay of the wastes. These chang...The bentonite barrier of underground repositories for high-level radioactive waste will be hydrated by the groundwater while it is subjected to high temperatures due to the radioactive decay of the wastes. These changes of temperature affect the hydraulic and mechanical responses of bentonite, which has important effects on design and performance of repositories. The temperature influence on the hydro-mechanical behaviour of bentonite was studied in this paper by experiments, which were carried out with the Spanish FEBEX bentonite compacted at dry densities expected in the＇ repository （from 1.5 to 1.8 Mg/m^3）. The dependence of the swelling strains of bentonite on the temperature has been measured from 30℃ to 90 ℃. At high temperatures the swelling capacity of clay slightly decreases. Also, a clear decrease of swelling pressure as a function of temperature was observed for the same dry densities. Nevertheless, the deformation of bentonite is more dependent on the stress than the temperature. An increase in the permeability of water saturated bentonite with temperature has also been detected. The water retention curves of bentonite compacted at different dry densities were determined under isochoric conditions and in the range of temperatures from 20 ℃ to 120℃. For a given density and water content, the suction decreases as the temperature increases at a rate, which is larger than the one predicted on the basis of water surface tension changing with temperature. Mechanisms related to the physico-chemical interactions that take place at microscopic level, in particular the transfer of interlayer water to the macropores triggered by temperature, seem to explain qualitatively the experimental observations.展开更多
SnO is an ideally suitable p-type conductive material, with large hole mobility, and has attracted great interest in connection with next-generation electronic applications. In the present work, tin oxide(SnOx)thin fi...SnO is an ideally suitable p-type conductive material, with large hole mobility, and has attracted great interest in connection with next-generation electronic applications. In the present work, tin oxide(SnOx)thin films were deposited on unheated soda lime glass substrates by reactive DC sputtering from a pure Sn target. The structural, optical and electrical properties of the films were analysed as a function of the oxygen partial pressure in the sputtering atmosphere and of the post-deposition annealing temperature in air. A structural analysis was carried out using Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Optical and electrical characterizations were performed using photo-spectrometry and Hall effect measurements,respectively. The films grown at room temperature and low oxygen pressures reached high deposition rates of above 45 nm/min, showing poorly crystalline SnO and low transparency. Subsequent heating to 350℃ allowed to achieve a more crystalline tetragonal SnO with an average visible transmittance of 65%,a p-type conductivity of 0.8 S/cm, and a hole mobility of 3.5 cm^2/(V s).展开更多
Tungsten oxides are interesting for a variety of applications due to their versatile optoelectronic characteristics,which can be tuned changing the composition and/or the crystalline structure.Coloration due to sub-ba...Tungsten oxides are interesting for a variety of applications due to their versatile optoelectronic characteristics,which can be tuned changing the composition and/or the crystalline structure.Coloration due to sub-bandgap absorption is often achieved by ion intercalation or doping in WO_(3):M films(with M=H^(+),Li^(+),Na^(+),etc.introducing extra electrons),but a more direct way is creating charged oxygen vacancies(V_O^(+)and/or V_O~(2+))in sub-stoichiometric WO_(3-x)forms.Here,amorphous WO_(3-x)thin films are obtained by reactive DC sputtering of a pure W target,on unheated glass substrates,changing the oxygen to argon pressures ratio.The control of intrinsic defects(oxygen vacancies and tungsten valence states)by the oxygen partial pressure allows tuning the morphology,sub-bandgap absorption and carrier density in these WO_(3-x)films,as it is proven by Raman spectroscopy,atomic force microscopy,optical spectrophotometry and Hall effect measurements.展开更多
The presence of an emerging brominated flame retardant, decabromodiphenylethane （DBDPE）, has been confirmed in Spanish sewage sludge. Thirty one samples from different urban wastewater treatment plants （WWTPs） wer...The presence of an emerging brominated flame retardant, decabromodiphenylethane （DBDPE）, has been confirmed in Spanish sewage sludge. Thirty one samples from different urban wastewater treatment plants （WWTPs） were analyzed for this brominated flame retardant. DBDPE was positively identified and quantified in all samples at lower concentrations （47.0 ± 29.7 ng/g dry weight （dw）; mean ± SD） than those obtained for decabromodiphenyl ether （BDE-209） （290 ± 236 ng/g dw; mean ± SD） in a previous study. Influence of the WWTP characteristics in the pollutant levels was evaluated. No significant correlations were obtained between DBDPE concentrations and the population or sewage sludge production rate associated with the plants, neither wastewater treatment method. Sources of DBDPE in the sludge were also evaluated. Data indicate a common origin for DBDPE and BDE-209, which may be related to leaching processes during the use and disposal of consumer products containing these chemicals. Nevertheless, DBDPE contents are not influenced by industrial activities, which suggests that the infusion of DBDPE commercial mixture is not a source of this chemical into the environment, and indicates that the use of DBDPE in the Spanish industry is still low compared to deca-BDE.展开更多
The KCI：Eu2＋ system response to UV-C was investigated by analyzing the optically stimulated luminescence （OSL） and ther- mo-luminescence （TL） signal produced by ultraviolet light exposure at room temperature. It...The KCI：Eu2＋ system response to UV-C was investigated by analyzing the optically stimulated luminescence （OSL） and ther- mo-luminescence （TL） signal produced by ultraviolet light exposure at room temperature. It was found that after UV-C irra.diation, OSL was produced on a wide band of visible wavelengths with decay time that varied by several orders of magnitude depending on the Eu2＋ aggregation state. In spite of the low intensity of solar UV-C reaching the Earth＇s surface in Madrid （40° N, 700 m a.s.1.）, it was possible to measure the UV-C radiation dose at 6：48 solar time by using the TL response of the KCI：Eu2＋ system and differentiate it from the ambient beta radiation dose.展开更多
Odontogenic tumours are a heterogeneous group of lesions that develop in the oral cavity region and are characterized by the formation of tumoural structures that differentiate as teeth. Due to the diversity of their ...Odontogenic tumours are a heterogeneous group of lesions that develop in the oral cavity region and are characterized by the formation of tumoural structures that differentiate as teeth. Due to the diversity of their histopathological characteristics and clinical behaviour, the classification of these tumours is still under debate. Alterations in morphogenesis pathways such as the Hedgehog,MAPK and WNT/β-catenin pathways are implicated in the formation of odontogenic lesions, but the molecular bases of many of these lesions are still unknown. In this study, we used genetically modified mice to study the role of IKKβ(a fundamental regulator of NF-κB activity and many other proteins) in oral epithelial cells and odontogenic tissues. Transgenic mice overexpressing IKKβ in oral epithelial cells show a significant increase in immune cells in both the oral epithelia and oral submucosa. They also show changes in the expression of several proteins and mi RNAs that are important for cancer development. Interestingly, we found that overactivity of IKKβ in oral epithelia and odontogenic tissues, in conjunction with the loss of tumour suppressor proteins(p53, or p16 and p19), leads to the appearance of odontogenic tumours that can be classified as ameloblastic odontomas, sometimes accompanied by foci of secondary ameloblastic carcinomas. These tumours show NF-κB activation and increased β-catenin activity.These findings may help to elucidate the molecular determinants of odontogenic tumourigenesis and the role of IKKβ in the homoeostasis and tumoural transformation of oral and odontogenic epithelia.展开更多
The thermoluminescence(TL)emission of synthetic and natural Ce-monazites was characterized here to determine the potential application in the identification of microscopic defects from a qualitative point of view tryi...The thermoluminescence(TL)emission of synthetic and natural Ce-monazites was characterized here to determine the potential application in the identification of microscopic defects from a qualitative point of view trying to link each TL peak to a chemical-physical process.The kinetic parameters that lead the luminescence processes were calculated by means of variable heating rate and computing glow curve deconvolution methods and allow identifying three groups of components at~90,130 and 290℃(for the mineral sample)and~90,170,220,270 and 320℃(for the synthetic CePO_(4):Nd_(0.20),La_(0.25)).The main differences appreciated in these complex TL curves are mainly due to(i)the content of impurities(natural sample contains lanthanides as well as U 0.60%and Th 5.22%)and(ii)the degree of crystallinity of the samples which is directly related to the type of impurities(synthetic monazite relies only on Nd and La).The behavior of the dose response in the range of 1-8 Gy is similar for both samples;the TL intensity increases linearly as the dose increases without changes in the position of the maxima,denoting first-order kinetic luminescence mechanism.Each peak could be mostly associated with structural defects(i.e.,phase transitions),chemical reactions(i.e.,Ce3+?Ce4+redox reaction,dehydration or dehydroxylation processes)or intrinsic defects(i.e.,Frenkel defects,ODCs or NBOHCs).展开更多
This work describes the microwave design of the transmission line housed in the in-port-plug region of the ITER plasma position reflectometer(PPR).The design of the components of the inport-plug reflectometers(located...This work describes the microwave design of the transmission line housed in the in-port-plug region of the ITER plasma position reflectometer(PPR).The design of the components of the inport-plug reflectometers(located in equatorial port-plug 10(EPP10) and in upper-port-plug 01(UPP01)) is presented.Using a 3 D ray tracing code, the spatial position and optimum orientation angles of each set of emission and detection antennas were determined.A feasible path was then created from the obtained antenna positions and orientations to the primary vacuum window.Oversized tall waveguides were chosen to reduce ohmic losses.Due to space constraints in the ITER crowded environment, bends in oversized waveguides were unavoidable, and thus mode conversion was produced.To keep mode conversion losses at bay, hyperbolic secant curvature bends had to be used whenever possible.However, E-plane bends in tall waveguides proved to be especially critical, making it necessary to employ other approaches when higher bending angles were needed.Mode conversion results were obtained by evaluating the mode coupling equations.Ohmic losses have also been computed and their results compared with commercial simulators, obtaining a perfect agreement.展开更多
In this work, a method for quantification of heavy metals Inductively Coupled Plasma Sector Field Mass Spectrometry (ICP-SFMS) in soil samples of El Bierzo district (Spain) has been optimized and validated. Optimizati...In this work, a method for quantification of heavy metals Inductively Coupled Plasma Sector Field Mass Spectrometry (ICP-SFMS) in soil samples of El Bierzo district (Spain) has been optimized and validated. Optimization was carried out for elements: Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, As, Cd, Hg, Pb and U. Validation of the method was performed with Certified and Standard Reference Materials (CRMs and SRMs);SRM2709, CRM020-051 and CRM050-051. Results obtained under optimized conditions can be summarized as follows: a) the Limits of Detection (LODs) were in the order of sub fg·g-1 for Cr, Mn, Cu, Co, As, Cd, Hg, Pb and U, and few fg·g-1for Ni, Zn and Se;b) precision measurement, in terms of relative standard deviation (RSD), was been below 5%;c) the average recovery of CRM was between 81.3% and 98%. In conclusion, the method offers several advantages: fast, good accuracy, very low values of Limits of Quantification (LOQs) and high sensitivity on measurement of heavy metal.展开更多
Although compliance with the European limit values for air pollutants has been achieved over large parts in Spain, some challenges remain for O3 on the maximum daily 8-hour mean and information limit values, for parti...Although compliance with the European limit values for air pollutants has been achieved over large parts in Spain, some challenges remain for O3 on the maximum daily 8-hour mean and information limit values, for particulate matter on the PM10 annual and daily limit values and for NO2 on annual and hourly limit values. Transboundary transport of air pollutants has started to be recognized as a mechanism affecting air quality. Nevertheless, as a consequence of the complexity of atmospheric chemistry it is not easy to determine the importance of this effect. Photochemical models constitute an adequate tool to address this challenge, allowing the identification of pollutant pathways and the quantifi- cation of the influence of long-range transport of air pollutants. In this paper we evaluate the influence of out-of-Spain emissions on this non-compliance picture by using the CHIMERE photochemical model. For this purpose the model was run at a 0.2?-horizontal resolution for a European domain. Although at this resolution not all the local effects can be captured, transboundary transport of air pollutants can be examined. Several simulations were performed considering different emission scenarios. To see all out-of-Spain emissions influence, all the emissions were set to zero, excepting those in Spain. This includes examining European and ships effects on air quality in Spain. A second simulation was performed setting to zero just European-countries emissions, to see the effect of Europe. The third and fourth simulations were carried out by setting to zero France and Portugal emissions respectively. Ozone has been found to be the pollutant more affected by this transboundary transport, in particular in the summer period. The model indicates that the incoming air masses contributed in 2009 to the non-compliance with the European normative regulating the maximum daily 8-hour mean.展开更多
The ENETRAP （European Network on Education and Training in RAdiological Protection） project series, since the first edition in 2005 till the current ENETRAP III, always have been the objective to maintain a high lev...The ENETRAP （European Network on Education and Training in RAdiological Protection） project series, since the first edition in 2005 till the current ENETRAP III, always have been the objective to maintain a high level of competence in radiation protection （RP）, assuring the continued development of suitable well-trained personnel and adequate knowledge management. This objective is crucial to ensure future safe use of ionizing radiations （IR） and the development of new technologies in a safe way. A big effort and lot of work has been done in these 11 years including the new definitions in the BSS for RP Expert （RPE）, RP Officer （RPO） and Medical Physics Expert （MPE） which are the basis for future national development and implementation and adequate the high-level education and training （E＆T） in the countries. In order to manage all the valuable results of the projects and to distribute them to the society, is required a tool, developed with this specific propose, that will be the object of this paper.展开更多
A large number of papers published in the last decades are related to the effect of ozone exposure on mortality worldwide. Several studies have been performed to investigate the effect of ozone on mortality in Madrid ...A large number of papers published in the last decades are related to the effect of ozone exposure on mortality worldwide. Several studies have been performed to investigate the effect of ozone on mortality in Madrid （Spain）, but the findings of these local reports were focused only on the Madrid city. The association of daily concentrations of ozone with daily mortality was investigated using autoregressive Poisson regression models. This study explores the effects of ozone on all causes except accidents, cardiovascular and respiratory short-term mortality in two areas of the Madrid region： an urban area constituted by the Madrid municipality and an industrial sub-urban area surrounding the city. Using three years of daily data （2003-2005）, it was analyzed the all-ages populations and the over-64 age groups. The average ozone concentrations over the study period were 54.07 ± 27.17 μg/m3 in the Madrid municipality and 70.09 ± 32.96 μg/m3 in the sub-urban municipalities surrounding the city. Our results in the all-ages group indicated that 0.69% of all causes except accidents, 1.15% of cardiovascular and 1.56% of respiratory daily deaths, respectively, could be attributed to exposure to ozone in the Madrid city, whereas 11.69% of daily respiratory deaths were attributable to ozone exposure in the Madrid sub-urban surroundings. Our results show a clear association between mortality and ozone exposure. The spatial heterogeneity of ozone effects on short-term mortality throughout the Madrid region may have implications for local environmental policies and also for social and health services planning.展开更多
To produce fusion reactions efficiently,thermonuclear plasmas have to reach extremely high temperatures,which is incompatible with their coming into contact with material surfaces.Confinement of plasmas using magnetic...To produce fusion reactions efficiently,thermonuclear plasmas have to reach extremely high temperatures,which is incompatible with their coming into contact with material surfaces.Confinement of plasmas using magnetic fields has progressed significantly in the last years,particularly in the tokamak configuration.Unfortunately,all tokamak devices,and particularly metallic ones,are plagued by catastrophic events called disruptions.Many disruptions are preceded by anomalies in the radiation patterns,particularly in ITER-relevant scenarios.These specific forms of radiation emission either directly cause or reveal the approaching collapse of the configuration.Detecting the localization of these radiation anomalies in real time requires an innovative and specific elaboration of bolometric measurements,confirmed by visible cameras and the inversion of sophisticated tomographic algorithms.The information derived from these measurements can be interpreted in terms of local power balances,which suggest a new quantity,the radiated power divided by the plasma internal energy,to determine the criticality of the plasma state.Combined with robust indicators of the temperature profile shape,the identified anomalous radiation patterns allow determination of the sequence of macroscopic events leading to disruptions.A systematic analysis of JET campaigns at high power in deuterium,full tritium,and DT,for a total of almost 2000 discharges,proves the effectiveness of the approach.The warning times are such that,depending on the radiation anomaly and the available actuators,the control system of future devices is expected to provide enough notice to enable deployment of effective prevention and avoidance strategies.展开更多
CSP （concentrating solar power） is a commercially available renewable energy technology capable of harnessing the immense solar resource in southern Europe, the MENA region （Middle East and North Africa）, and else...CSP （concentrating solar power） is a commercially available renewable energy technology capable of harnessing the immense solar resource in southern Europe, the MENA region （Middle East and North Africa）, and elsewhere. This paper summarises the findings of a study by the European Academies Science Advisory Council which has examined the current status and development challenges of CSP, and consequently has evaluated the potential contribution of CSP in Europe and the MENA region to 2050. It identifies the actions that will be required by scientists, engineers, policy makers, politicians, business and investors alike, to enable this vast solar resource to make a major contribution to establishing a sustainable energy system. The study concludes that cost reductions of 50%-60% in CSP electricity may reasonably be expected in the next 10-15 years, enabling the technology to be cost competitive with fossil-fired power generation at some point between 2020 and 2030. Incorporation of storage delivers added value in enabling CSP to deliver dispatchable power. Incentive schemes will be needed in Europe and MENA countries to enable this point to be achieved. Such schemes should reflect the true value of electricity to the grid, effectively drive research and development, and ensure transparency of performance and cost data.展开更多
1 Introduction The fact that most of the world’s population lives in cities(UN-Habitat 2016)has increased interest in urban meteorology.Mesoscale models,such as the Weather Research and Forecasting(WRF)model(www.mmm....1 Introduction The fact that most of the world’s population lives in cities(UN-Habitat 2016)has increased interest in urban meteorology.Mesoscale models,such as the Weather Research and Forecasting(WRF)model(www.mmm.ucar.edu/weather-research-and-forecasting-model),are used to reproduce the meteorology and climatology over cities and around them,where the complex interactions between the atmosphere and urban surfaces(buildings,vegetation,urban obstacles,etc.)induce strong heterogeneity in the flow properties within the urban canopy layer(UCL)(Di Sabatino et al.2013;Lateb et al.2016;Tominaga and Stathopoulos 2016).展开更多
As consequence of its relatively abundant reserves compared to other energy sources,coal will continue to be widely employed in power plants.To reduce coal’s negative impact on the environment,new approaches have bee...As consequence of its relatively abundant reserves compared to other energy sources,coal will continue to be widely employed in power plants.To reduce coal’s negative impact on the environment,new approaches have been evaluated and adopted by various countries in recent years to minimize CO_(2) emissions.Initial developments focused on the selection of new fuels(such as biomass fuels)to combine with coal to reduce emissions from coal combustion,whereas subsequent approaches aimed at implementing new processes for CO_(2) capture and storage,such as oxy-fuel combustion.In addition,coal combustion is one of the main anthropogenic sources of trace elements(TE)emitted to the atmosphere.The increasing knowledge acquired as to the impact of these pollutants in the environment has led to more restricted emission standards for some of these elements and to increased research on the technologies and pathways to control these emissions.This article reviews the main factors involved in TE capture by comparing results obtained for Hg and other TEs under different control scenarios.Both the effect of novel combustion processes and the potential of different pollution control techniques toward these pollutants are discussed.展开更多
The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer（AMS-02）,which is installed on the International Space Station（ISS）,has been collecting data successfully since May 2011.The main goals of AMS-02 are the search for cosmic anti-matte...The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer（AMS-02）,which is installed on the International Space Station（ISS）,has been collecting data successfully since May 2011.The main goals of AMS-02 are the search for cosmic anti-matter,dark matter and the precise measurement of the relative abundance of elements and isotopes in galactic cosmic rays.In order to identify particle properties,AMS-02 includes several specialized sub-detectors.Among these,the AMS-02 Ring Imaging Cherenkov detector（RICH） is designed to provide a very precise measurement of the velocity and electric charge of particles.We describe a method to reject the dominant electron background in antiproton identification with the use of the AMS-02 RICH detector as a veto for rigidities below 3 GV.A ray tracing integration method is used to maximize the statistics of with the lowest possible e background,providing 4 times rejection power gain for e background with respect to only 3% of signal efficiency loss.By using the collected cosmic-ray data,e contamination can be well suppressed within 3% with β ≈ 1,while keeping 76% efficiency for below the threshold.展开更多
基金Supported by ENRESA and European Commission(EC Contracts FI4W-CT95-006,FIKW-CT-2000-00016,FI6W-CT-2003-02389)
文摘The bentonite barrier of underground repositories for high-level radioactive waste will be hydrated by the groundwater while it is subjected to high temperatures due to the radioactive decay of the wastes. These changes of temperature affect the hydraulic and mechanical responses of bentonite, which has important effects on design and performance of repositories. The temperature influence on the hydro-mechanical behaviour of bentonite was studied in this paper by experiments, which were carried out with the Spanish FEBEX bentonite compacted at dry densities expected in the＇ repository （from 1.5 to 1.8 Mg/m^3）. The dependence of the swelling strains of bentonite on the temperature has been measured from 30℃ to 90 ℃. At high temperatures the swelling capacity of clay slightly decreases. Also, a clear decrease of swelling pressure as a function of temperature was observed for the same dry densities. Nevertheless, the deformation of bentonite is more dependent on the stress than the temperature. An increase in the permeability of water saturated bentonite with temperature has also been detected. The water retention curves of bentonite compacted at different dry densities were determined under isochoric conditions and in the range of temperatures from 20 ℃ to 120℃. For a given density and water content, the suction decreases as the temperature increases at a rate, which is larger than the one predicted on the basis of water surface tension changing with temperature. Mechanisms related to the physico-chemical interactions that take place at microscopic level, in particular the transfer of interlayer water to the macropores triggered by temperature, seem to explain qualitatively the experimental observations.
基金financially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (No. MAT2015-66649-R)
文摘SnO is an ideally suitable p-type conductive material, with large hole mobility, and has attracted great interest in connection with next-generation electronic applications. In the present work, tin oxide(SnOx)thin films were deposited on unheated soda lime glass substrates by reactive DC sputtering from a pure Sn target. The structural, optical and electrical properties of the films were analysed as a function of the oxygen partial pressure in the sputtering atmosphere and of the post-deposition annealing temperature in air. A structural analysis was carried out using Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Optical and electrical characterizations were performed using photo-spectrometry and Hall effect measurements,respectively. The films grown at room temperature and low oxygen pressures reached high deposition rates of above 45 nm/min, showing poorly crystalline SnO and low transparency. Subsequent heating to 350℃ allowed to achieve a more crystalline tetragonal SnO with an average visible transmittance of 65%,a p-type conductivity of 0.8 S/cm, and a hole mobility of 3.5 cm^2/(V s).
基金This work has been carried out within the EFOX project.
文摘Tungsten oxides are interesting for a variety of applications due to their versatile optoelectronic characteristics,which can be tuned changing the composition and/or the crystalline structure.Coloration due to sub-bandgap absorption is often achieved by ion intercalation or doping in WO_(3):M films(with M=H^(+),Li^(+),Na^(+),etc.introducing extra electrons),but a more direct way is creating charged oxygen vacancies(V_O^(+)and/or V_O~(2+))in sub-stoichiometric WO_(3-x)forms.Here,amorphous WO_(3-x)thin films are obtained by reactive DC sputtering of a pure W target,on unheated glass substrates,changing the oxygen to argon pressures ratio.The control of intrinsic defects(oxygen vacancies and tungsten valence states)by the oxygen partial pressure allows tuning the morphology,sub-bandgap absorption and carrier density in these WO_(3-x)films,as it is proven by Raman spectroscopy,atomic force microscopy,optical spectrophotometry and Hall effect measurements.
基金supported by the Spanish Minister of Science and Innovation through the Unit of Characterization of the Atmospheric Pollution and Persistent Organic Pollutants, Environment Department, CIEMAT, Spain, the Center of Civil Engineering Research (CEDEX)through the 44-403-1-096 project (Research on sludgefrom wastewater treatment. Directive 86/278/CEE) signedwith the Ministry of Environment, Spain
文摘The presence of an emerging brominated flame retardant, decabromodiphenylethane （DBDPE）, has been confirmed in Spanish sewage sludge. Thirty one samples from different urban wastewater treatment plants （WWTPs） were analyzed for this brominated flame retardant. DBDPE was positively identified and quantified in all samples at lower concentrations （47.0 ± 29.7 ng/g dry weight （dw）; mean ± SD） than those obtained for decabromodiphenyl ether （BDE-209） （290 ± 236 ng/g dw; mean ± SD） in a previous study. Influence of the WWTP characteristics in the pollutant levels was evaluated. No significant correlations were obtained between DBDPE concentrations and the population or sewage sludge production rate associated with the plants, neither wastewater treatment method. Sources of DBDPE in the sludge were also evaluated. Data indicate a common origin for DBDPE and BDE-209, which may be related to leaching processes during the use and disposal of consumer products containing these chemicals. Nevertheless, DBDPE contents are not influenced by industrial activities, which suggests that the infusion of DBDPE commercial mixture is not a source of this chemical into the environment, and indicates that the use of DBDPE in the Spanish industry is still low compared to deca-BDE.
文摘The KCI：Eu2＋ system response to UV-C was investigated by analyzing the optically stimulated luminescence （OSL） and ther- mo-luminescence （TL） signal produced by ultraviolet light exposure at room temperature. It was found that after UV-C irra.diation, OSL was produced on a wide band of visible wavelengths with decay time that varied by several orders of magnitude depending on the Eu2＋ aggregation state. In spite of the low intensity of solar UV-C reaching the Earth＇s surface in Madrid （40° N, 700 m a.s.1.）, it was possible to measure the UV-C radiation dose at 6：48 solar time by using the TL response of the KCI：Eu2＋ system and differentiate it from the ambient beta radiation dose.
基金This work was funded by project PI17/00578,from the“Instituto de Salud Carlos III”(Ministry of Science,Innovation and Universities)and co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund,and approved by the Ethics Committee of our Institution.It has been founded also by projects CB16/12/00228,PI16/00161,RD16/0011/0011,RD12/0019/0023 and SAF2017–84248-PWe would like to thank Rebeca Sánchez-Domínguez and Omaira Alberquilla for their help with the flow cytometry studies+3 种基金Federico Sánchez-Sierra and Pilar Hernández for their excellent histological processing of the samplesthe personnel of the CIEMAT Animal Unit for mouse careWe also thank Manuel Serrano(Institute for Research in Biomedicine,Barcelona,Spain)for his generous gift of Ink4a/Arf KO miceThanks also go to Anton Berns(Netherlands Cancer Institute,NKI,The Netherlands)for supplying the p53EKO mice.
文摘Odontogenic tumours are a heterogeneous group of lesions that develop in the oral cavity region and are characterized by the formation of tumoural structures that differentiate as teeth. Due to the diversity of their histopathological characteristics and clinical behaviour, the classification of these tumours is still under debate. Alterations in morphogenesis pathways such as the Hedgehog,MAPK and WNT/β-catenin pathways are implicated in the formation of odontogenic lesions, but the molecular bases of many of these lesions are still unknown. In this study, we used genetically modified mice to study the role of IKKβ(a fundamental regulator of NF-κB activity and many other proteins) in oral epithelial cells and odontogenic tissues. Transgenic mice overexpressing IKKβ in oral epithelial cells show a significant increase in immune cells in both the oral epithelia and oral submucosa. They also show changes in the expression of several proteins and mi RNAs that are important for cancer development. Interestingly, we found that overactivity of IKKβ in oral epithelia and odontogenic tissues, in conjunction with the loss of tumour suppressor proteins(p53, or p16 and p19), leads to the appearance of odontogenic tumours that can be classified as ameloblastic odontomas, sometimes accompanied by foci of secondary ameloblastic carcinomas. These tumours show NF-κB activation and increased β-catenin activity.These findings may help to elucidate the molecular determinants of odontogenic tumourigenesis and the role of IKKβ in the homoeostasis and tumoural transformation of oral and odontogenic epithelia.
文摘The thermoluminescence(TL)emission of synthetic and natural Ce-monazites was characterized here to determine the potential application in the identification of microscopic defects from a qualitative point of view trying to link each TL peak to a chemical-physical process.The kinetic parameters that lead the luminescence processes were calculated by means of variable heating rate and computing glow curve deconvolution methods and allow identifying three groups of components at~90,130 and 290℃(for the mineral sample)and~90,170,220,270 and 320℃(for the synthetic CePO_(4):Nd_(0.20),La_(0.25)).The main differences appreciated in these complex TL curves are mainly due to(i)the content of impurities(natural sample contains lanthanides as well as U 0.60%and Th 5.22%)and(ii)the degree of crystallinity of the samples which is directly related to the type of impurities(synthetic monazite relies only on Nd and La).The behavior of the dose response in the range of 1-8 Gy is similar for both samples;the TL intensity increases linearly as the dose increases without changes in the position of the maxima,denoting first-order kinetic luminescence mechanism.Each peak could be mostly associated with structural defects(i.e.,phase transitions),chemical reactions(i.e.,Ce3+?Ce4+redox reaction,dehydration or dehydroxylation processes)or intrinsic defects(i.e.,Frenkel defects,ODCs or NBOHCs).
基金partially funded by the Ministeriode Ciencia,Innovaciony Universidades of Spain under project FIS2017-88892-PFusion for Energy under Specific Grant Agreement F4E-FPA-375-SG05。
文摘This work describes the microwave design of the transmission line housed in the in-port-plug region of the ITER plasma position reflectometer(PPR).The design of the components of the inport-plug reflectometers(located in equatorial port-plug 10(EPP10) and in upper-port-plug 01(UPP01)) is presented.Using a 3 D ray tracing code, the spatial position and optimum orientation angles of each set of emission and detection antennas were determined.A feasible path was then created from the obtained antenna positions and orientations to the primary vacuum window.Oversized tall waveguides were chosen to reduce ohmic losses.Due to space constraints in the ITER crowded environment, bends in oversized waveguides were unavoidable, and thus mode conversion was produced.To keep mode conversion losses at bay, hyperbolic secant curvature bends had to be used whenever possible.However, E-plane bends in tall waveguides proved to be especially critical, making it necessary to employ other approaches when higher bending angles were needed.Mode conversion results were obtained by evaluating the mode coupling equations.Ohmic losses have also been computed and their results compared with commercial simulators, obtaining a perfect agreement.
文摘In this work, a method for quantification of heavy metals Inductively Coupled Plasma Sector Field Mass Spectrometry (ICP-SFMS) in soil samples of El Bierzo district (Spain) has been optimized and validated. Optimization was carried out for elements: Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, As, Cd, Hg, Pb and U. Validation of the method was performed with Certified and Standard Reference Materials (CRMs and SRMs);SRM2709, CRM020-051 and CRM050-051. Results obtained under optimized conditions can be summarized as follows: a) the Limits of Detection (LODs) were in the order of sub fg·g-1 for Cr, Mn, Cu, Co, As, Cd, Hg, Pb and U, and few fg·g-1for Ni, Zn and Se;b) precision measurement, in terms of relative standard deviation (RSD), was been below 5%;c) the average recovery of CRM was between 81.3% and 98%. In conclusion, the method offers several advantages: fast, good accuracy, very low values of Limits of Quantification (LOQs) and high sensitivity on measurement of heavy metal.
文摘Although compliance with the European limit values for air pollutants has been achieved over large parts in Spain, some challenges remain for O3 on the maximum daily 8-hour mean and information limit values, for particulate matter on the PM10 annual and daily limit values and for NO2 on annual and hourly limit values. Transboundary transport of air pollutants has started to be recognized as a mechanism affecting air quality. Nevertheless, as a consequence of the complexity of atmospheric chemistry it is not easy to determine the importance of this effect. Photochemical models constitute an adequate tool to address this challenge, allowing the identification of pollutant pathways and the quantifi- cation of the influence of long-range transport of air pollutants. In this paper we evaluate the influence of out-of-Spain emissions on this non-compliance picture by using the CHIMERE photochemical model. For this purpose the model was run at a 0.2?-horizontal resolution for a European domain. Although at this resolution not all the local effects can be captured, transboundary transport of air pollutants can be examined. Several simulations were performed considering different emission scenarios. To see all out-of-Spain emissions influence, all the emissions were set to zero, excepting those in Spain. This includes examining European and ships effects on air quality in Spain. A second simulation was performed setting to zero just European-countries emissions, to see the effect of Europe. The third and fourth simulations were carried out by setting to zero France and Portugal emissions respectively. Ozone has been found to be the pollutant more affected by this transboundary transport, in particular in the summer period. The model indicates that the incoming air masses contributed in 2009 to the non-compliance with the European normative regulating the maximum daily 8-hour mean.
文摘The ENETRAP （European Network on Education and Training in RAdiological Protection） project series, since the first edition in 2005 till the current ENETRAP III, always have been the objective to maintain a high level of competence in radiation protection （RP）, assuring the continued development of suitable well-trained personnel and adequate knowledge management. This objective is crucial to ensure future safe use of ionizing radiations （IR） and the development of new technologies in a safe way. A big effort and lot of work has been done in these 11 years including the new definitions in the BSS for RP Expert （RPE）, RP Officer （RPO） and Medical Physics Expert （MPE） which are the basis for future national development and implementation and adequate the high-level education and training （E＆T） in the countries. In order to manage all the valuable results of the projects and to distribute them to the society, is required a tool, developed with this specific propose, that will be the object of this paper.
文摘A large number of papers published in the last decades are related to the effect of ozone exposure on mortality worldwide. Several studies have been performed to investigate the effect of ozone on mortality in Madrid （Spain）, but the findings of these local reports were focused only on the Madrid city. The association of daily concentrations of ozone with daily mortality was investigated using autoregressive Poisson regression models. This study explores the effects of ozone on all causes except accidents, cardiovascular and respiratory short-term mortality in two areas of the Madrid region： an urban area constituted by the Madrid municipality and an industrial sub-urban area surrounding the city. Using three years of daily data （2003-2005）, it was analyzed the all-ages populations and the over-64 age groups. The average ozone concentrations over the study period were 54.07 ± 27.17 μg/m3 in the Madrid municipality and 70.09 ± 32.96 μg/m3 in the sub-urban municipalities surrounding the city. Our results in the all-ages group indicated that 0.69% of all causes except accidents, 1.15% of cardiovascular and 1.56% of respiratory daily deaths, respectively, could be attributed to exposure to ozone in the Madrid city, whereas 11.69% of daily respiratory deaths were attributable to ozone exposure in the Madrid sub-urban surroundings. Our results show a clear association between mortality and ozone exposure. The spatial heterogeneity of ozone effects on short-term mortality throughout the Madrid region may have implications for local environmental policies and also for social and health services planning.
文摘To produce fusion reactions efficiently,thermonuclear plasmas have to reach extremely high temperatures,which is incompatible with their coming into contact with material surfaces.Confinement of plasmas using magnetic fields has progressed significantly in the last years,particularly in the tokamak configuration.Unfortunately,all tokamak devices,and particularly metallic ones,are plagued by catastrophic events called disruptions.Many disruptions are preceded by anomalies in the radiation patterns,particularly in ITER-relevant scenarios.These specific forms of radiation emission either directly cause or reveal the approaching collapse of the configuration.Detecting the localization of these radiation anomalies in real time requires an innovative and specific elaboration of bolometric measurements,confirmed by visible cameras and the inversion of sophisticated tomographic algorithms.The information derived from these measurements can be interpreted in terms of local power balances,which suggest a new quantity,the radiated power divided by the plasma internal energy,to determine the criticality of the plasma state.Combined with robust indicators of the temperature profile shape,the identified anomalous radiation patterns allow determination of the sequence of macroscopic events leading to disruptions.A systematic analysis of JET campaigns at high power in deuterium,full tritium,and DT,for a total of almost 2000 discharges,proves the effectiveness of the approach.The warning times are such that,depending on the radiation anomaly and the available actuators,the control system of future devices is expected to provide enough notice to enable deployment of effective prevention and avoidance strategies.
文摘CSP （concentrating solar power） is a commercially available renewable energy technology capable of harnessing the immense solar resource in southern Europe, the MENA region （Middle East and North Africa）, and elsewhere. This paper summarises the findings of a study by the European Academies Science Advisory Council which has examined the current status and development challenges of CSP, and consequently has evaluated the potential contribution of CSP in Europe and the MENA region to 2050. It identifies the actions that will be required by scientists, engineers, policy makers, politicians, business and investors alike, to enable this vast solar resource to make a major contribution to establishing a sustainable energy system. The study concludes that cost reductions of 50%-60% in CSP electricity may reasonably be expected in the next 10-15 years, enabling the technology to be cost competitive with fossil-fired power generation at some point between 2020 and 2030. Incorporation of storage delivers added value in enabling CSP to deliver dispatchable power. Incentive schemes will be needed in Europe and MENA countries to enable this point to be achieved. Such schemes should reflect the true value of electricity to the grid, effectively drive research and development, and ensure transparency of performance and cost data.
基金supported by EXCLUR(CGL2016-80154-R)project funded by Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.
文摘1 Introduction The fact that most of the world’s population lives in cities(UN-Habitat 2016)has increased interest in urban meteorology.Mesoscale models,such as the Weather Research and Forecasting(WRF)model(www.mmm.ucar.edu/weather-research-and-forecasting-model),are used to reproduce the meteorology and climatology over cities and around them,where the complex interactions between the atmosphere and urban surfaces(buildings,vegetation,urban obstacles,etc.)induce strong heterogeneity in the flow properties within the urban canopy layer(UCL)(Di Sabatino et al.2013;Lateb et al.2016;Tominaga and Stathopoulos 2016).
文摘As consequence of its relatively abundant reserves compared to other energy sources,coal will continue to be widely employed in power plants.To reduce coal’s negative impact on the environment,new approaches have been evaluated and adopted by various countries in recent years to minimize CO_(2) emissions.Initial developments focused on the selection of new fuels(such as biomass fuels)to combine with coal to reduce emissions from coal combustion,whereas subsequent approaches aimed at implementing new processes for CO_(2) capture and storage,such as oxy-fuel combustion.In addition,coal combustion is one of the main anthropogenic sources of trace elements(TE)emitted to the atmosphere.The increasing knowledge acquired as to the impact of these pollutants in the environment has led to more restricted emission standards for some of these elements and to increased research on the technologies and pathways to control these emissions.This article reviews the main factors involved in TE capture by comparing results obtained for Hg and other TEs under different control scenarios.Both the effect of novel combustion processes and the potential of different pollution control techniques toward these pollutants are discussed.
基金Supported by China Scholarship Council(CSC)under Grant No.201306380027
文摘The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer（AMS-02）,which is installed on the International Space Station（ISS）,has been collecting data successfully since May 2011.The main goals of AMS-02 are the search for cosmic anti-matter,dark matter and the precise measurement of the relative abundance of elements and isotopes in galactic cosmic rays.In order to identify particle properties,AMS-02 includes several specialized sub-detectors.Among these,the AMS-02 Ring Imaging Cherenkov detector（RICH） is designed to provide a very precise measurement of the velocity and electric charge of particles.We describe a method to reject the dominant electron background in antiproton identification with the use of the AMS-02 RICH detector as a veto for rigidities below 3 GV.A ray tracing integration method is used to maximize the statistics of with the lowest possible e background,providing 4 times rejection power gain for e background with respect to only 3% of signal efficiency loss.By using the collected cosmic-ray data,e contamination can be well suppressed within 3% with β ≈ 1,while keeping 76% efficiency for below the threshold.
