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Modeling of the Thermohydrodynamic and Reactive Behavior of Compacted Clay for High-Level Radionuclide Waste-Management Systems
- Ricardo Juncosa, Vicente Navarro, Jordi Delgado, Ana Vázquez
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- Journal:
- Clays and Clay Minerals / Volume 58 / Issue 4 / August 2010
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 01 January 2024, pp. 486-500
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Bentonite is often proposed as an engineered-buffer material in high-level radionuclide waste-management systems. For effective design of the barrier that will provide protection over the long time periods required, the physical/thermal/chemical processes taking place in the barrier material must be understood thoroughly. These processes, which interact, include the flow of water and gas, the flow of heat, and the transport and reaction of chemical constituents. The purpose of this study was to better understand the processes that occurred in a small-scale experiment within a confined bentonite space. A conceptual and mathematical model (FADES-CHEM) was built in order to simulate the results of an experiment conducted in 2000, and thereby to gain a better understanding of the controlling processes. In that experiment, a block of compacted bentonite was placed in an air-tight cell and subjected, for 6 months, to simultaneous heating and hydration from opposite sides. The bentonite block was then sliced into five sections each of which was then analyzed in order to obtain a series of physicochemical parameters illustrating the changes that had occurred. Before modeling, the chemical composition of the bentonite pore waters was restored in order to account for different processes such as gas outgassing and cell cooling. Modeling indicated that gas-pressure build up was a relevant process when computing the saturation of bentonite, and the computations in the present study suggested that evaporation/condensation processes played a crucial role in the final distribution of the water content. Gas pressure and evaporation/ condensation also affected the geochemical system, and the numerical model developed gives results that were consistent with the experimental values and trends observed. The model reproduced the results obtained and enable use at the repository scale and over longer time frames, provided that adequate data are available.
Coronavirus disease 2019 is associated with long-term depressive symptoms in Spanish older adults with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome
- Sangeetha Shyam, Carlos Gómez-Martínez, Indira Paz-Graniel, José J. Gaforio, Miguel Ángel Martínez-González, Dolores Corella, Montserrat Fitó, J. Alfredo Martínez, Ángel M. Alonso-Gómez, Julia Wärnberg, Jesús Vioque, Dora Romaguera, José López-Miranda, Ramon Estruch, Francisco J. Tinahones, José Manuel Santos-Lozano, J. Luís Serra-Majem, Aurora Bueno-Cavanillas, Josep A. Tur, Vicente Martín Sánchez, Xavier Pintó, María Ortiz Ramos, Josep Vidal, Maria Mar Alcarria, Lidia Daimiel, Emilio Ros, Fernando Fernandez-Aranda, Stephanie K. Nishi, Oscar García Regata, Estefania Toledo, Jose V. Sorli, Olga Castañer, Antonio Garcia-Rios, Rafael Valls-Enguix, Napoleon Perez-Farinos, M. Angeles Zulet, Elena Rayó-Gago, Rosa Casas, Mario Rivera-Izquierdo, Lucas Tojal-Sierra, Miguel Damas-Fuentes, Pilar Buil-Cosiales, Rebeca Fernández-Carrion, Albert Goday, Patricia J. Peña-Orihuela, Laura Compañ-Gabucio, Javier Diez-Espino, Susanna Tello, Ana González-Pinto, Víctor de la O, Miguel Delgado-Rodríguez, Nancy Babio, Jordi Salas-Salvadó
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- Journal:
- Psychological Medicine / Volume 54 / Issue 3 / February 2024
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 05 September 2023, pp. 620-630
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Background
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has serious physiological and psychological consequences. The long-term (>12 weeks post-infection) impact of COVID-19 on mental health, specifically in older adults, is unclear. We longitudinally assessed the association of COVID-19 with depression symptomatology in community-dwelling older adults with metabolic syndrome within the framework of the PREDIMED-Plus cohort.
MethodsParticipants (n = 5486) aged 55–75 years were included in this longitudinal cohort. COVID-19 status (positive/negative) determined by tests (e.g. polymerase chain reaction severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, IgG) was confirmed via event adjudication (410 cases). Pre- and post-COVID-19 depressive symptomatology was ascertained from annual assessments conducted using a validated 21-item Spanish Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Multivariable linear and logistic regression models assessed the association between COVID-19 and depression symptomatology.
ResultsCOVID-19 in older adults was associated with higher post-COVID-19 BDI-II scores measured at a median (interquartile range) of 29 (15–40) weeks post-infection [fully adjusted β = 0.65 points, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.15–1.15; p = 0.011]. This association was particularly prominent in women (β = 1.38 points, 95% CI 0.44–2.33, p = 0.004). COVID-19 was associated with 62% increased odds of elevated depression risk (BDI-II ≥ 14) post-COVID-19 when adjusted for confounders (odds ratio; 95% CI 1.13–2.30, p = 0.008).
ConclusionsCOVID-19 was associated with long-term depression risk in older adults with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome, particularly in women. Thus, long-term evaluations of the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and preventive public health initiatives are warranted in older adults.
Association between the Prime Diet Quality Score and depressive symptoms in a Mediterranean population with metabolic syndrome. Cross-sectional and 2-year follow-up assessment from PREDIMED-PLUS study
- Naomi Cano-Ibáñez, Lluis Serra-Majem, Sandra Martín-Peláez, Miguel Ángel Martínez-González, Jordi Salas-Salvadó, Maria Dolores Corella Piquer, Camille Lassale, José Alfredo Martínez Hernandez, Ángel M. Alonso-Gómez, Julia Wärnberg, Jesús Vioque Lopez, Dora Romaguera, José López-Miranda, Ramon Estruch, Ana María Gómez-Pérez, José Manuel Santos-Lozano, Fernando Fernández-Aranda, Aurora Bueno-Cavanillas, Josep A. Tur, Vicente Martín, Xavier Pintó Sala, Miguel Delgado-Rodríguez, Pilar Matía Martín, Josep Vidal, Jersy J. Cárdenas, Lidia Daimiel Ruiz, Emilio Ros, Pilar Buil-Cosiales, Nerea Becerra-Tomás, Carmen Saiz, Miguel-Ángel Muñoz-Perez, Itziar Abete, Lucas Tojal-Sierra, Olga Fernández-Barceló, Andrea Bernabé-Casanova, Jadwiga Konieczna, Antonio García-Ríos, Rosa Casas, Maria Rosa Bernal-López, José Lapetra, Estefanía Toledo, Carlos Gómez-Martínez, Oscar Coltell, Mireia Malcampo-Manrúbia, María Angeles Zulet, Carolina Sorto-Sánchez, Alfredo Gea, José Luis Hernández-Fleta, Olga Castañer Niño, Almudena Sánchez-Villegas
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- Journal:
- British Journal of Nutrition / Volume 128 / Issue 6 / 28 September 2022
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 29 October 2021, pp. 1170-1179
- Print publication:
- 28 September 2022
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The burden of depression is increasing worldwide, specifically in older adults. Unhealthy dietary patterns may partly explain this phenomenon. In the Spanish PREDIMED-Plus study, we explored (1) the cross-sectional association between the adherence to the Prime Diet Quality Score (PDQS), an a priori-defined high-quality food pattern, and the prevalence of depressive symptoms at baseline (cross-sectional analysis) and (2) the prospective association of baseline PDQS with changes in depressive symptomatology after 2 years of follow-up. After exclusions, we assessed 6612 participants in the cross-sectional analysis and 5523 participants in the prospective analysis. An energy-adjusted high-quality dietary score (PDQS) was assessed using a validated FFQ. The cross-sectional association between PDQS and the prevalence of depression or presence of depressive symptoms and the prospective changes in depressive symptoms were evaluated through multivariable regression models (logistic and linear models and mixed linear-effects models). PDQS was inversely associated with depressive status in the cross-sectional analysis. Participants in the highest quintile of PDQS (Q5) showed a significantly reduced odds of depression prevalence as compared to participants in the lowest quartile of PDQS (Q1) (OR (95 %) CI = 0·82 (0·68, 0·98))). The baseline prevalence of depression decreased across PDQS quintiles (Pfor trend = 0·015). A statistically significant association between PDQS and changes in depressive symptoms after 2-years follow-up was found (β (95 %) CI = −0·67 z-score (–1·17, −0·18). A higher PDQS was cross-sectionally related to a lower depressive status. Nevertheless, the null finding in our prospective analysis raises the possibility of reverse causality. Further prospective investigation is required to ascertain the association between PDQS and changes in depressive symptoms along time.
Design and Verbal Fluency in Alzheimer’s Disease and Frontotemporal Dementia: Clinical and Metabolic Correlates
- Alfonso Delgado-Álvarez, María Nieves Cabrera-Martín, Vanesa Pytel, Cristina Delgado-Alonso, Jorge Matías-Guiu, Jordi A. Matias-Guiu
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 28 / Issue 9 / October 2022
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 27 September 2021, pp. 947-962
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Objective:
Cognitive processes underlying verbal and design fluency, and their neural correlates in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and behavioural variant Frontotemporal Dementia (bvFTD) remain unclear. We hypothesised that verbal and design fluency may be associated with distinct neuropsychological processes in AD and FTD, showing different patterns of impairment and neural basis.
Methods:We enrolled 142 participants including patients with AD (n = 80, mean age = 74.71), bvFTD (n = 34, mean age = 68.18), and healthy controls (HCs) (n = 28, mean age = 71.14), that underwent cognitive assessment and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography imaging.
Results:Semantic and phonemic fluency showed the largest effect sizes between groups, showing lower scores in bvFTD than AD and HCs, and lower scores in AD than HC. Both AD and bvFTD showed a lower number of unique designs in design fluency in comparison to HC. Semantic fluency was correlated with left frontotemporal lobe in AD, and with left frontal, caudate, and thalamus in bvFTD. Percentage of unique designs in design fluency was associated with the metabolism of the bilateral fronto-temporo-parietal cortex in AD, and the bilateral frontal cortex with right predominance in bvFTD. Repetitions in AD were correlated with bilateral frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes, and with left prefrontal cortex in bvFTD.
Conclusions:Our findings demonstrate differential underlying cognitive processes in verbal and design fluency in AD and bvFTD. While memory and executive functioning associated with fronto-temporo-parietal regions were key in AD, attention and executive functions correlated with the frontal cortex and played a more significant role in bvFTD during fluency tasks.
Low-fat dairy products and blood pressure: follow-up of 2290 older persons at high cardiovascular risk participating in the PREDIMED study
- Estefanía Toledo, Miguel Delgado-Rodríguez, Ramón Estruch, Jordi Salas-Salvadó, Dolores Corella, Enrique Gomez-Gracia, Miquel Fiol, Rosa M. Lamuela-Raventós, Helmut Schröder, Fernando Arós, Emilio Ros, Valentina Ruíz-Gutiérrez, Jose Lapetra, Manuel Conde-Herrera, Guillermo Sáez, Ernest Vinyoles, Miguel A. Martínez-González
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- Journal:
- British Journal of Nutrition / Volume 101 / Issue 1 / January 2009
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 20 May 2008, pp. 59-67
- Print publication:
- January 2009
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High blood pressure (BP) has been ranked as the most important risk factor worldwide regarding attributable deaths. Dietary habits are major determinants of BP. Among them, frequent intake of low-fat dairy products may protect against hypertension. Our aim was to assess the relationship between low-fat dairy product intake and BP levels and their changes after 12-month follow-up in a cohort of asymptomatic older persons at high cardiovascular risk recruited into a large-scale trial assessing the effects of Mediterranean diets on cardiovascular outcomes. Data from 2290 participants, including 1845 with hypertension, were available for analyses. Dairy products were not a specific part of the intervention; thus, data were analysed as an observational cohort. Dietary information was collected with validated semi-quantitative FFQ and trained personnel measured BP. To assess BP changes, we undertook cross-sectional analyses at baseline and at the end of follow-up and longitudinal analyses. A statistically significant inverse association between low-fat dairy product intake and systolic BP was observed for the 12-month longitudinal analysis. In the longitudinal analysis, the adjusted systolic and diastolic BP were significantly lower in the highest quintile of low-fat dairy product intake ( − 4·2 (95% CI − 6·9, − 1·4) and − 1·8 (95% CI − 3·2, − 0·4) mmHg respectively), whereas the point estimates for the difference in diastolic BP indicated a modest non-significant inverse association. Intake of low-fat dairy products was inversely associated with BP in an older population at high cardiovascular risk, suggesting a possible protective effect against hypertension.
The Giant HII Region NGC 2363
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- By Rosa González-Delgado, Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, E-38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, Enrique Pérez, Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, E-38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, Guillermo Tenorio-Tagle, Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, E-38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, José M. Víchez, Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, E-38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, Elena Terlevich, Royal Greenwich Observatory, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0EZ, UK, Roberto J. Terlevich, Royal Greenwich Observatory, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0EZ, UK, Eduardo Telles, Royal Greenwich Observatory, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0EZ, UK, José M. Rodríguez-Espinosa, Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, E-38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, Miguel Mas-Hesse, Laboratorio de Astrofísica Espacial y Física Fundamental (LAEFF), Apdo. 50727, 28080 Madrid, Spain, María Luisa García-Vargas, Depto. Física Teórica CIX, Universidad Autónoma, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain, Ángeles I. Díaz, Depto. Física Teórica CIX, Universidad Autónoma, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain, Jordi Cepa, Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, E-38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, Hector Castañeda, Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, E-38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- G. Tenorio-Tagle, Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, Tenerife
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- Violent Star Formation
- Published online:
- 10 November 2010
- Print publication:
- 22 September 1994, pp 117-122
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Summary
We present narrow-band Hα imaging and long-slit optical and near infrared spectroscopy of the giant HII region NGC 2363. We have found broad emission lines at 4686 Å and at 5810 Å attributed to WC stars at 6 arcsec to the East of the brightest core of the region. We confirm the existence of low-intensity broad components in Hα and [OIII] which extend some 500 pc. We have derived the physical conditions and chemical composition of the gas in 15 different zones in the region, and do not find significant variations in the abundances. The Paschen discontinuity has been found in emission. The Pa electron temperatures obtained are significantly smaller than those obtained from the [OIII] and [SIII] emission lines, indicating the presence of large temperature fluctuations.
Introduction
One of the targets of the GEFE programme is the giant HII region NGC 2363 located in the SW of the irregular galaxy NGC 2366. This is one of the largest extragalactic HII regions with high surface brightness. The object was observed in La Palma in narrow band Hα and long-slit spectrophotometry from [OII] λ3227 to [SIII] λ9532 at two positions, at the brighest core of the region (which we call knot A) and at 6 arcsec to the East (knot B).
Narrow-band images
The object was observed with the 1-m JKT telescope. We used a CCD with a spatial scale of 0.3 arcsec pixel−1.