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The beam-down linear Fresnel solar field (BDLFR) is a concentrating solar technology that can irradiate linearly a heat flux on a ground receiver. This technology is developed for thermally processing high-density materials up to temperatures of 150–300 °C, such as asphalt aggregates. Here, the linear beam-down technology has been scaled-up and tested. SOLATOM's commercial linear Fresnel reflector has been re-adapted to a BDLFR. This demonstrator loop is located in Universitat Politècnica de València (39.47° N, 0.37° W) and consists of ten linear mirrors 50 cm wide, curved along the transversal axis, and oriented clockwise 18° from the East-West axis. Different beam-down configurations were studied for the design conditions, and once the design was established, it was built using ten flat 15 cm wide mirrors and coupled to a SOLATOM XL module. The modified solar field was tested on day 269 and the obtained heat flux was measured, achieving a peak of 4100 W/m2 for a direct irradiance of 640 W/m2, in two adjacent normal distributions due to misalignments and errors in the installation of beam-down. This was contrasted with Monte Carlo ray-tracing simulations, and with proper mirror alignment it is expected to achieve 7750 W/m2 under similar conditions.

Linear beam-down solar fields consist of two stages of reflections that allow to concentrate solar irradiance at ground level. This approach seems promising for coupling with certain industries that require process heat, such as in mining and asphalt industries, in order to reduce their carbon emissions. In this work, the design and construction of a first of its kind linear beam-down Fresnel prototype is presented. First tests show that for the current solar field configuration, concentrations of up to 4.53 suns are achieved for a summer day at around 4 PM local time (UTC +2). Simulation projections show that this result could be enhanced to obtain up to 11.5 suns under the same solar conditions, by improving the mirror aiming system.

In the present work, we studied ten new productive traits in meagre (Argyrosomus regius), comprising three related to the carcass (cNiT) and seven related to morphometric (mNiT) characteristics. We harnessed non-invasive technology (NiT) by means of the IMAFISH_ML software. This tool’s potential was leveraged on an industrial scale, encompassing the evaluation of 612 fish from two distinct rearing systems (marine cages and indoor tanks) at the time of harvest. Each fish underwent digital photography for morphometric measurements, manual weighing, and was manually eviscerated and filleted to calculate the carcass and fillet yield. Subsequently, the principal genetic parameters were estimated. The heritabilities for the growth traits were moderate (0.34 and 0.39 for TL and BW), whilst those for the cNiT traits ranged from medium to low (0.32–0.27). For the mNiT, they demonstrated a medium to low range (0.15–0.37), whereas the carcass and fillet yield heritabilities were considered to be medium to high (0.32 and 0.31). Most of the genetic correlations between the growth, NiT, and yield traits were not estimated accurately due to the limited data. As was expected, we observed predominantly high and positive correlations between the growth and mNiT. A genetic correlation to highlight was the fillet yield with the fish maximum height (0.87 ± 0.23) and with the head height (0.87 ± 0.24). This suggests that indirect selection using NiT could improve the growth and yield traits. Employing a multi-trait selection approach enables us to capture a broader spectrum of genetic variability and to potentially identify individuals with superior genetic potential. The use of image analysis software ensures objective and precise measurements, thereby reducing the potential for human error or bias during the selection process. Further studies should be carried out to improve the accuracy of the estimates, especially those of the genetic correlations.

In this study, a microsatellite-based multiplex PCR panel for meagre (Argyrosomus regius) was developed as a useful and single tool in parental assignment and population studies. Twenty-one specific and interspecific microsatellites from different aquaculture species of meagre (Argyrosomus regius), Japanese meagre (A. japonicus), red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) and yellow meagre (Acoupa weakfish) were assessed for genetic variability, allelic range and genotype reliability. Finally, a SuperMultiplex for Argyrosomus regius (SMAr) was designed with only the best eight microsatellite markers. The panel assessment was performed using a batch of brood stock from one company and a sample of 616 offspring. It was possible to assign 95% of the offspring to a single pair of parents using the exclusion method. It is therefore considered an easy procedure, and a powerful and low-cost tool for parental assignment to support companies’ breeding programs and to exchange information between research groups.

Meagre (Argyrosomus regius) plays an important role in the aquaculture system, with the potential for diversification of European aquaculture, and is characterized by its fast growth rate, low feed conversion ratio, and the high quality of the product. Focusing on the relevance of meagre, the aim of the study was to analyze growth performance, fish morphology, and flesh composition phenotypically and genetically to be considered as a strategy in a breeding program. For this purpose, 633 fish were raised in two different housing systems, in sea cages or in a continental tank, and when they reached harvest size, manual growth traits, automatic morphology by the image analysis program IMAFISH_ML, and flesh chemical composition (fat, protein, moisture, and collagen percentages) were measured. The fish reared in the cages showed a higher body weight and fillet fat percentage than those in the tank. Heritabilities for growth and morphology traits, and for fillet fat percentage were medium, revealing these traits as a possible selection criterion in a breeding program. Phenotypic and genetic correlations between growth and morphology traits were positive and high. Phenotypic correlations between growth or morphology traits with fillet fat percentage were positive and medium; genetic correlations were not estimated accurately.

Aim: To determine differences in marginal adaptation between a conventional composite resin and a monoincremental resin with sonic activation. Materials and methods: 32 composite resin discs of 2.5mm in diameter and 2mm thick were fabricated in a propylene matrix and distributed in 2 groups of 16 samples each. Groups 1 FiltekTMZ350XT resin; Group 2 SonicFillTM resin with sonic activation. The gap generated between the resin and the matrix as a result of the polymerization shrinkage was analyzed in microns using a microscope at a magnification of 40X. The percentage of the lineal polymerization shrinkage was also calculated. To calculate differences in marginal adaptation between the two resins statistical analysis was performed using the unpaired t-test. Results: The extent of the gaps measured in microns and their respective standard deviations were SonicFillTM 9.95±3.05 and FiltekTMZ350XT 10.21±5.14 (p=.86). Conclusion: The use of the monoincremental resin system with sonic activation shows a marginal adaptation similar to that of conventional resin composites, with no statistically significant differences between the studied resins.

A new approach which uses the joint probability matrix computation of noisy time series is proposed to construct a phase space portrait which reflects the orbit visitation frequency of the different regions of the phase space. The resulting representation provides a clear cut of the dynamical reconstructed attractor giving both quantitative information and qualitative information about the attractor structure. The orbital distribution recovered in the map is studied by an angular first-return map where the orbital time used for the reconstruction is obtained from the magnitude information of the complex representation of the data belonging to the probability phase portrait. The resulting phase delay coordinates serve to identify phase intermittency. The Lorenz-like Shimizu-Morioka model and the Rossler model are used to present the methodology. Finally, some experimental pressure time series measured on gas-solid fluidized beds operated at different dynamical regimes are presented to analyze the reliability of the proposed method to deal with experimental noise time series.

This case report follows a 63-year-old female patient with a history of a gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) neuroendocrine tumor of the terminal ileum who developed ovarian metastasis and later progressed to peritoneal carcinomatosis. The patient was found to have worsening metastasis on CT that was subsequently confirmed with (68Ga)-DOTATATE PET/CT imaging. This case outlines the rare metastatic nature of a primary ileal neuroendocrine tumor and emphasizes the efficacy of (68Ga)-DOTATATE PET/CT imaging in the localization, progression, and treatment of neuroendocrine metastatic disease.

Abstract Background Risk scores (RS) evaluate the likelihood of short-term mortality in patients diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). However, there is a scarcity of evidence to determine the risk of long-term mortality. This article aims to compare the effectiveness of 16 scores in predicting mortality at three, six, and twelve months in adult patients with CAP. Methods A retrospective cohort study on individuals diagnosed with CAP was conducted across two hospitals in Colombia. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed at 3, 6, and 12 months to assess the predictive ability of death for the following scoring systems: CURB-65, CRB-65, SCAP, CORB, ADROP, NEWS, Pneumonia Shock, REA-ICU, PSI, SMART-COP, SMRT-CO, SOAR, qSOFA, SIRS, CAPSI, and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Results A total of 3688 patients were included in the final analysis. Mortality at 3, 6, and 12 months was 5.2%, 8.3%, and 16.3% respectively. At 3 months, PSI, CCI, and CRB-65 scores showed ROC curves of 0.74 (95% CI: 0.71–0.77), 0.71 (95% CI: 0.67–0.74), and 0.70 (95% CI: 0.66–0.74). At 6 months, PSI and CCI scores showed performances of 0.74 (95% CI: 0.72–0.77) and 0.72 (95% CI: 0.69–0.74), respectively. Finally at 12 months, all evaluated scores showed poor discriminatory capacity, including PSI, which decreased from acceptable to poor with an ROC curve of 0.64 (95% CI: 0.61–0.66). Conclusion When predicting mortality in patients with CAP, at 3 months, PSI, CCI, and CRB-65 showed acceptable predictive performances. At 6 months, only PSI and CCI maintained acceptable levels of accuracy. For the 12-month period, all evaluated scores exhibited very limited discriminatory ability, ranging from poor to almost negligible.

La religión islámica en al-Andalus nazarí (1232-1492) es uno de los componentes fundamentales de la identidad, la cultura y la ideología de una sociedad replegada y amenazada por varios frentes. La desaparición de los imperios norteafricanos entre los siglos XI y XIII da paso un periodo de férrea resistencia que protagoniza el Emirato Nazarí de Granada. En ese marco particular, las diferencias con el enemigo infiel se subrayan por medio de la religión. El clima de efervescencia cultural, religiosa y espiritual encuentra en el yihad a una de las prácticas más genuinas y reafirmadoras de la identidad islámica durante el periodo nazarí. En este trabajo, observaremos los diferentes vértices de sacralidad que caracterizaron las creencias, prácticas y rituales de la lucha contra el infiel en el último estado andalusí. Para ello, realizamos el análisis de fuentes árabes del periodo nazarí (siglos XIII-XV) con especial atención a los episodios bélicos narrados y los tratados jurídicos de yihad.