El Bierzo Research Articles

Experimental programme in CIUDEN's CO 2 capture technology development plant for power generation

Energy projections made by the World Energy Council, the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the US Energy Information Administration give similar pictures of the dominant role of fossil fuel in the future primary energy global demand and the necessity of incorporating CCS Technologies as part of the portfolio of solutions to reach the target world emission reduction in the coming years. Without CCS, CO 2 emission levels by 2050 are expected to increase by 70%. One of the most relevant initiatives for the deployment of CCS technologies is promoted by the Spanish Government through the institution Fundacion Ciudad de la Energia (CIUDEN). CIUDEN is developing a complete programme focusing on the development of CCT and CCS technologies in Europe. CIUDEN's CO 2 capture programme includes the construction and operation of a Technology Development Plant (TDP) in NW Spain (El Bierzo). The construction of the installation started in November 2008 and incorporates the following technologies: fuel preparation system, pulverised coal boiler (20 MWth), circulating fluidized bed boiler (30 MWth), biomass gasifier (3 MWth), flue gas cleaning train for NO x , dust and SO x, and CO 2 processing unit. This paper describes CIUDEN's TDP for CO 2 capture, focusing on the particularities of the installation and design, and especially on the PC unit and equipment required for its operation. The experimental programme currently under way is also described. Results are expected to be an extraordinary advance in the development and strengthening of CCT and CCS technologies, particularly oxycombustion.

CHESTNUT IN SPAIN, FROM NUT AND TIMBER PRODUCTION TO INDUSTRY

Chestnut tree in Spain not only produces nuts and timber, but it is also part of the landscape and Spanish heritage. Chestnut is present in 169,572 ha, but only in 27,511 ha were orchards in 2006 (www.mma.es). Commercialised nut production is about 20,000 t according to the FAO while the Spanish Government estimates 59,907 t (www.mma.es). Main producing areas are, in decreasing order, Galicia, Castilla-Leon (El Bierzo), Central Spain (Salamanca, Caceres and Avila), Andalucia and Canary Islands (Tenerife, La Palma, Gomera and El Hierro). Timber production is important in Northern Spain (Asturias and Galicia), Extremadura and Cataluna. Nuts are sold fresh in Spain and abroad (50% approximately) and the rest are transformed after peeling and freezing. In Spain, there are six main industries that transform chestnuts, the biggest ones are located in Galicia, more than 20 chestnut traders and six cooperatives. They produce and sell frozen and peeled nuts, marron glace, marron natural, cream, marmalade, flour, bonbons and dried nuts. Worst nuts are used as fodder for pigs in Andalucia and Galicia. Nuts are collected by growers and sold to industries, central markets and platforms by intermediaries. Minimum postharvest treatments are disinfestations, cleaning and packaging. Cooperatives located in the main producing areas commercialize more than 10% of total production. Only big producers, mostly in Central Spain, have enough production to sell by themselves. Timber production is coming from coppices in Asturias, Central Spain and Cataluna, and from grafted trees in Galicia. Best timber quality is not only for furniture making, plain-slice veneer, but also for construction. Chestnut timber is also used for making barrels (Cataluna), fences (most of the regions) and baskets (Central Spain). Chestnut contributes to the landscape everywhere, some countryside paths have been improved in to visit our centenary trees and some rural festivals are based on chestnuts, as the so-called magostos. Some old trees are protected by authorities, since they are considered as natural monuments. Chestnut is referred to in Galician literature in medieval manuscripts since 10 th century and some painters, as Castelao, have reflected their relevance in our culture. These values have encouraged research programs to promote chestnut in our country, and the increase of chestnut plantations in North Spain is noticeable. The Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) Castana de Galicia has been approved recently to improve regional productions linked to the origin and the genetic singularity of chestnut cultivars. Contracts regulated by the Government, between growers and industrials, are being signed with prices ranging from 0.4 to 1.4 euros per kg depending on the nut size and the cultivar (in order of importance, 'Famosa', 'Negral', 'Longal', 'Garrida' and 'Parede'). Chestnut research in Spain begun in the fifties with hybridisation programs, which produced hybrids resistant to ink disease commercialized nowadays. During the last years, chestnut research has been focused in forestry and nut production, propagation, landscape and genetics.

Complex tectonic and tectonostratigraphic evolution of an Alpine foreland basin: The western Duero Basin and the related Tertiary depressions of the NW Iberian Peninsula

The tectonic and tectonostratigaphic evolution of foreland basins and related Tertiary depressions are the key to investigate deformation history and the uplifting of the continental lithosphere of the Alpine–Pyrenean Orogeny. The northern part of the Duero basin is the foreland basin of the Cantabrian Mountains, which are, in turn, the western part of the Pyrenean Orogen. We have studied the western sharp end of the Duero foreland basin, and its relation to the Tertiary deposits of the NW Iberian Peninsula and the topography evolution. In order to propose a coherent tectonic and tectonosedimentary model that could explain all Tertiary deposits, we have analysed the depositional environment, stratigraphic sequences, paleocurrents and established a correlation of the main outcrops. Besides, a detailed structural mapping of the Alpine structures that limit and affect the main Tertiary outcrops has been carried out. The Tertiary deposits of the NW Iberian Peninsula depressions are affected and fragmented by Alpine structures that limit their extensions and locations. The stratigraphic succession is similar in the NW Tertiary outcrops; they are mainly terrigenous and carbonated continental deposits formed by assemblage of alluvial fans developed at the mountains front, in arid or semiarid conditions. Three formations can be identified in the main depressions: Toral Fm, Santalla Fm and Médulas Fm. The NW Tertiary outcrops were the western deposits of the Duero foreland basin that surrounded the lateral termination of the Pyrenean Orogen. These deposits were fragmented and eroded by the subsequent uplift of the Galaico–Leoneses Mountains and the NE–SW strike-slip faults activity (broken foreland basin). Only the latest stages of some of these outcrops can be considered as intramontane basins as traditionally have been interpreted. The sedimentation started in the northeast (Oviedo–Infiesto) during the Eocene and migrated to the west (As Pontes) during the Late Oligocene–Early Miocene times. Meanwhile, southern areas were far away from the tectonic activity (El Bierzo, O Barco, Monforte, Sarria depressions).

Breeding characteristics of the Lusitanian pine vole, Microtus lusitanicus

Abstract Little is known about the breeding characteristics of the Lusitanian pine vole, Microtus lusitanicus, a Terricola representative from south-western Europe. The scarce information on this subject is surprising since, as with other arvicolines, in high population densities these animals can be agricultural pests. In this study we report on the reproduction of the species in a locality of El Bierzo (province of León, northwestern Spain), a zone where this vole frequently damages orchards, crops, and vegetable gardens. The sample analysed consisted of approximately 300 specimens, captured by farmers over several years, which were donated to us for study. Results revealed that reproduction in this population probably occurs all year round, although sexual activity could be slightly lower in winter. In males and females monthly mean of adult body mass did not vary significantly during the year. Sexual monomorphism in adult body size, the relatively small testes of mature males, and the balanced sex ratio observed both in non-mature and mature specimens suggest that in this population M. lusitanicus has a monogamous mating system. In general, mean litter size increased with body mass (age) and showed a seasonal variation, with significantly higher values in spring than in autumn. In comparison with other Microtus species, the mean litter size found in M. lusitanicus was low, indicative of a K-selection pattern.

Development and applications of a growth model for Pinus radiata D. Don plantations in El Bierzo (Spain)

A dynamic growth model for Pinus radiata D. Don plantations in El Bierzo (Spain) was developed with data from two inventories of permanent plots, of between 7 and 36 years old, established by the University of León. In this model, stand conditions at any point in time are defined by three state variables (stand basal area, number of trees per hectare and dominant height).Themodel includes three transition functions derived by the generalized algebraic difference approach to enable projection of the state variables at any particular time. Once they are known, the number of trees in each diameter class is estimated with a distribution function, by recovery of the parameters of theWeibull function by use of the moments method. Finally, a generalized height-diameter function and a taper function allow estimation of total or merchantable stand volume. The model provides satisfactory predictions for a time interval of three years. Simulation of the growth of four stands under two silvicultural regimes and two different sites confirm that the estimates provided by the overall model adequately represent the effects of both stand density and site quality. Other applications for the model are analysed and discussed.

Cutaneous Onchocerciasis: Immunohistochemical Detection of Mast Cell Population

*Service of Anatomic Pathology ‡Service of Dermatology Hospital El Bierzo †Service of Cellular Pathology, Clinica Ponferrada, Ponferrada, Spain

¿Es posible una red de benchmarking entre hospitales públicos? Proceso de creación de la Red.7

IntroductionAs a result of a prioritised improvement action during the second self-assessment using the EFQM Excellence Model carried out in Sierrallana Hospital (Cantabria, Spain), it was decided to form a Benchmarking Network between Hospitals. The objective of this work is to present how this action was developed to create the Benchmarking Network “Red.7”. Material and methodsUsing the 2004 “Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales “we pre-selected hospitals which could be compared with ours. We asked for information on results indicators in the Health Services of the different regions and we selected those hospitals that could be integrated into the Benchmarking Network. We contacted the top management of the selected hospitals in order to offer them the possibility of participating in the Network. Finally we organised a scientific session to create the Network. ResultsWe pre-selected 74 hospitals from 12 regions and 18 of them were selected. Seven of these 18 hospitals responded to our invitation, of which one decided to not participate. Finally the Benchmarking Network was created with 7 hospitals: Fundación Alcorcón; El Bierzo, Morales Messeguer, San Jorge, Sierrallana, Son Llàtzer and Valle del Nalón, hospital. ConclusionsThe use of the EFQM Excellence Model permitted us to detect a gap in the comparison of results and best practices with other hospitals from the National Health Service, and we have been able to form an integrated Benchmarking Network with hospitals similar to ours in the different regions.

Evolución de la resistencia a antibióticos de Escherichia coli en muestras de orina procedentes de la comunidad

The objectives of this work are two: first, to evaluate the resistance of Escherichia coli to several antibiotics and their trends over a six-year period in strands isolated in urine samples from patients receiving health-care in general practitioner offices in our environment; and second, to evaluate if empirical treatment regimens commonly accepted in our country would be applicable in our environment depending on the results of this study.We analyzed the urine cultures positive for Escherichia coli obtained from samples collected at the 10 primary health care centers of the health-care area of El Bierzo and Laciana (Leon, Spain) between the years 2002 and 2007. In vitro resistances of these germs to several common use antibiotics were determined: fosfomycin, nitrofurantoin, tobramycin, cefuroxime, cefixime, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, cotrimoxazole, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, and ampicillin. The existence of statistically significant (p < 0.05) differences in sensitivity comparing the years 2002 and 2007, including all antimicrobials except cefixime, was analyzed by the chi-square test. For cefixime we compared the results between 2002 and 2005.An increase of the resistance of Escherichia coli isolated in urine to all antimicrobials under study has occurred, except for nitrofurantoin, being the differences statistically significant in most cases. Nevertheless, resistances to fosfomycin and nitrofurantoin have remained below 6% throughout the study period. Resistances to tobramycin and cefuroxime were slightly over 10% and cefixime below 3.4%, although in the last one we only have data until 2005. Resistances to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, initially low, have progressively increase reaching 20.6% in 2007. The same has happened for cotrimoxazole, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and ampicillin, passing 32% in 2007 in the first three cases and 62% in the last one.Variations in bacterial resistance patterns for Escherichia coli obliges to have an updated knowledge of them to adapt general empirical treatment uses to each specific health-care area.

Use of Highly Discriminating Morphological Characters and Isozymes in the Study of Spanish Chestnut Cultivars

Morphological characters (six traits) and isozymes (four systems, five loci) were used to discriminate between Spanish chestnut cultivars (Castanea sativa Mill.) from the Iberian Peninsula. A total of 701 accessions (representing 168 local cultivars) were analyzed from collections made between 1989 and 2003 in the main chestnut growing areas: 31 were from Andalucía (12 cultivars), 293 from Asturias (65 cultivars), 25 from Castilla-León (nine cultivars), four from Extremadura (two cultivars) and 348 from Galicia (80 cultivars). Data were synthesized using multivariate analysis, principal component analysis, and cluster analysis. A total of 152 Spanish cultivars were verified: 58 cultivars of major importance and 94 of minor importance, of which 18 had high intracultivar variation. Thirty-seven cultivars were clustered into 14 synonymous groups. Six of these were from Galicia, one from Castilla-León (El Bierzo), four from Asturias, one from Asturias and Castilla-León (El Bierzo), and two from Asturias, Castilla-León (El Bierzo), and Galicia. The chestnut cultivars from Galicia and Asturias were undifferentiated in genetic terms, indicating that they are not genetically isolated. Overall, chestnut cultivars from southern Spain showed the least variation. Many (58%) of Spanish cultivars produced more than 100 nuts/kg; removing this low market-value character will be a high priority. The data obtained will be of use in chestnut breeding programs in Spain and elsewhere.

サンティアゴ・デ・ペニャルバ教会堂:工法について

The church of Santiago de Penalba, generally known as an example of mozarabic architecture, is the only remains of an hermitage which Saint Gennadius founded in El Bierzo, Leon, at the beginning of the 10^<th> century. It is also one of the best preserved monuments from the Repoblacion period of the Duero basin. Besides its fancy horseshoe arches which show certain influence of Cordoban aesthetics, the structural characteristics of this small church demonstrate conservative tendencies still valid since Roman Hispania.

Chemical composition of chestnut cultivars from Spain

Chestnut cultivation and production in Spain has employed grafted seedlings from selected local cultivars. Previously, we have characterised the Spanish cultivars by morphological and molecular markers. We are presenting in this paper the proximate analysis and mineral content for the main Spanish cultivars. A total of 131 samples were collected from 47 cultivars in six important Spanish chestnut production regions; located in the North such as Asturias, Castilla-León (El Bierzo) and Galicia; in the Central such as Extremadura and in the South such as Andalucía; as well as the Canary Islands, the southermost part of Spain near to North Africa. High variability in chemical composition between cultivars and regions corresponded to the high genetic variability between cultivars. Correlations with environmental parameters were low, indicating that differences found between regions were probably reflecting the differences between cultivars. In Central and Southern Spain, some cultivars presented lowest moisture content due to the low summer rainfall in these regions. Differences in starch and total sugar contents were high and were negatively correlated with each other. There was no negative correlation between nut size and total sugar content. Lowest values of fibre content and ease of digestibility were found in cultivars from Galicia and Extremadura. No significant differences in Fe, Zn and Cu were found although Zn content is twice the value reported for European chestnuts. This work would be a valuable reference to chestnut quality for the food processing industry, nutritionists, breeders and growers alike.

Practical use of microsatellite markers to manage Vitis vinifera germplasm: Molecular identification of grapevine samples collected blindly in D.O. “El Bierzo” (Spain)

SummaryThe construction and utilization of a grapevine molecular database including the cultivars commonly grown in the “El Bierzo” region of Spain is described in this work. Five different microsatellite DNA sequences from 24 grape cultivars were amplified using PCR and capillary electrophoresis. The results obtained could be assembled in a data matrix that revealed no variability within cultivars and a high degree of variation between cultivars. The patterns obtained have allowed the unequivocal identification of all the grapevine varieties considered. To test the utility of this database to identify genotypes we analysed the microsatellite DNA profiles from 210 samples of unknown genotype blindly collected in “El Bierzo” (Spain). We were able to identify 98.6% of these samples. Our results strongly indicate that microsatellite markers, in coordination with ampelography, would provide an efficient way to arrange Spanish Vitis germplasm.

Factores predictores de no adherencia al tratamiento antirretroviral de gran actividad*

Knowledge of adherence to highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) and the variables associated with poor compliance is useful for the follow-up of HIV infected patients. Patients were consecutively recruited from the HIV outpatient clinics of the Hospitals of Leon and El Bierzo from January to June 2000. Patients were considered non-adherent to treatment if they failed to take 10% or more of their prescribed total dose of at least one drug during the 4 days before the interview, or if they had accumulated a delay of more than 9 days over the previous 3 months in picking up their prescribed drugs from the hospital pharmacy. Logistic regression analysis was performed with variables found to be associated with adherence in the univariate analysis. The methods used to determine adherence had a Kappa index of 12.6%. Among the 206 patients interviewed, 108 were considered non-adherent (52.4%; CI 95% 5 45.6-59.2). Multivariate analysis showed that the following factors were associated with poor treatment adherence: cocaine consumption in the previous six months (adjusted OR 5 5.1); patients unsure about the proper way to take prescribed treatment; (adjusted OR 5 2.5); and patients not prescribed the zidovudine-lamivudine combination (adjusted OR 5 1.9). Over one-third of patients with no variable associated with treatment adherence were considered non-compliant. Measurement of medication adherence and its predictive factors involved methodological difficulties. With the criteria used in the present study more than half the patients were considered non-compliant. The variables found to be related to poor adherence can be modified by social, psychological or health care interventions.

Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Grapevine Accessions Known as Albillo

Twenty-eight accessions identified under the name of Albillo or cited as a synonym of this ancient Spanish grapevine variety were characterized using 43 morphological descriptors, four different isozyme systems (CO, ACPH, GOT, and SOD) and two Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) primer combinations. Genetic similarity data resulting from these analyses allowed three different groups of Albillo to be distinguished that corresponded with geographical and historical origin of representative varieties: Turruntés, Malvasía de El Bierzo, and the classical Albillo de Madrid, related to the oldest Albillo ampelographical descriptions. In addition, homonyms as well as varieties incorrectly cited as Albillo synonyms were identified. To ensure accurate variety identification, association among historical descriptions based on morphological descriptors and molecular fingerprints was required. Isozymes proved to be useful markers for varietal identification. However, only AFLP allowed distinction among closely related varieties as well as the analysis of intravarietal variation.

La formación de los grupos dominantes en las zonas mineras de la &lt;em&gt;Asturia Augustana&lt;/em&gt;. A propósito de un nuevo &lt;em&gt;vet. leg. VII G. F.&lt;/em&gt; de la Zona Arqueológica de Las Médulas (El Bierzo, León)

The recent discovery of a veteran's funeral inscription in the mining area of El Bierzo raises the question about political relationships under Roman power, which implies local and immigrant aristocracies with economic interests in the northwest. The study of the inscriptions and of the territorial organisation provides a starting point to understand these types of relationships.