Pressure induced effects on the Fermi surface of superconducting 2H-NbSe2_2

The pressure dependence of the critical temperature $T_c$ and upper critical field $H_{c2}(T)$ has been measured up to 19 GPa in the layered superconducting material 2H-NbSe$_2$. Relating the behavior of $H_{c2}(T)$ to Fermi surface parameters, we find that the electron phonon coupling of the 2D Nb 4d derived bands shows a peak at 5 GPa when the charge density wave (CDW) order is suppressed. On the other hand, $T_c(P)$ shows a bell shaped curve with a maximum at 10.5 GPa, well above the pressure for the suppression of the CDW order. Changes in the band structure produce this shift in the maximum of $T_c(P)$, demonstrating that 2H-NbSe$_2$ shows important differences with respect to other compounds where $T_c$ has a maximum in the temperature-density phase diagram shaped by the suppression of another, non-superconducting, ground state.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures. Small changes in discussion. Typos correcte

Applying ultrasound-assisted processing to obtain cellulose fibres from rice straw to be used as reinforcing agents

[EN] Rice straw (RS) is one of the most globally abundant agro-industrial residues. For its valorisation, a green combined ultrasound-reflux heating method was applied to obtain cellulose fibres (CF) from RS. The new method produced CF with a higher yield (37%) than the alkaline process (29%), more hydrophilic, and with a lower tendency to aggregate. Despite the slightly different degree of purification detected by the chemical and FTIR analysis, both fibres exhibited similar crystallinity, thermal behaviour, morphogeometric characteristics, and aspect ratio distributions (20¿60). Both CF showed similar reinforcing capabilities in methylcellulose/gum Arabic films, enhancing the film stretchability and resistance to break by about 33% and 20%. Non-noticeable changes in water vapour permeability and the light internal transmission were observed, indicating good compatibility CF-polymer matrix. Therefore, using the ultrasound-heating method to obtain CF is an eco-friendlier process than the alkaline treatment, supplying suitable fibres as industrial reinforcing agents.This work was supported by Generalitat Valenciana for the GrisoliaP/2019/115 Grant.Vieira-De Freitas, PA.; González Martínez, MC.; Chiralt, A. (2022). Applying ultrasound-assisted processing to obtain cellulose fibres from rice straw to be used as reinforcing agents. Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies. 76:1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifset.2022.1029321147

Using rice straw fractions to develop reinforced, active PLA-starch bilayers for meat preservation

[EN] Bilayers from thermoplastic corn starch (TPS) and PLA were obtained, incorporating or not rice straw (RS) valorised fractions: active extract (es) into PLA and cellulose fibres (cf) into TPS films. The films were obtained by thermoprocessing while the bilayers were obtained by thermocompression of the different monolayers (TPS-PLA, TPScf-PLA, TPS-PLAes and TPScf-PLAes). TPS conferred oxygen barrier capacity to the laminates, which was improved by the cf incorporation. The extract slightly reduced the PLA resistance but improved their oxygen barrier capacity. The tensile and barrier properties of the bilayers revealed changes in the performance of each layer associated with the interlayer compound migration. The TPScf-PLAes bags exhibited noticeable antioxidant capacity when used in meat packaging and reduced microbial counts throughout cold storage. Therefore, these bilayers have considerable potential to extend the shelf-life of meat samples, preserving their quality and safety for longer, while using RS fractions permits its valorisation.Funding This work was supported by Generalitat Valenciana [grant number GrisoliaP/2019/115] and project PID2019-105207RB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. Funding for open access charge: CRUE-Universitat Politècnica de València.Vieira-De Freitas, PA.; González Martínez, MC.; Chiralt, A. (2023). Using rice straw fractions to develop reinforced, active PLA-starch bilayers for meat preservation. Food Chemistry. 405. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.13499040

Antioxidant poly (lactic acid) films with rice straw extract for food packaging applications

[EN] Antioxidant PLA films incorporating 2%, 4% and 6% of phenol-rich extract from rice straw (RS) were obtained by melt blending and compression-moulding. Aqueous RS extract was obtained by a combined ultrasound-reflux heating method and characterised as to its total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity. The effect of the extract ratio on the functional properties of the films was analysed, as well as the release kinetics of antioxidants in food simulants (ethanol 10% and 50%). Extract incorporation slightly reduced the strength of the polymer matrix, stretchability, resistance to break, barrier capacity and thermostability, while films became brownish and gained antioxidant capacity. Phenolic compounds from the extract were effectively released into food simulants, depending on the extract concentration, the food simulant and contact time. The radical scav-enging capacity of the films reached asymptotic values from about 150 h contact time, and films with 6% of the extract exhibited similar values for both simulants. So, PLA films with approximately 6% of extract could be used as biodegradable active packaging material with antioxidant capacity in both aqueous foods (simulant A) and more fatty products (simulant D1). Further studies are required to verify the antioxidant efficiency of the films in real foods.This work was supported by the Agencia Estatal de Investi gacion through project PID2019-105207RB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by Generalitat Valenciana [grant number GrisoliaP/2019/115] . Funding for open access charge: CRUE-Universitat Polite`cnica de Vale`ncia.Vieira-De Freitas, PA.; Bas Gil, NJ.; González Martínez, MC.; Chiralt, A. (2022). Antioxidant poly (lactic acid) films with rice straw extract for food packaging applications. Food Packaging and Shelf Life. 34:1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fpsl.2022.1010031123

Análisis de los beneficios económicos de un servicio de asesoramiento al regante (SAR)

Un Servicio de Asesoramiento al regante (SAR) tiene como objetivo principal la optimización del uso del agua en la agricultura, dando respuesta a las demandas tecnológicas de los regantes. El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar y cuantificar, para una parcela tipo de cebolla, los beneficios económicos de un Servicio de Asesoramiento al Regante (SAR), a través de un análisis comparativo de distintos manejos del riego en parcela. En el año 2015, en una parcela de cebolla ubicada en una Comunidad de Regantes (CCRR) de la provincia de Albacete se realizó el seguimiento del desarrollo fenológico del cultivo, y de la humedad en el suelo, que junto con los datos edáficos y climáticos permitió planificar la programación de riegos. Se plantearon cuatro escenarios comparativos: E1 (datos reales de manejo de riego en parcela), E2 (simulación tomando como referencia las recomendaciones semanales del SAR de Castilla-La Mancha (SIARCM), E3 (simulación con igual aporte que en el E1, variando la frecuencia y la dosis de riego) y E4 (simulación de riego optimizado realizando un Balance de agua en el suelo con el módulo de programación de riegos del programa MOPECO). Los costes de producción del cultivo se calcularon a partir de los datos facilitados por el agricultor, permitiendo interpretar indicadores tales como: el Suministro Relativo de Agua, Índice de Producción, Margen Bruto y la Productividad Agronómica del Agua. Los resultados indican que frente a un manejo sin seguir las recomendaciones de un SAR, los datos facilitados por el SIARCM y una correcta programación pueden influir en un aumento de hasta 24% del rendimiento, una mayor Productividad Agronómica del Agua (8,45 kg/m3 respecto a real obtenida de 7,14kg/m3) y un incremento del Margen Bruto de hasta un 50%

Pressure dependence of the upper critical field of MgB2 and of YNi2B2C

We present measurements of H$_{c2}(T)$ under pressure in MgB$_2$ and in YNi$_2$B$_2$C. The changes in the shape of H$_{c2}(T)$ are interpreted within current models and show the evolution of the main Fermi surface velocities $v_F$ and electron-phonon coupling parameters $\lambda$ with pressure. In MgB$_2$ the electron-phonon coupling strength of the nearly two dimensional $\sigma$ band, responsible for the high critical temperature, is more affected by pressure than the $\pi$ band coupling, and the hole doping of the $\sigma$ band decreases. In YNi$_2$B$_2$C, the peculiar positive curvature of H$_{c2}(T)$ is weakened by pressure.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

A new method to quantify and compare the multiple components of fitness-A study case with kelp niche partition by divergent microstage adaptations to Temperature

Point 1 Management of crops, commercialized or protected species, plagues or life-cycle evolution are subjects requiring comparisons among different demographic strategies. The simpler methods fail in relating changes in vital rates with changes in population viability whereas more complex methods lack accuracy by neglecting interactions among vital rates. Point 2 The difference between the fitness (evaluated by the population growth rate.) of two alternative demographies is decomposed into the contributions of the differences between the pair-wised vital rates and their interactions. This is achieved through a full Taylor expansion (i.e. remainder = 0) of the demographic model. The significance of each term is determined by permutation tests under the null hypothesis that all demographies come from the same pool. Point 3 An example is given with periodic demographic matrices of the microscopic haploid phase of two kelp cryptic species observed to partition their niche occupation along the Chilean coast. The method provided clear and synthetic results showing conditional differentiation of reproduction is an important driver for their differences in fitness along the latitudinal temperature gradient. But it also demonstrated that interactions among vital rates cannot be neglected as they compose a significant part of the differences between demographies. Point 4 This method allows researchers to access the effects of multiple effective changes in a life-cycle from only two experiments. Evolutionists can determine with confidence the effective causes for changes in fitness whereas population managers can determine best strategies from simpler experimental designs.CONICYT-FRENCH EMBASSADY Ph.D. gran

Environment of the submillimeter-bright massive starburst HFLS3 at z∼z\sim6.34

We describe the search for Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) near the sub-millimeter bright starburst galaxy HFLS3 at $z$$=$6.34 and a study on the environment of this massive galaxy during the end of reionization.We performed two independent selections of LBGs on images obtained with the \textit{Gran Telescopio Canarias} (GTC) and the \textit{Hubble Space Telescope} (HST) by combining non-detections in bands blueward of the Lyman-break and color selection. A total of 10 objects fulfilling the LBG selection criteria at $z$$>$5.5 were selected over the 4.54 and 55.5 arcmin$^2$ covered by our HST and GTC images, respectively. The photometric redshift, UV luminosity, and the star-formation rate of these sources were estimated with models of their spectral energy distribution. These $z$$\sim$6 candidates have physical properties and number densities in agreement with previous results. The UV luminosity function at $z$$\sim$6 and a Voronoi tessellation analysis of this field shows no strong evidence for an overdensity of relatively bright objects (m$_{F105W}$$<$25.9) associated with \textit{HFLS3}. However, the over-density parameter deduced from this field and the surface density of objects can not excluded definitively the LBG over-density hypothesis. Moreover we identified three faint objects at less than three arcseconds from \textit{HFLS3} with color consistent with those expected for $z$$\sim$6 galaxies. Deeper data are needed to confirm their redshifts and to study their association with \textit{HFLS3} and the galaxy merger that may be responsible for the massive starburst.Comment: 14 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

New method to assess mitophagy flux by flow cytometry

PMID:25945953 WOS:000355323800009publishersversionpublishe

Dectin-1 Activation Exacerbates Obesity and Insulin Resistance in the Absence of MyD88

This work was supported by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP, grant numbers 11/15682-4, 12/02270-2, 15/18121-4), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq, Regenera INCT Process Grant 465656/2014-5). JL is funded by the NIH/NIDDK R01DK106210. GDB is funded by the Wellcome Trust and the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology. Open access journalPeer reviewedPublisher PD