Influence of oxygen pressure on the fs laserinduced oxidation of molybdenum thin films

We present a study of femtosecond (1028 nm, 230 fs, 54.7 MHz) laser processing on molybdenum (Mo) thin films. Irradiations were done under ambient air as well as pure oxygen (O2) at various gauge pressures (4, 8, 12 and 16 psi). Our results indicate that the high heating rates associated with laser processing allow the production of different molybdenum oxides. Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy are used to characterize the molybdenum oxidation for the different irradiation and oxygen pressures parameters chosen showing a high correlation between well-defined oxidation zones and the oxygen pressure surrounding the samples during the irradiation of the Mo thin films

Blockverse: A Cloud Blockchain-based Platform for Tracking in Affiliate Systems

Affiliate systems are a crucial piece of today’s online advertising. In affiliate systems, web traffic is directed from certain sites displaying ads to the websites of those company whose products or services are advertised. The way in which these ads are monetized is diverse and can respond to different models. In many cases, affiliates establish a cost based on impressions (displays of the ad) or on clicks. However, more intricate models are becoming widespread, such as the cost per action, where the affiliate incomes are due to the users performing certain actions in the target website. In particular, in the world of iGaming, it is frequent that affiliates charges are based on registrations, deposits or money lost on bets. In this scenario, Blockverse is a tool whose objective is to record transactions occurring in affiliate systems at large scale, using a permissioned blockchain implemented atop state-of-the-art cloud technology. Additionally, the system will be able to execute smart deals that generate income for affiliates based on the agreed conditions, and to provide real-time analytics in the context of the affiliate system

Gender gap in self-rated health: a cohort perspective in eastern European countries

Background: The relationship between self-rated health and gender differs across countries and generations. The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of socioeconomic conditions on self-rated health from a generational perspective, its differential effect on gender, and its influence on the gender gap in order to explore health diversity using a multidisciplinary approach and considering policy implications in Eastern European countries. Methods: We used data drawn from the European Health Interview Survey for eight Eastern European countries and EUROSTAT from 2006 through to 2009. We conducted multilevel analyses to understand the individual and national health determinants of self-rated health by gender and to determine whether national differences remain after controlling for micro variables. In order to analyze the role of equity (Gini quartile) in gender differences, Oaxaca analyses were used. Results: The self-rated health gender gap increases with age. Individual characteristics, such as educational level or smoking, influence citizens’ perceived health, and have a stronger effect on women than on men. Knowing both the characteristics (endowment effects) and the effects of individual characteristics (coefficient effects) on health is important in order to understand gender gaps among people from the silent generation. Conclusions: Our research indicates that random effects are greater for men than for women. Moreover, random effects might be explained to a certain extent by economic equity (Gini index). The combined effects of gender, cohort, and geographical differences on self-rated health have to be taken into account to develop public health policies. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Effectiveness of a program of physical activity in people with serious mental disorder

En el presente estudio se analiza el impacto que ha tenido un Programa de actividad física y deporte en un grupo de 28 personas con Trastorno Mental Grave (TMG). Se realizó una evaluación antes del comienzo del Programa y otra a los cuatro meses, tomando medidas antropométricas, de capacidad física funcional, equilibrio y coordinación, así como del funcionamiento social y las actividades de la vida cotidiana. Los resultados mostraron mejorías estadísticamente significativas en aquellas personas que asistieron a más del 50% de las sesiones en todas las variables antropométricas, y de condición física funcional y cualidades motrices, así como en la Escala de Funcionamiento Personal y Social (PSP).Por otro lado, la asistencia al programa fue alta, manteniéndose en el mismo el 80% de las personas que lo iniciaron. Se discute la relevancia de los resultados y la necesidad de implantar este tipo de intervenciones en el TMGIn this paper the effectiveness of a physical activity and sport program is analyzed in a group of 28 people with Severe Mental Illness (SMI). An assessment was made before the start of the program and again after four months, measuring anthropometric variables, physical functional ability, balance and coordination, and social functioning and activities of daily life. The results showed statistically significant improvements in those who attended more than 50% of the sessions in all anthropometric variables, and functional fitness and motor skills, as well as the Personal and Social Performance Scale (PSP). Moreover, assistance to the program was high, keeping the same 80% of people who started it. The relevance of the results and the need to implement such interventions in the SMI is discusse

Plant Traits and Phylogeny Predict Soil Carbon and Nutrient Cycling in Mediterranean Mixed Forests

Soil functioning is closely linked to the interactions between biological communities with the physical environment. Yet, the impact of plant community attributes on metabolic processes promoting soil nutrient cycling remains largely unknown. We hypothesized that the plant community acts as a regulating agent of nutrient mobilization in soils according to the phylogenetic and morpho-functional traits of plant species of which it is composed. Rhizosphere soils were collected in autumn and spring under 32 tree and shrub species in two Mediterranean mixed forests (four plots in each) located in southern Spain, and nine soil enzymatic activities related to C, N and P mobilization were assessed. Phylogeny and morpho-functional traits of plant species were recorded and their imprint in soil enzymatic activities across forests was determined. The results showed a plant phylogenetic signal for N mobilization in both forests, while it varied across forests for non-labile C and P mobilization. The plant phylogenetic signals were primarily driven by lineages that diversified through the Miocene, about 25 Myr ago. In addition, leaf traits and plant’s mycorrhizal type explained soil enzymatic activities independently from phylogeny. C and P mobilization increased under ectomycorrhizal plants, whilst enhanced N mobilization did occur under arbuscular mycorrhizal ones. The plant community composition led to a different carbon and nutrient mobilization degree, which in turn was mediated by distinct microbial communities mirroring differentiated resource-acquisition strategies of plants. Our results highlight the role of plant traits and mycorrhizal interactions in modulating carbon and nutrient cycling in Mediterranean mixed forest soils.CRUE-CSIC Springer Natur

Numerical simulations of thixotropic semi-solid aluminium alloys in open-rotor and rotor-stator mixers

This research uses the Bautista-Manero-Puig (BMP) model to examine flow patterns of semi-solid aluminium alloys (Al) in open-rotor and stator-rotor mixers via numerical solutions. The model captures the distinct thixo-viscoelastic behavior of the Al-alloys at low temperatures, near melting point. The analysis involves using 2D structured-meshes for open-rotor and rotor-stator geometries. Solutions for Newtonian and thixo-viscoelastic model fluids are reported through fields of velocity, strain-rate, stress, fluidity, and streamlines, revealing distinct features. Findings reveal nonlinear thixo-viscoelastic vortex patterns that vary with rotational speed, resulting in different fluidity and stress profiles compared to the invariant response of Newtonian fluids. At lower rotational speeds, rotor-pallets are dominated by structured material that gradually becomes unstructured to cover the outer vessel walls. When including a stator, the inner stator region resembles the Newtonian solution, but the outflow through stator gaps is reduced due to flow-structure levels outside. This information is of interest for industrial design and optimization of molten Al-alloy processing.Programa de Transferencia de Tecnología de la DFB FEDER Consejo Nacional de Ciencias, Humanidades y Tecnologı́as (CONAHCYT, Mexico) Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México UNA

SPH simulations of thixo-viscoplastic fluid flow past a cylinder

Thixotropic materials are complex fluids that display time-dependent viscosity and/or yield-stress response upon the application of a fixed deformation, while recovering their original structured-state when the deformation is discontinued. Thixotropic effects are presents in many different systems and applications, ranging from food products, such as ketchup, to metals, such as molten aluminum. In this work we present a first attempt to simulate the rheological properties of thixo-viscoplastic flows using a Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamic (SPH) method. The study set up is a 2D flow around a circular cylinder as well as a simple shear flow between parallel plates to validate our numerical results. SPH solutions are compared with simulations performed using the open-source Finite Volume Method solver RheoTool, based on OpenFOAM. The viscoplastic model used in this work is the Papanastasiou model combined with a recently developed microstructural one, in order to include thixotropy. In this thixo-viscoplastic framework, we analyze the flow properties in terms of yield-fronts, streamlines and structure-parameter fields at different Bingham and Thixotropy numbers, through microstructural thixotropic and yield-stress parameters variation. Obtained results show an important novelty: an asymmetry in the thixo-viscoplastic flow around the cylinder

Linearizing Control Based on Adaptive Observer for Anaerobic Continuous Sulphate Reducing Bioreactors with Unknown Kinetics

Anaerobic reactors are a typical example of processes that exhibit non-linear behavior and, also time varying parameters; hence their operation is known to be difficult to model and control. In contrast to modeling approaches, in practice linear controllers are widely employed for industrial processes because of their easy implementation and manipulation by plant operators; nevertheless linear approaches are not robust when the operating conditions change suddenly and/or strong disturbances are present. In order to introduce robust controllers to these processes, this paper addresses the tracking problem for the substrate (sulphate) control in a class of continuous bioreactors. An experimentally corroborated bioreactor model serves as benchmark problem for advanced non-linear analysis and control techniques; taking into account system non-linearities, stability and performance objectives over large operating regions. It is considered that, as it is common in practice, the rate of substrate consumption exhibits uncertainty. Results show that the proposed controller exhibits better dynamic performance than a classical Proportional-Integral control tuned using the methodology suggested by Internal Model Control

Severa complicación neurológica tras vertebroplastia percutánea

La vertebroplastia percutánea como tratamiento de las fracturas acuñamientos vertebrales osteoporóticos tras fracaso del tratamiento sintomático y ortopédico así como para el tratamiento de lesiones tumorales del caquis ha tomado un auge importante debido a los buenos resultados publicados y la baja tasa de complicaciones. Este hecho ha llevado a las casas comerciales a desarrollar productos específicos para esta técnica que simplifican su utilización y disminuyen en lo posible las dificultades técnicas del procedimiento así como sus complicaciones. A pesar de ello, en nuestra opinión es una técnica que requiere una alta demanda de entrenamiento y que puede dar lugar a graves complicaciones a pesar de que no existan prácticamente en la literatura complicaciones severas con la utilización de esta técnica. Presentamos un caso ocurrido en nuestra serie de una paraplejia completa no resuelta tras una vertebroplastia percutanea torácica para una fractura osteoporótica.The technique of percutaneous vertebroplasty for osteoporotic fractures and spine tumors was develop an important increase because there were a lot of publications with good results and low rate of complications. This fact was done a fast developing of instruments and new PMMA cements to simplify this technique and decreased the rate of complications. In our opinion the percutaneous vertebroplasty is a high demand technique and have a high potential of major neurological complications if it is not performed with use of appropriate safeguards, but the purpose of this article is not to condemn the technique because we have had a good results using it in this pathologies and the majority of publications have shown a high rate of excellent results

Deep XMM-Newton observation of the Eta Chamaleontis cluster

The members of the Eta Chamaleontis cluster are in an evolutionary stage in which disks are rapidly evolving. It also presents some peculiarities, such as the large fraction of binaries and accretion disks, probably related with the cluster formation process. Its proximity makes this stellar group an ideal target for studying the relation between X-ray emission and those stellar parameters. The main objective of this work is to determine general X-ray properties of the cluster members in terms of coronal temperature, column density, emission measure, X-ray luminosity and variability. We also aim to establish the relation between the X-ray luminosity of these stars and other stellar parameters, such as binarity and presence of accretion disks. A study of flare energies for each flare event and their relation with some stellar parameters is also performed. We used proprietary data from a deep XMM-Newton observation pointed at the core of the Eta Chamaleontis cluster. Specific software for the reduction of XMM-Newton data was used for the analysis of our observation. For the detection of sources, we used the wavelet-based code PWDetect. General coronal properties were derived from plasma model fitting. We also determined variability of the Eta Chamaleontis members in the EPIC field-of-view. A total of six flare-like events were clearly detected in five different stars. For them, we derived coronal properties during the flare events and pseudo-quiescent state separately. In our observations, stars that underwent a flare event have higher X-ray luminosities in the pseudo-quiescent state than cluster members with similar spectral type with no indications of flaring, independently whether they have an accretion disk or not. Observed flare energies are typical of both pre-main and main-sequence M stars. We detected no difference between flare energies of stars with and without an accretion disk.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics. 12 pages, 30 individual figure