Electronic phase transitions of bismuth under strain from relativistic self-consistent GW calculations

We present quasiparticle self-consistent GW (QSGW) calculations of semimetallic bulk Bi. We go beyond the conventional QSGW method by including the spin-orbit coupling throughout the self-consistency cycle. This approach improves the description of the electron and the hole pockets considerably with respect to standard density functional theory (DFT), leading to excellent agreement with experiment. We employ this relativistic QSGW approach to conduct a study of the semimetal-to-semiconductor and the trivial-to-topological transitions that Bi experiences under strain. DFT predicts that an unphysically large strain is needed for such transitions. We show, by means of the relativistic QSGW description of the electronic structure, that an in-plane tensile strain of only 0.3% and a compressive strain of 0.4% are sufficient to cause the semimetal-to-semiconductor and the trivial-to-topological phase transitions, respectively. Thus, the required strain moves into a regime that is likely to be realizable in experiment, which opens up the possibility to explore bulklike topological behavior of pure Bi

Wendy Brown, contra la despolitizacion y el biopoder de la tolerancia

Reseña: Regulating Aversion. Tolerance In The Age Of Identity And Empire Wendy Brown Princeton University Press, New Jersey, 200

Manejo de las intoxicaciones agudas

El tema a tratar en este trabajo es el manejo de las intoxicaciones agudas, es decir, los cuidados generales aplicables a cualquier paciente que acuda a un servicio sanitario por una intoxicación, independientemente del origen de esta. Se detalla la valoración incial que se debe hacer a todo paciente intoxicado (entrevista, exploración fisica, pruebas diagnósticas.) y el abanico de tratamientos disponibles (así como sus indicaciones y contraindicaciones), que van destinados a : preservar las funciones vitales, prevenir o disminuir la absorción del tóxico, facilitar la eliminación del tóxico o neutralización del tóxico. Tambien se contempla el protocolo a seguir ante una intoxicación voluntaria y los criterios para incluir un antídoto en un determinado nivel asistencial

Enhancement of optical absorption in Ga-chalcopirite-based intermediate-band materials for high efficiency solar cells

We present absorption properties enhancement for two CuGaS2-based intermediate-band materials, as promising compounds for high efficiency, lower-cost photovoltaic devices. Previous band diagrams calculations predicted that these materials present a partially filled localized band within the band gap of the host semiconductor, which would increase the absorption of low-energy photons, creating additional electron–hole pairs respect to a conventional semiconductor. This could ideally result in an increase of the photocurrent of the cell without the fall of the open-circuit voltage. In this paper we show, using density functional methods, the effect of this intermediate band on the optical properties of the derived alloys. We highlight the significant enhancement of the absorption coefficient observed in the most intense range of the solar emission and we study the reflectance and transmittance properties of the materials in order to understand the effect of the thickness of the sample on the optical properties. We compare two different substituents of the Ga atoms in CuGaS2, namely, Ti and Cr atoms, able to form the intermediate-band material, and their interest for photovoltaic applications

Seyla Benhabib: The Rights of Others. Aliens, Residents, and Citizens, Yale University Press, Connecticut, 2004

Sin resume

Environmental Impact Assessment of Solid Polymer Electrolytes for Solid-State Lithium Batteries

Solid-state batteries play a pivotal role in the next-generation batteries as they satisfy the stringent safety requirements for stationary or electric vehicle applications. Notable efforts are devoted to the competitive design of solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) acting as both the electrolyte and the separator. Although particular efforts to attain acceptable ionic conductivities and wide electrochemical stability widows are carried out, the environmental sustainability is largely neglected. To address this gap, here the cradle-to-gate environmental impacts of the most representative SPEs using life cycle assessment (LCA) are quantified. Raw material extraction and electrolyte fabrication are considered. Global warming potential values of 0.37–10.64 kg CO2 equiv. gelectrolyte −1 are achieved, where PEO/LiTFSI presents the lower environmental burdens. A minor role of the polymer fraction on the total impacts is observed, with a maximum CO2 footprint share of 0.61%. Following ecodesign approaches, a sensitivity analysis is performed to simulate industrial-scale fabrication processes and explore environmentally friendlier scenarios. The electrochemical performance of SPEs is further analyzed into Li/LiFePO4 solid lithium metal battery cell configuration. Overall, these results are aimed to guide the ecologically sustainable design of SPEs and facilitate the implementation of next-generation sustainable batteries.The authors gratefully acknowledge support from Siemens Gamesa (Students4Sustainability Grant) and 4GUNE (Clúster de Ingeniería, Ciencia y Tecnología de Euskadi). The authors are also grateful for the Open Access funding provided by the University of Basque Country (UPV/EHU)

Disseny,càlcul i projecte d'estructures d'edificació d'un edifici plurifamiliar situat a l'Ametlla de Mar

En aquest Treball Final de Grau s'ha realitzat el disseny, el càlcul i el projecte d'estructures d'un edifici plurifamiliar situat al municipi de l'Ametlla de Mar amb l'ajuda del programa de càlcul d'estructures Tricalc. El treball està format per la memòria i els annexos. A la memòria s'explica el disseny i el càlcul de la solució estructural adoptada i es justifica tenint en compte criteris constructius, econòmics i mediambientals. A més a més, s'explica tot el procés de càlcul que s'ha realitzat amb el programa Tricalc. Finalment es resumeix el contingut dels annexos i s'exposen les conclusions. L'annex A conté l'estudi geotècnic amb l'explicació dels treballs realitzats, de la geologia del terreny i el resum i les conclusions de l'estudi del sòl. L'annex B correspon a la memòria de càlcul i conté la justificació de la solució estructural adoptada, un resum dels materials i els assaigs i la metodologia de càlcul que empra el programa Tricalc per calcular l'estructura del nostre edifici. L'annex C està format pels plànols de l'estructura i pels detalls constructius. L'annex D mostra el pressupost obtingut a partir dels amidaments extrets del Tricalc. L'annex E avalua el cost energètic i les emissions de CO2 generades per la construcció de l'estructura de l'edifici

Electronic structure and optical properties in ZnO:M(Co, Cd). Effect of band-gap variation

ZnO doped with some transitions metals (ZnO:M) has several significant potential application. ZnO:Co is proposed to be used in advanced spintronic devices due to its high Curie temperature and large magnetic moments per transition metal. ZnO:Cd has potential applications in short-wavelength optoelectronic devices. This work focuses on an ab-initio study of the electronic and optical properties of ZnO:M doped with Co, and Cd. Theoretical calculations have been done with different computational codes, using the density functional theory (DFT) at the GGA and GGA+U level. The latter introduces a Hubbard term correction in the “d” levels of the Zn and Co. We used different supercells in order to have different realistic dilution levels which can be achieved in experiments. Doping effects on the features of the optical absorption are also studied and analysed in this work

Human THO–Sin3A interaction reveals new mechanisms to prevent R-loops that cause genome instability

R-loops, formed by co-transcriptional DNA–RNA hybrids and a displaced DNA single strand (ssDNA), fulfill certain positive regulatory roles but are also a source of genomic instability. One key cellular mechanism to prevent R-loop accumulation centers on the conserved THO/TREX complex, an RNA-binding factor involved in transcription elongation and RNA export that contributes to messenger ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) assembly, but whose precise function is still unclear. To understand how THO restrains harmful R-loops, we searched for new THO-interacting factors. We found that human THO interacts with the Sin3A histone deacetylase complex to suppress co-transcriptional R-loops, DNA damage, and replication impairment. Functional analyses show that histone hypo-acetylation prevents accumulation of harmful R-loops and RNA-mediated genomic instability. Diminished histone deacetylase activity in THO- and Sin3A-depleted cell lines correlates with increased R-loop formation, genomic instability, and replication fork stalling. Our study thus uncovers physical and functional crosstalk between RNA-binding factors and chromatin modifiers with a major role in preventing R-loop formation and RNA-mediated genome instability.European Research Council ERC2014 AdG669898 TARLOOPMinisterio de Economía y Competitividad BFU2013-42918-P, BFU2016-75058-PJunta de Andalucía BIO123