The configuration multi-edge model: Assessing the effect of fixing node strengths on weighted network magnitudes

Complex networks grow subject to structural constraints which affect their measurable properties. Assessing the effect that such constraints impose on their observables is thus a crucial aspect to be taken into account in their analysis. To this end,we examine the effect of fixing the strength sequence in multi-edge networks on several network observables such as degrees, disparity, average neighbor properties and weight distribution using an ensemble approach. We provide a general method to calculate any desired weighted network metric and we show that several features detected in real data could be explained solely by structural constraints. We thus justify the need of analytical null models to be used as basis to assess the relevance of features found in real data represented in weighted network form.Comment: 11 pages. 4 figure

Reduction of the formaldehyde content in leathers treated with formaldehyde resins by means of plant polyphenols

Formaldehyde has applications in many industrial processes, including synthesis of resins and syntans to be used in the retanning process of leather. When resins are employed, they can hydrolyse, releasing formaldehyde. Due to the carcinogenicity of formaldehyde, its presence in leather should be avoided or kept below allowable limits. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of polyphenols contained in vegetable compounds (mimosa, quebracho and tara) in the reduction of the formaldehyde content in leathers treated with resins synthesized with formaldehyde (melamine-formaldehyde and dicyandiamide-formaldehyde). The formaldehyde content in leathers treated only with resin increases with time while the formaldehyde content in leathers treated additionally with vegetable compounds is reduced. The lower the formaldehyde content in the leather, the higher the ability of vegetable compounds to reduce such content. Mimosa shows the strongest ability to reduce the formaldehyde content, and this capacity increases with ageing. The addition of 4% (on shaved wet-blue weight) of mimosa gives rise to an 85% reduction in the formaldehyde content 140 days after leather processing of split hides treated with a formaldehyde resin of low formaldehyde content. However, this reduction is 68% in splits hides treated with a resin of high formaldehyde content. This is of great importance in baby’s leather articles, in which the formaldehyde content is low; therefore, the addition of a small amount (3%) of vegetable compounds (especially mimosa) guarantees that the formaldehyde content is below the allowed limits (16 mg/kg in the most restrictive regulation). Reducing the formaldehyde content using the polyphenols contained in vegetable compounds constitutes a good alternative not only in the leather sector but also in other industrial sectors (wood, textile, etc.) that use formaldehyde resins.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Unlocking higher harmonics in atomic force microscopy with gentle interactions

This is an Open Access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.In dynamic atomic force microscopy, nanoscale properties are encoded in the higher harmonics. Nevertheless, when gentle interactions and minimal invasiveness are required, these harmonics are typically undetectable. Here, we propose to externally drive an arbitrary number of exact higher harmonics above the noise level. In this way, multiple contrast channels that are sensitive to compositional variations are made accessible. Numerical integration of the equation of motion shows that the external introduction of exact harmonic frequencies does not compromise the fundamental frequency. Thermal fluctuations are also considered within the detection bandwidth of interest and discussed in terms of higher-harmonic phase contrast in the presence and absence of an external excitation of higher harmonics. Higher harmonic phase shifts further provide the means to directly decouple the true topography from that induced by compositional heterogeneity.This project was funded by Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MAT2012-38319).Peer Reviewe

Creació del portal International Diving Center

Catala: L'objectiu d aquest projecte consisteix en desenvolupar el portal web del centre d immersió International Diving Center i documentar-ne tot el procés de creació. El portal en qüestió ha de ser dinàmic, autogestionable i fàcil d usar. També ha de permetre la reserva d immersions on-line, donant la possibilitat als usuaris de pagar amb la seva targeta de crèdit. També he afegit un objectiu secundari, desenvolupar tot el projecte usant només software lliure. En el projecte es contemplarà tot el procés de creació del portal, des de l assignació dels objectius i la planificació del treball fins a l implementació del portal en si. El projecte ha estat implementat usant PHP i el CMS Joomla! i s'inclou un apartat dedicat a la comparació de gestors de continguts i com desenvolupar un modul per a Joomla!

Modulace funkce plazmacytoidních dendritických buněk: role immunoreceptorů TIM-3 a BDCA-2

Albert Font Haro ABSTRAKT Modulace funkce plazmacytoidních dendritických buněk: role immunoreceptorů TIM-3 a BDCA-2 Plasmacytoidní dendritické buňky (pDC) hrají klíčovou roli v antivirovou odpověd a propojení vrozené a adaptivní imunity. Tyto buňky exprimují endozomální toll-like receptory 7 a 9 detekující ssRNA a DNA postrádající methylaci CpG dinukleotidů. Díky stálé expresi transkripčního faktoru IRF7 jsou pDC schopny rychlé produkce velkého množství interferonů typu I (IFN-I; α, β, ω), typu III (IFN-III; 1, 2, 3, 4) a prozánětlivých cytokinů jako jsou IL-1, IL-6 a TNF-α. Po dozrání pDC také fungují jako buňky prezentující antigeny. I přes intenzivní výzkum je mechanizmus produkce a regulace IFN a prozánětlivých cytokinů málo prozkoumaný. S použitím buněčné linie GEN2.2 a primárních lidských pDC jsme popsali roli kináz MEK a SYK v produkci a regulaci produkce IFN-I. Zjistili jsme, že SYK se účastní nejen regulace regulačním receptorem (RR) řízené BCR-like dráhy působící negativně na sekreci IFN-I a IFN-III, ale také v pozitivní signalizaci pomocí TLR7/9 signální dráhy vedoucí k produkci IFN-I. Dále jsme zjistili že také MEK hraje důležitou roli v inhibiční RR dráze. Další výzkum pomocí farmakologického cílení kináz SYK a MEK může posloužit ke zmírnění symptomů nemocí jako je systémový lupus...Albert Font Haro ABSTRACT Modulation of plasmacytoid dendritic cell function: role of immunoreceptors TIM-3 and BDCA-2 Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are key players in the antiviral response as well as in linking innate and adaptive immune response. They express endosomal toll-like receptors 7 and 9, which can detect ssRNA and unmethylated CpG DNA, respectively. Due to the constitutive expression of the transcription factor IRF7, pDCs are able to rapidly produce massive quantities of type I (α, β, ω) and type III (1, 2, 3, 4) interferons (IFN-I and IFN-III) as well as pro- inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-α. After maturation, they also function as antigen-presenting cells. Despite intense research, the mechanisms of IFN and pro-inflammatory cytokines production and regulation are still poorly understood. Using the pDC cell line GEN2.2 and also primary human pDCs, we shed light on the role of kinases MEK and SYK in IFN-I production and regulation. We found that SYK is not only involved in the regulatory receptor (RR)-mediated BCR-like pathway that represents the negative regulation of IFN-I and IFN-III secretion but also in the positive TLR7/9-mediated signal transduction pathway that leads to IFN-I production, representing the immunogenic function. We also found that MEK plays a...Department of Genetics and MicrobiologyKatedra genetiky a mikrobiologiePřírodovědecká fakultaFaculty of Scienc

The discretized coulomb friction model in a non-singular complementarity formulation for multibody systems with contacts

Postprint (published version