Vacuum decay in an interacting multiverse

We examine a new multiverse scenario in which the component universes interact. We focus our attention to the process of "true" vacuum nucleation in the false vacuum within one single element of the multiverse. It is shown that the interactions lead to a collective behaviour that might lead, under specific conditions, to a pre-inflationary phase and ensued distinguishable imprints in the comic microwave background radiation.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure

Labor demand and information technologies: evidence for Spain, 1980-2005

Utilizando la base de datos EU KLEMS, se contrasta la hipótesis de complementariedad entre habilidad y capital en los distintos sectores productivos en España en el periodo 1980-2005. Se analizan tres tipos de trabajadores clasificados según su nivel de habilidad sea alto, medio o bajo. Los activos de capital se van a clasificar entre activos TIC (tecnologías de la información y la comunicación) y activos no-TIC. La adquisición y el uso de activos TIC son costosos pero ha ido disminuyendo en el periodo en consideración en términos relativos a otros activos y al factor trabajo. El principal resultado que se obtiene es que existe un grado de sustituibilidad entre los trabajadores y los activos TIC a medida que la habilidad del trabajador va aumentando. De hecho, los activos TIC son muy complementarios con los trabajadores de alta habilidad. A lo largo del periodo analizado, la fracción de trabajadores con habilidad media y alta ha crecido un 21% y un 12%, respectivamente, en detrimento de los trabajadores de baja habilidad. Después de descomponer estos cambios, se descubre que existe un ajuste dentro de los sectores más que un ajuste del trabajo entre sectores.capital-skill complementarity, ICT, translog cost function, elasticity of substitution.

Serendipitous discovery of the long-sought AGN in Arp 299-A

Context: The dusty nuclear regions of luminous infra-red galaxies (LIRGs) are heated by either an intense burst of massive star formation, an active galactic nucleus (AGN), or a combination of both. Disentangling the contribution of each of those putative dust-heating agents is a challenging task, and direct imaging of the innermost few pc can only be accomplished at radio wavelengths, using very high-angular resolution observations. Aims: We observed the nucleus A of the interacting starburst galaxy Arp 299, using very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) radio observations at 1.7 and 5.0 GHz. Our aim was to characterize the compact sources in the innermost few pc region of Arp 299-A, as well as to detect recently exploded core-collapse supernovae. Methods: We used the European VLBI Network (EVN) to image the 1.7 and 5.0 GHz compact radio emission of the parsec-scale structure in the nucleus of Arp 299-A with milliarcsecond resolution. Results: Our EVN observations show that one of the compact VLBI sources, A1, previously detected at 5.0 GHz, has a flat spectrum between 1.7 and 5.0 GHz and is the brightest source at both frequencies. Our 1.7 GHz EVN image shows also diffuse, low-surface brightness emission extending westwards from A1 and displays a prominent core-jet structure. Conclusions: The morphology, radio luminosity, spectral index and ratio of radio-to-X-ray emission of the A1-A5 region is consistent with a low-luminosity AGN (LLAGN), and rules out the possibility that it is a chain of young radio supernovae (RSNe) and supernova remnants (SNRs). We therefore conclude that A1-A5 is the long-sought AGN in Arp 299-A. This finding may suggest that both starburst and AGN are frequently associated phenomena in mergers.Comment: Accepted for publication in Letters to Astronomy and Astrophysics on 12 August 2010. 4 pages, 1 figur

Labor Demand and Information Technologies: Evidence for Spain, 1980-2005

Using the EU KLEMS dataset we test the capital-skill complementarity hypothesis in a cross-section of sectors in Spain between 1980 and 2005. We analyze three groups of workers, who are classed according to skill level: high, medium and low. Capital assets have been broken down into ICT (information and communication technologies) assets and non-ICT assets. Acquisition and usage costs of ICT assets declined throughout the period studied, both in absolute terms and relative to the other capital assets and workers. Our principal finding is that the substitutibility between workers and ICT assets falls as worker skill level rises. In fact, the ICT assets were strongly complement with highly skilled workers and were not substitutive with them. Throughout the period analyzed, the fraction of employed medium- and high-skill workers rose by 21% and 12%, respectively, to the disadvantage of low-skill workers. After decomposing these changes, we found that the latter were dominated by an ajustment within sectors more than by a composition effect or adjustment between sectors. These adjustments may be explained by reference to the estimated elasticities of substitution.capital-skill complementarity, ICT, translog cost function, elasticity of substitution.

Unidad de diagnóstico rápido (UDR) en patología tumoral

Objetivos: Desarrollar una UDR, vinculada al Servicio de Urgencias Hospitalario (SUH), proporcionando prioridad en el radiodiagnóstico y mayor accesibilidad a las consultas de especializada, supone un abordaje de la patología tumoral más dinámico. Nuestro objetivo fue analizar el impacto de la UDR en el manejo de dicha patología. Metodología: Estudio descriptivo, retrospectivo, de base poblacional, realizado en la Clínica USP-Palmaplanas, hospital de 150 camas Analizando el manejo del total de pacientes con tumores atendidos en la UDR desde abril 2006 a marzo 2008. Se utilizaron los indicadores de actividad y calidad creados para dicho fin. Resultados: Total pacientes atendidos en la UDR 2473, total pacientes con diagnóstico de patología tumoral 73. Tiempo de espera desde su atención en el SUH hasta valoración en la UDR (<48h 41%, 2-4 días 36%), tiempo de espera desde atención inicial- final en las UDR (mismo día 17%, <8 días 64%), tiempo de espera desde alta UDR hasta su atención para el abordaje terapéutico (<48h en el 91%), se cursaron 11 ingresos hospitalarios tras el diagnóstico desde la UDR. Conclusiones: La UDR permite agilizar el diagnóstico y tratamiento precoces de la patología tumoral, mejorando claramente la eficiencia y la seguridad con una reducción en la estancia media hospitalaria y en la carga emocional del paciente.Objectives: The implementation of a Hospital Emergency Unit based RDU in order to prioritise diagnostic imaging and the access to specialised outpatient clinics, has dynamized the management of patients first diagnosed with cancer. Our objective was to analyze the impact of an RDU in the management of this group of patients. Methods: Descriptive, retrospective study of the population seen at USP Palmaplanas Clinic, a 150 bed hospital, which analyses the management of patients seen in the RDU from April 2006 to March 2008. Activity and quality indicators were created to support this study. Results: Total number of patients seen in the RDU: 2473. 73 of these patients were diagnosed with possible cancer. Waiting times to be seen in RDU from the Emergency Unit: <48 hours in 41% of the cases, 2-4 days in 36%. Waiting times from first visit at RDU to last visit: same day in 17%, <8 days in 64%. Waiting times from first visit to RDU to treatment: <48 hours in 91% of the cases. 11 patients were admitted to hospital for management. Discussion: RDU allows a dynamic management of patients with cancer, from first diagnosis to early treatment, improving patient care, efficiency and safety. It also reduces hospital stay and reduces patients’ emotional distress

Crossover in the nature of the metallic phases in the perovskite-type RNiO_3

We have measured the photoemission spectra of Nd$_{1-x}$Sm$_{x}$NiO$_{3}$, where the metal-insulator transition and the N\'{e}el ordering occur at the same temperature for $x \lesssim 0.4$ and the metal-insulator transition temperature ($T_{MI}$) is higher than the N\'{e}el temperature for $x \gtrsim 0.4$. For $x \le 0.4$, the spectral intensity at the Fermi level is high in the metallic phase above $T_{MI}$ and gradually decreases with cooling in the insulating phase below $T_{MI}$ while for $x > 0.4$ it shows a pseudogap-like behavior above $T_{MI}$ and further diminishes below $T_{MI}$. The results clearly establish that there is a sharp change in the nature of the electronic correlations in the middle ($x \sim 0.4$) of the metallic phase of the $R$NiO$_3$ system.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Decoherence in an accelerated universe

In this paper we study the decoherence processes of the semiclassical branches of an accelerated universe due to their interaction with a scalar field with given mass. We use a third quantization formalism to analyze the decoherence between two branches of a parent universe caused by their interaction with the vaccum fluctuations of the space-time, and with other parent unverses in a multiverse scenario.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figure

Self-organization of ultrasound in viscous fluids

We report the theoretical and experimental demonstration of pattern formation in acoustics. The system is an acoustic resonator containing a viscous fluid. When the system is driven by an external periodic force, the ultrasonic field inside the cavity experiences different pattern-forming instabilities leading to the emergence of periodic structures. The system is also shown to possess bistable regimes, in which localized states of the ultrasonic field develop. The thermal nonlinearity in the viscous fluid, together with the far-from-equilibrium conditions, are is the responsible of the observed effects

Copper-Free Oxime–Palladacycle-Catalyzed Sonogashira Alkynylation of Deactivated Aryl Bromides and Chlorides in Water under Microwave Irradiation

Palladium-catalyzed Heck alkynylation cross-coupling reactions between terminal alkynes and deactivated aryl chlorides and aryl bromides can be performed in the absence of copper cocatalyst with water as solvent at 130 °C under microwave irradiation. An oxime-derived chloro-bridged palladacycle is an efficient precatalyst for this transformation with 2-dicyclohexylphosphanyl-2′,4′,6′-triisopropylbiphenyl (XPhos) as ancillary ligand, pyrrolidine as base, and SBDS as surfactant. All of the reactions can be performed under air and with reagent-grade chemicals under low loading conditions (0.1–1 mol-% Pd).Financial support from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO) (project CTQ2010-20387), Consolider INGENIO (project 2010 CSD2007-00006), Fondos Europeos para el Desarrollo Regional (FEDER), the Generalitat Valenciana (project PROMETEO/2009/038), and the University of Alicante is acknowledged