209 research outputs found
Knowledge synthesis about ecological stakes related to seabirds, marine mammals, sea turtles and canyon deep habitats
En el marco del proyecto MSPMED, se ha llevado a cabo un caso de estudio entre España y Francia en el Golfo de Léon. El presente deliverable ha permitido impulsar los conocimientos existentes para ofrecer una visión transfronteriza actualizada de los intereses ecológicos en el Golfo de León
Harnessing nuclear spin polarization fluctuations in a semiconductor nanowire
Soon after the first measurements of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in a
condensed matter system, Bloch predicted the presence of statistical
fluctuations proportional to in the polarization of an ensemble of
spins. First observed by Sleator et al., so-called "spin noise" has
recently emerged as a critical ingredient in nanometer-scale magnetic resonance
imaging (nanoMRI). This prominence is a direct result of MRI resolution
improving to better than 100 nm^3, a size-scale in which statistical spin
fluctuations begin to dominate the polarization dynamics. We demonstrate a
technique that creates spin order in nanometer-scale ensembles of nuclear spins
by harnessing these fluctuations to produce polarizations both larger and
narrower than the natural thermal distribution. We focus on ensembles
containing ~10^6 phosphorus and hydrogen spins associated with single InP and
GaP nanowires (NWs) and their hydrogen-containing adsorbate layers. We monitor,
control, and capture fluctuations in the ensemble's spin polarization in
real-time and store them for extended periods. This selective capture of large
polarization fluctuations may provide a route for enhancing the weak magnetic
signals produced by nanometer-scale volumes of nuclear spins. The scheme may
also prove useful for initializing the nuclear hyperfine field of electron spin
qubits in the solid-state.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figure
Analyse de la diversité génétique des plasmides d'Escherichia coli antibiorésistants causant la colibacillose aviaire
Les souches d’Escherichia coli aviaires antibiorésistantes sont porteuses de plasmides à une fréquence très élevée. Dans une étude antérieure, l’hétérogénéité de ces plasmides a été montrée. Une sonde d’ADN plasmidique (2 kb) extraite de l’une de ces souches a été utilisée dans la technique du Southern blot pour analyser les relations existantes entre les plasmides. À partir de poulets atteints de colibacillose et provenant de différentes fermes d’élevage, les plasmides de 22 souches d’E. coli ont été isolées. La sonde s’est hybridée avec tous les profils plasmidiques de ces souches, ce qui est en faveur de la présence d’une grande homologie de séquence entre ces plasmides ainsi que leur appartenance au même groupe d’hybridation. Le profil d’hybridation confirme l’hétérogénéité des plasmides contenus dans ces souches
MSPMED Case Study: Characterizing the ecological stakes and their interactions with offshore activities in the Gulf of Lion to support the Maritime Spatial Planning processes in the Mediterranean Sea
El Golfo de León es una zona transfronteriza entre Francia y España, siendo una zona excepcional para la biodiversidad marina (por ejemplo, aves marinas, cetáceos, tortugas marinas y hábitats bentónicos), asà como una zona de desarrollo económico para el sector marÃtimo, como la pesca, el tráfico marÃtimo y nuevas actividades como los parques eólicos. Aunque España y Francia han llevado a cabo considerables investigaciones y proyectos en el Golfo de León, todavÃa hay una falta de conocimiento sobre los intereses ecológicos y sus interacciones con las actividades humanas. Para ello, y en el marco del proyecto MSPMED (Towards the operational implementation of Maritime Spatial Planning in our common Mediterranean Sea) cofinanciado por la Comisión Europea, se está desarrollando un estudio de caso transfronterizo entre España y Francia en una zona extensa del Golfo de León, cuyo objetivo principal se centra en la evaluación del conocimiento disponible sobre el medio marino de la zona y la identificación y caracterización de las interacciones entre los usos marÃtimos (especialmente los parques eólicos flotantes en alta mar), el ruido submarino, y los componentes del ecosistema marino en el contexto de la ordenación del espacio marino (OEM
Group-IV graphene- and graphane-like nanosheets
We performed a first principles investigation on the structural and
electronic properties of group-IV (C, SiC, Si, Ge, and Sn) graphene-like sheets
in flat and buckled configurations and the respective hydrogenated or
fluorinated graphane-like ones. The analysis on the energetics, associated with
the formation of those structures, showed that fluorinated graphane-like sheets
are very stable, and should be easily synthesized in laboratory. We also
studied the changes on the properties of the graphene-like sheets, as result of
hydrogenation or fluorination. The interatomic distances in those graphane-like
sheets are consistent with the respective crystalline ones, a property that may
facilitate integration of those sheets within three-dimensional nanodevices
Unintentional high density p-type modulation doping of a GaAs/AlAs core-multi-shell nanowire
Achieving significant doping in GaAs/AlAs core/shell nanowires (NWs) is of
considerable technological importance but remains a challenge due to the
amphoteric behavior of the dopant atoms. Here we show that placing a narrow
GaAs quantum well in the AlAs shell effectively getters residual carbon
acceptors leading to an \emph{unintentional} p-type doping. Magneto-optical
studies of such a GaAs/AlAs core multi-shell NW reveal quantum confined
emission. Theoretical calculations of NW electronic structure confirm quantum
confinement of carriers at the core/shell interface due to the presence of
ionized carbon acceptors in the 1~nm GaAs layer in the shell.
Micro-photoluminescence in high magnetic field shows a clear signature of
avoided crossings of the Landau level emission line with the Landau
level TO phonon replica. The coupling is caused by the resonant hole-phonon
interaction, which points to a large 2D hole density in the structure.Comment: just published in Nano Letters
(http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/nl500818k
Early Childhood Caries among a Bedouin community residing in the eastern outskirts of Jerusalem
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>ECC is commonly prevalent among underprivileged populations. The Jahalin Bedouin are a severely deprived, previously nomadic tribe, dwelling on the eastern outskirts of Jerusalem. The aim of this study was to assess ECC prevalence and potentially associated variables.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>102 children aged 12–36 months were visually examined for caries, mothers' anterior dentition was visually subjectively appraised, demographic and health behavior data were collected by interview.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Among children, 17.6% demonstrated ECC, among mothers, 37.3% revealed "fairly bad" anterior teeth. Among children drinking bottles there was about twice the level of ECC (20.3%) than those breast-fed (13.2%). ECC was found only among children aged more than one year (p < 0.001); more prevalent ECC (55.6%) was found among large (10–13 children) families than among smaller families (1–5 children: 13.5%, 6–9 children: 15.6%) (p = 0.009); ECC was more prevalent among children of less educated mothers (p = 0.037); ECC was more prevalent among mothers with "fairly poor" anterior dentition (p = 0.04). Oral hygiene practices were poor.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>ECC levels in this community were not very high but neither low. This changing population might be on the verge of a wider dental disease "epidemic". Public health efforts clearly need to be invested towards the oral health and general welfare of this community.</p
Automatic Mapping of Discontinuity Persistence on Rock Masses Using 3D Point Clouds
Finding new ways to quantify discontinuity persistence values in rock masses in an automatic or semi-automatic manner is a considerable challenge, as an alternative to the use of traditional methods based on measuring patches or traces with tapes. Remote sensing techniques potentially provide new ways of analysing visible data from the rock mass. This work presents a methodology for the automatic mapping of discontinuity persistence on rock masses, using 3D point clouds. The method proposed herein starts by clustering points that belong to patches of a given discontinuity. Coplanar clusters are then merged into a single group of points. Persistence is measured in the directions of the dip and strike for each coplanar set of points, resulting in the extraction of the length of the maximum chord and the area of the convex hull. The proposed approach is implemented in a graphic interface with open source software. Three case studies are utilized to illustrate the methodology: (1) small-scale laboratory setup consisting of a regular distribution of cubes with similar dimensions, (2) more complex geometry consisting of a real rock mass surface in an excavated cavern and (3) slope with persistent sub-vertical discontinuities. Results presented good agreement with field measurements, validating the methodology. Complexities and difficulties related to the method (e.g. natural discontinuity waviness) are reported and discussed. An assessment on the applicability of the method to the 3D point cloud is also presented. Utilization of remote sensing data for a more objective characterization of the persistence of planar discontinuities affecting rock masses is highlighted herein
- …