A comparison of electrochemical degradation of phenol on boron doped diamond and lead dioxide anodes

This work compares two electrode materials used to mineralize phenol contained in waste waters. Two disks covered with either boron doped diamond (BDD) or PbO2 were used as anodes in a one compartment flow cell under the same hydrodynamic conditions. Efficiencies of galvanostatic electrolyses are compared on the basis of measurements of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD). Galvanostatic electrolyses were monitored by analysis of phenol and of its oxidation derivatives to evaluate the operating time needed for complete elimination of toxic aromatics. The experimental current efficiency is close to the theoretical value for the BDD electrode. Other parameters being equal, phenol species disappeared at the same rate using the two electrode materials but the BDD anode showed better efficiency to eliminate TOC and COD. Moreover, during the electrolysis less intermediates are formed with BDD compared to PbO2 whatever the current density. A comparison of energy consumption is given based on the criterion of 99% removal of aromatic compounds

Carbon use efficiency variability from MODIS data

[EN] Carbon use efficiency (CUE) describes how efficiently plants incorporate the carbon fixed during photosynthesis into biomass gain and can be calculated as the ratio between net primary production (NPP) and gross primary production (GPP). In this work, annual CUE has been obtained from annual GPP and NPP MODIS products for the peninsular Spain study area throughout eight years. CUE is spatially and temporally analyzed in terms of the vegetation type and annual precipitation and annual average air temperature. Results show that dense vegetation areas with moderate to high levels of precipitation present lower CUE values, whereas more arid areas present the highest CUE values. However, the temperature effect on the spatial variation of CUE is not well characterized. On the other hand, inter-annual variations of CUE of different ecosystems are discussed in terms of inter-annual variations of temperature and precipitation. It is shown that CUE exhibited a positive correlation with precipitation and a negative correlation with temperature in most ecosystems. Thus, CUE decreases when the ecosystem conditions change towards aridity.[ES] La eficiencia en el uso de carbono (CUE) cuantifica el incremento de la biomasa de las plantas a partir del carbono que fijan a través de su actividad fotosintética. En este trabajo se analiza la variación de la CUE anual (estimada a partir del cociente entre los productos de producción primaria neta, NPP, y producción primaria bruta, GPP, anuales de MODIS) en función del tipo de vegetación y de las variables meteorológicas temperatura del aire y precipitación, a lo largo de ocho años en la España peninsular. Los valores más bajos de CUE se encuentran en zonas de vegetación densa con niveles de precipitación de moderada a elevada (superior a 1000 mm/año), mientras que los valores más altos se localizan en zonas más áridas (con precipitación por debajo de 800 mm/año). La influencia de la temperatura es menos marcada. Cuando se analizan las variaciones interanuales de la CUE se observa que, para la mayor parte de los ecosistemas, un incremento de la precipitación produce un incremento de su CUE, mientras que un incremento de la temperatura la disminuye. En este caso, además, la influencia de la temperatura es más significativa desde un punto de vista estadístico. Es decir, para un ecosistema en particular, la CUE disminuye cuando se intensifi-can las condiciones de aridez.Este trabajo ha sido subvencionado, en parte, por los proyectos ERMES (FP7/2007-2013) y ESCENARIOS (MINECO/FEDER, CGL2016-75239-R). Agradecemos a AEMet, y muy especialmente al Dr. J. Tamayo, la cesión de los datos meteorológicos. Los productos MODIS se descargaron utilizando la herramienta online Data Pool, que es cortesía de NASA EOSDIS Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC), USGS/Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, [https://lpdaac.usgs.gov/data_access]. Finalmente, les damos las gracias a los revisores, cuyas sugerencias han contribuido a mejorar el manuscrito.Cañizares, M.; Moreno, A.; Sánchez-Ruiz, S.; Gilabert, M. (2017). Variabilidad de la eficiencia en el uso del carbono a partir de datos MODIS. Revista de Teledetección. (48):1-12. https://doi.org/10.4995/raet.2017.70441124

Tourism and the city: the impact on residents' quality of life

The present work investigates the relationship between tourism presence and perceptions of urban quality of life of resident populations (UQOL). Nowadays, this topic is at the forefront since many European cities have started raising their voice against mass tourism. An ad hoc questionnaire was designed and submitted to resident population of two Mediterranean destinations. Following an integrative approach à la Sen, UQOL is analysed using the presence of the services/amenities (capabilities) as well as their accessibility (functionings). Findings indicate that both presence and mainly accessibility of services/amenities matter for UQOL and that a negative effect of tourism prevails

Signatures of non-locality in the first-order coherence of the scattered light

The spatial coherence of an atomic wavepacket can be detected in the scattered photons, even when the center-of-mass motion is in the quantum coherent superposition of two distant, non-overlapping wave packets. Spatial coherence manifests itself in the power spectrum of the emitted photons, whose spectral components can exhibit interference fringes as a function of the emission angle. The contrast and the phase of this interference pattern provide information about the quantum state of the center of mass of the scattering atom.Comment: 5 pages, one figure, submitted to Laser Physics, special issue in memory of Herbert Walthe

Supercurrent flow through an effective double barrier structure

Supercurrent flow is studied in a structure that in the Ginzburg-Landau regime can be described in terms of an effective double barrier potential. In the limit of strongly reflecting barriers, the passage of Cooper pairs through such a structure may be viewed as a realization of resonant tunneling with a rigid wave function. For interbarrier distances smaller than $d_0=\pi\xi(T)$ no current-carrying solutions exist. For distances between $d_0$ and $2d_0$, four solutions exist. The two symmetric solutions obey a current-phase relation of $\sin(\Delta\varphi/2)$, while the two asymmetric solutions satisfy $\Delta\varphi=\pi$ for all allowed values of the current. As the distance exceeds $nd_0$, a new group of four solutions appears, each contaning $(n-1)$ soliton-type oscillations between the barriers. We prove the inexistence of a continuous crossover between the physical solutions of the nonlinear Ginzburg-Landau equation and those of the corresponding linearized Schr\"odinger equation. We also show that under certain conditions a repulsive delta function barrier may quantitatively describe a SNS structure. We are thus able to predict that the critical current of a SNSNS structure vanishes as $\sqrt{T'_c-T}$, where $T'_c$ is lower than the bulk critical temperature.Comment: 20 pages, RevTex, to appear in Phys. Rev. B, 6 figures on request at [email protected]

The LISA PathFinder DMU and Radiation Monitor

The LISA PathFinder DMU (Data Management Unit) flight model was formally accepted by ESA and ASD on 11 February 2010, after all hardware and software tests had been successfully completed. The diagnostics items are scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2010. In this paper we review the requirements and performance of this instrumentation, specially focusing on the Radiation Monitor and the DMU, as well as the status of their programmed use during mission operations, on which work is ongoing at the time of writing.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, prepared for the Proceedings of the 8th International LISA Symposium, Classical and Quantum Gravit

Inmunodeficiencia común variable: manifestaciones clínicas iniciales

La inmunodeficiencia común variable (IDCV) es una inmunodeficiencia primaria caracterizada por hipogammaglobulinemia de comienzo tardío, que se manifiesta principalmente con infecciones recurrentes. Objetivo: describir las manifestaciones clínicas iniciales de pacientes con IDCV diagnosticados en el Hospital de Niños Sor Maria Ludovica entre 1981 y 2019. Diecinueve pacientes fueron incluidos. Todos los pacientes tenían historia de infecciones recurrentes, siendo las más frecuentemente observadas la neumonía (74%) y la otitis media (42%). Se documentó diarrea crónica en 9 pacientes (47%), con malabsorción asociada en 6 de ellos. El 32% de los pacientes presentó desnutrición severa y uno de ellos metaplasia gástrica. Un paciente presentó esplenomegalia y otro síndrome de Evans. Bronquiectasias fueron observadas en el 42% de los pacientes al diagnóstico. Conocer las manifestaciones clínicas iniciales de la IDCV es fundamental para el diagnóstico precoz y tratamiento oportuno.Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a primary immunodeficiency characterized by late onset hypogammaglobulinemia, that can manifest as recurrent infections, autoimmunity, digestive disorders and granulomatous disease. Objectives: to describe the initial clinical findings of patients with CVID diagnosed at Hospital de NiñosSorMariaLudovica, between 1981 and 2019. 19 patients were included, 14 were male (74%). All Patients Had a history of recurrent infections, most frequently pneumonia (74%) and acute otitis media (42%). 9 patients suffered from chronic diarrhea (47%), with associated malabsorption in 6 of them. Thirty-two presented with severe malnutrition and 1 patient with gastric metaplasia. One Patient Had Splenomegaly and 1 had Evans´ syndrome. Bronchiectasis were found in 42% of patients at the time of diagnosis. Early suspicion of CVID from pediatricians is essential in order to arrive at a proper diagnosis

Time-separated entangled light pulses from a single-atom emitter

The controlled interaction between a single, trapped, laser-driven atom and the mode of a high-finesse optical cavity allows for the generation of temporally separated, entangled light pulses. Entanglement between the photon-number fluctuations of the pulses is created and mediated via the atomic center-of-mass motion, which is interfaced with light through the mechanical effect of atom-photon interaction. By means of a quantum noise analysis we determine the correlation matrix which characterizes the entanglement, as a function of the system parameters. The scheme is feasible in experimentally accessible parameter regimes. It may be easily extended to the generation of entangled pulses at different frequencies, even at vastly different wavelengths.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figures. Modified version, to appear in the New Journal of Physic

Viabilidade de uso do híbrido Hawaii 7996 como porta-enxerto de cultuvares comerciais de tomate.

A técnica de enxertia é utilizada em algumas hortaliças, principalmente em áreas infestadas, para atribuir resistência a patógenos do solo, minimizando as perdas de produção de cultivares suscetíveis. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o desenvolvimento e a produtividade de plantas de tomateiro enxertadas em híbrido, tido como resistente a Ralstonia solanacearum, em comparação a pés-francos. O experimento foi desenvolvido em viveiro (produção de mudas e enxertia) e em céu aberto, no município de Cruz das Almas, Bahia, no período de outubro de 2003 a fevereiro de 2004. Utilizou-se o método de enxertia de fenda cheia, com o híbrido ‘Hawaii 7996’ como porta-enxerto e as cultivares Santa Clara, Santa Cruz Kada e Débora Plus, suscetíveis a R. solanacearum, como enxerto. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos ao acaso, com seis tratamentos (3 enxertados e 3 pés-francos), 5 repetições e 6 plantas por parcela útil. Avaliaram-se os caracteres: diâmetro do caule, altura da planta e da primeira inflorescência, distância entre inflorescências e produtividade comercial de frutos. O desenvolvimento das plantas, a produção total e a massa média dos frutos foram semelhantes para os tratamentos enxertados em relação a seus respectivos pés-francos e não houve incompatibilidade entre porta-enxerto e enxerto. A cultivar Santa Cruz Kada foi mais sensível às condições agroecológicas do município de Cruz das Almas, refletindo negativamente na produção e no peso médio dos frutos. Observou-se na enxertia com o híbrido ‘Hawaii 7996’ potencial para viabilizar a produção de tomateiros comerciais suscetíveis à murcha bacteriana, em áreas infestadas com R. solanacearum

Dynamics of conversion of supercurrents into normal currents, and vice versa

The generation and destruction of the supercurrent in a superconductor (S) between two resistive normal (N) current leads connected to a current source is computed from the source equation for the supercurrent density. This equation relates the gradient of the pair potential's phase to electron and hole wavepackets that create and destroy Cooper pairs in the N/S interfaces. Total Andreev reflection and supercurrent transmission of electrons and holes are coupled together by the phase rigidity of the non-bosonic Cooper-pair condensate. The calculations are illustrated by snapshots from a computer film.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure, accepted by Phys. Rev.