Slow light in molecular aggregates nanofilms

We study slow light performance of molecular aggregates arranged in nanofilms by means of coherent population oscillations (CPO). The molecular cooperative behavior inside the aggregate enhances the delay of input signals in the GHz range in comparison with other CPO-based devices. Moreover, the problem of residual absorption present in CPO processes, is removed. We also propose an optical switch between different delays by exploiting the optical bistability of these aggregates.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Quality of raw milks in three milk processing plants in Cordoba

An important condition in dairy processing plant is to obtain materials of excellent physicochemical and microbiological quality to reduce public health risks. High counts of mesophilic show contamination and lack of good manipulation in milking and milk conservation. Coliforms are a demonstration of contamination with fecal material. The norms in Colombia establish the mesophilic count as standard of microbiological quality. The purpose of this study was to determine the physicochemical and microbiological quality and health of the udders, in raw milk from dual purpose farms, supplying three milk processing plants in Cordoba (Colombia). 149 raw milk samples were collected of tree processing plants in Cordoba department. Physicochemical parameters set out in Decree 616 of 2006 were determined and aerobic mesophilic, total coliforms, fecal coliforms, and somatic cell count were established too. The variables obtained were analyzed by descriptive statistics using SAS. The physicochemical parameters were within the normal range but averages of mesophilic and somatic cells counts were high, which allows conclude that the physicochemical quality is good, but there are shortcomings in the microbiological quality and in the udder health, and is on the farms devoted to milk production where must be implemented and certified excellent management and prevention practices

Grey water impact on soil physical properties

Debido a la creciente demanda de alimentos producida por el aumento de la población, el agua, como elemento indispensable en el ciclo del crecimiento de las plantas se convierte cada día en un aspecto fundamental de producción. La demanda por el uso de este recurso hace necesario la búsqueda de alternativas que deben ser evaluadas para evitar posibles impactos negativos. En este trabajo se evaluaron las modificaciones en algunas propiedades físicas del suelo regadas con aguas grises sintéticas. Se usó un diseño experimental de un factor: agua gris doméstica y dos tratamientos agua sin tratar (T1) y agua tratada (T2). Las variables de respuesta que se examinaron en el suelo fueron: conductividad eléctrica (CE), porcentaje de sodio intercambiable (PSI), diámetro ponderado medio (DPM) y retención de humedad del suelo (RHS). El agua se utilizó en riego localizado de alta frecuencia, monitoreado por tensiómetros para la producción de un cultivo de fríjol (Phaseolous vulgaris L). Como sistema de filtración se empleó una unidad compuesta por un filtro de arena (FLA) y un humedal artificial de flujo sub-superficial (HFSS). Los tratamientos presentaron diferencias significativas en el PSI y el RHS. El sistema FLA+HFSS es una alternativa para el tratamiento de agua grises debido a la mayor retención de sodio.Due to the increasing demand for food produced by the increase in population, water as an indispensable element in the growth cycle of plants every day becomes a fundamental aspect of production. The demand for the use of this resource is necessary to search for alternatives that should be evaluated to avoid potential negative impacts. In this paper, the changes in some physical properties of soil irrigated with synthetic gray water were evaluated. The experimental design involved: one factor: home water and two treatments; without treated water (T1) and treated water (T2). The variables to consider in the soil were: electrical conductivity (EC), exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), average weighted diameter (MWD) and soil moisture retention (RHS). The water used in drip irrigation high frequency was monitored by tensiometer for producing a bean crop (Phaseolous vulgaris L). As filtration system used was employed a unit composed of a sand filter (FLA) and a subsurface flow wetland artificial (HFSS). The treatments showed significant differences in the PSI and the RHS. The FLA+HFSS system is an alternative to the gray water treatment due to increased sodium retention

Thermoresponsive Polymeric Nanolenses Magnify the Thermal Sensitivity of Single Upconverting Nanoparticles

Lanthanide-based upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) are trustworthy workhorses in luminescent nanothermometry. The use of UCNPs-based nanothermometers has enabled the determination of the thermal properties of cell membranes and monitoring of in vivo thermal therapies in real time. However, UCNPs boast low thermal sensitivity and brightness, which, along with the difficulty in controlling individual UCNP remotely, make them less than ideal nanothermometers at the single-particle level. In this work, it is shown how these problems can be elegantly solved using a thermoresponsive polymeric coating. Upon decorating the surface of NaYF4:Er3+,Yb3+ UCNPs with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM), a >10-fold enhancement in optical forces is observed, allowing stable trapping and manipulation of a single UCNP in the physiological temperature range (20–45 °C). This optical force improvement is accompanied by a significant enhancement of the thermal sensitivity— a maximum value of 8% °C+1 at 32 °C induced by the collapse of PNIPAM. Numerical simulations reveal that the enhancement in thermal sensitivity mainly stems from the high-refractive-index polymeric coating that behaves as a nanolens of high numerical aperture. The results in this work demonstrate how UCNP nanothermometers can be further improved by an adequate surface decoration and open a new avenue toward highly sensitive single-particle nanothermometryThis work was supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación de España (PID2019-106211RB-I00 PID2019-105195RA-I00 and MAT2017- 83111R), by the Comunidad de Madrid (S2017/BMD-3867 RENIM-CM), co-financed by European Structural and Investment Fund and by the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid (SI1/PJI/2019-00052 and PR38/21-36 ANTICIPA-CM). D.L. acknowledges a scholarship from the China Scholarship Council (201808350097). J.R.B. acknowledges the support from Carl Tryggers Foundation (CTS18:229). M.I.M acknowledges financial support from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, through the “María de Maeztu” Programme for Units of Excellence in R&D (CEX2018-000805-M) and the MELODIA PGC2018-095777-B-C22 proje

Oligonucleotide Sensor Based on Selective Capture of Upconversion Nanoparticles Triggered by Target-Induced DNA Interstrand Ligand Reaction

We present a sensor that exploits the phenomenon of upconversion luminescence to detect the presence of specific sequences of small oligonucleotides such as miRNAs among others. The sensor is based on NaYF4:Yb,Er@SiO2 nanoparticles functionalized with ssDNA that contain azide groups on the 3' ends. In the presence of a target sequence, interstrand ligation is possible via the click-reaction between one azide of the upconversion probe and a DBCO-ssDNA-biotin probe present in the solution. As a result of this specific and selective process, biotin is covalently attached to the surface of the upconversion nanoparticles. The presence of biotin on the surface of the nanoparticles allows their selective capture on a streptavidin-coated support, giving a luminescent signal proportional to the amount of target strands present in the test samples. With the aim of studying the analytical properties of the sensor, total RNA samples were extracted from healthy mosquitoes and were spiked-in with a specific target sequence at different concentrations. The result of these experiments revealed that the sensor was able to detect 10-17 moles per well (100 fM) of the target sequence in mixtures containing 100 ng of total RNA per well. A similar limit of detection was found for spiked human serum samples, demonstrating the suitability of the sensor for detecting specific sequences of small oligonucleotides under real conditions. In contrast, in the presence of noncomplementary sequences or sequences having mismatches, the luminescent signal was negligible or conspicuously reduced.The authors are grateful for the financial support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with Grant OPP1128411, Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer, Santander-Universidad Complutense project PR26/16-12B-3, and from the Spanish MINECO for the projects MAT2014-55065-R, SAF2014-56763-R, and FIS2013-41709-P.S

Boosting the near-infrared emission of Ag2S nanoparticles by a controllable surface treatment for bioimaging applications

Ag2S nanoparticles are the staple for high-resolution preclinical imaging and sensing owing to their photochemical stability, low toxicity, and photoluminescence (PL) in the second near-infrared biological window. Unfortunately, Ag2S nanoparticles exhibit a low PL efficiency attributed to their defective surface chemistry, which curbs their translation into the clinics. To address this shortcoming, we present a simple methodology that allows to improve the PL quantum yield from 2 to 10%, which is accompanied by a PL lifetime lengthening from 0.7 to 3.8 μs. Elemental mapping and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicate that the PL enhancement is related to the partial removal of sulfur atoms from the nanoparticle's surface, reducing surface traps responsible for nonradiative de-excitation processes. This interpretation is further backed by theoretical modeling. The acquired knowledge about the nanoparticles' surface chemistry is used to optimize the procedure to transfer the nanoparticles into aqueous media, obtaining water-dispersible Ag2S nanoparticles that maintain excellent PL properties. Finally, we compare the performance of these nanoparticles with other near-infrared luminescent probes in a set of in vitro and in vivo experiments, which demonstrates not only their cytocompatibility but also their superb optical properties when they are used in vivo, affording higher resolution image

Economic assessment of the environmental services of PNA Cerro Mohinora, Guadalupe y Calvo, Chihuahua

The Cerro Mohinora Protected Natural Area (PNA) located in Guadalupe y Calvo, Chihuahua, Mexico has ecosystems in a good state of conservation that include trees of genera such as Picea, Abies and Pseudotsuga. The objective was to determine the willingness to pay (WTP) by the visitors through the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) in order to conserve the environmental services (SA) provided by the area and to know their perception of the current state of the Hill. 210 surveys were carried out to simulate a hypothetical market, where they asked what is the maximum amount they would be willing to pay to preserve and/or improve the SA of the PNA. The main results show that 90.48% of the visitors gave a positive WTP, 48.57% of the visitors are local and 55.24% have a university degree. 60.48% of the visitors do ecotourism on the Hill. The main suggestion to improve the area was the maintenance of the roads (55.00%) and the provision of more environmental education (32.69%). The only variable that influenced a positive WTP and that was statistically significant was the “Perception of good ecosystem quality (PGEQ)”. The average WTP calculated was 90.48 MXN, with a minimum and maximum of 68.12 MXN and 97.60 MXN, respectively, and a standard deviation of 5.55 MXN. The WTP should be established according to the number of visitors and use of the place, considering that it currently has no cost and that most visitors are willing to pay to enter and show concern for conservation

Extended WKB method, resonances and supersymmetric radial barriers

Semiclassical approximations are implemented in the calculation of position and width of low energy resonances for radial barriers. The numerical integrations are delimited by t/T<<8, with t the period of a classical particle in the barrier trap and T the resonance lifetime. These energies are used in the construction of `haired' short range potentials as the supersymmetric partners of a given radial barrier. The new potentials could be useful in the study of the transient phenomena which give rise to the Moshinsky's diffraction in time.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, 3 table