Height variation of the vector magnetic field in solar spicules

Proving the magnetic configuration of solar spicules has hitherto been difficult due to the lack of spatial resolution and image stability during off-limb ground-based observations. We report spectropolarimetric observations of spicules taken in the He I 1083 nm spectral region with the Tenerife Infrared Polarimeter II at the German Vacuum Tower Telescope of the Observatorio del Teide (Tenerife; Canary Islands; Spain). The data provide the variation with geometrical height of the Stokes I, Q, U, and V profiles whose encoded information allows the determination of the magnetic field vector by means of the HAZEL inversion code. The inferred results show that the average magnetic field strength at the base of solar spicules is about 80 gauss and then it decreases rapidly with height to about 30 gauss at a height of 3000 km above the visible solar surface. Moreover, the magnetic field vector is close to vertical at the base of the chromosphere and has mid inclinations (about 50 degree) above 2 Mm height.Comment: Published in ApJ Letter

Fourier spectral methods for fractional-in-space reaction-diffusion equations

Fractional differential equations are becoming increasingly used as a powerful modelling approach for understanding the many aspects of nonlocality and spatial heterogeneity. However, the numerical approximation of these models is computationally demanding and imposes a number of computational constraints. In this paper, we introduce Fourier spectral methods as an attractive and easy-to-code alternative for the integration of fractional-in-space reactiondiffusion equations. The main advantages of the proposed schemes is that they yield a fully diagonal representation of the fractional operator, with increased accuracy and efficiency when compared to low-order counterparts, and a completely straightforward extension to two and three spatial dimensions. Our approach is show-cased by solving several problems of practical interest, including the fractional Allen–Cahn, FitzHugh–Nagumo and Gray–Scott models,together with an analysis of the properties of these systems in terms of the fractional power of the underlying Laplacian operator

Residential Architecture in Late Antique Corduba. Topography, Urbanism and Functionality

Entre las diferentes transformaciones que acaecieron en la Antigüedad Tardía, destaca la desigual evolución de la arquitectura doméstica urbana. A lo largo de este extenso período tuvo lugar el ennoblecimiento de las residencias de las clases más privilegiadas; la desaparición de las domus de peristilo y su frecuente transformación en casas familiares; la entrada en escena de un novedoso modelo de residencia aristocrática, o la aparición de una nueva arquitectura doméstica popular. Aun cuando Córdoba debió de participar en dichas dinámicas, la desigual calidad y antigüedad de la documentación arqueológica no siempre ha permitido documentarlas de forma adecuada. Gracias a la revisión crítica de dicha información, hemos podido profundizar en diversas cuestiones topográficas, urbanísticas y funcionales que han sido contextualizadas a escala peninsular, con el fin de ofrecer la imagen más completa posible del período comprendido entre los siglos II y VII d.C.Among the numerous transformations that took place in Late Antiquity, one of the most noteworthy is the differences in how urban domestic architecture developed. Throughout this long period of time, several trends can be seen: the embellishment of the houses belonging to the most privileged classes; the disappearance of the Roman peristyle houses and their transformation into buildings shared by several families; the emergence of a new model of upper-class residence, and the appearance of a new, popular style of domestic architecture. Even though these trends must have occurred in Cordoba, the archaeological information is scarce and this makes it difficult to draw any clear conclusions. However, after analysing all the available information, we have been able to delve into some of the topographical, urbanistic and functional issues affecting domestic architecture in the Iberian Peninsula. The aim of this paper is to provide as complete a picture as possible in the period from the 2nd to the 7th centuries AD

Programming Skeletal Muscle Metabolic Flexibility in Offspring of Male Rats in Response to Maternal Consumption of Slow Digesting Carbohydrates during Pregnancy

Skeletal muscle plays a relevant role in metabolic flexibility and fuel usage and the associated muscle metabolic inflexibility due to high-fat diets contributing to obesity and type 2 diabetes. Previous research from our group indicates that a high-fat and rapid-digesting carbohydrate diet during pregnancy promotes an excessive adipogenesis and also increases the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in the offspring. This effect can be counteracted by diets containing carbohydrates with similar glycemic load but lower digestion rates. To address the role of the skeletal muscle in these experimental settings, pregnant rats were fed high-fat diets containing carbohydrates with similar glycemic load but different digestion rates, a high fat containing rapid-digesting carbohydrates diet (HF/RD diet) or a high fat containing slow-digesting carbohydrates diet (HF/SD diet). After weaning, male offspring were fed a standard diet for 3 weeks (weaning) or 10 weeks (adolescence) and the impact of the maternal HF/RD and HF/SD diets on the metabolism, signaling pathways and muscle transcriptome was analyzed. The HF/SD offspring displayed better muscle features compared with the HF/RD group, showing a higher muscle mass, myosin content and differentiation markers that translated into a greater grip strength. In the HF/SD group, metabolic changes such as a higher expression of fatty acids (FAT/CD36) and glucose (GLUT4) transporters, an enhanced glycogen content, as well as changes in regulatory enzymes such as muscle pyruvate kinase and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 were found, supporting an increased muscle metabolic flexibility and improved muscle performance. The analysis of signaling pathways was consistent with a better insulin sensitivity in the muscle of the HF/SD group. Furthermore, increased expression of genes involved in pathways leading to muscle differentiation, muscle mass regulation, extracellular matrix content and insulin sensitivity were detected in the HF/SD group when compared with HF/RD animals. In the HF/SD group, the upregulation of the ElaV1/HuR gene could be one of the main regulators in the positive effects of the diet in early programming on the offspring. The long-lasting programming effects of the HF/SD diet during pregnancy may depend on a coordinated gene regulation, modulation of signaling pathways and metabolic flexibility that lead to an improved muscle functionality. The dietary early programming associated to HF/SD diet has synergic and positive crosstalk effects in several tissues, mainly muscle, liver and adipose tissue, contributing to maintain the whole body homeostasis in the offspring.European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013

The Hanle Effect in 1D, 2D and 3D

This paper addresses the problem of scattering line polarization and the Hanle effect in one-dimensional (1D), two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) media for the case of a two-level model atom without lower-level polarization and assuming complete frequency redistribution. The theoretical framework chosen for its formulation is the QED theory of Landi Degl'Innocenti (1983), which specifies the excitation state of the atoms in terms of the irreducible tensor components of the atomic density matrix. The self-consistent values of these density-matrix elements is to be determined by solving jointly the kinetic and radiative transfer equations for the Stokes parameters. We show how to achieve this by generalizing to Non-LTE polarization transfer the Jacobi-based ALI method of Olson et al. (1986) and the iterative schemes based on Gauss-Seidel iteration of Trujillo Bueno and Fabiani Bendicho (1995). These methods essentially maintain the simplicity of the Lambda-iteration method, but their convergence rate is extremely high. Finally, some 1D and 2D model calculations are presented that illustrate the effect of horizontal atmospheric inhomogeneities on magnetic and non-magnetic resonance line polarization signals.Comment: 14 pages and 5 figure

Seismic activity in southern Iberian Peninsula in the 3rd c. AD. Its archaeological impact on Corduba (Córdoba)

En los últimos años ha cobrado peso la idea de que el extremo meridional de la península Ibéricasufriese en el siglo III d.C. los efectos de un terremoto que afectó a Baelo Claudia, Carthago Nova,Corduba y Munigua. La revisión de la documentación arqueológica y arqueosísmica apunta más bienhacia varios terremotos de incidencia local. En el caso de Córdoba, creemos que los efectos atribuidosa un posible terremoto fechado hacia los años cincuenta-sesenta han sido magnificados. En el estadoactual de la investigación solo hay evidencias arqueosismológicas seguras en un reducido númerode construcciones. Por el contrario, otras destrucciones y efectos secundarios asignados al citadoterremoto creemos que se pueden explicar mediante hipótesis alternativas.In recent years, it has been widely accepted that the southern Iberian Peninsula suffered an earthquakein the 3rd century AD. It hit cities such as Baelo Claudia, Carthago Nova, Corduba and Munigua.The available archaeological and seismic documentation reveals the occurrence of several earthquakeson a local level. In the case of Córdoba, we believe that the effects of a possible earthquake occurringin the mid 3rd century AD is exaggerated. The latest research points to archaeological seismicevidence only in a couple of structures. In fact, other destruction and secondary effects attributed tothat earthquake could be explained by alternative hypotheses