The XMM-Newton Slew Survey: towards the XMMSL1 catalogue

The XMM-Newton satellite is the most sensitive X-ray observatory flown to date due to the great collecting area of its mirrors coupled with the high quantum efficiency of the EPIC detectors. It performs slewing manoeuvers between observation targets tracking almost circular orbits through the ecliptic poles due to the Sun constraint. Slews are made with the EPIC cameras open and the other instruments closed, operating with the observing mode set to the one of the previous pointed observation and the medium filter in place. Slew observations from the EPIC-pn camera in FF, eFF and LW modes provide data, resulting in a maximum of 15 seconds of on-source time. These data can be used to give a uniform survey of the X-ray sky, at great sensitivity in the hard band compared with other X-ray all-sky surveys.Comment: 2 pages, 2 figures, to appear in the proceedings of "The X-ray Universe 2005", San Lorenzo de El Escorial (Spain), 26-30 September 200

Extended sources in the XMM-Newton slew survey

The low background, good spatial resolution and great sensitivity of the EPIC-pn camera on XMM-Newton give useful limits for the detection of extended sources even during the short exposures made during slewing maneouvers. In this paper we attempt to illustrate the potential of the XMM-Newton slew survey as a tool for analysing flux-limited samples of clusters of galaxies and other sources of spatially extended X-ray emission.Comment: 2 pages, 4 figures, to appear in the proceedings of "The X-ray Universe 2005", San Lorenzo de El Escorial (Spain), 26-30 September 200

Marine forests of the Mediterranean-Atlantic Cystoseira tamariscifolia complex show a southern Iberian genetic hotspot and no reproductive isolation in parapatry

Climate-driven range-shifts create evolutionary opportunities for allopatric divergence and subsequent contact, leading to genetic structuration and hybrid zones. We investigate how these processes influenced the evolution of a complex of three closely related Cystoseira spp., which are a key component of the Mediterranean-Atlantic seaweed forests that are undergoing population declines. The C. tamariscifolia complex, composed of C. tamariscifolia s.s., C. amentacea and C. mediterranea, have indistinct boundaries and natural hybridization is suspected. Our aims are to (1) infer the genetic structure and diversity of these species throughout their distribution ranges using microsatellite markers to identify ancient versus recent geographical populations, contact zones and reproductive barriers, and (2) hindcast past distributions using niche models to investigate the influence of past range shifts on genetic divergence at multiple spatial scales. Results supported a single, morphologically plastic species the genetic structure of which was incongruent with a priori species assignments. The low diversity and low singularity in northern European populations suggest recent colonization after the LGM. The southern Iberian genetic hotspot most likely results from the role of this area as a climatic refugium or a secondary contact zone between differentiated populations or both. We hypothesize that life-history traits (selfing, low dispersal) and prior colonization effects, rather than reproductive barriers, might explain the observed genetic discontinuities.Pew Charitable Trusts (USA); MARINERA, Spain [CTM2008-04183-E/MAR]; FCT (Portugal) [FCT-BIODIVERSA/004/2015, CCMAR/Multi/04326/2013, SFRH/BPD/107878/2015, SFRH/BPD/85040/2012]; FPU fellowship of the Spanish Ministry of Education; European Community ASSEMBLE visiting grant [00399/2012]; University of Cadi

Revisiting the North Chile seismic gap segmentation using GPS-derived interseismic coupling

International audienceNo major earthquake occurred in North Chile since the 1877 M w 8.6 subduction earthquake that produced a huge tsunami. However, geodetic measurements conducted over the last decade in this area show that the upper plate is actually deforming, which reveals some degree of locking on the subduction interface. This accumulation of elastic deformation is likely to be released in a future earthquake. Because of the long elapsed time since 1877 and the rapid accumulation of deformation (thought to be 6–7 cm/yr), many consider this area is a mature seismic gap where a major earthquake is due and seismic hazard is high. We present a new Global Positioning System (GPS) velocity field, acquired between 2008 and 2012, that describes in some detail the interseismic deformation between 18°S and 24°S. We invert for coupling distribution on the Nazca-South America subduction interface using elastic modelling. Our measurements require that, at these latitudes, 10 to 12 mm yr−1 (i.e. 15 per cent of the whole convergence rate) are accommodated by the clockwise rotation of an Andean block bounded to the East by the subandean fold-and-thrust belt. This reduces the accumulation rate on the subduction interface to 56 mm yr−1 in this area. Coupling variations on the subduction interface both along-strike and along-dip are described. We find that the North Chile seismic gap is segmented in at least two highly locked segments bounded by narrow areas of weak coupling. This coupling segmentation is consistent with our knowledge of the historical ruptures and of the instrumental seismicity of the region. Intersegment zones (Iquique, Mejillones) correlate with high background seismic rate and local tectonic complexities on the upper or downgoing plates. The rupture of either the Paranal or the Loa segment alone could easily produce a Mw 8.0–8.3 rupture, and we propose that the Loa segment (from 22.5◦S to 20.8◦S) may be the one that ruptured in 1877

Entorno de soporte para el autoaprendizaje en el diseño de circuitos digitales

El diseño de circuitos digitales forma parte de las competencias básicas de los nuevos Grados en Ingeniería Informática e Ingeniería de Telecomunicaciones. Un obstáculo importante para el aprendizaje de dichas competencias es que las herramientas académicas existentes para el diseño de circuitos no permiten validar si un diseño se ajusta a la especificación de partida. En este artículo, se describe un entorno de autoaprendizaje para que los estudiantes puedan realizar ejercicios de diseño de circuitos y recibir un feedback continuo.SUMMARY: The design of digital circuits is a basic competence of the new Degrees in Computer Science and Engineering of Telecommunications. An important hindrance in the learning process of these skills is that the existing academic tools for the design of circuits do not allow the student to validate if his design satisfies the specification. In this article, we describe an online environment where the students can verify their designs with an automatic feedback.Peer Reviewe

Tuberculosis in children in India-II: Chemotherapy for tuberculosis

Tubercle bacilli readily become resistant to the common drugs, and resistant bacilli are more likely to proliferate if they are present in the patient at the start of treatment. So always use more than one drug. The only possible exception is prophylaxis for an asymptomatic case with a normal X-ray. CAUTION! (1) Never give intermittent (twice or thrice weekly) treatment unless every dose can be supervised by a health worker. Daily treatment is usually mandatory. (2) When you give more than one drug, give them both at the same time, so that high blood levels coincide; do not give one drug daily and the other drug less often. THE DOSES of the commonly used drugs for daily and intermittent treatment in children and adults are: lsoniazid (H) 5 mg/kg/24 hours if he is moderately ill and 10 mg/kg/24 hours if he is severely ill. The dose for a twice weekly course is 15 mg/kg. CAUTION! Opinions on the dose of isoniazid vary. Some consider 10 mg/kg/24 hours too much for an Indian child and always give 5 mg. Rifampicin (R) 10 mg/kg/24 hours, or 10 mg/kg twice weekly. Pyrazinamide (Z) 35 mg/kg/24 hours, 75 mg/kg twice weekly or 50 mg/kg thrice weekly, is an important drug for short course treatment, so try to include it whenever it is mentioned in the regimes below. Streptomycin (S) 10-20 mg/kg/24 hours, or 40 mg/kg twice weekly, to a total of not more than 0.75 g. Streptomycin is painful, so avoid it if you can. If you give it, inject in different places each day, because repeated injections into the same site are painful. Ethambutol (E) 25 mg/kg/24 hours for 2 months, then 15 mg/kg/24 hours. Avoid ethambutol in younger children (under 12); they are unable to complain of the early symptoms of retrobulbar neuritis (blindness). Thiacetazone (T) 4 mg/kg/24 hours to a maximum Of 150 mg; unsuitable for intermittent treatment

Goat biodiversity in Spain

Goats are located predominantly in the dry Spain specially in Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha, the Canary Islands, Murcia and Extremadura. In this paper we have analyzed 867 samples of 18 Spanish goat populations from different parts of the Iberian Peninsula (Azpi-Gorri, Blanca de Rasquera, Blanca Andaluza, Blanca Celtibérica, Florida, Malagueña, Murciano-Granadina, Negra Serrana, Payoya and Retinta) and the Balearic (Ibicenca, Mallorquina and Formentera goat) and Canarian Archipelagos (Ajuí, Majorera, Palmera, Tenerife North and Tenerife South). Twenty-three microsatellites have been amplified and the within-breed genetic variation has been calculated through the analysis of the mean number of alleles, heterozygosity and FIS The values of expected heterozygosity (He) per breed ranged from 0.524 to 0.721 in Palmera and Florida, respectively, while the observed heterozygosity (Ho) ranged between 0.515 and 0.705 in Palmera and Retinta, respectively. Goat genetic diversity in Spain is very high, with a mean number of alleles, expected and observed heterozigosities across the breeds of 7.04, 0.668 and 0.621, respectively.La especie caprina se localiza predominantemente en la España seca con gran protagonismo de Andalucía, Castilla-La Mancha, Canarias, Murcia y Extremadura. En este trabajo se analizan 867 muestras de 18 poblaciones caprinas españolas provenientes de diferentes zonas de la Península Ibérica (Azpi-Gorri, Blanca de Rasquera, Blanca Andaluza, Blanca Celtibérica, Florida, Malagueña, Murciano-Granadina, Negra Serrana, Payoya y Retinta) y de los archipiélagos Balear (Ibicenca, Mallorquina y cabra de Formentera) y Canario (Ajuí, Majorera, Palmera, Tinerfeña del Norte y Tinerfeña del Sur). Se amplifican 23 microsatélites de ADN y se determina la variación genética de las razas mediante el análisis del número medio de alelos, la heterocigosis, y el estadístico FIS. Los valores de heterocigosis esperada (He) oscilan entre 0,524 en la raza Palmera y 0,721 en la Florida mientras que la heterocigosis observada (Ho) fluctúa entre 0,515 en la Palmera y 0,705 en la Retinta. En España existe una diversidad genética caprina elevada con valores de número medio de alelos, heterocigosis esperada y observada para todas las razas de 7,04, 0,668 y 0,621 respectivamente

Stochastic dynamics in molten potassium explored by polarized quasielastic neutron scattering

10 págs.; 8 figs. ; PACS number s : 61.25.Mv, 66.10. x, 66.30.Fq, 65.20. wThe coherent Sc (Q,ω) and single-particle Ss (Q,ω) dynamic structure factors which contribute to the low-energy spectrum of molten potassium are separated by means of neutron polarization analysis. The linewidth and amplitude of the single-particle spectra follow an apparent sub-Fickian behavior, with a diffusion coefficient below the value found by macroscopic means. Once this is accounted for, the results are found to conform with predictions made from kinetic theory. Also, the available theoretical recipes to account for the coherent quasielastic intensity are seen to reproduce the experimental observations within a region of momentum transfers located about the location where the static structure factor shows its main peak. From the measured data as well as from computer simulation results which are validated by comparison to measurement, a clear separation of time scales involving rapid rattling motions within the liquid cages from diffusional processes involving collective or single-particle rearrangements is established. © 2007 The American Physical Society.Peer Reviewe