Charge Photoinjection in Intercalated and Covalently Bound [Re(CO)_(3)(dppz)(py)]^(+)–DNA Constructs Monitored by Time-Resolved Visible and Infrared Spectroscopy

The complex [Re(CO)_(3)(dppz)(py′-OR)]+ (dppz = dipyrido[3,2-a:2′,3′-c]phenazine; py′-OR = 4-functionalized pyridine) offers IR sensitivity and can oxidize DNA directly from the excited state, making it a promising probe for the study of DNA-mediated charge transport (CT). The behavior of several covalent and noncovalent Re–DNA constructs was monitored by time-resolved IR (TRIR) and UV/visible spectroscopies, as well as biochemical methods, confirming the long-range oxidation of DNA by the excited complex. Optical excitation of the complex leads to population of MLCT and at least two distinct intraligand states. Experimental observations that are consistent with charge injection from these excited states include similarity between long-time TRIR spectra and the reduced state spectrum observed by spectroelectrochemistry, the appearance of a guanine radical signal in TRIR spectra, and the eventual formation of permanent guanine oxidation products. The majority of reactivity occurs on the ultrafast time scale, although processes dependent on slower conformational motions of DNA, such as the accumulation of oxidative damage at guanine, are also observed. The ability to measure events on such disparate time scales, its superior selectivity in comparison to other spectroscopic techniques, and the ability to simultaneously monitor carbonyl ligand and DNA IR absorption bands make TRIR a valuable tool for the study of CT in DNA

Aproximación ontosemiótica de prácticas de aula sobre la medida en educación primaria

En este trabajo se presenta un estudio exploratorio sobre prácticas de aula, relacionadas con las magnitudes longitud, tiempo y masa, llevadas a cabo en Educación Primaria en Portugal. El estudio fijó como objetivos determinar qué objetos y procesos matemáticos están implicados en esas prácticas y qué funciones ejecutan profesor y alumnos durante la realización de las mismas. Los resultados han evidenciado el predominio del conocimiento procedimental y algorítmico y el uso de situaciones extramatemáticas o de la vida cotidiana. El profesor es el gestor sistemático del trabajo de los alumnos así como de los tiempos, espacios y materiales disponibles en el aula

New forms of masculinity in Western films: The end of the Marlboro Man?

Westerns are one of the most masculine and stereotypical of film genres. In a social and film context where gender equality is increasingly important, it is worth looking at the evolution of the genre in recent years. Especially because, as André Bazin said, the Western is “cinema par excellence” (1966) and its analysis allows a reflection on cinema itself. Taking the figure of the Marlboro Man as a prototype, this study carries out an analysis of three selected case studies: Brokeback Mountain, Jane Got a Gun and Godless, two films and a miniseries with main characters that do not follow heteronormative masculinity. Ang Lee’s work broke new ground not only in Westerns but also in industrial cinema by making homosexuality visible, while Gavin O’Connor’s showed the possibility of a woman playing the leading role in a classic Western. The miniseries produced by Netflix combines both by giving leading roles to female characters, some of them gay, while reflecting on homosexuality. It was noted that the portrayal of masculinity in Western films remains valid in all three cases, but it allows women and homosexuals to access leading roles, often by acquiring typically masculine attributes

Modelling driving behaviour and its impact on the energy management problem in hybrid electric vehicles

Perfect knowledge of future driving conditions can be rarely assumed on real applications when optimally splitting power demands among different energy sources in a hybrid electric vehicle. Since performance of a control strategy in terms of fuel economy and pollutant emissions is strongly affected by vehicle power requirements, accurate predictions of future driving conditions are needed. This paper proposes different methods to model driving patterns with a stochastic approach. All the addressed methods are based on the statistical analysis of previous driving patterns to predict future driving conditions, some of them employing standard vehicle sensors, while others require non-conventional sensors (for instance, global positioning system or inertial reference system). The different modelling techniques to estimate future driving conditions are evaluated with real driving data and optimal control methods, trading off model complexity with performance.Guardiola García, C.; Plá Moreno, B.; Blanco Rodriguez, D.; Reig Bernad, A. (2014). Modelling driving behaviour and its impact on the energy management problem in hybrid electric vehicles. International Journal of Computer Mathematics. 91(1):147-156. doi:10.1080/00207160.2013.829567S147156911Ericsson, E. (2001). Independent driving pattern factors and their influence on fuel-use and exhaust emission factors. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 6(5), 325-345. doi:10.1016/s1361-9209(01)00003-7Q. Gong, P. Tulpule, V. Marano, S. Midlam-Mohler, and G. Rizzoni,The role of ITS in PHEV performance improvement, 2011 American Control Conference, June–July, San Francisco, CA, 2011, pp. 2119–2124.C. Guardiola, B. Pla, S. Onori, and G. Rizzoni,A new approach to optimally tune the control strategy for hybrid vehicles applications, IFAC Workshop on Engine and Powertrain Control, Simulation and Modeling E-COSM’12, October, Rueil-Malmaison, France, 2012.Johannesson, L., Asbogard, M., & Egardt, B. (2007). Assessing the Potential of Predictive Control for Hybrid Vehicle Powertrains Using Stochastic Dynamic Programming. IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, 8(1), 71-83. doi:10.1109/tits.2006.884887Liu, S., & Yao, B. (2008). Coordinate Control of Energy Saving Programmable Valves. IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology, 16(1), 34-45. doi:10.1109/tcst.2007.903073Paganelli, G. (2001). General supervisory control policy for the energy optimization of charge-sustaining hybrid electric vehicles. JSAE Review, 22(4), 511-518. doi:10.1016/s0389-4304(01)00138-2Rizzoni, G., Guzzella, L., & Baumann, B. M. (1999). Unified modeling of hybrid electric vehicle drivetrains. IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, 4(3), 246-257. doi:10.1109/3516.789683Control of hybrid electric vehicles. (2007). IEEE Control Systems, 27(2), 60-70. doi:10.1109/mcs.2007.338280L. Serrao, S. Onori, and G. Rizzoni,ECMS as realization of Pontryagin's minimum principle for HEV control, 2009 American Control Conference, June, Saint Louis, MO, 2009, pp. 3964–3969.Serrao, L., Onori, S., & Rizzoni, G. (2011). A Comparative Analysis of Energy Management Strategies for Hybrid Electric Vehicles. Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement, and Control, 133(3). doi:10.1115/1.4003267Stockar, S., Marano, V., Canova, M., Rizzoni, G., & Guzzella, L. (2011). Energy-Optimal Control of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles for Real-World Driving Cycles. IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, 60(7), 2949-2962. doi:10.1109/tvt.2011.2158565Sundström, O., Ambühl, D., & Guzzella, L. (2009). On Implementation of Dynamic Programming for Optimal Control Problems with Final State Constraints. Oil & Gas Science and Technology – Revue de l’Institut Français du Pétrole, 65(1), 91-102. doi:10.2516/ogst/2009020O. Sundström and L. Guzzella,A generic dynamic programming Matlab function, 18th IEEE International Conference on Control Applications Part of 2009 IEEE Multi-conference on Systems and Control, July, Saint Petersburg, 2009, pp. 1625–1630.R. Wang and S.M. Lukic,Review of driving conditions prediction and driving style recognition based control algorithms for hybrid electric vehicles, Vehicle Power and Propulsion Conference (VPPC), 2011 IEEE, September 6–9, Raleigh, NC, 2011, pp. 1–7

The Gulf Stream position influences the functional composition of phytoplankton in El Gergal reservoir (Spain)

The latitudinal position of the north-wall of the Gulf Stream influences the climatic conditions in the Atlantic North and Western Europe. Southerly movements of the Gulf Stream (low Gulf Stream Index values, GSI) typically induce unstable meteorological conditions in this region, while north displacements of the oceanic current (high GSI values) are associated with stable weather. In the present article we explore a seven years data set including annual GSI, meteorological records and phytoplankton community composition and abundance to demonstrate that the year-to-year changes in the position of the Gulf Stream and its influence on the prevailing weather conditions have an effect on the long-term variability of phytoplankton community in El Gergal reservoir, an ecosystem located in the Atlantic coast of Andalusia (SW Spain). Furthermore, we describe the response of each considered phytoplankton functional groups to changes in the Gulf Stream position. Thus, northerly displacements of the north-wall increased the abundance of H+S1 cyanobacteria through a non-linear function with two marked GSI thresholds. GSI and Lm dinoflagellates abundance depicted a significant positive linear correlation, while groups B + P diatoms abundance was negatively linear correlated with GSI. Groups Y cryptophytes and X1 + J chlorophytes abundance remained nearly constant for most of the studied years but developed an exponential increase at high GSI years. Implications for water quality management are pointed out.Las condiciones climáticas en la fachada Atlántica europea están influidas por las variaciones temporales en la posición latitudinal de la Corriente del Golfo en el océano Atlántico. Así, el desplazamiento hacia el Sur de la Corriente del Golfo (valores bajos del Índice de la Corriente del Golfo, GSI) induce condiciones de inestabilidad meteorológica en la Europa occidental, mientras que los desplazamientos septentrionales de la corriente oceánica (elevados valores del GSI) están asociados con mayor estabilidad meteorológica en esta región. Este artículo estudia la influencia de los cambios interanuales en la posición de la Corriente del Golfo sobre la comunidad fitoplanctónica del embalse de El Gergal, un ecosistema localizado en la costa atlántica andaluza (SW España). Para ello, a lo largo de siete años se han registrado valores anuales de GSI, información meteorológica y datos sobre la composición y biovolumen del fitoplancton. El análisis de esta información permite describir cómo las variaciones anuales en la posición de la Corriente del Golfo afectan a las condiciones meteorológicas en el área de estudio, influyendo de esta manera sobre el biovolumen de cada uno de los grupos funcionales de fitoplancton considerados. Los desplazamientos hacia el Norte de la Corriente del Golfo favorecieron el incremento del biovolumen de cianobacterias de los grupos H + S1 a través de una función no lineal con dos valores críticos de GSI bien definidos. Por su parte, se encontró una relación lineal positiva entre el GSI y el biovolumen de dinoflagelados del grupo Lm, mientras que las diatomeas de los grupos B + P se relacionaron de forma inversa con el GSI. Aunque el biovolumen de clorofitas de los grupos X1 + J y de criptofitas del grupo Y permaneció estable durante la mayor parte de los años estudiados, se registró un notable incremento del mismo en aquellos años en los que el GSI mostró sus valores más elevados. Finalmente se apuntan algunas consideraciones sobre posibles implicaciones en la gestión de la calidad del agua embalsada

Assessing inter-limb asymmetries in soccer players: magnitude, direction and association with performance

In this study, we aimed to analyze the magnitude and direction of interlimb asymmetries in ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM), power (using iso-inertial devices), and a neuromuscular skill (change of direction). Secondarily, we aimed to determine the relationship between interlimb asymmetry scores for each test and also between these scores and the scores for the different performance tests. Sixteen semiprofessional male soccer players (age: 25.38 6.08 years; body height: 1.78 0.64 m; body mass: 79.5 14.9 kg) participated in this study. We calculated interlimb asymmetries using five tests: ankle dorsiflexion ROM, change of direction (COD 180º), and iso-inertial resistance tasks in the open (leg extension strength (LE), leg curl strength (LC)) and closed (crossover step (CRO)) kinetic chain. Our results showed that asymmetry magnitudes differed between all tests with highest interlimb asymmetries displayed during iso-inertial overloading. In addition, we observed that the direction of asymmetries varied depending on the test-specificity, and that the CRO asymmetries had a negative association with LE and CRO performance. These findings highlight the independent nature of asymmetries and that CRO could be an appropriate test to detect asymmetries related with the performance of soccer-specific actions (such as changes of direction). Practitioners are encouraged to use multiple tests to detect existing interlimb differences according to the specific characteristics of each sport

Surface mesoscale pico–nanoplankton patterns at the main fronts of the Alboran Sea

© 2014 Elsevier B.V. The mesoscale (10-100. km, days-weeks) plays a key role in the Ocean's ecosystem structure and dynamics. This work compares the pico-nanoplankton patterns observed in the Alboran Sea (Western Mediterranean) during three oceanographic cruises. We analyse its response to different expressions of mesoscale circulation associated with the three major hydrodynamic features in the basin; namely the Northwestern Alboran Front (NWAF, surveyed in OMEGA-1 cruise), the Almeria-Oran Front (AOF, surveyed in OMEGA-2 cruise) and the Western Alboran Gyre (WAG, surveyed in BIOMEGA cruise). The first two surveys were carried out under the most typical quasi-stationary twin gyre conditions of the Alboran Sea, whereas the third cruise was performed after an eastward migration of the WAG. The analysis of pico and nanoplankton populations was carried out using flow cytometry. The patchiness observed in the three cruises indicates an association of phytoplankton peaks with the main frontal structures: abundances were higher in the NWAF/upwelling area in OMEGA-1, at the Mediterranean side of the AOF in OMEGA-2, and at a tongue of recent Atlantic Water west of the WAG in BIOMEGA. However, a more detailed analysis reveals that different factors explain the origin of the phytoplankton biomass in each front/cruise. Mixing processes at the Strait of Gibraltar and the subsequent advection of water properties into the Western Alboran Sea were the mechanisms responsible for the abundances observed in the NWAF. The highest concentrations observed in the AOF were related to the intrusion of Mediterranean Surface Waters to the north of the front. During the migrating WAG the phytoplankton distribution was influenced by the formation of a new gyre. The relation between phytoplankton and mesoscale dynamics is further explored in terms of vertical velocity diagnosis. In all cases, intense vertical motion is negatively correlated with the abundance of phytoplankton populations. This resulted from the intense geostrophic background flow associated with large vertical velocities, which drove low residence times of water mass properties and hence a weak biological response. Fast-repeated surveys made during the OMEGA-1 and OMEGA-2 cruises reveal that the surveyed hydrographic features are subjected to significant temporal variability. In this case, the impact on the biology is most evident at taxa level.This work was partially supported by the EU funded MAST project OMEGA (MAS3-CT95-0001) and by the BIOMEGA project, funded by the Spanish Marine Science and Technology Program (REN2002-04044-C02-02). P. Leon was financed by a FPI grant from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (BES-2003-1032)Peer Reviewe

Autonomous on-board data processing and instrument calibration software for the SO/PHI

The extension of on-board data processing capabilities is an attractive option to reduce telemetry for scientific instruments on deep space missions. The challenges that this presents, however, require a comprehensive software system, which operates on the limited resources a data processing unit in space allows. We implemented such a system for the Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager (PHI) on-board the Solar Orbiter (SO) spacecraft. It ensures autonomous operation to handle long command-response times, easy changing of the processes after new lessons have been learned and meticulous book-keeping of all operations to ensure scientific accuracy. This contribution presents the requirements and main aspects of the software implementation, followed by an example of a task implemented in the software frame, and results from running it on SO/PHI. The presented example shows that the different parts of the software framework work well together, and that the system processes data as we expect. The flexibility of the framework makes it possible to use it as a baseline for future applications with similar needs and limitations as SO/PHI.Comment: Conference: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentatio, Software and Cyberinfrastructure for Astronomy

Real-Time optimization using the Modifier Adaptation methodology

[ES] La gestión óptima de las plantas de proceso normalmente se lleva a cabo en una capa de optimización en tiempo real (Real Time Optimization, RTO) que actúa sobre la capa de control y que toma decisiones considerando objetivos económicos en base a un  modelo del proceso, normalmente estacionario. Sin embargo, dicha operación óptima no está garantizada debido a la presencia de incertidumbre entre el modelo usado para la toma de decisiones y el proceso real. Con la idea de conducir el proceso a su punto de operación óptimo usando un modelo que se sabe incierto o erróneo, surge la metodología de adaptación de modificadores (Modifier Adaptation o MA). En dicha metodología, el problema de optimización económica de la capa RTO es modificado mediante unos términos correctores, conocidos como modificadores, estimados a partir de medidas de la planta, con el objetivo de conducir el proceso a su punto de operación óptimo. El presente artículo hace una revisión de las técnicas desarrolladas hasta el momento dentro de la metodología MA analizando sus características y modos de implementación.[EN] Optimal process operation is carried out by a Real-Time Optimization (RTO) layer which operates above the control layer and takes decisions based on steady-state plant models by considering economic objectives. However, this optimal operation is not guaranteed due to the presence of plant-model mismatch. To bring the process to the optimum operating point, the economic optimization problem solved in the RTO layer is changed following the Modifier Adaptation methodology (MA). This methodology changes the economic optimization problem solved in the RTO layer by adding some corrector terms or modifiers estimated from plant measurements to bring the process to the real optimum. This article presents a review of the different MA techniques developed until now and analyzing their features and the way to implement them.Este trabajo ha sido realizado gracias al proyecto DPI2015-70975-P del MINECO del Gobierno de España bajo la beca FPI BES-2013-062737.Rodríguez-Blanco, T.; Sarabia, D.; De Prada, C. (2018). Optimización en Tiempo Real utilizando la Metodología de Adaptación de Modificadores. Revista Iberoamericana de Automática e Informática industrial. 15(2):133-144. https://doi.org/10.4995/riai.2017.8846OJS13314415