Characterization of dust activity on Mars from MY27 to MY32 by PFS-MEX observations

We present spatial and temporal distributions of dust on Mars from Ls = 331 in MY26 until Ls = 80 in MY33 retrieved from the measurements taken by the Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS) aboard Mars Express. In agreement with previous observations, large dust opacity is observed mostly in the southern hemisphere spring/summer and particularly over regions of higher terrain and large topographic variation. We present a comparison with dust opacities obtained from Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) - Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) measurements. We found good consistency between observations of two instruments during overlapping interval (Ls = 331 in MY26 until Ls = 77 in MY27). We found a different behavior of the dust opacity with latitude in the various Martian years (inter-annual variations). A global dust storm occurred in MY28. We observe a different spatial distribution, a later occurrence and dissipation of the dust maximum activity in MY28 than in other Martian years. A possible precursor signal to the global dust storm in MY 28 is observed at Ls = 200 - 235 especially over west Hellas. Heavy dust loads alter atmospheric temperatures. Due to the absorption of solar radiation and emission of infrared radiation to space by dust vertically non-uniformly distributed, a strong heating of high atmospheric levels (40 - 50 km) and cooling below around 30 km are observed.Comment: in press in Icarus. 47 pages, 15 figure

A conceptual and architectural characterization of antifragile systems

Antifragility is one of the terms that have recently emerged with the aim of indicating a direction that should be pursued toward the objective of designing Information and Communications Technology systems that remain trustworthy despite their dynamic and evolving operating context. We present a characterization of antifragility, aiming to clarify from a conceptual viewpoint the implications of its adoption as a design guideline and its relationships with other approaches sharing a similar objective. To this end, we discuss the inclusion of antifragility (and related concepts) within the well-known dependability taxonomy, which was proposed a few decades ago with the goal of providing a reference framework to reason about the different facets of the general concern of designing dependable systems. From our conceptual characterization, we then derive a possible path toward the engineering of antifragile systems

A conceptual and architectural characterization of antifragile systems

Antifragility is one of the terms that have recently emerged with the aim of indicating a direction that should be pursued toward the objective of designing Information and Communications Technology systems that remain trustworthy despite their dynamic and evolving operating context. We present a characterization of antifragility, aiming to clarify from a conceptual viewpoint the implications of its adoption as a design guideline and its relationships with other approaches sharing a similar objective. To this end, we discuss the inclusion of antifragility (and related concepts) within the well-known dependability taxonomy, which was proposed a few decades ago with the goal of providing a reference framework to reason about the different facets of the general concern of designing dependable systems. From our conceptual characterization, we then derive a possible path toward the engineering of antifragile systems

Interaction of heavy metals and different organic matrixes

El objetivo general de este trabajo es estudiar la forma de interacción entre tres matrices orgánicas diferentes y los metales pesados. Con este propósito, se diseñaron, sintetizaron y evaluaron tres nuevas matrices para ser utilizadas como agentes secuestrantes de metales pesados. Estos nuevos materiales son de naturaleza química diversa: polímeros, tensioactivos derivados de hidratos de carbono y biomasa muerta. Los tensioactivos presentados son derivados de alquil glucósidos, diseñados para obtener sustituyentes con capacidades quelantes en sus cabezas hidrofílicas. La obtención de estos compuestos se llevó a cabo mediante una síntesis en tres etapas. En una primer paso se produce la O-glicosidación de una unidad de glucosa con un alcohol graso. En una segunda etapa se realiza la conversión del grupo alcohol en C6 de la unidad de glucosa a ácido carboxílico. Finalmente en la última etapa se produce el acoplamiento de diferentes grupos funcionales en el carboxilo del ácido glucurónico buscando obtener la función quelante. Los ensayos para la remoción de metales pesados se llevaron a cabo empleando el método conocido como flotación. Las propiedades interfaciales de todos productos obtenidos son caracterizadas, así como también los equilibrios de formación de complejos para los productos más eficaces. La eficiencia de remoción es discutida en detalle en función de las propiedades estudiadas. El material polimérico utilizado es un polímero con sustituyentes tetrazólicos. Este producto es obtenido mediante una sencilla modificación química efectuada sobre fibras de un copolímero de acrilonitrilo que es un descarte industrial. La transformación consiste en una cilcoadición dipolar 1,3. El material así sintetizado demostró ser aplicable en la precipitación de metales pesados divalentes, presentando además la ventaja de ser reutilizable. Todos los materiales obtenidos, son caracterizados física, térmica y espectroscópicamente, con el objetivo de comprender la forma de interacción. La biomasa fue obtenida a partir del hongo macroscópico polyporus tenuiculus sin mayores tratamientos y fue utilizada como sorbente para metales pesados divalentes, en soluciones mono- y multi-sorbato. Se caracteriza la cinética, las isotermas de sorción y la dependencia de la eficiencia de remoción con los factores experimentales. El sorbente demuestra ser eficiente para remoción de metales pesados, presentando la ventaja se ser reutilizable. Se comparan las ventajas y desventajas en la utilización de las tras matrices estudiadas.The overall objective of this work is to study the interaction between three different organic matrixes with heavy metals. For this purpose, three new matrixes for use as heavy metal sequestering agents were designed, synthesized and evaluated. These new materials are of different chemical nature: polymers, surfactants derived from carbohydrates, and dead biomass. The studied surfactants are derived from alkyl glucosides, designed with substituents having chelating capabilities in their hydrophilic heads. The preparation of these compounds is carried out by a three-step synthesis. In a first stage occurs the O-glycosylation of a glucose unit with a fatty alcohol. In a second stage the alcohol group in the C6 of the glucose unit is converted in carboxylic acid. Finally, in the last stage, different functional groups are coupled to the carboxyl group of the glucuronic acid, and so, the desired chelating function is obtained. The tests for removing the heavy metals were carried out using the method known as flotation. Interfacial properties of all the products obtained are characterized as well as the complexation equilibria for the most effective products. Removal efficiency is discussed in detail in terms of the properties studied. The polymeric material used is a polymer with tetrazolic pendan group. This product was obtained by a simple chemical modification conducted on the fibers of a copolymer which is an industrial waste. The transformation consists in a dipolar cyclo addition 1,3. The material thus synthesized proved to be applicable in the precipitation of divalent heavy metals, also having the advantage of being reusable. All materials obtained were characterized physical, thermal and spectroscopically, with the aim of understand the mechanism of interaction. Biomass was obtained from the macroscopic fungus polyporus tenuiculus without further treatment and was used as a sorbent for divalent heavy metals, in mono- and multi-sorbate solutions. Kinetics, sorption isotherms and dependence of removal efficiency are characterized with the experimental factors. The sorbent proved be efficient for the removal of heavy metals, and showed the advantage of being reusable. The advantages and disadvantages in the use of the three studied matrixes are compared.Fil: Grassi, Diego Alejandro. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina

Tensoativos ecológicos na formulação de glifosato

Weeds affect various crops worldwide, causing low yields and, therefore, significant economic losses. These losses can be minimized by the use of herbicides such as glyphosate. However, the efficiency of glyphosate depends on the type of agrochemical formulations. The most widely used surfactant is polyethoxylated tallow amine. Nevertheless, the disadvantage of these compounds is that their toxicity is greater than that of glyphosate itself. Thus, this study aimed to develop an environmentally-friendly combination of surfactants that can increase the performance of glyphosate compared to other currently used formulations. Saponin (S) is environmentally friendly and has a unique ability to go through the waxy cuticle of the weed leaf. However, its interfacial properties are very poor. In contrast, the alkyl glucoside (AG) mixture has shown excellent interfacial properties, being an environmentally safe surfactant, but cannot pass through the cuticle. In the present study, we mixed both surfactants. Two formulations were made with 20% (F1) and 2% (F2) of S with 4% AG. To verify the usefulness of our formulations, they were compared against a commercial product. The results showed that the commercial product had better CMC 0.3±0.1% and pC20 1.155±0.099 than our formulations F1 and F2. Formulations F1 and F2 showed better gCMC than the commercial product 36.5±4.1 mN/m and 30.9±1.4 mN/m, respectively. Field tests showed that F2 was more effective than the commercial product in eliminating weeds at the end of the test at 30 days. Our results allowed confirming that the use of saponin improves the efficiency of glyphosate. The work showed that structures similar to cyclopentaneperhydrophenanthrene are very effective for introducing drugs into plants through the leaves. This is an advance in general and in particular for the increase of the yield in certain crops.As ervas daninhas afetam várias culturas em todo o mundo, causando baixos rendimentos e perdas econômicas significativas. Essas perdas podem ser minimizadas pelo uso de herbicidas como o glifosato, cuja eficiência depende do tipo de formulação agroquímica. O surfactante mais amplamente utilizado é a amina de sebo polietoxilada. No entanto, a desvantagem desses compostos é que sua toxicidade é maior do que a do próprio glifosato. Este estudo teve como objetivo desenvolver uma combinação de surfactantes ecologicamente correta que pode aumentar o desempenho do glifosato em comparação com outras formulações utilizadas atualmente. A saponina (S) é ecologicamente correta e tem a capacidade única de atravessar a cutícula cerosa da folha da erva daninha. No entanto, suas propriedades interfaciais são muito pobres. Em contraste, a mistura de alquil glicosídeo (AG) apresentou excelentes propriedades interfaciais, sendo um surfactante ambientalmente seguro, mas não pode passar pela cutícula. No presente estudo, misturamos os dois surfactantes. Duas formulações foram feitas com 20% (F1) e 2% (F2) de S com 4% AG. Para verificar a utilidade das nossas formulações, elas foram comparadas com um produto comercial. Os resultados mostraram que o produto comercial apresentou melhor CMC 0,3±0,1% e pC20 1,155±0,099 do que nossas formulações F1 e F2. As formulações F1 e F2 mostraram gCMC melhor do que o produto comercial 36,5±4,1 mN/m e 30,9±1,4 mN/m, respectivamente. Os testes de campo mostraram que o F2 foi mais eficaz do que o produto comercial na eliminação de ervas daninhas no final do teste aos 30 dias. Nossos resultados permitiram confirmar que o uso da saponina melhora a eficiência do glifosato. O trabalho mostrou que estruturas semelhantes ao ciclopentanoperidrofenantreno são muito eficazes para a introdução de drogas nas plantas através das folhas. Este é um avanço em geral e, em particular, para o aumento da produtividade de certas safras

Design and analysis of a pumpjet propulsor for a ferry ship

The high efficiency of pumpjet propulsors recently favored their application to ships, different to usual high-speed vessels and submarines, to comply with the most recent regulations on efficiency, comfort onboard and noise pollution. In this context, as a part of the activity of the EU funded project SATURN, the design, and the performances of an axial pumpjet are investigated. The pumpjet of current study is designed to replace a conventional propeller of a ferry ship. To this aim a simulation-based design optimization method employing simplified RANSE analyses, synthetic wakes generated using body force distributions and a mixing-plane based coupling between rotor and stator is employed. Main geometrical characteristics (diameter, number of rotor and stator blades) as well as distributions of pitch, chord and camber are handled in the process by a parametric description of the geometry. A genetic algorithm guides towards the Pareto convergence of the designs by requiring the maximization of the propulsive efficiency at the lowest possible cavitation inception index. Fully unsteady RANSE calculations are finally employed to characterize the unsteady performances (thrust and torque) in behind conditions including the cavitation pattern and the induced pressure pulses on the ship stern, and results are discussed and compared to those of the reference conventional propeller

The Comparative Exploration of the Ice Giant Planets with Twin Spacecraft: Unveiling the History of our Solar System

In the course of the selection of the scientific themes for the second and third L-class missions of the Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 program of the European Space Agency, the exploration of the ice giant planets Uranus and Neptune was defined "a timely milestone, fully appropriate for an L class mission". Among the proposed scientific themes, we presented the scientific case of exploring both planets and their satellites in the framework of a single L-class mission and proposed a mission scenario that could allow to achieve this result. In this work we present an updated and more complete discussion of the scientific rationale and of the mission concept for a comparative exploration of the ice giant planets Uranus and Neptune and of their satellite systems with twin spacecraft. The first goal of comparatively studying these two similar yet extremely different systems is to shed new light on the ancient past of the Solar System and on the processes that shaped its formation and evolution. This, in turn, would reveal whether the Solar System and the very diverse extrasolar systems discovered so far all share a common origin or if different environments and mechanisms were responsible for their formation. A space mission to the ice giants would also open up the possibility to use Uranus and Neptune as templates in the study of one of the most abundant type of extrasolar planets in the galaxy. Finally, such a mission would allow a detailed study of the interplanetary and gravitational environments at a range of distances from the Sun poorly covered by direct exploration, improving the constraints on the fundamental theories of gravitation and on the behaviour of the solar wind and the interplanetary magnetic field.Comment: 29 pages, 4 figures; accepted for publication on the special issue "The outer Solar System X" of the journal Planetary and Space Science. This article presents an updated and expanded discussion of the white paper "The ODINUS Mission Concept" (arXiv:1402.2472) submitted in response to the ESA call for ideas for the scientific themes of the future L2 and L3 space mission

The insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor is essential for axonal regeneration in adult central nervous system neurons

Axonal regeneration is an essential condition to re-establish functional neuronal connections in the injured adult central nervous system (CNS), but efficient regrowth of severed axons has proven to be very difficult to achieve. Although significant progress has been made in identifying the intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms involved, many aspects remain unresolved. Axonal development in embryonic CNS (hippocampus) requires the obligate activation of the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R). Based on known similarities between axonal growth in fetal compared to mature CNS, we decided to examine the expression of the IGF-1R, using an antibody to the βgc subunit or a polyclonal anti-peptide antibody directed to the IGF-R (C20), in an in vitro model of adult CNS axonal regeneration, namely retinal ganglion cells (RGC) derived from adult rat retinas. Expression of both βgc and the β subunit recognized by C20 antibody were low in freshly isolated adult RGC, but increased significantly after 4 days in vitro. As in embryonic axons, βgc was localised to distal regions and leading growth cones in RGC. IGF-1R-βgc co-localised with activated p85 involved in the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway, upon stimulation with IGF-1. Blocking experiments using either an antibody which neutralises IGF-1R activation, shRNA designed against the IGF-1R sequence, or the PI3K pathway inhibitor LY294002, all significantly reduced axon regeneration from adult RGC in vitro (∼40% RGC possessed axons in controls vs 2-8% in the different blocking studies). Finally, co-transfection of RGC with shRNA to silence IGF-1R together with a vector containing a constitutively active form of downstream PI3K (p110), fully restored axonal outgrowth in vitro. Hence these data demonstrate that axonal regeneration in adult CNS neurons requires re-expression and activation of IGF-1R, and targeting this system may offer new therapeutic approaches to enhancing axonal regeneration following trauma.Fil: Dupraz, Sebastian, Enrique. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - CONICET - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Cordoba (p); Argentina;Fil: Grassi, Diego Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - CONICET - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Cordoba (p); Argentina;Fil: Karnas, Diana. Rhythms, Life and Death in the Retina. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS). Université de Strasbourg. Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives; France;Fil: Nieto Guil, Alvaro Fernando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - CONICET - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Cordoba (p); Argentina;Fil: Hicks, David. Rhythms, Life and Death in the Retina. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS). Université de Strasbourg. Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives; France;Fil: Quiroga, Santiago. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - CONICET - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Cordoba (p); Argentina

Conformal Neutrinos: an Alternative to the See-saw Mechanism

We analyze a scenario where the right-handed neutrinos make part of a strongly coupled conformal field theory and acquire an anomalous dimension \gamma<1 at a large scale \Lambda. Their Yukawa couplings to the Higgs become irrelevant at the fixed point and they are suppressed at low scales giving rise naturally to a small (sub-meV) Dirac neutrino mass which breaks the conformal invariance. We derive an upper bound on \gamma from loop-induced flavor changing neutral currents. Neutrino Yukawa couplings can be sizable at electroweak scales and therefore the invisible decay of the Higgs in the neutrino channel can be comparable to the c\bar c and \tau\bar\tau modes and predict interesting Higgs phenomenology. If lepton number is violated in the conformal theory an irrelevant Majorana mass operator for right-handed neutrinos appears for \gamma>1/2 giving rise to an inverse see-saw mechanism. In this case light sterile neutrinos do appear and neutrino oscillation experiments are able to probe our model.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures. v2: Discussion of the lepton number violating case corrected; References adde