Design and manufacture of a scaled railway track with mechanically variable geometry

The objective of this article is to present the design and manufacture of a scaled railroad track to be used as a laboratory track for the study of different railway applications. It could be a guideline for future laboratory railroad tracks. The ideal concept was based on possible future studies and, according to them, design requirements have been specified. The main characteristic of the track is that its geometry can be mechanically modified and irregularities can be introduced under controlled conditions in any kind of track sections: straight, curved and transition ones. Finally, the current installed track is shown and the performed quality controls are described.Junta de Andalucia through the European Regional Development Fund under project reference P18-RT-1772. Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (MINECO) and the European Union through FEDER funds for the funding through the project UNSE15-CE-2863, and the project TRA2017-86355-C2-1-R (MINECO/AEI/FEDER, UE)

Degradación fotocatalítica de un derivado del 4,4'-bis(1,3,5- triazinilamino)-estilbeno-2,2'-disulfonato en solución acuosa por el proceso foto-fenton (uv/fe3+/h2o2 )

La degradación fotocatalítica del blanqueador óptico derivado del 4,4'-bis(1,3,5- triazinilamino)-estilbeno-2,2'-disulfonato fue realizada por el proceso de oxidación avanzada UV/Fe+3/H2O2 (foto-Fenton). Se encontraron las condiciones óptimas de pH, concentraciones de Fe+3, H2O2. Durante el fototratamiento, fueron hechos ensayos para obtener información concerniente a la variación de: a) las absorbancias relativas y b) Demanda química de oxígeno (DQO) de la solución del blanqueador óptico tratada. Con este sistema de fotodegradación, el 72% de la concentración inicial del compuesto fue removido y se obtuvo unamineralización del 65% de la muestra total

Degradación fotocatalítica de un derivado del 4,4'-bis(1,3,5- triazinilamino)-estilbeno-2,2'-disulfonato en solución acuosa por el proceso foto-fenton (uv/fe3+/h2o2 )

La degradación fotocatalítica del blanqueador óptico derivado del 4,4'-bis(1,3,5- triazinilamino)-estilbeno-2,2'-disulfonato fue realizada por el proceso de oxidación avanzada UV/Fe+3/H2O2 (foto-Fenton). Se encontraron las condiciones óptimas de pH, concentraciones de Fe+3, H2O2. Durante el fototratamiento, fueron hechos ensayos para obtener información concerniente a la variación de: a) las absorbancias relativas y b) Demanda química de oxígeno (DQO) de la solución del blanqueador óptico tratada. Con este sistema de fotodegradación, el 72% de la concentración inicial del compuesto fue removido y se obtuvo unamineralización del 65% de la muestra total

Knowledge about COVID-19 and pandemic impact on Madrid dental students (Spain)

COVID-19 has had a major impact on dental activity, with implications on dental education. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge about it and the pandemic impact on Spanish dental students. An observational and cross-sectional study with a 1

Analysis of Plant Growth-Promoting Effects of Fluorescent Pseudomonas Strains Isolated from Mentha piperita Rhizosphere and Effects of Their Volatile Organic Compounds on Essential Oil Composition

Many species or strains of the genus Pseudomonas have been characterized as plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). We used a combination of phenotypic and genotypic techniques to analyze the community of fluorescent Pseudomonas strains in the rhizosphere of commercially grown Mentha piperita (peppermint). Biochemical techniques, Amplified rDNA Restriction Analysis (ARDRA), and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that the majority of the isolated native fluorescent strains were P. putida. Use of two Repetitive Sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR) techniques, BOX-PCR and ERIC-PCR, allowed us to evaluate diversity among the native strains and to more effectively distinguish among them. PGPR activity was tested for the native strains and reference strain P. fluorescens WCS417r. Micropropagated M. piperita plantlets were exposed to microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOCs) emitted by the bacterial strains, and plant biomass parameters and production of essential oils (EOs) were measured. mVOCs from 11 of the native strains caused an increase in shoot fresh weight. mVOCs from three native strains (SJ04, SJ25,SJ48) induced changes in M. pierita EO composition. The mVOCs caused a reduction of metabolites in the monoterpene pathway, for example menthofuran, and an increase in menthol production. Menthol production is the primary indicator of EO quality. The mVOCs produced by native strains SJ04, SJ25,SJ48 and strain WCS417r were analyzed. The obtained mVOC chromatographic profiles were unique for each of the three native strains analyzed, containing varying hydrocarbon, aromatic, and alogenic compounds. The differential effects of the strains were most likely due to the specific mixtures of mVOCs emitted by each strain, suggesting a synergistic effect occurs among the compounds present

El poblado de Alarcos (Ciudad Real) en los inicios del I milenio a.C.: estructuras y materiales cerámicos

The final Bronze Age and Early Iron Age of the south-western Meseta were insufficiently documented to be properly characterized until the final years of the 20th century. However, recent work at settlements such as Alarcos (Ciudad Real) has obtained valuable information about the habitat structures and a large amount of well contextualized archaeological material (mainly pottery painted after firing). These are carefully-made tablewares whose decoration indicates a selective adoption of fashions and customs of Tartessian inspiration (e.g., Carambolo type and burnished-lattice ceramics) as consequence of commercial exchanges. This new data is helping us achieve a better understanding of the new settlement patterns that started to appear at that time in the middle valley of the Guadiana river and shows the dynamism of the communities located there.Hasta finales del siglo XX la etapa protohistórica correspondiente al Bronce Final- Hierro I en el área sudoccidental de la Meseta no contaba con una documentación arqueológica suficientemente amplia para proceder a su caracterización. En los últimos años los trabajos desarrollados en poblados como Alarcos han logrado obtener una interesante información sobre estructuras de hábitat que han permitido contextualizar y fechar un amplio y variado elenco de cerámicas pintadas postcocción, entre otros materiales arqueológicos, que solo se conocían por prospección superficial. Destaca una vajilla cuidada decorada, pensada para un uso selecto que reproduce modas y costumbres de clara inspiración tartésica como las cerámicas de tipo Carambolo y de retícula bruñida, cuya presencia no sería resultado de una posible colonización tartésica sino el fruto de intercambios comerciales. Gracias a la investigación en curso se empiezan a detallar las características del nuevo patrón de poblamiento que empieza a gestarse en la transición del II al I milenio a.C. en el valle medio del Guadiana, cuyo dinamismo y relaciones comerciales con el Bajo Guadalquivir ponen de manifiesto los materiales cerámicos de este estudio

Maturity Ogives Analysis of European Hake from Southern Stock

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Constraining self-interacting fermionic dark matter in admixed neutron stars using multimessenger astronomy

We investigate the structure of admixed neutron stars with a regular hadronic component and a fraction of fermionic self-interacting dark matter. Using two limiting equations of state for the dense baryonic interior, constructed from piecewise generalised polytropes, and an asymmetric self-interacting fermionic dark component, we analyse different scenarios of admixed neutron stars depending on the mass of dark fermions $m_\chi$, interaction mediators $m_\phi$, and self-interacting strengths $g$. We find that the contribution of dark matter to the masses and radii of neutron stars leads to tension with mass estimates of the pulsar J0453+1559, the least massive neutron star, and with the constraints coming from the GW170817 event. We discuss the possibilities of constraining dark matter model parameters $g$ and $y \equiv m_\chi/m_\phi$, using current existing knowledge on neutron star estimations of mass, radius, and tidal deformability, along with the accepted cosmological dark matter freeze-out values and self-interaction cross-section to mass ratio, $\sigma_\mathrm{SI}/m_\chi$, fitted to explain Bullet, Abell, and dwarf galaxy cluster dynamics. By assuming the most restrictive upper limit, $\sigma_\mathrm{SI}/m_\chi < 0.1$ cm$^2$/g, along with dark matter freeze-out range values, the allowed $g$-$y$ region is $0.01 \lesssim g \lesssim 0.1$, with $0.5 \lesssim y \lesssim 200$. For the first time, the combination of updated complementary restrictions is used to set constraints on self-interacting dark matter.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS. Comments are welcom

Acoustic assessment and distribution of the main pelagic fish species in ICES Subdivision 9a South during the ECOCADIZ-RECLUTAS 2020-10 Spanish survey (October 2020)

The present working document summarises the main results obtained from the ECOCADIZ-RECLUTAS 2020-10 Spanish (pelagic ecosystem-) acoustic-trawl survey conducted by IEO between 02nd and 21st October 2020 in the Portuguese and Spanish shelf waters (20-200 m isobaths) off the Gulf of Cadiz (GoC) onboard the R/V Ramón Margalef. The survey’s main objective is the acoustic assessment of anchovy and sardine juveniles (age 0 fish) in the GoC recruitment areas. The 21 foreseen acoustic transects were sampled. A total of 22 valid fishing hauls were carried out for echo-trace ground-truthing purposes. Chub mackerel, anchovy, mackerel and sardine were the most frequent captured species in the fishing hauls, followed by bogue, horse mackerel, Mediterranean horse mackerel and blue jack mackerel. Boarfish, longspine snipefish and pearlside showed an incidental occurrence in the hauls performed in the surveyed area. Sardine, anchovy, chub mackerel and mackerel showed the highest yields. Total and regional estimates of total NASC allocated to the “pelagic fish species assemblage” in this survey become the historical records in their time-series. Such estimates are the result of the relatively high acoustic contributions of sardine (both in Portuguese and Spanish waters), anchovy (in Spanish waters), and chub mackerel (in Portuguese waters). GoC anchovy was widely distributed in the surveyed area, although higher densities were recorded between east of Cape Santa Maria and Bay of Cadiz. Anchovy acoustic estimates in autumn 2020, 36 070 t and 3197 million fish, showed a decrease in relation to the historical peak recorded the last year, but they were either close (abundance) or even higher (biomass) than the time-series average. The population was composed by fishes not older than 3 years. As usual, the bulk of the population, including juveniles, was located in Spanish waters. Age-0 anchovies accounted for 75% (2385 million) and 58% (21 060 t) of the total estimated abundance and biomass, respectively. Age-0 estimates experienced a similar decreasing trend than the one showed by the whole population in relation to the historical peak recorded the year before, but with values close to the time-series average. GoC sardine experienced a huge increase in autumn 2020, rising up to its time-series maximum and yielding 208 400 t and 5451 million fish, with similar regional contributions to the population and with the juveniles being located in the Spanish coastal waters. Age-6 group was the oldest age group in the population, although the occurrence of fishes older than 4 years was incidental. The population was mainly composed by fishes belonging to the age-0 to age-2 groups. Juvenile sardines (age-0 group) were the dominant group, accounting for 45% and 24% of the total abundance (2454 million) and biomass (49 259 t), respectively. This age-group also recorded its historical maximum in 2020. Chub mackerel estimates were of 22 918 t and 295 million fish, representing a slight decrease compared with the last year, but still above the time-series average. The population was composed by fishes not older than 3 years, with the age-1 group being the dominant one (73%, 216 million, and 75%, 17 082 t, of the total abundance and biomass). Age-0 fish was the second most important age group in the estimated population (17%, 51 million fish, and 12%, 2759 t, of the total abundance and biomass estimates). The bulk of the age-0 (73%) and age-1 groups (74%) was recorded in the Portuguese water