Itinerario didáctico por los hospitales de la Valencia en guerra.

En Europa, durante los últimos años se ha producido un incremento del interés social y escolar por visitar el patrimonio bélico del siglo XX. Sin embargo, en España destaca la falta de habilitación pública de enclaves que tuvieron una importancia significativa durante la última guerra civil española (1936-1939). Este artículo analiza el caso particular de los escenarios históricos sobre los que se tejió la red de infraestructuras sanitarias que se desarrolló en la ciudad de Valencia durante la Guerra Civil. Asimismo, se propone un itinerario didáctico con el objetivo de divulgar este patrimonio desde un punto de vista civil y despolitizado

High frequency ultrasonic devices for the evaluation of the viscosity of coconut water in a rapid and simple way

Coconut water is a well-known beverage under the tropics, but its popularity on the international market has recently been increasing. In fact, it has drawn the attention of manufacturers as a natural functional drink. In this context, and in order to reach the large volume expected by the international markets, one of the key processes is “coconut water concentration”. To optimize and control this unit operation, viscosity of the fluid is one of the most important physical/rheological parameter to be evaluated along with the soluble solid content (SSC in °Brix). Usually, the viscosity of a fluid is measured by rheometry. However, manipulations are time consuming and not suitable for online measurements of the visco-elastic flow properties. In this communication, we suggest two high frequency ultrasonic approaches dedicated to fluid viscosity estimation using both longitudinal or shear wave devices. At first, the investigation carried out using longitudinal waves will be presented. The relationship between longitudinal viscosity and SSC of the coconut water will be demonstrated, prior to the discussion on the relationship between longitudinal viscosity (novel in food rheology) and shear viscosity. Later on, the use of a shear ultrasonic reflectometry approach will be suggested. Thanks to an enhanced experimental device, the direct estimation of the shear viscosity with ultrasound will be compared to shear viscosity by rheometry. A discussion will be proposed for the measurement of viscosity and SSC during concentration using longitudinal or shear ultrasonic waves, on the one hand, for on-line process control on pipelines and, on the other hand, for off-line portable devices (suggestion of a new device coupled to refractometers). These solutions could be applied to any other viscous fluid in the food industry. (Texte intégral

Yukawa Coupling Unification in Supersymmetric Models

We present an updated assessment of the viability of t-b-tau Yukawa coupling unification in supersymmetric models. For the superpotential Higgs mass parameter mu>0, we find unification to less than 1% is possible, but only for GUT scale scalar mass parameter m_{16}~8-20 TeV, and small values of gaugino mass m_{1/2}<400 GeV. Such models require that a GUT scale mass splitting exists amongst Higgs scalars with m_{H_u}^2<m_{H_d}^2. Viable solutions lead to a radiatively generated inverted scalar mass hierarchy, with third generation and Higgs scalars being lighter than other sfermions. These models have very heavy sfermions, so that unwanted flavor changing and CP violating SUSY processes are suppressed, but may suffer from some fine-tuning requirements. While the generated spectra satisfy b->s gamma and (g-2)_mu constraints, there exists tension with the dark matter relic density unless m_{16}<3 TeV. These models offer prospects for a SUSY discovery at the Fermilab Tevatron collider via the search for chargino_1 neutralino_2 -> 3 leptons events, or via gluino pair production. If mu<0, Yukawa coupling unification to less than 5% can occur for m_{16} and m_{1/2}>1-2 TeV. Consistency of negative mu Yukawa unified models with b->s gamma, (g-2)_mu, and relic density all imply very large values of m_{1/2} typically greater than about 2.5 TeV, in which case direct detection of sparticles may be a challenge even at the LHC.Comment: 38 pages, 15 figures. Fig.15 changed, some references were added. A copy of the paper with better resolution figures can be found at http://www.hep.fsu.edu/~balazs/Physics/Papers/2003

PCR-based approach for detection of novel Bacillus thuringiensis cry genes

A two-step strategy, named exclusive PCR or E-PCR, has been developed to overcome the main limitation of PCR, which is the detection of already-known sequences only. This strategy allows the ability to detect and further clone and sequence genes for which no specific primers are available and in which a variable region exists between two conserved regions. This approach has been applied to #Bacillus thuringiensis #cryI# genes by the use of mixtures of degenerate and specific primers recognizing well-known sequences. The first step allows the accurate identification of already-characterized #cryI# genes by the use of three primers. During the second step, the same sets of primers are used to exclude known sequences and to positively detect #cryI# genes unrecognized by any specific primer. The method, as well as its application to detect, clone, and sequence a novel #cryI# gene, is described in this article. (Résumé d'auteur

On the treatment of threshold effects in SUSY spectrum computations

We take a critical view of the treatment of threshold effects in SUSY spectrum computations from high-scale input. We discuss the two principal methods of (a) renormalization at a common SUSY scale versus (b) integrating out sparticles at their own mass scales. We point out problems in the implementations in public spectrum codes, together with suggestions for improvements. In concrete examples, we compare results of Isajet7.72 and Spheno2.2.3, and present the improvements done in Isajet7.73. We also comment on theoretical uncertainties. Last but not least, we outline how a consistent multiscale approach may be achieved.Comment: 15 pages, 1 figur

Supersymmetry breaking as the origin of flavor

We present an effective flavor model for the radiative generation of fermion masses and mixings based on a SU(5)xU(2) symmetry. We assume that the original source of flavor breaking resides in the supersymmetry breaking sector. Flavor violation is transmitted radiatively to the fermion Yukawa couplings at low energy through finite supersymmetric threshold corrections. This model can fit the fermion mass ratios and CKM matrix elements, explain the non-observation of proton decay, and overcome present constraints on flavor changing processes through an approximate radiative alignment between the Yukawa and the soft trilinear sector. The model predicts new relations between dimensionless fermion mass ratios in the three fermion sectors, and the quark mixing angles.Comment: 14 pages, RevTex