A review of the developments in nuclear track methodology as published in the proceedings of the International Conference on Nuclear Tracks in Solids from 1990 to 2008

International audienceThe aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the developments in nuclear track methodology as published in the proceedings of the last ten meetings of the International Conference on Nuclear Tracks in Solids (ICNTS) from the Marburg (Germany) conference in 1990 to the Bologna (Italy) conference of 2008. Nuclear Tracks Methodology (NTM) examines the effects of the interaction between charged particles and solid materials and presents several desirable characteristics: the detectors can easily be cut into a size appropriate for any application and can be used in locations for which other radiation detectors are not suitable; the etching and reading instrumentation is relatively simple; there is a quasiinsensibility to gamma radiation for reasonable dose exposures (typically <1 kGy); after chemical etching the information recorded on the detector material is essentially permanent; and, finally, the system involves relatively low costs. These characteristics have contributed to the importance of NTM for radiation detection in an immense number of applications across a wide range of scientific and technological fields. This paper reviews the new ideas, topics, materials and applications related to NTM that have been presented over the past ten ICNTS meetings from 1990 to 2008, and analyzes the evolution of various topics. One could argue that the conferences themselves have been an important source of new ideas and applications for the nuclear track research community. Two important observations arise from this review. The first is that the contributions of the past ten international conferences can be conveniently classified into 12 categories. The second is that the number of papers published varied widely from conference to conference. Several factors contributed: the variation in the number of conference participants, the interests of local participants (who account for a disproportionate number of conference participants), the location of the conference, and the appearance of new international conferences devoted to topics similar to those covered by the ICNTS

Drawing and conceptual method in swiss architecture

[EN] The article analyzes the drawings of several renowned Swiss architects (Herzog & de Meuron, Peter Zumthor, Peter Märkli, Marianne Burkhalter and Christian Kerez) and defends the existence of several common features, denoting a method of eminently conceptual work. These are: the free choice of media and materials, lack of graphic academicism, non-pictorial use of the canvas, expression of the drawing process, the inclusion of texts and annotations, the use of sets and repetitions, the dominance of two-dimensionality and diagrammatic reduction. These features are compared, in some cases, with the work of conceptual artists or close to conceptual art, justifying the thesis defended[ES] El artículo analiza los dibujos de varios arquitectos suizos de reconocido prestigio (Herzog & de Meuron, Peter Zumthor, Peter Märkli, Marianne Burkhalter y Christian Kerez) y defiende la existencia de varios rasgos comunes, que denotan un método de trabajo eminentemente conceptual. Estos son: la elección libre de soportes y materiales, la falta de academicismo gráfico, el uso no pictórico del lienzo, la expresión del proceso de dibujo, la inclusión de textos y anotaciones, el uso de series y repeticiones, el predominio de la bidimensionalidad, y la reducción diagramática. Estos rasgos son comparados, en algunos casos, con el trabajo de artistas conceptuales o próximos al arte conceptual, justificando la tesis defendidaFernández-Morales, A.; Bigas Vidal, M.; Font Basté, G.; Bravo Farré, L. (2014). Dibujo y método conceptual en la arquitectura suiza. EGA. Revista de Expresión Gráfica Arquitectónica. 19(23):138-147. doi:10.4995/ega.2014.1764.SWORD138147192

Dynamics and dispensability of variant-specific histone H1 Lys-26/Ser-27 and Thr-165 post-translational modifications

Jean-Michel Terme et al.In mammals, the linker histone H1, involved in DNA packaging into chromatin, is represented by a family of variants. H1 tails undergo post-translational modifications (PTMs) that can be detected by mass spectrometry. We developed antibodies to analyze several of these as yet unexplored PTMs including the combination of H1.4 K26 acetylation or trimethylation and S27 phosphorylation. H1.2-T165 phosphorylation was detected at S and G2/M phases of the cell cycle and was dispensable for chromatin binding and cell proliferation; while the H1.4-K26 residue was essential for proper cell cycle progression. We conclude that histone H1 PTMs are dynamic over the cell cycle and that the recognition of modified lysines may be affected by phosphorylation of adjacent residues. © 2014 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN) and European Regional Development Fund (Grant BFU2011-23057 to A.J., and Grant BFU2008-00460 to P.S.), and by the Regional Government of Catalonia (Generalitat de Catalunya; Grant 2009-SGR-1222 to A.J.). J.-M.T. received a JAE-Doc contract from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)-MICINN; R.M. a TA contract from CSIC-MICINN; and L.M.-A. an FPU predoctoral fellowship from MICINNPeer Reviewe

The IFAE/UAB Raman LIDAR for the CTA-North

The IFAE/UAB Raman LIDAR project aims to develop a Raman LIDAR suitable for the online atmospheric calibration of the CTA. Requirements for such a solution include the ability to characterize aerosol extinction to distances of more than 20 km with an accuracy better than 5%, within time scales of less than one minute. The Raman LIDAR consists therefore of a large 1.8 m mirror and a powerful pulsed Nd-YAG laser. A liquid light-guide collects the light at the focal plane and transports it to the readout system. An in-house built polychromator has been characterized thoroughly with respect to its capability to separate efficiently the different wavelengths (355 nm, 387 nm, 532 nm and 607 nm). It was found to operate according to specifications, particularly that light leakage from the elastic channels (532 nm and 355 nm) into the much dimmer Raman channels (387 nm and 607 nm) could be excluded to less than 2 x 10(-7). We present here the status of the integration and commissioning of this solution and plans for the near future. After a one-year test period at the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos, an in-depth evaluation of this and the solutions adopted by a similar project developed by the LUPM, Montpellier, will lead to a final Raman LIDAR proposed to be built for both CTA sites

Las dificultades del aprendizaje autónomo en un contexto de ABP

Objectives: To identify the difficulties that the students have in a process of selflearning. To elaborate an inventory of the identified difficulties. To diagnose the causes of the difficulties and to point routes or possibilities of overcoming. To evaluate the impact of the difficulties in the end item. Empiric analysis data: 80 students of the two last years in law studies. Academic year 2006-2007. Faculty of Law of the University of Barcelona. Methodology: Ethnografic study. Results: For students who do not have previous experience in ABP the greater difficulty is the disorientation and the anguish that suffer because of the absence of an agenda. They exist difficulties of interaction with the tutors derived from the divergent conception and intelligence of meaning. Finally, difficulties derived from the influence of the surroundings (personal habits) and connected others with the learning styles of each student have been detected.Objetivos: Identificar las dificultades que experimentan los estudiantes en un proceso de aprendizaje autodirigido. Elaborar un inventario y una clasificación de las dificultades identificadas. Diagnosticar las causas de las dificultades y apuntar vías o posibilidades de superación. Evaluar el impacto de las dificultades en el producto final. Datos del análisis empírico: Participan en el estudio un total de 80 estudiantes de los dos últimos cursos de la licenciatura de Derecho. Curso académico 2006-2007. Facultad de Derecho de la Universidad de Barcelona. Metodología de trabajo: Estudio etnográfico. Resultados: Para los estudiantes que no tienen experiencia previa en ABP la mayor dificultad es la desorientación y la angustia que sufren ante la ausencia de un temario. Existen dificultades de interacción con los tutores derivadas de la divergente concepción e inteligencia de significados. Finalmente, se han detectado dificultades derivadas de la influencia del entorno (hábitos personales) y otras conectadas con los estilos de aprendizaje de cada estudiante

Inertial sensors for gait monitoring and design of adaptive controllers for exoskeletons after stroke: a feasibility study

Introduction: Tuning the control parameters is one of the main challenges in robotic gait therapy. Control strategies that vary the control parameters based on the user’s performance are still scarce and do not exploit the potential of using spatiotemporal metrics. The goal of this study was to validate the feasibility of using shank-worn Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) for clinical gait analysis after stroke and evaluate their preliminary applicability in designing an automatic and adaptive controller for a knee exoskeleton (ABLE-KS).Methods: First, we estimated the temporal (i.e., stride time, stance, and swing duration) and spatial (i.e., stride length, maximum vertical displacement, foot clearance, and circumduction) metrics in six post-stroke participants while walking on a treadmill and overground and compared these estimates with data from an optical motion tracking system. Next, we analyzed the relationships between the IMU-estimated metrics and an exoskeleton control parameter related to the peak knee flexion torque. Finally, we trained two machine learning algorithms, i.e., linear regression and neural network, to model the relationship between the exoskeleton torque and maximum vertical displacement, which was the metric that showed the strongest correlations with the data from the optical system [r = 0.84; ICC(A,1) = 0.73; ICC(C,1) = 0.81] and peak knee flexion torque (r = 0.957).Results: Offline validation of both neural network and linear regression models showed good predictions (R2 = 0.70–0.80; MAE = 0.48–0.58 Nm) of the peak torque based on the maximum vertical displacement metric for the participants with better gait function, i.e., gait speed &gt; 0.7 m/s. For the participants with worse gait function, both models failed to provide good predictions (R2 = 0.00–0.19; MAE = 1.15–1.29 Nm) of the peak torque despite having a moderate-to-strong correlation between the spatiotemporal metric and control parameter.Discussion: Our preliminary results indicate that the stride-by-stride estimations of shank-worn IMUs show potential to design automatic and adaptive exoskeleton control strategies for people with moderate impairments in gait function due to stroke

Molecular phenomics of a high-calorie diet-induced porcine model of prepubertal obesity

As obesity incidence is alarmingly rising among young individuals, we aimed to characterize an experimental model of this situation, considering the similarity between human and porcine physiology. For this reason, we fed prepubertal (63 days-old) Duroc breed females (n=20) either with a standard growth diet (3800 KCal/day) or one with a high-calorie content (5200 KCal/day) during 70 days. Computerized tomography, mass-spectrometry based metabolomics, and lipidomics, as well as peripheral blood mononuclear cell transcriptomics, were applied to define traits linked to high-calorie intake. Samples from a human cohort confirmed potential lipidomic markers. Compared to those fed a standard growth diet, pigs fed a high-calorie diet showed an increased weight gain (13%), much higher adiposity (53%), hypertriacylglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia, in parallel to insulin resistance. This diet induced marked changes in the circulating lipidome, particularly in phosphatidylethanolamine-type molecules. Also, circulating specific diacylglycerol and monoacylglycerol contents correlated with visceral fat and intrahepatic triacylglycerol concentrations. Specific lipids associated with obesity in swine (mainly belonging to glycerophospholipid, triacylglyceride, and sterol classes) were also linked with obesity-traits in the human cohort, reinforcing the usefulness of the chosen approach. Interestingly, no overt inflammation in plasma or adipose tissue was evident in this model. The presented model is useful as a preclinical surrogate of prepubertal obesity in order to ascertain the pathophysiology interactions between energy intake and obesity development.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio