Influence of irrigation conditions in the germination of plasma treated Nasturtium seeds

Plasma treatments had emerged as a useful technique to improve seed germination. In this work we investigate the influence of different irrigation conditions and plasma treatments on the germination of nasturtium seeds. During plasma treatment, seeds experience a progressive weight loss as a function of treatment time that has been associated to water release, a process that is more pronounced after longer plasma treatment times. Seeds treated for short times (<30 s) are able to germinate more efficiently than untreated specimen under hydric stress (drought conditions), while plasma treatments for longer times (up to 300 s) impaired germination independently on irrigation conditions. Characterization analysis of plasma treated seeds by FTIR-ATR, SEM/EDX and XPS showed that plasma treatment affected the chemical state of pericarp while, simultaneously, induced a considerable increase in the seeds water uptake capacity. The decrease in germination efficiency found after plasma treatment for long times, or for short times under optimum irrigation conditions, has been attributed to that the excess of water accumulated in the pericarp hampers the diffusion up to the embryo of other agents like oxygen which are deemed essential for germination.España FEDER y MINECO MINECO (projects MAT2013-40852-R, MAT2016-79866-R, MINECOCSIC 201560E055)España, RECUPERA 2020 y Junta de Andalucía project P12-2265 M

SIDGEIPA: an Archaeological Information System

En el artículo se presenta un nuevo sistema de información arqueológica: SIDGEIPA -SIstema Distribuido para la GEstión Integral del Patrimonio Arqueológico- SIDGEIPA va más allá de la adaptación de un Sistema de Información Geográfica a la Gestión del Patrimonio arqueológico. Las características más destacables de SIDGEIPA son: el estar desarrollado en código Java lo que implica su capacidad multiplataforma; automatización de la matriz Harris, se trata de una aplicación única con la que se pueden realizar todos los procesos informáticos relacionados con la gestión del patrimonio arqueológico (Dibujo asistido por ordenador, base de datos, procesado de imágenes y otros. Los datos que se presentan se realizaron en la excavación de dos yacimientos arqueológicos del Holoceno Inicial en la Comunidad Valenciana: el Mas D’Is (Penàguila, Àlacant) en realidad la primera aldea neolítica localizada en el Mediterráneo peninsular; y Mangraneres (Andilla, València), pequeño yacimiento al aire libre con niveles mesolíticos y neolíticos. Ambos se encuadrar dentro del proyecto AMAPA (Agricultura y Medio Ambiente de los Primeros Agricultores).In our paper we discuss the different aspects of the process we have followed to develop a completely new software to manage Archaeological Parks. The software named SIDGEIPA (Distributed System for Integral Management of Archaeological Parks) includes different modules allowing user to store archaeological data from different sources (excavation, survey, scientific literature, museum collections...) and to process them automatically in order to simplify archaeological research. The new software has been tested in the AMAPA project (Archaeology and Environment of the first agriculturalist in Mediterranean Spain) including a full implementation of it at the excavation level in the Mas D’Is case (a Neolithic Impressed-Ware site). At the conference we will show examples of how the SIDGEIPA software is able to develop a Harrix Matrix and to model 3D reconstructions. Both Technical aspects and archaeological question will be presented and discussed. Examples of the software functionality will be exposed including Geographical Information Systems, Computes Assisted Design and database management. Development of the software have been possible to financial aid from the FEDER program of the European Union being consequence of the full integration of two research projects the Rural Archaeological Park implemented in the Alcaoia-El Comtat valleys (Alacant, Spain) and the Distributed System for Integral Management of Archaeological

Surface nanostructuring of TiO2 thin films by high energy ion irradiation

The effects of a high ion dose irradiation on TiO2 thin films under different conditions of temperature and ion nature are discussed. We have shown that anatase TiO2 thin films irradiated with N+ ions at room temperature develop a typical microstructure with mounds and voids open to the surface whereas irradiations at 700 K generate a surface pattern of well-ordered nanorods aligned with the ion beam. The formation of these patterns is caused by the simultaneous effect of ion irradiation near the film surface and a film temperature favoring the structural mobilization of the defective network of the material. To explain these phenomena, a qualitative model has been proposed and further tested by irradiating the TiO2 thin films with F+ and S+ ions under different conditions. The obtained results demonstrate that ion irradiation techniques enable the formation of tilted nanorod surface patterns with lengths of about 100 nm on anatase TiO2 thin films. © 2010 The American Physical Society.Peer Reviewe

Surface nanostructuring of TiO2 thin films by ion beam irradiation

This work reports a procedure to modify the surface nanostructure of TiO2 anatase thin films through ion beam irradiation with energies in the keV range. Irradiation with N+ ions leads to the formation of a layer with voids at a depth similar to the ion-projected range. By setting the ion-projected range a few tens of nanometers below the surface of the film, well-ordered nanorods appear aligned with the angle of incidence of the ion beam. Slightly different results were obtained by using heavier (S+) and lighter (B+) ions under similar conditions

Nanostructure of Thin Films Grown by Deposition of Isotropically Distributed Gaseous Particles

: Presentación en la conferencia “12th International Conference on Plasma Surface Engineering”Peer reviewe

Analytical description of optical vortices generated by discretized vortex-producing lenses

In this article, a general analytical treatment (any topological charge - any number of discretization levels) for the diffraction of a Gaussian beam through a discretized vortex-producing lens is presented. In the proposal, the field is expressed as a sum of Kummer beams with different amplitudes and topological charges, which are focalized at different planes on the propagation axis. Likewise, it is demonstrated that characteristics of diffracted light can be modified by tuning the parameters of the setup. Vortex lines are analyzed to understand the internal mechanism of measurable topological charges that appear in specific planes, apparently violating topological charge conservation. Conservation of the topological charge is verified and theoretical predictions are supported by experiments.Facultad de Ciencias ExactasCentro de Investigaciones Óptica

Surface nanostructuring of TiO2 thin films by high energy ion irradiation

The effects of a high ion dose irradiation on TiO2 thin films under different conditions of temperature and ion nature are discussed. We have shown that anatase TiO2 thin films irradiated with N+ ions at room temperature develop a typical microstructure with mounds and voids open to the surface whereas irradiations at 700 K generate a surface pattern of well-ordered nanorods aligned with the ion beam. The formation of these patterns is caused by the simultaneous effect of ion irradiation near the film surface and a film temperature favoring the structural mobilization of the defective network of the material. To explain these phenomena, a qualitative model has been proposed and further tested by irradiating the TiO2 thin films with F+ and S+ ions under different conditions. The obtained results demonstrate that ion irradiation techniques enable the formation of tilted nanorod surface patterns with lengths of about 100 nm on anatase TiO2 thin films.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación MAT 2007-65764, 2010-CSD2008-00023, 200960I132Junta de Andalucía TEP2275, P07-FQM-0329

Diseño de una Planta Piloto de Refinación Electrolítica de un Bullion de Oro y Plata

Fil: García, Juan Antonio. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Instituto de Investigaciones Mineras; Argentina (San Juan)Fil: Parra, Ricardo. Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino. Centro SEGEMAR Salta; Argentina.Fil: Montenegro, Carlos Alberto. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Instituto de Investigaciones Mineras; Argentina (San Juan)Fil: Gómez Agustín Alberto. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Instituto de Investigaciones Mineras; Argentina (San Juan)Fil: Núñez, Enrique Antonio. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Instituto de Investigaciones Mineras; Argentina (San Juan)Fil: De la Iglesia, Daniel. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Instituto de Investigaciones Mineras; Argentina (San juan)Fil: Matar, José Agustín. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Instituto de Investigaciones Mineras; Argentina (San Juan)Fil: Villas Boas, Roberto. Centro de Tecnología Mineral CETEM; Brasil (Río de Janeiro)El presente trabajo de investigación fue realizado en el Instituto de Investigaciones Mineras (UNSJ) por los autores. Tuvo como objetivo el diseño, construcción y puesta en marcha de una planta refinadora de oro y plata a partir de un bullion impuro obtenido en la Mina Farallón Negro, provincia de Catamarca. Con los resultados obtenidos en esta etapa, se diseñó y construyó la planta comercial de refinación de oro y plata de la empresa Yacimientos Mineros Aguas de Dionisio (YMAD) en la ciudad de Catamarca. Este trabajo se presentó oportunamente en las Jornadas de Metalurgia extractiva realizadas en La Serena, Chile (CONAMET-SAM 2004

Enhancement of visible light-induced surface photo-activity of nanostructured N¿TiO2 thin films modified by ion implantation

This work reports the morphological and chemical modifications induced in TiO2 thin films by bombardment with high energy N+ ions at different temperatures and their different photo-activity responses after implantation under visible and UV light illumination. When implanted samples are illuminated with visible light, no dye photo-decolouration takes place despite that light transformed the surfaces from hydrophobic to hydrophilic. In agreement with the Wenzel model of wetting, correlation is found between visible light photo-activity and film morphology. We conclude that the photo-activity response can be separated into shallow and Schottky barrier photo-activity, this latter involving a thicker layer of materialMinisterio de Ciencia e Innovación CONSOLIDER CSD2008-00023 MAT2010-21228 MAT2010-1844

Theoretical and experimental characterization of TiO2 thin films deposited at oblique angles

The microstructural features of amorphous TiO2 thin films grown by the electron beam physical vapour deposition technique at oblique angles have been experimentally and theoretically studied. The microstructural features of the deposited films were characterized by considering both, the column tilt angle and the increase of the column thickness with height. A Monte Carlo model of the film growth has been developed that takes into account surface shadowing, short-range interaction between the deposition species and the film surface, as well as the angular broadening of the deposition flux when arriving at the substrate. The good match between simulations and experimental results indicates the importance of these factors in the growth and microstructural development of thin films deposited at oblique angles.Ministerio de Innovación, MAT 2007-65764, CONSOLIDER INGENIO 2010-CSD2008-00023, PIE 200960I132Junta de Andalucía TEP2275, TEP5283, P07-FQM-03298, FQM-690