Bending relaxation of H2_2O by collision with para- and ortho-H2_2

We extend our recent theoretical work on the bending relaxation of H$_2$O in collisions with H$_2$ by including the three water modes of vibration coupled with rotation, as well as the rotation of H$_2$. Our full quantum close-coupling method (excluding the H$_2$ vibration) is combined with a high-accuracy nine-dimensional potential energy surface. The collisions of para-H$_2$O and ortho-H$_2$O with the two spin modifications of H$_2$ are considered and compared for several initial states of H$_2$O. The convergence of the results as a function of the size of the rotational basis set of the two colliders is discussed. In particular, near-resonant energy transfer between H$_2$O and H$_2$ is found to control the vibrational relaxation process, with a dominant contribution of transitions with delta j2 = +2, +4. Finally, the calculated value of the H$_2$O bending relaxation rate coefficient at 295 K is found to be in excellent agreement with its experimental estimate

Inclusive University: Perceptions of Disability Support Services

Este artículo presenta los resultados de una investigación efectuada en tres universidades de España, Colombia y Francia sobre las percepciones del personal de los servicios de apoyo a las personas con discapacidad en la universidad. Se trata de un estudio descriptivo en el que, mediante entrevistas individuales, los directores académicos y los técnicos de los servicios expresan cómo entienden sus prácticas en relación con el apoyo que proporcionan al estudiantado y al profesorado desde el análisis de tres dimensiones: a) cultura, b) política y c) prácticas inclusivas en la universidad. El análisis de los resultados pone de manifiesto las barreras y fortalezas encontrados en su trabajo. Se concluye con una serie de retos que orientan futuras acciones en cada contexto.This article presents the results of a study carried out in three universities in Spain, Colombia, and France on the perceptions of disability support staff. In this descriptive study, individual interviews were conducted in which academic directors and disability support workers described how they perceived their work with respect to support provided to students and teachers. Three dimensions are discussed: a) culture; b) policies; and c) inclusive practices in the university. The analysis of the results highlights the obstacles and strengths identified within their work. To conclude, the article lists challenges that may guide future action in each context

Sharing Resources with Rwanda: Multidisciplinary Engagement with the Forest of Hope Association in Gishwati-Mukura National Park

Sharing Resources with Rwanda: Multidisciplinary Engagement with the Forest of Hope Association in Gishwati-Mukura National ParkThierry Amiable, Forest of Hope Association (Rwanda, Rutsiro District) Rebecca Chancellor, Associate Professor of Anthropology & Sociology and Psychology (WCU) Trachanda Garcia, Associate Director of Education Abroad Programs (WCU) Aaron Rundus, Professor of Psychology (WCU) Jordan Schugar, Professor of English (WCU

Asteroseismic estimate of helium abundance of a solar analog binary system

16 Cyg A and B are among the brightest stars observed by Kepler. What makes these stars more interesting is that they are solar analogs. 16 Cyg A and B exhibit solar-like oscillations. In this work we use oscillation frequencies obtained using 2.5 years of Kepler data to determine the current helium abundance of these stars. For this we use the fact that the helium ionization zone leaves a signature on the oscillation frequencies and that this signature can be calibrated to determine the helium abundance of that layer. By calibrating the signature of the helium ionization zone against models of known helium abundance, the helium abundance in the envelope of 16 Cyg A is found to lie in the range 0.231 to 0.251 and that of 16 Cyg B lies in the range 0.218 to 0.266.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap

Polychronous Interpretation of Synoptic, a Domain Specific Modeling Language for Embedded Flight-Software

The SPaCIFY project, which aims at bringing advances in MDE to the satellite flight software industry, advocates a top-down approach built on a domain-specific modeling language named Synoptic. In line with previous approaches to real-time modeling such as Statecharts and Simulink, Synoptic features hierarchical decomposition of application and control modules in synchronous block diagrams and state machines. Its semantics is described in the polychronous model of computation, which is that of the synchronous language Signal.Comment: Workshop on Formal Methods for Aerospace (FMA 2009

Analysis of cellular responses of macrophages to zinc ions and zinc oxide nanoparticles: a combined targeted and proteomic approach

Two different zinc oxide nanoparticles, as well as zinc ions, are used to study the cellular responses of the RAW 264 macrophage cell line. A proteomic screen is used to provide a wide view of the molecular effects of zinc, and the most prominent results are cross-validated by targeted studies. Furthermore, the alteration of important macrophage functions (e.g. phagocytosis) by zinc is also investigated. The intracellular dissolution/uptake of zinc is also studied to further characterize zinc toxicity. Zinc oxide nanoparticles dissolve readily in the cells, leading to high intracellular zinc concentrations, mostly as protein-bound zinc. The proteomic screen reveals a rather weak response in the oxidative stress response pathway, but a strong response both in the central metabolism and in the proteasomal protein degradation pathway. Targeted experiments confirm that carbohydrate catabolism and proteasome are critical determinants of sensitivity to zinc, which also induces DNA damage. Conversely, glutathione levels and phagocytosis appear unaffected at moderately toxic zinc concentrations

VITRUV - Science Cases

VITRUV is a second generation spectro-imager for the PRIMA enabled Very Large Telescope Interferometer. By combining simultaneously up to 8 telescopes VITRUV makes the VLTI up to 6 times more efficient. This operational gain allows two novel scientific methodologies: 1) massive surveys of sizes; 2) routine interferometric imaging. The science cases presented concentrate on the qualitatively new routine interferometric imaging methodology. The science cases are not exhaustive but complementary to the PRIMA reference mission. The focus is on: a) the close environment of young stars probing for the initial conditions of planet formation and disk evolution; b) the surfaces of stars tackling dynamos, activity, pulsation, mass-loss and evolution; c) revealing the origin of the extraordinary morphologies of Planetary Nebulae and related stars; d) studying the accretion-ejection structures of stellar black-holes (microquasars) in our galaxy; e) unveiling the different interacting components (torus, jets, BLRs) of Active Galactic Nuclei; and f) probing the environment of nearby supermassive black-holes and relativistic effects in the Galactic Center black-hole.Comment: 15 pages. The Power of Optical/IR Interferometry: Recent Scientific Results and 2nd Generation VLTI Instrumentation, Allemagne (2005) in pres

Enhancing Magnetic Light Emission with All-Dielectric Optical Nanoantennas

Electric and magnetic optical fields carry the same amount of energy. Nevertheless, the efficiency with which matter interacts with electric optical fields is commonly accepted to be at least 4 orders of magnitude higher than with magnetic optical fields. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that properly designed photonic nanoantennas can selectively manipulate the magnetic versus electric emission of luminescent nanocrystals. In particular, we show selective enhancement of magnetic emission from trivalent europium-doped nanoparticles in the vicinity of a nanoantenna tailored to exhibit a magnetic resonance. Specifically, by controlling the spatial coupling between emitters and an individual nanoresonator located at the edge of a near field optical scanning tip, we record with nanoscale precision local distributions of both magnetic and electric radiative local densities of states (LDOS). The map of the radiative LDOS reveals the modification of both the magnetic and electric quantum environments induced by the presence of the nanoantenna. This manipulation and enhancement of magnetic light-matter interaction by means of nanoantennas opens up new possibilities for the research fields of opto-electronics, chiral optics, nonlinear&nano-optics, spintronics and metamaterials, amongst others.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Molecular responses of mouse macrophages to copper and copper oxide nanoparticles inferred from proteomic analyses

The molecular responses of macrophages to copper-based nanoparticles have been investigated via a combination of proteomic and biochemical approaches, using the RAW264.7 cell line as a model. Both metallic copper and copper oxide nanoparticles have been tested, with copper ion and zirconium oxide nanoparticles used as controls. Proteomic analysis highlighted changes in proteins implicated in oxidative stress responses (superoxide dismutases and peroxiredoxins), glutathione biosynthesis, the actomyosin cytoskeleton, and mitochondrial proteins (especially oxidative phosphorylation complex subunits). Validation studies employing functional analyses showed that the increases in glutathione biosynthesis and in mitochondrial complexes observed in the proteomic screen were critical to cell survival upon stress with copper-based nanoparticles; pharmacological inhibition of these two pathways enhanced cell vulnerability to copper-based nanoparticles, but not to copper ions. Furthermore, functional analyses using primary macrophages derived from bone marrow showed a decrease in reduced glutathione levels, a decrease in the mitochondrial transmembrane potential, and inhibition of phagocytosis and of lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide production. However, only a fraction of these effects could be obtained with copper ions. In conclusion, this study showed that macrophage functions are significantly altered by copper-based nanoparticles. Also highlighted are the cellular pathways modulated by cells for survival and the exemplified cross-toxicities that can occur between copper-based nanoparticles and pharmacological agents