1,094 research outputs found
Chirality in Bare and Passivated Gold Nanoclusters
Chiral structures have been found as the lowest-energy isomers of bare
(Au and Au_{28}(SCH_{16}_{38}(SCH_{3})_{24}) gold nanoclusters. The degree of chirality existing in
the chiral clusters was calculated using the Hausdorff chirality measure. We
found that the index of chirality is higher in the passivated clusters and
decreases with the cluster size. These results are consistent with the observed
chiroptical activity recently reported for glutahione-passivated gold
nanoclusters, and provide theoretical support for the existence of chirality in
these novel compounds.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure. Submitted to PR
COMBUSTION MODEL FOR SPARK IGNITION ENGINES OPERATING ON GASOLINE-ETHANOL BLENDS
This article presents a phenomenological combustion model using turbulent flame propagation theory developed by Keck and coworkers, 1974. The model was adapted to work with gasoline-ethanol blends, following correlations presented by Bayraktar,2005. New sub-models were introduced for intake valve velocity and combustion efficiency. These allow simulating the effect of compression ratio, spark timing and fuel change. Results show good agreement with the ones in the original work as well as with experimental results in a Cooperative Fuels Research (CFR) engine
Structural and energetic properties of nickel clusters:
The four most stable structures of Ni clusters with from 2 to 150
have been determined using a combination of the embedded-atom method in the
version of Daw, Baskes and Foiles, the {\it variable metric/quasi-Newton}
method, and our own {\it Aufbau/Abbau} method. A systematic study of
energetics, structure, growth, and stability of also larger clusters has been
carried through without more or less severe assumptions on the initial
geometries in the structure optimization, on the symmetry, or on bond lengths.
It is shown that cluster growth is predominantly icosahedral with of
{\it fcc}, {\it tetrahedral} and {\it decahedral} growth. For the first time in
unbiased computations it is found that Ni is the multilayer (third
Mackay) icosahedron. Further, we point to an enhanced ability of {\it fcc}
clusters to compete with the icosahedral and decahedral structures in the
vicinity of N=79. In addition, it is shown that conversion from the {\it
hcp}/anti-Mackay kind of icosahedral growth to the {\it fcc}/Mackay one occurs
within a transition layer including several cluster sizes. Moreover, we present
and apply different analytical tools in studying structural and energetic
properties of such a large class of clusters. These include means for
identifying the overall shape, the occurrence of atomic shells, the similarity
of the clusters with, e.g., fragments of the {\it fcc} crystal or of a large
icosahedral cluster, and a way of analysing whether the -atom cluster can be
considered constructed from the -atom one by adding an extra atom. In
addition, we compare in detail with results from chemical-probe experiment.
Maybe the most central result is that first for clusters with above 80
general trends can be identified.Comment: 37 pages, 11 figure
Efecto sobre la calidad de la leche, características tecnológicas y producción quesera de la raza merina de grazalema frente al cruce con razas mejoradas
En los últimos años se están incorporando masivamente en España, en
general y Andalucía en particular, razas ovinas foráneas de aptitud lechera,
fundamentalmente las razas Assaf, Awassi y Lacaune. Su introducción está
fomentando asimismo, la realización de cruces indiscriminados con nuestras
razas ovinas autóctonas, de aptitud lechera pero de menor especialización,
al menos cuantitativamente (Casas et al., 2005).
El objetivo de este estudio ha sido analizar en dos grupos de animales de
un mismo rebaño (ovejas puras de raza Merina de Grazalema, y ovejas cruzadas Merina de Grazalema x Awassi) las características de la producción lechera, y proceder a la elaboración de quesos para estudiar las posibles Consejería de Agricultura y Pesca 34 diferencias tecnológicas de los quesos derivados de ambas elaboraciones. A través del mismo se ha comprobado una mayor producción lechera de las ovejas cruzadas (167,35±13,20 kg frente a 136,84±4,25 kg) pero con un porcentaje de grasa (6,25±0,34 % frente a 8,27±0,22 %), proteína (4,71±0,14 % frente a 5,80±0,09 %) y extracto seco (10,97±0,46 % frente a 14,07±0,28 %) estadísticamente inferior.
En cuanto a los parámetros de aptitud tecnológica, los valores de tiempo
de coagulación medio (24,70±0,77 minutos), dureza media (dureza del coágulo a los 30 minutos) de 25,03±2,27 mm, y el rendimiento en cuajada
(327,50±5,70 g/l), mostraron cifras inferiores a las referenciadas por Casas
et al. (2005) para la raza ovina Merina de Grazalema. Finalmente, la velocidad de endurecimiento resultó mayor a los valores obtenidos en el trabajo citado anteriormente (4,59±0,54 min). Por otro lado, estos mismos parámetros mostraron valores inferiores en el tiempo de coagulación
(19,60±0,62 minutos), velocidad de endurecimiento (3,97±0,38 min) y rendimiento en cuajada (290,55±6,67), mientras que la dureza media
(32,85±2,03 mm) fue superior en las ovejas cruzadas, respecto a los valores
encontrados en esta misma explotación para los animales puros.
Como consecuencia de todo ello, el rendimiento quesero real fue del
30,25 % para las ovejas puras frente al 23,70 % de las cruzadas.
Esto determina que la producción quesera real que se obtiene por oveja
pura, sea superior al de la cruzada (41,38 kg queso fresco/ lactación frente
a los 39,70 de la cruzada).Proyecto INIA. Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia
Capacitively Coupled Electrical Stimulation of Rat Chondroepiphysis Explants: A Histomorphometric Analysis
[EN] The growth plate is a cartilaginous layer present from the gestation period until the end of puberty where it ossifies joining diaphysis and epiphysis. During this period several endocrine, autocrine, and paracrine processes within the growth plate are carried out by chondrocytes; therefore, a disruption in cellular functions may lead to pathologies affecting bone development. It is known that electric fields impact the growth plate; however, parameters such as stimulation time and electric field intensity are not well documented. Accordingly, this study presents a histomorphometrical framework to assess the effect of electric fields on chondroepiphysis ex-plants. Bones were stimulated with 3.5 and 7 mV/cm, and for each electric field two exposure times were tested for 30 days (30 min and 1 h). Results evidenced that electric fields increased the hypertrophic zones compared with controls. In addition, a stimulation of 3.5 mV/cm applied for 1 h preserved the columnar cell density and its orientation. Moreover, a pre-hypertrophy differentiation in the center of the chondroepiphysis was observed when explants were stimulated during 1 h with both electric fields. These findings allow the understanding of the effect of electrical stimulation over growth plate organization and how the stimulation modifies chondrocytes morphophysiology.This research was supported by COLCIENCIAS Administrative
Department of Science, Technology and Innovation. The authors gratefully thank the research support from the Biotechnology Institute of
the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, for providing the lab space at
the Biomimetics Laboratory and the reactants to perform the experimental approach of this study.
Research reported in this publication was supported by
COLCIENCIAS Administrative Department of Science, Technology and
Innovation (Announcement 712-2015 Grant No 50457).Vaca-González, JJ.; Escobar, J.; Guevara, J.; Hata, YA.; Gallego Ferrer, G.; Garzón-Alvarado, DA. (2019). Capacitively Coupled Electrical Stimulation of Rat Chondroepiphysis Explants: A Histomorphometric Analysis. Bioelectrochemistry. 126:1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioelechem.2018.11.004S11112
PvGAMA reticulocyte binding activity: predicting conserved functional regions by natural selection analysis
Background: Adhesin proteins are used by Plasmodium parasites to bind and invade target cells. Hence, characterising molecules that participate in reticulocyte interaction is key to understanding the molecular basis of Plasmodium vivax invasion. This study focused on predicting functionally restricted regions of the P. vivax GPI-anchored micronemal antigen (PvGAMA) and characterising their reticulocyte binding activity. Results: The pvgama gene was initially found in P. vivax VCG-I strain schizonts. According to the genetic diversity analysis, PvGAMA displayed a size polymorphism very common for antigenic P. vivax proteins. Two regions along the antigen sequence were highly conserved among species, having a negative natural selection signal. Interestingly, these regions revealed a functional role regarding preferential target cell adhesion. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this study describes PvGAMA reticulocyte binding properties for the first time. Conserved functional regions were predicted according to natural selection analysis and their binding ability was confirmed. These findings support the notion that PvGAMA may have an important role in P. vivax merozoite adhesion to its target cells. © 2017 The Author(s)
Electronic Developments for the Hades RPC Wall: Overview and Progress
This contribution presents the current status and progress of the electronics developed for the Resistive Plate Chamber detector of HADES. This new detector for the time-of-flight detection system will contain more than 1000 RPC modules, covering a total active area of around 7 m2. The Front-End electronics consist of custom-made boards that exploit the benefit of the use of commercial components to achieve time resolutions below 100 ps. The Readout electronics, also custom-made, is a multipurpose board providing a 128- channel Time to Digital Converter (TDC) based on the HPTDC chip
Dynamics of the circumstellar gas in the Herbig Ae stars BF Orionis, SV Cephei, WW Vulpeculae and XY Persei
We present high resolution (lambda / Delta_lambda = 49000) echelle spectra of
the intermediate mass, pre-main sequence stars BF Ori, SV Cep, WW Wul and XY
Per. The spectra cover the range 3800-5900 angstroms and monitor the stars on
time scales of months and days. All spectra show a large number of Balmer and
metallic lines with variable blueshifted and redshifted absorption features
superimposed to the photospheric stellar spectra. Synthetic Kurucz models are
used to estimate rotational velocities, effective temperatures and gravities of
the stars. The best photospheric models are subtracted from each observed
spectrum to determine the variable absorption features due to the circumstellar
gas; those features are characterized in terms of their velocity, v, dispersion
velocity, Delta v, and residual absorption, R_max. The absorption components
detected in each spectrum can be grouped by their similar radial velocities and
are interpreted as the signature of the dynamical evolution of gaseous clumps
with, in most cases, solar-like chemical composition. This infalling and
outflowing gas has similar properties to the circumstellar gas observed in UX
Ori, emphasizing the need for detailed theoretical models, probably in the
framework of the magnetospheric accretion scenario, to understand the complex
environment in Herbig Ae (HAe) stars. WW Vul is unusual because, in addition to
infalling and outflowing gas with properties similar to those observed in the
other stars, it shows also transient absorption features in metallic lines with
no obvious counterparts in the hydrogen lines. This could, in principle,
suggest the presence of CS gas clouds with enhanced metallicity around WW Vul.
The existence of such a metal-rich gas component, however, needs to be
confirmed by further observations and a more quantitative analysis.Comment: 21 pages, 13 figures. Accepted for publication by Astronomy &
Astrophysic
Stiff monatomic gold wires with a spinning zigzag geometry
Using first principles density functional calculations, gold monatomic wires
are found to exhibit a zigzag shape which remains under tension, becoming
linear just before breaking. At room temperature they are found to spin, what
explains the extremely long apparent interatomic distances shown by electron
microscopy.The zigzag structure is stable if the tension is relieved, the wire
holding its chainlike shape even as a free-standing cluster. This unexpected
metallic-wire stiffness stems from the transverse quantization in the wire, as
shown in a simple free electron model.Comment: 4 pages, latex, 5 figures, submitted to PR
EXPORT: optical photometry and polarimetry of Vega-type and pre-main sequence stars
This paper presents optical UBVRI broadband photo-polarimetry of the EXPORT
sample obtained at the 2.5m Nordic Optical Telescope. The database consists of
multi-epoch photo-polarimetry of 68 pre-main-sequence and main-sequence stars.
An investigation of the polarization variability indicates that 22 objects are
variable at the 3sigma level in our data. All these objects are pre-main
sequence stars, consisting of both T Tauri and Herbig Ae/Be objects while the
main sequence, Vega type and post-T Tauri type objects are not variable. The
polarization properties of the variable sources are mostly indicative of the
UXOR-type behaviour; the objects show highest polarization when the brightness
is at minimum. We add seven new objects to the class of UXOR variables (BH Cep,
VX Cas, DK Tau, HK Ori, LkHa 234, KK Oph and RY Ori). The main reason for their
discovery is the fact that our data-set is the largest in its kind, indicating
that many more young UXOR-type pre-main sequence stars remain to be discovered.
The set of Vega-like systems has been investigated for the presence of
intrinsic polarization. As they lack variability, this was done using indirect
methods, and apart from the known case of BD +31.643, the following stars were
found to be strong candidates to exhibit polarization due to the presence of
circumstellar disks: 51 Oph, BD +31.643C, HD 58647 and HD 233517.Comment: A&A accepte
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