Empleo de materiales secundarios como materia prima de nuevos tipos de cementos

The present paper is a comparative study of some characteristics of new belite cements obtained from two kind of wastes, which were used as secondary raw materials: fly ash (FA), of low CaO content, from coal combustion, and ash from incineration of municipal solid waste (MSWIA). Cements were synthesised in a range of temperature between 700°C and 900°C from MSWIA and FA, which were previously activated by hydrothermal treatment at 200°C The evolution of cemented phases with the heating temperature was followed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results were compared with those obtained from heating the starting FA and MSWIA without the previous hydrothermal treatment. The degree of hydration was quantitatively evaluated by the combined water content, determined from thermogravimetric analyses, during a period of 28 days or 200 days from mixing depending of hydration kinetics of each cement.Este trabajo es un estudio comparativo de algunas de las características de nuevos cementos belíticos, obtenidos a partir de dos tipos de residuos, como materia prima secundaria: cenizas volantes (CV) de bajo contenido en cal, procedentes de la combustión del carbón y cenizas procedentes de la incineración de residuos sólidos urbanos (CIRSU). Los cementos fueron sintetizados en un rango de temperaturas comprendido entre 700°C y 900°C después de un tratamiento hidrotermal de la CV y CIRSU a 200°C La evolución de las fases cementicias, con la temperatura de calentamiento, fue estudiada por difracción de rayos X (DRX). Los resultados fueron comparados con aquellos obtenidos, directamente, por calentamiento de los residuos, sin un tratamiento hidrotermal previo de los mismos. El grado de hidratación fue cuantitativamente evaluado, por medio del análisis termogravimétrico, a partir del agua combinada de los cementos hidratados durante un período de 28 días o 200 días, dependiendo de la cinética de hidratación de cada cemento

Exploring the randomness of Directed Acyclic Networks

The feed-forward relationship naturally observed in time-dependent processes and in a diverse number of real systems -such as some food-webs and electronic and neural wiring- can be described in terms of so-called directed acyclic graphs (DAGs). An important ingredient of the analysis of such networks is a proper comparison of their observed architecture against an ensemble of randomized graphs, thereby quantifying the {\em randomness} of the real systems with respect to suitable null models. This approximation is particularly relevant when the finite size and/or large connectivity of real systems make inadequate a comparison with the predictions obtained from the so-called {\em configuration model}. In this paper we analyze four methods of DAG randomization as defined by the desired combination of topological invariants (directed and undirected degree sequence and component distributions) aimed to be preserved. A highly ordered DAG, called \textit{snake}-graph and a Erd\:os-R\'enyi DAG were used to validate the performance of the algorithms. Finally, three real case studies, namely, the \textit{C. elegans} cell lineage network, a PhD student-advisor network and the Milgram's citation network were analyzed using each randomization method. Results show how the interpretation of degree-degree relations in DAGs respect to their randomized ensembles depend on the topological invariants imposed. In general, real DAGs provide disordered values, lower than the expected by chance when the directedness of the links is not preserved in the randomization process. Conversely, if the direction of the links is conserved throughout the randomization process, disorder indicators are close to the obtained from the null-model ensemble, although some deviations are observed.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures and 5 table

Far-infrared absorption in parallel quantum wires with weak tunneling

We study collective and single-particle intersubband excitations in a system of quantum wires coupled via weak tunneling. For an isolated wire with parabolic confinement, the Kohn's theorem guarantees that the absorption spectrum represents a single sharp peak centered at the frequency given by the bare confining potential. We show that the effect of weak tunneling between two parabolic quantum wires is twofold: (i) additional peaks corresponding to single-particle excitations appear in the absorption spectrum, and (ii) the main absorption peak acquires a depolarization shift. We also show that the interplay between tunneling and weak perpendicular magnetic field drastically enhances the dispersion of single-particle excitations. The latter leads to a strong damping of the intersubband plasmon for magnetic fields exceeding a critical value.Comment: 18 pages + 6 postcript figure

Investigation of proton damage in III-V semiconductors by optical spectroscopy

We studied the damage produced by 2MeV proton radiation on epitaxially grown InGaP/GaAs structure by means of spatially resolved Raman and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The irradiation was performed parallel to the sample surface in order to determine the proton penetration range in both compounds. An increase in the intensity of longitudinal optical phonons and a decrease in the luminescence were observed. We associate these changes with the creation of defects in the damaged region, also responsible for the observed change of the carrier concentration in the GaAs layer, determined by the shift of the phonon-plasmon coupled mode frequency. From the spatially resolved profile of the PL and phonon intensities, we obtained the proton range in both materials and we compared them with stopping and range of ions in matter simulations. The comparison between the experimentally obtained proton range and simulations shows a very good agreement for GaAs but a discrepancy of 20% for InGaP. This discrepancy can be explained in terms of limitations of the model to simulate the electronic orbitals and bonding structure of the simulated compound. In order to overcome this limitation, we propose an increase in 40% in the electronic stopping power for InGaP.This work was supported by BEC.AR FUNDACION YPF-CONICET 2013 (Argentina) and DFG within Grant No. SFB 787. ARG thanks the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) for its support through Grant No. SEV-2015-0496 in the framework of the Spanish Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence program.Peer reviewe

Inmovilización/solidificación de residuos tóxicos y peligrosos en matrices de cemento

Immobilization and solidification of polluting waste, introduced into the industrial sector more than 20 years ago, and throughout last 10 years is being the object of a growing interest for engineers and environment scientists, has become a remarkable standardized process for treatment and management of toxic and hazardous liquid wastes, with special to those containing toxic metals. Experimental monitorization of the behaviour of immobilized waste by solidification and stabilisation in life time safe deposits is not possible, reason why it is essential to develop models predicting adequately the behaviour of structures that have to undergo a range of conditions simulating the environment where they are to be exposed. Such models can be developed only if the basic physical and chemical properties of the system matrix/solidifying-waste are known. In this work immobilization/solidification systems are analyzed stressing out the formulation systems based on Portland cement. Finally, some examples of the results obtained from the study of interaction of specific species of wastes and fixation systems are presented.La inmovilización y solidificación de residuos contaminantes, implantada en el sector comercial desde hace más de 20 años y que desde hace diez es objeto de creciente interés por parte de ingenieros y científicos medioambientales, se ha convertido en un proceso estandarizado único para el tratamiento y gestión de residuos tóxicos y peligrosos líquidos y, en especial, de los que contienen metales pesados. La monitorización experimental del comportamiento de un residuo inmovilizado por solidificación y estabilización en el tiempo de vida de un depósito de seguridad no es posible, por lo que es imprescindible desarrollar modelos que predigan satisfactoriamente el comportamiento del sistema bajo un rango representativo de condiciones del entorno de exposición. Tales modelos sólo pueden ser desarrollados si se conocen las propiedades básicas fisicoquímicas del sistema matriz solidificante-residuo. En el presente trabajo se analizan y discuten los sistemas de inmovilización/solidificación, profundizando en los sistemas de formulaciones basadas en cemento Portland. Por último, se presentan algunos ejemplos de los resultados obtenidos del estudio de las interacciones de especies concretas de residuos y sistemas de fijación

Enhanced suppresion of localization in a continuous Random-Dimer Model

We consider a one-dimensional continuous (Kronig-Penney) extension of the (tight-binding) Random Dimer model of Dunlap et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 65, 88 (1990)]. We predict that the continuous model has infinitely many resonances (zeroes of the reflection coefficient) giving rise to extended states instead of the one resonance arising in the discrete version. We present exact, transfer-matrix numerical calculations supporting, both realizationwise and on the average, the conclusion that the model has a very large number of extended states.Comment: 10 pages, 3 Figures available on request, REVTeX 3.0, MA/UC3M/1/9

Localized thinning for strain concentration in suspended germanium membranes and optical method for precise thickness measurement

We deposited Ge layers on (001) Si substrates by molecular beam epitaxy and used them to fabricate suspended membranes with high uniaxial tensile strain. We demonstrate a CMOS-compatible fabrication strategy to increase strain concentration and to eliminate the Ge buffer layer near the Ge/Si hetero-interface deposited at low temperature. This is achieved by a two-steps patterning and selective etching process. First, a bridge and neck shape is patterned in the Ge membrane, then the neck is thinned from both top and bottom sides. Uniaxial tensile strain values higher than 3% were measured by Raman scattering in a Ge membrane of 76 nm thickness. For the challenging thickness measurement on micrometer-size membranes suspended far away from the substrate a characterization method based on pump-and-probe reflectivity measurements was applied, using an asynchronous optical sampling technique.EC/FP7/628197/EU/Heat Propagation and Thermal Conductivity in Nanomaterials for Nanoscale Energy Management/HEATPRONAN

Quasiparticle properties of a coupled quantum wire electron-phonon system

We study leading-order many-body effects of longitudinal optical (LO) phonons on electronic properties of one-dimensional quantum wire systems. We calculate the quasiparticle properties of a weakly polar one dimensional electron gas in the presence of both electron-phonon and electron-electron interactions. The leading-order dynamical screening approximation (GW approximation) is used to obtain the electron self-energy, the quasiparticle spectral function, and the quasiparticle damping rate in our calculation by treating electrons and phonons on an equal footing. Our theory includes effects (within the random phase approximation) of Fermi statistics, Landau damping, plasmon-phonon mode coupling, phonon renormalization, dynamical screening, and impurity scattering. In general, electron-electron and electron-phonon many-body renormalization effects are found to be nonmultiplicative and nonadditive in our theoretical results for quasiparticle properties.Comment: 21 pages, Revtex, 12 figures enclose

Revisiting the outcome of adult wild-type Htt inactivation in the context of HTT-lowering strategies for Huntington's disease.

Huntingtin-lowering strategies are central to therapeutic approaches for Huntington's disease. Recent studies reported the induction of age- and cell type-specific phenotypes by conditional huntingtin knockout, but these experimental conditions did not precisely mimic huntingtin-lowering or gene-editing conditions in terms of the cells targeted and brain distribution, and no transcriptional profiles were provided. Here, we used the adeno-associated delivery system commonly used in CNS gene therapy programmes and the self-inactivating KamiCas9 gene-editing system to investigate the long-term consequences of wild-type mouse huntingtin inactivation in adult neurons and, thus, the feasibility and safety of huntingtin inactivation in these cells. Behavioural and neuropathological analyses and single-nuclei RNA sequencing indicated that huntingtin editing in 77% of striatal neurons and 16% of cortical projecting neurons in adult mice induced no behavioural deficits or cellular toxicity. Single-nuclei RNA sequencing in 11.5-month-old animals showed that huntingtin inactivation did not alter striatal-cell profiles or proportions. Few differentially expressed genes were identified and Augur analysis confirmed an extremely limited response to huntingtin inactivation in all cell types. Our results therefore indicate that wild-type huntingtin inactivation in adult striatal and projection neurons is well tolerated in the long term

Effect of Finite Impurity Mass on the Anderson Orthogonality Catastrophe in One Dimension

A one-dimensional tight-binding Hamiltonian describes the evolution of a single impurity interacting locally with $N$ electrons. The impurity spectral function has a power-law singularity $A(\omega)\propto\mid\omega-\omega_0\mid^{-1+\beta}$ with the same exponent $\beta$ that characterizes the logarithmic decay of the quasiparticle weight $Z$ with the number of electrons $N$, $Z\propto N^{-\beta}$. The exponent $\beta$ is computed by (1) perturbation theory in the interaction strength and (2) numerical evaluations with exact results for small systems and variational results for larger systems. A nonanalytical behavior of $\beta$ is observed in the limit of infinite impurity mass. For large interaction strength, the exponent depends strongly on the mass of the impurity in contrast to the perturbative result.Comment: 26 pages, RevTeX, 7 figures included, to be published in Phys. Rev.