Optically Induced Reorientation in Nematic Cylindrical Structures

Cyclindrical structures of nematics give rise to several opto-optical effects related to molecular reorientation. One of these effects is the formation of diffraction ring patterns similar to the ones observed in planar cells, but differing in shape. Another effect has been observed, namely a quasi-chaotic motion of rings with a very large angular spread; this motion can be obtained using a cw laser and high power densities. The phenomenon could be attributed to thermal motion, however, there are some features that cannot be explained by a purely thermal effect, e.g., a wavelength dependence of the threshold and the frequencies of the ring motion

Monitoring UF membrane performance treating surface-groundwater blends: limitations of FEEM-PARAFAC on the assessment of the organic matter role

The decrease of water quantity and quality in water scarcity areas is palliated by improving water treatments with membrane technologies. System performance and efficiency, and then cost, is mainly affected by membrane fouling, which is still not well understood and controlled appropriately. In this study, the influence of content and composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) on a membrane ultrafiltration (UF) stage from a full-scale UF stage in a drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) fed with surface water, groundwater (or blends of them) was investigated. Excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy coupled with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) was used to characterize and assess DOM changes in water samples Water streams feeding the UF stage showed high variability in DOM content and composition. FEEM-PARAFAC analysis allowed the differentiation of seven different organic components. Additionally to the characterization and monitoring of DOM in the full-scale UF stage, a bench scale UF pilot was run to experimentally correlate the impact of water quality with membrane performance. The experiments included testing synthetic solutions of model foulants (synthetic humic acid and bovine serum albumin) and blends of complex waters. To quantify fouling, the total fouling index (TFI) and the hydraulically irreversible fouling index (HIFI) were calculated for each filtration run. According to the results obtained, the correlation plots between the PARAFAC components and the fouling indices pointed at microbial byproducts (C1) and humic-like components (C2, C4, C5) as the ones showing higher correlations

Theoretical modelling of quaternary GaInAsSb/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots

Trabajo presentado al "Quantum Dot", celebrado en Nottingham (UK) del 26 al 30 de Abril de 2010.InAs/GaAs quantum dots exposed to Sb after growth exhibit spectral changes. We study in the present paper an idealized nanostructure consisting of a homogeneous distribution of the quaternary GaInAsSb surrounded by a barrier of GaAs. We nd that the valence band o set is a critical parameter in modelling its electronic structure. Depending on this value, we predict a transition from type-I to type-II band alignment at a di erent Sb concentration. The addition of Sb to reduce the transition energy while keeping a type-I alignment is only of bene t at low Sb concentrationThis work was supported by the Spanish MICINN (projects TEC2008-06756-C03-01/02/TEC, CONSOLIDER INGENIO 2010 CSD2006-0019 and CSD2009-00013), the Junta de Andalucía (PAI research groups TEP-120 and TIC-145; project P08-TEP-03516) and Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid S2009ESP-1503.Peer reviewe

Protección de la Heparina a las células B- pancreáticas frente a radicales libres de Oxígeno.

La diabetes autoinmune tipo 1 se caracteriza por la invasión de células mononucleares en los islotes pancreáticos, destruyendo así las células beta productoras de insulina. Se ha visto que in vivo la destrucción autoinmune de los islotes se asocia con la producción de heparanasa, la cual degrada heparán sulfato (molécula imprescindible para la supervivencia de los islotes) y se permite la entrada de las células inmunitarias que atacarán los islotes beta pancreáticos. Se han obtenido resultados mediante la adición de concentraciones conocidas de heparina, la cual confiere una protección extra frente a radicales libres de oxígeno y como consecuencia hay una disminución de la mortalidad celular.A través de tres líneas celulares distintas se ha llevado a cabo el experimento. Primeramente con Rinm5F productora de insulina y somatostatina, con células Ins capaces de responder al estímulo de glucosa produciendo y secretando insulina y finalmente con fibroblastos. El experimento se basa en dejar crecer las cepas celulares en un número determinado de flacs según el tratamiento. Se añade heparina a una concentración conocida y establecida anteriormente y al día siguiente con una concentración exacta de agua oxigenada (aporta los radicales libres de oxígeno) se la añadimos al cultivo. Recogemos las células y gracias al ioduro de propidio con concentración 1 mg/ml marcamos las células muertas para así poder comprobar el porcentaje de supervivencia celular que le ha conferido la heparina a cada línea celular. Procedemos a realizar el contaje con el citómetro que indica el % de muerte celular, ya que el ioduro de propidio es un agente intercalante que se une a los ácidos nucleicos. Esta molécula fluorescente se utiliza para evaluar la viabilidad celular o el contenido de ADN en las células. Se puede utilizar para diferenciar células necróticas, apoptóticas o vivas.Los resultados obtenidos con las líneas celulares Rinm5F y las Ins nos muestran que a bajas concentraciones de agua oxigenada y con heparina, efectivamente hay protección ya que la muerte celular se reduce de un 10 a un 15%. En cambio con los fibroblastos no vemos protección a ninguna de las concentraciones establecidas, resultado que ya esperábamos en nuestra hipótesis inicial. Estos resultados sólo son el inicio de un largo estudio, ya que  primero se ajustan las concentraciones a trabajar con radicales libres de oxígeno, pero en un  futuro el estudio se realizará también con radicales de nitrógeno

Rationale and methods of the cardiometabolic valencian study (escarval-risk) for validation of risk scales in mediterranean patients with hypertension, diabetes or dyslipidemia

BackgroundThe Escarval-Risk study aims to validate cardiovascular risk scales in patients with hypertension, diabetes or dyslipidemia living in the Valencia Community, a European Mediterranean region, based on data from an electronic health recording system comparing predicted events with observed during 5 years follow-up study.Methods/DesignA cohort prospective 5 years follow-up study has been designed including 25000 patients with hypertension, diabetes and/or dyslipidemia attended in usual clinical practice. All information is registered in a unique electronic health recording system (ABUCASIS) that is the usual way to register clinical practice in the Valencian Health System (primary and secondary care). The system covers about 95% of population (near 5 million people). The system is linked with database of mortality register, hospital withdrawals, prescriptions and assurance databases in which each individual have a unique identification number. Diagnoses in clinical practice are always registered based on IDC-9. Occurrence of CV disease was the main outcomes of interest. Risk survival analysis methods will be applied to estimate the cumulative incidence of developing CV events over time.DiscussionThe Escarval-Risk study will provide information to validate different cardiovascular risk scales in patients with hypertension, diabetes or dyslipidemia from a low risk Mediterranean Region, the Valencia Community

Using radioastronomy techniques and cold plasmas to study transient and stable molecular species of astrophysical interest: a proof of concept.

45th EPS Conference on Plasma Physics. European Physical Society Conference on Plasma Physics. 2-6 July. Prague, Czech Republic(2018. --. https://eps2018.eli-beams.eu/en

Revista del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas

Alimentación del meloncillo Herpestes ichneumon y de la gineta Genetta genetta en la Reserva Biológica de Doñana, S.O. de la Península Ibérica.Determinación de la edad en Rana perezi Seoane, 1885. Aplicación al análisis del crecimiento somático de poblaciones.Influencias ambientales en la variación del tamaño, forma y peso de los huevos de la collalba rubia (Oenanthe hispanica L.)Características de un coro de sapos corredores (Bufo calamita) en el sureste de España.Estrategias alimentarias del ciervo (Cervus elaphus L.) en Montes de ToledoDistribución de los quirópteros de la provincia de Orense (Noroeste de España).Ecología trófica del lince ibérico en Doñana durante un periodo secoDesarrollo larvario de la rana común (Rana perezi) (anura: ranidae) en charcas temporales del noroeste de la Península Ibérica.Régimen alimenticio del mirlo común (Turdus merula) en el sureste de la Península Ibérica durante el periodo otoño-invierno.Reproducción del gorrión molinero (Passer montanus) en las Islas Canarias.Relación entre la cobertura vegetal y la distribución de nidos en las colonias de pagaza piconegraPeer reviewe

Broad-band high-resolution rotational spectroscopy for laboratory astrophysics

We present a new experimental set-up devoted to the study of gas phase molecules and processes using broad-band high spectral resolution rotational spectroscopy. A reactor chamber is equipped with radio receivers similar to those used by radio astronomers to search for molecular emission in space. The whole range of the Q (31.5-50 GHz) and W bands (72-116.5 GHz) is available for rotational spectroscopy observations. The receivers are equipped with 16 × 2.5 GHz fast Fourier transform spectrometers with a spectral resolution of 38.14 kHz allowing the simultaneous observation of the complete Q band and one-third of the W band. The whole W band can be observed in three settings in which the Q band is always observed. Species such as CH3CN, OCS, and SO2 are detected, together with many of their isotopologues and vibrationally excited states, in very short observing times. The system permits automatic overnight observations, and integration times as long as 2.4 × 105 s have been reached. The chamber is equipped with a radiofrequency source to produce cold plasmas, and with four ultraviolet lamps to study photochemical processes. Plasmas of CH4, N2, CH3CN, NH3, O2, and H2, among other species, have been generated and the molecular products easily identified by the rotational spectrum, and via mass spectrometry and optical spectroscopy. Finally, the rotational spectrum of the lowest energy conformer of CH3CH2NHCHO (N-ethylformamide), a molecule previously characterized in microwave rotational spectroscopy, has been measured up to 116.5 GHz, allowing the accurate determination of its rotational and distortion constants and its search in space.We thank the European Research Council for funding support under Synergy Grant ERC-2013-SyG, G.A. 610256 (NANOCOSMOS). IT, VJH, and JLD acknowledge additional partial support from the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) through grant FIS2016-77726-C3-1-P. JAMG, LM, and GS acknowledge additional partial support from the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) through grant MAT2017-85089-C2-1R. We thank David López Romero for his help during the process of installation, commissioning, and cleaning of the chamber. We would like to thank Kremena Makasheva for the useful comments and suggestions during the experiments with Hexamethyldisiloxane. We would also like to thank Rosa Lebrón, Jesús Quintanilla, and Cristina Soria for providing us with the sample of N-ethylformamide. Sandra I. Ramírez acknowledges support from the FONCICYT under grant number 291842. Celina Bermúdez thanks the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia Innovación y Universidades for the Juan de la Cierva grant FJCI-2016-27983