Ventilatory function in young adults and dietary antioxidant intake

Artículo de publicación ISIDietary antioxidants may protect against poor ventilatory function. We assessed the relation between ventilatory function and antioxidant components of diet in young Chileans. Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and the ratio FEV1/FVC were measured in 1232 adults aged 22-28 years, using a Vitalograph device. Dietary intake was ascertained with a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) designed for this study, from which nutrient and flavonoid intakes were estimated. Dietary patterns were derived with Principal Component Analysis (PCA). After controlling for potential confounders, dietary intake of total catechins was positively associated with FVC (Regression coefficient (RC) of highest vs. lowest quintile of intake 0.07; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.15; p per trend 0.006). Total fruit intake was related to FVC (RC of highest vs. lowest quintile 0.08; 95% CI 0.003 to 0.15; p per trend 0.02). Intake of omega 3 fatty acids was associated with a higher FEV1 (RC for highest vs. lowest quintile 0.08; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.15 L; p per trend 0.02) and with FVC 0.08 (RC in highest vs. lowest quintile of intake 0.08, 95% CI 0.001 to 0.16; p per trend 0.04). Our results show that fresh fruits, flavonoids, and omega 3 fatty acids may contribute to maintain ventilatory function.Wellcome Trust 059448Z

The influence of fly ash as substitute of cement in the durability of concrete

Limitation of transport capacity through the concrete is one of the key points in the improvement of the material’s durability. The use of fly ash as an admixture to concrete is widely extended; a general consensus has been established due to the pore size reduction produced by the ashes. Nevertheless, the importance of the micro-structural and composition changes in mechanical and durable properties is not well defined. In the present study the use of fly ash has been considered as substitute of cement in the design limits. The concrete mechanical properties and its porous structure were evaluated. The tests included porosimetry and water permeability tests. In order to characterize the hydration products and its evolution with time TG and DTA analysis were performed. This work studies the fly ash concrete hydration process, their influence in the porous distribution, and the mechanical and durable properties of the material

Semianalytical calculation of the zonal-flow oscillation frequency in stellarators

Due to their capability to reduce turbulent transport in magnetized plasmas, understanding the dynamics of zonal flows is an important problem in the fusion programme. Since the pioneering work by Rosenbluth and Hinton in axisymmetric tokamaks, it is known that studying the linear and collisionless relaxation of zonal flow perturbations gives valuable information and physical insight. Recently, the problem has been investigated in stellarators and it has been found that in these devices the relaxation process exhibits a characteristic feature: a damped oscillation. The frequency of this oscillation might be a relevant parameter in the regulation of turbulent transport, and therefore its efficient and accurate calculation is important. Although an analytical expression can be derived for the frequency, its numerical evaluation is not simple and has not been exploited systematically so far. Here, a numerical method for its evaluation is considered, and the results are compared with those obtained by calculating the frequency from gyrokinetic simulations. This "semianalytical" approach for the determination of the zonal-flow frequency reveals accurate and faster than the one based on gyrokinetic simulations.Comment: 30 pages, 14 figure

Alternativas de diseño: arquitectura para el ciberespacio como estrategia de enseñanza Caso Sede Virtual 3D Interactiva Multiusuario para el Taller Virtual de las Américas

This article seeks to describe products of the course «Alternatives of Design 2005», that aims to prepare architects from the Master Studies Department of Computing in Architecture (LU Z-Maracaibo) by applying a methodology based on VR ML and Java Script, oriented to attain a proposal for: «Las Americas Virtual Design Studio».Este artículo se orienta a describir productos del curso «Alternativas de Diseño 2005» que persigue preparar arquitectos del Departamento de Maestría de Computación en Arquitectura (LUZ-Maracaibo) aplicando una metodología basada en VRML y Java Script orientada a alcanzar una propuesta para el «Taller de Diseño Virtual Las Américas»

Evolutionary dynamics of insertion sequences in relation to the evolutionary histories of the chromosome and symbiotic plasmid genes of Rhizobium etli populations

Insertion sequences (IS) are mobile genetic elements that are distributed in many prokaryotes. In particular, in the genomes of the symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria collectively known as rhizobia, IS are fairly abundant in plasmids or chromosomal islands that carry the genes needed for symbiosis. Here, we report an analysis of the distribution and genetic conservation of the IS found in the genome of Rhizobium etli CFN42 in a collection of 87 Rhizobium strains belonging to populations with different geographical origins. We used PCR to generate presence/absence profiles of the 39 IS found in R. etli CFN42 and evaluated whether the IS were located in consistent genomic contexts. We found that the IS from the symbiotic plasmid were frequently present in the analyzed strains, whereas the chromosomal IS were observed less frequently. We then examined the evolutionary dynamics of these strains based on a population genetic analysis of two chromosomal housekeeping genes (glyA and dnaB) and three symbiotic sequences (nodC and the two IS elements). Our results indicate that the IS contained within the symbiotic plasmid have a higher degree of genomic context conservation, lower nucleotide diversity and genetic differentiation, and fewer recombination events than the chromosomal housekeeping genes. These results suggest that the R. etli populations diverged recently in Mexico, that the symbiotic plasmid also had a recent origin, and that the IS elements have undergone a process of cyclic infection and expansion

RR Lyrae stars in the globular cluster Palomar 2

A CCD VI imaging time-series over 11-year is employed to explore the light curves of stars in the field of Palomar 2. We discovered 20 RRab and 1 RRc variables. A revision of Gaia-DR3 data enabled us to identify 10 more variables and confirm the RRab nature of 6 of them and one RGB. The cluster membership is discussed and 18 variables are most likely cluster members. The Fourier light curve decomposition for the 11 best quality light curves of cluster member stars leads to independent estimates of the cluster distance 27.2 +- 1.8 kpc and [Fe/H]ZW=-1.39 +- 0.55. We confirm the cluster as of the Oo I type.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, 1 table. Submitted to Revista Mexicana de Astronom\'ia y Astrof\'isic

The variable stars in the field of NGC 6139: A critical approach to their reddening and membership

We present a CCD $VI$ time-series analysis of the globular cluster NGC 6139 and its variable star population. Using the astrometric data available in $Gaia$-DR3 we performed a membership analysis that enabled the construction of a clean Colour-Magnitude Diagram (CMD). Variable stars in the field of the cluster reported by $Gaia$-DR3 and newly discovered ones in this paper are classified and their membership is critically evaluated. We report two cluster member RRc (V12, V15) and four SR (V13, V14, V17, V18) not previously detected and assign variable names to V11 and V16 detected by $Gaia$ as they proof to be cluster members. Light curves and periods for non-member $Gaia$ eclipsing binaries, semi regular variables and newly detected RR Lyrae stars are provided. Fourier decomposition of the light curves of the cluster member RRab and RRc stars leads to the values [Fe/H]=$-1.63$ dex, and distance of 9.63$\pm$0.68 kpc. The Oosterhoff type II nature of the cluster is confirmed. We adopted the mean reddening $E(B-V)$=0.786 mag and performed a differential reddening analysis based on the dispersion of the red giant branch. The differential map allowed a mild correction of the CMD.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures, 5 table