Using Virtual Observatory techniques to search for Adaptive Optics suitable AGN

Until recently, it has been possible only for nearby galaxies to study the scaling relations between central black hole and host galaxy in detail. Because of the small number densities at low redshift, (luminous) AGN are underrepresented in such detailed studies. The advent of adaptive optics (AO) at large telescopes helps overcoming this hurdle, allowing to reach small linear scales over a wide range in redshift. Finding AO-suitable targets, i.e., AGN having a nearby reference star, and carrying out an initial multiwavelength classification is an excellent use case for the Virtual Observatory. We present our Virtual-Observatory approach to select an AO-suitable catalog of X-ray-emitting AGN at redshifts 0.1<z<1.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, submitted to "EURO-VO AIDA workshop: Multiwavelength astronomy and Virtual Observatory", ESAC, Spain, 1-3 Dec. 200

Influence of temperature and time on the Eu3+ reaction with synthetic Na-Mica-n (n = 2 and 4)

Bentonite is accepted as the best clay material for the engineered barrier of Deep Geological Repositories (DGRs). The performance of clay as the main component of the engineered barrier in the DGR has been intensively studied and the structure of the selected clay mineral play a crucial role. In this sense, a new family of synthetic swelling silicates, Na-Mica-n, with tuned layer charge (n) values between 2.0 and 4.0 per unit cell has recently been synthesized and a general synthetic method has been reported. These swelling high-charge micas could be highly valuable for the decontamination of harmful cations. The ability of these micas to immobilize Eu3+ under subcritical conditions has been probed. The adsorption was in both non-specific sites (cation exchange mechanism) and specific sites (chemical reaction or surface defects adsorption). Moreover, its adsorption capacity, under the same conditions is higher than in saponite and far superior to the bentonites.Junta de Andalucía P12-FQM-567European Union 29178

Death is common, so is understanding it: the concept of death in other species

Comparative thanatologists study the responses to the dead and the dying in nonhuman animals. Despite the wide variety of thanatological behaviours that have been documented in several different species, comparative thanatologists assume that the concept of death is very difficult to acquire and will be a rare cognitive feat once we move past the human species. In this paper, we argue that this assumption is based on two forms of anthropocentrism: an intellectual anthropocentrism, which leads to an over-intellectualisation of the CoD, and an emotional anthropocentrism, which yields an excessive focus on grief as a reaction to death. Contrary to what these two forms of anthropocentrism suggest, we argue that the CoD requires relatively little cognitive complexity and that it can emerge independently from mourning behaviour. Moreover, if we turn towards the natural world, we can see that the minimal cognitive requirements for a CoD are in fact met by many nonhuman species and there are multiple learning pathways and opportunities for animals in the wild to develop a CoD. This allows us to conclude that the CoD will be relatively easy to acquire and, so, we can expect it to be fairly common in nature

Effect of alloying on mechanical properties of as cast ferritic nodular cast irons

The development of low temperature applications for ferritic nodular cast irons calls for improved materials in the as cast state, e.g. for off-shore windmills components. Within this line of work, a series of 68 castings were prepared with the same casting procedure and slight changes in composition. The tensile properties at room temperature, as well as the impact energy for rupture at room temperature, 220 °C and 240 °C, were measured. Outputs from multivariate analysis performed on the data are then discussed and compared to literature results, putting emphasis on the properties of the ferritic matrix

Desarrollo de membranas híbridas dieléctricas de tipo Nafión con óxidos de zirconio, hafnio y lantano

En el presente trabajo se realizó la síntesis de membranas híbridas tipo Nafion/(MxOy)n donde M=Zr, Hf o La y n=1wt%. Las membranas fueron preparadas mediante el proceso Sol-Gel. Tres nuevas membranas fueron obtenidas con espesores de 61, 67 y 300 μm respectivamente. Cada membrana fue caracterizada mediante espectroscopia infrarroja, análisis termogravimétrico y microscoía electrónica de barrido. Obteniendo que las membranas híbridas presentan mayor resistencia térmica que el polimero por si solo adquiriendo 40ºC más, lo que da como resultado una temperatura de trabajo de 120ºC, además en los espectros de infrarrojo se evidencia la presencia del efecto del material inorgánico sobre el incremento en el carácter autohumidificante de la membrana híbrida, finalmente la microscopía electrónica de barrido nos permite identificar la obtención de la membrana híbrida mediante las micrografías así como el espesor de las mismas

Priority areas for watershed service conservation in the Guapi-Macacu region of Rio de Janeiro, Atlantic Forest, Brazil.

Introduction: Land use intensification and urbanisation processes are degrading hydrological ecosystem services in the Guapi-Macacu watershed of Rio de Janeiro. A proposal to pay farmers to restore natural watershed services might be an alternative to securing the water supply in the long-term for the around 2.5 million urban water users in the study region. This study quantifies the costs of changing current land use patterns to enhance watershed services and compares these costs to the avoided costs associated with water treatment for public supply. Methods: We use farm-household data to estimate the opportunity costs of abandoning current land uses for the recovery of natural vegetation; a process that is very likely to improve water quality in terms of turbidity due to reduced inputs from erosion. Opportunity cost estimates are extrapolated to the watershed scale based on remote sensing land use classifications and vulnerability analysis to identify priority zones for watershed management interventions. To assess the potential demand for watershed services, we analyse water quality and treatment cost data from the main local water treatment plant. Results: Changing agricultural land uses for watershed services provision generally comes at high opportunity costs in our study area near to the metropolis of Rio de Janeiro. Alternative low cost watershed conservation options do exist in the livestock production sector. These options have the potential to directly reduce the amount of sediments and nutrients reaching the water bodies, and in turn decrease the costs of treatment needed for drinking water. Land cover changes at the scale needed to improve water quality will, nonetheless, likely exceed the cost of additional investments in water treatment. Conclusions: The state water utility company?s willingness to pay for watershed services alone will not be enough to induce provision of additional watershed services. We conclude that monetary incentives conditioned on specific adjustments to existing production systems could still have a complementary role to play in improving watershed services. However, we note that our willingness to pay analysis focusses on only one of the potentially wide range of ecosystem services provided by natural vegetation in the Guapi-Macacu watershed. Factoring these ecosystem services into the willingness to pay equation is likely to change our assessment in favour of additional conservation action, be it through PES or other policy instruments