Analysis of seismic bidirectionality on response of reinforced concrete structures with irregularities of l-shaped plan and soft story

The seismic design of buildings is usually performed using one-way analysis for each of main axes independently. However, seismic events have fairly random behaviour and impose bidirectional solicitations on structures. In this work, the study of the response in structures subjects to earthquake loads with irregularity of l-shaped plan and soft story is carried out. For this, the linear time-story analysis (LTHA) of these has been carried out imposing seismic solicitations in two orthogonal directions. Thus, the structural response with incidence angle variations of 10 is obtained and compared with the response derived from the unidirectional analysis. Variations of up to 50% and 72% are obtained for model structures with l-shaped plan and soft story respectively

Borreria (Rubiaceae) from Paraguay: occurrences, richness, geographical distribution, and nomenclatural novelties

Borreria is a genus into the Spermacoce clade with ca 80 native species in the Americas, from southem EE.UU. to center of Argentina. In South America, taxonomic and floristic contributions were performed in the genus to Bolivian, Brazilian, and Argentinian floras. In this context, nomenclatural changes, new records, and new species have been published in the last decades for Paraguay, but until now there is no comprehensive taxonomic treatment. In addition, this country has a great diversity of ecoregions as the Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, “Cordillera de los Altos”, Dry and Humid Chaco, Pantanal, and “Sabanas Mesopotámicas”. Our goal is to present an overview of Borreria in Paraguay, its geographical distribution, and the association of its occurrences in diíferent ecoregions. We studied collections deposited in BM, CTES, F, FACEN, FCQ, G, HUEFS, MO, P, SI, and SP. Coordinates were taken from the labels on each specimen, and when these were absent, the point was georeferenced using Google Earth according the locality ñames. A total of 503 datapoints were obtained corresponding to 21 species of Borreria. Each occurrence and ecoregions were mapped using QGIS. A map o f known richness was generated with this information and was quantified with 5 x 5 km cells using the Biodiverse software. As result, B. verticillata is the widest distribution species, whereas B. viridiflora is the only endemic species for Paraguay. Besides that, the ecoregion with the higher richness is the Atlantic Forest since it has 20 species, with B. diacrodonta, B. remota, and/i. runkii exclusive for it. In contrast, Pantanal and Dry Chaco have only one species each, B. cupularis and B. spinosa, respectively. Borreria alata is registered as a new record for the country, lectotypes for three varietal ñames are chosen, and five new synonyms for B. argéntea, B. orinocensis, and B. verticillata are proposed

Using radio astronomical receivers for molecular spectroscopic characterization in astrochemical laboratory simulations: A proof of concept

We present a proof of concept on the coupling of radio astronomical receivers and spectrometers with chemical reactorsand the performances of the resulting setup for spectroscopy and chemical simulations in laboratory astrophysics. Several experiments including cold plasma generation and UV photochemistry were performed in a 40\,cm long gas cell placed in the beam path of the Aries 40\,m radio telescope receivers operating in the 41-49 GHz frequency range interfaced with fast Fourier transform spectrometers providing 2 GHz bandwidth and 38 kHz resolution. The impedance matching of the cell windows has been studied using different materials. The choice of the material and its thickness was critical to obtain a sensitivity identical to that of standard radio astronomical observations. Spectroscopic signals arising from very low partial pressures of CH3OH, CH3CH2OH, HCOOH, OCS,CS, SO2 (<1E-03 mbar) were detected in a few seconds. Fast data acquisition was achieved allowing for kinetic measurements in fragmentation experiments using electron impact or UV irradiation. Time evolution of chemical reactions involving OCS, O2 and CS2 was also observed demonstrating that reactive species, such as CS, can be maintained with high abundance in the gas phase during these experiments.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics in September 21, 2017. 16 pages, 18 figure

Photonic-structured TCO front contacts yielding optical and electrically enhanced thin-film solar cells

COMPETE 2020 Programme and National Funds through FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) under the projects UID/CTM/50025/2019. ALTALUZ ( PTDC/CTM-ENE/5125/2014 ). SuperSolar (PTDC/NAN-OPT/28430/2017). TACIT (PTDC/NAN-OPT/28837/2017). LocalEnergy (PTDC/EAM-PEC/29905/2017). grant SFRH/BPD/114833/2016 .Wavelength-structured transparent conductive oxide (TCO) electrodes are highly promising to improve both the optical and electrical performance of photovoltaic (PV) devices, due to wave-optical light-trapping (LT) effects and higher TCO volume without increasing optical losses. Herein we present a complete study of the benefits of microstructured IZO contacts applied on amorphous-silicon (a-Si) thin film solar cells. The IZO LT structures were integrated by an innovative colloidal lithography process on the front contact of the cells, resulting in enhancements of 26.7% in photocurrent, with respect to planar reference cells, when using an ultra-thin (30 nm) flat IZO layer between the LT structures and the a-Si absorber. However, the best efficiency enhancement (23.1%) was attained with an optimized thickness of 190 nm for this layer, due to a more favorable combination of optical and electrical gains. In view of the application of this LT strategy in flexible PV devices operating under bending, the angular response of the cells was studied for 0-90° incidence angles. This showed that the LT enhancements are generally higher at oblique incidence, reaching 53.2% and 52%, respectively in photocurrent and efficiency, at ± 70° angles with the optimized flat IZO thickness of 190 nm; and 52.2% in efficiency at ± 40° with the ultra-thin thickness of 30 nm. These results are among the highest gains reported thus far for LT-enhanced thin film solar cells.authorsversionpublishe

Angular emission properties of a layer of rare-earth based nanophosphors embedded in one-dimensional photonic crystal coatings

The angular properties of light emitted from rare-earth based nanophosphors embedded in optical resonators built in one-dimensional photonic crystal coatings are herein investigated. Strong directional dependence of the photoluminescence spectra is found. Abrupt angular variations of the enhancement caused by the photonic structure and the extraction power are observed, in good agreement with calculated polar emission patterns. Our results confirm that the optical cavity favors the extraction of different wavelengths at different angles and that integration of nanophosphors within photonic crystals provides control over the directional emission properties that could be put into practice in phosphorescent displays.Fil: Sánchez Sobrado, O.. Universidad de Sevilla. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Sevilla; EspañaFil: Yacomotti, A. M.. No especifíca;Fil: Calvo, M. E.. Universidad de Sevilla. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Sevilla; EspañaFil: Martinez, Oscar Eduardo. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Ocaña, M.. Universidad de Sevilla. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Sevilla; EspañaFil: Núñez, N.. Universidad de Sevilla. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Sevilla; EspañaFil: Levenson, J. A.. No especifíca;Fil: Míguez, H.. Universidad de Sevilla. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Sevilla; Españ

Colloidal-structured metallic micro-grids: High performance transparent electrodes in the red and infrared range

project PON_206_2 project PRN 2014/2020 ALTALUZ (PTDC/CTM-ENE/5125/2014 PTDC/NAN-OPT/28430/2017 PTDC/NAN-OPT/28837/2017 PTDC/EAM-PEC/29905/2017 SFRH/BPD/114833/2016 SFRH/BPD/115566/2016One of the most promising approaches to produce industrial-compatible Transparent Conducting Materials (TCMs) with excellent characteristics is the fabrication of TCO/metal/TCO multilayers. In this article, we report on the electro-optical properties of a novel high-performing TCO/metal/TCO structure in which the intra-layer is a micro-structured metallic grid instead of a continuous thin film. The grid is obtained by evaporation of Ag through a mask of polystyrene colloidal micro-spheres deposited by the Langmuir-Blodgett method and partially dry-etched in plasma. IZO/Ag grid/IZO structures with different thicknesses and mesh dimensions have been fabricated, exhibiting excellent electrical characteristics (sheet resistance below 10 Ω/□) and particularly high optical transmittance in the near-infrared spectral region as compared to planar (unstructured) TCM multilayers. Numerical simulations were also used to highlight the role of the Ag mesh parameters on the electrical properties.preprintpublishe

There and back again: molecular phylogenetics of the Brazilian endemic Psyllocarpus (Rubiaceae: Spermacoceae) supports a circumscription of the genus based on its original concept

The Spermacoce clade (tribe Spermacoceae) is one of the most taxonomically complex groups in Rubiaceae due to the unclear delimitation of Borreria and Spermacoce, in which several smaller genera are phylogenetically intermingled. One of these genera is the Brazilian endemic Psyllocarpus, whose circumscription was broadened, thereby including two sections. Psyllocarpus sect. Psyllocarpus, being based on the original genus delineation, includes nine species, distributed in the Cerrado and campo rupestre of eastern Brazil, whereas P. sect. Amazonica comprises three species, occurring in the Amazonian campinas. Furthermore, P. intermedius was not classified in any of these sections when it was later described. In order to test the monophyly of Psyllocarpus and assess its relationships to other genera, we conducted phylogenetic analyses, sampling across the whole Spermacoce clade, including nearly all Psyllocarpus species. A combined nuclear ribosomal (ETS and ITS) and plastid (rps16 and trnLtrnF) dataset was generated, representing 124 species (ca 25% of the species in the clade) in 15 genera (ca 65%). Various methodologies were applied to investigate the degree of incongruence among markers and address the lack of resolution and low support values for some branches. Our results revealed that Psyllocarpus is not monophyletic. Psyllocarpus campinorum (from P . sect. Amazonica) and P intermedius are situated as distinct lineages in the Spermacoce clade, yet do not belong to Psyllocarpus. Members of section Psyllocarpus form a strongly supported clade sister to Staelia and was recovered with high to maximum support across different datasets and inference methods. Therefore, Psyllocarpus has to be circumscribed based on its original concept, excluding P. sect. Amazonica and P. intermedius. This establishes the genus as a monophyletic and easily diagnosable taxon, characterized by terete leaves, homostylous flowers, a bilobate calyx, included stamens and style, and compressed, septifragally dehiscent capsules with a persistent septum

Robust and accurate modeling approaches for migraine Per-Patient prediction from ambulatory data

Migraine is one of the most wide-spread neurological disorders, and its medical treatment represents a high percentage of the costs of health systems. In some patients, characteristic symptoms that precede the headache appear. However, they are nonspecific, and their prediction horizon is unknown and pretty variable; hence, these symptoms are almost useless for prediction, and they are not useful to advance the intake of drugs to be effective and neutralize the pain. To solve this problem, this paper sets up a realistic monitoring scenario where hemodynamic variables from real patients are monitored in ambulatory conditions with a wireless body sensor network (WBSN). The acquired data are used to evaluate the predictive capabilities and robustness against noise and failures in sensors of several modeling approaches. The obtained results encourage the development of per-patient models based on state-space models (N4SID) that are capable of providing average forecast windows of 47 min and a low rate of false positives

Experimental Station for Generation, Processing and Diagnostics of Nanoparticles of Astrophysical Interest

Europhysics Sectional Conference on the Atomic and Molecular Physics of Ionized Gases. ESCAMPIG XXIV.Glasgow July 17-21 (2018). .--file:///C:/Users/BIBLIO~1/AppData/Local/Temp/CONGRESOS_Y_CONFERENCIAS752874-1.pd

Optimal-Enhanced Solar Cell Ultra-thinning with Broadband Nanophotonic Light Capture

Action FP7-PEOPLE-2013-IEF through the DIELECTRIC PV project (Grant 629370). Grant SFRH/BPD/115566/2016. Grant SFRH/BPD/114833/2016.Recent trends in photovoltaics demand ever-thin solar cells to allow deployment in consumer-oriented products requiring low-cost and mechanically flexible devices. For this, nanophotonic elements in the wave-optics regime are highly promising, as they capture and trap light in the cells' absorber, enabling its thickness reduction while improving its efficiency. Here, novel wavelength-sized photonic structures were computationally optimized toward maximum broadband light absorption. Thin-film silicon cells were the test bed to determine the best performing parameters and study their optical effects. Pronounced photocurrent enhancements, up to 37%, 27%, and 48%, respectively, in ultra-thin (100- and 300-nm-thick) amorphous, and thin (1.5-mm) crystalline silicon cells are demonstrated with honeycomb arrays of semi-spheroidal dome or void-like elements patterned on the cells' front. Also importantly, key advantages in the electrical performance are anticipated, since the photonic nano/micro-nanostructures do not increase the cell roughness, therefore not contributing to recombination, which is a crucial drawback in state-of-the-art light-trapping approaches.publishersversionpublishersversionpublishe