Seismo-electromagnetic phenomena in the western part of the Eurasia-Nubia plate boundary

This paper presents a future research plan that aims to monitor Seismo-electromagnetic (SEM) phenomena in the western part of the Eurasia-Nubia plate boundary (WENP). This region has a significant tectonic activity [1] combined with relatively low electromagnetic noise levels and for that reason presents the possibility to perform high quality SEM measurements. Further, it is known that low-frequency [ultra (ULF), very (VLF), and low-frequencies (LF)] electromag- netic (EM) waves produce more convincing earthquake precursors (compared to higher frequencies) because of less contamination, large skin depth, and low attenuation [2]. Thus, two SEM effects will be considered: ULF electromagnetic field emissions [3], and VLF/LF radio broadcastings [4]. With respect to the ULF measurements, as a start, three ULF sensors are planned to be installed in the South of Iberian Peninsula supported by the existing networks of seismic research stations. Subsequent devel- opment of this initial plan could result in the implementation of a lager ULF monitoring network not only in the Iberian Peninsula, but also in the rest of Europe. Possible integration in the SEGMA array is now under consideration. Another perspective is to use a portable station to track seismic events. Regarding the VLF/LF radio broadcastings, a receiver is planned to be mounted in University of Évora. Radio signals from up to 10 transmitters (in these bands) of interest to study the seismic activity in the WENP region will be monitored. Actually, the radio path from the transmitter to the receiver should cross the epicentral area, therefore two possible transmitters are the ones installed in Monaco (France) and Sicily (Italy). Furthermore, the system will integrate the INFREP network and in this context it will not be restricted to WENP region. With the development of these research plans we aim to collect novel SEM data emerging from the seis- mic activity in the WENP region. We expect to address the time variations of EM properties of the crust/plate in relation with the strain field, and in space in relation with composition and temperature and stress fields. Further, the interplay between atmospheric (and solar) perturbations with crust perturbations will be monitored, to observe geomagnetic perturbations at different locations. Our study will be focused in the analyses of low magnitude earthquakes with M =< 4, these events are frequent in the WENP region, but have been almost completely disregarded in literature [5,6]. [1] J. Borges, A. J. S. Fitas, M. Bezzeghoud, and P. Teves-Costa, Tectonophysics 337, 373 (2001). [2] V. Chauhan, O.P. Singh, V. Kushwah, V. Singh, B. Singh, Journal of Geodynamics 48, 68 (2009). [3] L. Telesca, V. Lapenna, M. Macchiato, and K. Hattori, Earth and Planet. Science Lett. 268, 219 (2008)

Seismo-electromagnetic phenomena in the western part of the Eurasia-Nubia plate boundary

This paper presents a future research plan that aims to monitor Seismo-electromagnetic (SEM) phenomena in the western part of the Eurasia-Nubia plate boundary (WENP). This region has a significant tectonic activity [1] combined with relatively low electromagnetic noise levels and for that reason presents the possibility to perform high quality SEM measurements. Further, it is known that low-frequency [ultra (ULF), very (VLF), and low-frequencies (LF)] electromag- netic (EM) waves produce more convincing earthquake precursors (compared to higher frequencies) because of less contamination, large skin depth, and low attenuation [2]. Thus, two SEM effects will be considered: ULF electromagnetic field emissions [3], and VLF/LF radio broadcastings [4]. With respect to the ULF measurements, as a start, three ULF sensors are planned to be installed in the South of Iberian Peninsula supported by the existing networks of seismic research stations. Subsequent devel- opment of this initial plan could result in the implementation of a lager ULF monitoring network not only in the Iberian Peninsula, but also in the rest of Europe. Possible integration in the SEGMA array is now under consideration. Another perspective is to use a portable station to track seismic events. Regarding the VLF/LF radio broadcastings, a receiver is planned to be mounted in University of Évora. Radio signals from up to 10 transmitters (in these bands) of interest to study the seismic activity in the WENP region will be monitored. Actually, the radio path from the transmitter to the receiver should cross the epicentral area, therefore two possible transmitters are the ones installed in Monaco (France) and Sicily (Italy). Furthermore, the system will integrate the INFREP network and in this context it will not be restricted to WENP region. With the development of these research plans we aim to collect novel SEM data emerging from the seis- mic activity in the WENP region. We expect to address the time variations of EM properties of the crust/plate in relation with the strain field, and in space in relation with composition and temperature and stress fields. Further, the interplay between atmospheric (and solar) perturbations with crust perturbations will be monitored, to observe geomagnetic perturbations at different locations. Our study will be focused in the analyses of low magnitude earthquakes with M =< 4, these events are frequent in the WENP region, but have been almost completely disregarded in literature [5,6]. [1] J. Borges, A. J. S. Fitas, M. Bezzeghoud, and P. Teves-Costa, Tectonophysics 337, 373 (2001). [2] V. Chauhan, O.P. Singh, V. Kushwah, V. Singh, B. Singh, Journal of Geodynamics 48, 68 (2009). [3] L. Telesca, V. Lapenna, M. Macchiato, and K. Hattori, Earth and Planet. Science Lett. 268, 219 (2008)

Production of a rhamnolipid-type biosurfactant by Pseudomonas aeruginosa LBM10 grown on glycerol

The work herewith investigated the effect of the culture medium composition on rhamnolipid production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa LBM10, previously isolated from an estuarine environment in Southern Brazil. Experimental design and surface response methodology were used in order to improve biosurfactant production using glycerol, a renewable carbon source. The assays were carried out in a rotary shaker at 30°C and 180 rpm for 120 h and the parameters studied were glycerol concentration, C/N (carbon/nitrogen) and C/P (carbon/phosphorus) ratios. Low glycerol concentration and a phosphorus-limiting condition were favorable for rhamnolipid production. Contour plots constructed by predictive polynomial equations led to a glycerol concentration of 13.2 g/l, a C/N ratio of 12.8 and a C/P ratio of 40 in order to maximize rhamnolipid concentration (4.15 g/l) associated with a high emulsification index (61%).Keywords: Biosurfactant, surface-active compounds, experimental design, phosphorus limitatio

Enhanced susceptibility of Candida albicans to chlorhexidine under anoxia

Aim: Periodontal pockets can be colonized not only by bacteria, but also by Candida albicans. However, its role in periodontitis is unknown. This study evaluated the inhibitory performance of chlorhexidine digluconate under normoxic and anoxic conditions against 16 strains of C. albicans from periodontal pockets and other 20 from the oral mucosa. Methods: Strains were grown in normoxia and anoxia to adapt themselves to the different atmospheric conditions. Microdilution-based assays were carried out to determine the minimum concentrations of chlorhexidine that may restrain the conditioned candidal strains, in normoxia (normoxic MIC) and anoxia (anoxic MIC). The Mann-Whitney U test was used to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of chlorhexidine on C. albicans under normoxic and anoxic conditions (α = 0.05). Results: The normoxic MIC of chlorhexidine varied broadly from 150 to 1200 μg/mL, whereas its anoxic MIC varied narrower from 2.34 to 37.5 μg/mL. Regarding the origins of strains, no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) were found. Conclusions: These results indicate that anoxic environmental conditions, compatible with periodontal pockets, tend to enhance C. albicans susceptibility to chlorhexidine.published_or_final_versio

LOGISTICS PERFORMANCE AND EXPORT COMPETITIVENESS: EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE

This article aims to analyse the importance of logistics performance in European Union (EU) exports over a sample period in order to detect possible advances on behalf of Member States. We will estimate several gravity equations using the Logistics Performance Index (LPI) and its components as characteristic proxy variables of trade facilitation. In order to avoid the possible heterogeneity caused by sample bias, we will employ the two-stage model proposed by Heckman. The estimations of the gravity models using the two-stage Heckman model for 26 EU countries lead to the conclusion that logistics were more important for exporting nations than importing nations in both 2005 and 2010, reinforcing the interest in the exporter side of the paper. In reference to the components of the LPI, Competence and Tracking have acquired greater importance in recent years, in keeping with the weak domestic demand in European countries and their search for new international markets.Puertas Medina, RM.; Martí Selva, ML.; Garcia Menendez, L. (2013). LOGISTICS PERFORMANCE AND EXPORT COMPETITIVENESS: EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE. Empirica. 1-14. doi:10.1007/s10663-013-9241-zS114Anderson JE (1979) A theorical foundation to the gravity equation. Am Econ Rev 69: 106–116 http://www.jstor.org/stable/1802501Anderson J, Van Wincoop E (2003) Gravity with gravitas: a solution to the border puzzle. Am Econ Rev 93:170–192. doi: 10.1257/000282803321455214Arvis JF, Mustra M, Ojala L, Shepherd B, Saslavsky D (2007) Connecting to compete: trade logistics in the global economy. World Bank, WashingtonArvis JF, Mustra M, Panzer J, Ojala L, Naula T (2010) Connecting to compete: trade logistics in the global economy. World Bank, WashingtonArvis JF, Mustra M, Ojala L, Shepherd B, Saslavsky D (2012) Connecting to compete: trade logistics in the global economy. World Bank, WashingtonBehar A, Manner P (2008) Logistics and exports. African economics working paper series 293. CSAE WPS/2008-13. University of Oxford, OxfordBehar A, Venables AJ (2010) Transport costs and international trade. In: Palma A, Lindsey R, Quinet E, Vickerman R (eds) Handbook of transport economics. Edward Elgar, pp 97–115Behar A, Manners P, Nelson B (2009) Exports and logistics. Oxford Department of Economics Discussion Paper 439Bergstrand JH (1985) The gravity equation in international trade: some microeconomic foundations and empirical evidence. Rev Econ Stat 71: 143–153. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1925975Bergstrand JH (1989) The generalized gravity equation, monopolistic competition, and the factor-proportions theory in international trade. Rev Econ Stat 67: 474–481. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1928061Breuss F, Egger P (1999) How reliable are estimations of east-west trade potencials based on cross-section gravity analysis? Empirica 26:86–89. doi: 10.1023/A:1007011329676CILT (2012) Available at http://www.ciltuk.org.uk/pages/royalcharter . Accessed 02 Aug 2012Felipe J, Kumar U (2012) The role of trade facilitation in Central Asia: a gravity model. East Eur Econ 50:5–20. doi: 10.2753/EEE0012-875500401Heckman J (1979) Sample selection bias as a specification error. Econometrica 47: 153–161. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1912352Helpman E, Krugman P (1985) Market structure and foreign trade. Increasing returns, imperfect competition and the international economy. The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA/LondonHertel T, Mirza T (2009) The role of trade facilitation in South Asian economic integration. Study on intraregional trade and investment in South Asia. ADB, Mandaluyong CityHollweg C, Wong M-H (2009) Measuring regulatory restrictions in logistics services. ERIA Discussion Paper Series, no. 14Jane C–C (2011) Performance evaluation of logistic systems under cost and reliability considerations. Transp Res E-Log 47:130–137. doi: 10.1016/j.tre.2010.09.012Keskin MH (2012) The exigencies of the common logistics policy for European community and the deconstruction of the common transportation policy. Afr J Bus Manage 6:10697–10707. doi: 10.5897/AJBM11.1523Korinek J, Sourdin P (2011) To what extent are high-quality logistics services trade facilitating? Oecd trade policy working papers 108. OECD PublishingLangley C, Coyle J, Gibson B, Novak R, Bardi E (2008) Managing supply chain: a logistics approach. South–Western College Publishing, LondonMangan J, Lalwani C, Butcher C (2008) Global logistics and supply chain management. Wiley John & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, NJMartí ML, Puertas R, García L (2012) Relevance of trade facilitation in emerging countries′s export. J Int Trade Eco Dev. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09638199.2012.698639Requena F, Llano C (2010) The border effects in Spain: an industrial-level analysis. Empirica 37:455–476. doi: 10.1007/s10663-010-9123-6Rushton A, Oxley J, Croucher P (2009) The handbook of logistics and distribution management. Kogan Page, LondonVilko J, Karandassov B, Myller E (2011) Logistic infrastructure and its effects on economic development. China–USA Bus Rev 10:1152–1167World Bank (2010) Trade and transport facilitation assessment: a practical toolkit for country implementation. World Bank, Washingto

Changes in intracellular ion activities induced by adrenaline in human and rat skeletal muscle

To study the stimulating effect of adrenaline (ADR) on active Na+/K+ transport we used double-barrelled ion-sensitive micro-electrodes to measure the activities of extracellular K+ (aKe) and intracellular Na+ (aNai) in isolated preparations of rat soleus muscle, normal human intercostal muscle and one case of hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (h.p.p.). In these preparations bath-application of ADR (10−6 M) resulted in a membrane hyperpolarization and transient decreasesaKe andaNai which could be blocked by ouabain (3×10−4 M). In the h.p.p. muslce a continuous rise ofaNai induced by elevation ofaKe to 5.2 mM could be stopped by ADR. In addition, the intracellular K+ activity (aKi), the free intracellular Ca2+ concentration (pCai) and intracellular pH (pHi) were monitored in rat soleus muscle. During ADRaKi increased, pHi remained constant and intracellular Ca2+ apparently decreased. In conclusion, our data show that ADR primarily stimulates the Na+/K+ pump in mammalian skeletal muscle. This stimulating action is not impaired in the h.p.p. muscle

Enrichment analysis of Alu elements with different spatial chromatin proximity in the human genome

Transposable elements (TEs) have no longer been totally considered as “junk DNA” for quite a time since the continual discoveries of their multifunctional roles in eukaryote genomes. As one of the most important and abundant TEs that still active in human genome, Alu, a SINE family, has demonstrated its indispensable regulatory functions at sequence level, but its spatial roles are still unclear. Technologies based on 3C(chromosomeconformation capture) have revealed the mysterious three-dimensional structure of chromatin, and make it possible to study the distal chromatin interaction in the genome. To find the role TE playing in distal regulation in human genome, we compiled the new released Hi-C data, TE annotation, histone marker annotations, and the genome-wide methylation data to operate correlation analysis, and found that the density of Alu elements showed a strong positive correlation with the level of chromatin interactions (hESC: r=0.9, P<2.2×1016; IMR90 fibroblasts: r = 0.94, P < 2.2 × 1016) and also have a significant positive correlation withsomeremote functional DNA elements like enhancers and promoters (Enhancer: hESC: r=0.997, P=2.3×10−4; IMR90: r=0.934, P=2×10−2; Promoter: hESC: r = 0.995, P = 3.8 × 10−4; IMR90: r = 0.996, P = 3.2 × 10−4). Further investigation involving GC content and methylation status showed the GC content of Alu covered sequences shared a similar pattern with that of the overall sequence, suggesting that Alu elements also function as the GC nucleotide and CpG site provider. In all, our results suggest that the Alu elements may act as an alternative parameter to evaluate the Hi-C data, which is confirmed by the correlation analysis of Alu elements and histone markers. Moreover, the GC-rich Alu sequence can bring high GC content and methylation flexibility to the regions with more distal chromatin contact, regulating the transcription of tissue-specific genes

Laser Cooling of Optically Trapped Molecules

Calcium monofluoride (CaF) molecules are loaded into an optical dipole trap (ODT) and subsequently laser cooled within the trap. Starting with magneto-optical trapping, we sub-Doppler cool CaF and then load $150(30)$ CaF molecules into an ODT. Enhanced loading by a factor of five is obtained when sub-Doppler cooling light and trapping light are on simultaneously. For trapped molecules, we directly observe efficient sub-Doppler cooling to a temperature of $60(5)$ $\mu\text{K}$. The trapped molecular density of $8(2)\times10^7$ cm$^{-3}$ is an order of magnitude greater than in the initial sub-Doppler cooled sample. The trap lifetime of 750(40) ms is dominated by background gas collisions.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

Geometries of Light and Shadows, from Piero della Francesca to James Turrell

This chapter addresses the problem of representing light and shadow in the artistic culture, from its uncertain beginnings, related to the studies on conical linear perspective in the Fifteenth Century, to the applications of light projection in the installations of contemporary art. Here are examined in particular two works by two artists, representing two different conceptual approaches to the perception and symbolism of light and shadow. The first is the so-called Brera Madonna by Piero della Francesca, where the image projected from a luminous radiation is employed with a narrative purpose, supporting the apparently hidden script of the painting and according to the artist\u2019s own speculations about perspective as a means to clarify the phenomenal world. The second is one of James Turrell\u2019s Dark Spaces installations, where quantum electrodynamics interpretation of light is taken into account: for Turrell, light is physical and thus can shape spaces where the visitors, or viewers, can \u201csee themselves seeing.\u201d In his body of work, perceptual deceptions are carefullyproduced by the interaction of the senses with his phenomenal staging of light and darkness, but a strong symbolic component is always present, often related to his own speculative interests. In both cases, light and shadow, through their geometries, emphasize both phenomenal and spiritual contents of the work of art, intended as a device to expand the perception and the knowledge of the viewer