Cobalt Metal-Organic Framework based on two dinuclear secondary building units for electrocatalytic oxygen evolution

The synthesis of a new microporous metal-organic framework (MOF) based on two secondary building units, with dinuclear cobalt centers, has been developed. The employment of a well-defined cobalt cluster results in an unusual topology of the Co2-MOF, where one of the cobalt centers has three open coordination positions, which has no precedent in MOF materials based on cobalt. Adsorption isotherms have revealed that Co2-MOF is in the range of best CO2 adsorbents among the carbon materials, with very high CO2/CH4 selectivity. On the other hand, dispersion of Co2-MOF in an alcoholic solution of Nafion gives rise to a composite (Co2-MOF@Nafion) with great resistance to hydrolysis in aqueous media and good adherence to graphite electrodes. In fact, it exhibits high electrocatalytic activity and robustness for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), with a turnover frequency number value superior to those reported for similar electrocatalysts. Overall, this work has provided the basis for the rational design of new cobalt OER catalysts and related materials employing well-defined metal clusters as directing agents of the MOF structure

Wired metal-organic chalcogenides

Rey Garcia, F.; Jorda Moret, JL. (2017). Bottom-up synthesis: Wired metal-organic chalcogenides. Nature Materials. 16(3):287-288. doi:10.1038/nmat4850S287288163Moliner, M., Rey, F. & Corma, A. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 52, 13880–13889 (2013).Zeolites and Catalysis: Synthesis, Reactions and Applications Vol. 2 (eds Cejka, J., Corma, A. & Zones, S. I.) 389–861 (Wiley, 2010).Furukawa, H., Cordova, K. E., O'Keeffe, M. & Yaghi, O. M. Science 341, 1230444 (2013).Yan, H. et al. Nat. Mater. 16, 349–355 (2017).Bedard, R. L., Vail, L. D., Wilson, S. T., Oak, S. & Flanigen, E. M. US patent 4,880,761 (1989).Bowes, C. L. et al. Chem. Mater. 8, 2147–2152 (1996).MacLachlan, M. J. et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 121, 12005–12017 (1999).Zheng, N., Bu, X., Wang, B. & Feng, P. Science 298, 2366–2369 (2002).Dance, I. G., Garbutt, R. G. & Scudder, M. L. Inorg. Chem. 29, 1571–1575 (1990).Dance, I. G., Garbutt, R. G., Craig, D. C. & Scudder, M. L. Inorg. Chem. 26, 4057–4064 (1987)

Meltable, Glass-Forming, Iron Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks

We describe the first meltable iron-based zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF), denoted MUV-24. This material, elusive from direct synthesis, is obtained from the thermal treatment of [Fe3(im)6(Him)2], which yields Fe(im)2 upon loss of the neutral imidazole molecules. Different crystalline phase transformations are observed upon further heating, until the material melts at 482 °C. Vitrification upon cooling of the liquid phase gives rise to the first Fe-metal-organic framework glass. X-ray total scattering experiments show that the tetrahedral environment of the crystalline solids is maintained in the glass, whereas nanoindentation measurements reveal an increase in Young's modulus, in agreement with stiffening upon vitrification

Concept note for ICCAT ecoregion workshop identification of regions in the ICCAT convention area for supporting the implementation of ecosystem based fisheries management

The overall aim of the workshop is to advance in the identification of candidate ecologically meaningful regions that can serve as a basis to produce a more integrated ecosystem-based advice, and thereby support the implementation and operationalization of ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) in the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) convention area. The candidate regions should have boundaries that make ecological sense, and are practical in informing fisheries management. The workshop will gather CPC national scientists and external experts from different scientific disciplines (e.g. biogeography, oceanography, ecology, fisheries and fisheries management in the ICCAT area) to develop a “proof of concept” for broad-scale regionalization of the ICCAT convention area.L'objectif général de l'atelier est de progresser dans l'identification de possibles régions écologiquement significatives qui peuvent servir de base pour produire un avis écosystémique plus intégré, et ainsi soutenir la mise en œuvre et la mise en marche de la gestion des pêcheries basée sur les écosystèmes (EBFM) dans la zone de la Convention de la Commission internationale pour la conservation des thonidés de l'Atlantique (ICCAT). Les régions candidates doivent avoir des limites qui ont un sens écologique, et qui sont pratiques pour renseigner la gestion des pêcheries. L'atelier réunira des scientifiques nationaux des CPC et des experts externes de différentes disciplines scientifiques (par exemple, la biogéographie, l'océanographie, l'écologie, la pêche et la gestion des pêcheries dans la zone de l'ICCAT) afin de développer une preuve conceptuelle pour une régionalisation à grande échelle de la zone de la Convention ICCATEl objetivo global del taller es avanzar en la identificación de posibles regiones ecológicamente significativas que puedan servir como base para formular un asesoramiento basado en el ecosistema más integrado, apoyando la implementación y puesta en marcha de la ordenación pesquera basada en el ecosistema (EBFM) en la zona del Convenio de la Comisión Internacional para la Conservación del Atún Atlántico (ICCAT). Las regiones candidatas deberían tener límites que tengan sentido ecológico y que sean prácticas para aportar información a la ordenación pesquera. El taller reunirá a científicos nacionales de las CPC y a expertos externos de diversas disciplinas (por ejemplo, biogeografía, oceanografía, ecología, pesca y ordenación pesquera en la zona de ICCAT) para desarrollar una demostración conceptual para una regionalización a gran escala de la zona del Convenio de ICCAT.Versión del edito

Mean ergodic multiplication operators on weighted spaces of continuous functions

[EN] Multiplication operators on weighted Banach spaces and locally convex spaces of continuous functions have been thoroughly studied. In this note, we characterize when continuous multiplication operators on a weighted Banach space and on a weighted inductive limit of Banach spaces of continuous functions are power bounded, mean ergodic or uniformly mean ergodic. The behaviour of the operator on weighted inductive limits depends on the properties of the defining sequence of weights and it differs from the Banach space case.The research of Bonet was partially supported by Project Prometeo/2017/102 of the Generalitat Valenciana. The authors authors were also partially supported by MINECO Project MTM2016-76647-P. Rodriguez also thanks the support of the Grant PAID-01-16 of the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia.Bonet Solves, JA.; Jorda Mora, E.; Rodríguez-Arenas, A. (2018). Mean ergodic multiplication operators on weighted spaces of continuous functions. Mediterranean Journal of Mathematics. 15(3):1:108-11:108. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00009-018-1150-8S1:10811:108153Bierstedt, K.D.: An introduction to locally convex inductive limits, Functional analysis and its applications (Nice, 1986), 35–133, ICPAM Lecture Notes. World Sci. Publishing, Singapore (1988)Bierstedt, K.D.: A survey of some results and open problems in weighted inductive limits and projective description for spaces of holomorphic functions. Bull. Soc. Roy. Sci. Liège 70(4–6), 167–182 (2001)Bierstedt, K.D., Bonet, J.: Some recent results on VC(X). In: Advances in the theory of Fréchet spaces (Istanbul, 1988), NATO Adv. Sci. Inst. Ser. C Math. Phys. Sci., vol. 287, pp. 181–194. Kluwer Acad. Publ., Dordrecht (1989)Bierstedt, K.D., Bonet, J.: Completeness of the (LB)-spaces VC(X). Arch. Math. (Basel) 56(3), 281–285 (1991)Bierstedt, K.D., Bonet, J.: Some aspects of the modern theory of Fréchet spaces. Rev. R. Acad. Cienc. Exactas Fís. Nat. Ser. A Mat 97(2), 159–188 (2003)Bierstedt, K.D., Meise, R., Summers, W.H.: A projective description of weighted inductive limits. Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 272(1), 107–160 (1982)Bierstedt, K.D., Meise, R., Summers, W.H.: Köthe sets and Köthe sequence spaces. In: Functional analysis, holomorphy and approximation theory, Rio de Janeiro, pp. 27–91 (1980)Bonet, J., Ricker, W.J.: Mean ergodicity of multiplication operators in weighted spaces of holomorphic functions. Arch. Math. 92, 428–437 (2009)Klilou, M., Oubbi, L.: Multiplication operators on generalized weighted spaces of continuous functions. Mediterr. J. Math. 13(5), 3265–3280 (2016)Krengel, U.: Ergodic Theorems. de Gruyter, Berlin (1985)Lin, M.: On the uniform ergodic theorem. Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 43, 2 (1974)Lotz, H.P.: Uniform convergence of operators on $$L^\infty$$ L ∞ and similar spaces. Math. Z. 190, 207–220 (1985)Manhas, J.S.: Compact multiplication operators on weighted spaces of vector-valued continuous functions. Rocky Mt. J. Math. 34(3), 1047–1057 (2004)Manhas, J.S.: Compact and weakly compact multiplication operators on weighted spaces of vector-valued continuous functions. Acta Sci. Math. (Szeged) 70(1–2), 361–372 (2004)Manhas, J.S., Singh, R.K.: Compact and weakly compact weighted composition operators on weighted spaces of continuous functions. Integral Equ. Oper. Theory 29(1), 63–69 (1997)Meise, R., Vogt, D.: Introduction to Functional Analysis. The Clarendon Press, Oxford University Press, New York (1997)Oubbi, L.: Multiplication operators on weighted spaces of continuous functions. Port. Math. (N.S.) 59(1), 111–124 (2002)Oubbi, L.: Weighted composition operators on non-locally convex weighted spaces. Rocky Mt. J. Math. 35(6), 2065–2087 (2005)Singh, R.K., Manhas, J.S.: Multiplication operators on weighted spaces of vector-valued continuous functions. J. Austral. Math. Soc. Ser. A 50(1), 98–107 (1991)Singh, R.K., Manhas, J.S.: Composition operators on function spaces. North-Holland Publishing Co., Amsterdam (1993)Singh, R.K., Manhas, J.S.: Operators and dynamical systems on weighted function spaces. Math. Nachr. 169, 279–285 (1994)Wilanski, A.: Topology for Analysis. Ginn, Waltham (1970)Yosida, K.: Functional Analysis. Springer, Berlin (1980

Variabilité des techniques de récolte et traitements des céréales dans l'occident Méditerranéen au Néolithique Ancien et Moyen: facteurs environnementaux, économiques et sociaux

La reconstitution des techniques agricoles préhistoriques constitue un élément fondamental pour la compréhension du processus d’expansion de l’agriculture en Méditerranée occidentale. Dans le cadre d’un projet européen rassemblant des tracéologues et des carpologues espagnols et français, nous avons, dans une première phase, étudié les méthodes de récolte des céréales pratiquées durant le Néolithique en Espagne et dans le Sud de la France, du Néolithique ancien au Néolithique moyen. L’étude des outils de récolte a permis de distinguer trois aires distinctes. Le Sud-Est de l’Espagne est caractérisé par des faucilles courbes avec des éléments insérés obliquement dans le manche. En Catalogne, Languedoc et Provence, la majorité des faucilles sont constituées de longues lames emmanchées parallèlement au manche, mais d’autres modèles existent. En Espagne cantabrique, les céréales étaient récoltées sans faucille. Nos travaux en cours explorent différents facteurs pouvant expliquer cette variabilité : conditions environnementales, types de céréales cultivées, finalités techniques et alimentaires de la culture des céréales, techniques de conservation des céréales, rôle de l’agriculture céréalière dans l’économie, dynamiques historiques de l’expansion et de l’adoption des innovations néolithiques.Peer Reviewe

Spectroscopic, calorimetric, and catalytic evidences of hydrophobicity on Ti-MCM-41 silylated materials for olefin epoxidations

tHydrophobic Ti-MCM-41 samples prepared by post-synthesis silylation treatment demonstrate to behighly active and selective catalysts in olefins epoxidation by using organic hydroperoxides as oxidizingagents in liquid phase reaction systems. Epoxide yields show important enhancements with increasedsilylation degrees of the Ti-mesoporous samples. Catalytic studies are combined and correlated withspectroscopic techniques (e.g. XRD, XANES, UV-Visible,29Si MAS-NMR) and calorimetric measurementsto better understand the changes in the surface chemistry of Ti-MCM-41 samples due to the post-synthesis silylation treatment and to ascertain the role of these trimethylsilyl groups incorporated inolefin epoxidation. In such manner, the effect of the organic moieties on solids, and both water and gly-col molecules contents on the catalytic activity and selectivity are analyzed in detail. Results show thatthe hydrophobicity level of the samples is responsible for the decrease in water adsorption and, conse-quently, the negligible formation of the non-desired glycol during the catalytic process. Thus, catalystdeactivation by glycol poisoning of Ti active sites is greatly diminished, this increasing catalyst stabilityand leading to practically quantitative production of the corresponding epoxide. The extended use ofthese hydrophobic Ti-MCM-41 catalysts together with organic hydroperoxides for the highly efficientand selective epoxidation of natural terpenes is also exemplified.The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support of Spanish Government (MAT2012-38567-C02-01, Consolider-Ingenio 2010-Multicat CSD-2009-00050 and Severo Ochoa SEV-2012-0267) and Generalitat Valenciana (Project Prometeo). M.E.D. also thanks funds from Spanish Government (CTQ-2011-27550) and CSIC (PIE 2009801063). J.S.A. and F.R.R. acknowledge financial support from MINECO (Projects MAT2013-45008-p and CONCERT Project-NASEMS (PCIN-2013-057), and from Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO2009/002).Silvestre Albero, J.; Domine ., ME.; Jorda Moret, JL.; Navarro Villalba, MT.; Rey Garcia, F.; Rodriguez-Reinoso, F.; Corma Canós, A. (2015). Spectroscopic, calorimetric, and catalytic evidences of hydrophobicity on Ti-MCM-41 silylated materials for olefin epoxidations. Applied Catalysis A: General. 507:14-25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcata.2015.09.029S142550

Terms of reference for the mediterranean tuna habitat observatory initiative

[EN] We present the Terms of Reference for a case study on a Mediterranean eco-region focusing on the environmental component of the Ecosystem Report Card. The objective of this case study is to describe and monitor the variability of environmental processes in the Mediterranean Sea that affect the ecology of large pelagic fishes, with a particular attention on tunas, and the possible role of climate change on this variability. Here we define the objectives and activities of the initiative, the participant roles, primary indicators and the methodological approach[FR] Ce document présente les termes de référence d’une étude de cas sur une écorégion méditerranéenne consacrée à la composante environnementale de la fiche informative sur les écosystèmes. L'objectif de cette étude de cas est de décrire et de suivre la variabilité des processus environnementaux en mer Méditerranée qui affectent l'écologie des grands poissons pélagiques, en accordant une attention particulière aux thonidés, et de déterminer le rôle possible du changement climatique sur cette variabilité. Nous définissons ici les objectifs et les activités de l'initiative, les rôles des participants, les indicateurs primaires et l'approche méthodologique.[ES] En el documento se presentan los términos de referencia para un estudio de caso sobre una ecorregión mediterránea centrado en el componente medioambiental de la ficha informativa sobre ecosistemas. El objetivo de este estudio de caso es describir y hacer un seguimiento de la variabilidad de los procesos medioambientales en el mar Mediterráneo que afectan a la ecología de los grandes peces pelágicos, con especial atención a los túnidos, y el posible papel del cambio climático en esta variabilidad. A continuación, se definen los objetivos y actividades de la iniciativa, las funciones de los participantes, los indicadores principales y el enfoque metodológico.Peer reviewe

Evaluating changes in marine communities that provide ecosystem services through comparative assessments of community indicators

Fisheries provide critical provisioning services, especially given increasing human population. Understanding where marine communities are declining provides an indication of ecosystems of concern and highlights potential conflicts between seafood provisioning from wild fisheries and other ecosystem services. Here we use the nonparametric statistic, Kendall[U+05F3]s tau, to assess trends in biomass of exploited marine species across a range of ecosystems. The proportion of 'Non-Declining Exploited Species' (NDES) is compared among ecosystems and to three community-level indicators that provide a gauge of the ability of a marine ecosystem to function both in provisioning and as a regulating service: survey-based mean trophic level, proportion of predatory fish, and mean life span. In some ecosystems, NDES corresponds to states and temporal trajectories of the community indicators, indicating deteriorating conditions in both the exploited community and in the overall community. However differences illustrate the necessity of using multiple ecological indicators to reflect the state of the ecosystem. For each ecosystem, we discuss patterns in NDES with respect to the community-level indicators and present results in the context of ecosystem-specific drivers. We conclude that using NDES requires context-specific supporting information in order to provide guidance within a management framework.We would like to thank the IndiSeas Working Group, endorsed by IOC-UNESCO (www.ioc-unesco.org) and the European Network of Excellence Euroceans (www.eur-oceans.eu). KMK was supported by Conservation International and the Sea Around Us project, a collaboration between The University of British Columbia and The Pew Charitable Trusts. MC was partially supported by the EC Marie Curie CIG grant to BIOWEB and the Spanish Research Program Ramon y Cajal. LJS was supported through the South African Research Chair Initiative, funded through the South African Department of Science and Technology (DST) and administered by the South African National Research Foundation (NRF). YJS and MTT were supported by the French project EMIBIOS (FRB, contract no. APP-SCEN-2010-II). LJS and YS were also funded by the European collaborative project MEECE – Marine Ecosystem Evolution in a Changing Environment – (FP7, Contract no. 212085). CPL was supported by Defra project MF1228 (From Physics to Fisheries) and DEVOTES (DEVelopment of innovative Tools for understanding marine biodiversity and assessing good Environmental Status) funded by EU FP7 (grant Agreement no. 308392), www.devotes-project.eu. GIvdM was partially supported by the Norwegian Nature Index programme and the Institute of Marine Research, Norway. HO was funded was funded by the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research (grant SF0180005s10). MAT was funded by a predoctoral FPI fellowship from the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO). MJJJ was supported by the EC Marie Curie IOF Grant, PIOF-GA-2013-628116. We acknowledge all those who conducted surveys to collect the data used in this study.Peer reviewe

Fostering English-taught higher education programs in a Spanish university: the "TechEnglish" innovative project

In recent years, coinciding with adjustments to the Bologna process, many European universities have attempted to improve their international profile by increasing course offerings in English. According to the Institute of International Education (IIE), Spain has notably increased its English-taught higher education programs, ranking fifth in the list of European countries by number of English-taught Master's programs in 2013. This article presents the goals and preliminary results of an on-going innovative education project (TechEnglish) that aims to promote course offerings in English at the Technical University of Madrid (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, UPM). The UPM is the oldest and largest of all Technical Universities in Spain. It offers graduate and postgraduate programs that cover all the engineering disciplines as well as architecture. Currently, the UPM has no specific bilingual/multilingual program to promote teaching in English, although there is an Educational Model Whitepaper (with a focus on undergraduate degrees) that promotes the development of activities like an International Semester or a unique shared curriculum. The TechEnglish project is an attempt to foster courses taught in English at 7 UPM Technical Schools, including students and 80 faculty members. Four tasks were identified: (1) to design a university wide framework to increase course offerings, (2) to identify administrative difficulties, (3) to increase visibility of courses offered, and (4) to disseminate the results of the project. First, to design a program we analyzed existing programs at other Spanish universities, and other projects and efforts already under way at the UPM. A total of 13 plans were analyzed and classified according to their relation with students (learning), professors (teaching), administration, course offerings, other actors/institutions within the university (e.g., language departments), funds and projects, dissemination activities, mobility plans and quality control. Second, to begin to identify administrative and organizational difficulties in the implementation of teaching in English, we first estimated the current and potential course offerings at the undergraduate level at the UPM using a survey (student, teacher and administrative demand, level of English and willingness to work in English). Third, to make the course offerings more attractive for both Spanish and international students we examined the way the most prestigious universities in Spain and in Europe try to improve the visibility of their academic offerings in English. Finally, to disseminate the results of the project we created a web page and a workspace on the Moodle education platform and prepared conferences and workshops within the UPM. Preliminary results show that increasing course offerings in English is an important step to promote the internationalization of the University. The main difficulties identified at the UPM were related to how to acknowledge/certify the departments, teachers or students involved in English courses, how students should register for the courses, how departments should split and schedule the courses (Spanish and English), and the lack of qualified personnel. A concerted effort could be made to increase the visibility of English-taught programs offered on-line