Environmental drivers of distribution and reef development of the Mediterranean coral Cladocora caespitosa

Cladocora caespitosa is the only Mediterranean scleractinian similar to tropical reef-building corals. While this species is part of the recent fossil history of the Mediterranean Sea, it is currently considered endangered due to its decline during the last decades. Environmental factors affecting the distribution and persistence of extensive bank reefs of this endemic species across its whole geographic range are poorly understood. In this study, we examined the environmental response of C. caespitosa and its main types of assemblages using ecological niche modeling and ordination analysis. We also predicted other suitable areas for the occurrence of the species and assessed the conservation effectiveness of Mediterranean marine protected areas (MPAs) for this coral. We found that phosphate concentration and wave height were factors affecting both the occurrence of this versatile species and the distribution of its extensive bioconstructions in the Mediterranean Sea. A set of factors (diffuse attenuation coefficient, calcite and nitrate concentrations, mean wave height, sea surface temperature, and shape of the coast) likely act as environmental barriers preventing the species from expansion to the Atlantic Ocean and the Black Sea. Uncertainties in our large-scale statistical results and departures from previous physiological and ecological studies are also discussed under an integrative perspective. This study reveals that Mediterranean MPAs encompass eight of the ten banks and 16 of the 21 beds of C. caespitosa. Preservation of water clarity by avoiding phosphate discharges may improve the protection of this emblematic species.Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness [CTM2014-57949-R]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Enhancement of the ferromagnetic order of graphite after sulphuric acid treatment

We have studied the changes in the ferromagnetic behavior of graphite powder and graphite flakes after treatment with diluted sulphuric acid. We show that this kind of acid treatment enhances substantially the ferromagnetic magnetization of virgin graphite micrometer size powder as well as in graphite flakes. The anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) amplitude at 300 K measured in a micrometer size thin graphite flake after acid treatment reaches values comparable to polycrystalline cobalt.Comment: 3.2 pages, 4 figure

Extracting MSSM Masses From Heavy Higgs Decays to Four Leptons at the LHC

It is well known that finding and measuring the masses of particles in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) may be possible using invariant mass distributions in exclusive channels containing n_j jets and n_l leptons. We perform this analysis for the (n_j, n_l) = (0,4) decay of heavy Higgs bosons to neutralinos, pp \to H/A \to \chi_i \chi_j (i,j =2,3,4), which then decay to four leptons and two lightest neutralinos \chi_1 via on-shell sleptons. When i=j and the sleptons are degenerate, our Monte Carlo study shows that the LHC will be able to measure the Higgs and relevant neutralino and slepton masses to roughly 30%; however, if one of these is already known within 5%, the other three may be found to equal or better accuracy. This would provide the first accurate measurement of the H/A mass via invariant mass distribution techniques.Comment: version to be published in PR

Neural-Symbolic Argumentation Mining: An Argument in Favor of Deep Learning and Reasoning

Deep learning is bringing remarkable contributions to the field of argumentation mining, but the existing approaches still need to fill the gap toward performing advanced reasoning tasks. In this position paper, we posit that neural-symbolic and statistical relational learning could play a crucial role in the integration of symbolic and sub-symbolic methods to achieve this goal

Molecular semiconductors and the Ioffe–Regel criterion: A terahertz study on band transport in DBTTT

Terahertz electromodulation spectroscopy provides insight into the physics of charge carrier transport in molecular semiconductors. The work focuses on thin-film devices of dibenzothiopheno[6,5-b:6′,5′-f]thieno[3,2-b]thiophene. Frequency-resolved data show a Drude-like response of the hole gas in the accumulation region. The temperature dependence of the mobilities follows a T1/2 power law. This indicates that the thermal mean free path of the charge carriers is restricted by disorder. Only a fraction of approximately 5% of the injected carriers fulfills the Ioffe–Regel criterion and participates in band transport.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Dinuclear Tb and Dy complexes supported by hybrid Schiff-base/calixarene ligands: synthesis, structures and magnetic properties

The synthesis of the new lanthanide complexes [HNEt$_{3}$][Dy$_{2}$(HL$^{1}$)(L$^{1}$)] (5), and [Ln$_{2}$(L$_{2}$)$_{2}$] (Ln = Tb$^{III}$ (7), Dy$^{III}$ (8)) supported by the hybrid Schiff-base/calix[4]arene ligands H$_{4}$L$^{1}$ (25-[2-((2-methylphenol)imino)ethoxy]-26,27,28-trihydroxy-calix[4]arene) and H$_{3}$L$^{2}$ (25-[2-((2-methylpyridine)imino)ethoxy]-26,27,28-trihydroxy-calix[4]arene) are reported. Spectroscopic data (for 5) and X-ray crystallographic analysis (for 7·4MeCN, 8·4MeCN) reveal the presence of dimeric structures, featuring doubly-bridged NO$_{4}$Ln(μ-O)$_{2}$LnO$_{4}$N (5) or N$_{2}$O$_{3}$Ln(μ-O)$_{2}$LnO$_{3}$N$_{2}$ cores (7, 8) with seven-coordinated Ln$^{3+}$ ions. The magnetic properties of polycrystalline samples of 5, 7 and 8 were studied by variable temperature dc and ac magnetic susceptibility measurements. The χ′′(T) vs. T plots show no maxima in zero field, but the maxima can be detected under a 3 kOe dc field. The relaxation times τ obey the Arrhenius law above 5 K. Anisotropy barriers of ∼18 cm$^{-1}$ (26 K) for 5 and ∼23 cm$^{-1}$ (33 K) for 8 were determined

FAST CHANGES IN DIRECTION DURING HUMAN LOCOMOTION ARE EXECUTED BY IMPULSIVE ACTIVATION OF MOTOR MODULES

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