Exact Solvability of Superintegrable Systems

It is shown that all four superintegrable quantum systems on the Euclidean plane possess the same underlying hidden algebra $sl(3)$. The gauge-rotated Hamiltonians, as well as their integrals of motion, once rewritten in appropriate coordinates, preserve a flag of polynomials. This flag corresponds to highest-weight finite-dimensional representations of the $sl(3)$-algebra, realized by first order differential operators.Comment: 14 pages, AMS LaTe

Vine architecture and production control measures to improve the quality of the wine from Shiraz variety (Vitis vinifera L.)

Aim of study: Six thinning treatments were studied to improve the chemical composition and quality of grapes of cv. ‘Shiraz’ under two vine architectures (vase and trellis). Area of study: Spain, from 2015 to 2016. Material and methods: The following thinning treatments were applied during four consecutive crop seasons: T0, control; T1, removal of 33% of the clusters (75 BBCH stage); T2, removal of 33% of the clusters (85 BBCH stage); T3, removal of the leaves at the base of the branches; T4, removal of the leaves at base of the branches together with removal of 33% of the clusters; T5, grouping of green branches; and T6, grouping of green branches and removal of 33% of the clusters. Main results: All the treatments increased the luminosity and degree of polymerization, improving the color intensity and stability in the wines. In the musts, the levels of phenolic compounds (from 48.0 and 46.7 mg L-1 in T0 trellis and vase, respectively, to 66.8 and 68.9 mg L-1 in T6 trellis and vase, respectively), anthocyanins and sugars (from 22.0 and 22.1 mg L-1 in T0 trellis and vase, respectively, to 24.3 mg L-1 in T6 trellis and vase), were considerably improved. Research highlights: Treatments T6 and T4 reported the best results. Branch grouping was more efficient than leaf removal regarding the contents of phenolic compounds. With respect to vine architecture, the results point out small differences, but we recommend the application of the treatments, mainly T4 and T6, under vase architecture. The season effect was mainly observed in the fourth year, probably due to the climatic conditions

Caracterização físico-química de diferentes cultivares de romã colhidas em Espanha

O presente estudo teve como objetívo caracterizar em termos físico-químicos romãs de nove cultivares colhidas em Espanha no estado de maturação adequado à colheita. Os resultados mostraram que as cultivares estudadas apresentam diferenças entre si, designadamente ao nível dos pesos dos frutos e dos seus componentes (casca, película, arilos e sementes), tendo-se destacado a Mollar de Elche pelo maior peso médio dos frutos (478,64 g), ao contrário da White, que apresentou os menores frutos (175,95 g). Esta última cultivar foi aquela que apresentou os menores valores de massa para os quatro componentes da roma. A Mollar de Elche foi a cultivar que forneceu o maior rendimento de sumo, o que está relacionado com a massa elevada dos arilos e baixa percentagem de sementes, mostrando ser a mais apropriada para o consumo em fresco e para a indústria dos sumos. Além disso, os sumos das diferentes cultivares apresentaram diferenças significativas entre si, variando o pH entre 2,56 e 4,31, e o teor de sólidos solúveis totais (TSS) entre 14,87 e 18,04 °Brix. Em relação ao índice TSS/Acidez Titulável Total, verificou-se que as nove cultivares apresentaram índices diferentes, o que se reflete na doçura e acidez dos sumos. As diferenças observadas indicam utilizações diferentes de acordo com a cultivar. Verificou-se também que a cultivar Katirbasi se distinguiu das demais, uma vez que apresentou um teor superior de flavonóides, antocianinas monoméricas, taninos e vitamina C, o que sugere uma boa composição em compostos bioativos que estão associados a efeitos benéficos para a saúde dos consumidores. Em suma, o presente trabalho permitiu fornecer informação útil aos produtores deste fruto de modo a poderem escolher as variedades consoante o seu fim.Os autores agradecem ao POCTEP - Programa Cooperação Transfi-onteiriça Espanha-Portugal pelo apoio financeiro através do Projeto "RED/AGROTEC - Red transfronteriza Espana Portugal de experimentación y transferencia para el desarrollo dei sector agropecuario y agromdustíal".info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Caracterização físico-química e atividade antioxidante da casca de diferentes cultivares de romã produzidas em Espanha

A casca de romã é um subproduto importante da indústria de bebidas elaboradas à base deste fruto. Até ao momento, geralmente a casca não é utilizada para outros fins, sendo desperdiçada. Nesse sentido, de forma a valorizar este subproduto, o presente estudo teve como objetivo proceder à determinação da presença de taninos hidrolisáveis, flavonóides e atividade antioxidante da casca de nove cultivares produzidas em Espanha. Os resultados demonstraram que as cultivares estudadas apresentaram diferenças nas percentagens de casca (36,2 a 57,7% para a Parfianka e Cis 127, respetivamente), bem como na sua cor. A cultivar White foi aquela que apresentou os valores mais baixos de luminosidade (L*) e das coordenadas a* (-verde-vermelho+) e b* (-azul-amarelo+). Em relação à atividade antioxidante, a cultivar Valenciana destacou-se face às restantes, apresentando os valores mais elevados de flavonóides (546 mg QE g-1 extrato), taninos hidrolisáveis (2109 mg TAE g-1 extrato), Capacidade Redutora Total (1510 mg GAE g- 1extrato), Efeito Bloqueador dos Radicais Livres de DPPH (menor valor de EC50 e igual a 6,93 mg L-1) e Poder Redutor (menor valor de EC50 e igual a 41,8 mg L-1), sendo a casca com a maior quantidade em compostos bioativos. Além disso, outras cultivares, tais como a Cis 127, Mollar de Elche e Wonderful 1, apresentaram características importantes, como sejam, elevado teor em flavonóides, taninos e Capacidade Redutora Total. Pelo contrário, de um modo geral, a casca da cultivar Katirbasi foi a que apresentou os valores inferiores nessas propriedades. Em suma, o presente trabalho demonstrou que as cascas de cultivares de romã podem ser reutilizadas e os seus extratos incorporados em outros produtos alimentares, tendo em conta os compostos detetados que são referidos na literatura como tendo efeitos positivos na saúde humana

Fluoro-perovskite nanomaterials for photodynamic cancer treatment”

Upconverting nanoparticles (UCNps) possess the ability to convert light from low to high energy. In particular, the absorption of radiation by these nanomaterials in the near-infrared region of the spectrum, and their subsequent emission in the visible region, is of great interest for biomedical applications. Conventional antitumor therapies often produce a high degree of side effects. Consequently, it is proposed to investigate the development of less invasive alternative therapies as photothermal therapy, using UCNps. The upconversion property could be achieved by incorporating dopants (rare earths and transition metals) in fluorine-based crystalline environments. On the other hand, it is important to control the size of the nanoparticles for their use in biomedical applications, for that reason we plan to obtain nanoparticles with an approximate size less than 50 nm. In the present work, the development of KMgF3 fluoroperovskite nanoparticles by solvothermal synthesis is presented, applying a factorial experimental design which consists of four factors (temperature, time and two limiting reagents) at two levels and choosing the average particle size as a variable response. The samples were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction and Transmission Electron Microscopy, in order to know the crystalline phase and particle size. As a result, KMgF3 nanoparticles with an average size between 13 and 31 nm were obtained. In addition, data obtained were statistically processed by Analysis of Variance, to determine the significant factors and their interactions, achieving the optimal synthesis conditions. From these results, a series of samples doped with Mn2+ and/or Nd3+ were obtained in order to find the optimal dopant concentrations for efficient upconversion properties. Our work is the starting point for the development of UCNps allowing them to be applied in future antitumor therapies.Agencia Nacional de investigación e InnovaciónPrograma de Desarrollo de las Ciencias BásicasComisión Académica de Postgrad

Development of doped-KMgF3 fluoro-perovskite nanoparticles with upconversion properties for potential biomedical application

Upconverting nanoparticles (UCNps) possess the ability to convert light from low to high energy. In particular, the absorption of radiation by these nanomaterials in the near-infrared region of the spectrum, and their subsequent emission in the visible region, is of great interest for biomedical applications. Conventional antitumor therapies often produce a high degree of side effects. Consequently, it is proposed to investigate the development of less invasive alternative therapies as photothermal therapy, using UCNps. The upconversion property could be achieved by incorporating dopants (rare earths and transition metals) in fluorine-based crystalline environments. On the other hand, it is important to control the size of the nanoparticles for their use in biomedical applications, for that reason we plan to obtain nanoparticles with an approximate size less than 50 nm. In the present work, the development of KMgF3 fluoroperovskite nanoparticles by solvothermal synthesis is presented, applying a factorial experimental design which consists of four factors (temperature, time and two limiting reagents) at two levels and choosing the average particle size as a variable response. The samples were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction and Transmission Electron Microscopy, in order to know the crystalline phase and particle size. As a result, KMgF3 nanoparticles with an average size between 13 and 31 nm were obtained. In addition, data obtained were statistically processed by Analysis of Variance, to determine the significant factors and their interactions, achieving the optimal synthesis conditions. From these results, a series of samples doped with Mn2+ and/or Nd3+ were obtained in order to find the optimal dopant concentrations for efficient upconversion properties. Our work is the starting point for the development of UCNps allowing them to be applied in future antitumor therapies.Agencia Nacional de investigación e InnovaciónPEDECIBAComisión Académica de Postgrad

Energy Reflection Symmetry of Lie-Algebraic Problems: Where the Quasiclassical and Weak Coupling Expansions Meet

We construct a class of one-dimensional Lie-algebraic problems based on sl(2) where the spectrum in the algebraic sector has a dynamical symmetry E -> - E. All 2j+1 eigenfunctions in the algebraic sector are paired, and inside each pair are related to each other by simple analytic continuation x -> ix, except the zero mode appearing if j is integer. At j-> infinity the energy of the highest level in the algebraic sector can be calculated by virtue of the quasiclassical expansion, while the energy of the ground state can be calculated as a weak coupling expansion. The both series coincide identically.Comment: Latex, 16 pages, 3 figures. Minor styllistic changes made, typos corrected, a remark on the energy-reflection symmetry in the quantum-algebraic Hamiltonians emerging in finite-difference problems added. Final version, to be published in Physical Review

Human mesenchymal stem cells response to multi-doped silicon-strontium calcium phosphate coatings

The search for apatitic calcium phosphate coatings to improve implants osteointegration is, nowadays, preferentially focused in the obtaining of compositions closer to that of the inorganic phase of bone. Silicon and strontium are both present in trace concentrations in natural bone and have been demonstrated, by separate, to significantly improve osteoblastic response on calcium phosphate bioceramics. This work aims the controlled and simultaneous multidoping of carbonated calcium phosphate coatings with both elements, Si and Sr, by pulsed laser deposition technique and the biological response of human mesenchymal stem cells to them. A complete physicochemical characterization has been also performed to analyze the coatings and significant positive effect was obtained at the osteogenic differentiation of cells, confirming the enormous potential of this multi-doping coating approach.Technical staff of CACTI (University of Vigo) is gratefully acknowledged. This work was partially supported by the UE-POCTEP 0330IBEROMARE1P project, UE-INTERREG 2011-1/164MARMED and Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion (Project MAT2010-18281). M Lopez-Alvarez thanks funding support from FP7/REGPOT-2012-2013.1 (no 316265, BIOCAPS)

Identification of differentially expressed key genes of Longissimus lumborum samples from Portuguese Alentejano and Bísaro local pig breeds

Most of the swine industry nowadays is about productive and profitable fast-growing lean breeds raised under intensive conditions leading to meat and fat rich in saturated fatty acids. The Portuguese local Alentejano (AL) and Bísaro (BI) pig breeds present high intramuscular fat (IMF) content which contributes to highly appreciated pork products. These breeds have different ancestors: AL belongs to the Iberian group, presenting lower growth rates and higher lipid accretion and unsaturated fatty acids level when compared to BI, which belongs to the Celtic group, sharing ancestors with leaner breeds such as Large White and Landrace. The goal of this work was to compare the muscle gene expression profiles of AL and BI pig breeds to better understand the influence of the genetic background in the main metabolic processes occurring in the Longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle, namely in terms of lipid synthesis, muscle tissue formation, protein synthesis and cell proliferation. LL samples were obtained at slaughter, from adult AL and BI pigs with ~150kg body weight. Total RNA was extracted and sequenced for a transcriptome comparison analysis. A total of 250 genes were found to be differentially expressed (DE) in LL samples (q<0.05) conditional on breed, with 174 DE genes up-regulated in AL (log2(fold_change) = 0.65 to 7.03) and 76 in BI (log2(fold_change) = 0.63 to 4.53). Genes related to skeletal muscle development and function, such as MYH3, MYH13 or ACTN4, were significantly up-regulated in BI when compared to AL, which is in agreement with the higher muscle mass of the former breed. Genes involved in lipid metabolism were up-regulated in AL, including SCD (q=0.05), responsible for catalysing the reaction that introduces the first double bond into saturated fatty acyl-CoA substrates, which agrees with the higher unsaturation of fat tissues generally associated with the former breed. A functional enrichment analysis (metabolic pathways and GO enrichment) was performed for the DE genes and the identified functions included tissue development, cellular growth and proliferation, quantity of connective tissue and lipid metabolism. Potential regulators found that explain the observed gene expression changes in the dataset included molecules such as: ADORA2A, CEBPA, SMAD3 and PPARG (predicted to be activated in AL); HDAC and ASXL1 (predicted to be inhibited in AL)

Dielectric/metal/dielectric structures using copper as metal and MoO3 as dielectric for use as transparent electrode

Transparent conductive oxide/metal/oxide, where the oxide is MoO3 and the metal is Cu, is realized and characterized. The films are deposited by simple joule effect. It is shown that relatively thick Cu films are necessary for achieving conductive structures, what implies a weak transmission of the light. Such large thicknesses are necessary because Cu diffuses strongly into the MoO3 films. We show that the Cu diffusion can be strongly limited by sandwiching the Cu layer between two Al ultra-thin films (1.4 nm). The best structures are glass/MoO3 (20 nm)/Al (1.4 nm)/Cu (18 nm)/Al (1.4 nm)/MoO3 (35 nm). They exhibit a transmission of 70% at 590 nm and a resistivity of 5.0·10−4 Ω cm. A first attempt shows that such structures can be used as anode in organic photovoltaic cells