A model for vortex formation in magnetic nanodots

We use Monte Carlo simulation to study the vortex nucleation on magnetic nanodots at low temperature. In our simulations, we have considered a simple microscopic two-dimensional anisotropic Heisenberg model with term to describe the anisotropy due to the presence of the nanodot edge. We have considered the thickness of the edge, which was not considered in previous works, introducing a term that controls the energy associated to the edge. Our results clearly show that the thickness of the edge has a considerable influence in the vortex nucleation on magnetic nanodots. We have obtained the hysteresis curve for several values of the surface anisotropy and skin depth parameter ($\xi$). The results are in excellent agreement with experimental data

The friendship paradox in scale-free networks

Our friends have more friends than we do. That is the basis of the friendship paradox. In mathematical terms, the mean number of friends of friends is higher than the mean number of friends. In the present study, we analyzed the relationship between the mean degree of vertices (individuals), , and the mean number of friends of friends, , in scale-free networks with degrees ranging from a minimum degree (k_min) to a maximum degree (k_max). We deduced an expression for - for scale-free networks following a power-law distribution with a given scaling parameter (alpha). Based on this expression, we can quantify how the degree distribution of a scale-free network affects the mean number of friends of friends.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figure

Regulatory framework of fortified foods and dietary supplements for athletes: An interpretive approach

A varied and well-planned diet can meet the nutritional needs of an athlete; however, in certain cases, it could be advisable to increase the intake of some vitamins, minerals or other components through the controlled intake of fortified foods or dietary supplements. In the European Union, a high number of sport foods and supplements are marketed; athletes could at times consume them indiscriminately or even choose products that have not been evaluated and approved by scientific evidence. In this sense, it is necessary to know and interpret the specific regulations for these products in order to make adequate use of them. The aim of this manuscript is to describe the current status of the European regulatory framework, focusing on: (1) regulation of the marketing and labelling of both fortified foods and supplements; (2) regulation of the use of substances used as ingredients in fortified foods; and (3) regulation of nutritional claims and/or health properties associated with nutrients, ingredients and other related substances. This review can facilitate knowledgeable decisionmaking by sports nutrition professionals in order to counsel or manage adequate food choices as well as help consumers make better-informed food decisions. Other experts, such as producers who ensure food safety, might also be interested in this review. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Assessing the impact of the Lisbon Strategy on the European Social Model – What changes will the Europe 2020 Strategy bring?

With the international crisis and the launching of the strategy Europe 2020 a cycle of European policy has come to an end. The purpose of this article is to conduct an empirical analysis of the Lisbon Strategy’s capacity to reshape the European Social Model (ESM) in the period 2000-10. In this paper, we argue that the ESM has been reshaped over the past decades towards an emphasis on activation policies rather than in income redistribution policies. This shift resulted from an attempt to match four dimensions: the deepening of the internal market, the Europeanization of employment and social policies, the European diversity regarding employment relations and social policies, and the goal of sustaining the core of European identity. During the period 2000-10, social cohesion has declined slightly, but a convergence process occurred in terms of the main social indicators. Econometric results indicate that activation policies and education levels play an important role in reducing inequality, whereas passive measures and the expenditure on social protection are more prone to fight poverty. The expenditure on R&D is important both to tackle poverty and to decrease inequality. Therefore, we conclude that a combination of passive and active measures is crucial both to maintain high levels of social cohesion and to modernize the ESM.FC

Development of criteria for incorporating occasionally consumed foods into a national dietary guideline. A practical approach adapted to the spanish population

Food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) offer recommendations that help population to meet nutrient requirements. Most European FBDGs include quantitative information regarding daily and weekly consumed foods, but for occasionally consumed foods, they only recommend limiting their intake, without giving specific advice on portions. As these foods are consumed by the general population as a part of the cultural and culinary tradition of each country, it is important to establish the maximum frequency and the portions that would be acceptable to be included in a healthy eating pattern. This study outlines the methodology to include these foods in a national (Spanish) FBDG. Firstly, commonly consumed foods were selected and grouped, and portions were defined according to their nutritional value, so different foods within a group could be exchanged. Then, macronutrient profiles of occasionally consumed foods were compared to the frequently consumed food groups to determine to what extent they had a similar nutritional content. Finally, some combinations of foods, with or without the inclusion of occasionally consumed groups, were calculated. A maximum number of servings per group was defined according to their energy and nutrient content. Occasionally consumed foods can be included in a healthy diet as long as they are consumed in the small quantities as shown in this study and as long as they replace equivalent portions of other foods of frequent consumption. This new tool shows how to include occasionally consumed foods in a diet while maintaining its overall nutritional quality

Antibonding Ground state of Adatom Molecules in Bulk Dirac Semimetals

The ground state of the diatomic molecules in nature is inevitably bonding, and its first excited state is antibonding. We demonstrate theoretically that, for a pair of distant adatoms placed buried in three-dimensional-Dirac semimetals, this natural order of the states can be reversed and an antibonding ground state occurs at the lowest energy of the so-called bound states in the continuum. We propose an experimental protocol with the use of a scanning tunneling microscope tip to visualize the topographic map of the local density of states on the surface of the system to reveal the emerging physics