A review of electrodynamic tethers for space applications

Space applications of electrodynamic tethers, and basic issues and constraints on their operation are reviewed. The status of the bare-tether solution to the problem of effective electron collection from a rarefied magnetized plasma is revisited. Basic modes of tether operation are analyzed; design parameters and parametric domains where a bare electrodynamic tether is most efficient in deorbiting, rebooking, or power generation, are determined. Use of bare tethers for Radiation Belt Remediation and generation of electron beams for ionospheric research is considered. Teiher heating, arcing, and bowing or breaking, as well deployment strategies are discussed

¿Qué evalúan los profesores de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria, sobre nutrición vegetal?

En este trabajo se analizan los contenidos que el profesorado considera importantes sobre nutrición vegetal en enseñanza secundaria obligatoria. Para ello se utilizaron las cuestiones de evaluación de una muestra de profesores que en la actualidad imparten el área de ciencias de la naturaleza en ese nivel educativo. El análisis de los resultados nos indica, que el profesorado realiza una selección de contenidos centrada básicamente en aspectos concretos y descriptivos, agrupados sobre todo en el nivel celular y en el proceso de la fotosíntesis, lo que constituye una llamada de atención para la enseñanza de este tema

¿Qué deben saber los niños de educación primaria sobre la nutrición humana según los maestros en formación?

En este trabajo se pretende ofrecer una primera visión sobre los aspectos que los futuros maestros de Educación Primaria consideran esenciales que alcancen los alumnos al terminar esta etapa educativa con respecto a la nutrición humana. Concretamente nos centramos en los aspectos sobre la nutrición humana en general, los sistemas que intervienen en la nutrición y la repercusión en el medio de la obtención/eliminación de sustancias

Electrodynamic tethers for spacecraft propulsion

Relatively short electrodynamic tethers can use solar power to "push" against a planetary magnetic field to achieve propul sion without expenditure of propellant. The groundwork has been laid for this type of propulsion. Recent important milestones include retrieval of a tether in space (TSS-1, 1992), successful deployment of a 20-km-long tether in space (SEDS-1, 1993), and operation of an electrodynamic tether with tether current driven in both directions (PMG, 1993). The planned Propulsive Small Expendable Deployer System (ProSEDS) experiment will use the flight-proven Small Expendable Deployer System (SEDS) to deploy a 5-km bare copper tether from a Delta II upper stage to achieve -0,4 N drag thrust, thus deorbiting the stage, The experiment will use a predominantly "bare" tether for current collection in lieu of the endmass collector and insulated tether approach used on previous missions, Theory and ground-based plasma chamber testing indicate that the bare tether is a highly efficient current collector. The flight experiment is a precursor to utilization of the technology on the International Space tation (JSS) for reboost and the electrodynamic tether pper stage demonstration misión which will be capable of orbit raising, lowering, and inclination changes—all using electrodynamic thrust. In addition, the use of this type of propulsion may be attractive for future missions to Jupiter

Mirroring the Zika epidemics in Cuba: The view from a European imported diseases clinic

Dear Editor, the changing epidemiology of Zika virus infection has been described before and in this letter we would like to show how the local epidemiology of Zika in Cuba is reflected in imported cases in returning travellers to Barcelona. The spread of the 2015 Zika epidemic was mostly reported in South America and the Caribbean. While increasing numbers of cases raised in South-America, Cuba was still free of cases. On 2nd March 2016 the first imported case from Cuba (Artemisa province) was reported. The first autochthonous case was reported on 16th March 2016 in La Habana. Onwards, cases were reported in Camagüey, Cienfuegos, Guantánamo, Havana and Santiago. During 2017 transmission has been reported in municipalities of Arroyo Naranjo and Regla in the province of Havana

The Habitat Types of Freshwater Prawns (Palaemonidae: <em>Macrobrachium</em>) with Abbreviated Larval Development in Mesoamerica (Mexico, Guatemala and Belize)

The freshwater prawns of genus Macrobrachium with abbreviated larval development have been reported from a diversity of freshwater habitats (caves, springs and primary streams from so-long basins). Here we analysed 360 sites around the Mesoamerican region (Mexico, Guatemala and Belize). At each site, we measured temperature, salinity oxygen dissolved, pH, altitude and water flow velocity values. We documented the riparian vegetation and occurrence and abundance of Macrobrachium populations. All these values were analysed by multi-dimensional scaling and principal components analysis in order to identify key features of the environmental data that determine the habitat types and habitat diversity. The results show that there are Macrobrachium populations in 70 sites inhabiting two main habitats: Lotic and Lentic; and each one have fours subhabitat types. All are defined by altitude range and water velocity that involve the temperature and oxygen variables. In some specific areas, the karstic values on salinity and pH defined some groups. Within the lentic habitats, we identified the following subhabitats: (1) temperate streams, (2) neutral streams, (3) high dissolved oxygen, (4) multifactorial; and for lotic habitats, we identified: (5) water high carbonate, (6) moderate dissolved oxygen, (7) low dissolved oxygen, and (8) high altitude streams. All these subhabitats are located on the drainage basin to the Atlantic Sea, including places from 50 to 850 meters above sea levels and have specifically ranges from temperature, water velocity, pH and salinity for some cases. Also, the geological analysis from the basins where the Macrobrachium inhabit is located showed that the geological faults align with these habitat subdivisions. In this chapter, we discuss the environmental heterogeneity, morphological plasticity and their relationship to physiographic regions across the species ranges

Non-motor symptom burden in patients with Parkinson's disease with impulse control disorders and compulsive behaviours: results from the COPPADIS cohort.

The study was aimed at analysing the frequency of impulse control disorders (ICDs) and compulsive behaviours (CBs) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and in control subjects (CS) as well as the relationship between ICDs/CBs and motor, nonmotor features and dopaminergic treatment in PD patients. Data came from COPPADIS-2015, an observational, descriptive, nationwide (Spain) study. We used the validated Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson's Disease-Rating Scale (QUIP-RS) for ICD/CB screening. The association between demographic data and ICDs/CBs was analyzed in both groups. In PD, this relationship was evaluated using clinical features and treatment-related data. As result, 613 PD patients (mean age 62.47 ± 9.09 years, 59.87% men) and 179 CS (mean age 60.84 ± 8.33 years, 47.48% men) were included. ICDs and CBs were more frequent in PD (ICDs 12.7% vs. 1.6%, p < 0.001; CBs 7.18% vs. 1.67%, p = 0.01). PD patients had more frequent previous ICDs history, premorbid impulsive personality and antidepressant treatment (p < 0.05) compared with CS. In PD, patients with ICDs/CBs presented younger age at disease onset, more frequent history of previous ICDs and premorbid personality (p < 0.05), as well as higher comorbidity with nonmotor symptoms, including depression and poor quality of life. Treatment with dopamine agonists increased the risk of ICDs/CBs, being dose dependent (p < 0.05). As conclusions, ICDs and CBs were more frequent in patients with PD than in CS. More nonmotor symptoms were present in patients with PD who had ICDs/CBs compared with those without. Dopamine agonists have a prominent effect on ICDs/CBs, which could be influenced by dose

Radon and material radiopurity assessment for the NEXT double beta decay experiment

The Neutrino Experiment with a Xenon TPC (NEXT), intended to investigate the neutrinoless double beta decay using a high-pressure xenon gas TPC filled with Xe enriched in 136Xe at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory in Spain, requires ultra-low background conditions demanding an exhaustive control of material radiopurity and environmental radon levels. An extensive material screening process is underway for several years based mainly on gamma-ray spectroscopy using ultra-low background germanium detectors in Canfranc but also on mass spectrometry techniques like GDMS and ICPMS. Components from shielding, pressure vessel, electroluminescence and high voltage elements and energy and tracking readout planes have been analyzed, helping in the final design of the experiment and in the construction of the background model. The latest measurements carried out will be presented and the implication on NEXT of their results will be discussed. The commissioning of the NEW detector, as a first step towards NEXT, has started in Canfranc; in-situ measurements of airborne radon levels were taken there to optimize the system for radon mitigation and will be shown too.Comment: Proceedings of the Low Radioactivity Techniques 2015 workshop (LRT2015), Seattle, March 201