Thermal diagnostic of the Optical Window on board LISA Pathfinder

Vacuum conditions inside the LTP Gravitational Reference Sensor must comply with rather demanding requirements. The Optical Window (OW) is an interface which seals the vacuum enclosure and, at the same time, lets the laser beam go through for interferometric Metrology with the test masses. The OW is a plane-parallel plate clamped in a Titanium flange, and is considerably sensitive to thermal and stress fluctuations. It is critical for the required precision measurements, hence its temperature will be carefully monitored in flight. This paper reports on the results of a series of OW characterisation laboratory runs, intended to study its response to selected thermal signals, as well as their fit to numerical models, and the meaning of the latter. We find that a single pole ARMA transfer function provides a consistent approximation to the OW response to thermal excitations, and derive a relationship with the physical processes taking place in the OW. We also show how system noise reduction can be accomplished by means of that transfer function.Comment: 20 pages, 14 figures; accepted for publication in Class. Quantum Gra

Adding plant oils to dairy goat diets: Effect on fatty acid content of milk fat

[ES]: El objetivo del presente trabajo fue investigar el efecto de la adición de aceites vegetales de diferente grado de insaturación a la dieta de cabras lecheras sobre el perfil de ácidos grasos de la grasa láctea. Doce cabras de raza Malagueña fueron asignadas al azar a uno de cuatro tratamientos: dieta basal sin aceite añadido y la misma dieta basal adicionada con 48 g/d de aceite de girasol alto oleico, aceite de girasol normal o aceite de lino. La dieta estuvo compuesta por heno de alfalfa (30%) y un concentrado granulado (70%) en el que se incluyó el aceite correspondiente. Todos los aceites redujeron el contenido de ácidos grasos saturados de cadena media de la grasa láctea (P 0,05). El aceite de girasol normal incrementó el contenido de los ácidos C18:1t10, vaccénico y ruménico y aumentó el valor de la ratio linoleico/α-linolénico (P 0,05). Los resultados obtenidos permiten concluir que la adición de aceite de lino a la dieta de cabras en lactación, en comparación con la de los aceites de girasol alto oleico y normal, modifica el perfil de ácidos grasos de la grasa láctea en un sentido más favorable desde el punto de vista de la salud humana.[EN]: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of adding differently unsaturated vegetable oils to a dairy goat diet on fatty acid content of milk fat. Twelve Malagueña goats were randomly allocated to one of four treatments: no oil basal diet and the same basal diet supplemented with 48 g/d of high oleic sunflower oil, regular sunflower oil or linseed oil. The basal diet was made of alfalfa hay and a pelleted concentrate (30:70 w/w). The concentrate included the respective oils. Supplemented diets decreased medium chain saturated fatty acid content in milk fat (P 0.05). Regular sunflower oil increased C18:1t10, vaccenic and rumenic acid contents as well as linoleic to α-linolenic acid ratio (P 0.05). It was concluded that compared to high oleic o regular sunflower oils, adding linseed oil in dairy goat diets modifies milk fat fatty acid content more favourably from the point of view of human health.Peer Reviewe

IAA : Información y actualidad astronómica (13)

Sumario : Las galaxias anfitrionas de los GRBs.-- Marte: una historia de descubrimientos.-- Programa Ramón y Cajal: ¿recuperación o catapulta de cerebros?.-- CHARLAS CON...Fernando Cornet.-- El problema de la distancia a las Pléyades.-- Un bólido sobre nuestras cabezas.-- Actividades IAA.-- Agenda.Esta revista se publica con la ayuda de la Acción Especial DIS 2003-10261-E del Programa Nacional de Difusión y divulgación de la Ciencia y la Tecnología, del Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología.N

Assessment of vapor pressure deficit variability and trends in Spain and possible connections with soil moisture

The Vapor Pressure Deficit (VPD) is one of the most relevant surface meteorological variables; with important implications in ecology, hydrology, and atmosphere. By understanding the processes involved in the variability and trend of the VPD, it is possible to assess the possible impacts and implications related to both physical and human environments, like plant function, water use efficiency, net ecosystem production, atmospheric CO2 growth rate, etc. This study analysed recent temporal variability and trends in VPD in Spain between 1980 and 2020 using a recently developed high-quality dataset. Also, the connection between VPD and soil moisture and other key climate variables (e.g. air temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity) was assessed on different time scales varying from weekly to annual. The objective was to determine if changes in land-atmosphere feedbacks connected with soil moisture and evapotranspiration anomalies have been relevant to assess the interannual variability and trends in VPD. Results demonstrate that VPD exhibited a clear seasonality and dominant positive trends on both the seasonal (mainly spring and summer) and annual scales. Rather, trends were statistically non-significant (p > 0.05) during winter and autumn. Spatially, VPD positive trends were more pronounced in southern and eastern of Spain. Also, results suggest that recent trends of VPD shows low contribution of variables that drive land-atmosphere feedbacks (e.g. evapotranspiration, and soil moisture) in comparison to the role of global warming processes. Notably, the variability of VPD seems to be less coupled with soil moisture variability during summertime, while it is better interrelated during winter, indicating that VPD variability would be mostly related to climate variability mechanisms that control temperature and relative humidity than to land-atmosohere feedbacks. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of assessing driving forces and physical mechanisms that control VPD variability using high-quality climate datasets, especially, in semiarid and sub-humid regions of the world

An internet-based intervention for depression in primary care in Spain: A randomized controlled trial

Background: Depression is the most prevalent cause of illness-induced disability worldwide. Face-to-face psychotherapeutic interventions for depression can be challenging, so there is a need for other alternatives that allow these interventions to be offered. One feasible alternative is Internet-based psychological interventions. This is the first randomized controlled trial (RCT) on the effectiveness of an Internet-based intervention on depression in primary health care in Spain. Objective: Our aim was to compare the effectiveness of a low-intensity therapist-guided (LITG) Internet-based program and a completely self-guided (CSG) Internet-based program with improved treatment as usual (iTAU) care for depression. Methods: Multicenter, three-arm, parallel, RCT design, carried out between November 2012 and January 2014, with a follow-up of 15 months. In total, 296 adults from primary care settings in four Spanish regions, with mild or moderate major depression, were randomized to LITG (n=96), CSG (n=98), or iTAU (n=102). Research completers at follow-up were 63.5%. The intervention was Smiling is Fun, an Internet program based on cognitive behavioral therapy. All patients received iTAU by their general practitioners. Moreover, LITG received Smiling is Fun and the possibility of psychotherapeutic support on request by email, whereas CSG received only Smiling is Fun. The main outcome was the Beck Depression Inventory-II at 3 months from baseline. Mixed-effects multilevel analysis for repeated measures were undertaken. Results: There was no benefit for either CSG (B coefficient=-1.15; P=.444)] or LITG (B=-0.71; P=.634)] compared to iTAU, at 3 months. There were differences at 6 months iTAU vs CSG (B=-4.22; P=.007); iTAU vs LITG (B=-4.34; P=.005)] and 15 months iTAU vs CSG (B=-5.10; P=.001); iTAU vs LITG (B=-4.62; P=.002)]. There were no differences between CSG and LITG at any time. Adjusted and intention-to-treat models confirmed these findings. Conclusions: An Internet-based intervention for depression combined with iTAU conferred a benefit over iTAU alone in the Spanish primary health care system

INCIDENCIA DEL RADÓN-222 EN LA RADIACTIVIDAD DE FONDO EN ALGUNAS VIVIENDAS DE EL VALLE DE ANTÓN, PANAMÁ

Este trabajo se enmarcó en el programa que desarrolla la Estación RN50 para caracterizar el origen de la radiactividad de fondo, a nivel de la República de Panamá.  El Radón-222 es un gas que proviene de la cadena natural de desintegración del 238U que se encuentra, mayormente, en rocas volcánicas profundas.  De acuerdo con las características del suelo volcánico, el radón puede emanar en mayor o menor cantidad del suelo, en esas zonas.  Las mediciones se realizaron durante 2021 y 2022, en El Valle de Antón, que es la zona volcánica más accesible de las cuatro identificadas en Panamá.   Para medir las concentraciones de Rn-222, se utilizó el equipo RAD7.  Por la incidencia del agua en la propagación del Rn-222 en suelos, se midió en los periodos lluvioso, intermedio o de transición y seco.  En la estación seca, la mejor captación en los suelos exteriores de las viviendas se obtuvo durante el mes de marzo .  Durante los meses de octubre y mayo, se registraron las dosis más altas de radiactividad equivalente en el interior de las viviendas   En conclusión, la contribución a la radiactividad de esta región volcánica es pequeña, por lo que se recomienda mantener una buena ventilación en las viviendas.    

La Leishmaniosis en la provincia de Granada: estudio de la enzootia canina

Con el fin de determinar el papel que desempeña el perro en la epidemiología de la Leishmaniosis en la provincia de Granada hemos realizado un estudio de la sintomatología, índice de parasitación y distribución de esta enfermedad en dicho animal. En cuanto a la sintomatología, algunos perros presentaban el cuadro clínico característico de la enfermedad, pero otros, sin embargo, presentaban unos síntomas totalmente inespecíficos y, en consecuencia, fácil de confundir con otras enfermedades. La realización de una encuesta al azar en 1.503 perros proporciona un índice de parasitación del 8,84%, lo que nos da una idea de la importancia de la enfermedad. Además, se puede observar que, aunque los mayores índices de parasitación se encuentran en las comarcas tradicionalmente consideradas endémicas (La Costa y Las Alpujarras), la enfermedad está ampliamente esparcida por toda la provincia y con unos índices dignos de tener en cuenta. En consecuencia, habría que considerar como zona endémica de leishmaniosis a toda la provincia, y no se debería restringir este término solamente a la región costero-alpujarreña, tal y como ha venido sucediendo