Experimental control of pattern formation by photonic lattices

We study the control of modulational instability and pattern formation in a nonlinear dissipative feedback system with a periodic modulation of the material refractive index. We use a one-dimensional photonic lattice in a single-mirror feedback configuration and identify three mechanisms for pattern control: bandgap suppression of instability modes, periodicity induced pattern modes, and orientational pattern control.The authors acknowledge the support of the Conseil Régional de Lorraine, the bilateral FrenchAustralian Science and Technology program, and the Australian Research Council through Discovery projects

Estudio estático y dinámico del ángulo Q mediante videofotogrametría 3D

OBJETIVOS: Se estudia la evolución del ángulo Q (Q dinámico) en bipedestación y en una marcha frontal, para obtener los valores de normalidad para futuros estudios dónde la clínica femoropatelar es más acentuada (bajar escaleras y descenso de rampa). MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Participaron 20 individuos sanos (10 hombres y 10 mujeres) con edad media de 22,7 años + 3,02 (20-25 años), a los que se realizó un análisis tridimensional del movimiento mediante el sistema de videofotogrametría en 3D Orthobio, en la bipedestación y durante la marcha en terreno llano. RESULTADOS: Hemos observado que durante la bipedestación el ángulo Q estático medio tiene un valor de 16,12º. Los datos obtenidos muestran que el ángulo Q dinámico oscila 8,13º (6,03º-14,16º), produciéndose el valor máximo en el momento del choque de talón y el mínimo poco después del despegue. La media del ángulo Q dinámico en un ciclo de marcha ha sido de 11,47º. En los datos por sexos corresponde a las mujeres es de 12,46º, y el de los hombres de 10,48º. CONCLUSIONES: Durante la marcha el ángulo Q dinámico disminuye con respecto al estático.OBJECTIVES: In this paper we study the evolution of the dynamic Q-angle in bipedal standing and forward gait to obtain values of normality for future studies in which femoropatellar problems are more pronounced (e.g. descending stairs or ramps). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty healthy individuals (10 men and 10 women), with an average age of 22.7 + 3.02 years (i.e. 20–25 years), took part in this study. In these individuals, a tridimensional analysis of movement of bipedal standing and gait on flat terrain was conducted using 3D Orthobio videophotogrammetry. RESULTS: During bipedal standing, the average static Q angle was 16.12º. The dynamic Q angle fluctuated by 8.13º (between 6.03º and 14.16º), the maximum dynamic Q angle was reached as the heel contacted the ground and the minimum was reached just after leaving the ground. The average dynamic Q angle in a gait cycle was 11.47º (12.46º for women and 10.48º for men). CONCLUSIONS: During the cycle, the dynamic Q angle is lower than the static Q angle

Prevalence of pre-diabetes and undiagnosed diabetes in the Mollerussa prospective observational cohort study in a semi-rural area of Catalonia

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes and pre-diabetes in the healthy population in the Mollerussa cohort. As a secondary objective, to identify the variables associated with these conditions and to describe the changes in glycaemic status after 1 year of follow-up in subjects with pre-diabetes. Design: Prospective observational cohort study. Setting: General population from a semi-rural area. Participants: The study included 583 participants without a diagnosis of diabetes recruited between March 2011 and July 2014. Results: The prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes was 20, 3.4% (95% CI 2.6 to 4.2) and that of pre-diabetes was 229, 39.3% (37.3 to 41.3). Among those with pre-diabetes, 18.3% had isolated impaired fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (FPG: 100 to <126 mg/dL), 58.1% had isolated impaired glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) (HbA1c 5.7 to <6.5) and 23.6% fulfilled both criteria. Follow-up data were available for 166 subjects; 41.6%(37.8 to 45.4) returned to normoglycaemia, 57.6% (57.8 to 61.4) persisted in pre-diabetes and 0.6% (0 to 1.2) progressed to diabetes. Individuals with pre-diabetes had worse cardiometabolic risk profiles and sociodemographic features than normoglycaemic subjects. In the logistic regression model, variables significantly associated with pre-diabetes were older age (OR; 95% CI) (1.033; 1.011 to 1.056), higher physical activity (0.546; 0.360 to 0.827), body mass index (1.121; 1.029 to 1.222) and a family history of diabetes (1.543; 1.025 to 2.323). The variables significantly associated with glycaemic normalisation were older age (0.948; 0.916 to 0.982) and body mass index (0.779; 0.651 to 0.931). Conclusions: Among adults in our region, the estimated prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes was 3.4% and that of pre-diabetes was 39.3%. After a 1-year follow-up, a small proportion of subjects (0.6%) with pre-diabetes progressed to diabetes, while a high proportion (41.6%) returned to normoglycaemia. Individuals with pre-diabetes who returned to normoglycaemia were younger and had a lower body mass inde

Procés d’avaluació dels projectes de recerca presentats a la convocatòria 2009 de la Fundació La Marató de TV3: malalties minoritàries

Recerca; Avaluació; Projectes d'investigacióInvestigación; Evaluación; Proyectos de investigaciónResearch; Evaluation; Research projectsDes de l’any 2001, l’Agència de Qualitat i Avaluació Sanitàries de Catalunya (AQuAS) gestiona el procés d’avaluació dels projectes presentats a les convocatòries d’ajuts a la recerca de la Fundació La Marató de TV3. A més de garantir i facilitar l’avaluació dels projectes, les tasques que desenvolupa l’AQuAS tenen com a objectiu afavorir que aquest procés d’avaluació sigui suficientment rigorós en la seva valoració metodològica i flexible quant a la seva aplicació, a la vegada que transparent i obert als professionals i a la població, bo i avalant la qualitat dels projectes presentats. El present informe explica el procés d’avaluació dels projectes de recerca presentats a la convocatòria 2009 sobre malalties minoritàries.Desde el año 2001, la Agència de Qualitat i Avaluació Sanitàries de Catalunya (AQuAS) gestiona el proceso de evaluación de los proyectos presentados a las convocatorias de ayudas a la investigación de la Fundació La Marató de TV3. Además de garantizar y facilitar la evaluación de los proyectos, el trabajo que desarrolla la AQuAS tiene como objetivo favorecer que dicho proceso de evaluación sea suficientemente riguroso en su valoración metodológica y flexible en cuanto a su aplicación, a la vez que transparente y abierto a los profesionales y a la población, avalando la calidad de los proyectos presentados. El presente informe explica el proceso de evaluación de los proyectos de investigación presentados en la convocatoria 2009 sobre enfermedades minoritarias

Evaluation of a lime-mediated sewage sludge stabilisation process. Product characterisation and technological validation for its use in the cement industry

This paper describes an industrial process for stabilising sewage sludge (SS) with lime and evaluates the viability of the stabilised product, denominated Neutral, as a raw material for the cement industry. Lime not only stabilised the sludge, raised the temperature of the mix to 80-100 °C, furthering water evaporation, portlandite formation and the partial oxidation of the organic matter present in the sludge. Process mass and energy balances were determined. Neutral, a white powder consisting of portlandite (49.8%), calcite (16.6%), inorganic oxides (13.4%) and organic matter and moisture (20.2%), proved to be technologically apt for inclusion as a component in cement raw mixes. In this study, it was used instead of limestone in raw mixes clinkerised at 1400, 1450 and 1500 °C. These raw meals exhibited greater reactivity at high temperatures than the limestone product and their calcination at 1500 °C yielded clinker containing over 75% calcium silicates, the key phases in Portland clinker. Finally, the two types of raw meal (Neutral and limestone) were observed to exhibit similar mineralogy and crystal size and distribution. © 2011.Peer Reviewe

Shear behaviour of crushed concrete and bricks

Demolition waste materials mainly consist of concrete and bricks and arise from the demolition of existing structures and buildings. Environmental and economical reasons make their recycling necessary, but to date, their use is curtailed due to the lack of research in determining their properties. This paper reports on the efforts to understand the behavioural characteristics of three types of recycled material to determine their potential for engineering fill applications. For this purpose, their physical and mechanical characteristics were extensively investigated. Two types of crushed concrete, one obtained straight after demolition and the other processed to industry specifications, and one type of crushed brick were tested. An extensive large-scale shear box test regime was employed to determine the shear strength behaviour of the materials. The influence of the normal stress on the peak friction angle, the shear stress– horizontal displacement relationship and horizontal displacement– vertical displacement behaviour of the materials are discussed in this paper. The results showed that the behaviour of the three recycled materials during shear testing was similar to the behaviour exhibited by natural granular materials from literature. In conclusion, the shear box test results have shown that the specific demolition waste products exhibit considerable shear strength and can be utilised in construction as low-level engineering fill

Insulin secretion in patients with latent autoimmune diabetes (LADA): half way between type 1 and type 2 diabetes: action LADA 9

Background: The study of endogenous insulin secretion may provide relevant insight into the comparison of the natural history of adult onset latent autoimmune diabetes (LADA) with types 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to compare the results of the C-peptide response to mixed-meal stimulation in LADA patients with different disease durations and subjects with type 2 and adult-onset type 1 diabetes. Methods: Stimulated C-peptide secretion was assessed using the mixed-meal tolerance test in patients with LADA (n = 32), type 1 diabetes mellitus (n = 33) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (n = 30). All patients were 30 to 70 years old at disease onset. The duration of diabetes in all groups ranged from 6 months to 10 years. The recruitment strategy was predefined to include at least 10 subjects in the following 3 disease onset categories for each group: 6 to 18 months, 19 months to 5 years and 5 to 10 years. Results: At all time-points of the mixed-meal tolerance test, patients with LADA had a lower stimulated C-peptide response than the type 2 diabetes group and a higher response than the type 1 diabetes group. The same results were found when the peak or area under the C-peptide curve was measured. When the results were stratified by time since disease onset, a similar pattern of residual insulin secretory capacity was observed. Conclusions: The present study shows that the magnitude of stimulated insulin secretion in LADA is intermediate between that of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus

The initial dissolution rates of simulated UK Magnox-ThORP blend nuclear waste glass as a function of pH, temperature and waste loading

The first comprehensive assessment of the dissolution kinetics of simulant Magnox–ThORP blended UK high-level waste glass, obtained by performing a range of single-pass flow-through experiments, is reported here. Inherent forward rates of glass dissolution were determined over a temperature range of 23 to 70°C and an alkaline pH range of 8.0 to 12.0. Linear regression techniques were applied to the TST kinetic rate law to obtain fundamental parameters necessary to model the dissolution kinetics of UK high-level waste glass (the activation energy (E a), pH power law coefficient (η) and the intrinsic rate constant (k0)), which is of importance to the post-closure safety case for the geological disposal of vitreous products. The activation energies based on B release ranged from 55 ± 3 to 83 ± 9 kJ mol–1, indicating that Magnox–THORP blend glass dissolution has a surface-controlled mechanism, similar to that of other high-level waste simulant glass compositions such as the French SON68 and LAW in the US. Forward dissolution rates, based on Si, B and Na release, suggested that the dissolution mechanism under dilute conditions, and pH and temperature ranges of this study, was not sensitive to composition as defined by HLW-incorporation rate

Oocyte expression with injection of purified T7 RNA polymerase.

International audienceThe Xenopus oocyte is a widely used system for protein expression. Investigators have had the choice between two different techniques: injection into the cytoplasm of in vitro transcribed complementary RNA (cRNA) or injection into the nucleus of complementary DNA (cDNA). We report on a third expression technique that is based on the combined injection of cDNA and purified T7 RNA polymerase directly into the cytoplasm of oocytes