Long-baseline neutrino oscillation physics potential of the DUNE experiment

Artículo escrito por un elevado número de autores, solo se referencian el que aparece en primer lugar, el nombre del grupo de colaboración, si le hubiere, y los autores pertenecientes a la UA

Neutrino interaction classification with a convolutional neural network in the DUNE far detector

Artículo escrito por un elevado número de autores, solo se referencian el que aparece en primer lugar, el nombre del grupo de colaboración, si le hubiere, y los autores pertenecientes a la UA

A Practical Approach for Biochemical Modeling in the CFD Evaluation of Novel Anaerobic Digester Concepts for Biogas Production

The detailed physics-based description of anaerobic digesters is characterized by their multiscale and multiphysics nature, with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations being the most comprehensive approach. In practice, difficulties in obtaining a detailed characterization of the involved biochemical reactions hinder its application in the design of novel reactor concepts, where all physics interplays in the reactor must be considered. To solve this limitation, a practical approach is introduced where a calibration step using actual process data was applied for the simplified biochemical reactions involved, allowing us to efficiently manage uncertainties arising when characterizing biochemical reactions with lab scale facilities. A complete CFD modeling approach is proposed for the anaerobic digestion of wastewater, including heat transfer and multiphasic flow. The proposed multiphase model was verified using reference data and, jointly with the biochemical modeling approach, applied to a lab-scale non-conventional anaerobic digester for winery wastewater treatment. The results showed qualitative improvement in predicting methane production when the diameter of the particles was reduced, since larger particles tend to move downwards. The biochemistry of the process could be simplified introducing a preexponential factor of 380 (kmol/m3)(1 – n)/s for each considered chemical reaction. In general, the proposed approach can be used to overcome limitations when using CFD to scale-up optimization of non-conventional reactors involving biochemical reactions

Development and validation of a computational model for steak double-sided pan cooking

The objective of this study was to develop and validate a numerical model to adequately simulate the double-sided pan cooking of beef in a domestic environment. The proposed model takes into account the heat flow from the pan to the meat and the moisture transfer, simultaneously with the meat deformation. The model considers the swelling pressure gradient caused by the shrinkage of the meat fibers and connective tissue due to the denaturation of proteins and the loss of the water holding capacity during cooking. The model results were successfully verified with experimental data of the central temperature and weight loss recorded during cooking for three degrees of doneness. The measured experimental temperatures at the center of the meat were 30 ± 3 °C (very rare), 44 ± 3 °C (rare) and 57 ± 2 °C (done) for a 19 mm steak thickness. Meanwhile, their water losses were 4 ± 2 %, 8 ± 1 % and 11 ± 2 %, respectively. The root mean squared errors of the model predictions were 2.16 °C (very rare), 3.56 °C (rare) and 4.57 °C (done) for the central temperature and 1.48 %, 2.08 % and 2.40 %, respectively for the water loss. The model also correctly predicts cooking times for steaks of different thicknesses, taking weight loss as a reference to set this time. The proposed model is postulated as a useful cooking assistance tool to estimate the optimal cooking time according to consumer preferences

The wave equation: From eikonal to anti-eikonal approximation

When the refractive index changes very slowly compared to the wave-length we may use the eikonal approximation to the wave equation. In the opposite case, when the refractive index highly variates over the distance of one wave-length, we have what can be termed as the anti-eikonal limit. This situation is addressed in this work. The anti-eikonal limit seems to be a relevant tool in the modelling and design of new optical media. Besides, it describes a basic universal behaviour, independent of the actual values of the refractive index and, thus, of the media, for the components of a wave with wave-length much greater than the characteristic scale of the refractive index

Linking animal behaviour and tree recruitment: Caching decisions by a scatter-hoarder corvid determine seed fate in a Mediterranean agroforestry system

1. Seed dispersal by scatter-hoarder corvids is key for the establishment of important tree species from the Holarctic region such as the walnut (Juglans regia). However, the factors that drive animal decisions to cache seeds in specific locations and the consequences of these decisions on seed fate are poorly understood. / 2. We experimentally created four distinct, replicated habitat types in a Mediterranean agricultural landscape where the Eurasian magpie (Pica pica) is a common scatter hoarder: soft bare soil; compacted bare soil; compacted soil with a dense herbaceous cover; and soft linear bare soil made up of the irrigation furrows that separated the rest of the treatments. We also experimentally placed visual landmarks (stones, sticks and bunches of dry plants) to test if magpies use them to place seed caches. Walnut dispersal from feeders to the habitats was monitored by radiotracking and camera traps. / 3. A sowing experiment simulating natural caches tested the effect of caching type on seed germination and seedling emergence. Seed mass was controlled for the dispersal and sowing experiments. / 4. Magpies selected the two habitats with soft soil, and avoided the one with compacted soil, to cache nuts. Seed mass did not affect dispersal distance, germination or emergence; however, heavier seeds were cached more often under litter and in the habitat with herbaceous cover, whereas lighter seeds were more often buried in the soft bare soil habitat. Seed burial under soil or litter determined seed fate, as there was virtually no emergence from unburied nuts. There was no evidence of any effect of the visual landmarks. / 5. Synthesis. The consequences of seed caching for seedling early establishment are driven by a fine decision-making process of the disperser. Magpies seemed to ponder the characteristics of the habitat and the seed itself to determine where and how to cache each nut. By doing so, magpies reinforced the quality of seed dispersal effectiveness, as they cached walnuts in locations that enhanced both seed survival and seedling emergence

Towards domestic cooking efficiency: A case study on burger pan frying using experimental and computational results

It is well known that the use of efficient domestic cooking appliances and equipment can not only save energy, but also improve the quality of the food being prepared. This work raises the question of whether cooking procedures can also contribute to this energy efficiency. Focusing on burger pan frying, experimental data were used to develop a model able to predict cooking outcomes under different power levels supplied by an induction hob. The proposed model takes into account not only the heat consumed by water evaporation in the contact region but also the shrinkage process of the hamburger. A new formulation based on the multiplicative decomposition of the strain deformation gradient is proposed to describe the observed decoupling between weight and volume loss during the process. The model properly predicts temperature, moisture loss and shrinkage, and allows elucidation of the effects of supplying different amounts of energy on the final water content

Caching territoriality and site preferences by a scatter-hoarder drive the spatial pattern of seed dispersal and affect seedling emergence

1. For plants with seeds dispersed by scatter-hoarders, decision-making by animals when caching determines the spatial pattern of seed dispersal and lays the initial template for recruitment, driving the regeneration of many species. However, the mechanism by which animal behaviour shapes seed distributions in spatially complex landscapes is not well understood. We investigated caching territoriality and site preferences to determine the spatial pattern of seed caching at different scales and whether scatter-hoarding behaviour drives the spatial distribution of seedling emergence. 2. We used radio-tracking and automatic wildlife cameras to monitor holm oak (Quercus ilex) acorn caching by Eurasian magpies (Pica pica), who are effective scatter-hoarders in agroforestry systems. We assessed the effect of caching territories, distance to seed source, habitat, subhabitat, microsites, and caching material in the spatial pattern of acorn dispersal by magpies. In addition, we analysed the relationship between the density of cached acorns and of emerged seedlings in different habitats. 3. Breeding magpies cached the acorns inside their caching territories, where they preferred tilled areas over oak plantations and mostly avoided old fields. These differences in habitat preference were maximized at relatively short to medium dispersal distances, where most acorns were cached, and decreased or disappeared at long-distances. Within tree plantations, magpies preferred high plant-productivity sites over low productivity ones. At the finest spatial scale, magpies preferred structures built by animals, such as rabbit grit mounds and latrines and ant litter mounds, to cache the acorns. In many sites, magpies selected uncommon materials such as stones and litter to cover caches. In the subsequent spring, seedling emergence was positively correlated with acorn cache density. 4. Synthesis. Scatter-hoarding is a hierarchical process in which caching sites are selected using different criteria at different spatial scales driven by territoriality and site preferences. Territoriality constrained dispersal distance and the habitats available for acorn caching. Magpie territoriality therefore indirectly drives oak seedling emergence and can determine oak recruitment and forest regeneration.CGL2014-459 53308-P (Ministerio Ciencia y Tecnología) PID2019-106806GB-I00 (Ministerio Ciencia e Innovación) S2013/MAE-2719 and S2018/EMT-4338 (Remedinal, CAM) CCG2014/BIO-02 & GP2019-6 (UAH) BES-2015-075276(FPI, MCT

A Bioinformatics-Assisted Review on Iron Metabolism and Immune System to Identify Potential Biomarkers of Exercise Stress-Induced Immunosuppression

The immune function is closely related to iron (Fe) homeostasis and allostasis. The aim of this bioinformatics-assisted review was twofold; (i) to update the current knowledge of Fe metabolism and its relationship to the immune system, and (ii) to perform a prediction analysis of regulatory network hubs that might serve as potential biomarkers during stress-induced immunosuppression. Several literature and bioinformatics databases/repositories were utilized to review Fe metabolism and complement the molecular description of prioritized proteins. The Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING) was used to build a protein-protein interactions network for subsequent network topology analysis. Importantly, Fe is a sensitive double-edged sword where two extremes of its nutritional status may have harmful effects on innate and adaptive immunity. We identified clearly connected important hubs that belong to two clusters: (i) presentation of peptide antigens to the immune system with the involvement of redox reactions of Fe, heme, and Fe trafficking/transport; and (ii) ubiquitination, endocytosis, and degradation processes of proteins related to Fe metabolism in immune cells (e.g., macrophages). The identified potential biomarkers were in agreement with the current experimental evidence, are included in several immunological/biomarkers databases, and/or are emerging genetic markers for different stressful conditions. Although further validation is warranted, this hybrid method (human-machine collaboration) to extract meaningful biological applications using available data in literature and bioinformatics tools should be highlighted.The ‘Bioinformatics-assisted Review’ is a project developed and supported by the Research Division at the Dynamical Business and Science Society—DBSS International SAS. The APC was funded by the Exercise & Sport Nutrition Laboratory (ESNL) at Texas A&M University, the POWER LAB at University of Central Florida and the Sport Genomics Research Group at University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU

Search for non-standard neutrino interactions with 10 years of ANTARES data

[EN] Non-standard interactions of neutrinos arising in many theories beyond the Standard Model can significantly alter matter effects in atmospheric neutrino propagation through the Earth. In this paper, a search for deviations from the prediction of the standard 3-flavour atmospheric neutrino oscillations using the data taken by the ANTARES neutrino telescope is presented. Ten years of atmospheric neutrino data collected from 2007 to 2016, with reconstructed energies in the range from ~16 GeV to 100 GeV, have been analysed. A log-likelihood ratio test of the dimensionless coefficients ¿µ¿ and ¿¿¿ - ¿µµ does not provide clear evidence of deviations from standard interactions. For normal neutrino mass ordering, the combined fit of both coefficients yields a value 1.7¿ away from the null result. However, the 68% and 95% confidence level intervals for ¿µ¿ and ¿¿¿ - ¿µµ, respectively, contain the null value. Best fit values, one standard deviation errors and bounds at the 90% confidence level for these coefficients are given for both normal and inverted mass orderings. The constraint on ¿µ¿ is among the most stringent to date and it further restrains the strength of possible non-standard interactions in the µ ¿ ¿ sector.The authors acknowledge the financial support of the funding agencies: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Commissariat a l'energie atomique et aux energies alternatives (CEA), Commission Europeenne (FEDER fund and Marie Curie Program), Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), LabEx UnivEarthS (ANR-10-LABX-0023 and ANR-18-IDEX-0001), Region Ile-de-France (DIM-ACAV), Region Alsace (contrat CPER), Region Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Departement du Var and Ville de La Seyne-surMer, France; Bundesministerium fur Bildung und Forschung (BMBF), Germany; Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Italy; Nederlandse organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO), the Netherlands; Council of the President of the Russian Federation for young scientists and leading scientific schools supporting grants, Russia; Executive Unit for Financing Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation (UEFISCDI), Romania; Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion, Investigacion y Universidades (MCIU): Programa Estatal de Generacion de Conocimiento (refs. PGC2018-096663-B-C41, -A-C42, -B-C43, -B-C44) (MCIU/FEDER), Generalitat Valenciana: Prometeo (PROMETEO/2020/019), Grisolia (refs. GRISOLIA/2018/119,/2021/192) and GenT (refs. CIDEGENT/2018/034,/2019/043,/2020/049,/2021/023) programs, Junta de Andalucia (ref. A-FQM-053-UGR18), La Caixa Foundation (ref. LCF/BQ/IN17/11620019), EU: MSC program (ref. 101025085), Spain; Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, Morocco, and the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, Kuwait. We also acknowledge the technical support of Ifremer, AIM and Foselev Marine for the sea operation and the CC-IN2P3 for the computing facilities.Albert, A.; Alves, S.; Andre, M.; Anghinolfi, M.; Anton, G.; Ardid Ramírez, M.; Ardid-Ramírez, JS.... (2022). Search for non-standard neutrino interactions with 10 years of ANTARES data. Journal of High Energy Physics (Online). 2022(7):1-22. https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP07(2022)0481222022