Recent Developments in Maser Theory

This review covers selected developments in maser theory since the previous meeting, "Cosmic Masers: From Proto-Stars to Black Holes" (Migenes & Reid 2002). Topics included are time variability of fundamental constants, pumping of OH megamasers and indicators for differentiating disks from bi-directional outflows.Comment: Review presented at IAU symposium 242, "Astrophysical Masers and their Environments

A thin ring model for the OH megamaser in IIIZw35

We present a model for the OH megamaser emission in the starburst galaxy IIIZw35. The observed diffuse and compact OH maser components in this source are explained by a single phase of unsaturated clumpy gas distributed in a thin ring structure and amplifying background continuum. We emphasize the importance of clumpiness in the OH masing medium, an effect that has not been fully appreciated previously. The model explains why multiple bright spots are seen only at the ring tangents while smoother emission is found elsewhere. Both the observed velocity gradients and the line to continuum ratios around the ring enquire a geometry where most of the seed photons come from a continuum emission which lies outside the OH ring. To explain both the OH and continuum brightness, free-free absorbing gas is required along the ring axis to partially absorb the far side of the ring. It is proposed that the required geometry arises from an inwardly propagating ring of starburst activity

Runtime-guided mitigation of manufacturing variability in power-constrained multi-socket NUMA nodes

This work has been supported by the Spanish Government (Severo Ochoa grants SEV2015-0493, SEV-2011-00067), by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (contracts TIN2015-65316-P), by Generalitat de Catalunya (contracts 2014-SGR-1051 and 2014-SGR-1272), by the RoMoL ERC Advanced Grant (GA 321253) and the European HiPEAC Network of Excellence. M. Moretó has been partially supported by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral fellowship number JCI-2012-15047. M. Casas is supported by the Secretary for Universities and Research of the Ministry of Economy and Knowledge of the Government of Catalonia and the Cofund programme of the Marie Curie Actions of the 7th R&D Framework Programme of the European Union (Contract 2013 BP B 00243). This work was also partially performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344 (LLNL-CONF-689878). Finally, the authors are grateful to the reviewers for their valuable comments, to the RoMoL team, to Xavier Teruel and Kallia Chronaki from the Programming Models group of BSC and the Computation Department of LLNL for their technical support and useful feedback.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

LA MELIPONICULTURA UNA PRÁCTICA TRADICIONAL PARA EL DESARROLLO REGIONAL DE LA COMUNIDAD DE MANÍ, YUCATÁN

El presente trabajo aborda el análisis de la actividad de la meliponicultura en la comunidad de Maní, estudiando a grupos de mujeres que se dedican al cuidado y manejo de las abejas meliponas. La metodología aplicada es la combinación de la observación de campo y la recolección de información a partir de entrevistas abiertas y experiencias de las mujeres dedicadas a esta actividad, todo con la finalidad de recopilar los conocimientos, experiencias y relatos de vida de las mujeres en el municipio antes mencionado. La comunidad de Maní es un municipio que se caracteriza por actividades productivas, tales como la agricultura, la gastronomía, la confección de prendas de vestir (bordados) y la meliponicultura. La comunidad tiene una población de 5,637 habitantes según la encuesta intercensal 2015, de los cuales 2,756 son hombres y 2,881 son mujeres. El municipio ocupa una superficie de 85.59 km2 y se encuentra aproximadamente a una hora de la capital del estado. La meliponicultura llamada así por la conservación y cuidado de la abeja melipona que se caracterizan por la ausencia de aguijón, almacenan recursos en sus colonias, tales como miel, polen y propóleo. Estas abejas nativas del sur de Yucatán han sido aprovechadas tradicionalmente por las culturas prehispánicas, alcanzando su máximo desarrollo con la Maya Márquez (1994). La abeja sin aguijón representa “salud ambiental” para los ecosistemas donde habitan y equilibrio en la medida que participan activamente en los procesos de polinización de la mayoría de las plantas con flores (González, 2012). De ahí radica la importancia de analizar dicha actividad e identificar las potencialidades de los procesos y productos que se derivan de la misma, ya que debido a esto y a la producción de miel de varias especies existe la posibilidad de desarrollar actividades que generen ingresos permanentes

Use of Short Assessment of Health Literacy for Spanish Adults (SAHLSA-50) to Determine the Health Literacy Rate of the Spanish-speaking Population in an Urban Emergency Department

Background: The Hispanic population presents a great opportunity in terms of potential improvements in clinical outcomes and cost reduction for interventions through assessing and improving health literacy. While there are various tools to assess health literacy, many do not assess comprehensive Spanish health literacy. Objectives: We sought to determine the health literacy rate of our Spanish-speaking population in the ED using the SAHLSA-50 tool. Methods: We surveyed a convenience sample of 300 patients from October to November 2012 that presented to our busy, high volume, urban ED. All subjects completed the SAHLSA-50 tool and demographic form with Spanish-speaking research assistants. Results: 63.3% were women. 8% were age 18-25, 42% were 26-40, 45% were 41-65, and 5% were 65+. 11% had less than 3 years of school, 30% had 4-6 years of school, and 59% had at least 7 years of school. Overall, 83% respondents were health literate. Those with less than 3 years of school were95% in those with 7 or more years of school. The elderly (65+) reported least years of school completed and had the lowest health literacy (56.3%). Conclusions: There was an overall health literacy rate of 83.0%. Importantly, those with lower levels of education and elderly patients were more likely to not be health literate. As a next step, targeting those with less education and the elder within the Hispanic population may yield the most impact for improving health literacy and outcomes

Aplicação de altas pressões em chouriço de peru sem aditivos - segurança alimentar

As tecnologias emergentes de conservação dos alimentos têm como objetivo a segurança microbiológica, preservando a qualidade nutricional e sensorial ao longo do armazenamento. As altas pressões hidrostáticas são um método de conservação, alternativo aos processos térmicos existentes mais agressivos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a aplicação de altas pressões em chouriço de peru produzido sem adição de aditivos numa unidade fabril e submetido a altas pressões (600MPa durante 8 min). As amostras foram armazenadas a 4 °C. Analisadas no dia da aplicação do tratamento e após 2 e 4 meses. Os parâmetros microbiológicos, designadamente contagens de bactérias lácticas mesófilas, bolores e leveduras, bactérias coliformes, Clostridium perfringens, estafilococos coagulase positivos, Escherichia coli ß-glucuronidase positiva, mesófilos, psicrotróficos, e pesquisa de Listeria monocytogenes, e de Salmonella spp., foram analisados recorrendo às metodologias definidas segundo as normas internacionais. Na pesquisa de patogénicos todas as amostras analisadas apresentaram um resultado de ausência em 25 g de produto. As contagens de Escherichia coli, bolores e leveduras, bactérias coliformes, Clostridium perfringens, e estafilococos coagulase positivos revelaram-se inferiores a 10 UFC g-1. As amostras submetidas a altas pressões hidrostáticas obtiveram contagens de bactérias lácticas mesófilas, mesófilos e psicrotróficos inferiores às contagens das amostras sem tratamento, desde o dia da aplicação do tratamento, com uma redução de 2 log. Perante os resultados obtidos, o fabrico de chouriço de peru sem aditivos e com aplicação de altas pressões hidrostáticas surge como um método de conservação do produto.N/

Provisos for classic linear oscillator design methods. New linear oscillator design based on the NDF/RRT

In this paper, the classic oscillator design methods are reviewed, and their strengths and weaknesses are shown. Provisos for avoiding the misuse of classic methods are also proposed. If the required provisos are satisfied, the solutions provided by the classic methods (oscillator start-up linear approximation) will be correct. The provisos verification needs to use the NDF (Network Determinant Function). The use of the NDF or the most suitable RRT (Return Relation Transponse), which is directly related to the NDF, as a tool to analyze oscillators leads to a new oscillator design method. The RRT is the "true" loop-gain of oscillators. The use of the new method is demonstrated with examples. Finally, a comparison of NDF/RRT results with the HB (Harmonic Balance) simulation and practical implementation measurements prove the universal use of the new methods

Transpose return relation method for designing low noise oscillators

In this paper, a new linear method for optimizing compact low noise oscillators for RF/MW applications will be presented. The first part of this paper makes an overview of Leeson's model. It is pointed out, and it is demonstrates that the phase noise is always the same inside the oscillator loop. It is presented a general phase noise optimization method for reference plane oscillators. The new method uses Transpose Return Relations (RRT) as true loop gain functions for obtaining the optimum values of the elements of the oscillator, whatever scheme it has. With this method, oscillator topologies that have been designed and optimized using negative resistance, negative conductance or reflection coefficient methods, until now, can be studied like a loop gain method. Subsequently, the main disadvantage of Leeson's model is overcome, and now it is not only valid for loop gain methods, but it is valid for any oscillator topology. The last section of this paper lists the steps to be performed to use this method for proper phase noise optimization during the linear design process and before the final non-linear optimization. The power of the proposed RRT method is shown with its use for optimizing a common oscillator, which is later simulated using Harmonic Balance (HB) and manufactured. Then, the comparison of the linear, HB and measurements of the phase noise are compared

Ensayo metodológico de determinación de la heladicidad de hormigón estructural fabricado con árido reciclado

Esta comunicación presenta el ajuste de una metodología de determinación de la resistencia al hielodeshielo de hormigones estructurales fabricados con árido reciclado, la cual se está llevando a cabo por un grupo de trabajo integrado por profesores y estudiantes de las Escuelas Técnicas Superiores de Ingenieros de Minas e Industriales, de la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, con el fin de evaluar la variación de las propiedades que sufren distintas dosificaciones de dichos hormigones cuando son sometidas a ensayos de heladicidad. Se realiza en primer lugar un estudio de la normativa existente, con el objetivo de definir tanto la duración de los ciclos como los criterios de degradación. Seguidamente se registra, mediante medidas de la velocidad de propagación de ultrasonidos las variaciones observadas en el hormigón. Al final de la puesta a punto de la técnica experimental se puede decir que se llegan a reproducir los ciclos de hielo-deshielo diseñados y se observa degradación del materia

MTHFD1 controls DNA methylation in Arabidopsis.

DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism that has important functions in transcriptional silencing and is associated with repressive histone methylation (H3K9me). To further investigate silencing mechanisms, we screened a mutagenized Arabidopsis thaliana population for expression of SDCpro-GFP, redundantly controlled by DNA methyltransferases DRM2 and CMT3. Here, we identify the hypomorphic mutant mthfd1-1, carrying a mutation (R175Q) in the cytoplasmic bifunctional methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase/methenyltetrahydrofolate cyclohydrolase (MTHFD1). Decreased levels of oxidized tetrahydrofolates in mthfd1-1 and lethality of loss-of-function demonstrate the essential enzymatic role of MTHFD1 in Arabidopsis. Accumulation of homocysteine and S-adenosylhomocysteine, genome-wide DNA hypomethylation, loss of H3K9me and transposon derepression indicate that S-adenosylmethionine-dependent transmethylation is inhibited in mthfd1-1. Comparative analysis of DNA methylation revealed that the CMT3 and CMT2 pathways involving positive feedback with H3K9me are mostly affected. Our work highlights the sensitivity of epigenetic networks to one-carbon metabolism due to their common S-adenosylmethionine-dependent transmethylation and has implications for human MTHFD1-associated diseases