On the origin of two unidentified radio/X-ray sources discovered with XMM-Newton

We aim at clarifying the nature of the emission of two spatially related unidentified X-ray sources detected with XMM-Newton telescope at intermediate-low Galactic latitude. Observations reveal a point-like source aligned with elongated diffuse emission. The X-ray spectra are best-fitted by absorbed power laws with photon indices ~1.7 for the point-like and ~2.0 for the extended one. Both sources show nonthermal radio-continuum counterparts that might indicate a physical association. From the available data, we did not detect variability on the point-like source in several timescales. Two possible scenarios are analyzed: first, based on HI line absorption, assuming a Galactic origin, we infer a distance upper bound of <2 kpc, which poses a constraint on the height over the Galactic plane of <200 pc and on the linear size of the system of 10^32 erg/s and >7.5 x 10^32 erg/s, for the point-like and extended sources, respectively; second, an extra-Galactic nature is discussed, where the point-like source might be the core of a radio galaxy and the extended source its lobe. In this case, we compare derived fluxes, spectral indices, and spatial correlation with those typical from the radio galaxy population, showing the feasibility of this alternative astrophysical scenario. From the available observational evidence, we suggest that the most promising scenario to explain the nature of these sources is a system consisting of a one-sided radio galaxy, where the point-like source is an active galactic nucleus and the extended source corresponds to the emission from its lobe. Other possibilities include a PSR/PWN origin, where the radio/X-ray emission originates from the synchrotron cooling of relativistic particles in the PSR magnetic field or a casual alignment between two unrelated sources, such as an AGN core and a Galactic X-ray blob.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics (A&A

THROES: a caTalogue of HeRschel Observations of Evolved Stars. I. PACS range spectroscopy

This is the first of a series of papers presenting the THROES (A caTalogue of HeRschel Observations of Evolved Stars) project, intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the spectroscopic results obtained in the far-infrared (55-670 microns) with the Her- schel space observatory on low-to-intermediate mass evolved stars in our Galaxy. Here we introduce the catalogue of interactively reprocessed PACS (Photoconductor Array Camera and Spectrometer) spectra covering the 55-200 microns range for 114 stars in this category for which PACS range spectroscopic data is available in the Herschel Science Archive (HSA). Our sample includes objects spanning a range of evolutionary stages, from the asymptotic giant branch to the planetary nebula phase, displaying a wide variety of chemical and physical properties. The THROES/PACS catalogue is accessible via a dedicated web-based inter- face (https://throes.cab.inta-csic.es/) and includes not only the science-ready Herschel spectroscopic data for each source, but also complementary photometric and spectroscopic data from other infrared observatories, namely IRAS (Infrared Astronomical Satellite), ISO (Infrared Space Observatory) or AKARI, at overlapping wavelengths. Our goal is to create a legacy-value Herschel dataset that can be used by the scientific community in the future to deepen our knowledge and understanding of these latest stages of the evolution of low-to-intermediate mass stars.Comment: 38 page

Full transmission through perfect-conductor subwavelength hole arrays

Light transmission through 2D subwavelength hole arrays in perfect-conductor films is shown to be complete (100%) at some resonant wavelengths even for arbitrarily narrow holes. Conversely, the reflection on a 2D planar array of non-absorbing scatterers is shown to be complete at some wavelengths regardless how weak the scatterers are. These results are proven analytically and corroborated by rigorous numerical solution of Maxwell's equations. This work supports the central role played by dynamical diffraction during light transmission through subwavelength hole arrays and it provides a systematics to analyze more complex geometries and many of the features observed in connection with transmission through hole arrays.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Warm CO in evolved stars from the THROES catalogue. II. Herschel/PACS spectroscopy of C-rich envelopes

This is the second paper of a series making use of Herschel/PACS spectroscopy of evolved stars in the THROES catalogue to study the inner regions of their circumstellar envelopes (CSEs). We analyze the CO emission spectra, including a large number of high-$J$ CO lines (from $J$=14-13 to $J$=45-44), as a proxy for the warm molecular gas in the CSEs of a sample of bright carbon-rich stars spanning different evolutionary stages from the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) to the young planetary nebulae (PNe) phase. We use the rotational diagram (RD) to derive rotational temperatures ($T_{\rm rot}$) and masses ($M_{\rm H_2}$) of the envelope layers where the CO transitions arise. We also obtain a first order estimate of the mass-loss rates and assess the impact of the opacity correction for a range of characteristic envelope radii. We use multi-epoch spectra for the well studied C-rich envelope IRC+10216 to investigate the impact of CO flux variability on the values of $T_{\rm rot}$ and $M_{\rm H_2}$. PACS sensitivity allowed the study of higher rotational numbers than before, indicating the presence of a significant amount of warmer gas ($\sim$200-900 K) not traceable with lower-$J$ CO observations at sub-mm/mm wavelengths. The masses are in the range $\sim10^{-2}-10^{-5}\,\rm M_{\odot}$, anti-correlated with temperature. For some strong CO emitters we infer a double temperature (warm $T_{\rm rot}\sim$400 K and hot $T_{\rm rot}\sim$820 K) component. From the analysis of IRC+10216, we corroborate that the effect of line variability is perceptible on the $T_{\rm rot}$ of the hot component only, and certainly insignificant on $M_{\rm H_2}$ and, hence, the mass-loss rate. Therefore, the parameters derived from the RD are robust even when strong line flux variability occurs, with the major source of uncertainty in the estimate of the mass-loss rate being the size of the CO-emitting volume.Comment: accepted in A&

Degradación de la Clorofila Presente en (Spirogyra spp.) como Indicator Socio Ambiental de la Presencia de Plaguicidas organofosforados

En la presente investigación se estudió la alteración de la clorofila presente en Spirogyra spp. como indicador de la presencia de tres plaguicidas organofosforados: Curacrón, Malatión y Acefato, a través de ensayos realizados a diferentes concentraciones de los plaguicidas durante un lapso de 72 horas de exposición. Transcurrida la etapa experimental se pudo observar la pérdida de la coloración verde de las algas como resultado de la alteración de su pigmentación natural. El análisis de varianza realizado a los resultados de la medición de la absorbancia de las muestras demuestra una disminución de la concentración de clorofila, en comparación con las muestras testigo de los ensayos. La sensibilidad de las algas al ser expuestas a los plaguicidas organofosforados es una manifestación del alto potencial bioindicador de Spirogyra spp. Este estudio brinda a los agricultores de la comunidad de San Antonio la posibilidad de detectar de manera temprana la presencia de plaguicidas en sus fuentes de agua y abre las puertas a la investigación para posteriores aplicaciones. The alteration of the chlorophyll present in Spirogyra spp. was studied as an indicator of the presence of three organophosphorus pesticides, Curacron, Malathion and Acephate, with tests carried out at different concentrations of the pesticides during a period of 72 hours of exposure. After the experimental stage, it was possible to observe the loss of the green coloration of the algae as a result of the alteration of their natural pigmentation. The analysis of variance based on the results of the measurement of the absorbance of the samples demonstrated a decrease in the concentration of chlorophyll compared to the control samples from the trials. The sensitivity of algae to being exposed to organophosphorus pesticides is a manifestation of the high bioindicator potential of Spirogyra spp., which provides farmers in the community of San Antonio the possibility of early detection of the presence of pesticides in their sources of water, and it also opens the doors to research for subsequent applications

Influence of curing conditions on recycled aggregate concrete

This paper presents the results of a study of permeability and its influence on the durability of recycled concrete exposed to an aggressive environment. Recycled concretes with 20%, 50% and 100% in weight ofrecycled aggregate and 24 effective w/c ratios have been exposed directly to a marine environment. Control specimens cured in a humidity chamber have been also tested in order to compare the influence of the curing environment. The durability of recycled aggregate concretes exposed to aggressive conditions decreases in terms of permeability, as the results show. However, the influence of the environment on the recycled concrete also depends on the quality of the cement paste. The differences between the control and the exposed concrete are lower for low water/cement (w/c) ratios. The lower capillarity obtained in the new cement paste of the recycled concretes with low w/c ratios isolates the porosity of the recycled aggregate, increasing the durability but with a rise in the cement content.The authors wish to thank the Spanish Ministry of the Environment for the funding of this research. The results contained herein have been achieved under the RECNHOR Project (funded by the Spanish Ministry of Environment) and under the CLEAM Project (funded by the Spanish Centre for Industrial Technology Development, CDTI), Code 3.2-358/200 5/3-B, led by the Economic InterestGrouping CLEAM-CENIT, AIE (Acciona, Dragados, Ferrovial, FCC,Sioux, OHL and Sacyr) and SMEs Informatica 68, Quilosa and Martinez Segovia and associates

Nearby supernova host galaxies from the CALIFA survey: II. Supernova environmental metallicity

The metallicity of a supernova progenitor, together with its mass, is one of the main parameters that can rule the progenitor's fate. We present the second study of nearby supernova (SN) host galaxies (0.005 10 dex) by targeted searches. We neither found evidence that the metallicity at the SN location differs from the average metallicity at the galactocentric distance of the SNe. By extending our SN sample with published metallicities at the SN location, we are able to study the metallicity distributions for all SN subtypes split into SN discovered in targeted and untargeted searches. We confirm a bias toward higher host masses and metallicities in the targeted searches. By combining data from targeted and untargeted searches, we found a sequence from higher to lower local metallicity: SN Ia, Ic, and II show the highest metallicity, which is significantly higher than those of SN Ib, IIb, and Ic-BL. Our results support the scenario according to which SN Ib result from binary progenitors. Additionally, at least part of the SN Ic are the result of single massive stars that were stripped of their outer layers by metallicity-driven winds. We studied several proxies of the local metallicity that are frequently used in the literature and found that the total host metallicity allows estimating the metallicity at the SN location with an accuracy better than 0.08 dex and very small bias. In addition, weak AGNs that cannot be seen in the total spectrum may weakly bias (by 0.04 dex) the metallicity estimate that is derived from the galaxy-integrated spectrum. © ESO, 2016.This work was partly funded by FCT with the research grant PTDC/CTE-AST/112582/2009. Support for L.G. is partially provided by FCT, by CONICYT through FONDECYT grant 3140566, and from the Ministry of Economy, Development, and Tourism's Millennium Science Initiative through grant IC12009, awarded to The Millennium Institute of Astrophysics (MAS). V.S. acknowledges financial support from Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT) under program Ciencia 2008. C.J.W. acknowledges support through the Marie Curie Career Integration Grant 303912.Peer Reviewe

Treatment with zygomatic implants in patients with advanced atrophy of maxilla

Introducción. El objetivo del presente estudio era mostrar los resultados del tratamiento con implantes cigomáticos utilizados en pacientes con atrofia maxilar severa. Metodos. 18 pacientes fueron tratados con 36 implantes cigomáticos Galimplant ® sumergidos con conexión interna para su rehabilitación prostodóncica. Las técnicas quirúrgicas de inserción de cigomáticos fueron extrasinusal y la técnica de la ranura sinusal. Los implantes fueron cargados después de un periodo de cicatrización de 6 meses. Resultados. Los hallazgos clínicos indican una supervivencia de los implantes del 100%. 14 implantes (38,9%) se in- sertaron por via extrasinusal y 22 implantes (61,6%) por la técnica de la ranura sinusal. Un total de 18 prótesis híbridas atornilladas fueron realizadas. Complicaciones postoperatorias fueron observadas en 4 pacientes (22,2%). El periodo medio de seguimiento clínico ha sido de 12 meses. Conclusiones. Este estudio indica que los implantes cigomáticos pueden ser utilizados con éxito en el tratamiento de los pacientes con atrofia maxilar severaThe aim of this study was to report the outcome of treatment with zygomatic implants used in patients with severe atrophy of maxilla. Methods. 18 patients were treated with 36 Galimplant ® zygomatic implants with internal connection for prosthodontic rehabilitation. Zygomatic surgical techniques were two approach for insertion of implants, extrasinusal and sinus slot technique. Implants were loaded after a healing free-loading period of six months. Results. Clinical results indicate a survival rate of implants of 100%. Fourteen implants (38.9%) were inser- ted by extrasinusal approach while twenty two implants were inserted by sinus slot approach (61.1%). A total of 18 hybrid screw prostheses were realized. Postoperative complications were observed in four patients (22.2%). The mean follow-up period were 12 months. Conclusions. This study indicate that zygomatic implants can be used with success in treatment of patients with severe atrophic maxilla