Infrared excesses in stars with and without planets using revised WISE{\it WISE} photometry

We present an analysis on the potential prevalence of mid infrared excesses in stars with and without planetary companions. Based on an extended database of stars detected with the ${\it WISE}$ satellite, we studied two stellar samples: one with 236 planet hosts and another with 986 objects for which planets have been searched but not found. We determined the presence of an excess over the photosphere by comparing the observed flux ratio at 22 $\mu$m and 12 $\mu$m ($f_{22}/f_{12}$) with the corresponding synthetic value, derived from results of classical model photospheres. We found a detection rate of 0.85$\%$ at 22 $\mu$m (2 excesses) in the sample of stars with planets and 0.1$\%$ (1 detection) for the stars without planets. The difference of the detection rate between the two samples is not statistically significant, a result that is independent of the different approaches found in the literature to define an excess in the wavelength range covered by ${\it WISE}$ observations. As an additional result, we found that the ${\it WISE}$ fluxes required a normalisation procedure to make them compatible with synthetic data, probably pointing out a revision of the ${\it WISE}$ data calibration.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, 3 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRA

About the trigemino-cardiac reflex, their association with sleep bruxism and the reason why clinicians treating Sb should consider a careful examination in order to decide properly how to adequately follow these patients

This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.Although well established as a neurogenic reflex pursuing a cardiovascular protective control in physiological conditions, trigemino-cardiac reflex (TCR) mechanisms and its clinical significance remains unclear This powerful brainstem oxygen-conserving autonomic reflex usually manifests as sudden onset of hemodynamic changes on heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) and has been associated to arrhytmias, asystole, apnea and disturbed gastric mobility. The automatic response can be activated by mechanical or chemical stimulation at any point in the course of the trigeminal nerve and their branches and usually gets abolished after the removal of the inciting stimulus. Sometimes however persistence of TCR can result in exaggerated response which may have fatal consequences, particularly in pediatric age and in elderly.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Caracterização dinâmica da ponte Luiz Bandeira em Sejães

A Ponte Luiz Bandeira, localizada na N333-3 sobre o Rio Vouga próxima da localidade de Sejães (Oliveira de Frades), é hoje considerada como a mais antiga ponte de betão armado em utilização no nosso país, e uma das mais velhas da Europa. Recentemente foram realizados na Ponte Luiz Bandeira um conjunto de ensaios de inspecção e diagnóstico estrutural que incluíram, entre outros, uma identificação dinâmica para a determinação das frequências naturais, modos de vibração e coeficientes de amortecimento. Para a elaboração da campanha experimental, primeiramente foi efectuada uma análise numérica de sensibilidade da resposta dinâmica da ponte, que permitiu melhor definir os procedimentos de ensaio em campo. Na ponte foram efectuados dois tipos de ensaios dinâmicos: ensaios com ruído ambiente e ensaios para a determinação dos coeficientes de amortecimento com recurso à passagem de um automóvel sobre uma prancha no pavimento a diferentes velocidades. Posteriormente, os resultados da identificação dinâmica foram utilizados para a calibração do modelo numérico que permitiu aferir, juntamente com os restantes ensaios de inspecção e diagnóstico, o estado de conservação estrutural da ponte Luiz Bandeira. A presente comunicação apresenta e descreve detalhadamente todas as fases de estudo referentes à caracterização dinâmica da ponte

Utilización de Lecturas Graduadas de Inglés y Francés en BUP y COU

Se exponen sucintamente algunas experiencias en el uso de lecturas graduadas en las clases de inglés y francés, empezando por los criterios de selección, la elección, las distintas actividades dentro y fuera del aula para que el alumno desarrolle las\ud distintas habilidades lingüísticas y algunas sugerencias para la explotación.\ud Seguidamente, desde una perspectiva eminentemente práctica, utilizando\ud material auténtico, se procederá al desarrollo de un texto seleccionado para uno de los niveles de B.U.P. de inglés

Caracterização do betão da Ponte Luiz Bandeira em Sejães

A Ponte Luiz Bandeira, localizada na N333-3 sobre o Rio Vouga próxima da localidade de Sejães (Oliveira de Frades), é hoje considerada como a mais antiga ponte de betão armado em utilização no nosso país, e uma das mais velhas da Europa. Segundo relatos históricos, a ponte terá sido construída num tempo recorde de 3 meses pela empresa Moreira de Sá & Malevez, em 1907. Esta ponte em arco, com um vão de cerca de 44 m, foi construída de acordo com o sistema patenteado Hennebique datado do final do século XIX. Cerca de 50 anos após a construção da ponte, esta sofreu obras de requalificação tendo os diversos elementos estruturais sido reforçados por encamisamento, i.e. adição de novas armaduras e aumento das secções de betão. Apesar da idade e do reduzido número de intervenções, a ponte apresenta, de uma forma geral, um nível de danos relativamente reduzido. Nos últimos tempos o Departamento de Engenharia Civil da Universidade do Minho tem vindo a efectuar diversos estudos a esta ponte envolvendo diversas entidades públicas e privadas, de forma a caracterizar a técnica de construção utilizada, os materiais utilizados, e o desempenho estrutural da ponte. No âmbito do presente trabalho, é feita uma descrição das metodologias usadas, bem como os principais resultados obtidos na caracterização do betão existente na ponte. Esta caracterização foi realizada para os diferentes elementos estruturais que compõem a ponte e a diferentes níveis, nomeadamente: geométrica, mecânica e material. Neste artigo é apresentado o contributo para a caracterização material do betão original empregue na ponte. Assim, é determinado a composição física do traço (relação entre o teor de material inerte e de ligante), composição química do ligante e do agregado, bem como a distribuição granulométrica e a mineralogia deste último. Adicionalmente, foi caraterizado do ponto de vista químico o aço original. Pretende-se, desta forma, contribuir para a actualização do estado do conhecimento sobre pontes em betão armado construídas no início do século passado

Foeniculum vulgare Essential Oils: Chemical Composition, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities

The essential oils from Foeniculum vulgare commercial aerial parts and fruits were isolated by hydrodistillation, with different distillation times (30 min, I h, 2 h and 3 h), and analyzed by GC and GC-MS. The antioxidant ability was estimated using four distinct methods. Antibacterial activity was determined by the agar diffusion method. Remarkable differences, and worrying from the quality and safety point of view, were detected in the essential oils. trans-Anethole (31-36%), alpha-pinene (14-20%) and limonene (11-13%) were the main components of the essentials oil isolated from F. vulgare dried aerial parts, whereas methyl chavicol (= estragole) (79-88%) was dominant in the fruit oils. With the DPPH method the plant oils showed better antioxidant activity than the fruits oils. With the TBARS method and at higher concentrations, fennel essential oils showed a pro-oxidant activity. None of the oils showed a hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity >50%, but they showed an ability to inhibit 5-lipoxygenase. The essential oils showed a very low antimicrobial activity. In general, the essential oils isolated during 2 h were as effective, from the biological activity point of view, as those isolated during 3 h.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Conformal and non-conformal symmetries in 2D dilaton gravity

We introduce new extra symmetry transformations for generic 2D dilaton-gravity models. These symmetries are non-conformal but special linear combinations of them turn out to be the extra (conformal) symmetries of the CGHS model and the model with an exponential potential. We show that one of the non-conformal extra symmetries can be converted into a conformal one by means of adequate field redefinitions involving the metric and the derivatives of the dilaton. Finally, by expressing the Polyakov-Liouville effective action in terms of an auxiliary invariant metric, we construct one-loop models which maintain the extra symmetry of the classical action. © 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.M. N. is grateful to the Spanish MEC, CSIC and also the IMAFF for a research contract.Peer Reviewe

Luiz bandeira bridge: Assessment of a historical reinforced concrete (RC) bridge

The Luiz Bandeira Bridge is located along the Portuguese national road EN333-3, breaching the valley of the Vouga River, just northeast of the small village Sejães, in the district of Oliveira de Frades. It is considered to be the oldest concrete bridge in use in Portugal, and one of the oldest in Europe. Since this bridge is at risk of disappearing due to a construction of a dam, the Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Minho decided to launch a comprehensive study of Luiz Bandeira Bridge, in an attempt to preserve the memory of the past cataloguing the heritage for future reference. These studies include historical, geometrical and damage surveys, the physical and chemical characterization of existing structural materials, the assessment of the reinforcement detailing, dynamic characterization by determining the main frequencies and vibration modes and safety level. This work presents a comprehensive overview of the most important results of these studies

Optimal energy management for a residential microgrid including a vehicle-to-grid system

An optimization model is proposed to manage a residential microgrid including a charging spot with a vehicle-togrid system and renewable energy sources. In order to achieve a realistic and convenient management, we take into account: (1) the household load split into three different profiles depending on the characteristics of the elements considered; (2) a realistic approach to owner behavior by introducing the novel concept of range anxiety; (3) the vehicle battery management considering the mobility profile of the owner and (4) different domestic renewable energy sources. We consider the microgrid operated in grid-connected mode. The model is executed one-day-ahead and generates a schedule for all components of the microgrid. The results obtained show daily costs in the range of 2.82eto 3.33e; the proximity of these values to the actual energy costs for Spanish households validate the modeling. The experimental results of applying the designed managing strategies show daily costs savings of nearly 10%.Postprint (author’s final draft

Cr3+ substituted Zn-Al layered double hydroxides as UV–Vis light photocatalysts for NO gas removal from the urban environment

The ZnAl-CO3, ZnAlCr-CO3 and ZnCr-CO3 LDH samples were studied as De-NOx photocatalysts in this work. Samples without Cr and increasing the presence of Cr3+ in the LDH framework in the 0.06, 0.15 and 0.3 Cr/Zn ratio were prepared by co-precipitation method, all of them constituted by pure LDH phase. The increase of chromium content in the LDH framework leads to lower crystallinity and higher specific surface area in the samples. Moreover, the CrO6 octahedron centres expand the photo-activity from UV to Visible light and assist to decrease the recombination rate of the electrons and holes. The favourable textural, optical and electronic properties of Cr-containing LDH samples explain the good NO removal efficiency (55%) and outstanding selectivity (90%) found for the analysed De-NOx process