Towards an analytical framework for tailoring supercontinuum generation

A fully analytical toolbox for supercontinuum generation relying on scenarios without pulse splitting is presented. Furthermore, starting from the new insights provided by this formalism about the physical nature of direct and cascaded dispersive wave emission, a unified description of this radiation in both normal and anomalous dispersion regimes is derived. Previously unidentified physics of broadband spectra reported in earlier works is successfully explained on this basis. Finally, a foundry-compatible few-millimeters-long silicon waveguide allowing octave-spanning supercontinuum generation pumped at telecom wavelengths in the normal dispersion regime is designed, hence showcasing the potential of this new analytical approach

Aprovechamiento y manejo de desechos orgánicos de cocina utilizando microorganismos eficientes de montaña (MEM) aislados de dos bosques secundarios de Costa Rica

Proyecto de Graduación (Bachillerato en Ingeniería en Biotecnología). Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Escuela de Biología, 2010.Aproximadamente del 30 al 70% del total de la basura generada por el ser humano está constituida por desechos orgánicos. La hipótesis de este estudio fue comprobar si los microorganismos eficientes de montaña (MEM) eran una herramienta biotecnológica eficaz para manejar desechos orgánicos de cocina. Las actividades que comprendieron esta investigación fueron: 1) El estudio microbiológico de la hojarasca de montaña en su estado natural proveniente de dos zonas (La Chinchilla y Cedral), 2) La reproducción de los microorganismos presentes en la hojarasca con una variante en el medio de cultivo (con carbón o sin carbón), 3) El análisis microbiológico de los diferentes lotes de MEM, 4) La aplicación de los MEM en la degradación de desechos orgánicos de cocina, bajo dos condiciones: aerobiosis y anaerobiosis, 5) El análisis microbiológico de los tres mejores tratamientos para el manejo de olores. Los tratamientos más efectivos resultaron ser los provenientes de los medios sin carbón vegetal. La utilización de MEM tuvo efectividad para manejar desechos sólidos orgánicos, sin embargo, debido a la alta acidez y humedad excesiva de los desechos, únicamente se logró una etapa de precompostado

ESTRATEGIAS DE REINSERCIÓN LABORAL PARA PERSONAS EN SITUACIONES DE MENDICIDAD EN LA CIUDAD DE GUAYAQUIL, MEDIANTE EL ESTUDIO DE CASOS EXITOSOS

Dentro de una sociedad donde buscamos cumplir con los objetivos de desarrollo sostenible planteamos estrategias de reinserción laboral para personas en situación de mendicidad habitantes en la ciudad de Guayaquil, mediante el estudio de casos exitosos. Así dar solución al primer ODS, fin de la pobreza. La investigación primaria reveló la complejidad de este trabajo, la colaboración de las empresas es fundamental para el éxito en la aplicación de las estrategias planteadas. Sin embargo, existe la aporofobia que es el rechazo al pobre que impide en muchas circunstancias que las empresas privadas den este paso hacia la reinserción. La metodología design thinking fue pieza clave para este estudio donde no existe guía clara para su resolución. Cada una de sus fases, empezando desde empatizar hasta testear aportaron a la construcción y mejora de las estrategias planteadas. Para la presente investigación fueron necesarias la utilización de investigaciones, entrevistas y encuestas las cuales aportaron a la construcción más completa de las estrategias de reinserción plasmadas en el presente trabajo. Los resultados obtenidos fueron satisfactorios de parte de todos los actores involucrados en el estudio del presente trabajo. Pero se necesita verdadero compromiso para que el modelo funcione. Para concluir plasmamos los beneficios encontrados con la aplicación de este modelo.  En primer lugar, la economía de Guayaquil se verá beneficiada porque pasan a ser elementos económicamente activos, la tasa de delincuencia decrecería ya que la pobreza es la principal causa de esta, la imagen empresarial mejora debido a que reportan buenas prácticas de responsabilidad social, la rotación de personal disminuye porque se desarrolla gratitud a la organización, y sobre todo que una persona más está teniendo una vida digna

Seismic Structure and Seismicity of the Villarrica Volcano (Southern Central Chile)

The seismicity of Villarrica volcano is compared before and after the Maule earthquake (Mw 8.8, 2010), and the inner seismic structure is obtained through tomography

Binding of the five multistate species of the anthocyanin analog 7- β -D-glucopyranosyloxy-4′-hydroxyflavylium to the β -cyclodextrin derivative captisol

The host-guest chemistry of the anthocyanin analog 7-β-D-glucopyranosyloxy-4'-hydroxyflavylium (GHF) was studied in the presence of the β-cyclodextrin derivative captisol by stopped flow, UVevisible spectroscopy, flash photolysis, circular dichroism and isothermal titration calorimetry. The equilibrium and rate constants of the multistate of chemical species derived from the flavylium ion were calculated and compared with those in the absence of the host. A new procedure to obtain the host-guest association constants of the multistate (including the transient species) by superimposing the two energy level diagrams, in the presence and absence of the cyclodextrin, was developed. The results indicate that the magnitude of the association constants follows the order, trans-chalcone = cis-chalcone = hemiketal > quinoidal base > flavylium cation. The hydration equilibrium constant increases ca. 42 times in the presence of captisol as the hydration and dehydration rate constants respectively increases and decreases. The other equilibrium constants are modestly affected: the rate constants of ring closure and opening are significantly decreased in the complex and the isomerization rate constants increase in both directions. The quantum yield of the photochromic system in the presence of captisol is0.3, i.e. 3 times higher than in the absence of the host

The role of heart rate on the associations between body composition and heart rate variability in children with overweight/obesity : the ActiveBrains project

Background: Heart rate variability (HRV) is negatively associated with body mass index and adiposity in several populations. However, less information is available about this association in children with overweight and obesity, especially severe/morbid obesity, taking into consideration the dependence of HRV on heart rate (HR). Objectives: (1) to examine associations between body composition measures and HRV, (2) to study differences in HRV between children with overweight and severe/morbid obesity; and (3) to test whether relationships and differences tested in objectives 1 and 2, respectively are explained by the dependency of HRV on HR. Methods: A total of 107 children with overweight/obesity (58% boys, 10.03 +/- 1.13 years) participated in this study. Body composition measures were evaluated by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). HRV parameters were measured with Polar RS800CXR (R). Results: Body composition measures were negatively associated with HRV indicators of parasympathetic activity (beta values ranging from -0.207 to -0.307, all p 0.05). Conclusion: All associations between adiposity/obesity and HRV could be explained by HR, suggesting a key confounding role of HR in HRV studies in children with weight disturbances

Electrochemical Erasing Using a Polymer Lithography Editor for the Fabrication of Photoactive Devices

Electrochemical erasing of conductive coatings at microscale for the fabrication of functional devices on flexible and hard surfaces is demonstrated. The nanoporous pyramidal-shaped nano- and microscale polyacrylamide hydrogel PLE probes allowed delivery of electrochemical etchants to the surface, providing on-demand maskless patterning at microscale. Highly efficient erasing (silver and copper metals erasing efficiency ≈ 100%), areal erasing rate ≈ 80 μm2/s, and pressure dependent spatial erasing feature dimensions between 3 μm to many tens of microns on metal surfaces allowed for the fabrication of microelectrodes of various geometries. Overall, PLE-based microscale erasing allowed for rapid and accessible fabrication of organic electron–hole carrier pair-based microphotodetector, as well as the assembly of LED on flexible and rigid ITO substrates

One Size Does Not Fit All: Framing Smart City Policy Narratives within Regional Socio-Economic Contexts in Brussels and Wallonia

Smart city initiatives are increasingly dominating urban policy scripts worldwide, and their diffusion is centered upon different regional strategies. Adopting the Narrative Policy Framework as methodological basis, this article examines the smart city strategies developed by the Wallonia and Brussels-capital regions during the 2014-2019 period. Moving away from corporate-led deterministic models of smart city development, it shows that there is no one- size-fit-all approach to smart urbanism. Regional governments attribute different meanings to urban innovation and formulate place-based strategies of smart city development in relation to their socio-economic contexts, seeking to advance technological solutions to what they perceive as the most pressing problems of their territories and populaces