XP-Antarctik Expedition: The Effect of a Month-Long Expedition in Antarctica on Physiological Performance

Antarctica is a challenging habitat for humans. A group of 6 explorers (3 women and 3 men) participated in an expedition in Antarctica. The objective was to observe the physiological acclimatization of the explorers using the following strategies: physical preparation, highcaloric nutritional intake, and the latest physiological monitoring and outdoor equipment. Anthropometric measures (dual x-ray absorptiometry), specific maximal aerobic test, maximal aerobic running speed test, submaximal aerobic cold testing, strength tests (grip strength, leg press and chin up), and endurance tests (bar suspension and chair position) were conducted pre- and post-expedition. Due to the sample size, a paired t-test was used for normally distributed data and non-parametric (Wilcoxon) to compare values pre- and post-expedition. Effect sizes are presented as Cohen’s d. The lean mass for the women was significantly higher after the expedition (45.4 ± 4.4 vs. 47.1 ± 4.1 kg; p = 0.040, d = 1.86); however, no significant difference was observed for the men (66.7 ± 7.3 vs. 66.0 ± 5.7 kg; p = 0.581, d = 0.11). Pre- and post-expedition values were significantly different for the specific maximal aerobic test, where the VO2peak was 40.8 ± 4.2 vs. 46.9 ± 7.4 ml/kg/min, respectively (p = 0.027, d = 1.01), but no significant difference was observed for the other aerobic tests. The muscular testing did not change significantly, except for the left leg one maximal repetition (295 ± 110 vs. 364 ± 135 lb, pre- and post-expedition respectively, p = 0.031, d = -0.56). The overall preparation for the expedition appears to be a key aspect in order to countermeasure the physical ability decay during an Antarctica expedition. However, further studies will need to be developed to discern the importance of the preparation components

Normal faulting in the 1923 Berdún earthquake and postorogenic extension in the Pyrenees

The 10 July 1923 earthquake near Berdún (Spain) is the largest instrumentally recorded event in the Pyrenees. We recover old analog seismograms and use 20 hand-digitized waveforms for regional moment tensor inversion. We estimate moment magnitude Mw 5.4, centroid depth of 8 km, and a pure normal faulting source with strike parallel to the mountain chain (N292°E), dip of 66° and rake of -88°. The new mechanism fits into the general predominance of normal faulting in the Pyrenees and extension inferred from Global Positioning System data. The unique location of the 1923 earthquake, near the south Pyrenean thrust front, shows that the extensional regime is not confined to the axial zone where high topography and the crustal root are located. Together with seismicity near the northern mountain front, this indicates that gravitational potential energy in the western Pyrenees is not extracted locally but induces a wide distribution of postorogenic deformation.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Performance de arquitecturas multiprocesador: técnicas de modelado y simulación en HPC y cloud computing

El objetivo de esta línea de investigación es el estudio de la performance de las arquitecturas multiprocesador y Cloud Computing a través de modelos de simulación. Enfocando a la obtención de herramientas que permitan predecir la eficiencia del sistema ante posibles escenarios y reconfigurar el sistema físico. Analizando los diferentes componentes del sistema que pueden influir en las prestaciones significativamente y pueden llegar a modelarse y/o reconfigurarse.Eje: Procesamiento Distribuido y ParaleloRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informátic

Two-photon double ionization of H2 at 30 eV using Exterior Complex Scaling

Calculations of fully differential cross sections for two-photon double ionization of the hydrogen molecule with photons of 30 eV are reported. The results have been obtained by using the method of exterior complex scaling, which allows one to construct essentially exact wave functions that describe thedouble continuum on a large, but finite, volume. The calculated cross sections are compared with those previously obtained by Colgan et al., and discrepancies are found for specific molecular orientations and electron ejection directions

Impact of EMA regulatory label changes on systemic diclofenac initiation, discontinuation, and switching to other pain medicines in Scotland, England, Denmark, and The Netherlands

Purpose: In June 2013 a European Medicines Agency referral procedure concluded that diclofenac was associated with an elevated risk of acute cardiovascular events and contraindications, warnings, and changes to the product information were implemented across the European Union. This study measured the impact of the regulatory action on the prescribing of systemic diclofenac in Denmark, The Netherlands, England, and Scotland. Methods: Quarterly time series analyses measuring diclofenac prescription initiation, discontinuation and switching to other systemic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs), topical NSAIDs, paracetamol, opioids, and other chronic pain medication in those who discontinued diclofenac. Absolute effects were estimated using interrupted time series regression. Results: Overall, diclofenac prescription initiations fell during the observation periods of all countries. Compared with Denmark where there appeared to be amore limited effect, the regulatory action was associated with significant immediate reductions in diclofenac initiation in The Netherlands (−0.42%, 95% CI, −0.66% to −0.18%), England (−0.09%, 95% CI, −0.11% to −0.08%), and Scotland (−0.67%, 95% CI, −0.79% to −0.55%); and falling trends in diclofenac initiation in the Netherlands (−0.03%, 95% CI, −0.06% to −0.01% per quarter) and Scotland (−0.04%, 95% CI, −0.05% to −0.02% per quarter). There was no significant impact on diclofenac discontinuation in any country. The regulatory action was associated with modest differences in switching to other pain medicines following diclofenac discontinuation. Conclusions: The regulatory action was associated with significant reductions in overall diclofenac initiation which varied by country and type of exposure. There was no impact on discontinuation and variable impact on switching

Severe aortic stenosis with preserved ejection fraction and evidence of impairment in structure, myocardial strain and ventricular function: A new contribution to clinical decision making

Background: Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is among the parameters that are usually employed to define surgical timing of severe aortic stenosis (AS). Our hypothesis states that even when their LVEF is preserved, patients with severe symptomatic AS have impaired myocardial structure and function, and such impairment is related to the deleterious progression of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) from the compensated to the decompensated stage, as shown by the changes in diastolic function and the increase in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP). Methods and Results: A total of 26 patients with severe AS and LVEF > 50% referred for aortic valve replacement underwent catheterization, echocardiography and an intraoperative biopsy. Patients with severe symptomatic AS were classified as: group 1 (G1; compensated LVH, LVEDP < 15 mm Hg without coronary artery disease [CAD], n = 7), group 2a (G2a, decom­pensated LVH, without CAD, n = 7), and group 2b (G2b, decompensated LVH with CAD, n = 12). Differences were seen in the following: myocyte area [μm2]: G1: 328 ± 66, G2a: 376 ± 22, G2b: 385 ± 13, p < 0.01; collagen volume [%]: G1: 4.77 ± 1.27, G2a: 8.40 ± 1.27, G2b: 11.05 ± 3.08, p < 0.01; LVEDP normalized by diastolic diameter [mm Hg/mm]: G1: 0.27 ± 0.01, G2a: 0.39 ± 0.06, G2b: 0.44 ± 0.11, p < 0.02; +dP/dtmax/LVEDP [mm Hg/s/mm Hg]: G1: 176 ± 45, G2a: 89.6 ± 20, G2b: 113.1 ± 41, p < 0.01; two-dimensional peak systolic longitudinal strain [%]: G1: –17.7 ± 4.75, G2a: –13.4 ± 3.04, G2b: –13.5 ± 3.13, p < 0.05. Conclusions: Patients with severe symptomatic AS and preserved ejection fraction who de­velop decompensated LVH characterized by increased LVEDP, exhibit an abnormal myocardial structure and diastolic and systolic impairment

Classical two-slit interference effects in double photoionization of molecular hydrogen at high energies

Recent experiments on double photoionization of H$_2$ with photon energies between 160 and 240 eV have revealed body-frame angular distributions that suggest classical two-slit interference effects may be present when one electron carries most of the available energy and the second electron is not observed. We report precise quantum mechanical calculations that reproduce the experimental findings. They reveal that the interpretation in terms of classical diffraction is only appropriate atsubstantially higher photon energies. At the energies considered in the experiment we offer an alternative explanation based on the mixing of two non-diffractive contributions by circularly polarized light

First Images of the Molecular Gas around a Born-again Star Revealed by ALMA

Born-again stars allow probing stellar evolution in human timescales and provide the most promising path for the formation of hydrogen-deficient post-asymptotic giant branch objects, but their cold and molecular components remain poorly explored. Here we present ALMA observations of V 605 Aql that unveil for the first time the spatio-kinematic distribution of the molecular material associated with a born-again star. Both the continuum and molecular line emission exhibit a clumpy ring-like structure with a total extent of approximate to 1 \u27\u27 in diameter. The bulk of the molecular emission is interpreted as being produced in a radially expanding disk-like structure with an expansion velocity v(exp) similar to 90 km s(-1) and an inclination i approximate to 60 degrees with respect to the line of sight. The observations also reveal a compact high-velocity component, v(exp) similar to 280 km s(-1), that is aligned perpendicularly to the expanding disk. This component is interpreted as a bipolar outflow with a kinematical age tau less than or similar to 20 yr, which could either be material that is currently being ejected from V 605 Aql, or is being dragged from the inner parts of the disk by a stellar wind. The dust mass of the disk is in the range M-dust similar to 0.2-8 x 10(-3) M-circle dot, depending on the dust absorption coefficient. The mass of the CO is MCO approximate to 1.1 x 10(-5) M-circle dot, which is more than three orders of magnitude larger than the mass of the other detected molecules. We estimate a C-12/C-13 ratio of 5.6 +/- 0.6, which is consistent with the single stellar evolution scenario in which the star experienced a very late thermal pulse instead of a nova-like event as previously suggested

Análisis de celdas solares de perovskita con el modelo de doble diodo

En los últimos años, las celdas solares basadas en materiales con estructura de perovskita han incrementado sustancialmente su eficiencia a bajo costo, lo cual ha alentado fuertemente a mayores estudios teóricos y experimentales para optimizar el diseño de su estructura y la selección de materiales. En este trabajo, ha sido llevado a cabo un estudio teórico de diferentes celdas solares de perovskita de estructura HTM/CH3NH3PBI3/TIO2 por medio de algoritmos genéticos y el modelo del doble diodo, utilizando cinco materiales diferentes tales como spiro-OMeTAD, Cu2O, CuSCN, NiO Y CuI como material transportador de huecos (HTM). Las corrientes de saturación inversa de cada diodo y la resistencia serie han sido determinadas para cada dispositivo simulado. Los resultados obtenidos en este trabajo muestran que ambas corrientes tienen una fuerte influencia sobre el rendimiento de los dispositivos basados en perovskita.Fil: Cappelletti, Marcelo Ángel. Universidad Nacional Arturo Jauretche. Instituto de Ingeniería y Agronomía; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Casas, Guillermo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes; ArgentinaFil: Guzmán, Jésica Vanesa. Universidad Nacional Arturo Jauretche. Instituto de Ingeniería y Agronomía; ArgentinaFil: Morales, Daniel Martin. Universidad Nacional Arturo Jauretche. Instituto de Ingeniería y Agronomía; ArgentinaFil: Peltzer y Blanca, Eitel Leopoldo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentin