Plausible families of compact objects with a Non Local Equation of State

We investigate the plausibility of some models emerging from an algorithm devised to generate a one-parameter family of interior solutions for the Einstein equations. It is explored how their physical variables change as the family-parameter varies. The models studied correspond to anisotropic spherical matter configurations having a non local equation of state. This particular type of equation of state with no causality problems provides, at a given point, the radial pressure not only as a function of the density but as a functional of the enclosed matter distribution. We have found that there are several model-independent tendencies as the parameter increases: the equation of state tends to be stiffer and the total mass becomes half of its external radius. Profiting from the concept of cracking of materials in General Relativity, we obtain that those models become more stable as the family parameter increases

Electromagnetic behaviour and thermal stability of a conduction-cooled, no-insulated 2G-HTS coil at intermediate temperatures

The electromagnetic and thermal properties of a double pancake coil made of second generation high temperature superconductor, 2G-HTS, have been studied. The coil was wound with no-insulation between turns (NI coil) and was later impregnated with epoxy resin and glued to a copper support plate. The coil was thermally anchored to the cryocooler cold finger and cooled by conduction. After several thermal cycles no degradation of its superconducting properties was observed. The coil was operated under high vacuum and high currents (up to 400 A in steady conditions) at different temperatures in the range between 5 K and 77 K, with special focus on the analysis above 30 K. The charge and discharge characteristics, and the experimentally measured and numerically estimated critical currents, have been studied. The different loss contributions during current ramp and the thermal contact conductance between different parts of the double pancake coil have been measured. The implications of these two factors on the thermal stability and the behaviour of the whole cryogenic system are discussed

Nonlocal Equation of State in Anisotropic Static Fluid Spheres in General Relativity

We show that it is possible to obtain credible static anisotropic spherically symmetric matter configurations starting from known density profiles and satisfying a nonlocal equation of state. These particular types of equation of state describe, at a given point, the components of the corresponding energy-momentum tensor not only as a function at that point, but as a functional throughout the enclosed configuration. To establish the physical plausibility of the proposed family of solutions satisfying nonlocal equation of state, we study the constraints imposed by the junction and energy conditions on these bounded matter distributions. We also show that it is possible to obtain physically plausible static anisotropic spherically symmetric matter configurations, having nonlocal equations of state\textit{,}concerning the particular cases where the radial pressure vanishes and, other where the tangential pressures vanishes. The later very particular type of relativistic sphere with vanishing tangential stresses is inspired by some of the models proposed to describe extremely magnetized neutron stars (magnetars) during the transverse quantum collapse.Comment: 21 pages, 1 figure, minor changes in the text, references added, two new solutions studie

Evolution of Phenolic Content, Antioxidant Capacity and Phenolic Profile during Cold Pre-fermentative Maceration and Subsequent Fermentation of Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine

The phenolic compound profile and content of red wines are modified during the maceration-fermentation process by several factors that alter the extractability of the compounds and by reactions that phenolic compounds undergo, and can be directly related to the quality of the final wine and its beneficial effects on the consumer. The aim of this study was to determine the change in phenolic content and profile during cold pre-fermentative maceration and fermentation without the removal of grape pomace. Total phenolics,flavonoids, anthocyanins, tannins and antioxidant capacity were determined by spectrophotometric methods, and the phenolic profile was determined by HPLC-MS on each day of the maceration-fermentation process. The results showed a variation in the content of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity over time, but the final phenolic content showed no significative difference compared with the initial content (1 268 mg GAE/L and 1 115 mg GAE/L respectively). The phenolic profile showed that flavonoids were theprincipal compounds in wine and that they increased at the end of the winemaking. Condensed tannins also increased during fermentation, while anthocyanins and some phenolic acids decreased at the end of the process. The final content of phenolic compounds was similar to the initial one, but there was a change in the different fractions of phenolic compounds at the end of fermentation

Wrapped branes with fluxes in 8d gauged supergravity

We study the gravity dual of several wrapped D-brane configurations in presence of 4-form RR fluxes partially piercing the unwrapped directions. We present a systematic approach to obtain these solutions from those without fluxes. We use D=8 gauged supergravity as a starting point to build up these solutions. The configurations include (smeared) M2-branes at the tip of a G_2 cone on S^3 x S^3, D2-D6 branes with the latter wrapping a special Lagrangian 3-cycle of the complex deformed conifold and an holomorphic sphere in its cotangent bundle T^*S^2, D3-branes at the tip of the generalized resolved conifold, and others obtained by means of T duality and KK reduction. We elaborate on the corresponding N=1 and N=2 field theories in 2+1 dimensions.Comment: 32 pages, LateX, v2: minor changes, reference added, v3: section 3.5.2 improve

Airway hyperresponsiveness, inflammation, and pulmonary emphysema in rodent models designed to mimic exposure to fuel oil-derived volatile organic compounds encountered during an experimental oil spill

Fuel oil-derived volatile organic compounds (VOCs) inhalation is associated with accidental marine spills. After the Prestige petroleum tanker sank off northern Spain in 2002 and the Deepwater Horizon oil rig catastrophe in 2009, subjects involved in environmental decontamination showed signs of ongoing or residual lung disease up to 5 y after the exposure. We aimed at investigating mechanisms driving persistent respiratory disease by developing an animal model of inhalational exposure to fuel oil-derived VOCs. Female Wistar and Brown Norway (BN) rats and C57BL mice were exposed to VOCs produced from fuel oil mimicking the Prestige spill. Exposed animals inhaled the VOCs 2 h daily, 5 d per week, for 3 wk. Airway responsiveness to methacholine (MCh) was assessed, and bron-choalveolar lavage (BAL) and lung tissues were analyzed after the exposure and following a 2-wk washout. Consistent with data from human studies, both strains of rats that inhaled fuel oil-derived VOCs developed airway hyperresponsiveness that persisted after the washout period, in the absence of detectable inflammation in any lung compartment. Histopathology and quantitative morphology revealed the development of peripherally distributed pulmonary emphysema, which persisted after the washout period, associated with increased alveolar septal cell apoptosis, microvascular endothelial damage of the lung parenchyma, and inhibited expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). In this rat model, fuel oil VOCs inhalation elicited alveolar septal cell apoptosis, likely due to DNA damage. In turn, the development of a peculiar pulmonary emphysema pattern altered lung mechanics and caused persistent noninflammatory airway hyperresponsiveness. Such findings suggest to us that humans might also respond to VOCs through physiopathological pathways different from those chiefly involved in typical cigarette smoke-driven emphysema in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). If so, this study could form the basis for a novel disease mechanism for lasting respiratory disease following inhalational exposure to catastrophic fuel oil spills

Biodiversity and benthic megafaunal communities inhabiting the Formigas Bank (NE Azores)

The Formigas Bank is an offshore seamount located in the easternmost part of the Azores archipelago (northeast Atlantic). It rises from abyssal depths to the surface, including a small set of islets. The bank holds multiple nature conservation designations, including a Natura 2000 Special Area of Conservation, an OSPAR Marine Protected Area, a RAMSAR site and a Nature Reserve declared under the Azores network of protected areas. The protection is based on the presence of sublittoral biotopes of high conservation interest, and importance as feeding grounds, spawning and nursery areas for many marine species, including fish, cetaceans and turtles. Although some information exists on the sublittoral communities occurring on the seamount summit (e.g., infralittoral Cystoseira and Laminaria beds, circalittoral hydrarian and sponge gardens, rich pelagic fauna), virtually no information was available on the deep-sea communities inhabiting the seamount flanks. Therefore, during the MEDWAVES cruise, the flanks of the Formigas bank have been surveyed using multibeam sonar, an ROV and oceanographic profiles, with the objective to characterise deep-sea biodiversity and megafaunal communities as well as the environment where they occur. This communication will present results from the video annotations of the ten dives made on the seamount slopes between ~500m and ~1,500 m depth. Diverse communities of sedentary suspension-feeding organisms were observed, with more than 20 cold-water coral species (mainly octocorals) being recorded, as well as many different sponge morphotypes. Dense coral garden habitats and sponge grounds were identified on several occasions, confirming the presence of vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) and of ecologically or biologically significant areas (EBSAs). Differences in the abundance and composition of these habitats between the northern and southern dive transects are interpreted as reflecting substrate and geomorphological differences, as well as the potential influence of the Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW). The new knowledge on deep-sea megafaunal communities reinforces the importance of this seamount as an area of high conservation interest

An orientifold of adS_5xT^11 with D7-branes, the associated alpha'^2- corrections and their role in the dual N=1 Sp(2N+2M)xSp(2N) gauge theory

We study the N=1 Sp(2N+2M)xSp(2N) gauge theory on a stack of N physical and M fractional D3-branes in the background of an orientifolded conifold. The gravity dual is a type IIB orientifold of adS_5xT^11 (with certain background fluxes turned on) containing an O7-plane and 8 D7-branes. In the conformal case (M=0), we argue that the alpha'^2-corrections localized on the 8 D7-branes and the O7-plane should give vanishing contributions to the supergravity equations of motion for the bulk fields. In the cascading case (M not equal to 0), we argue that the alpha'^2-terms give rise to corrections which in the dual Sp(2N+2M)xSp(2N) gauge theory can be interpreted as corrections to the anomalous dimensions of the matter fields.Comment: 28 pages, 3 figures, LaTeX; v2: references added; v3: minor change