Features of the Extension of a Statistical Measure of Complexity to Continuous Systems

We discuss some aspects of the extension to continuous systems of a statistical measure of complexity introduced by Lopez-Ruiz, Mancini and Calbet (LMC) [Phys. Lett. A 209 (1995) 321]. In general, the extension of a magnitude from the discrete to the continuous case is not a trivial process and requires some choice. In the present study, several possibilities appear available. One of them is examined in detail. Some interesting properties desirable for any magnitude of complexity are discovered on this particular extension.Comment: 22 pages, 0 figure

Non-Canonical Perturbation Theory of Non-Linear Sigma Models

We explore the O(N)-invariant Non-Linear Sigma Model (NLSM) in a different perturbative regime from the usual relativistic-free-field one, by using non-canonical basic commutation relations adapted to the underlying O(N) symmetry of the system, which also account for the non-trivial (non-flat) geometry and topology of the target manifold.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figure, LaTe

Influence of climate change on the flowering of temperate fruit trees

It is well known that winter chilling is necessary for the flowering of temperate trees. The chilling requirement is a criterion for choosing a species or variety at a given location. Also chemistry products can be used for reducing the chilling-hours needs but make our production more expensive. This study first analysed the observed values of chilling hours for some representative agricultural locations in Spain for the last three decades and their projected changes under climate change scenarios. Usually the chilling is measured and calculated as chilling-hours, and different methods have been used to calculate them (e.g. Richarson et al., 1974 among others) according to the species considered. For our objective North Carolina method (Shaltout and Unrath, 1983) was applied for apples, Utah method (Richardson et al. 1974) for peach and grapevine and the approach used by De Melo-Abreu et al. (2004) for olive trees. The influence of climate change in temperate trees was studied by calculating projections of chilling-hours with climate data from Regional Climate Models (RCMs) at high resolution (25 km) from the European Project ENSEMBLES (http://www.ensembles-eu.org/). These projections will allow for analysing the modelled variations of chill-hours between 2nd half of 20C and 1st half of 21C at the study locations

Characterization and distribution of sedimentary facies of Cartagena Bay, Colombia.

En el análisis sedimentológico de 253 muestras de sedimentos de fondo y borde de playa de la Bahía de Cartagena, se identificaron 26 facies sedimentarias. Las muestras fueron tomadas con draga tipo Van Veen para el fondo, multimuestreador de sedimento tipo Beeker y apiques para los bordes de playa. Las muestras fueron tamizadas y se obtuvieron 15 categorías de acuerdo al tamaño de grano, posteriormente se realizó el análisis de carbonato de calcio (CaCO3) usando el calcímetro de Bernard. Los sedimentos fueron clasificados de acuerdo con el tamaño medio de grano y el contenido de CaCO3, para definir las facies sedimentarias existentes, donde la facies lodo litoclástico es la más representativa y se distribuye en la bahía interna y externa; al norte y sur de la Isla de Tierra Bomba. Se encontró que durante los últimos 30 años la distribución de las facies sedimentarias ha experimentado variaciones significativas: en la bahía interna ha disminuido el contenido de CaCO3 y al suroeste ha disminuido el tamaño de grano y el contenido de CaCO3; como resultado del creciente aporte de sedimentos del Canal de Dique y las condiciones oceanográficas presentes. Estas condiciones hidrodinámicas favorecen la meteorización y erosión de las formaciones coralinas presentes en el Caribe Colombiano.In the sedimentological analysis of 253 sediment samples from the edges and the bottom of the Cartagena bay, we identified 26 sedimentary facies. Samples were taken with Van Veen dredge for the bottom sediment Beeker multisampler and test pits for shorelines. Using the Bernard calcimeter we carried out the calcium carbonate (CaCO3) analysis in every sieved sample. Sediments were classified according to the average grain size and content of CaCO3, to define the existing sedimentary facies, where mud litoclast facies was the most representative and distributed to the north and south of the Tierra Bomba in the internal and external bay. We found that during the past 30 years the distribution of sedimentary facies has experienced significant changes: in the inner bay the content of CaCO3 has decreased and in the southwest the grain size and content of CaCO3 have decreased, as a result of the sediments contribution from Canal del Dique and present oceanographic conditions. These hydrodynamic conditions contribute to the weathering and erosion of coral formations present in the Colombian CaribbeanFil: Franco Arias, Diana Aillen. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Bahía Blanca. Instituto Geológico del Sur; Argentina. Universidad Industrial de Santander; ColombiaFil: Restrepo López, J. C.. Universidad del Norte; ColombiaFil: Sanabria Ruiz, N. Y.. Universidad Industrial de Santander; ColombiaFil: Gutierrez, Julio C.. Centro de Investigaciones Oceanográficas e Hidrográficas; Colombi

B-Learning and Technology: Enablers for University Education Resilience. An Experience Case under COVID-19 in Spain

[EN] Innovative teaching methodologies begat blended learning, which seems to facilitate engineering students' achievement of competencies required for the 21st century and has proven to be essential to keep quality standards as university education has suffered the COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, we approach the use of b-learning and digital technologies before the pandemic started, and how it worked like a vaccine, enabling university education resilience and facilitating the sustainability of the students learning process. A questionnaire-based study is presented, in which the data came from Aerospace Engineering students following a Mathematics subject in a Technological University in Spain. ANOVA and ANCOVA analysis provided a significant difference in the appreciation of the adaptation based on the prior application of b-learning methodologies or more traditional methodologies. Results obtained indicated that the use of digital resources and educational platforms caused a noticeable change in the students' way of learning, improving habits and digital skills.Sánchez Ruiz, LM.; Moll López, SE.; Moraño Fernández, JA.; Llobregat-Gomez, N. (2021). B-Learning and Technology: Enablers for University Education Resilience. An Experience Case under COVID-19 in Spain. Sustainability. 13(6):1-22. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063532S12213

The role of conductive heat losses on the formation of isolated flame cells in Hele-Shaw chambers

The propagation of low-Lewis-number premixed flames is analyzed in a partially confined Hele-Shaw chamber formed by two parallel plates separated a distance h apart. An asymptotic-numerical study can be performed for small gaps compared to the flame thickness deltaT . In this narrow-channel limit, the prob- lem formulation simplifies to a quasi-2D description in which the velocity field is controlled by domi- nant viscous effects. After accounting for conductive heat losses through the plates in our formulation, we found that the reaction front breaks into one or several isolated flame cells where the temperature is large enough to sustain the reaction, both in absence and in presence of buoyancy effects. Under these near-limit conditions, the isolated flame cells either travel steadily or undergo a slow random walk over the chamber in which the reacting front splits successively to form a tree-like pathway, burning only a small fraction of the fuel before reaching the end of the chamber. The production of quasi-2D circular or comet-like flames under specific favorable conditions is demonstrated in this paper, with convection, conductive heat losses and differential diffusion playing an essential role in the formation of the isolated one and two-headed flame cells.This work was supported by the project ENE2015-65852-C2-1-R (FV,MSS,DMR) and ENE2015-65852-C2-2-R (DFG,VK) (MINECO/FEDER, UE). Daniel Martínez-Ruiz would like to thank Amable Liñán for fruitful discussions

Design and manufacture of functional catalyst-carrier structures for the bioorthogonal activation of anticancer agents

Novel palladium (Pd)-loaded titanium (Ti) devices with high biocompatibility and catalytic activity were prepared using a range of fabrication methods such as powder metallurgy (i.e. sintering with and without space-holder), sputtering, pulsed laser deposition and supersonic cluster beam deposition. The surface of the Ti-[Pd] devices were physico-chemically characterised to confirm the non-alloyed state of the Pd coating onto the titanium substrate. The Pd thickness was optimised to achieve maximum surface area (i.e. maximum catalytic effect) using the minimum amount of material in each method for cost effective production. The catalytic response of the different Ti-[Pd] devices was evaluated under biocompatible conditions by employing an off-on Pd-activatable fluorescent probe. The most robust coating of Pd was produced by an optimised magnetron sputtering method. The sputtered Ti-[Pd] devices were selected to induce the bioorthogonal uncaging of the anticancer drug Vorinostat from a pharmacologically-inactive Pd-activatable precursor in cancer cell culture, demonstrating the capacity of these devices to mediate a local anti-tumour effect via in-situ release of a clinically approved drug. This approach is the first step towards surgically implantable devices that could facilitate targeting affected areas with high spatial selectivity, improving pharmacological activity and reducing systemic side effects through localised treatment directly at the cancer site

Aptitud clínica del médico familiar ante la atención primaria de depresión en embarazadas

Introducción: La depresión es un trastorno que ocurre mayormente en mujeres, esto aunado con la experiencia del embarazo, produce un grado elevado de estrés y compete al primer contacto de la embarazada detectar padecimientos que conformen un riesgo para la gestante.Objetivo: Determinar el nivel de aptitud clínica del médico familiar ante el diagnóstico de depresión en embarazadas en el primer nivel de atención en la UMF 1 en Cd Obregón, Sonora.Materiales y métodos: Estudio observacional, transversal analítico, con la participación de 28 médicos familiares, a quienes se les aplicó un instrumento de evaluación de aptitud clínica de depresión en el embarazo, que tiene confiabilidad a través de la fórmula Kuder-Richardson de 0.78, consta de 4 casos clínico, 138 reactivos en total y valora diversos indicadores.Resultados: De los 28 médicos participantes 4 (14.28%) tuvieron nivel de aptitud clínico alto, 23 (82.13%) tuvieron nivel regular, y 1 (3.5%) se encontró en nivel bajo. La asociación con el género obtuvo p=0.593, para la edad fue p=0.752 y el estado civil tuvo p=0.517.Conclusión: El nivel de aptitud clínica de los médicos familiares fue regular y no se encontraron asociaciones con las variables: género, edad o antigüedad