Millimeter polarisation of the protoplanetary nebula OH 231.8+4.2: A follow-up study with CARMA

In order to investigate the characteristics and influence of the magnetic field in evolved stars, we performed a follow-up investigation of our previous submillimeter analysis of the proto-planetary nebula (PPN) OH 231.8+4.2 (Sabin et al. 2014), this time at 1.3mm with the CARMA facility in polarisation mode for the purpose of a multi-scale analysis. OH 231.8+4.2 was observed at ~2.5" resolution and we detected polarised emission above the 3-sigma threshold (with a mean polarisation fraction of 3.5 %). The polarisation map indicates an overall organised magnetic field within the nebula. The main finding in this paper is the presence of a structure mostly compatible with an ordered toroidal component that is aligned with the PPN's dark lane. We also present some alternative magnetic field configuration to explain the structure observed. These data complete our previous SMA submillimeter data for a better investigation and understanding of the magnetic field structure in OH 231.8+4.2.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRA

Novos desafios e oportunidades para as cooperativas vitivinícolas : a criação de rotas enológicas.

As mudanças que se estão a verificar nas zonas rurais como consequência da aplicação dos novos conceitos definidos pela Política Agrícola Comum (PAC) estão a originar que as cooperativas vitivinícolas enveredem por actividades complementares, tais como o turismo enológico. No presente trabalho apresentamos os primeiros resultados de um projecto de investigação onde se procura avaliar o potencial económico da introdução da actividade do enoturismo em três áreas geográficas (Montilla-Moriles e Alicante em Espanha, e Beira Interior em Portugal), baseada na qualidade do produto que oferecem e acordo com a sua classificação de Denominação de Origem. Para tal analisamos como se está a definir um movimento associativo que, tendo como base as tradicionais cooperativas vitivinícolas da região, está a possibilitar a criação de novos segmentos de mercado para dar resposta à procura originada por esta incipiente actividade turística.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Intervenciones cognitivas en demencias: la musicoterapia

El aumento de envejecimiento de la población tiene múltiples repercusiones, una de ellas es la preocupación por las enfermedades asociadas a las edades avanzadas y los tratamientos a utilizar. Aunque la demencia no es una consecuencia natural del envejecimiento, constituye el trastorno neurológico más frecuente en edades avanzadas. En la actualidad no existe cura para esta patología, sólo tratamientos que intentan demorarla. Las intervenciones cognitivas junto con los fármacos son el tratamiento actual más útil para ralentizar el avance de la demencia. El tratamiento de elección no farmacológico en personas con demencia es la estimulación cognitiva, pero no es el único, otros tratamientos como la musicoterapia llevan más de treinta años utilizándose. Diversos estudios basados en estos tratamientos no farmacológicos muestran resultados favorables, tanto en el mantenimiento del rendimiento cognitivo como en las mejoras en ansiedad y depresió

Effects of Non-Circular Motions on Azimuthal Color Gradients

Assuming that density waves trigger star formation, and that young stars preserve the velocity components of the molecular gas where they are born, we analyze the effects that non-circular gas orbits have on color gradients across spiral arms. We try two approaches, one involving semi-analytical solutions for spiral shocks, and another with magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) numerical simulation data. We find that, if non-circular motions are ignored, the comparison between observed color gradients and stellar population synthesis models would in principle yield pattern speed values that are systematically too high for regions inside corotation, with the difference between the real and the measured pattern speeds increasing with decreasing radius. On the other hand, image processing and pixel averaging result in systematically lower measured spiral pattern speed values, regardless of the kinematics of stellar orbits. The net effect is that roughly the correct pattern speeds are recovered, although the trend of higher measured $\Omega_p$ at lower radii (as expected when non-circular motions exist but are neglected) should still be observed. We examine the Martinez-Garcia et al. (2009) photometric data and confirm that this is indeed the case. The comparison of the size of the systematic pattern speed offset in the data with the predictions of the semi-analytical and MHD models corroborates that spirals are more likely to end at Outer Lindblad Resonance, as these authors had already found.Comment: 32 pages, 15 figures, accepted to Ap

Effect of the solvent on the conformation of monocrotaline as determined by isotropic and anisotropic NMR parameters.

The conformation in solution of monocrotaline, a pyrrolizidine alkaloid presenting an eleven-membered macrocyclic diester ring, has been investigated using a combination of isotropic and anisotropic NMR parameters measured in four solvents of different polarity (D2 O, DMSO-d6 , CDCl3 , and C6 D6 ). Anisotropic NMR parameters were measured in different alignment media, based on their compatibility with the solvent of interest: cromoglycate liquid crystal solution was used for D2 O, while a PMMA polymer gel was chosen for CDCl3 and C6 D6 , and a poly-HEMA gel for DMSO-d6 . Whereas the pyrrolizidine ring shows an E6 exo-puckered conformation in all of the solvents, the macrocyclic eleven-membered ring adopts different populations of syn-parallel and anti-parallel relative orientation of the carbonyl groups according to the polarity of the solvent

Análisis sectorial del sistema de franquicia español

El objetivo del presente trabajo es realizar un análisis, desde el punto de vista del franquiciador, en dos de los principales sectores de actividad de la franquicia como son los de Hostelería y Restauración, y el de Confección, Moda y Complementos con objeto de determinar las similitudes y diferencias en el arquetipo de franquiciador de cada sector. Este análisis se hará a partir de una base datos (año 2017) de 359 franquiciadores (221 franquicias del sector de hostelería y restauración; 138 franquicias del sector de confección, moda y complementos), analizándose los años de contrato, la inversión inicial, el canon de entrada, el canon de publicidad, los royalties, los establecimientos propios y franquiciados, la población mínima necesaria, el tamaño mínimo del local y la disponibilidad de portal web. Los resultados muestran que el sector condiciona el arquetipo de franquiciador, existiendo diferencias en los dos sectores analizados

Antioxidant and hypoglycemic effects of watercress (Nasturtium officinale) extracts in diabetic rats

Background: Watercress is a semi-aquatic plant used in traditional medicine to treat various ailments, such as flu, cough, avitaminosis, and anorexia; it is also used as a diuretic and for hypoglycemia treatment in diabetes. In this study, we report the antioxidant and hypoglycemic activity of orally administered aqueous (WAQE), acetonic (WAE), and alcoholic (WOHE) watercress extracts. The effect of subchronic administration of watercress extracts on oxidative stress was also studied.Materials and Methods: WAQE, WAE, and WOHE were obtained and administered orally. Alloxan (200 mg/kg) and streptozotocin (60 mg/kg) were applied to induce hyperglycemia in male Wistar rats. Phenolic and flavonoid content, as well as antioxidant activity of the extracts were measured. The acute and subchronic effects (8 weeks) of WAQE were evaluated. The activity of antioxidant enzymes levels of malondialdehyde, hepatic enzyme markers in the serum, and renal function markers, were assessed. Histopathological evaluation of the pancreas, kidney, and liver was performed using hematoxylin-eosin staining.Results: Watercress extracts have high concentrations of phenols, polyphenols, and flavonoids, in addition to a very high antioxidant effect. The hypoglycemic effect of WAQE upon acute administration was 76.6% higher than that of insulin. When administered chronically, glucose levels were normalized on the third week up to the eighth week. Furthermore, the antioxidant enzymes and biochemical parameters improved.Conclusion: WAQE administration to diabetic rats reduced oxidative stress damage and decreased glucose levels. This study supports the use of this plant for the treatment of diabetes.Keywords: Antioxidant, Diabetes, Watercress (Nasturtium officinale), Oxidative stress, Pancrea

Geographical variations in the risk of adverse birth outcomes in Spain

The objective of this study was to describe the spatial risk-patterns of prematurity and low birth weight in Spain. A descriptive spatial analysis of births registered in the Spanish Vital Statistics during 2004–2008 using municipalities as the observation unit was carried out. Besag-York-Mollié autoregressive spatial models were adjusted using the Integrated Nested Laplace approximation to calculate relative risks and posterior probabilities of having very and moderate preterm or low weight newborns. Results were represented in maps to assess geographic risk-patterns. Spatial analysis shows geographical variations in the risk of adverse reproductive outcomes in Spain highlighting three main high-risk zones, namely, municipalities in Asturias, Madrid City and Murcia. The specific risk patterns identified on each zone suggests some differences regarding the potential underlying risk factors and specific areas for future research. A differential exposure during pregnancy to some risks potentially related to industry or agriculture and other contextual factors could underlie an unequal vulnerability to adverse reproductive outcomes in some Spanish regions.Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (PI081330); Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (SEJ 2005/07679); CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain.S

Detección de Ondas QRS del ECG Usando la Transformada Wavelet Analógica

En este trabajo se propone una nueva metodología para la detección de ondas QRS del electrocardiograma (ECG), haciendo uso de la Transformada Wavelet Analógica combinado con una variante del método Hard-Thresholding con retardo para eliminar ruido, más un módulo digital para la detección. La metodología presentada en este trabajo está diseñada para aplicaciones de procesamiento de señales ECG en tiempo real. Las señales de ECG usadas para las pruebas fueron obtenidas de la base de datos del MIT-BIH. La metodología propuesta se simuló con diferentes señales de la base de datos mencionada, agregándoles ruido blanco Gaussiano para evaluar su desempeño y funcionamiento, y al compararla con otros trabajos ya publicados resultó en un desempeño similar en cuanto a detecciones se refiere. Las operaciones matemáticas involucradas en el método propuesto son sencillas y pueden ser implementadas en circuitos integrados analógico-digitales de baja complejidad

Protocolo para la preparación de secciones delgadas sin descalcificar de tejido óseo humano

La obtención de cortes delgados de restos óseos correspondiente tanto a materiales fósiles como arqueológicos suele ser una tarea poco sencilla, lo cual conlleva generalmente un elevado costo y tiempos prolongados. Por otra parte, la formación de un laboratorio con las características necesarias para la realización de protocolos ya establecidos es sumamente costosa. En este trabajo se presenta un protocolo alternativo para la obtención de cortes delgados de muestras óseas humanas de sitios arqueológicos con el objetivo de aplicarlo al análisis microestructural. Los procedimientos de obtención de cortes delgados que aquí se detallan están al alcance de laboratorios de reciente formación. En primer lugar, se midió y se registró con imágenes digitales un fémur, una tibia y una primera costilla de un individuo adulto procedente de un cementerio contemporáneo. Luego se extrajeron fragmentos de 1 cm de hueso. Con el material se confeccionaron réplicas y por último se obtuvieron los cortes delgados. Los resultados obtenidos fueron óptimos para la observación de las características microestructurales del hueso. Con los ajustes adecuados (tiempo de fraguado, granulometría del abrasivo de acuerdo a la dureza del material, impregnación, etc.) este protocolo podría ser utilizado para diversos tipos de muestras actuales, arqueológicas e incluso fósiles