Influence of seismic activity on the atmospheric electric field in Lisbon (Portugal) from 1955 to 1991

In the present study, we considered the influence of seismic activity on the atmospheric electric field recorded at Portela meteorological station (Lisbon, Portugal) for the period from 1955 to 1991. To this end, an exploratory method was developed, which involved the selection of events for which the distance from the atmospheric electrical field sensor to the earthquake epicenter is smaller than the preparation radius of the event. This enabled the correlation of the atmospheric electric field variations with a quantity S, defined basically as the ratio of the earthquake preparation radius to the distance between the sensor and the event epicenter. The first results show promising perspectives, but clearly a more profound study is required, in which a careful analysis of the weather conditions and other variables, like atmospheric radon levels, must be considered

Prioritization of railway proximity interventions: The case of the Portuguese railway network

The mission of a national railway administration is to provide conditions for the efficiency, competitiveness, and sustainability of rail transport. In this context, this study aims to fill a gap in rail infrastructure management through the adoption of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) and quadrant analysis to obtain a priority evaluation matrix for railway proximity interventions (small-scale, medium/short-term interventions close to the customer). In order to achieve the network manager’s general goals, an extensive collection of railway activities and an iterative procedure, which combines the strategic vision of different operational units, were adopted. Moreover, a multi-criteria and hierarchy process based on quadrant analysis to select the interventions with greater potential to achieve a set of objectives over five years, was defined. The proposed methodology was applied in a real case within the Infrastructures of Portugal, SA competencies and needs (Portuguese railway network manager). The identification of a set of fundamental interventions from a technical and non-technical point of view was performed and allowed a more efficient resource allocation. This allowed listing the most relevant interventions in both technical and non-technical perspectives (19–25% of total interventions) and also from an essentially technical point of view (27–31% of total interventions). These correspond to the interventions located in the two most relevant quadrants (Q1 – develop and Q2 – validate) and to more than 70% of the total investment. The presented approach and results constitute the first three iterations to be monitored and evaluated in the revision of future plans in order to increase reliability levels, safety conditions and service quality. The methodology has the potential to be adapted to different scenarios (in particular budgetary) and future proximity intervention plans, thus being an essential decision support tool for an efficient allocation of the company’s resources.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation revealed an alkaline phytoceramidase that is required in pathogenicity of Colletotrichum kahawae to Coffea arabica

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Land use affects lowland stream ecosystems through dissolved oxygen regimes

The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of surrounding land use on the structure and functioning of lowland stream ecosystems. To this end, five different land use types were selected (forest, extensive grassland, intensive grassland, cropland and wastewater treatment plant) each represented by four replicate streams, in which diel dissolved oxygen concentrations were recorded, sediment and water quality parameters were measured and macroinvertebrate community composition was determined. Chironomus sp., Oligochaeta and Gastropoda dominated the cropland and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) streams, while Plecoptera and most Trichoptera only occurred in forest and extensive grassland streams. Forest streams communities were related to a high oxygen saturation, a high C/N ratio in the sediment and woody debris and coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM) substrate cover. Macroinvertebrate communities in cropland and WWTP streams were related to a low oxygen saturation in water and sediment and high concentrations of dissolved nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon. It is concluded that land use specific impacts on lowland streams are likely exerted via fine sediment accumulation in deposition zones, affecting oxygen regimes, sediment oxygen demand and stream metabolism, ultimately changing macroinvertebrate community composition. This study supports therefore the importance of including the catchment scale in ecological stream quality assessments, combining structural and functional endpoints

Tio2 And Tio2/wo2 Porous Film Electrodes For Application In Solar Energy Conversion

TiO2 and TiO2/WO3 porous films were deposited onto transparent conducting glass electrodes, resulting in uniform films consisted of agglomerated particles with average diameters ranging from 50 to 200 nm; Ti, O and W atoms were homogeneously distributed at the surface of hybrid film. Comparable electrochemical properties were observed in the dark, with small capacitive currents and similar potentials for O2 and H2 evolution reactions in aqueous solution. Under polychromatic irradiation, the hybrid film electrode, molar ratio WO3/TiO 2 = 12%, reveled higher photocurrent and photocatalytic activity for oxidation of phenol and 17-α-ethinylestradiol. The visible light harvesting ability of hybrid film, with band gap energy estimated as 2.3 eV, and the relative position of conduction and valence band edges that inhibits charge recombination, should improve its photocatalytic activity for organic pollutant removal. © 2009 SPIE.7408Fujishima, A., Zhang, X., Tryk, D.A., TiO2 photocatalysis and related surface phenomena (2008) Surf. Sci. Rep., 63, pp. 515-582Chen, X., Mao, S.S., Titanium dioxide nanomaterials: Synthesis, properties, modifications, and applications (2007) Chem. Rev., 107, pp. 2891-2959Thompson, T.L., Yates Jr., J.T., Surface science studies of the photoactivation of TiO2-new photochemical processes (2006) Chem. Rev., 106, pp. 4428-4453Shinde, P.S., Patil, P.S., Bhosale, P.N., Brüger, A., Nauer, G., Neumann-Spallart, M., Bhosale, C.H., UVA and solar light assisted photoelectrocatalytic degradation of AO7 dye in water using spray deposited TiO2 films (2008) Appl. Catal. B: Environ., 89, pp. 288-294Oliveira, H.G., Nery, D.C., Longo, C., Effect of applied potential on photocatalytic phenol degradation using nanocrystalline TiO2 electrodes (2009) Appl. Catal. B: Environ., , submittedVeeresh, G.S., Kumar, P., Mehrotra, I., Treatment of phenol and cresols in upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) process: A review (2005) Water Res., 39, pp. 154-170Addamo, M., Augugliaro, V., Di Paola, A., Garcia-Lopez, E., Loddo, V., Marci, G., Palmisano, L., Removal of drugs in aqueus systems by photoassisted degradation (2005) J. Appl. Electrochem., 35, pp. 765-774Snyder, S.A., Westerhoff, P., Yoon, Y., Sedlak, D.L., Pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and endocrine disrupters in water: Implications for water industry (2003) Environ. Eng. Sci., 20, pp. 449-469Yang, H., Shi, R., Zhang, K., Hu, Y., Tang, A., Li, X., Synthesis of WO3/TiO2 nanocomposites via sol-gel method (2005) J. Alloys Compd., 398, pp. 200-202Yagi, M., Maruyama, S., Sone, K., Nagai, K., Norimatsu, T., Preparation and photoelectrocatalytic activity of a nano-structured WO3 platelet film (2008) J. Solid State Chem, 181, pp. 175-182Ke, D., Liu, H., Peng, T., Liu, X., Dai, K., Preparation and photocatalytic activity of WO3/TiO2 nanocomposite particles (2008) Mater. Lett., 62, pp. 447-450Li, X.Z., Li, F.B., Yang, C.L., Ge, W.K., Photocatalytic activity of WO3-TiO2under visible light irradiation (2001) J. Photochem. Photobiol. A. Chem, 141, pp. 209-217Yang, H., Shi, R., Zhang, K., Hu, Y., Tang, A., Li, X., Synthesis TiO2/WO3 nanocomposites via sol-gel method (2005) J. Alloys Compd., 398, pp. 200-202Muscat, J., Swamy, V., Harrison, N.M., First-principles calculations of the phase stability of TiO2 (2002) Phys. Rev. B, 65, pp. 224121-2241215Bickley, R.I., Gonzalez-Carreno, T., Lees, J.S., Palmisano, L., Tilley, R.J.D., A structural investigation of titanium-dioxide photocatalysts (1991) J. Solid State Chem., 92, pp. 178-190Munoz-Páez, A., Transition metal oxides: Geometric and electronic structures (1994) J. Chem. Educ., 71, pp. 381-388Barton, D.G., Shtein, M., Wilson, R.D., Soled, S.L., Iglesia, E., Structure and electronic properties of solid acids based on tungsten oxide nanostructures (1999) J. Phys. Chem. B, 103, pp. 630-640Higashimoto, S., Ushiroda, Y., Azuma, M., Electrochemically assisted photocatalysis of hybrid WO 3/TiO2 films: Effect of the WO3 structures on charge separation behavior (2008) Top. Catal., 47, pp. 148-154Kaur, S., Singh, V., TiO2 mediated photocatalytic degradation studies of Reactive Red 198 by UV irradiation (2007) J. Haz. Mater., 141, pp. 230-236Li, X.Z., Li, F.B., Yang, C.L., Ge, W.K., Photocatalytic activity of WOx-TiO2under visible light irradiation (2001) J. Photochem. Photobiol. A: Chem., 141, pp. 209-217Li, M.C., Shen, J.N., Photoelectrochemical oxidation behavior of organic substances on TiO 2 thin-film electrodes (2006) J. Solid State Electrochem., 10, pp. 980-986Luo, J., Hepel, M., Photoelectrochemical degradation of naphthol blue black diazo dye on WO3 film electrode (2001) Electrochim. Acta, 46, pp. 2913-2922Waldner, G., Brüger, A., Gaikwad, N.S., Neumann-Spallart, M., WO3 thin films for photoelectrochemical purification of water (2007) Chemosphere, 67, pp. 779-784Lin, C., Wu, C., Onn, Z., Degradation of 4-chlorophenol in TiO2, WO3, SnO2, TiO2/WO3and TiO2/SnO 2 systems (2008) J. Haz. Mater., 154, pp. 1033-1039Rosenfeldt, E.J., Chen, P.J., Kullman, S., Destruction of estrogenic activity in water using UV advanced oxidation (2007) Sci. Total Environ., 377, pp. 105-113Coleman, H.M., Routledge, E.J., Sumpter, J.P., Rapid loss of estrogenicity of steroid estrogens by UVA photolysis and photocatalysis over an immobilised titanium dioxide catalyst (2004) Water Res., 38, pp. 3233-324

Complementarity of Galactic radio and collider data in constraining WIMP dark matter models

In this work we confront dark matter models to constraints that may be derived from radio synchrotron radiation from the Galaxy, taking into account the astrophysical uncertainties and we compare these to bounds set by accelerator and complementary indirect dark matter searches. Specifically we apply our analysis to three popular particle physics models. First, a generic effective operator approach, in which case we set bounds on the corresponding mass scale, and then, two specific UV completions, the Z' and Higgs portals. We show that for many candidates, the radio synchrotron limits are competitive with the other searches, and could even give the strongest constraints (as of today) with some reasonable assumptions regarding the astrophysical uncertainties.Comment: 22 pages, 12 figure

DWORF Extends Life Span in a PLN-R14del Cardiomyopathy Mouse Model by Reducing Abnormal Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Clusters

BACKGROUND: The p.Arg14del variant of the PLN (phospholamban) gene causes cardiomyopathy, leading to severe heart failure. Calcium handling defects and perinuclear PLN aggregation have both been suggested as pathological drivers of this disease. Dwarf open reading frame (DWORF) has been shown to counteract PLN regulatory calcium handling function in the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum (S/ER). Here, we investigated the potential disease-modulating action of DWORF in this cardiomyopathy and its effects on calcium handling and PLN aggregation. METHODS: We studied a PLN-R14del mouse model, which develops cardiomyopathy with similar characteristics as human patients, and explored whether cardiac DWORF overexpression could delay cardiac deterioration. To this end, R14Δ/Δ (homozygous PLN-R14del) mice carrying the DWORF transgene (R14Δ/ΔDWORFTg [R14Δ/Δ mice carrying the DWORF transgene]) were used. RESULTS: DWORF expression was suppressed in hearts of R14Δ/Δ mice with severe heart failure. Restoration of DWORF expression in R14Δ/Δ mice delayed cardiac fibrosis and heart failure and increased life span &gt;2-fold (from 8 to 18 weeks). DWORF accelerated sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium reuptake and relaxation in isolated cardiomyocytes with wild-type PLN, but in R14Δ/Δ cardiomyocytes, sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium reuptake and relaxation were already enhanced, and no differences were detected between R14Δ/Δ and R14Δ/ΔDWORFTg. Rather, DWORF overexpression delayed the appearance and formation of large pathogenic perinuclear PLN clusters. Careful examination revealed colocalization of sarcoplasmic reticulum markers with these PLN clusters in both R14Δ/Δ mice and human p.Arg14del PLN heart tissue, and hence these previously termed aggregates are comprised of abnormal organized S/ER. This abnormal S/ER organization in PLN-R14del cardiomyopathy contributes to cardiomyocyte cell loss and replacement fibrosis, consequently resulting in cardiac dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: Disorganized S/ER is a major characteristic of PLN-R14del cardiomyopathy in humans and mice and results in cardiomyocyte death. DWORF overexpression delayed PLN-R14del cardiomyopathy progression and extended life span in R14Δ/Δ mice, by reducing abnormal S/ER clusters.</p

Morris-Thorne wormholes with a cosmological constant

First, the ideas introduced in the wormhole research field since the work of Morris and Thorne are briefly reviewed, namely, the issues of energy conditions, wormhole construction, stability, time machines and astrophysical signatures. Then, spherically symmetric and static traversable Morris-Thorne wormholes in the presence of a generic cosmological constant are analyzed. A matching of an interior solution to the unique exterior vacuum solution is done using directly the Einstein equations. The structure as well as several physical properties and characteristics of traversable wormholes due to the effects of the cosmological term are studied. Interesting equations appear in the process of matching. For instance, one finds that for asymptotically flat and anti-de Sitter spacetimes the surface tangential pressure of the thin-shell, at the boundary of the interior and exterior solutions, is always strictly positive, whereas for de Sitter spacetime it can take either sign as one could expect, being negative (tension) for relatively high cosmological constant and high wormhole radius, positive for relatively high mass and small wormhole radius, and zero in-between. Finally, some specific solutions with generic cosmological constant, based on the Morris-Thorne solutions, are provided.Comment: latex, 49 pages, 8 figures. Expanded version of the paper published in Physical Review