Log canonical thresholds of quasi-ordinary hypersurface singularities

The log canonical thresholds of irreducible quasi-ordinary hypersurface singularities are computed, using an explicit list of pole candidates for the motivic zeta function found by the last two authors

Electroweak Precision Observables and the Unhiggs

We compute one-loop corrections to the S and T parameters in the Unhiggs scenario. In that scenario, the Standard Model Higgs is replaced by a non-local object, called the Unhiggs, whose spectral function displays a continuum above the mass gap. The Unhiggs propagator has effectively the same UV properties as the Standard Model Higgs propagator, which implies that loop corrections to the electroweak precision observables are finite and calculable. We show that the Unhiggs is consistent with electroweak precision tests when its mass gap is at the weak scale; in fact, it then mimics a light SM Higgs boson. We also argue that the Unhiggs, while being perfectly visible to electroweak precision observables, is invisible to detection at LEP.Comment: 13 pages; v2: references added, discussion of production cross-section expande

Programming Skeletal Muscle Metabolic Flexibility in Offspring of Male Rats in Response to Maternal Consumption of Slow Digesting Carbohydrates during Pregnancy

Skeletal muscle plays a relevant role in metabolic flexibility and fuel usage and the associated muscle metabolic inflexibility due to high-fat diets contributing to obesity and type 2 diabetes. Previous research from our group indicates that a high-fat and rapid-digesting carbohydrate diet during pregnancy promotes an excessive adipogenesis and also increases the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in the offspring. This effect can be counteracted by diets containing carbohydrates with similar glycemic load but lower digestion rates. To address the role of the skeletal muscle in these experimental settings, pregnant rats were fed high-fat diets containing carbohydrates with similar glycemic load but different digestion rates, a high fat containing rapid-digesting carbohydrates diet (HF/RD diet) or a high fat containing slow-digesting carbohydrates diet (HF/SD diet). After weaning, male offspring were fed a standard diet for 3 weeks (weaning) or 10 weeks (adolescence) and the impact of the maternal HF/RD and HF/SD diets on the metabolism, signaling pathways and muscle transcriptome was analyzed. The HF/SD offspring displayed better muscle features compared with the HF/RD group, showing a higher muscle mass, myosin content and differentiation markers that translated into a greater grip strength. In the HF/SD group, metabolic changes such as a higher expression of fatty acids (FAT/CD36) and glucose (GLUT4) transporters, an enhanced glycogen content, as well as changes in regulatory enzymes such as muscle pyruvate kinase and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 were found, supporting an increased muscle metabolic flexibility and improved muscle performance. The analysis of signaling pathways was consistent with a better insulin sensitivity in the muscle of the HF/SD group. Furthermore, increased expression of genes involved in pathways leading to muscle differentiation, muscle mass regulation, extracellular matrix content and insulin sensitivity were detected in the HF/SD group when compared with HF/RD animals. In the HF/SD group, the upregulation of the ElaV1/HuR gene could be one of the main regulators in the positive effects of the diet in early programming on the offspring. The long-lasting programming effects of the HF/SD diet during pregnancy may depend on a coordinated gene regulation, modulation of signaling pathways and metabolic flexibility that lead to an improved muscle functionality. The dietary early programming associated to HF/SD diet has synergic and positive crosstalk effects in several tissues, mainly muscle, liver and adipose tissue, contributing to maintain the whole body homeostasis in the offspring.European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013

Determination of biosorption mechanism in biomass of agave, using spectroscopic and microscopic techniques for the purification of contaminated water

[Abstract] Lead (Pb2+) and copper (Cu2+) are polluting metals due to their toxicity; however, the extraction of these metals is essential for economic development, so it is important to look for efficient and low-cost alternatives that can remove heavy metals from the various bodies of water. One of the alternatives used in this work is biosorption, for which an agroindustrial waste (epidermis from Agave atrovirens) was used to evaluate the affinity of removal of lead and copper in aqueous solutions; in addition, spectroscopy and microscopy techniques were used to elucidate and corroborate the removal and affinity capacity of the agave epidermis for both metals studied. The optimal pH value for the removal of both metals was 3. The adsorption isotherms yielded a qmax of 25.7 and 8.6 mg/g for lead and copper, respectively. Adjusting to the Langmuir-Freundlich model, the adsorption kinetics were pseudo-second order, and it was found that the equilibrium time was at 140 min. The spectroscopy and microscopy analyses corroborated the affinity between metals and functional groups of the agave, as well as with the elemental analysis, which reported 17.38% of lead and 4.25% of copper.[Resumen] El plomo (Pb2+) y el cobre (Cu2+) son metales contaminantes debido a su toxicidad; sin embargo, la extracción de estos metales es indispensable para el desarrollo económico, por lo que es importante buscar alternativas eficientes y de bajo costo que puedan remover metales pesados de los diversos cuerpos de agua. Una de las alternativas utilizadas en este trabajo es la biosorción, para la cual se utilizó un residuo agroindustrial (epidermis de Agave atrovirens), para evaluar la afinidad de remoción del plomo y cobre en soluciones acuosas; adicionalmente, se emplearon técnicas de espesctroscopía y microscopía que permitieron elucidar y corroborar la capacidad de remoción y afinidad que tuvo la epidermis de A. atrovirens para ambos metales estudiados. El valor óptimo de pH para la remoción de ambos metales fue 3. Las isotermas de adsorción arrojaron una qmax de 25.7 y 8.6 mg/g para el plomo y cobre, respectivamente. Ajustando al modelo de Langmuir-Freundlich, las cinéticas de adsorción resultaron de pseudo-segundo orden, se encontró que el tiempo de equilibrio es a los 140 min. El análisis espectroscópico y microscópico, corroboró la afinidad entre metales y grupos funcionales del agave, así como con el análisis elemental, el cual reportó 17.38% de plomo y 4.25% de cobre

Geoquímica aplicada al medio ambiente

In this work it is intended to determinate the different effects that the chemical elements defining the "landscape geochemistry" produce in the environment. These effects, thougt to be positive or negative under human perspective, are due to the physico-chemical behaviour of the element, to their interaction with the environrnent and the final use of these elements by the man. The different methods and techniques applied in geochemical prospecting are presented in order to examine the varied options determined on the defined object. As last target, this work deals with placing the enviromental applied geochemistry as an geochemical prospecting and geoepidemiology and enviromental geochemistry interactiori. Five examples in zones near Barcelona and the isle of Menorca are presented

Quality of milk in Manchego sheep flocks. A review

Esta obra está bajo una licencia de Creative Commons Reconocimiento-CompartirIgual 4.0 Internacional.-- et al.[EN]: Improvement of milk quality is one of the principal objectives in dairy sheep production systems. Regulator Council of PDO Manchego Cheese and National Association of Manchega Breeders take part in some milk quality research projects from Dairy Laboratory of the Regional Selection and Animal Reproduction Center, belonging to the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha, has developed. The study aims are to find the relationship between the management characteristics of the farms and the quality of bulk tank sheep milk (in differential features of composition, microbiology and technological components). Knowledge of these relationships informs about the main aspects to consider (preservation of milk, feeding systems of sheep, associations, etc.) in sheep milk production for cheese making.[ES]: La mejora de la calidad de la leche es uno de los objetivos fundamentales en los actuales sistemas de producción del ovino lechero. La Fundación Consejo Regulador de la Denominación de Origen Queso Manchego y la Asociación Nacional de Criadores de Ganado Ovino Selecto raza Manchega participan en los Proyectos de Investigación en materia de calidad de la leche desarrollados por el Laboratorio de Lactología del Centro Regional de Selección y Reproducción Animal de la Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha. Estos trabajos tienen como objetivo principal el estudio de las relaciones entre las características productivas de las ganaderías y la calidad integral de la leche de oveja (composición, microbiología diferencial y componentes tecnológicos). Los resultados de estos trabajos incluyen el análisis de factores tales como la conservación de la leche, la alimentación de las ovejas de ordeño, el nivel de asociacionismo, etc, en la producción de leche de oveja destinada a la elaboración de queso.Peer Reviewe

A quantitative analysis of parametric CAD model complexity and its relationship to perceived modeling complexity

Digital product data quality and reusability has been proven a critical aspect of the Model-Based Enterprise to enable the efficient design and redesign of products. The extent to which a history-based parametric CAD model can be edited or reused depends on the geometric complexity of the part and the procedure employed to build it. As a prerequisite for defining metrics that can quantify the quality of the modeling process, it is necessary to have CAD datasets that are sorted and ranked according to the complexity of the modeling process. In this paper, we examine the concept of perceived CAD modeling complexity, defined as the degree to which a parametric CAD model is perceived as difficult to create, use, and/or modify by expert CAD designers. We present a novel method to integrate pair-wise comparisons of CAD modeling complexity made by experts into a single metric that can be used as ground truth. Next, we discuss a comprehensive study of quantitative metrics which are derived primarily from the geometric characteristics of the models and the graph structure that represents the parent/child relationships between features. Our results show that the perceived CAD modeling complexity metric derived from experts’ assessment correlates particularly strongly with graph-based metrics. The Spearman coefficients for five of these metrics suggest that they can be effectively used to study the parameters that influence the reusability of models and as a basis to implement effective personalized learning strategies in online CAD training scenarios

A workflow management system for early feeding of the European hake

Versión del editor2,04