Galaxies in voids assemble their stars slowly

MCIN/AEI AYA2017-84897-P PID2020-113689GB-I00 PID2020-114414GB-I00FEDER/Junta de Andalucia-Consejeria de Transforamcion Economica, Industria, Conocimiento y Universidades/Proyecto P20_00334 FQM108Junta de AndaluciaInstitut Universitaire de FranceCentre National D'etudes SpatialesArqus European UniversityAgence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR)Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MCIU) and through the IAC project TRACESConsejeria de Economia, Industria, Comercio y Conocimiento of the Canary Islands Autonomous CommunityBeatriz Galindo senior fellowship BG20/00224Spanish GovernmentConsejeria de Transformacion Economica, Industria, Conocimiento y Universidades and University of Granada EMERGIA20_38888Juan de la Cierva Formacion fellowshipEuropean Union (EU)Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad from Junta de Andalucia Excellence PID2019-107408GB-C44State Agency for Research of the Spanish MCIU through the Center of Excellence Severo Ochoa' award for the Instituto de Astrofisica de AndaluciaJunta de Andalucia P20-00880ESF Investing in your future' PRE2018-086111German Research Foundation (DFG) KR4598/2-

Near Infrared Sensor to Determine Carbon Dioxide Gas Based on Ionic Liquid

In this study we present an NIR carbon dioxide gas sensor based on an inner filter process that includes an ionic liquid (IL), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMIMBF4), to improve its stability, dynamic behavior and lifetime, which are usually the main drawbacks with these sensors. The presence of CO2 causes a displacement of a simple boron-dipyrromethene-type fluorophore, azaBODIPY, as the pH indicator towards its acid form. This increases the emission intensity of Cr(III)-doped gadolinium aluminium borate (GAB) as the luminophore. The characterization of the prepared sensor was carried out and a discussion of the results is presented. The response and recovery times improved considerably, 23 and 49 s, respectively, with respect to the sensor without IL, at 60 and 120 s, respectively,. Additionally, the measurement range is extended when using IL, able in this case to measure in the complete range up to 100% CO2; without IL the measurement range is limited to 60% CO2. The detection limit ranges from 0.57% CO2 without IL to 0.26% CO2 when IL is added. The useful lifetime of the sensing membrane was 20 days for membranes with IL and only 6 days for membranes without IL, with the sensor always kept in the dark and without the need to maintain a special atmosphere

Carbon dioxide sensors for food packaging

Traditional food packaging objective is the isolation of products from the outer atmosphere to extend their shelf life. In response to current necessities, traditional food packaging has led to smart packaging. CO2 inside food packages is a key factor to control. CO2 sensors can give information about the modified atmosphere integrity, indicating that the inner atmosphere is intact or if it has been broken and therefore the used by date must not be trusted, or about how fresh is the packaged product. This article briefly describes the types of packaging (traditional and smart) and how CO2 sensors can be used in the food industry. Different approaches for their integration in packaged food are described and the characteristics that must comply in order to be integrated in the agro-alimentary industry.European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 706303 (Multisens)CTQ2016–78754-C2-1-R project from the Spanish MINECO

A new LED-LED portable CO2 gas sensor based on an interchangeable membrane system for industrial applications

A new system for CO2 measurement (0-100%) by based on a paired emitter-detector diode arrangement as a colorimetric detection system is described. Two different configurations were tested: configuration 1 (an opposite side configuration) where a secondary inner-filter effect accounts for CO2 sensitivity. This configuration involves the absorption of the phosphorescence emitted from a CO2-insensitive luminophore by an acid-base indicator and configuration 2 wherein the membrane containing the luminophore is removed, simplifying the sensing membrane that now only contains the acid-base indicator. In addition, two different instrumental configurations have been studied, using a paired emitter-detector diode system, consisting of two LEDs wherein one is used as the light source (emitter) and the other is used in reverse bias mode as the light detector. The first configuration uses a green LED as emitter and a red LED as detector, whereas in the second case two identical red LEDs are used as emitter and detector. The system was characterised in terms of sensitivity, dynamic response, reproducibility, stability and temperature influence. We found that configuration 2 presented a better CO2 response in terms of sensitivity

Non-Invasive Oxygen Determination in Intelligent Packaging Using a Smartphone

Here, we present a technique for the determination of the gaseous oxygen concentration 2 inside packed food. It is based on the use of a luminescent membrane sensitive to O2 that is optically excited and read by a smartphone. The flash of the smartphone along with an optical filter is used as the light source for the optical stimulation of the membrane. The luminescence generated, which is quenched by the surrounding gaseous oxygen, is registered by the rear camera of the same device. The response parameter is defined by combining the registered intensities at two different wavelength ranges corresponding to the emission and the absorption peaks of the sensitive membrane. Thanks to this novel response parameter, the sensitivity is increased and, more importantly, the thermal dependence of the membrane is significantly reduced. This approach allows the use of a luminescent O2-sensitive membrane for intelligent packaging with no need of any associated electronics for its excitation and reading. This means that an oxygen sensor is developed, where a luminescent compound acts as an indicator, therefore combining the advantages of both schemes, that is, the simplicity and reduced cost of indicators with the high sensitivity and accuracy of selective sensors.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economics and Competivity through the Project CTQ2016-78754-C2-1-R. The work P. Escobedo Araque was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport under Grant FPU13/05032. The work of I. Pérez de Vargas-Sansalvador was supported in part by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program (Multisens) under Grant 706303, in part by the Talentia Postdoc Program launched by the Andalusian Knowledge Agency, in part by the European Union’s Seventh Framework Program, in part by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions (COFUND) under Grant 267226, and in part by the Ministry of Economy, Innovation, Science and Employment of the Junta de Andalucía

Real time monitoring of glucose in whole blood by smartphone

A combined thread-paper microfluidic device (μTPAD) is presented for the determination of glucose in blood. The device is designed to include all the analytical operations needed: red blood cell separation, conditioning, enzymatic recognition, and colorimetric transduction. The signal is captured with a smartphone or tablet working in video mode and processed by custom Android-based software in real-time. The automatic detection of the region of interest on the thread allows for the use of either initial rate or equilibrium signal as analytical parameters. The time needed for analysis is 12 s using initial rate, and 100 s using the equilibrium measurement with a LOD of 48 μM and 12 μM, respectively, and a precision around 7%. The μTPAD allows a rapid de- termination of glucose in real samples using only 3 μL of whole blood.This study was supported by the CTQ2016-78754-C2-1-R project from the Spanish MINEC

Determination of o2 using colour sensing from image processing with mobile devices

This paper presents a portable instrument designed and characterized for the determination of gaseous oxygen. It is based on quenching the luminescence intensity of the platinum octaethylporphyrin complex when it is excited, using a light-emitting diode (LED) with an emission peak at 380 nm. The luminescence emitted by the platinum complex is detected by taking an image with a colour CCD micro-camera integrated in the prototype which makes it possible to do a two-dimensional analysis of the luminescence. This image is processed by a microcontroller to obtain the red colour component of the RGB colour space, thus discarding any unnecessary colour information. The processing is carried out for the pixels over a large area of the sensing membrane, which allows for a statistical treatment of the obtained data. The measured R-value for the membrane can be directly related to the concentration of the surrounding oxygen. The resulting instrument has been fully characterized and calibrated, including drifts due to temperature and time. In addition, an application for Android camera devices such as smartphones was developed in order to use them as detectors and image processors to provide a prediction of the gaseous oxygen concentration.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Dirección General de Investigación y Gestión del Plan Nacional de I+D+i (Spain) (Projects CTQ2009-14428-C02-01 and CTQ2009-14428-C02-02)Junta de Andalucía (Proyectos de Excelencia P08-FQM- 3535 and P10-TIC-5997)European Regional Development Funds (ERDF

Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting for Oxygen Determination in Refrigerated Intelligent Packaging

In this paper, we present a passive tag for the determination of gaseous oxygen in intelligent packaging (IP). The power supply for this tag is obtained from thermoelectric energy harvesting taking advantage of the temperature difference between a cooled package and the human body. For this purpose, a compact Peltier module is attached to the surface of the pack7 age. This device is able to generate 1.2 mW when a temperature difference of 25 °C is applied between its surfaces. A dc-to-dc boost converter is included to generate an output voltage of 3.3 V and an output current of 225 µA from the harvested energy by the Peltier cell, which are used to supply the measurement circuitry. A luminescent membrane sensitive to oxygen is used as a gas detector in the package. The generated signal is compared to a reference value to evaluate if the oxygen concentration inside the package falls below or above a predetermined value. This is shown by turning on a green or a red LED, respectively. The proposed system presents a resolution of 0.02% of the predicted oxygen concentration in the range of interest (0%–5%) and a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.007%, which makes the instrument appropriate to be used in IP and active packaging (AP) technology.This work was supported in part by the Spanish Ministry of Economics and Competivity under Project CTQ2016-78754-C2-1-R and in part by the Unidad de Excelencia de Química aplicada a biomedicina y medioambiente, University of Granada. The work of P. E. Araque was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport (MECD) under Grant FPU13/05032. The work of I. M. P. de Vargas-Sansalvador was supported by the European Unions Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant 706303 (MultiSens

Metodología “learning by doing” para el aprendizaje significativo de la seguridad química en el laboratorio

Búsqueda documental sobre seguridad e higiene con el fin de proporcionar al alumnado la información más actualizada posible que se ajuste a la normativa vigente en nuestro país. Para ello, se recurrirá a la documentación generada por el Servicio de Salud y Prevención de Riesgos Laborares de la UGR. Se recurrirá, asimismo, a las directrices de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS), así como a las desarrolladas por la Unión Europea y el Estado Español sobre todo lo concerniente en materia de seguridad e higiene en situaciones sanitarias excepcionales, como el de una pandemia. Con esta documentación queremos que el alumnado obtenga los conocimientos básicos de seguridad e higiene, y sea capaz de identificar las diferentes variables de riesgo presentes en un laboratorio químico como son las relacionadas con sustancias manejadas, con las instalaciones y con la persona. Identificar peligros en el laboratorio e interpretar la documentación relacionada con el laboratorio químico como son las fichas de seguridad de sustancias químicas y los procedimientos de trabajo normalizados de los equipos e instalaciones con un foco especial en el uso de EPI’s. La información se facilitará a través del escaneo/introducción de códigos QR y códigos de barras. Así: - Códigos QR/código de barras en el laboratorio, en cada uno de los equipos, instalaciones y armarios de reactivos. - Códigos QR/código de barras en el laboratorio, en cada uno de los recipientes/contenedores de sustancias químicas. De esta manera y con esta metodología se busca que el alumnado, además de obtener una formación por parte del profesorado, consiga una formación activa en materia de seguridad e higiene en el laboratorio.Documentary search on safety and health in order to provide students with the most up-to-date information possible in accordance with current regulations in our country. For this, the documentation generated by the Health and Occupational Risk Prevention Service of the UGR will be used. Likewise, the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) will be used, as well as those developed by the European Union and the Spanish State on everything related to safety and health in exceptional health situations, such as a pandemic. With this documentation we want students to obtain basic knowledge of safety and health, and to be able to identify the different risk variables present in a chemical laboratory, such as those related to the substances handled, the facilities and the person. Identify risk in the laboratory and interpret documentation related to the chemical laboratory, such as chemical safety data sheets and standard work procedures for equipment and facilities, with a special focus on the use of PPE. Information will be provided by scanning/entering QR codes and barcodes. So: - QR codes/bar codes in the laboratory, in each of the equipment, facilities and reagent cabinets. - QR codes/barcodes in the laboratory, in each of the containers / containers of chemical substances. In this way and with this methodology, it is sought that the students, in addition to obtaining training from teachers, get active training in safety and hygiene in the laboratory.Proyectos de innovación y buenas prácticas docentes, Plan FIDO. Proyecto 21-7

Smart facemask for wireless CO2 monitoring

This study was funded by Spanish MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/ (Projects PID2019-103938RB-I00 and ECQ2018-004937-P) and Junta de Andalucía (Projects B-FQM-243-UGR18, P18-RT-2961 and postdoctoral grant of PE DOC_00520). The projects were partially supported by European Regional Development Funds (ERDF).Source codes for microcontroller firmware (developed with MPLAB X IDE v5.45) and AndroidTM smartphone application (SmartMask v1.0) are available at an open-access repository (URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10481/71668) under a Creative Commons license.The use of facemasks by the general population is recommended worldwide to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Despite the evidence in favour of facemasks to reduce community transmission, there is also agreement on the potential adverse effects of their prolonged usage, mainly caused by CO2 rebreathing. Herein we report the development of a sensing platform for gaseous CO2 real-time determination inside FFP2 facemasks. The system con- sists of an opto-chemical sensor combined with a flexible, battery-less, near-field-enabled tag with resolution and limit of detection of 103 and 140 ppm respectively, and sensor lifetime of 8 h, which is comparable with recommended FFP2 facemask usage times. We include a custom smartphone application for wireless powering, data processing, alert management, results displaying and sharing. Through performance tests during daily activity and exercise monitoring, we demonstrate its utility for non-invasive, wearable health assessment and its potential applicability for preclinical research and diagnostics.B-FQM-243-UGR18 Consejeria de Economia, Innovacion, Ciencia y Empleo, Junta de Andalucia (Ministry of Economy, Innovation, Science and Employment, Government of Andalucia)P18-RT-2961 Consejeria de Economia, Innovacion, Ciencia y Empleo, Junta de Andalucia (Ministry of Economy, Innovation, Science and Employment, Government of Andalucia)DOC_00520 Consejeria de Economia, Innovacion, Ciencia y Empleo, Junta de Andalucia (Ministry of Economy, Innovation, Science and Employment, Government of Andalucia