Normal Heat Conduction in a Chain with Weak Interparticle Anharmonic Potential

We analytically study heat conduction in a chain with interparticle interaction V(x)=lambda[1-cos(x)] and harmonic on-site potential. We start with each site of the system connected to a Langevin heat bath, and investigate the case of small coupling for the interior sites in order to understand the behavior of the system with thermal reservoirs at the boundaries only. We study, in a perturbative analysis, the heat current in the steady state of the one-dimensional system with weak interparticle potential. We obtain an expression for the thermal conductivity, compare the low and high temperature regimes, and show that, as we turn off the couplings with the interior heat baths, there is a "phase transition:'' the Fourier's law holds only at high temperatures

Cointegration and Asymmetric Adjustment between Output and Unemployment: an Application to the U.S. Economy

This paper focuses on the properties of the adjustment between the real output and the unemployment rate for the U.S. economy in the period from 1975 to 2006. It starts by checking the order of integration of the two series and then tests for the presence of asymmetry in the Okun’s law relationship through a cyclical equation, a first differences equation and an ADL(p,q). Using the threshold cointegration approach this study also accounts for the possible existence of a long-run equilibrium relationship and it is ability to test for the asymmetric adjustment hypothesis. It is found that Okun’s coefficient ranges between -0.41 and -0.59, being the latter estimated by the cointegrating equation. Furthermore, the unemployment rate behaves differently along the business cycle and increases faster in recessions than it recovers in expansions. A long-run equilibrium relationship is established where adjustment is made asymmetrically. Positive deviations away from equilibrium are corrected slightly faster than negative ones. Our explanation concerns the higher speed of flows within the labor market during a recession than during an expansion which may also be related to the existence of nominal rigidities in the US economy that causes imperfectly flexible prices.Okun’s Law, Threshold Cointegration, Asymmetric Adjustment, Monte Carlo Simulations, U.S. Economy

Architecture based on keyword driven testing with domain specific language for a testing system

For Cyber-physical systems (CPSs), whose task is to test industrial products, to carry out these tests, highly qualified engineers are always needed to design the tests, since the computational part of the tests is programmed in low-level languages. To optimize this process, it is necessary to create an abstraction of current methods so that tests can be created and executed more efficiently. Although this problem has arisen within the CPS, the architecture we propose will be generic enough to solve the problem in any testing system. We intend to do this by automating some of the current processes to minimize human error. In this paper, we present a novel architecture for a testing system that abstracts single low-level programming and coding of tests, based on two main concepts: the use of Keyword Driven Testing (KDT) that will abstract tests to the person responsible for the machine; the creation of a Domain Specific Language (DSL) to help configure and design new tests without requiring the experience of a highly qualified engineer.This paper is a result of the project POCI-01-0247-FEDER-040130, supported by Operational Program for Competitiveness and Internationalization (COMPETE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and family functioning in adult children facing parental cancer: a comparison study

This study analyzed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and family functioning in a sample of adult children caregivers of cancer patients and in a group of adult children of nonchronically ill parents. Participants completed measures of family functioning and PTSD symptoms. The parental cancer group was subdivided into PTSD subgroups, and significant differences, on family functioning, were found. In the parental cancer group, the predictors of PTSD symptoms were being a woman and having an enmeshed or chaotic family functioning. Chaotic functioning mediated the relationship between family communication/satisfaction and PTSD symptoms, in the parental cancer group. Finally, there was a higher prevalence of PTSD symptoms in the parental cancer group, and participants with a probable PTSD diagnosis showed higher levels of family imbalance. This study shows that adult children facing parental cancer, who have a poorer family balance, may benefit from interventions that target family functioning.This research was supported by a grant (SFRH/BD/43275/2008) awarded to the first author (RJT) by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Comparison of chemical properties of food products processed by conventional and ohmic heating

The effect of ohmic and conventional heat processing of different food products on their chemical and physical parameters was studied. Depending on the food being analysed, parameters such as pH, total solids, ash, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, total sugars, total fatty acids, total phenolic compounds, and anthocyanins content were determined before and after ohmic and conventional pasteurization techniques and the results were compared using one-way analysis of variance. In goat milk samples treated by ohmic technology the pH value (6.58) and total fatty acids content in milk fat (86.5 mass %) were comparable to those found in milk treated by conventional process, however, ohmically treated samples presented a lower content of lactic acid, 0.13 %. In cloudberry jam samples treated by ohmic technology the results of some of the main parameters tested, such as total sugar content 46.1 mass %, ascorbic acid content 2.83 mass %, and titratable acidity 6.01 mass % (as citric acid) did not show significant differences when compared with samples treated by conventional technology

Effects of ohmic heating technology in chemical properties of foods

In this work some food products where characterised chemically before and after ohmic and conventional heating treatments, comparing both processes. In each food type (cloudberry jam, goat milk) pH was measured and parameters such as total and volatile solids, ash, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, total sugars, total fatty acids, total phenolic compounds and anthocyanins content were determined, depending on the food being analysed. In goat milk samples treated by ohmic technology, the titratable acidity 0.12 % (as lactic acid), pH value 6.59 and total fatty acids content in milk fat 86.5 g 100gˉ¹ were comparable to those found in milk treated by conventional process. In cloudberry jam samples treated by ohmic technology the results of some of the main parameters tested, such as total sugar content 47.4 g 100gˉ¹, ascorbic acid concentration 2.8 g 100gˉ¹ and titratable acidity 6.01g 100gˉ¹ (as citric acid) did not show significant differences for samples treated by conventional technology

Exploring the denaturation of whey proteins upon application of moderate electric fields : a kinetic and thermodynamic study

Thermal processing often results in disruption of the native conformation of whey proteins, thus affecting functional properties. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of moderate electric fields on denaturation kinetics and thermodynamic properties of whey protein dispersions at temperatures ranging from 75 to 90 °C. Application of electric fields led to a lower denaturation of whey proteins, kinetically traduced by lower values of reaction order (n) and rate constant (k) (p 30% of native soluble protein than conventional heating) and has determined also considerable changes in calculated thermodynamic properties (such as Ea, ΔH, ΔS). In general, denaturation reactions during moderate electric fields processing were less dependent on temperature increase.RNP gratefully acknowledges a doctoral grant (SFRH/BD/31635/2006) from the Fundacao para Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal

Hybridization during altitudinal range shifts: nuclear introgression leads to extensive cyto-nuclear discordance in the fire salamander

Ecological models predict that, in the face of climate change, taxa occupying steep altitudinal gradients will shift their distributions, leading to the contraction or extinction of the high-elevation (cold-adapted) taxa. However, hybridization between ecomorphologically divergent taxa commonly occurs in nature and may lead to alternative evolutionary outcomes, such as genetic merger or gene flow at specific genes. We evaluate this hypothesis by studying patterns of divergence and gene flow across three replicate contact zones between high- and low-elevation ecomorphs of the fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) that have experienced altitudinal range shifts over the current postglacial period. Strong population structure with high genetic divergence in mitochondrial DNA suggests that vicariant evolution has occurred over several glacial–interglacial cycles and that it has led to cryptic differentiation within ecomorphs. In current parapatric boundaries, we do not find evidence for local extinction and replacement upon postglacial expansion. Instead, parapatric taxa recurrently show discordance between mitochondrial and nuclear markers, suggesting nuclear-mediated gene flow across contact zones. Isolation with migration models support this hypothesis by showing significant gene flow across all five parapatric boundaries. Together, our results suggest that, while some genomic regions, such as the mitochondria, may follow morphologic species traits and retreat to isolated mountain tops, other genomic regions, such as nuclear markers, may flow across parapatric boundaries, sometimes leading to a complete genetic merger. We show that despite high ecologic and morphologic divergence over prolonged periods of time, hybridization allows for evolutionary outcomes alternative to extinction and replacement of taxa in response to climate change.This research was supported by the European Science Foundation (Frontiers of Speciation Research, Exchange grant 3318), and by the European Commission (Synthesys grant ES-TAF-1486), granted to RJP.During the preparation of this manuscript, RJP was funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 658706.Peer reviewe

Denaturation of whey proteins of milk during ohmic heating

Ohmic heating has often been said to improve the sensorial quality of foodstuffs, which has been ttributed mainly to its volumetric heating mechanism and (eventually) to the presence of an electric field. This is still subject to doubts and questions from the scientific community, and it is therefore important to determine the effect of ohmic heating on food constituents. We have investigated whether ohmic heating technology would give rise to changes on the denaturation of whey proteins from bovine milk. Whey protein solutions samples were heated at 85 ºC (up to 30 min) and ohmic heating experiments were also adapted to simulate the sample temperature changes during conventional (indirect heating) experiments. Our results show that ohmic heating seems to reduce protein unfolding and denaturation, when compared with conventional heating

Influence of moderate electric fields on the formation and properties of whey protein network structures

Gelation plays a major role in enhancing textural properties of foods (substituting fats), once it provides unique textural properties that gives pleasant mouth feel, and enables holding water and other ingredients in one matrix. The general objective of this study was to assess the effects of MEF on properties of whey protein hydrogels. Results show that MEF originated a weaker gel structure than conventional heating treatment. Significant decreases in storage and loss moduli were observed upon application of MEF. Aggregation and cross-linking patterns of whey proteins during MEF was not sufficiently high to form a true elastic gel network. As conclusion, MEF may provide a novel method for production of a protein matrix with distinctive properties. However a larger body of research is needed to fully address the role of the MEF on protein electrostatics and protein-protein interactions