Adjoint Monte Carlo Simulation of Fusion Product Activation Probe Experiment in ASDEX Upgrade tokamak

The activation probe is a robust tool to measure flux of fusion products from a magnetically confined plasma. A carefully chosen solid sample is exposed to the flux, and the impinging ions transmute the material making it radioactive. Ultra-low level gamma-ray spectroscopy is used post mortem to measure the activity and, thus, the number of fusion products. This contribution presents the numerical analysis of the first measurement in the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak, which was also the first experiment to measure a single discharge. The ASCOT suite of codes was used to perform adjoint/reverse Monte Carlo calculations of the fusion products. The analysis facilitates, for the first time, a comparison of numerical and experimental values for absolutely calibrated flux. The results agree to within a factor of about two, which can be considered a quite good result considering the fact that all features of the plasma cannot be accounted in the simulations. Also an alternative to the present probe orientation was studied. The results suggest that a better optimized orientation could measure the flux from a significantly larger part of the plasma.Comment: Contribution in 1st EPS Conference on Plasma Diagnostics. First two versions are for PoS(ECPD 2015)055. This 3rd version was accepted for publishing in Journal of Instrumentatio

Emerging Roles for Long Non-Coding RNAs in Cancer and Neurological Disorders

The recent discovery of thousands of long non-coding (lnc)RNAs in the human genome has prompted investigation of the potential roles of these molecules in human biology and medicine. Indeed, it is now well documented that many lncRNAs are involved in key biological processes, including dosage compensation, genomic imprinting, chromatin regulation, alternative splicing of pre-mRNA, nuclear organization; and potentially many other biological processes, which are yet to be elucidated. Recently, a number of studies have also reported that lncRNAs are dysregulated in a number of human diseases, including several cancers and neurological disorders. Although many of these studies have fallen short of implicating lncRNAs as causative, they suggest potential roles that warrant further in depth investigations. In this review, we discuss the current state of knowledge regarding the roles of lncRNAs in cancer and neurological disorders, and suggest potential future directions in this rapidly emerging field

Factores que inciden en las lesiones músculos esqueléticos, que practican el levantamiento de pesa en Gym Eros, Nino e Iron

La presente investigación fue realizada con el objetivo de analizar los factores externos e internos que inciden en las lesiones músculo esqueléticas en deportista que practican levantamiento de pesas en los gimnasios Eros, Iron y Nino. Materiales y método: Este estudio es de tipo descriptivo, prospectivo, cuantitativo y de corte transversal. Se realizó mediante un guía de entrevista estructura; dada a 70 deportistas que participaron en la investigación y procesado por el programa Spss versión 23. Los resultados son: el promedio de las edades 20-25 de los deportistas en estudio un 41% del sexo masculino y un 11% del sexo femenino, el nivel de escolaridad con un 59% son universitarios, 47% no utiliza método de protección, 66% realiza el calentamiento muscular, 57% realiza el estiramiento muscular 59% no realizan la etapa enfriamiento, las lesiones más comunes son esguinces con 3% en hombro, distención muscular en 9% en hombro, rodilla tobillo y tronco lumbar, 3% en cadera y rodilla, ruptura ligamentosa 6% en rodilla, desgarro muscular 3% en hombro y tronco dorsal, 12% en hombro y 9% en tronco lumbar, distención muscular y desgarros muscular 3% en hombros y rodilla. Con respecto al objetivo de entrenamiento y la intensidad con que levanta las pesas que incluye la fuerza máxima solo un 6% lo realiza de manera correcta, en fuerza velocidad un 16% y en fuerza resistencia un 7%. Conclusión: los factores que inciden a las lesiones son las intrínsecas ya que los deportistas no lo cumplen de manera correcta

Mechanical Properties of Concrete with Recycled High-Density Polyethylene Macro Flat Fiber and Rice Hull Ash as Partial Replacement to Cement

This study determines the mechanical properties of concrete with the addition of recycled High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Macro Flat Fiber (MFF) and Rice Hull Ash (RHA) as partial replacement to cement. The objective of this study is to identify the optimum mix ratio for compressive and flexural strength of concrete. Various percentage of HDPE MFF (0.5%, 0.75%, and 1.0%) and 10% partial replacement of RHA to cement is incorporated in the mixture. The RHA is obtained through uncontrolled burning while HDPE MFF is collected through shredding and manual cutting. The results showed that the addition of HDPE MFF had a positive effect on the compressive and flexural strength of concrete. The optimum value is achieved on concrete with 0.5% HDPE MFF and no RHA, as it had showed an average of 31.87 MPa with a 18.04% increase in compressive strength, and an average of 4.532 MPa with a 17.78% increase for flexural strength. Moreover, the combination with RHA had not showed promising results. It had been concluded that the addition of recycled HDPE MFF with no RHA increases the compressive and flexural strength of concrete

ARTE ACCIONAL DURACIONAL, TRASFORMACIONES DEL CUERPO ATEMPORALES

El pasado y el presente del arte muestran evidencias de los artistas avocados a una transformaci\uf3n del cuerpo humano a trav\ue9s de distintas ideas que integran elementos artificiales. El uso de implantes, clonaciones del cuerpo y redistribuci\uf3n del g\ue9nero proyectan cada vez m\ue1s una transgresi\uf3n a la sociedad hasta cuestionarla y educarla. El cuerpo se convierte en la imagen, en el reflejo de aquello que somos y no somos, es as\ued Sterlac, Orlan y Argelia Bravo transitan el mundo cognoscible de otra manera implantando conceptos desde el \ue1mbito art\uedstico que transforman el futuro m\ue1s all\ue1 de la humanidad misma, lo transhumano. El arte accional nos trae del pasado a personajes como Sterlac, quien en las intervenciones de su propio cuerpo con incisiones e implantes que oyen sus ideas, su tercera oreja en el brazo son ejemplos, de una necesidad de cambios. Por otra parte quiz\ue1s con una influencia del feminismo y cr\uedtica social, Orlan deja de ser ella y se transforma en todas las mujeres en una que son objeto de deseo y admiraci\uf3n, cercanas a lo sublime que propone Kant, vende sus objeto de las performances desde las salas de intervenciones quir\ufargicas al mundo mientras ella eterniza sus implantes. En Venezuela Argelia Bravo, aprovecha ese espacio inter sexo, o transhumano, m\ue1s all\ue1 de la convenci\uf3n biol\uf3gica, propuso impresiones rosas sobre lienzo de un cuerpo diferente, de un cuerpo femenino superior y masculino inferior, refiri\ue9ndose al mismo cuerpo y sus miembros fision\uf3micos. Tres artistas que presentan la convenci\uf3n otra, de existencia de un cuerpo, de muchos cuerpos, del ente m\ue1s all\ue1 de lo humano. Palabas Claves del Autor: arte, transhumano, posthumano, cuerpo. ABSTRACT The past and the present of art show evidence of the avocados artists to a transformation of the human body through different ideas that integrate artificial elements. The use of implants, body cloning and gender redistribution increasingly project a transgression to society until questioning and educating it. The body becomes the image, in the reflection of what we are and are not, so Sterlac, Orlan and Algeria Bravo transpose the knowable world in another way implanting concepts from the artistic realm that transform the future beyond humanity itself , The transhuman. The action art brings us from the past to characters like Sterlac, who in the interventions of his own body with incisions and implants that hear his ideas, his third ear in the arm are examples of a need for change. On the other hand, perhaps with an influence of feminism and social criticism, Orlan ceases to be her and transforms herself into all the women in one who are objects of desire and admiration, close to the sublime that Kant proposes, sells his object of the performances since The surgical intervention rooms to the world while she perpetuates her implants. In Venezuela Algeria Bravo, she takes advantage of this space between sex, or transhuman, beyond the biological convention, proposed pink prints on canvas of a different body, of an upper and lower masculine body, referring to the same body and its physiognomic members. Three artists who present the other convention, of existence of a body, of many bodies, of the being beyond the human Keywords: Art, transhuman, posthuman, body<br

Discrimination of native wood charcoal by infrared spectroscopy

Brazil is one of the largest producers and consumers of charcoal in the world. About 50% of its charcoal comes from native forests, with a large part coming from unsustainable operations. The anatomic identification of charcoal is subjective; an instrumental technique would facilitate the monitoring of forests. This study aimed to verify the feasibility of using medium and near infrared reflectance spectroscopy to discriminate native (ipê) from plantation charcoals (eucalyptus). Principal Components Analysis, followed by Discriminant Factorial Analysis formed two different groups indicated by Mahalanobis distances of 40.6 and 80.3 for near and mid infrared, respectively. Validation of the model showed 100% efficacy. (Résumé d'auteur

Mechanical Properties of Concrete with Recycled High-Density Polyethylene Macro Flat Fiber and Rice Hull Ash as Partial Replacement to Cement

This study determines the mechanical properties of concrete with the addition of recycled High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Macro Flat Fiber (MFF) and Rice Hull Ash (RHA) as partial replacement to cement. The objective of this study is to identify the optimum mix ratio for compressive and flexural strength of concrete. Various percentage of HDPE MFF (0.5%, 0.75%, and 1.0%) and 10% partial replacement of RHA to cement is incorporated in the mixture. The RHA is obtained through uncontrolled burning while HDPE MFF is collected through shredding and manual cutting. The results showed that the addition of HDPE MFF had a positive effect on the compressive and flexural strength of concrete. The optimum value is achieved on concrete with 0.5% HDPE MFF and no RHA, as it had showed an average of 31.87 MPa with a 18.04% increase in compressive strength, and an average of 4.532 MPa with a 17.78% increase for flexural strength. Moreover, the combination with RHA had not showed promising results. It had been concluded that the addition of recycled HDPE MFF with no RHA increases the compressive and flexural strength of concrete

Posttreatment of olive mill wastewater by immobilized TiO2 photocatalysis

A photocatalytic reactor with UV/TiO2 was used for the post-treatment of olive mill wastewater after anaerobic digestion. A factorial experimental design was adopted to determine the statistical significance of each parameter tested, namely initial COD, pH, treatment time and recirculation flow, and possible interactions, in three response variables: phenols, colour, and COD removals. Removal efficiencies of 90.8 ± 2.7 %, 79.3 ± 1.9 %, and 50.3 ± 6.3 % were obtained for total phenols (TPh), colour, and COD, respectively. TPh and colour were almost completely removed after 24 h of treatment, while the COD removal was partial. Because increasing the treatment time is economically unfeasible a recirculation to the anaerobic reactor should be considered. Regarding the most significant variables, the TPh removal efficiency is dependent of the initial COD concentration; the colour removal efficiency decreased with increasing COD concentration and pH; and, the COD removal efficiency is directly linked with the treatment time. The interaction between the initial COD and treatment time affect negatively the response variables tested because of the inactivation of some active sites of the TiO2 paper.The Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT) and the European Social Fund (ESF, POPH-QREN) gave financial support through the Post-Doctoral grant attributed to Jose Carlos Costa (SFRH/BDP/48 962/2008) and through the project PTDC/ENR/69 755/2006. The authors thank Dr. M.N. Pons and Dr. O. Zahraa the offer of the reactor and Mr Ing. J. Dussaud from Alstrohm (Pont-Eveque, France) for the TiO2 paper

Cigarette Smoke Exposure-Associated Alterations to Non-Coding RNA

Environmental exposures vary by timing, severity, and frequency and may have a number of deleterious effects throughout the life course. The period of in utero development, for example, is one of the most crucial stages of development during which adverse environmental exposures can both alter the growth and development of the fetus as well as lead to aberrant fetal programming, increasing disease risk. During fetal development and beyond, the plethora of exposures, including nutrients, drugs, stress, and trauma, influence health, development, and survival. Recent research in environmental epigenetics has investigated the roles of environmental exposures in influencing epigenetic modes of gene regulation during pregnancy and at various stages of life. Many relatively common environmental exposures, such as cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and drug use, may have consequences for the expression and function of non-coding RNA (ncRNA), important post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression. A number of ncRNA have been discovered, including microRNA (miRNA), Piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA), and long non-coding RNA (long ncRNA). The best-characterized species of ncRNA are miRNA, the mature forms of which are ∼22 nucleotides in length and capable of post-transcriptionally regulating target mRNA utilizing mechanisms based largely on the degree of complementarity between miRNA and target mRNA. Because miRNA can still negatively regulate gene expression when imperfectly base-paired with a target mRNA, a single miRNA can have a large number of potential mRNA targets and can regulate many different biological processes critical for health and development. The following review analyzes the current literature detailing links between cigarette smoke exposure and aberrant expression and function of ncRNA, assesses how such alterations may have consequences throughout the life course, and proposes future directions for this intriguing field of research