High-temperature phase transitions in SrBi_2Ta_2O_9 film: a study by THz spectroscopy

Time-domain THz transmission experiment was performed on a $\rm SrBi_2Ta_2O_9$ film deposited on sapphire substrate. Temperatures between 300 and 923 K were investigated and complex permittivity spectra of the film were determined. The lowest frequency optic phonon near 28 cm$^{-1}$ reveals a slow monotonic decrease in frequency on heating with no significant anomaly near the phase transitions. We show that the dielectric anomaly near the ferroelectric phase transition can be explained by slowing down of a relaxational mode, observed in the THz spectra. A second harmonic generation signal observed in a single crystal confirms a loss of center of symmetry in the ferroelectric phase and a presence of polar clusters in the intermediate ferroelastic phase.Comment: subm. to J. Phys.: Condens. Matte

Recording neuronal activity using miniscopes

Our overarching goal is to understand how the striatum can select between competing options to favor goal-directed behaviors or the establishment of habitual control. This will provide fundamental and transformational insights into the regulation of cognitive functions by co-transmission.https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/brainscanprojectsummaries/1010/thumbnail.jp

Synthesis and characterization of La_0.8Sr_1.2Co_0.5M_0.5O_4-? (M=Fe, Mn)

The M4+-containing K2NiF4-type phases La0.8Sr1.2Co0.5Fe0.5O4 and La0.8Sr1.2Co0.5Mn0.5O4 have been synthesized by a sol-gel procedure and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, thermal analysis, neutron powder diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Oxide ion vacancies are created in these materials via reduction of M4+ to M3+ and of Co3+ to Co2+. The vacancies are confined to the equatorial planes of the K2NiF4-type structure. A partial reduction of Mn3+ to Mn2+ also occurs to achieve the oxygen stoichiometry in La0.8Sr1.2Co0.5Mn0.5O3.6. La0.8Sr1.2Co0.5Fe0.5O3.65 contains Co2+ and Fe3+ ions which interact antiferromagnetically and result in noncollinear magnetic order consistent with the tetragonal symmetry. Competing ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions in La0.8Sr1.2Co0.5Fe0.5O4, La0.8Sr1.2Co0.5Mn0.5O4 and La0.8Sr1.2Co0.5Mn0.5O3.6 induce spin glass properties in these phases

Border environmental justice PPGIS: Community-based mapping and public participation in eastern Tijuana, México

Community mapping projects have been studied as important contributions to the field of environmental justice and Public Participation Geographic Information Systems (PPGIS). As a collaborative project between the Colectivo Salud y Justicia Ambiental and Red de Ciudadanos por el Mejoramiento de las Comunidades (RECIMEC), the “Mapeo Comunitario de la Zona Alamar” was created as a mechanism for community participation in the urban planning process in Tijuana, México. This paper outlines the project’s community mapping process, including planning, data collection, priority identification, and data submission. Results from this community mapping project are analyzed including the (1) particular environmental risks and goods in this border region, (2) the influence that the project data had on the urban planning process, and (3) the impact that the community mapping process had on community organizing capacity. Our findings point to particular environmental challenges in this border city including clandestine trash dumps, and contaminated water runoff points. The mapping project influenced the land use planning process by identifying the key environmental risks and goods to prioritize in the zoning and ground truthing urban planning data. The community mapping project also had a key impact on community organizing through the fomenting of knowledge and relationships between community members and government representatives at the city’s urban planning agency

Functional dissociation of behavioral effects from acetylcholine and glutamate released from cholinergic striatal interneurons

In the striatum, cholinergic interneurons (CINs) have the ability to release both acetylcholine and glutamate, due to the expression of the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) and the vesicular glutamate transporter 3 (VGLUT3). However, the relationship these neurotransmitters have in the regulation of behavior is not fully understood. Here we used reward-based touchscreen tests in mice to assess the individual and combined contributions of acetylcholine/glutamate co-transmission in behavior. We found that reduced levels of the VAChT from CINs negatively impacted dopamine signalling in response to reward, and disrupted complex responses in a sequential chain of events. In contrast, diminished VGLUT3 levels had somewhat opposite effects. When mutant mice were treated with haloperidol in a cue-based task, the drug did not affect the performance of VAChT mutant mice, whereas VGLUT3 mutant mice were highly sensitive to haloperidol. In mice where both vesicular transporters were deleted from CINs, we observed altered reward-evoked dopaminergic signalling and behavioral deficits that resemble, but were worse, than those in mice with specific loss of VAChT alone. These results demonstrate that the ability to secrete two different neurotransmitters allows CINs to exert complex modulation of a wide range of behaviors

El Museo del Prado en Guinea Ecuatorial

Resumen: Exposición fotográfica que muestra a tamaño real 53 de los cuadros más destacados del Museo. Se enmarca en el proyecto "El Prado en las calles" de la Red de Centros Culturales de la AECID. En 2016 se exhibirán en Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panamá, Cuba, Paraguay, Perú, Bolivia, Filipinas y Guinea Ecuatoria

SAT-CEP-monitor: An air quality monitoring software architecture combining complex event processing with satellite remote sensing

La contaminación del aire es un problema importante hoy en día que causa graves daños a la salud humana. Las áreas urbanas son las más afectadas por la degradación de la calidad del aire causada por las emisiones de gases antropogénicos. Aunque existen múltiples propuestas para el monitoreo de la calidad del aire, en la mayoría de los casos, se imponen dos limitaciones: la imposibilidad de procesar datos en tiempo casi real (NRT) para enfoques de teledetección y la imposibilidad de llegar a áreas de acceso limitado o baja cobertura de red para enfoques de datos terrestres. Proponemos una arquitectura de software que combina eficientemente el procesamiento de eventos complejos con datos de teledetección de varios sensores satelitales para monitorear la calidad del aire en NRT, brindando apoyo a los tomadores de decisiones. Ilustramos la solución propuesta calculando los niveles de calidad del aire para varias áreas de Marruecos y España, extrayendo y procesando información satelital en NRT. Este estudio también valida la calidad del aire medida por estaciones terrestres y datos de sensores satelitales.Air pollution is a major problem today that causes serious damage to human health. Urban areas are the most affected by the degradation of air quality caused by anthropogenic gas emissions. Although there are multiple proposals for air quality monitoring, in most cases, two limitations are imposed: the impossibility of processing data in Near Real-Time (NRT) for remote sensing approaches and the impossibility of reaching areas of limited accessibility or low network coverage for ground data approaches. We propose a software architecture that efficiently combines complex event processing with remote sensing data from various satellite sensors to monitor air quality in NRT, giving support to decision-makers. We illustrate the proposed solution by calculating the air quality levels for several areas of Morocco and Spain, extracting and processing satellite information in NRT. This study also validates the air quality measured by ground stations and satellite sensor data.This work was partially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under project FAME [RTI2018-093608-B-C33]. The corresponding author thanks the ERASMUS+ KA107 program for the grant and acknowledges the University of Cadiz for the academic supervision and their research facilities, grant number: 2017-1-ES01- KA107-037422 and 2018-1-ES01-KA107-049705. The authors of this work are also thankful to the Andalusian and Madrid regional governments for providing us with the NRT MGS data

INCLUSÃO ESCOLAR: DIÁLOGOS E ARTICULAÇÕES ENTRE PROFESSORES NA TRANSIÇÃO DE ALUNOS PAEE DO 5º (QUINTO) PARA O 6º (SEXTO) ANO DO ENSINO FUNDAMENTAL

Este artigo busca discutir aspectos relacionados à inclusão escolar e às salas de recursos multifuncionais (SRM) como espaços inclusivos, a fim de compreender de que forma ocorre o diálogo e a articulação pedagógica entre os professores do 5º (quinto) e 6º (sexto) ano do ensino fundamental e os professores SRM no processo de transição de alunos público alvo da educação especial (PAEE). Nesse sentido, foi realizada uma pesquisa qualitativa, de caráter interpretativo, em escolas da Rede Municipal e Estadual de Ensino. Para a coleta de dados, foram aplicados questionários e organizados encontros com um grupo focal. Como principais resultados da pesquisa, destaca-se que a falta de diálogo e articulação entre os professores do 5º (quinto) e 6º (sexto) ano e das SRM pode gerar impactos na atuação dos professores das classes regulares em relação aos alunos PAEE, pois esses profissionais não recebem os conhecimentos e as ferramentas necessárias, por meio da formação inicial ou continuada, e tampouco informações suficientes e correspondentes às necessidades dos alunos PAEE com os quais atuam

Brucellosis remains a neglected disease inthe developing world: a call forinterdisciplinary action

Brucellosis places significant burdens on the human healthcare system and limits the economic growth of individuals, communities, and nations where such development is especially important to diminish the prevalence of poverty. The implementation of public policy focused on mitigating the socioeconomic effects of brucellosis in human and animal populations is desperately needed. When developing a plan to mitigate the associated consequences, it is vital to consider both the abstract and quantifiable effects. This requires an interdisciplinary and collaborative, or One Health, approach that consists of public education, the development of an infrastructure for disease surveillance and reporting in both veterinary and medical fields, and campaigns for control in livestock and wildlife species