Reviews

The following publications have been reviewed by the mentioned authors;The Art of Print Making by Erich Rhein, reviewed by John LancasterDevelopments in Art Teaching by Terence Wooff, reviewed by John LancasterResources by Jack Bainbridge, reviewed by Michael SayerPower by Jack Bainbridge, reviewed by Michael SayerThe Potter's Complete Book of Clay and Glazes by James Chappell, reviewed by Michael PaffardWriting and Illuminating Lettering by Edward Johnston, reviewed by John LancasterBasic Mathematics for Technicians by C. W. Schofield, reviewed by F. R. WatsonDesign and Technology - Plastics by R. Millett, reviewed by Michael SayerObjective and Completion Tests in CSE Woodwork Theory by Ernest Clarke, reviewed by Denis TabernerObjectice and Completion Tests in CSE Metalwork Theory by Ernest Clarke, reviewed by Denis Taberne

Optimizing performance of quantum operations with non-Markovian decoherence: the tortoise or the hare?

The interaction between a quantum system and its environment limits our ability to control it and perform quantum operations on it. We present an efficient method to find optimal controls for quantum systems coupled to non-Markovian environments, by using the process tensor to compute the gradient of an objective function. We consider state transfer for a driven two-level system coupled to a bosonic environment, and characterize performance in terms of speed and fidelity. We thus determine the best achievable fidelity as a function of process duration. We show there is a trade-off between speed and fidelity, and that slower processes can have higher fidelity by exploiting non-Markovian effects.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure

Most worrysome weeds in Spain

Se presentan los resultados de una encuesta realizada durante el periodo de junio a octubre de 2014, y en la que participaron 315 técnicos de campo de toda España. Los datos están disponibles en Internet y su análisis permite concluir que a) las malas hierbas preocupan tanto como las plagas y enfermedades; b) respecto a los métodos de control, el control químico con herbicidas es el más usado y el considerado más eficaz; se han detectado las malas hierbas más preocupantes en una serie de cultivos, incluyendo el motivo de la preocupación. En cultivos leñosos, destaca “Conyza” por su dificultad de control, en arroz destacan “Echinochloa” y “Cyperus”; en algodón y maíz preocupan “Abutilon”, “Chenopodium”, “Cyperus”, Echinochloa y Sorghum; en cultivos extensivos de secano, la preocupación no está tan concentrada en pocas especies, destacando malas hierbas gramíneas en trigo y cebada junto con Centaurea, que es considerada preocupante adicionalmente en el cultivo del girasol. Finalmente, se seleccionan arvenses de preocupación creciente, entre las que destacan “Abutilon”, “Centaurea”, “Chenopodium” y “Sorghum”.Since June to October 2014, 315 Spanish field advisors participated in a survey. Data is available on internet and results show that a) weeds are as worrying as other pests and diseases; b) chemical control is the most used weed control method and is considered to be the most efficient one; c) knowledge transfer in weed management is largely dependant on herbicide industry; d) most worrying weeds have been identified for several crops, as well as the reasons why they are considered worrysome. In permanent crops, “Conyza” is refered to be by far the worst weed, mainly because it is difficult to control; in rice, the worst weeds are “Echinochloa” and “Cyperus”; in corn and cotton “Abutilon”, “Chenopodium”, “Cyperus”, “Echinochloa” and “Sorghum”; in annual dryland crops weed problems are less focused, being the most worrying weeds annual grasses in wheat and barley, besides “Centaurea”, which is also considered to be a problem in sunflower. Finally, there are weeds of increasing threat like “Abutilon”, “Centaurea”, “Chenopodium” and “Sorghum”

USH2A is a skin end-organ protein necessary for vibration sensing in mice and humans

Fingertip mechanoreceptors comprise sensory neuron endings together with specialized skin cells that form the end-organ. Exquisitely sensitive vibration-sensing neurons are associated with Meissner´s corpuscles and Pacinian corpuscles. Such end-organ structures have been recognized for more than 160 years, but their exact functions have remained a matter of speculation. Here we examined the role of USH2A in touch sensation in humans and mice. The USH2A gene encodes a transmembrane protein with a very large extracellular domain. Pathogenic USH2A mutations cause Usher syndrome associated with hearing loss and visual impairment. We show that patients with biallelic pathogenic USH2A mutations also have profound impairments in vibrotactile touch perception. Similarly, mice lacking the USH2A protein showed severe deficits in a forepaw vibrotactile discrimination task. Forepaw rapidly-adapting mechanoreceptors (RAMs) recorded from Ush2a(-/-) mice innervating Meissner’s corpuscles showed profound reductions in their vibration sensitivity. However, the USH2A protein was not expressed in sensory neurons, but was found in specialized terminal Schwann cells in Meissner’s corpuscles. Loss of this large extracellular tether-like protein in corpuscular end-organs innervated by RAMs was sufficient to reduce the vibration sensitivity of mechanoreceptors. Thus, USH2A expressed in corpuscular end-organs associated with vibration sensing is required to properly perceive vibration. We propose that cells within the corpuscle present a tether-like protein that may link to mechanosensitive channels in sensory endings to facilitate small amplitude vibration detection essential for the perception of fine textured surfaces

Multitemporal monitoring of plant area index in the Valencia Rice District with PocketLAI

Leaf area index (LAI) is a key biophysical parameter used to determine foliage cover and crop growth in environmental studies in order to assess crop yield. Frequently, plant canopy analyzers (LAI-2000) and digital cameras for hemispherical photography (DHP) are used for indirect effective plant area index (PAIeff ) estimates. Nevertheless, these instruments are expensive and have the disadvantages of low portability and maintenance. Recently, a smartphone app called PocketLAI was presented and tested for acquiring PAIeff measurements. It was used during an entire rice season for indirect PAIeff estimations and for deriving reference high-resolution PAIeff maps. Ground PAIeff values acquired with PocketLAI, LAI-2000, and DHP were well correlated (R2 = 0.95, RMSE = 0.21 m2/m2 for Licor-2000, and R2 = 0.94, RMSE = 0.6 m2/m2 for DHP). Complementary data such as phenology and leaf chlorophyll content were acquired to complement seasonal rice plant information provided by PAIeff. High-resolution PAIeff maps, which can be used for the validation of remote sensing products, have been derived using a global transfer function (TF) made of several measuring dates and their associated satellite radiances

Aceites esenciales y extractos naturales de plantas como ingredientes antifúngicos de recubrimientos comestibles a base de pectina para controlar la podredumbre verde y mantener la calidad poscosecha de naranjas ‘Valencia’.

Se han desarrollado nuevos recubrimientos comestibles antifúngicos a base de pectina y cera de abeja con aceites esenciales y extractos de plantas para reducir las pérdidas de poscosecha en naranjas 'Valencia'. En ensayos in vitro, los aceites esenciales de Satureja montana, Cinnamomum zeylanicum (CN), Commiphora myrrha (MY), eugenol (EU), geraniol (GE), y extractos de vainillina y propóleo fueron los más efectivos inhibiendo el crecimiento radial de Penicillium digitatum (inhibición de 90- 100%). Estos agentes se incorporaron a los recubrimientos a concentraciones entre 0,2-2% (p/p) y se evaluó la actividad curativa en naranjas inoculadas artificialmente e incubadas durante 8 días a 20 ºC. Posteriormente, se evaluó el efecto de los recubrimientos seleccionados en el control de la podredumbre verde y la calidad fisicoquímica y sensorial de la fruta durante 8 semanas de almacenamiento a 5 ºC más 1 semana a 20 ºC. Después de 8 días de incubación a 20 ºC, los recubrimientos que contenían 0,2% GE, 0,8% EU o 1,5% MY redujeron la incidencia de la podredumbre verde entre 40-60%, mientras que el formulado con 0,8% CN fue el más efectivo reduciendo la severidad de la enfermedad. Los recubrimientos con 0,2% GE y 0,8% EU también redujeron la incidencia de la enfermedad en más del 50% a las 4 semanas en frío. Además, el recubrimiento con 0,8% EU fue el más efectivo reduciendo la pérdida de peso y proporcionó el mayor brillo a las naranjas recubiertas, lo que demuestra su potencial para reducir las pérdidas en poscosecha de cítricos

ALTAS HOSPITALARIAS EN POBLACIÓN INMIGRANTE EN 2006-2010 VS. 2001-2002 EN LA CIUDAD DE VALENCIA

A lo largo de la década, la perspectiva social de la inmigración cobra fuerza frente a la pérdida de interés en el estudio de enfermedades infecto-contagiosas que en un principio suscitaron la investigación sobre posibles enfermedades re-emergentes, presumiblemente importadas y “peligrosas” para la salud pública, aspecto que se ha convertido en anecdótico. Nuestro objetivo ha sido caracterizar la demanda hospitalaria y su variación respecto del inicio de la década. Se desarrolló un estudio observacional transversal para el periodo 01/01/06 al 31/12/10, al objeto de cuantificar las causas de hospitalización y los diagnósticos al alta de la población inmigrante atendida en los hospitales públicos de la ciudad de Valencia. Se presentan las frecuencias comparadas con el año 2003: edad, su media y mediana; género y su proporción; proporción de altas hospitalarias por regiones geográficas y proporción de los diez primeros diagnósticos de alta agrupados por categorías diagnósticas. Se recuperaron 22.874 diagnósticos al alta que Correspondieron al marco geográfico y censal de la ciudad de Valencia. La proporción de mujeres se ha incrementado en 4 puntos porcentuales respecto de 2002. Los inmigrantes de origen centro y sudamericano predominan tanto al inicio de la década, 58,66%, como en 2010, 67,09%. La Categoría “Embarazo y Parto” corresponde en ambos estudios a la causa con mayor proporción de altas (37,71% en 2002 vs. 43,95% en 2010). Los Tumores que pasan del séptimo lugar en 2002 (3,83%) al quinto en 2010 (5.30%). Las enfermedades infecciosas suponían un 4,38% al principio de la década y representan en la actualidad un 3,22%, en ambos casos el sexto lugar. La TBC constituye la enfermedad infecciosa más prevalente, con un 31,58% de altas infecciosas, frente a un 18,2% en 2002. La conclusión principal, relacionada con nuestro objetivo, es que la población es ahora todavía más joven que la nacional, por lo que se espera que esta característica dé lugar a unas menores necesidades de atención sanitaria. Coincidimos de nuevo con múltiples autores que inmigración no es sinónimo de problemas sanitarios, sino de retos médicos y sociales

Igneous origin of CO2 in ancient and recent hot-spring waters and travertines from the Northern Argeninian Andes

Thermal travertines are an archive of CO2 sources and sinks in hydrothermal systems. Two major regional factors control travertine precipitation: water availability and CO2 supply. Thus, travertines form a valuable archive of hydrodynamic variability and sources of main contributions to dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). It is relevant to determine the main DIC sources of thermal waters (i.e., organic-matter degradation, recycled from older carbonates, emission of deep-seated magmatic CO2), as they are key inputs to calculate the lithosphere - atmosphere CO2 budget. The Antuco travertine from the Central Andes represents one of such archives, with a total of 500 ky record of accretionary periods (dated as 425-320, 260 and 155 ky BP) related to high hydrothermal activity of hot springs. It consist of two travertine units: (1) a lower massive unit displaying large calcite pseudomorphs after aragonite that precipitated in proximal ponds with abundant water, and (2) an upper stratified unit showing more distal facies bearing siliciclastics and manganese and iron oxides. The replacement of aragonite by calcite in the lower unit was related to the decrease of water salinity in the thermal system through time. In the Antuco travertine, DIC δ 13C values of travertine parental waters of around -9¿ suggest that CO2 was related to igneous processes and volcanic activity, and released along deep-seated faults. Relative water/rock ratios derived from δ18O values and fluid-inclusion microthermometric data from travertine carbonates are consistent with an interpretation of greater water availability in the hydrothermal system during the Late Pleistocene than at present. The different petrographic features and isotopic signatures are interpreted to reflect increased water availability during more humid periods in the Altiplano, which triggered precipitation of travertine bodies. Travertine growth took place during interglacial-humid climate periods between Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 3 and 9, which correspond to highstand events in large lakes of the Andean Altiplano. Results of this study illustrate that volcanic activity, furnishing rather constant CO2 and heat fluxes, were the key controls of thermalism in the Altiplane region during the Quaternary, whilst climatic changes (humid vs. arid periods in the Late Pleistocene) controlled mineralogy, fàcies, and architecture of the travertines. The combined use of δ13C and 87Sr/86Sr signatures in carbonate precipitates has been proven to be of major relevance to evaluate the CO2 sources along fault zones in this study