Optical spectroscopy of rare-earth ions doped KY(WO4)2 thin films

KY(WO4)2 thin films doped with Dy3+, Tb3+, Yb3+, were grown onto KY(WO4)2 substrates using liquid-phase epitaxy. Spectroscopic investigations of the grown layers were performed. Obtained results were compared with spectra given for bulk crystals. Upconversion experiments after direct Yb3+ excitation in Dy3+-Yb3+ and Tb3+-Yb3+ codoped layers will be also presented

Socio-economic vulnerability of coastal communities in southern Thailand: The development of adaptation strategies

The tsunami of December 2004 impacted large areas of Thailand's coastline and caused severe human and economic losses. The recovery period revealed differences in the vulnerabilities of communities affected. An understanding of the causal factors of vulnerability is crucial for minimising the negative effects of future threats and developing adaptive capacities. This paper analyses the vulnerabilities and the development of adaptation strategies in the booming tourist area of Khao Lak and in the predominantly fishing and agricultural area of Ban Nam Khem through a comprehensive vulnerability framework. The results show that social networks played a crucial role in coping with the disaster. Social cohesion is important for strengthening the community and developing successful adaptation strategies. The development of tourism and the turning away from traditional activities have a significant positive influence on the income situation, but create a dependency on a single business sector. It could be shown that households generating their income in the tourism sector were vulnerable unless they had diversified their income previously. Income diversification decreased the vulnerability in the study areas. Adaptation strategies and processes developed in the aftermath clearly address these issues

25 años de jornadas sobre produccion animal (AIDA)

8 páginas, 5 tablas.-- Conferencia inaugural: 25 años de Jornadas sobre Producción Animal (AIDA), impartida en las XIV Jornadas sobre Producción Animal (Zaragoza, 17 al 18 de mayo de 2011)La Asociación Interprofesional para el Desarrollo Agrario (AIDA), se crea en 1968 vinculada a la Asociación de Antiguos Alumnos del Instituto Agronómico Mediterráneo de Zaragoza (IAMZ-CIHEAM). Entre sus objetivos fundacionales se encontraban la difusión de los avances técnicos y la contribución al desarrollo científico técnico mediante la organización periódica de Jornadas o Seminarios. Consecuentemente con sus objetivos, AIDA publica desde 1970 la revista Información Técnica Económica Agraria (ITEA) y ha realizado desde 1969, cuarenta reuniones científicas. En un principio, las Jornadas organizadas por AIDA tenían un carácter monotemático y alternaban los temas relacionados con la producción vegetal, la animal o la economía agraria. En el período 1969-1982, AIDA organiza tres Jornadas relacionadas con la Producción Animal: En 1971, “Producción de ovino de carne”, “Alimentación del ganado”, en 1977 y “Ganado ovino y caprino de leche” en 1982...Peer reviewe

Evaluación de pastas de Hesperaloe funifera obtenidas con un proceso de bajo consumo energético como material de refuerzo de pastas recicladas

The aim of this work is to study the reinforcement capacity of pulps obtained from Hesperaloe funifera using a simple and low energy consumption process (chemi refiner mechanical pulping) once they are added in different percentages to recycled pulps from newspaper and from old corrugated containers (OCC). Pinus radiata kraft pulp was used as a referent reinforcement material. H. funifera acted as a reinforcement material in newspaper and OCC recycled pulps, improving their optical and mechanical properties. While a 25% of H. funifera was the optimal amount added to reinforce the OCC pulp, only a 10% was needed for newspaper pulp. However, the OCC optimal mixture was better reinforced as it showed higher increase in all properties than the optimal newspaper mixture, apart from tensile index. Finally, all mixtures with P. radiata kraft pulp produce handsheet with lower properties, apart from tear index, suggesting than H. funifera is a better reinforcement material.El objetivo de este trabajo es estudiar la capacidad de refuerzo de pastas de Hesperaloe funifera obtenidas mediante un proceso simple de bajo consumo energético (pasteado químico-mecánico de refino) una vez añadidas en diferentes porcentajes a pastas recicladas de periódicos y de cartón ondulado (OCC). Se utilizó como material de refuerzo de referencia pasta kraft de Pinus radiata. H. funifera mejoró las propiedades ópticas y mecánicas de todas las pastas recicladas estudiadas, demostrando su capacidad de refuerzo. Mientras que un 25% de H. funifera fue la cantidad óptima para reforzar la pasta de OCC, sólo un 10% fue necesario para la pasta de periódicos. Sin embargo, la mezcla óptima de OCC mostró un mayor incremento en todas las propiedades que la mezcla óptima de periódicos, a excepción del índice de tracción. Por último, todas las mezclas de pasta kraft de P. radiata proporcionaron hojas con menores propiedades mecánicas, a excepción del índice de desgarro, lo que sugiere que H. funifera es un material de refuerzo más eficaz

A SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF ORGANIC VERSUS CONVENTIONAL SYSTEMS OF SHEEP-FARMING

In the Mediterranean Agriculture, the organic production constitutes a real possibility for sustainable development, it can keep a population in these areas and provide it with a decent work. This paper try to establish differences between conventional and organic systems of production, so that observation of these differences would lead to conclusions relating to the level of efficiency of one system as against the other. To achieve this objective, the research team analyzed the evolution of seventeen milk sheep farms in various places in the Castilla y León Region for a whole year. The study consisted in the modeling of the results of a Cobb-Douglas production function. The findings reveal that organic farms have higher production levels with the same combination of inputs. This result is a guarantee of future for this type of production and guarantee of feasibility for these areas

Unraveling the Historical Economies of Scale and Learning Effects for Desalination Technologies

As a technology develops and matures, both economies of scale and the lessons learned through experience drive down the cost over time. This article analyzes and separates the effects of economies of scale and learning through experience on historical cost reductions for three mature desalination technologies: multi‐effect distillation (MED), multi‐stage flash (MSF) distillation, and reverse osmosis (RO). The analysis suggests that learning has been the dominant driver for cost reductions, with learning rates of 23%, 30%, and 12% for MED, MSF, and RO, respectively, when the effects of scale are removed. The highest influence of economies of scale is found for MED, with an exponential scale coefficient of 0.71 and the largest difference between a traditional or scale‐free estimation of the learning rate. MSF and RO showed smaller differences between the traditional and de‐scaled learning rates (only 3%), pointing at learning as the main factor driving their historical cost reductions. However, a trend break observed over the last 10 years mirrors an exhaustion of the potential for technical improvements, as well as an increasing complexity and nonlinearity of the factors influencing the systems' cost. The findings provide useful data and insights for integrated and economic modeling frameworks, while providing guidance to prevent overestimations of the learning effect due to the confounding influence of economies of scale effects associated to historical unit upscaling processes

Self-assembly of Fmoc-tetrapeptides based on the RGDS cell adhesion motif

Self-assembly in aqueous solution has been investigated for two Fmoc [Fmoc ¼ N-(fluorenyl)-9-methoxycarbonyl] tetrapeptides comprising the RGDS cell adhesion motif from fibronectin or the scrambled sequence GRDS. The hydrophobic Fmoc unit confers amphiphilicity on the molecules, and introduces aromatic stacking interactions. Circular dichroism and FTIR spectroscopy show that the self-assembly of both peptides at low concentration is dominated by interactions among Fmoc units, although Fmoc-GRDS shows b-sheet features, at lower concentration than Fmoc-RGDS. Fibre X-ray diffraction indicates b-sheet formation by both peptides at sufficiently high concentration. Strong alignment effects are revealed by linear dichroism experiments for Fmoc-GRDS. Cryo-TEM and smallangle X-ray scattering (SAXS) reveal that both samples form fibrils with a diameter of approximately 10 nm. Both Fmoc-tetrapeptides form self-supporting hydrogels at sufficiently high concentration. Dynamic shear rheometry enabled measurements of the moduli for the Fmoc-GRDS hydrogel, however syneresis was observed for the Fmoc-RGDS hydrogel which was significantly less stable to shear. Molecular dynamics computer simulations were carried out considering parallel and antiparallel b-sheet configurations of systems containing 7 and 21 molecules of Fmoc-RGDS or Fmoc-GRDS, the results being analyzed in terms of both intermolecular structural parameters and energy contributions

Low-temperature flux growth of sulfates, molybdates, and tungstates of Ca, Sr, and Ba and investigation of doping with Mn 6 +

The growth of undoped and Mn6+-doped molybdates and tungstates of alkali-earth metals and BaSO4 has been investigated. Single crystals were grown by the flux method within the temperature range of 600-475°C, using the ternary NaCl-KCl-CsCl solvent. Sizes of undoped crystals increase within the series tungstates<molybdates<sulfate and, depending on the cation, within the series Ca2+≈Sr2+<Ba2+. The Mn6+ ion tends to be reduced to Mn5+/Mn4+ with time in the chloride solution, but can be partly stabilized by the addition of alkali-metal carbonates or hydroxides. The incorporation of Mn6+ is governed by the coordination of the MnO4 2- tetrahedron in the crystal. No significant doping was found for Ca and Sr compounds and only small amounts of Mn6+ were incorporated into BaMoO4 and BaWO4. Crystals with orthorhombic space group Pnma such as BaSO4 exhibit significantly higher doping levels. The Mn6+ distribution in each crystal varies due to manganese reduction with growth time. Temperature-, time-, and concentration-dependent spectroscopy of BaSO4:Mn6+ was performe

Optical spectroscopic study of Al₂O₃:Ti³⁺ under hydrostatic pressure

This work investigates the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the excitation, emission and lifetime of Ti3+-doped Al2O3 in the 0–110 kbar range. The application of pressure induces band shifts that are correlated with the corresponding local structural changes undergone by the TiO6 complex. The increase of the Stokes-shift and the reduction of the Jahn–Teller (JT) splittings under pressure are analysed in terms of a simple model based on linear electron–phonon couplings to the a1g and the JT eg vibrational modes