Phillyrea angustifolia L.

https://thekeep.eiu.edu/herbarium_specimens_byname/21004/thumbnail.jp

Diodos emisores de luz para irradiación de plantas

Los recientes desarrollos conseguidos en el área de la iluminación con diodos emisores de luz (LEDs, cuando son inorgánicos, y OLEDs, cuando son orgánicos) resultan de gran interés en horticultura, al permitir manipular el espectro radiante que va a incidir sobre las plantas, con el objetivo de aumentar su producción o de generar determinados efectos fisiológicos, sobre todo en invernaderos. Puesto que los vegetales crecen mejor cuando son iluminados (irradiados) en las regiones roja y azul del espectro, resulta aconsejable sustituir los sistemas de iluminación fotosintética actuales, fundamentalmente mediante lámparas de descarga en gases (vapor de sodio a alta presión y, en menor medida, halogenuros metálicos), por LEDs comerciales que emiten separadamente en esas regiones o por OLEDs susceptibles de emisión conjunta. Además, estos dispositivos son más eficientes que las lámparas incandescentes (consumen mucha menor energía eléctrica y poseen una vida media de uso mucho más larga), no generan exceso de calor (y por tanto no dañan a plantas térmicamente sensibles), e incluso, en el caso de los LEDs rojos, repelen insectos, por lo que contribuyen a la disminución en el uso de agrotóxicos. En el presente artículo, se revisan las últimas contribuciones en Fitofotónica relacionadas con los diodos emisores de luz, se aporta la experiencia existente sobre la aplicación de LEDs a invernaderos y se divulga el estado de las investigaciones que algunos grupos de investigación estamos realizando sobre OLEDs emisores bien en el rojo o bien en las regiones del rojo y el azul

On the influence of ram-pressure stripping on the star formation of simulated spiral galaxies

We investigate the influence of ram-pressure stripping on the star formation and the mass distribution in simulated spiral galaxies. Special emphasis is put on the question where the newly formed stars are located. The stripping radius from the simulation is compared to analytical estimates. Disc galaxies are modelled in combined N-body/hydrodynamic simulations (GADGET-2) with prescriptions for cooling, star formation, stellar feedback, and galactic winds. These model galaxies move through a constant density and temperature gas, which has parameters comparable to the intra-cluster medium (ICM) in the outskirts of a galaxy cluster (T=3 keV ~3.6x10^7 K and rho=10^-28 g/cm^3). With this numerical setup we analyse the influence of ram-pressure stripping on the star formation rate of the model galaxy. We find that the star formation rate is significantly enhanced by the ram-pressure effect (up to a factor of 3). Stars form in the compressed central region of the galaxy as well as in the stripped gas behind the galaxy. Newly formed stars can be found up to hundred kpc behind the disc, forming structures with sizes of roughly 1 kpc in diameter and with masses of up to 10^7 M_sun. As they do not possess a dark matter halo due to their formation history, we name them 'stripped baryonic dwarf' galaxies. We also find that the analytical estimate for the stripping radius from a Gunn & Gott (1972) criterion is in good agreement with the numerical value from the simulation. Like in former investigations, edge-on systems lose less gas than face-on systems and the resulting spatial distribution of the gas and the newly formed stars is different.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Influence of chronic ocular hypertension on emmetropia: Refractive, structural and functional study in two rat models

Chronic ocular hypertension (OHT) influences on refraction in youth and causes glaucoma in adulthood. However, the origin of the responsible mechanism is unclear. This study analyzes the effect of mild-moderate chronic OHT on refraction and neuroretina (structure and function) in young-adult Long-Evans rats using optical coherence tomography and electroretinography over 24 weeks. Data from 260 eyes were retrospectively analyzed in two cohorts: an ocular normotension (ONT) cohort (20 mmHg), in which OHT was induced either by sclerosing the episcleral veins (ES group) or by injecting microspheres into the anterior chamber. A trend toward emmetropia was found in both cohorts over time, though it was more pronounced in the OHT cohort (p < 0.001), especially in the ES group (p = 0.001) and males. IOP and refraction were negatively correlated at week 24 (p = 0.010). The OHT cohort showed early thickening in outer retinal sectors (p < 0.050) and the retinal nerve fiber layer, which later thinned. Electroretinography demonstrated early supranormal amplitudes and faster latencies that later declined. Chronic OHT accelerates emmetropia in Long–Evans rat eyes towards slowly progressive myopia, with an initial increase in structure and function that reversed over time. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Novel use of plga microspheres to create an animal model of glaucoma with progressive neuroretinal degeneration

Progressive degeneration of neuroretinal tissue with maintained elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) to simulate chronic glaucoma was produced by intracameral injections of poly (lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) microspheres (Ms) in rat eyes. The right eye of 39 rats received different sizes of PLGA-Ms (2 µL suspension; 10% w/v): 14 with 38–20 µm Ms (Ms38/20 model) and 25 with 20–10 µm particles (Ms20/10 model). This novel glaucoma animal model was compared to the episcleral vein sclerosis (EPI) model (25 eyes). Injections were performed at baseline, two, four and six weeks. Clinical signs, IOP, retina and optic nerve thicknesses (using in vivo optical coherence tomography; OCT), and histological studies were performed. An IOP increment was observed in all three groups, however, the values obtained from the PLGA-Ms injection resulted lower with a better preservation of the ocular surface. In fact, the injection of Ms20/10 created a gentler, more progressive, and more sustained increase in IOP. This IOP alteration was correlated with a significant decrease in most OCT parameters and in histological ganglion-cell count for the three conditions throughout the eight-week follow-up. In all cases, progressive degeneration of the retina, retinal ganglion cells and optic nerve, simulating chronic glaucoma, was detected by OCT and corroborated by histological study. Results showed an alternative glaucoma model to the well-known episcleral vein model, which was simpler to perform, more reproducible and easier to monitor in vivo

Chronic glaucoma using biodegradable microspheres to induce intraocular pressure elevation. Six-month follow-up

Background: To compare two prolonged animal models of glaucoma over 24 weeks of follow-up. A novel pre-trabecular model of chronic glaucoma was achieved by injection of biodegradable poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) microspheres (10–20 µm) (Ms20/10) into the ocular anterior chamber to progressively increase ocular hypertension (OHT). Methods: Rat right eyes were injected to induce OHT: 50% received a suspension of Ms20/10 in the anterior chamber at 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 weeks, and the other 50% received a sclerosing episcleral vein injection biweekly (EPIm). Ophthalmological clinical signs, intraocular pressure (IOP), neuroretinal functionality measured by electroretinography (ERG), and structural analysis of the retina, retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell layer (GCL) protocols using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and histological exams were performed. Results: Both models showed progressive neuroretinal degeneration (p < 0.05), and contralateral eye affectation. The Ms20/10 model showed a more progressive increase in IOP and better preservation of ocular surface. Although no statistical differences were found between models, the EPIm showed a tendency to produce thicker retinal and thinner GCL thicknesses, slower latency and smaller amplitude as measured using ERG, and more aggressive disturbances in retinal histology. In both models, while the GCL showed the greatest percentage loss of thickness, the RNFL showed the greatest and earliest rate of thickness loss. Conclusions: The intracameral model with biodegradable microspheres resulted more like the conditions observed in humans. It was obtained by a less-aggressive mechanism, which allows for adequate study of the pathology over longer periods. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Virtual Blocks: a serious game for spatial ability improvement on mobile devices

This paper presents a novel spatial instruction system for improving spatial abilities of engineering students. A 3D mobile game application called Virtual Blocks has been designed to provide a 3D virtual environment to build models with cubes that help students to perform visualization tasks to promote the development of their spatial ability during a short remedial course. A validation study with 26 freshman engineering students at La Laguna University (Spain) has concluded that the training had a measurable and positive impact on students spatial ability. In addition, the results obtained using a satisfaction questionnaire show that Virtual Blocks is considered an easy to use and stimulating application.This work has been partially supported by the (Spanish) National Program for Studies and Analysis project "Evaluation and development of competencies associated to the spatial ability in the new engineering undergraduate courses" (Ref. EA2009-0025) and the (Spanish) National Science Project "Enhancing Spatial REasoning and VIsual Cognition with advanced technological tools (ESREVIC)" (Ref TIN2010-21296-C02-02)Martín Dorta, NN.; Sanchez Berriel, I.; Bravo, M.; Hernández, J.; Saorin, JL.; Contero, M. (2014). Virtual Blocks: a serious game for spatial ability improvement on mobile devices. Multimedia Tools and Applications. 73(3):1575-1595. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-013-1652-0S15751595733Baartmans BG, Sorby SA (1996) Introduction to 3-D spatial visualization. Prentice Hall, Englewood CliffsClements D, Battista M (1992) Geometry and spatial reasoning. In: Grouws DA (ed) Handbook of research on mathematics teaching and learning. New York, pp 420–464Cohen J (1988) Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences, 2nd edn. Erlbaum, HillsdaleDe Lisi R, Cammarano DM (1996) Computer experience and gender differences in undergraduate mental rotation performance. Comput Hum Behav 12:351–361Deno JA (1995) The relationship of previous experiences to spatial visualization ability. Eng Des Graph J 59(3):5–17Feng J, Spence I, Pratt J (2007) Playing an action video game reduces gender differences in spatial cognition. Psychol Sci 18(10):850–855French JW (1951) The description of aptitude and achievement tests in terms of rotated factors. Psychometric monograph 5Guilford JP, Lacy JI (1947) Printed classification tests, A.A.F. Aviation Psychological Progress Research Report, 5. US. Government Printing Office, Washington DCHalpern DF (2000) Sex differences and cognitive abilities. Erlbaum, MahwahHöfele C (2007) Mobile 3D graphics: learning 3D graphics with the Java Micro Edition. Editorial ThomsonKajiya JT, Kay TL (1989) Rendering fur with three dimensional textures. In Proceedings of the 16th Annual Conference on Computer Graphics and interactive Techniques SIGGRAPH ’89. ACM Press, New York pp 271–280Linn MC, Petersen AC (1985) Emergence and characterization of gender differences in spatial abilities: a meta-analysis. Child Dev 56:1479–1498Martin-Dorta N, Sanchez-Berriel I, Bravo M, Hernandez J, Saorin JL, Contero M (2010) A 3D educational mobile game to enhance student’s spatial skills, ICALT, pp.6–10, 2010 10th IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning TechnologiesMartin-Dorta N, Saorin J, Contero M (2008) Development of a fast remedial course to improve the spatial abilities of engineering students. J Eng Educ 27(4):505–514Martin-Dorta N, Saorin JL, Contero M (2011) Web-based spatial training using handheld touch screen devices. Educ Technol Soc 14(3):163–177McGee MG (1979) Human spatial abilities: psychometric studies and environmental, genetic, hormonal, and neurological influences. Psychol Bull 86:889–918Noguera JM, Segura RJ, Ogayar CJ, Joan-Arinyo R (2011) Navigating large terrains using commodity mobile devices. Comput Geosci 37:1218–1233Okagaki L, Frensch PA (1994) Effects of video game playing on measures of spatial performance: gender effects in late adolescence. J Appl Dev Psychol 15(1):33–58Pulli K, Aarnio T, Miettinen V, Roimela K, Vaarala J (2007) Mobile 3D graphics with OpenGL ES and M3G. Editorial Morgan KaufmannQuaiser-Pohl C, Geiser C, Lehmann W (2005) The relationship between computer-game preference, gender, and mental-rotation ability. Personal Individ Differ 40(3):609–619Smith IM (1964) Spatial ability- its educational and social significance. The University of London Press, LondonSorby S (2007) Developing 3D spatial skills for engineering students. Australas Assoc Eng Educ 13(1):1–11Terlecki MS, Newcombe NS (2005) How important is the digital divide? The relation of computer and videogame usage to gender differences in mental rotation ability. Sex Roles 53(5/6):433–441Terlecki MS, Newcombe NS, Little M (2008) Durable and generalized effects of spatial experience on mental rotation: gender differences in growth patterns. Appl Cogn Psychol 22:996–1013Thurstone LL (1950) Some primary abilities in visual thinking (Tech. Rep. No. 59). IL University of Chicago Psychometric Laboratory, ChicagoThurstone LL, Thurstone TG (1941) Factorial studies of intelligence. Psychometric monographs. Chicago Press, ChicagoVanderberg S, Kuse A (1978) Mental Rotation, a group test of three dimensional spatial visualization. Percept Mot Skills 47:599–604Zimmerman WS (1954) Hypotheses concerning the nature of the spatial factors. Educ Psychol Meas 14:396–40

First direct constraints on Fierz interference in free neutron β\beta decay

Precision measurements of free neutron $\beta$-decay have been used to precisely constrain our understanding of the weak interaction. However the neutron Fierz interference term $b_n$, which is particularly sensitive to Beyond-Standard-Model tensor currents at the TeV scale, has thus far eluded measurement. Here we report the first direct constraints on this term, finding $b_n = 0.067 \pm 0.005_{\text{stat}} {}^{+0.090}_{- 0.061}{}_{\text{sys}}$, consistent with the Standard Model. The uncertainty is dominated by absolute energy reconstruction and the linearity of the beta spectrometer energy response

Dental sealant knowledge, opinion, values and practice of Spanish dentists

[Background] Multiple guidelines and systematic reviews recommend sealant use to reduce caries risk. Yet, multiple reports also indicate that sealants are significantly underutilized. This study examined the knowledge, opinions, values, and practice (KOVP) of dentists concerning sealant use in the southwest region of Andalusia, Spain. This is a prelude to the generation of a regional plan for improving children’s oral health in Andalusia.[Methods] The survey’s target population was dentists working in western Andalusia, equally distributed in the provinces of Seville, Cadiz, and Huelva (N=2,047). A convenience sample of meeting participants and meeting participant email lists (N=400) were solicited from the annual course on Community and Pediatric Dentistry. This course is required for all public health sector dentists, and is open to all private sector dentists. Information on the dentist’s KOVP of sealants was collected using four-part questionnaire with 31, 5-point Likert-scaled questions.[Results] The survey population demographics included 190 men (48%) and 206 women (52%) with an average clinical experience of 10.6 (± 8.4) years and 9.3 (± 7.5) years, respectively. A significant sex difference was observed in the distribution of place of work (urban/suburb) (p=0.001), but no sex differences between working sector (public/private). The mean ± SD values for each of the four KOVP sections for pit and fissure sealants were: knowledge = 3.57 ± 0.47; opinion = 2.48 ± 0.47; value = 2.74 ± 0.52; and practice = 3.48 ± 0.50. No sex differences were found in KOVP (all p >0.4). Independent of sex: knowledge statistically differed by years of experience and place of work; opinion statistically differed by years of experience and sector; and practice statistically differed by years of experience and sector. Less experienced dentists tended to have slightly higher scores (~0.25 on a Likert 1–5 scale). Statistically significant correlations were found between knowledge and practice (r=0.44, p=0.00) and between opinion and value (r=0.35, p=0.00).[Conclusions] The results suggest that, similar to other countries, Andalusian dentists know that sealants are effective, have neutral to positive attitudes toward sealants; though, based on epidemiological studies, underuse sealants. Therefore, methods other than classical behavior change (eg: financial or legal mechanisms) will be required to change practice patterns aimed at improving children's oral health.We acknowledge the following sources for invaluable financial support NIMHD 1 R34 DE022272 (NIH2385) and NIDCR 1 U24 MD006964

Metal enrichment processes

There are many processes that can transport gas from the galaxies to their environment and enrich the environment in this way with metals. These metal enrichment processes have a large influence on the evolution of both the galaxies and their environment. Various processes can contribute to the gas transfer: ram-pressure stripping, galactic winds, AGN outflows, galaxy-galaxy interactions and others. We review their observational evidence, corresponding simulations, their efficiencies, and their time scales as far as they are known to date. It seems that all processes can contribute to the enrichment. There is not a single process that always dominates the enrichment, because the efficiencies of the processes vary strongly with galaxy and environmental properties.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Space Science Reviews, special issue "Clusters of galaxies: beyond the thermal view", Editor J.S. Kaastra, Chapter 17; work done by an international team at the International Space Science Institute (ISSI), Bern, organised by J.S. Kaastra, A.M. Bykov, S. Schindler & J.A.M. Bleeke