CNO behaviour in planet-harbouring stars. II. Carbon abundances in stars with and without planets using the CH band

Context. Carbon, oxygen and nitrogen (CNO) are key elements in stellar formation and evolution, and their abundances should also have a significant impact on planetary formation and evolution. Aims. We present a detailed spectroscopic analysis of 1110 solar-type stars, 143 of which are known to have planetary companions. We have determined the carbon abundances of these stars and investigate a possible connection between C and the presence of planetary companions. Methods. We used the HARPS spectrograph to obtain high-resolution optical spectra of our targets. Spectral synthesis of the CH band at 4300\AA was performed with the spectral synthesis codes MOOG and FITTING. Results. We have studied carbon in several reliable spectral windows and have obtained abundances and distributions that show that planet host stars are carbon rich when compared to single stars, a signature caused by the known metal-rich nature of stars with planets. We find no different behaviour when separating the stars by the mass of the planetary companion. Conclusions. We conclude that reliable carbon abundances can be derived for solar-type stars from the CH band at 4300\AA. We confirm two different slope trends for [C/Fe] with [Fe/H] because the behaviour is opposite for stars above and below solar values. We observe a flat distribution of the [C/Fe] ratio for all planetary masses, a finding that apparently excludes any clear connection between the [C/Fe] abundance ratio and planetary mass.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures. Accepted to A&

C/O vs Mg/Si ratios in solar type stars: The HARPS sample

Aims. We present a detailed study of the Mg/Si and C/O ratios and their importance in determining the mineralogy of planetary companions. Methods. Using 499 solar-like stars from the HARPS sample, we determine C/O and Mg/Si elemental abundance ratios to study the nature of the possible planets formed. We separated the planetary population in low-mass planets ( < 30 $\rm M_{\odot}$) and high-mass planets ( > 30 $\rm M_{\odot}$) to test for possible relation with the mass. Results. We find a diversity of mineralogical ratios that reveal the different kinds of planetary systems that can be formed, most of them dissimilar to our solar system. The different values of the Mg/Si and C/O ratios can determine different composition of planets formed. We found that 100\% of our planetary sample present C/O < 0.8. 86\% of stars with high-mass companions present 0.8 > C/O > 0.4, while 14\% present C/O values lower than 0.4. Regarding Mg/Si, all stars with low-mass planetary companion showed values between 1 and 2, while 85% of the high-mass companion sample does. The other 15\% showed Mg/Si values below 1. No stars with planets were found with Mg/Si > 2. Planet hosts with low-mass companions present C/O and Mg/Si ratios similar to those found in the Sun, whereas stars with high-mass companions have lower C/O.Comment: 9 pages, 12 figues. Accepted in A&

Semiclassical time--dependent propagation in three dimensions: How accurate is it for a Coulomb potential?

A unified semiclassical time propagator is used to calculate the semiclassical time-correlation function in three cartesian dimensions for a particle moving in an attractive Coulomb potential. It is demonstrated that under these conditions the singularity of the potential does not cause any difficulties and the Coulomb interaction can be treated as any other non-singular potential. Moreover, by virtue of our three-dimensional calculation, we can explain the discrepancies between previous semiclassical and quantum results obtained for the one-dimensional radial Coulomb problem.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures (EPS

Knowledge and degree of training of Primary Education teachers in relation to ICT taught to disabled students

The integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) into the inclusive classroom requires competent teaching staff from both the technological and pedagogical points of view. Within this context, and with the aim of looking at one of these theoretical premises, this study aimed to identify the degree of training and technological knowledge of primary school teachers in Spain with respect to the use of ICT with individuals with disabilities (functional diversity). A descriptive ex post-facto research method was used, where the sample comprised 777 teachers. An ad-hoc questionnaire was used as the data-collection instrument. The results revealed the low skill levels of the teachers with respect to the use of ICT with students with disabilities, where the level of training of the teaching staff was determined by personal (gender, age), professional (teaching experience) or educational (qualifications) variables. The findings of this study point to the need for teacher training that instructs teachers on the use of ICT in order to favour the learning and educational innovation of students with disabilities

A Real-Time Comparison of Four Particulate Matter Size Fractions in the Personal Breathing Zone of Paris Subway Workers: A Six-Week Prospective Study.

We developed a Bayesian spline model for real-time mass concentrations of particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5, PM1, and PM0.3) measured simultaneously in the personal breathing zone of Parisian subway workers. The measurements were performed by GRIMM, a gravimetric method, and DiSCmini during the workers' work shifts over two consecutive weeks. The measured PM concentrations were analyzed with respect to the working environment, the underground station, and any specific events that occurred during the work shift. Overall, PM0.3 concentrations were more than an order of magnitude lower compared to the other PM concentrations and showed the highest temporal variation. The PM2.5 levels raised the highest exposure concern: 15 stations out of 37 had higher mass concentrations compared to the reference. Station PM levels were not correlated with the annual number of passengers entering the station, the year of station opening or renovation, or the number of platforms and tracks. The correlation with the number of station entrances was consistently negative for all PM sizes, whereas the number of correspondence concourses was negatively correlated with PM0.3 and PM10 levels and positively correlated with PM1 and PM2.5 levels. The highest PM10 exposure was observed for the station platform, followed by the subway cabin and train, while ticket counters had the highest PM0.3, PM1, and PM2.5 mass concentrations. We further found that compared to gravimetric and DiSCmini measurements, GRIMM results showed some discrepancies, with an underestimation of exposure levels. Therefore, we suggest using GRIMM, calibrated by gravimetric methods, for PM sizes above 1μm, and DiSCmini for sizes below 700 nm

Dynamic inverse problem solution using a kalman filter smoother for neuronal activity estimation

En este artículo se presenta un método de estimación de la actividad neuronal sobre el cerebro usando un filtro de Kalman con suavizado, que tiene en cuenta en la solución del problema inverso, la variabilidad dinámica de la serie de tiempo. Este método es aplicado sobre un modelo realista de la cabeza, calculado con elementos finitos de frontera. Se presenta un análisis comparativo entre diferentes métodos de estimación y el método propuesto sobre señales EEG simuladas para diferentes condiciones de relación señal a ruido. La solución del problema inverso se hace utilizando computación de alto desempeño y se presenta una evaluación delcosto computacional para cada método. Como resultado, el filtro de Kalman con suavizado presenta un mejor desempeño en la tarea de estimación comparado con la solución estática regularizada, y la solución dinámica sin suavizado.This article presents an estimation method of neuronal activity into the brain using a Kalman smoother approach that takes into account in the solution of the inverse problem the dynamic variability of the time series. This method is applied over a realistic head model calculated with the boundary element method. A comparative analysis for the dynamic estimation methods is made up from simulated EEG signals for several noise conditions. The solution of the inverse problem is achieved by using high performance computing techniques and an evaluation of the computational cost is performed for each method. As a result, the Kalman smoother approach presents better performance in the estimation task than the regularized static solution, and the direct Kalman filter

Neural correlates of phonological, orthographic and semantic reading processing in dyslexia

Developmental dyslexia is one of the most prevalent learning disabilities, thought to be associated with dysfunction in the neural systems underlying typical reading acquisition. Neuroimaging research has shown that readers with dyslexia exhibit regional hypoactivation in left hemisphere reading nodes, relative to control counterparts. This evidence, however, comes from studies that have focused only on isolated aspects of reading. The present study aims to characterize left hemisphere regional hypoactivation in readers with dyslexia for the main processes involved in successful reading: phonological, orthographic and semantic. Forty-one participants performed a demanding reading task during MRI scanning. Results showed that readers with dyslexia exhibited hypoactivation associated with phonological processing in parietal regions; with orthographic processing in parietal regions, Broca's area, ventral occipitotemporal cortex and thalamus; and with semantic processing in angular gyrus and hippocampus. Stronger functional connectivity was observed for readers with dyslexia than for control readers 1) between the thalamus and the inferior parietal cortex/ventral occipitotemporal cortex during pseudoword reading; and, 2) between the hippocampus and the pars opercularis during word reading. These findings constitute the strongest evidence to date for the interplay between regional hypoactivation and functional connectivity in the main processes supporting reading in dyslexia. Keywords: Dyslexia, Reading, Hypoactivation, Functional connectivity, Thalamus, Hippocampu

Differential Behavior Between Isolated and Aggregated Rabbit Auricular Chondrocytes on Plastic Surfaces

A knowledge of the behavior of chondrocytes in culture is relevant for tissue engineering. Chondrocytes dedifferentiate to a fibroblast-like phenotype on plastic surfaces. Dedifferentiation is reversible if these cells are then cultured in suspension. In this report a description is given of how when chondrocyte aggregates formed in suspension are next seeded on plastic, most of them attach as round or polygonal cells. This morphological differentiation, with synthesis of type II collagen, is stable for long culture periods. This simple method can be of use as a model for studies of chondrocyte behavior on plastic. The results indicate that in addition to culture conditions, such as cell isolation method or cell density, chondrocyte behavior on plastic depends on the presence of aggregates

The HADES RV Programme with HARPS-N@TNG IV. Time resolved analysis of the Ca ii H&K and H{\alpha} chromospheric emission of low-activity early-type M dwarfs

M dwarfs are prime targets for planet search programs, particularly of those focused on the detection and characterization of rocky planets in the habitable zone. Understanding their magnetic activity is important because it affects our ability to detect small planets, and it plays a key role in the characterization of the stellar environment. We analyze observations of the Ca II H&K and H{\alpha} lines as diagnostics of chromospheric activity for low-activity early-type M dwarfs. We analyze the time series of spectra of 71 early-type M dwarfs collected for the HADES project for planet search purposes. The HARPS-N spectra provide simultaneously the H&K doublet and the H{\alpha} line. We develop a reduction scheme able to correct the HARPS-N spectra for instrumental and atmospheric effects, and to provide flux-calibrated spectra in units of flux at the stellar surface. The H&K and H{\alpha} fluxes are compared with each other, and their variability is analyzed. We find that the H and K flux excesses are strongly correlated with each other, while the H{\alpha} flux excess is generally less correlated with the H&K doublet. We also find that H{\alpha} emission does not increase monotonically with the H&K line flux, showing some absorption before being filled in by chromospheric emission when H&K activity increases. Analyzing the time variability of the emission fluxes, we derive a tentative estimate of the rotation period (of the order of a few tens of days) for some of the program stars, and the typical lifetime of chromospheric active regions (a few stellar rotations). Our results are in good agreement with previous studies. In particular, we find evidence that the chromospheres of early-type M dwarfs could be characterized by different filaments coverage, affecting the formation mechanism of the H{\alpha} line. We also show that chromospheric structure is likely related to spectral type