Category measures on Baire spaces

The purpose of this paper is to give a necessary and sufñcient condition to define a category measure on a Baire topological space. In the last section we give some examples of spaacs in these conditions

Category measures on Baire spaces

The purpose of this paper is to give a necessary and sufñcient condition to define a category measure on a Baire topological space. In the last section we give some examples of spaacs in these conditions

Maternal urinary metabolic signatures of fetal growth and associated clinical and environmental factors in the INMA study

Background Maternal metabolism during pregnancy is a major determinant of the intra-uterine environment and fetal outcomes. Herein, we characterize the maternal urinary metabolome throughout pregnancy to identify maternal metabolic signatures of fetal growth in two subcohorts and explain potential sources of variation in metabolic profiles based on lifestyle and clinical data. Methods We used 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to characterize maternal urine samples collected in the INMA birth cohort at the first (n = 412 and n = 394, respectively, in Gipuzkoa and Sabadell cohorts) and third trimesters of gestation (n = 417 and 469). Metabolic phenotypes that reflected longitudinal intra- and inter-individual variation were used to predict measures of fetal growth and birth weight. Results A metabolic shift between the first and third trimesters of gestation was characterized by 1H NMR signals arising predominantly from steroid by-products. We identified 10 significant and reproducible metabolic associations in the third trimester with estimated fetal, birth, and placental weight in two independent subcohorts. These included branched-chain amino acids; isoleucine, valine, leucine, alanine and 3 hydroxyisobutyrate (metabolite of valine), which were associated with a significant fetal weight increase at week 34 of up to 2.4 % in Gipuzkoa (P < 0.005) and 1 % in Sabadell (P < 0.05). Other metabolites included pregnancy-related hormone by-products of estrogens and progesterone, and the methyl donor choline. We could explain a total of 48–53 % of the total variance in birth weight of which urine metabolites had an independent predictive power of 12 % adjusting for all other lifestyle/clinical factors. First trimester metabolic phenotypes could not predict reproducibly weight at later stages of development. Physical activity, as well as other modifiable lifestyle/clinical factors, such as coffee consumption, vitamin D intake, and smoking, were identified as potential sources of metabolic variation during pregnancy. Conclusions Significant reproducible maternal urinary metabolic signatures of fetal growth and birth weight are identified for the first time and linked to modifiable lifestyle factors. This novel approach to prenatal screening, combining multiple risk factors, present a great opportunity to personalize pregnancy management and reduce newborn disease risk in later life

Propiedades mecánicas de mezclas bituminosas en caliente fabricadas con áridos reciclados de residuos de construcción y demolición

The mix design for asphalt mixtures containing recycled aggregates from construction and demolition debris was evaluated. The tests conducted to characterize the mechanical behaviour of these mixtures showed that the mechanical properties of mixtures with recycled and virgin aggregate are similar. The asphalt mixtures containing recycled aggregate proved to have lower resistance to water action. Nonetheless, recycled aggregate was found to be potentially usable in asphalt mixtures if higher quality materials are selected and such low resistance is corrected. This will call for expanding upon the preliminary work described in the present article.En este trabajo se dosificaron mezclas bituminosas fabricadas con áridos reciclados de residuos de construcción y demolición. Se realizaron una serie de ensayos que permitieron caracterizar el comportamiento mecánico de estas mezclas. Los parámetros mecánicos de las mezclas con áridos reciclados son similares a los de las mezclas fabricadas únicamente con áridos naturales de cantera. Sin embargo, las mezclas bituminosas con áridos reciclados tuvieron un mal comportamiento frente a la disminución de la resistencia por pérdida de cohesión por la acción del agua. No obstante, mediante la selección de materiales de mejor calidad y corrección de este mal comportamiento, existen posibilidades de utilizar áridos reciclados en mezclas bituminosas. Para ello será necesario ampliar la primera aproximación realizada en este artículo

Pretransitional phenomena in dilute crystals with first-order phase transition

Pretransitional phenomena at first-order phase transition in crystals diluted by 'neutral' impurities (analogue of nonmagnetic atoms in dilute magnets) are considered. It is shown that field dependence of order parameter becomes nonanalytical in the stability region of the ordered phase, while smeared jumps of thermodynamic parameters and anomalous (non-exponential) relaxation appear near transition temperature of pure crystal.Comment: 4 page

Independent ferroelectric contributions and rare-earth-induced polarization reversal in multiferroic TbMn2O5

Three independent contributions to the magnetically induced spontaneous polarization of multiferroic TbMn2O5 are uniquely separated by optical second harmonic generation and an analysis in terms of Landau theory. Two of them are related to the magnetic Mn3+/4+ order and are independent of applied fields of up to 7 T. The third contribution is related to the long-range antiferromagnetic Tb3+ order. It shows a drastic decrease upon the application of a magnetic field and mediates the change of sign of the spontaneous electric polarization in TbMn2O5. The close relationship between the rare-earth long-range order and the non-linear optical properties points to isotropic Tb-Tb exchange and oxygen spin polarization as mechanism for this rare-earth induced ferroelectricity.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Landau Theory of Domain Wall Magnetoelectricity

We calculate the exact analytical solution to the domain wall properties in a multiferroic system with two order parameters that are coupled bi-quadratically. This is then adapted to the case of a magnetoelectric multiferroic material such as BiFeO3, with a view to examine critically whether the domain walls can account for the enhancement of magnetization reported for thin films fo this material, in view of the correlation between increasing magnetization and increasing volume fraction of domain walls as films become thinner. The present analysis can be generalized to describe a class of magnetoelectric devices based upon domain walls rather than bulk properties.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure

Electric Utility Alignment with the SDGs & the Paris Climate Agreement

The 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda poses a unique and critical challenge to the energy sector: how to scale access to clean energy to power sustainable, economic development for a growing population, while simultaneously decarbonizing global energy supply. Expanding access to clean energy will play a crucial role in achieving nearly every one of the Sustainable Development Goals, including those related to agricultural production, health outcomes, educational performance, water systems, access to infrastructure, and reducing inequalities. However, practices by some actors in the energy sector, and continued over-reliance on greenhouse gas-intensive fossil fuels also undermine global efforts to mitigate climate change and maintain healthy ecosystems and populations, and can exacerbate global conflict and inequality. In recent years, a number of frameworks and standards have been created, to evaluate energy companies’ alignment to the SDGs and to help companies and investors improve performance and decision-making. While such initiatives are surely a step in the right direction, to date, many of these tools fail to account holistically for the ways that energy sector conduct could impact sustainable development, and how those impacts map onto each of the 17 SDGs. This failing has allowed companies to “cherry pick” their preferred reporting criteria while ignoring less convenient SDGs. Further, the lack of consensus around standards and evaluation metrics for SDG-aligned practice has led to broadly different conclusions about the same companies’ conduct, undercutting confidence in the utility of evaluation frameworks altogether. In order to assist both the energy and financial sectors in their alignment with the SDGs, CCSI and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network developed a conceptual framework to define SDG-aligned business practices in the energy sector, and in particular the utility sector. The conceptual framework, composed of four pillars and applied to the utility sector, is as follows: Product: Is the utility a leader in zero-carbon electricity generation and is the utility on the path to reach zero carbon emissions by 2050 or earlier? Production process: Is the utility’s production process socially and environmentally sustainable? Value chain responsibility: Is the utility’s supply and value chain aligned with the SDGs and PCA? Citizenship: Is the utility a good corporate citizen? The full report adapts the four pillar framework to the utility sector, evaluates the proposed framework against twelve existing sustainability initiatives, and compares the performance of the ten largest utilities in Europe and the United States, by market capitalization. The report also provides recommendations for next steps. The project aims at bringing coherence and rigor to SDG measurement, reporting, and tools, supporting engagement with the sector on responsible practices and enabling highly responsible SDG-oriented companies to set themselves apart from the rest

Sensory Analysis of Sweet Musts in Pedro Ximenez cv. Grapes Dried using Different Methods

The sensory properties of musts from Pedro Ximenez grapes chamber-dried at 40 or 50°C, with or withouta dipping treatment, are compared to musts from grapes subjected to the traditional sun-drying methodused in the production of sweet wines. The chamber-dried procedure, specifically at 50°C, decreased thedrying time, improved the health status of the grapes relative to the growth of fungi that produce toxins andyielded must with a very similar color to that of sun-dried grapes. Sensory evaluation has shown that mustfrom grapes dried at 50°C, after treatment with an alkaline emulsion of ethyl oleate, is unacceptable dueto the light color. The musts receiving the highest scores for color, aroma and flavor were from untreatedgrapes dried at 50ºC or potassium carbonate-treated grapes dried at the same temperature. However, thetreatment did not significantly accelerate drying