Wigner density of a rigid rotator

We show that the Wigner density of the rigid rotator, in an appropriate, i.e., four-dimensional, phase space, is positive. This result holds in the ground state (S state), and also in the thermal mixture state at all finite temperatures. We discuss the implications of our result for the description of angular momentum in quantum mechanics; in particular, we reexamine, in the light of this new evidence, the suggestion made by Einstein and Stern [Ann. Phys. 40, 551 (1913)] that there is a nontrivial distribution of angular momentum in the S state

Analysis of actinometric measurements under allsky and cloud-free conditions in Cáceres (Spain) for the period 1913–1920

Early daily actinometric and cloud cover data from C aceres (SW of Spain) were recovered for the period 1913–1920. The task of retrieving and digitising early actinometric data series turn out highly required due to the lack of solar radiation data throughout the first half of twentieth century. Firstly, the Arago actinometer and the procedure employed to record the actinometric data were described in detail. Additionally, in spite of being a short series, trends from recovered actinometric data were analysed. A negative trend of (0.16 ± 0.03) C/year was obtained for all-sky conditions, reaching a marked value of (0.26 ± 0.04) C/year when cloud-free days were selected in the analysis. Both trends were statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. The Katmai eruption in June 1912 likely caused anomalous low actinometric records in 1913 and 1914. These results suggest a decrease of solar radiation in C aceres during the second decade of the twentieth century which is in accordance with the final stage of the long-term negative trend in solar radiation data observed at several European sites from late nineteenth century to the beginning of the twentieth century (‘early dimming’).This work was partly funded by FEDER-Junta de Extremadura [Research Group Grant GR15137 and project IB16127] and from the Ministerio de Econom ıa y Competitividad of the Spanish Government [CGL2017- 87917-P]

Biological activities of histidine-rich peptides; merging biotechnology and nanomedicine

Histidine-rich peptides are commonly used in recombinant protein production as purification tags, allowing the one-step affinity separation of the His-tagged proteins from the extracellular media or cell extracts. Genetic engineering makes feasible the post-purification His-tag removal by inserting, between the tag and the main protein body, a target site for trans-acting proteases or a self-proteolytic peptide with regulatable activities. However, for technical ease, His tags are often not removed and the fusion proteins eventually used in this form. In this commentary, we revise the powerful biological properties of histidine-rich peptides as endosomolytic agents and as architectonic tags in nanoparticle formation, for which they are exploited in drug delivery and other nanomedical applications. These activities, generally unknown to biotechnologists, can unwillingly modulate the functionality and biotechnological performance of recombinant proteins in which they remain trivially attached

Flexibilidad energética en barrio de edificios residenciales mediante la activación de la masa termica. Resultados experimentales en un entorno semivirtual

CIES2020 - XVII Congresso Ibérico e XIII Congresso Ibero-americano de Energia SolarRESUMEN: En los próximos años los edificios se convertirán en productores y consumidores de energía al mismo tiempo. Por esta razón, la gestión de la demanda a nivel de edificio y a nivel de barrio a través de un agregador independiente requerirá de sistemas de control inteligentes con el objetivo de optimizar y gestionar dos aspectos: maximizar el uso de energía renovable local y usar la energía de la red en el momento más oportuno. El presente estudio se enfoca en los resultados de un sistema de algoritmos de optimización multi-nivel testeados en tiempo real. El experimento desarrollado reproduce, en dos laboratorios físicamente alejados 100 km, el comportamiento de dos edificios de un mismo barrio mediante un sistema semi-virtual donde unos modelos del edificio determinan su demanda energética emulandola en los laboratorios haciendo actuar al equipamiento físico en condiciones reales de trabajo. Los resultados muestran que la gestión inteligente de la masa térmica del edificio con los algoritmos de optimización puede aportar los mismos beneficios que instalar una batería eléctrica actuando con algoritmos inteligentes o de autoconsumo.ABSTRACT: In the coming years, buildings will become energy producers and consumers at the same time. To optimize the system operation, smart control algorithms shall manage the energy demand of an individual building and of entire districts of buildings. The algorithms goals shall maximize the use of the renewable energy produced on-site and using the energy from the electric grid at the most appropriate time. The current study focus on the results of a multilevel optimization system tested in real-time. The experiment performed reproduces, in two laboratories 100 km away, the behavior of two buildings of similar characteristics hypothetically located in the same district. This is done with energy building models which allows emulating their energy demands connected to real laboratory equipment (heat pumps, PV, batteries and management and control systems). Results of the experiments show that the smart activation of the building’s thermal mass can bring similar benefits than installing an electric battery that acts following smart or self-consumption management strategies.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Policy Challenges for the Development of Energy Flexibility Services

European energy policies call for an increased share of renewable energy sources and a more active role of the energy consumer. This is facilitated by, amongst others, buildings becoming energy flexible hubs, supporting smart energy grids with demand response strategies. While there is abundant technical research in this field, the related business and policy development is less well documented. This research scopes existing policy programmes and identifies opportunities and barriers to business development supporting energy flexible buildings. Using examples from seven European countries, this work reviews influencing niche management factors such as existing policy instruments, business development cases and identified stakeholder concerns, using literature research, narrative analysis and stakeholder research. National policy pathways show many differences but confirm that European buildings might become active players in the energy market, by providing energy storage, demand response and/or shifts in the use of energy sources. Slow sustained business development for energy flexibility services was mainly identified in the retail industry, and for energy service companies and aggregators. The direct involvement of end users in energy flexible buildings is still difficult. Stakeholders call for policy improvement, especially concerning the development of flexible energy tariffs, supporting incentives, awareness raising and more stakeholder-targeted business development

Sociobiological Control of Plasmid copy number

Background:
All known mechanisms and genes responsible for the regulation of plasmid replication lie with the plasmid rather than the chromosome. It is possible therefore that there can be copy-up mutants. Copy-up mutants will have within host selective advantage. This would eventually result into instability of bacteria-plasmid association. In spite of this possibility low copy number plasmids appear to exist stably in host populations. We examined this paradox using a computer simulation model.

Model:
Our multilevel selection model assumes a wild type with tightly regulated replication to ensure low copy number. A mutant with slightly relaxed replication regulation can act as a “cheater” or “selfish” plasmid and can enjoy a greater within-host-fitness. However the host of a cheater plasmid has to pay a greater cost. As a result, in host level competition, host cell with low copy number plasmid has a greater fitness. Furthermore, another mutant that has lost the genes required for conjugation was introduced in the model. The non-conjugal mutant was assumed to undergo conjugal transfer in the presence of another conjugal plasmid in the host cell.

Results:
The simulatons showed that if the cost of carrying a plasmid was low, the copy-up mutant could drive the wild type to extinction or very low frequencies. Consequently, another mutant with a higher copy number could invade the first invader. This process could result into an increasing copy number. However above a certain copy number within-host selection was overcompensated by host level selection leading to a rock-paper-scissor (RPS) like situation. The RPS situation allowed the coexistence of high and low copy number plasmids. The non-conjugal “hypercheaters” could further arrest the copy numbers to a substantially lower level.

Conclusions:
These sociobiological interactions might explain the stability of copy numbers better than molecular mechanisms of replication regulation alone

On surface tension for compact stars

In an earlier treatment it was demonstrated that general relativity gives higher values of surface tension in strange stars with quark matter than neutron stars.We generate the modified Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equation to incorporate anisotropic matter and use this to show that pressure anisotropy provides for a wide range of behaviour in the surface tension than is the case with isotropic pressures. In particular it is possible that anisotropy drastically decreases the value of the surface tension.Comment: 8 pages, To appear in J. Astrophys. Astro

Análisis de medidas actinométricas registradas en el periodo 1913-1923 en Cáceres (España)

Ponencia presentada en: XI Congreso de la Asociación Española de Climatología celebrado en Cartagena entre el 17 y el 19 de octubre de 2018.[ES]El análisis de las tendencias de los datos actinométricos registrados en Cáceres en el periodo 1913-1920 muestra un decrecimiento significativo con pendiente (-0.16 ± 0.03) ºC/año. Además, se ha realizado el análisis de las tendencias eliminando los factores externos que pueden alterarlo (erupción del volcán Katmai en 1912) mostrando un decrecimiento significativo también, pero con pendiente mayor (-0.28 ± 0.04) °C/año. También, se han analizado las tendencias en ambos periodos (1913-1920 y 1915-1920) para las distintas estaciones del año y, además, separando las medidas actinométricas por categorías de nubes al disponer de datos de cubierta nubosa. Estos resultados sugieren un decrecimiento de la radiación solar en Cáceres durante la segunda década del siglo XX en concordancia con el descenso radiativo en superficie observado en Europa entre finales del siglo XIX y principios del XX early dimming”).[EN]The analysis of the trends of the actinometric data recorded in Cáceres in the period 1913-1920 shows a significant decrease with slope (-0.16 ± 0.03) °C/year. In addition, the analysis of the trends has been done without the external factors that can modify it (the Katmai eruption in 1912) showing a significant decrease as well, but with a greater slope of (-0.28 ± 0.04) °C/year. Also, trends have been analyzed in both periods (1913-1920 and 1915-1920) for the different seasons of the year and, in addition, separating the actinometric measurements by cloud categories because cloud cover data were recorded as well in the same period. These results suggest a decrease in solar radiation in Cáceres during the second decade of the 20th century in accordance with the radiative decrease at surface observed in Europe between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th ("early dimming").Este trabajo ha sido parcialmente financiado por FEDER-Junta de Extremadura (GR15137 y IB16127) y por el Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad del Gobierno de España (AYA2014-57556-P y CGL2017-87917-P)

Application of Magnetic Nanoparticles in Pharmaceutical Sciences

# The Author(s) 2010. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com KEY WORDS magnetic beads. magnetic bioseparation. magnetic nanoparticle

Multiplicity dependence of jet-like two-particle correlations in p-Pb collisions at sNN\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 5.02 TeV

Two-particle angular correlations between unidentified charged trigger and associated particles are measured by the ALICE detector in p-Pb collisions at a nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass energy of 5.02 TeV. The transverse-momentum range 0.7 $< p_{\rm{T}, assoc} < p_{\rm{T}, trig} <$ 5.0 GeV/$c$ is examined, to include correlations induced by jets originating from low momen\-tum-transfer scatterings (minijets). The correlations expressed as associated yield per trigger particle are obtained in the pseudorapidity range $|\eta|<0.9$. The near-side long-range pseudorapidity correlations observed in high-multiplicity p-Pb collisions are subtracted from both near-side short-range and away-side correlations in order to remove the non-jet-like components. The yields in the jet-like peaks are found to be invariant with event multiplicity with the exception of events with low multiplicity. This invariance is consistent with the particles being produced via the incoherent fragmentation of multiple parton--parton scatterings, while the yield related to the previously observed ridge structures is not jet-related. The number of uncorrelated sources of particle production is found to increase linearly with multiplicity, suggesting no saturation of the number of multi-parton interactions even in the highest multiplicity p-Pb collisions. Further, the number scales in the intermediate multiplicity region with the number of binary nucleon-nucleon collisions estimated with a Glauber Monte-Carlo simulation.Comment: 23 pages, 6 captioned figures, 1 table, authors from page 17, published version, figures at http://aliceinfo.cern.ch/ArtSubmission/node/161