The Almirall Project: a portal of 19 th century culture and thinking

The Ateneu Barcelonès is a civil, private cultural association that has been a part of Spanish society and culture since 1860, having been founded with the aim of promoting dialogue and disseminating knowledge about the country's artistic, historical and intellectual heritage. Since 2005, been taking part in various digitisation projects, including several digital projects. The Almirall Project aims to be a portal that explains, contextualises and inter-relates 19th-century works, thinkers, artists and schools of thought at Barcelona's Ateneu Library, providing access to digital copies lodged at other portals

3D FDTD analysis of cross-talk in pixelated PA-LCos devices: impact of fill factor and size pixel on S2 and S3 parameters

In the last decades, new technology fabrication developments have permitted increased resolution and reduced pixel size of Liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) microdisplays. However, the pixel size reduction triggers the microdisplay performance degradation due to different phenomena, such as the cross-talk between neighbouring pixels, fringing fields, out-of-plane reorientation of the liquid crystal director, and diffraction effects due to the pixelated grid pattern of the microdisplay. In this work, a full 3D simulation model has been applied to predict the liquid crystal director orientation as a function of space and external voltage. The scheme here considered provides the complete vectorial information of the electromagnetic field distribution produced by one single pixel illuminated by plane waves circularly polarised. This analysis is carried on for several pixel and gap sizes for different external voltages. This research focuses on S2 and S3 Stokes parameters and how their behaviour is affected due to the cross-talk phenomena previously presented.The work was supported by the “Generalitat Valenciana” (IDIFEDER/2021/014 cofunded by FEDER EU pro- gram, and project PROMETEO/2021/006, GRISOLIAP/2021/106), and by “Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación” of Spain (projects PID2021-123124OB-I00; PID2019-106601RB-I00)

Absolute polarimetric calibration of the retardance of a liquid crystal on silicon microdisplay

The phase-shift exhibited by liquid crystal on silicon devices (LCoS) depends on the voltage applied and the illumination wavelength. Most of the LCoS used in the labs are digitally addressed using a binary pulse width modulated signal. Usually, these devices are characterized for a very small range of the available binary voltage values and for specific wavelengths. In this work, we consider a commercial parallel-aligned liquid crystal on silicon device (PA-LCoS) in which the binary voltages are accessible through the software of the vendor. We perform a complete averaged Stokes polarimetric characterization of the device where we are able to obtain the absolute unwrapped retardance values for a wide range of voltage parameters and across the visible spectrum. This provides a practical approach to evaluate the whole range of phase modulation possibilities, and to analyze some issues related with the physics of the device.Funded by the “Generalitat Valenciana” (Spain) (IDIFEDER/2021/014, cofunded by EU through FEDER Programme; and PROMETEO/2021/006), “Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación” (Spain) (PID2021-123124OB-I00, PID2019-106601RB-I00). ARS-M thanks the “Generalitat Valenciana” for the grant (GRISOLIAP/2021/106)

Perseo y Andrómeda en el teatro de Lope de Vega

La mitología clásica ha constituido, desde tiempos inmemoriales, una fuente inagotable de temas y motivos que han poblado las distintas manifestaciones artísticas y literarias de la tradición occidental, especialmente desde el Renacimiento, donde, a partir de la moralización evemerista, su contenido, así como su significado, mutaron en forma e interpretación, dando lugar a versiones muy distintas que garantizaron no solo ya su supervivencia, sino el nacimiento de nuevas manifestaciones que enriquecieron el panorama cultural de toda Europa como sucedió, por ejemplo, con el ciclo mítico de Perseo.La mitologia clàssica ha constituït, des de temps immemorials, una font inesgotable de temes i motius que han poblat les diferents manifestacions artístiques i literàries de la tradició occidental, especialment des del Renaixement, on, a partir de la moralització evemerista, el seu contingut, així com el seu significat, van mudar en forma i interpretació, donant lloc a versions molt diferents que van garantir no només ja la seva supervivència, sinó el naixement de noves manifestacions que van enriquir el panorama cultural de tot Europa com va succeir, per exemple, amb el cicle mític de Perseu

Parameter analysis for LCoS devices as a function of the voltage and wavelength

A model describing the parameter and wavelength dependencies not only of retardance, but also its flicker in liquid-crystal-on-silicon spatial light modulators (LCoS SLMs), is presented. We provide results for different digital addressing sequences producing different levels of flicker.Work funded by Generalitat Valenciana (Spain) (PROMETEO/2021/006, IDIFEDER/2021/014, cofunded by European Union through the FEDER Programme GV/2019/021); and Universidad de Alicante (Spain), projects GRE17-06 and UATALENTO 18-10

Advances and Pitfalls of Specialized Pain Care through Public and Private Health Care Providers in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands: A Physician’s Survey

Optimal diagnosis and treatment of pain require a multidisciplinary approach that demands considerable coordination and forethought. A cross-sectional physician survey based on an online questionnaire was carried out to assess the adoption of multidisciplinary working patterns, compare the public and private models, and provide an update on the resources and organization of specialized pain care in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands. Active pain practitioners identified through the Catalan Health Service and Pain Society databases were sent an invitation in December 2020. Of the 321 physicians contacted, 91 (28.3%) answered and 71 provided complete responses (commonly anesthesiologists, representing 92 different sites; some worked at public and private sites). Up to 78.7% reported working in pain management teams, but only 53.5% were regularly involved in teaching or research activities. Thus, the proportion of multidisciplinary sites lies somewhere in-between. Median wait times were significantly shorter and within the recommended standards in private practices (e.g., 15 vs. 90 days in public practices for noncancer patients). In turn, private practices were slightly less staffed and equipped, albeit the differences did not reach statistical significance. Respondents made a median of 530 regular and 30 emergency visits per year, of which 190 involved interventional procedures. They offered a wide range of pharmacological and interventional therapies, although psychotherapy and the most sophisticated procedures were only available in <= 50% of sites. Pain clinicians and facilities are reasonably available in Catalonia, but barely more than half are truly multidisciplinary. Public and private practices differ in some aspects; the latter seems to be more accessible, but it is restricted to patients who can afford it. Compared to previous reports, this update shows both advances and outstanding issues. Multidisciplinary care could be expanded by incorporating more psychologists and some interventional procedures. The public practices should reduce wait times

Phase-unwrapping strategies for metrology of variable retarders

En este trabajo presentamos diferentes características que debemos tener en cuenta cuando queremos evaluar el retardo de una lámina retardadora variable, o de cualquier dispositivo que se pueda comportar como una de estas láminas. En nuestra experiencia, y debido a que están involucradas diferentes funciones trigonométricas, hemos encontrado que siempre aparece cierta incertidumbre en el retardo medido que está limitado por los valores obtenidos de dichas funciones. Intentaremos contextualizar los resultados con los diferentes modos de desenrollado que podemos utilizar y ver en qué punto se produce dicho enrollado, así como las consideraciones que deberemos tener en cuenta para evaluar el retardo para que se ajuste a lo que realmente estamos midiendo.In this work we present different aspects that we have to manage when we want to evaluate the retardance introduced by a variable waveplate, or any device that behaves in that way. In our experience, and due to the trigonometric functions that are involved, we have find that we always appears some uncertainty in the measured retardance that are limited by the values obtained by the used trigonometric functions. We will try to contextualize the results with the different methods of unwrapping that we can use and at what point the wrapping occurs. We will make some considerations to consider making the evaluated retardance closer to the real retardance introduced by the waveplate.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (PID2021-123124OB-I00, PID2019-106601RB-I00); Generalitat Valenciana (IDIFEDER/2021/014, cofundado por la UE a través del programa FEDER; y el proyecto PROMETEO/2021/006). ARS-M agradece a la Generalitat Valenciana por el contrato GRISOLIAP/2021/106

Island-like mountain radiations in Asia: The case study of the genera Saussurea and Jurinea

Trabajo presentado en el XIX International Botanical Congress (IBC 2017), celebrado en Shenzhen (China) del 23 al 29 de julio de 2017Evolutionary radiations represent events in which many species or lineages evolved from a common ancestor in a short period of time. Many plant radiations have been triggered by island-like ecological opportunities following mountain uplift; the mountain ranges with the steepest and widest environmental gradients, such as the Andes, are home of exceptional regional species pools (and also exceptional endemism rates), mainly derived from evolutionary radiations. The Himalayan-Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (HQTP) and the adjacent Hengduan Mountains (HM) are considered one of the main biodiversity hotspots of the world thanks to its richness in species and endemics. Both regions show extreme altitudinal ranges compressed in short distances as a consequence of the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates, and thus constitute ideal evolutionary scenarios to study diversification processes in mountain regions. We have identified two possible cases of alpine radiations in the Saussurea-Jurinea complex (Compositae-Cardueae), involving some 550 species in total. Saussurea shows an amazing number of species (more than 300) in the HQTP and Hengduan mountains, although a considerable number of species are also found on the west side of the mountains of Middle Asia (Tian Shan and Pamir-Alay). Jurinea, in contrast, has the highest number of species (150 sp.) in the Tian Shan and Pamir-Alay. Our general objectives are the following: a) To carry out an extensive sampling of Saussurea and Jurinea, especially centred in the two main radiation areas in the HQTP and Tian Shan mountains; b) To generate well-resolved phylogenies of both genera using a multi-loci approach through next-generation-sequencing (NGS) analyzed by Bayesian inference and parsimony, and explore coalescent-based species tree estimation with our NGS data set; c) On the basis of the new phylogenies, conduct phylogenetic comparative analyses and multi-model biogeographical inference to address the following questions: Do the alpine species of both genera in Asian mountains constitute clades with clearly higher rates of diversification than their lowland relatives? How many independent radiations took place in the complex? If several, did they occur at the same period, and are they comparable in terms of speciation rates? Which factors (intrinsic or extrinsic) shape species radiations, i.e., do the radiations follow a geographical model, an adaptive model, or a mixed model? Our results will be a major contribution to the study of alpine radiations especially in the HQTP, and will open a methodological pathway for the analysis of very large radiations in other genera.Peer reviewe

Horizons: nuclear astrophysics in the 2020s and beyond

Nuclear astrophysics is a field at the intersection of nuclear physics and astrophysics, which seeks to understand the nuclear engines of astronomical objects and the origin of the chemical elements. This white paper summarizes progress and status of the field, the new open questions that have emerged, and the tremendous scientific opportunities that have opened up with major advances in capabilities across an ever growing number of disciplines and subfields that need to be integrated. We take a holistic view of the field discussing the unique challenges and opportunities in nuclear astrophysics in regards to science, diversity, education, and the interdisciplinarity and breadth of the field. Clearly nuclear astrophysics is a dynamic field with a bright future that is entering a new era of discovery opportunities