High & low-level features modelling of nodes in WSNs using SystemC

Performing an adequate modeling of sensors in contemporary sensor networks can be difficult due to the need to include characteristics of high and low level of the entire network into a single software model. This paper presents a novel approach for modeling the nodes in a sensor network, as well as its integration into the network using a programmable parametric structure. The proposed approach was developed in SystemC language considering the properties of this language which perfectly fits the needs of both the hardware description of the nodes, as the complex algorithms that can run on them. The proposed model allows to include several physical node features such as data formats, connections between components and memory, and real limitations in runtime, among others. The developed model is applied to a geoelectrical prospection network in order to demonstrate in practice its advantages and application possibilities, and considering that in such kind of networks nodes act as sensors or actuator, depending on the operation mode in which it is working. Two classic network topologies, chain and bus, are used to test the model with a set of different parameter values. Performance metrics are used to compare the network topologies and their interaction with the node set size, in order to verify the validity of the proposed approach

The Thymus in Chagas Disease: Molecular Interactions Involved in Abnormal T-Cell Migration and Differentiation

Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan parasite T. cruzi, is a prevalent parasitic disease in Latin America. Presently, it is spreading around the world by human migration, thus representing a new global health issue. Chronically infected individuals reveal a dissimilar disease progression: while nearly 60% remain without apparent disease for life, 30% develop life-threatening pathologies, such as chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCC) or megaviscerae. Inflammation driven by parasite persistence seems to be involved in the pathophysiology of the disease. However, there is also evidence of the occurrence of autoimmune events, mainly caused by molecular mimicry and bystander activation. In experimental models of disease, is well-established that T. cruzi infects the thymus and causes locally profound structural and functional alterations. The hallmark is a massive loss of CD4+CD8+ double positive (DP) thymocytes, mainly triggered by increased levels of glucocorticoids, although other mechanisms seem to act simultaneously. Thymic epithelial cells (TEC) exhibited an increase in extracellular matrix deposition, which are related to thymocyte migratory alterations. Moreover, medullary TEC showed a decreased expression of AIRE and altered expression of microRNAs, which might be linked to a disrupted negative selection of the T-cell repertoire. Also, almost all stages of thymocyte development are altered, including an abnormal output of CD4−CD8− double negative (DN) and DP immature and mature cells, many of them carrying prohibited TCR-Vβ segments. Evidence has shown that DN and DP cells with an activated phenotype can be tracked in the blood of humans with chronic Chagas disease and also in the secondary lymphoid organs and heart of infected mice, raising new questions about the relevance of these populations in the pathogenesis of Chagas disease and their possible link with thymic alterations and an immunoendocrine imbalance. Here, we discuss diverse molecular mechanisms underlying thymic abnormalities occurring during T. cruzi infection and their link with CCC, which may contribute to the design of innovative strategies to control Chagas disease pathology.Fil: Perez, Ana Rosa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Inmunología Clinica y Experimental de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Inmunología Clinica y Experimental de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: de Meis, Juliana. Fundación Oswaldo Cruz; BrasilFil: Rodriguez Galan, Maria Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología; ArgentinaFil: Savino, Wilson. Fundación Oswaldo Cruz; Brasi

ACELERÓGRAFO TRIAXIAL PORTÁTIL QUE COMPRENDE UN RECEPTOR DE TRAMAS NMEA-GPS

The invention describes a portable geophysical monitoring instrument designed to acquire and store signals from strong seismic events in a comfortable way for users. It is designed for seismic monitoring applications mainly in civil structures, but it can also be used in open spaces. The measuring instrument complies with all the technical requirements established by the Colombian Geological Institute (formerly Ingeominas) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in the earthquake resistance standards NSR-98 and NSR-10. La presente invención está dirigida a un instrumento portable de monitoreo geofísico diseñado para adquirir y almacenar señales provenientes de eventos sísmicos fuertes de forma cómoda para los usuarios. Está proyectado para aplicaciones de monitoreo sísmico principalmente en estructuras civiles, pero también puede ser usado en espacios abiertos. El instrumento de medición cumple con todos los requerimientos técnicos establecidos por el Sen/icio Geológico Colombiano (antes Ingeominas) en las normas de sismo resistencia NSR-98 y NSR-10

Designing a hybrid thin-film/wafer silicon triple photovoltaic junction for solar water splitting

Solar fuels are a promising way to store solar energy seasonally. This paper proposes an earth-abundant heterostructure to split water using a photovoltaic-electrochemical device (PV-EC). The heterostructure is based on a hybrid architecture of a thin-film (TF) silicon tandem on top of a c-Si wafer (W) heterojunction solar cell (a-Si:H (TF)/nc-Si:H (TF)/c-Si(W)) The multijunction approach allows to reach enough photovoltage for water splitting, while maximizing the spectrum utilization. However, this unique approach also poses challenges, including the design of effective tunneling recombination junctions (TRJ) and the light management of the cell. Regarding the TRJs, the solar cell performance is improved by increasing the n-layer doping of the middle cell. The light management can be improved by using hydrogenated indium oxide (IOH) as transparent conductive oxide (TCO). Finally, other light management techniques such as substrate texturing or absorber bandgap engineering were applied to enhance the current density. A correlation was observed between improvements in light management by conventional surface texturing and a reduced nc-Si:H absorber material quality. The final cell developed in this work is a flat structure, using a top absorber layer consisting of a high bandgap a-Si:H. This triple junction cell achieved a PV efficiency of 10.57%, with a fill factor of 0.60, an open-circuit voltage of 2.03 V and a short-circuit current density of 8.65 mA/cm2. When this cell was connected to an IrOx/Pt electrolyser, a stable solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiency of 8.3% was achieved and maintained for 10 hours.</p

Lemna Minor influence in the treatment of organic pollutionof the industrial effluents

The purpose of the research was to determine the influence of industrial wastewater treatment using the Lemna Minor aquatic plant. Certain varieties of macrophyte plants can absorb or retain various contaminants. Thanks to this, it has been determined that the variety known as Lemna Minor presents this type of property. Three treatment trials were carried out varying the amounts of Lemna Minor (100, 200, and 300g). They are keeping constant the retention time of 10 days that were analyzed at 3, 6, and 10 days after the treatment and with a constant volume of the residual effluent. The results indicate that in terms of the parameters that determine organic contamination, BOD was reduced by (61 %); COD was reduced by (68 %) and the concentration of total suspended solids by (61 %).Revisión por pares de doble ciegoCampus San Juan de Luriganch

Ultraviolet-Optical observations of the Seyfert 2 Galaxies NGC 7130, NGC 5135 and IC 3639: Implications for the Starburst-AGN Connection

We present and discuss HST (WFPC2 and FOC) images and UV GHRS spectra plus ground-based near UV through to near IR spectra of three Seyfert 2 nuclei (NGC 7130, NGC 5135 and IC 3639). These galaxies, together to Mrk 477, were selected from a bigger sample that comprises the 20 brightest Seyfert 2 nuclei, with the goal to study the origin of the UV-optical-near IR featureless continuum in Seyfert 2 nuclei. These four galaxies have bolometric luminosities, as computed with the four IRAS bands, of 10^11 Lsol. They are close enough to be resolved with HST the nuclear zone. This makes these Seyfert 2 galaxies benchmarks to study the Starburst-AGN connection in more distant galaxies. The data provide direct evidence of the existence of a central nuclear starburst that dominates the UV light, and that seem to be responsible for the origin of the so called featureless continuum. These starbursts are dusty and compact. They have sizes (from less than 100 pc to a few hundred pc) much smaller and closer to the nucleus than that seen in the prototype Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1068. The bolometric luminosity of these starbursts is similar to the estimated bolometric luminosities of their obscured Seyfert 1 nuclei, and thus they contribute in the same amount to the overall energetics of these galaxies.Comment: to be published in ApJ 505, September issue. The figures are in a tar files at: http://www.iaa.es/~rosa/Seyfert

Using molecular data for epidemiological inference: assessing the prevalence of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense in Tsetse in Serengeti, Tanzania

Background: Measuring the prevalence of transmissible Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense in tsetse populations is essential for understanding transmission dynamics, assessing human disease risk and monitoring spatio-temporal trends and the impact of control interventions. Although an important epidemiological variable, identifying flies which carry transmissible infections is difficult, with challenges including low prevalence, presence of other trypanosome species in the same fly, and concurrent detection of immature non-transmissible infections. Diagnostic tests to measure the prevalence of T. b. rhodesiense in tsetse are applied and interpreted inconsistently, and discrepancies between studies suggest this value is not consistently estimated even to within an order of magnitude. Methodology/Principal Findings: Three approaches were used to estimate the prevalence of transmissible Trypanosoma brucei s.l. and T. b. rhodesiense in Glossina swynnertoni and G. pallidipes in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania: (i) dissection/microscopy; (ii) PCR on infected tsetse midguts; and (iii) inference from a mathematical model. Using dissection/microscopy the prevalence of transmissible T. brucei s.l. was 0% (95% CI 0–0.085) for G. swynnertoni and 0% (0–0.18) G. pallidipes; using PCR the prevalence of transmissible T. b. rhodesiense was 0.010% (0–0.054) and 0.0089% (0–0.059) respectively, and by model inference 0.0064% and 0.00085% respectively. Conclusions/Significance: The zero prevalence result by dissection/microscopy (likely really greater than zero given the results of other approaches) is not unusual by this technique, often ascribed to poor sensitivity. The application of additional techniques confirmed the very low prevalence of T. brucei suggesting the zero prevalence result was attributable to insufficient sample size (despite examination of 6000 tsetse). Given the prohibitively high sample sizes required to obtain meaningful results by dissection/microscopy, PCR-based approaches offer the current best option for assessing trypanosome prevalence in tsetse but inconsistencies in relating PCR results to transmissibility highlight the need for a consensus approach to generate meaningful and comparable data

Evaluación fitoquímica y de actividad antimicrobiana de dos extractos de plantas amazónicas

Se hicieron análisis fitoquímico preliminar y antimicrobiano a los extractos etanólicos y las fracciones de éter de petróleo y acetato de etilo obtenidas por partición líquido-líquido, de las plantas amazónicas: Crepidospermum goudotianum (Burseraceae) e Irlbachia alata (Gentianaceae). Las dos plantas presentaron alcaloides, fenoles, cumarinas, saponinas, esteroides y/o triterpenoides. La fracción de éter de petróleo de C. goudotianum presentó actividad antifúngica frente a C. albicans

Evaluación fitoquímica y de actividad antimicrobiana de dos extractos de plantas amazónicas

Se hicieron análisis fitoquímico preliminar y antimicrobiano a los extractos etanólicos y las fracciones de éter de petróleo y acetato de etilo obtenidas por partición líquido-líquido, de las plantas amazónicas: Crepidospermum goudotianum (Burseraceae) e Irlbachia alata (Gentianaceae). Las dos plantas presentaron alcaloides, fenoles, cumarinas, saponinas, esteroides y/o triterpenoides. La fracción de éter de petróleo de C. goudotianum presentó actividad antifúngica frente a C. albicans

On the origin of M81 group extended dust emission

Galactic cirrus emission at far-infrared wavelengths affects many extragalactic observations. Separating this emission from that associated with extragalactic objects is both important and difficult. In this paper we discuss a particular case, the M81 group, and the identification of diffuse structures prominent in the infrared, but also detected at optical wavelengths. The origin of these structures has previously been controversial, ranging from them being the result of a past interaction between M81 and M82 or due to more local Galactic emission. We show that over an order of a few arcmin scales, the far-infrared (Herschel 250 mu m) emission correlates spatially very well with a particular narrow-velocity (2-3 km s(-1)) component of the Galactic HI. We find no evidence that any of the far-infrared emission associated with these features actually originates in the M81 group. Thus we infer that the associated diffuse optical emission must be due to galactic light-back scattered off dust in our galaxy. Ultraviolet observations pick out young stellar associations around M81, but no detectable far-infrared emission. We consider in detail one of the Galactic cirrus features, finding that the far-infrared HI relation breaks down below arcmin scales and that at smaller scales there can be quite large dust-temperature variation