Powder diffraction at ALBA synchrotron

This talk is devoted to explain the uses of powder diffraction at MSPD (material science and powder diffraction) of ALBA synchrotron light source. General characteristics of the beamline are: Station 1 - High Pressure Diffraction on powders with diamond anvil cell (DAC) and CCD detector. Microdiffraction; and Station 2 - High Resolution Powder Diffraction with Multicrystal- and Silicon-Strip detector. Energy Range: 8-50keV; Typical beam size: 4x1mm; all typical sample geometries possible: capillary, reflection and flat sample in transmission. Initially the setups are described in detail both in the optics hutch and in the experimental hutch. In the high-pressure end station, we can highlight: i) sample alignment semi-automatic; ii) data acquisition and reduction integrated within the beamline control system; iii) online pressure calibration system operational and several upgrades which are under commissioning: i) system for Membrane DAC, Automatic Drive System (change the pressure from outside the hutch); ii) Gas Membrane kit for Almax-Boehler DAC cell (from screw-driven to gas membrane driven); iii) low temperature cryostat and high temperature DAC cell projects are on-going. In the high resolution powder diffraction end station, we can highlight: i) a diffractometer with 3 concentric rotary stages (for two detectors); ii) one very high resolution detector MAD26 (10 – 50KeV), devoted to high resolution ~0.005° [13 channels with 1.5 deg pitch, Si111 Bragg crystals, YAP scintillator + PMT]; iii) MythenII (8 – 30 keV) for fast acquisitions [6 modules that cover 40 deg 0.005 pitch angle, with millisecond resolution]; iv) Temperature range 80 – 900K; v) Eulerian Cradle optional. Then, the main applications will be dealt with based on examples that expands from structure solution of zeolites to the in-situ studies of perovskite catalyst under H2 atmosphere at high temperatures. The high-pressure studies will be exemplified by studies of materials in DAC.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Powder diffraction at ALBA synchrotron

This talk is devoted to explain the uses of powder diffraction at MSPD (material science and powder diffraction) of ALBA synchrotron light source. General characteristics of the beamline are: Station 1 - High Pressure Diffraction on powders with diamond anvil cell (DAC) and CCD detector. Microdiffraction; and Station 2 - High Resolution Powder Diffraction with Multicrystal- and Silicon-Strip detector. Energy Range: 8-50keV; Typical beam size: 4x1mm; all typical sample geometries possible: capillary, reflection and flat sample in transmission. Initially the setups are described in detail both in the optics hutch and in the experimental hutch. In the high-pressure end station, we can highlight: i) sample alignment semi-automatic; ii) data acquisition and reduction integrated within the beamline control system; iii) online pressure calibration system operational and several upgrades which are under commissioning: i) system for Membrane DAC, Automatic Drive System (change the pressure from outside the hutch); ii) Gas Membrane kit for Almax-Boehler DAC cell (from screw-driven to gas membrane driven); iii) low temperature cryostat and high temperature DAC cell projects are on-going. In the high resolution powder diffraction end station, we can highlight: i) a diffractometer with 3 concentric rotary stages (for two detectors); ii) one very high resolution detector MAD26 (10 – 50KeV), devoted to high resolution ~0.005° [13 channels with 1.5 deg pitch, Si111 Bragg crystals, YAP scintillator + PMT]; iii) MythenII (8 – 30 keV) for fast acquisitions [6 modules that cover 40 deg 0.005 pitch angle, with millisecond resolution]; iv) Temperature range 80 – 900K; v) Eulerian Cradle optional. Then, the main applications will be dealt with based on examples that expands from structure solution of zeolites to the in-situ studies of perovskite catalyst under H2 atmosphere at high temperatures. Total scattering (pair distribution function analysis) will also be presented. The high-pressure studies will be exemplified by studies of materials in DAC.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Synchrotron radiation: science & applications

This general talk is devoted to briefly introduce the main uses and applications of synchrotron radiation. An initial introduction will be dedicated to describe a synchrotron as a Large Facility devoted to produce photons that will be used to carry out excellent science. The five outstanding main characteristics of synchrotron radiation are: i) High brilliance and collimation ii) Wavelength tunability iii) Beamsize tunability iv) Defined polarization v) Time structure vi) (Partial) coherence These properties will be illustrated through selected examples ranging from biomedicine (f.i. determination of the crystal structure of macromolecules from tiny crystals or cryo- nano tomography of individual cells by soft X-ray transmission microscopy) to materials science (f.i. experiments of powder diffraction of materials under high pressure in diamond-anvil-cells), from cultural heritage (f.i. the study of degradation of pigments in paints by X-ray absorption spectroscopy) to cements (f.i. the hydration chemistry of eco-cements followed by in-situ powder diffraction), and from basic research on magnetic materials (f.i. ferromagnets where the magnetism of individual metal transition elements are selectively followed by X-ray Magnetic Circular Dicroism) to industrial applications on chocolate (f.i. small X-ray scattering as function of temperature of the polymorphs of cacao).Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Synchrotron Radiation and ALBA Facility

ALBA synchrotron light source (www.cells.es) is the largest Spanish research infrastructure that started full operation of its first 7 beamlines on February 2013. I will divide the talk in three parts: i) the general description of the facility; ii) the eight beamlines currently operating at ALBA; and iii) the three beamlines which are under design/construction. I will start with a very brief description of the facility including the construction costs, staff structure and general parameters. Then, I will briefly describe our three accelerators: LINAC, booster and the store ring. Some characteristic parameters will be described. To finish this part, I will touch the three main magnetic technologies to produce X-rays from the ALBA electron beam. Secondly, I will concisely describe the eight beamlines with their main application fields. A photography of our experimental hall with a Table displaying the current beamlines is shown just below. The ways to use ALBA including the call-for-proposals will be described. The proposals (both national and internationals) are judged by an international panel on the basis of scientific excellence. Finally, I will briefly explain the current construction stage of the new beamlines.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

ALBA Synchrotron Light Source

ALBA synchrotron light source (www.cells.es) is the largest Spanish research infrastructure that started full operation of its first 7 beamlines on February 2013. I will divide the talk in three parts: i) the general description of the facility; ii) the seven bealines and current ALBA usage; and iii) the future ALBA beamlines and possibilities for collaboration. Two beamlines (phase-II) are under construction and six proposals for new beamlines (phase-III) have been positively evaluated by ALBA-SAC (Scientific Advisory Committee). I will start with a very brief description of the facility including the construction costs, staff structure and general parameters. Then, I will briefly describe our three accelerators: LINAC, booster and the store ring. Some characteristic parameters will be described. To finish this part, I will touch the three main magnetic technologies to produce X-rays from the ALBA electron beam. Secondly, I will concisely describe the seven beamlines with their main application fields. A photography of our experimental hall with a Table displaying the seven current beamlines is shown just below. The ways to use ALBA including the call-for-proposals will be described. The proposals (both national and internationals) are judged by an international panel on the basis of scientific excellence. Thirdly, I will briefly explain the current phase II with the construction of two beamlines, infrared microspectroscopy and angular-resolved photoemission. Finally, I will then present the plans for the phase-III beamlines as well as examples of ways to collaborate with ALBA synchrotron.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Aceleración de algoritmos para el cálculo de distribuciones de probabilidad alfa-estables mediante programación paralela

Las distribuciones de probabilidad alfa-estables son una familia especial de distribuciones de probabilidad cuyo estudio puede resultar en sistemas predictivos avanzados de diversos tipos, como análisis de tráfico de red, procesamiento de imágenes médicas o cotizaciones bursátiles. Surgen a partir del Teorema del Límite Central Generalizado, que establece que aquella suma de variables aleatorias cuya varianza no es finita converge a distribuciones alfa-estables. Desafortunadamente, la mayoría de herramientas existentes en la actualidad no son capaces de realizar los cálculos necesarios para el procesamiento de las distribuciones con la suficiente velocidad para poder llegar a obtener herramientas verdaderamente útiles que trabajen a tiempo real con un sistema predictivo. Esto se debe principalmente a la gran complejidad computacional que supone realizar las operaciones de integración numérica necesarias para obtener una distribución alfa-estable con un nivel de precisión aceptable para su uso en un sistema predictivo. En el presente Trabajo Fin de Grado se estudia la posibilidad de conseguir acelerar un algoritmo para el cálculo de distribuciones alfa-estables mediante el uso de computación paralela, más concretamente en GPUs con el uso de la tecnología CUDA. Para ello se propone la utilización de un algoritmo de integración numérica adaptativo, diseñado para su uso en entornos paralelos CUDA como método primario de integración para el algoritmo encargado de calcular las distribuciones de probabilidad alfa-estables. De esta forma se consigue incrementar el rendimiento en la obtención de estas distribuciones, pudiendo lograr una aceleración relativa de hasta varias veces el rendimiento de la versión serie del programa, manteniendo la precisión necesaria para lograr que los resultados permanezcan igual de correctos.Alpha-stable distributions are a special subset of probability distributions whose research can result in advanced predictive systems of diverse types, such as network traffic analysis, medic images processing or stock-market prices. They emerge because of the Central Limit Theorem, which establishes that the addition of random variables with infinite variance converges into an alpha-stable distribution. Unfortunately, most currently used tools are not capable of calculating fast enough the processing of these distributions with the necessary speed in order to obtain actually useful tools capable to work within real time in a predictive system. This is mainly due to the great computational complexity required to solve all of the numeric integration operations needed in order to calculate an alpha-stable distribution with an acceptable level of precision for its usage in a predictive system. The following End-of-Degree Project studies the possibility of accelerating an algorithm to calculate alpha-stable distributions by means of parallel computing, more specifically in GPUs equipped with CUDA technology. In order to do so, we propose the usage of a multi-dimensional adaptive numeric integration algorithm designed for CUDA environments as the primary integration method for the algorithm that calculates alpha-stables. By doing so, we manage to increase the performance in the calculation of these distributions, being capable of reaching an acceleration of multiple times the performance of the serial version while maintaining the necessary precision in order for the results to remain equally correct

La formación en salud mental

A partir de la experiencia de formación de trabajadores sociales psiquiátricos en la Universidad de Zaragoza se analiza el recorrido de dicha formación en el marco normativo vigente en cada momento, sus características y las posibilidades existentes en este momento teniendo en cuenta las características básicas de los sistemas sanitarios occidentales, cada vez menos proclives a conceder importancia a los factores sociales. A continuación se señalan algunas cuestiones que deberían tenerse en cuenta en el diseño de nuevas ofertas formativas.Drawing on experience with training psychiatric social workers at the University of Zaragoza, an analysis is made of the trajectory of this training within the regulatory framework of the moment, its characteristics and the possibilities that exist at the time taking into account the basic characteristics of western health systems, which are increasingly less likely to recognize the importance of social factors. Next, some issues are posed which should be considered in the design of new training offerings

ALBA. Synchrotron light source

ALBA és una font de llum de sincrotró de tercera generació que es troba a Cerdanyola del Vallès. Aquesta gran instal·lació orientada a l'usuari es basa en un sistema d'acceleradors amb tres components principals: l'accelerador lineal, el booster i l'anell d'emmagatzematge. Els diferents tipus de dispositius magnètics dins de l'anell d'emmagatzematge produeixen fotons amb energies que van des de l'ultraviolat fins als raigs X. La primera fase de set línies de llum va entrar en funcionament el maig de 2012. Estan disponibles diferents tècniques de radiació sincrotró, incloses la difracció, l'espectroscòpia i la imatge. Tot seguit es descriu breument el projecte, l'estat actual i les perspectives futures.ALBA is a third generation synchrotron light source located in Cerdanyola del Vallès. This user-oriented large facility is based on an accelerator system with three main components: linear accelerator, booster and storage ring. Different types of magnetic devices within the storage ring produce photons with energies ranging from UV up to hard X-ray. The first phase, with seven beamlines, became operational in May 2012. Different synchrotron radiation techniques are available including diffraction, spectroscopies and imaging. The project, present status and future perspectives are briefly described

Air pollution and mortality : results from Santiago, Chile

Heavy outdoor pollution is found in developing country cities such as Jakarta, Katowice, Mexico City, and Santiago. But most epidemiological studies of dose-response relationships between particulate air pollution (PM10) and premature deaths are from Western industrial nations. This study of such relationships in developing countries by the authors fills an important gap. It is also one of the few based on monitored PM10 values, or small particles, which is likely to be a more relevant measure of exposure to air pollution than the more traditional measure of total suspended particulates. Over several years, daily measures of ambient PM10 were collected in Santiago. Data were collected for all deaths, as well as for deaths for all men, all women, and all people over 64. Deaths from respiratory and cardiovascular disease were recorded separately, and accidental deaths were excluded. Multiple regression analysis was used to explain mortality, with particular attention to the influence of season and temperature. The association persists after controlling for daily minimum temperature and binary variables indicating temperature extremes the day of the week, the month, and the year. Additional sensitivity analysis suggests robust relationships. A change equal to 10-microgram-per-cubic-meter in daily PM10 (about 9 percent) averaged over three days was associatedwith a 1.1 percent increase in mortality (95 percent confidence interval: 0.6 to 1.5 percent). Death from respiratory and cardiovascular disease was more responsive to changes in PM10 than total mortality was. The same holds for mortality among men and mortality among individuals older than 64. The results are surprising consistent with results from industrial countries.Public Health Promotion,Air Quality&Clean Air,Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Montreal Protocol,Statistical&Mathematical Sciences,Statistical&Mathematical Sciences,Montreal Protocol,Airports and Air Services,Health Economics&Finance,Health Monitoring&Evaluation

Propagation of generalized vector Helmholtz-Gauss beams through paraxial optical systems

We introduce the generalized vector Helmholtz-Gauss (gVHzG) beams that constitute a general family of localized beam solutions of the Maxwell equations in the paraxial domain. The propagation of the electromagnetic components through axisymmetric ABCD optical systems is expressed elegantly in a coordinate-free and closed-form expression that is fully characterized by the transformation of two independent complex beam parameters. The transverse mathematical structure of the gVHzG beams is form-invariant under paraxial transformations. Any paraxial beam with the same waist size and transverse spatial frequency can be expressed as a superposition of gVHzG beams with the appropriate weight factors. This formalism can be straightforwardly applied to propagate vector Bessel-Gauss, Mathieu-Gauss, and Parabolic-Gauss beams, among others