Surfaces and interfaces characterization for the development of diamond power electronic devices

The management of electric energy is one of the more important challenges of humanity with increasing energy demands. High power elements in the electric grid such as rectifiers are currently based on silicon. Design of new architectures has kept silicon-based devices on top of the high-power devices market. However, the inherent limitations of silicon have lead researchers to explore other semiconductor candidates. Diamond superior electronic and thermal properties make it a promising candidate for its application in high-power and high-frequency regime. For this reason, diamond has generated great interest to researchers in the last decades. The new methods of diamond synthesis fostered and opened research towards this new technology. As a wide band-gap semiconductor, diamond insulating nature makes its electronic application very dependent on scientific and technologic aspects such as doping, surface and interface phenomena as well as other device manufacturing process implications. Therefore, success in defining the ultimate performance of diamond electronic devices will require a thorough examination of the most relevant electronic aspects in them, in order to understand their origins and take control over the consequences. This thesis is framed on the surface and interface aspects of (100) diamond for its application in electronic devices. It is first focused on one of the most accepted concepts on diamond electronics: the relevance of diamond surface terminations for the definition of the device performance. The use of the angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS) mode has prompted the reinterpretation of the electronic contributions near the surface and has allowed opening the discussion on the origin of surface p-type conduction of the hydrogenated surface. Regarding oxygen termination, the ARXPS results have served as a starting platform for new models of surface reconstruction that go through the consideration of sp2 hybridizations, breaking with the strongly rooted conception of ideal full-sp3 surface reconstruction. On the other hand, interface aspects are discussed in the frame of metal-diamond junctions, which is the base structure for ohmic and Schottky contacts. The metal-diamond reaction has been linked to the low thermal stability of the contact and the deterioration of its electronic behaviour. To avoid this reaction, some researchers have chosen a preformed carbide with a metallic character such as WC, showing high thermal stability and a close to ideal Schottky behaviour. The comprehensive interface nanoscopic characterization allows this thesis to put into perspective its phenomenology in such Schottky structures with that of other options. The results of this thesis will help to better understand and continue the debate on some of the fundamental scientific aspects of diamond-based electronic devices

La cooperativa, una empresa de economía solidaria

La cartilla describe la labor de las cooperativas de trabajo asociado para mantenimiento de vías, los procesos de gestión contable, fundamentos básicos de contabilidad, elaboración de registros y estados financieros.The booklet describes the work of the associated work cooperatives for the maintenance of the roads, accounting management processes, basic accounting fundamentals, the preparation of records and financial statements.La cooperativa, una empresa de economía solidaria -- La contabilidad y las áreas de gestión -- La contabilidad de la cooperativ

Diamond for Electronics: Materials, Processing and Devices

Progress in power electronic devices is currently accepted through the use of wide bandgap materials (WBG). Among them, diamond is the material with the most promising characteristics in terms of breakdown voltage, on-resistance, thermal conductance, or carrier mobility. However, it is also the one with the greatest difficulties in carrying out the device technology as a result of its very high mechanical hardness and smaller size of substrates. As a result, diamond is still not considered a reference material for power electronic devices despite its superior Baliga's figure of merit with respect to other WBG materials. This review paper will give a brief overview of some scientific and technological aspects related to the current state of the main diamond technology aspects. It will report the recent key issues related to crystal growth, characterization techniques, and, in particular, the importance of surface states aspects, fabrication processes, and device fabrication. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of diamond devices with respect to other WBG materials are also discussed.The authors thank the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO) of the Spanish Government for funding under Grant Nos. TEC2017-86347-C2-1-R, ESP2017-91820, PID2020-117201RB-C21, and PID2019-110219RB-100 and the Junta de Andalucia (Andalusian Government, Spain) for funding through Nos. P20_00946, FEDER-UCA18- 106470 and FEDER-UCA18-107851 projects

El plan de cuentas

Este documento explica la clasificación, nomenclatura, movimientos de las cuentas contables, importancia y determinación del plan de cuentas y como conocer, codificar e interpretar diferentes grupos de cuentas.This document explains the classification, nomenclature, movements of the accounts, importance and determination of the chart of accounts and how to know, code and interpret different groups of accounts.Clasificación, nomenclatura y movimiento de las cuentas -- El plan de cuentas -- Codificación del plan de cuenta

Dislocation generation mechanisms in heavily boron-doped diamond epilayers

Doping diamond layers for electronic applications has become straightforward during the last two decades. However, dislocation generation in diamond during the microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition growth process is still not fully understood. This is a truly relevant topic to avoid for an optimal performance of any device, but, usually, it is not considered when designing diamond structures for electronic devices. The incorporation of a dopant, here boron, into a lattice as close as that of diamond, can promote the appearance of dislocations in the epilayer. The present contribution analyzes the different processes that can take place in this epilayer and gives some rules to avoid the formation of dislocations, based on the comparison of the different dislocation generation mechanisms. Indeed, competitive mechanisms, such as doping atom proximity effect and lattice strain relaxation, are here quantified for heavily boron-doped diamond epilayers. The resulting growth condition windows for defect-free heavily doped diamond are here deduced, introducing the diamond parameters and its lattice expansion in several previously published critical thickness (h(c)) and critical doping level relationships for different doping levels and growth conditions. Experimental evidence supports the previously discussed thickness-doping-growth condition relationships. Layers with and without dislocations reveal that not only the thickness but also other key factors such as growth orientation and growth parameters are important, as dislocations are shown to be generated in epilayers with a thickness below the People and Bean critical thickness

Lecciones y practicum de Derecho Constitucional

El presente proyecto de innovación docente persigue un doble objetivo: la actualización de los contenidos de Lecciones de Derecho Constitucional II y la reorganización y difusión de las prácticas de Derecho Constitucional II. Mientras que la primera finalidad ya ha sido satisfecha, la segunda se está desarrollando al tiempo en el que se imparten las lecciones por parte de los distintos profesores.Departamento de Derecho Constitucional, Procesal y Eclesiástico del Estad

Can the Cytokine Profile According to ABO Blood Groups Be Related to Worse Outcome in COVID-19 Patients? Yes, They Can

Producción CientíficaSevere status of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is extremely associated to cytokine release. Moreover, it has been suggested that blood group is also associated with the prevalence and severity of this disease. However, the relationship between the cytokine profile and blood group remains unclear in COVID-19 patients. In this sense, we prospectively recruited 108 COVID-19 patients between March and April 2020 and divided according to ABO blood group. For the analysis of 45 cytokines, plasma samples were collected in the time of admission to hospital ward or intensive care unit and at the sixth day after hospital admission. The results show that there was a risk of more than two times lower of mechanical ventilation or death in patients with blood group O (log rank: p = 0.042). At first time, all statistically significant cytokine levels, except from hepatocyte growth factor, were higher in O blood group patients meanwhile the second time showed a significant drop, between 20% and 40%. In contrast, A/B/AB group presented a maintenance of cytokine levels during time. Hepatocyte growth factor showed a significant association with intubation or mortality risk in non-O blood group patients (OR: 4.229, 95% CI (2.064–8.665), p < 0.001) and also was the only one bad prognosis biomarker in O blood group patients (OR: 8.852, 95% CI (1.540–50.878), p = 0.015). Therefore, higher cytokine levels in O blood group are associated with a better outcome than A/B/AB group in COVID-19 patients.Instituto de Salud Carlos III (grant COV20/00491)Junta de Castilla y León (grant 18IGOF

Jornadas de encuentro entre alumnado y egresados del Máster Universitario en Atención Temprana como estrategia de innovación docente para la realización del TFM.

Depto. de Estudios EducativosFac. de EducaciónFALSEsubmitte

Inter-Rater Variability in the Evaluation of Lung Ultrasound in Videos Acquired from COVID-19 Patients

12 páginas, 7 figuras, 1 tablaLung ultrasound (LUS) allows for the detection of a series of manifestations of COVID-19, such as B-lines and consolidations. The objective of this work was to study the inter-rater reliability (IRR) when detecting signs associated with COVID-19 in the LUS, as well as the performance of the test in a longitudinal or transverse orientation. Thirty-three physicians with advanced experience in LUS independently evaluated ultrasound videos previously acquired using the ULTRACOV system on 20 patients with confirmed COVID-19. For each patient, 24 videos of 3 s were acquired (using 12 positions with the probe in longitudinal and transverse orientations). The physicians had no information about the patients or other previous evaluations. The score assigned to each acquisition followed the convention applied in previous studies. A substantial IRR was found in the cases of normal LUS (κ = 0.74), with only a fair IRR for the presence of individual B-lines (κ = 0.36) and for confluent B-lines occupying 50% (κ = 0.50). No statistically significant differences between the longitudinal and transverse scans were found. The IRR for LUS of COVID-19 patients may benefit from more standardized clinical protocols.This research was partially funded by CDTI (Spanish acronym: Centre for Industrial Tech- nological Development), funding number COI-20201153. Partially supported by the Google Cloud Research Credits program with the funding number GCP19980904, by the project RTI2018-099118- A-I00 founded by MCIU/AEI/FEDER UE and by the European Commission–NextGenerationEU, through CSIC’s Global Health Platform (PTI Salud Global)

Protocolo de cribado, diagnóstico y tratamiento de la enfermedad de Chagas en mujeres embarazadas latinoamericanas y en sus hijos

Malaltia de Chagas; Dones embarassades llatinoamericanes; Salut maternoinfantilEnfermedad de Chagas; Mujeres embarazadas latinoamericanas; Salud maternoinfantilChagas disease; Latin american pregnant women; Maternal and child healthLa malaltia de Chagas (MCH) continua sent un problema important de salut pública. L’OMS estima que en el món hi ha 8 milions de persones infectades per Trypanosoma cruzi, la majoria a l’Amèrica Llatina. En països no endèmics, com és el cas del nostre entorn, l’MCH s’observa en persones infectades que provenen de països endèmics o en infants nascuts en països no endèmics, però la mare dels quals ha estat infectada (transmissió congènita). A Catalunya, per tal de fer el control i la vigilància de l’MCH, l’any 2010 es va posar en marxa el Programa de prevenció i control de la malaltia de Chagas congènita a Catalunya, coordinat pel Departament de Salut i que inclou el diagnòstic, el control, el seguiment i el tractament de l’MCH congènita dirigits a les dones embarassades i als seus fills. En el marc del Programa, es va elaborar el Protocol de cribratge i diagnòstic de malaltia de Chagas en dones embarassades llatinoamericanes i en els seus fills, que es va editar el 2010. Aquest document va ser fruit de l’esforç conjunt de professionals sanitaris experts en la malaltia, de diferents societats científiques i de professionals del Departament de Salut de la Generalitat de Catalunya, amb el suport del Grup de Treball de Països No Endèmics i del Departament de Control de Malalties Tropicals Oblidades de l’OMS. El Protocol que es presenta, a més d’incloure les mateixes línies que la primera edició, disposa d’actualitzacions de diferents aspectes clínics, de diagnòstic i de vigilància epidemiològica basats en l’experiència i l’evidència observades durant aquests vuit anys del Programa de prevenció i control de la malaltia de Chagas congènita a Catalunya. Durant aquests darrers anys, s’ha reforçat la perspectiva de salut pública en el Programa, en el qual han participat un gran nombre de professionals de la xarxa assistencial i agents comunitaris de salut amb l’objectiu de reduir l’efecte de la transmissió vertical de l’MCH a Catalunya. La primera part del document recull les característiques clíniques de l’MCH que, encara que és d’aparició relativament recent en el nostre entorn, gràcies a la informació facilitada tant en l’àmbit sanitari com en l’àmbit comunitari durant els últims anys, ha deixat de ser una malaltia oblidada i desconeguda a Catalunya. En els darrers anys, els avenços i l’experiència en el nostre entorn en el diagnòstic de l’MCH ens han fet arribar a un consens sobre la utilització de mètodes directes moleculars, tal com es descriu en aquest Protocol. Així mateix, la concreció de dades epidemiològiques sobre prevalença d’infecció i incidència de casos de la malaltia ha millorat molt gràcies a la vigilància i notificació de dades recollides en el marc del Programa de prevenció i control de la malaltia de Chagas congènita a Catalunya pels professionals que formen part del Grup de Treball de la Malaltia de Chagas Congènita. En aquest aspecte i per tal de millorar-ne el control s’han incorporat els metges de família i salut comunitària, ja que són uns dels professionals clau que es troben més propers als pacients. Un aspecte fonamental que es desprèn d’aquest document i del funcionament del Programa és la multidisciplinarietat. El repte del sistema de salut i de la vigilància de la salut pública és la coordinació i el treball dels professionals de diferents àmbits sanitaris, com poden ser els ginecòlegs, els microbiòlegs, els llevadors, els pediatres d’atenció primària i hospitalària, els metges de família i salut comunitària, el personal d’infermeria, els infectòlegs, els epidemiòlegs i els agents de salut comunitària que treballen de manera conjunta per a l’assoliment de l’objectiu plantejat. El present Protocol constitueix un document eminentment pràctic, mitjançant el qual els professionals sanitaris disposen dels elements essencials per a la realització del cribratge en la dona embarassada. A partir d’aquest Protocol s’espera també aconseguir la detecció i el tractament precoç dels casos d’MCH en la població pediàtrica, nadons i altres fills a Catalunya, amb l’objectiu últim de millorar la salut maternoinfantil a Catalunya.La enfermedad de Chagas (ECH) sigue siendo un problema importante de salud pública. La OMS estima que en el mundo hay 8 millones de personas infectadas por Trypanosoma cruzi, la mayoría en América Latina. En países no endémicos, como es el caso de nuestro entorno, la ECH se observa en personas infectadas que provienen de países endémicos o en niños nacidos en países no endémicos, pero cuya madre ha sido infectada (transmisión congénita). En Cataluña, para hacer el control y la vigilancia de la ECH, en 2010 se puso en marcha el Programa de prevención y control de la enfermedad de Chagas congénita en Cataluña, coordinado por el Departamento de Salud y que incluye el diagnóstico, el control, el seguimiento y el tratamiento de la ECH congénita dirigidos a las mujeres embarazadas y a sus hijos. En el marco del Programa, se elaboró el Protocolo de cribado y diagnóstico de enfermedad de Chagas en mujeres embarazadas latinoamericanas y en sus hijos, que se editó en 2010. Este documento fue fruto del esfuerzo conjunto de profesionales sanitarios expertos en la enfermedad, de diferentes sociedades científicas y de profesionales del Departamento de Salud de la Generalidad de Cataluña, con el apoyo del Grupo de Trabajo de Países No Endémicos y del Departamento de Control de Enfermedades Tropicales Olvidadas de la OMS. El Protocolo que se presenta, además de incluir las mismas líneas que la primera edición, dispone de actualizaciones de diferentes aspectos clínicos, de diagnóstico y de vigilancia epidemiológica basados en la experiencia y la evidencia observadas durante estos ocho años del Programa de prevención y control de la enfermedad de Chagas congénita en Cataluña. Durante estos últimos años, se ha reforzado la perspectiva de salud pública en el Programa, en el que han participado un gran número de profesionales de la red asistencial y agentes comunitarios de salud con el objetivo de reducir el efecto de la transmisión vertical del ECH en Cataluña. La primera parte del documento recoge las características clínicas de la ECH que, aunque es de aparición relativamente reciente en nuestro entorno, gracias a la información facilitada tanto en el ámbito sanitario como en el ámbito comunitario durante los últimos años, ha dejado de ser una enfermedad olvidada y desconocida en Cataluña. En los últimos años, los avances y la experiencia en nuestro entorno en el diagnóstico de la ECH nos han hecho llegar a un consenso sobre la utilización de métodos directos moleculares, tal como se describe en el presente Protocolo. Asimismo, la concreción de datos epidemiológicos sobre prevalencia de infección e incidencia de casos de la enfermedad ha mejorado mucho gracias a la vigilancia y notificación de datos recogidos en el marco del Programa de prevención y control de la enfermedad de Chagas congénita en Cataluña por los profesionales que forman parte del Grupo de Trabajo de la Enfermedad de Chagas Congénita. En este aspecto y para mejorar su control se han incorporado los médicos de familia y salud comunitaria, ya que son unos de los profesionales clave que se encuentran más cercanos a los pacientes. Un aspecto fundamental que se desprende de este documento y del funcionamiento del Programa es la multidisciplinariedad. El reto del sistema de salud y de la vigilancia de la salud pública es la coordinación y el trabajo de los profesionales de diferentes ámbitos sanitarios, como pueden ser ginecólogos, microbiólogos, comadrones, pediatras de atención primaria y hospitalaria, médicos de familia y salud comunitaria, personal de enfermería, infectólogos, epidemiólogos y agentes de salud comunitaria que trabajan de manera conjunta para el logro del objetivo planteado. El presente Protocolo constituye un documento eminentemente práctico, mediante el cual los profesionales sanitarios disponen de los elementos esenciales para la realización del cribado en la mujer embarazada. A partir de este Protocolo se espera también conseguir la detección y el tratamiento precoz de los casos de ECH en la población pediátrica, bebés y otros hijos en Cataluña, con el objetivo último de mejorar la salud maternoinfantil en Cataluña.Chagas disease (CHD) continues to be a major public health problem. The WHO estimates that there are 8 million people in the world infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, the majority in Latin America. In non-endemic countries, as is the case in our environment, CHD is seen in infected people who come from endemic countries or children born in non-endemic countries, but whose mother has been infected (congenital transmission). In Catalonia, in order to control and monitor the CHD, in 2010 the Program for the Prevention and Control of Congenital Chagas' Disease in Catalonia was launched, coordinated by the Department of Health and includes diagnosis, control, follow-up and treatment of congenital CHD directed at pregnant women and their children. Within the framework of the Program, the Protocol for the Screening and Diagnosis of Chagas' Disease in Latin American pregnant women and their children was prepared, which was published in 2010. This document was the result of the joint effort of health professionals who are experts in the disease, of different scientific societies and professionals of the Department of Health of the Government of Catalonia, with the support of the Working Group of Non-endemic Countries and the Department of Control of Forgotten Tropical Diseases of WHO. The Protocol that is presented, in addition to including the same lines as the first edition, has updates on different clinical, diagnostic and epidemiological surveillance aspects based on the experience and evidence observed during these eight years of the Prevention and Control Program. Congenital Chagas disease in Catalonia. During these last years, the perspective of public health in the Program has been reinforced, in which a large number of professionals of the health care network and community health agents have participated with the aim of reducing the effect of the vertical transmission of CHD in Catalonia. The first part of the document includes the clinical characteristics of the CHD that, although it is relatively recent in our environment, thanks to the information provided both in the health field and in the community in recent years, has ceased to be a disease forgotten and unknown in Catalonia. In recent years, the advances and experience in our environment in the diagnosis of CHD have led us to reach a consensus on the use of direct molecular methods, as described in this Protocol. Likewise, the specification of epidemiological data on prevalence of infection and incidence of cases of the disease has improved greatly thanks to the monitoring and reporting of data collected within the framework of the Program for the Prevention and Control of Congenital Chagas' Disease in Catalonia by professionals. that are part of the Working Group on Congenital Chagas Disease. In this aspect and to improve their control, family doctors and community health have been incorporated, since they are one of the key professionals who are closest to patients. A fundamental aspect that emerges from this document and the operation of the Program is multidisciplinarity. The challenge of the health system and public health surveillance is the coordination and work of professionals from different health areas, such as gynecologists, microbiologists, midwives, pediatricians of primary and hospital care, family physicians and community health , nurses, infectious disease specialists, epidemiologists and community health workers who work together to achieve the stated objective. This Protocol is an eminently practical document, through which health professionals have the essential elements for carrying out screening in pregnant women. Based on this Protocol, it is also expected to achieve the detection and early treatment of cases of CHD in the pediatric population, babies and other children in Catalonia, with the ultimate goal of improving maternal and child health in Catalonia