Design study of plasma targets for laser driven wakefield acceleration experiments

In this work, a characterisation conducted in the SPARC_LAB (LNF-INFN) laboratories on some plasma targets, i.e. different nozzle geometries and different types of capillaries, is presented. The main goal of the work is the study and the realisation of the plasma guiding process of a laser pulse, inside a plasma-filled capillary discharge. This technique is necessary to increase the acceleration length and thus the energy gain of the accelerated beam, in the external-injection scheme of the Laser Wake Field Acceleration (LWFA). Plasma density is a characteristic of fundamental importance as it determines both the guiding and the acceleration process. Two different methods of plasma density measurement, interferometric and spectroscopic, are therefore reported. Preliminary studies of new techniques for the diagnostics of plasma inside channels and new schemes for the delivery/extraction of laser pulses inside capillaries are proposed. All topics covered include theoretical study, one-dimensional and/or fluid-dynamic simulations, and experimental data

Digital literacies for employability- fostering forms of capital online

The web has revolutionised the world of knowledge and created new literacies practices to operate in a mediated world. In doing so, it has reinvented the workplace, the skills, attitudes and values individual attribute to contemporary forms of communication as a form of learning, living and working in a digital society.This article provides a reflection of digital literacies as forms of capitals that can be acquired, enhanced or transformed online. The article also discusses how this conceptualisation of digital literacies as capitals were applied to the design of an open online course (MOOC) focused on digital literacies for employability. Finally, the article provides recommendations regarding the development and deployment of digital literacies as a key area of learning

Aspectos psicológicos relacionados con la cirugía de reducción de riesgo

The main objective of this paper is to review the psychological effects of the risk reduction surgery (mastectomy and ooforectomy) in BRCA carriers. This option reduce the risk to develop breast and ovarian cancer in BRCA carriers, but we don?t know if these two therapeutic approaches can increase the survival in this risk women group. We need news prospectives studies to clarify the efficacy of this prophylactic surgery

Effects of Mitomycin C in Early Conjunctival Inflammation after Pterygium Surgery

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare inflammatory events and graft characteristics 1 month and 6 months after conjunctival limbal autograft (CLAU) with and without intraoperative mitomycin C (MMC). Methods: This study included 69 eyes of 69 patient’s eyes with pterygium. Clinical data concerning patient demography, preoperative examination including pterygium morphology, recurrence clinical assessment, and complications after CLAU with (MMC+) and without (MMC-) intraoperative MMC were all registered at 1 month and 6 months after surgery. Results: Thirty-five eyes were included in MMC+ and 34 in MMC-. Preoperative data were similar in both groups (Student’s t test and Fisher’s exact test; p > 0.05). Thirty-four (49.6%) eyes in the whole sample showed at least one inflammatory complication at 1 month after surgery. MMC- group showed a significantly higher number of cases with complications (p 0.05; Chi2 test). Pyogenic granuloma developed at the surgical site in three eyes (4.37%), two of those granulomas were at the MMC- group (p > 0.05). Tendency for recurrences was significantly different between both groups (p = 0.0001; Fisher’s exact test) at the end of 6 months. Thirteen (38%) eyes showed recurrence in MMC- and no cases were displayed in MMC+. Presence of at least 1 inflammatory event was only seen in 16 (23%) cases, all of them in MMC-. Specifically, 15 (44%) eyes showed hyperemia and one (3%) eye presented conjunctival hemorrhages. No new cases of pyogenic granuloma or graft contraction were seen at this time point in both groups. Hyperemia was the only specific event with significant differences between MMC- and MMC+ (p = 0.0001; Fisher’s exact test) at 6 months after surgery. Conclusion: The eyes receiving intraoperative MMC after CLAU seem to present less hyperemia and graft contraction after surgery than those that did not receive MMC as an adjuvant factor. Intraoperative MMC could be associated with a lower recurrence rates.Postprint (author's final draft

Arquitecturas Abandonadas

La propia naturaleza, pero sobretodo la acción del hombre, generan profundas y continuas transformaciones en el territorio, dejando su huella en el paisaje. En muchos casos esto ha provocado el deterioro del lugar, conllevando una percepción negativa por parte de la sociedad, e incluso el rechazo del mismo. Y esto también es paisaje. Así lo define el Convenio Europeo del Paisaje. Este proyecto se ha dedicado a buscar una fórmula, que pudiera llegar de la mano de otro tipo de iniciativas, y que sea capaz de aplicarse sobre estas situaciones con el objeto de frenar ese declive y actuar según unas pautas que retomen un rumbo adecuado a estas coyunturas.The own nature, but overcoat the action of the man, they generate deep and continuous transformations in the territory, leaving his fingerprint in the landscape. In many cases this has provoked the local deterioration, carrying a negative perception on the part of the company, and even the rejection of the same one. And this also is a landscape. This way the European Agreement of the Landscape defines it. This project has devoted itself to look for a formula, which could come from the hand of another type of initiatives, and that is capable of being applied on these situations in order to stop this decline and to act according to a few guidelines that take again a course adapted to these conjunctures

Calidad de vida en pacientes con dolor lumbar crónico

Objetivo: describir la calidad de vida en relación a la salud (CVRS) de pacientes lumbalgia crónica inespecífica, así como su relación con distintas variables médicas, socio-demográficas y psicosociales. Diseño: estudio descriptivo- correlacional transversal. Participantes: 94 pacientes con dolor lumbar crónico inespecífico pertenecientes al área de Rehabilitación (Algias) del hospital de referencia. Instrumentos de evaluación: los datos médicos y socio-demográficos fueron obtenidos a partir de las historias clínicas y de una entrevista semi-estructurada. Asimismo, se administraron cuestionarios de CVRS, dolor auto-percibido, discapacidad, sintomatología ansioso-depresiva, apoyo social y satisfacción vital. Resultados: el aspecto físico de la CVRS fue el más deteriorado y éste estuvo explicado en gran parte (R2 =47.3%) por la edad del paciente y su disfunción valorada a partir de la escala Oswestry. Asimismo, el aspecto mental de la CVRS, que se mostró más cercano al promedio poblacional, se explicó por la disfunción y la ansiedad-rasgo (STAI/R) de los pacientes (R2 =47.3%). Conclusiones: la disfunción, la edad y la ansiedad-rasgo de los participantes con lumbalgia crónica han mostrado ser factores clave para explicar su CVRS global. Así pues, es preciso tomarlos en consideración a la hora de favorecer un adecuado abordaje integral y multidisciplinar de esta población.Objective: To describe health-related quality of life in (HRQoL) in a sample of patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain, and their relationship with various medical, socio-demographic and psychosocial variables. Design: Descriptive- correlational cross-sectional study. Participants: A total of 94 patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain treated in the Rehabilitation Department from the reference hospital. Assessment tools: Medical and socio-demographic data were obtained from medical records and a semi-structured interview. Furthermore, HRQoL, self-perceived pain, functional disability, anxiety-depressive symptoms, social support and life satisfaction questionnaires were administered. Results: The physical domain of HRQoL was the most impaired and it was largely explained (R2 = 47.3%) by patient age and functional dysfunction assessed by means of the Oswestry scale. Similarly, the mental domain of HRQoL, that showed average mean scores more similar to normative population, was also explained by functional dysfunction and anxiety trait (STAI/T) of patients (R2 = 47.3%). Conclusions: Functional dysfunction, age and anxiety trait of participants with chronic low back pain have been shown to be key factors in explaining their overall HRQoL. Thus, these factors should be properly consider

Aspectos psicológicos relacionados con la cirugía de reducción de riesgo

The main objective of this paper is to review the psychological effects of the risk reduction surgery (mastectomy and ooforectomy) in BRCA carriers. This option reduce the risk to develop breast and ovarian cancer in BRCA carriers, but we don?t know if these two therapeutic approaches can increase the survival in this risk women group. We need news prospectives studies to clarify the efficacy of this prophylactic surgery

Rain amplification of persistent organic pollutants

Scavenging of gas- and aerosol-phase organic pollutants by rain is an efficient wet deposition mechanism of organic pollutants. However, whereas snow has been identified as a key amplification mechanism of fugacities in cold environments, rain has received less attention in terms of amplification of organic pollutants. In this work, we provide new measurements of concentrations of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), organophosphate esters (OPEs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in rain from Antarctica, showing high scavenging ratios. Furthermore, a meta-analysis of previously published concentrations in air and rain was performed, with 46 works covering different climatic regions and a wide range of chemical classes, including PFAS, OPEs, PAHs, polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine compounds, polybromodiphenyl ethers, and dioxins. The rain–aerosol (KRP) and rain–gas (KRG) partition constants averaged 105.5 and 104.1, respectively, but showed large variability. The high field-derived values of KRG are consistent with adsorption onto the raindrops as a scavenging mechanism, in addition to gas–water absorption. The amplification of fugacities by rain deposition was up to 3 orders of magnitude for all chemical classes and was comparable to that due to snow. The amplification of concentrations and fugacities by rain underscores its relevance, explaining the occurrence of organic pollutants in environments across different climatic regions.Postprint (published version