Accurate measurement of the specific absorption rate using a suitable adiabatic magnetothermal setup

3 pages, 3 figures.Accurate measurements of the specific absorption rate (SAR) of solids and fluids were obtained by a calorimetric method, using a special-purpose setup working under adiabatic conditions. Unlike in current nonadiabatic setups, the weak heat exchange with the surroundings allowed a straightforward determination of temperature increments, avoiding the usual initial-time approximations. The measurements performed on a commercial magnetite aqueous ferrofluid revealed a good reproducibility (4%). Also, the measurements on a copper sample allowed comparison between experimental and theoretical values: adiabatic conditions gave SAR values only 3% higher than the theoretical ones, while the typical nonadiabatic method underestimated SAR by 21%.Financial support from the Spanish MEC (Project No. MAT2004-03395-C02-02) is acknowledged. Eva Natividad thanks the Spanish CSIC for her I3P Contract (European Social Fund).Peer reviewe

A spin crossover ferrous complex with ordered magnetic ferric anions

El pdf del artículo es la versión post-print.The first tetrahaloferrate spin crossover compound, [Fe(Metz) 6](FeBr 4) 2 (Metz = 1-methyltetrazole), is reported. The FeBr 4 - ions form ferromagnetically coupled 1D stacks and exhibit an antiferromagnetic order at 2.2 K, which coexists with the gradual spin crossover centred at 165 K. © 2012 The Royal Society of Chemistry.We are grateful to Spanish MINECO (contracts MAT2009-13977-C03 and MAT2011-24284) for funding.Peer Reviewe

Accurate measurement of the specific absorption rate using a suitable adiabatic magnetothermal setup

3 pages, 3 figures.Accurate measurements of the specific absorption rate (SAR) of solids and fluids were obtained by a calorimetric method, using a special-purpose setup working under adiabatic conditions. Unlike in current nonadiabatic setups, the weak heat exchange with the surroundings allowed a straightforward determination of temperature increments, avoiding the usual initial-time approximations. The measurements performed on a commercial magnetite aqueous ferrofluid revealed a good reproducibility (4%). Also, the measurements on a copper sample allowed comparison between experimental and theoretical values: adiabatic conditions gave SAR values only 3% higher than the theoretical ones, while the typical nonadiabatic method underestimated SAR by 21%.Financial support from the Spanish MEC (Project No. MAT2004-03395-C02-02) is acknowledged. Eva Natividad thanks the Spanish CSIC for her I3P Contract (European Social Fund).Peer reviewe

Adiabatic magnetothermia makes possible the study of the temperature dependence of the heat dissipated by magnetic nanoparticles under alternating magnetic fields

3 páginas, 5 figuras.Determining the low-temperature dependence of the specific absorption rate (SAR) of magnetic nanoparticles under alternating magnetic fields with amplitudes and frequencies similar to those used in applications such as magnetic fluid hyperthermia, becomes essential when theoretical expressions fail to extrapolate the behavior of nanoparticle arrangements. We prove that adiabatic magnetothermia is capable of providing SAR(T) data displaying an excellent continuity with those obtained from magnetic measurements at lower ac-field amplitudes and frequencies.This work has been funded by the Spanish MICINN and FEDER, projects, Grant No. MAT2007-61621 and CONSOLIDER-INGENIO in Molecular Nanoscience, Grant No. CSD 2007-00010.Peer reviewe

Dilute Gd hydroxycarbonate particles for localized spin qubit integration

Molecular spins are considered as the quantum hardware to build hybrid quantum processors in which coupling to superconducting devices would provide the means to implement the necessary coherent manipulations. As an alternative to large magnetically-dilute crystals or concentrated nano-scale deposits of paramagnetic molecules that have been studied so far, the use of pre-formed sub-micronic spherical particles of a doped Gd@Y hydroxycarbonate is evaluated here. Particles with an adjustable number of spin carriers are prepared through the control of both particle size and doping. Bulk magnetic properties and continuous wave and time-domain-EPR spectroscopy show that the Gd spins in these particles are potential qubits with robust quantum coherence. Monolayers of densely-packed particles are then formed interfacially and transferred successfully to the surface of Nb superconducting resonators. Alternatively, these particles are disposed at controlled localizations as isolated groups of a few particles through Dip-Pen Nanolithography using colloidal organic dispersions as ink. Altogether, this study offers new material and methodologies relevant to the development of viable hybrid quantum processors

Protected Areas’ Latent Functions and Social Consequences: A Case from Mount Hamiguitan, Philippines

While protected areas (PAs) are established primarily for biological diversity conservation and provision of ecological services, social dimensions comes into play. This paper extends the discourse on PAs’ impact to local communities by focusing on the latent functions and social consequences utilizing Robert Merton’s Functional Analysis. Based on in-depth interviews among community leaders and elders, and forest custodians around Mount Hamiguitan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is revealed that establishment of PAs entails varied consequences beyond what are being intended and manifested. While communities availed of some latent benefits from the declaration of the PA, they also have responses that limit the success of conservation initiatives. Hence, forest protection is a complex social and political process that demands more integrative response on community’s social, cultural, and political structures and dynamics

Estado nutricional en las personas con insuficiencia cardíaca crónica y/o enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica. Impacto en la calidad de vida y en las exacerbaciones

Targets: To know the nutritional status in patients with heart failure (HF) and with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cared in a Barcelona’s primary health center and to describe the clinical and socio-demographic characteristics which may be related with the nutritional status.Method: A transversal descriptive study was performed during de year 2014. In nursing visits the following variables were collected: in HF patients, levels of functionality based in NYHA scale, in COPD patients, dyspnea grade based in BMRC scale. In both cases the body mass index (BMI) was determined; MNA scale is used, and also the physical activity and quality of life is evaluated by the EQ-5D scale.Results: Of the 192 participants, 59, 4% were men and had a mean age of 77, 64 years (ds10, 12. Of the studied diseases, 40, 1% were HF, 45, 8% COPD and 14, 1% both diseases). The risk of malnutrition was 11, 4% in COPD patients, 16, and 9% in people with HF and 33, 3% in both HF and COPD patients. (P 0,028)With the logistic regression with the other variables, the only associated factor was gender, having men an OR 3 (1,008-8, 95)Conclusions: The nutritional status gets worse in people with both pathologies in concomitantly way.Gender plays a crucial role in malnutrition or risk of the disease.Objetivo: Conocer el estado nutricional de los pacientes con Insuficiencia cardiaca (IC) y/o Enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC) atendidos en un centro de atención primaria de la ciudad de Barcelona y describir las características clínicas y sociodemográficas que puedan tener relación con el estado nutricional.Método: Estudio descriptivo transversal, durante los meses del 2014. En las visitas realizadas por enfermería, se recogieron las siguientes variables: en el caso de la IC grado de funcionalidad mediante la escala NYHA, en el caso de la EPOC, Grado de disnea mediante la escala BMRC. En ambos se determina el IMC, se administra la escala MNA, se valora el nivel de actividad física y la calidad de vida a través de la escala EQ-5D.Resultado: De los 192 participantes, el 59,4% eran Hombres y la media de edad de 77,64 años(ds10,12). De las enfermedades estudiadas el 40,1% eran IC, el 45,8% EPOC y ambas enfermedades el 14,1%. El riesgo de malnutrición fue del 11,4% de las personas con EPOC, el 16,9% de las personas con IC y el 33,3% de las personas con ambas patologías.(P 0,028)Al hacer la regresión logística con el resto de variables, el único factor asociado es el sexo, obteniendo los Hombres un OR 3 (1,008-8,95).Conclusiones El estado nutricional empeora cuando se padecen las dos patologías de manera concomitante.En la malnutrición o en el riesgo de padecerla, el sexo juega un papel muy importante.. &nbsp

Pursuit of optimal synthetic conditions for obtaining colloidal zero-valent iron nanoparticles by scanning pulsed laser ablation in liquids

Liquid-Assisted Pulsed Laser Ablation (LA-PLA) is a promising top-down method to directly synthesize colloidal dispersions of nanoparticles in a eco-friendly manner. However, the role of LA-PLA synthesis parameters is not yet fully agreed. This work seeks to optimize the production of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) particles suitable for biomedical or environmental applications using nanosecond LA-PLA on iron targets with different ablation media, laser and target scanning parameters. The use of alcohols as solvents produces iron-iron oxide core-shell nanoparticles with amorphous cores, except for a small crystalline fraction corresponding to the biggest core sizes. Decreasing carbon chain length and complexity leads to a thinning of the carbonaceous material coatings and an increase of the colloidal stability and the nanoparticle productivity. Moreover, a decrease of solvent density and surface tension allows obtaining reduced sizes and polydispersity values. Among, laser and scanning parameters, the pulse accumulation per spot displayed a clear effect in boosting size and productivity. As main outcome, aqueous dispersions with suitable colloidal properties are obtained, either by transferring to water of optimized nZVI particles produced in ethanol, or by direct formation of nZVI particles and in situ coating with hydrophilic molecules in aqueous solutions of these moleculesThis research has been funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) and FEDER [research projects MAT2015-67354R, MAT2014-53961-R, and MAT2017- 86826-R] and by the Aragón government (DGA) [grant for consolidated group PLATON E31_17R]. OBM thanks the financial support from the “Ramón y Cajal Program” [research project RYC2010-07332] of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) and the H2020 Action H2020-MSCA-IF-2014_ST [grant 656908-NIMBLIS] of the Executive Agency for Research Manages of EU Commissio

Experiencia en la aplicación de H5P en educación superior

En los últimos años, los métodos docentes están evolucionando continuamente con el objetivo de mejorar la interacción y la motivación del alumnado. Una pieza clave para conseguir este objetivo ha sido la introducción de las nuevas tecnologías como apoyo al proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje. Elementos como las plataformas Moodle o la docencia online están ya integradas en la vida diaria del alumnado. Así mismo, los estudiantes demandan cada vez más metodologías activas que les ayuden a desarrollar transversalmente su competencia digital. En esta ponencia se presentan los resultados de un proyecto de innovación educativa en el que se propone la utilización, aceptación y evaluación por parte del alumnado del plugin H5P para la creación de recursos didácticos interactivos como una nueva herramienta complementaria para la docencia en educación superior. H5P permite la creación de contenidos interactivos fomentando un escenario de mayor participación y colaboración en el aula. Las distintas actividades promueven una discusión razonada de los contenidos y un mejor análisis crítico, a la vez que presentan el material de una manera más atractiva. Además, la herramienta está integrada en el Campus Virtual de la Universidad de Málaga, y se puede aplicar a cualquier tipo de asignatura y contenido. El objetivo de este trabajo es potenciar el uso de H5P con el fin de favorecer el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje a través de actividades con contenidos interactivos, complementando los recursos ya existentes. Se destaca el uso de propuestas innovadoras como videos cortos con contenido interactivo, juegos de memoria, o ejercicios con interacción gráfica. Esta experiencia se ha implementado en asignaturas de los Grados de Ingeniería en Organización Industrial, Ingeniería del Software e Ingeniería de Computadores, Podología y Educación Primaria.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of patients with acromegaly in a clinical practice setting in Spain: the ACROPRAXIS program Delphi survey

The ACROPRAXIS program aims to describe the management of acromegaly in Spain and provide guidance. Methods: Ninety-three endocrinologists were organized into 13 panels to discuss the practical issues in managing acromegaly. Based on the key learnings, an online Delphi survey with 62 statements was performed, so those statements achieving consensus could be used as guidance. Statements were rated on a 9-point scale (9, full agreement; consensus > 66.6% of response in the same tertile). Results: Ninety-two endocrinologists (98.8%) answered two rounds of the survey (mean age 47.6 years; 59.8% women; median 18.5 years of experience). Consensus was achieved for 49 (79%) statements. Diagnosis: The levels of insulin-like growth factor I (IGFI) is the preferred screening test. If IGFI levels 1–1.3 ULN, the test is repeated and growth hormone (GH) after oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is assessed. A pituitary magnetic resonance is performed after biochemical diagnosis. Treatment: Surgery is the first treatment choice for patients with microadenoma or macroadenoma with/without optical pathway compression. Pre-surgical somatostatin analogues (SSA) are indicated when surgery is delayed and/or to reduce anaesthesia-associated risks. After unsuccessful surgery, reintervention is performed if the residual tumor is resectable, while if non-resectable, SSA are administered. Follow-up First biochemical and clinical controls are performed 1–3 months after surgery. Disease remission is considered if random GH levels are < 1 µg/L or OGTT is < 1 or ≤ 0.4 µg/L, depending on the assay’s sensitivity. Conclusion: Current clinical management for acromegaly is homogeneous across Spain and generally follows clinical guideline