An agile container-based approach to TaaS

Current cloud deployment scenarios imply a need for fast testing of user oriented software in diverse, hetero-geneous and often unknown hardware and network environ-ments, making it difficult to ensure optimal or reproducible in-site testing. The current paper proposes the use of container based lightweight virtualization with a ready-to-run, just-in-time deployment strategy in order to minimize time and resources needed for streamlined multicomponent prototyping in PaaS systems. To that end, we will study a specific case of use consisting of providing end users with pre-tested custom prepackaged and preconfigured software, guaranteeing the viability of the aforementioned custom software, the syntactical integrity of the provided deployment system, the availability of needed dependencies as well as the sanity check of the already deployed and running software. From an architectural stand-point, by using standard, common use deployment packages as Chef or Puppet hosted in parallellizable workloads over ready-to-run Docker images, we can minimize the time required for full-deployment multicomponent systems testing and valida-tion, as well as wrap the commonly provided features via a user-accessible RESTful API. The proposed infrastructure is currently available and freely accessible as part of the FIWARE EU initiative, and is open to third party collaboration and extension from a FOSS perspective

Salarios pactados en los convenios provinciales y salarios percibidos

En esta investigación se trata saber en qué medida las tarifas salariales mínimas pactadas en los convenios colectivos territoriales, en España, se trasladan a los salarios efectivamente percibidos por los trabajadores. Con este fin, se ha creado una base de datos original sobre tarifas salariales. Más concretamente, se han calculado los salarios pactados correspondientes a los individuos de una submuestra de la Encuesta de Estructura, Biografía y Conciencia de Clase y se han comparado a través de un índice creado al efecto, con los salarios declarados por tales individuos.Del trabajo realizado se desprenden algunas conclusiones importantes. Así, se demuestra que la negociación colectiva territorial desempeña una función decisiva en la determinación de los salarios percibidos por los trabajadores con bajos niveles de cualificación. En cambio, entre los trabajadores más cualificados son frecuentes las renegociaciones que apartan sus ingresos de los pactados. Por otra parte, se ha detectado un amplio colectivo de individuos que declaran unos ingresos inferiores a las tarifas mínimas acordadas en los convenios territoriales. Este segmento de "mercado negro de trabajo" se localiza preferentemente entre trabajadores de bajo nivel de formación específica y en empresas muy pequeñas

Systematic review of potential causes of intraocular lens opacification

Intraocular lens (IOL) opacification is an infrequent complication of cataract surgery. Surface analysis has demonstrated that the opacification of IOLs is related to calcium or phosphate precipitation on or within the lenses, but the associated mechanisms are unknown, and the scientific literature is heterogeneous and limited to case series and retrospective studies. The purpose of this systematic review was to analyse the most frequent conditions associated with opacification of IOLs reported by studies. A search was carried out using the PubMed MEDLINE, Web of Science and Scopus databases. The quality of the studies selected was evaluated using the Pierson tool. The search provided a total of 811 articles, of which 39 were selected following the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The most common opacified lenses were hydrophilic IOLs according to our analysis. The mean time of appearance of lens opacification was 14.93 ± 17.82 months. The most frequent conditions associated with opacification of the IOLs were Descemet Stripping with Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSAEK/DSEK) and diabetes mellitus (DM), followed by pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), blood hypertension (HT), and glaucoma. Concerning the quality analysis, the mean score was 7.00 ± 1.43 (scoring range from 0 to 10), indicating an acceptable quality of the case reports and retrospective studies. In conclusion, DSAEK/DSEK, DM, PPV, glaucoma and hypertension are conditions with potential risk of IOL opacification after cataract surgery, especially when implanting hydrophilic acrylic IOLs.Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness of Spain, Grant/Award Number: RYC‐2016‐20471

Role of Eu2+ and Dy3+ Concentration in the Persistent Luminescence of Sr2MgSi2O7 Glass-Ceramics

In this study, glass-ceramics based on Sr2MgSi2O7 phosphor co-doped with Eu/Dy were obtained from the sintering and crystallisation of glass powders. The glasses were melted in a gas furnace to simulate an industrial process, and the dopant concentration was varied to optimise the luminescence persistence times. The doped parent glasses showed red emission under UV light excitation due to the doping of Eu3+ ions, while the corresponding glass-ceramics showed persistent blue emission corresponding to the presence of Eu2+ in the crystalline environment. The dopant concentration had a strong impact on the sintering/crystallisation kinetics affecting the final glass-ceramic microstructure. The microstructures and morphology of the crystals responsible for the blue emission were observed by scanning electron microscopy–cathodoluminescence. The composition of the crystallised phases and the distribution of rare-earth (RE) ions in the crystals and in the residual glassy phase were determined by X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The emission and persistence of phosphorescence were studied by photoluminescence.This research was funded by MICINN under projects PID2020-115419GB-C-21/C-22/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033 and PID2019-107439GB-I00 and by the project PIE-CSIC 201960E016. And The APC was funded by PID2020-115419GB-C-21/C-22/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033

Structure and luminescent properties of Sm/Dy-doped Sr2MgSi2O7 glass-ceramics

Sm3+-doped and Sm3+/Dy3+ codoped SiO2–SrO–MgO glasses were prepared by conventional melt quenching and Sr2MgSi2O7 based glass–ceramics from sintering and crystallization of the glass powders. The thermal, structural, and optical properties of the glasses and glass–ceramics were investigated as a function of the dopant concentration. The optical characterization includes the photoluminescence spectra and the lifetimes of the 4G5/2 (Sm3+) and 4F9/2 (Dy3+) excited states. In Sm3+ single-doped samples, the emission intensity increases up to a concentration of 0.3 mol% Sm3+ ions and then decreases due to nonradiative energy transfer processes. The emission spectra in the glass–ceramics show a more resolved structure and higher intensity compared to the glass samples, suggesting a different and crystalline environment for the Sm3+ ions. The non-radiative processes also influence the experimental decays of the glass samples which deviate from a single exponential with lifetimes decreasing as Sm3+ concentration increases. The emission and excitation spectra of the codoped samples do not show significant energy transfer between Sm3+ and Dy3+ ions. Different emitting colors can be obtained in the codoped glasses by changing the excitation wavelength. The studied glass–ceramics could be applied as enamels on ceramic or metallic substrates.Funding from MICINN under projects PID2020-115419GB-C-21/C-22/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033, PID2019-107439GB-I00 and PIE-CSIC 201960E016 is acknowledged

Long-Term Efficacy, Visual Performance and Patient Reported Outcomes with a Trifocal Intraocular Lens: A Six-Year Follow-up

(1) Background: To evaluate the efficacy at 6 years postoperative after the implantation of a trifocal intraocular lens (IOL) AT Lisa Tri 839MP. The secondary objective was to evaluate the contrast sensitivity defocus curve (CSDC), light distortion analysis (LDA), and patient reported outcomes (PROs). (2) Methods: Sixty-two subjects participated in phone call interviews to collect data regarding a visual function questionnaire (VF-14), a patient reported spectacle independence questionnaire (PRSIQ), and questions related to satisfaction and decision to be implanted with the same IOL. Thirty-seven of these subjects were consecutively invited to a study visit for measurement of their visual acuity (VA), CSDC, and LDA. (3) Results: The mean monocular distance corrected VA was −0.05, 0.08, and 0.05 logMAR at far and distances of 67 cm and 40 cm, respectively. These VAs were significantly superior to those reported in previous literature (p < 0.05). The total area under the CSDC was 2.29 logCS/m−1 and the light distortion index 18.82%. The mean VF-14 score was 94.73, with 19.4% of subjects requiring spectacles occasionally for near distances, and 88.9% considering the decision of being operated again; (4) Conclusions: Long-term AT LISA Tri 839MP IOL efficacy results were equal or better than those reported 12 months postoperatively in previous studies. The spectacle independence and satisfaction rates were comparable to those reported in short-term studies.This research was funded by grant support from Carl Zeiss Meditec AG

Exploring project complexity through project failure factors: analysis of cluster patterns using self-organizing maps

In the field of project management, complexity is closely related to project outcomes and hence project success and failure factors. Subjectivity is inherent to these concepts, which are also influenced by sectorial, cultural, and geographical differences. While theoretical frameworks to identify organizational complexity factors do exist, a thorough and multidimensional account of organizational complexity must take into account the behavior and interrelatedness of these factors. Our study is focused on analyzing the combinations of failure factors by means of self-organizing maps (SOM) and clustering techniques, thus getting different patterns about the project managers perception on influencing project failure causes and hence project complexity. The analysis is based on a survey conducted among project manager practitioners from all over the world to gather information on the degree of influence of different factors on the projects failure causes. The study is cross-sectorial. Behavioral patterns were found, concluding that in the sampled population there are five clearly differentiated groups (clusters) and at least three clear patterns of answers. The prevalent order of influence is project factors, organization related factors, project manager and team members factors, and external factors

Integrating analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and balanced scorecard (BSC) framework for sustainable business in a software factory in the financial sector

This work has been subsidized through the Plan of Science, Technology and Innovation of the Principality of Asturias (Ref: FC-15-GRUPIN14-132). The authors also thank anonymous referees who reviewed and gave important comments to this paper