Industrial Ammunition Stockpile Recovery: Saving Energy and Resources and Protecting the Environment

This article presents the opportunities for the disposal of ammunition in an economically and environmentally feasible way, focusing on post-conflict disposal of larger stocks of ammunition with a special view to the ongoing Ammunition Stockpile Destruction Programme in Afghanistan managed by the Afghanistan New Beginning Programme. The contents of the article are based on the experiences gathered under the umbrella of the research and development programmes Western European Armament Group European Cooperation for the Long-Term in Defence and European Union L’Instrument Financier pour L’Environnement (EU LIFE), together with a study carried out for NATO’s Maintenance and Supply Agency, followed by field studies on ammunition stockpile destruction in mine-action programmes

La primera Dirección General de Montes (1833-1842)

Peer Reviewe

Crecimiento gonadal y reproducción del erizo de mar Sphaerechinus granularis (Lamarck, 1816) (Echinodermata, Echinoidea) en el sureste de España

The gonadal index and reproductive state of the sea urchin Sphaerechinus granularis were studied for a year in three populations from southeast Spain. The development of the gonad during the period of study was assessed using histological methods and four maturity stages were considered for female specimens and two for male specimens. The study of gonad development showed a clearly defined annual cycle of gametogenesis with a single spawning period in summer-autumn. It begins in June at Torremuelle and Palmeral and a month later at La Herradura. The three populations exhibited similar reproductive patterns, having mature gonads in almost all the months. Though the environmental conditions were similar, the population from La Herradura had the highest Gonadosomatic Index value (GSI) and that from Torremuelle the lowest one.Se ha estudiado el índice gonadosomático y los estados reproductivos del erizo de mar Sphaerechinus granularis durante un año en tres poblaciones del sureste de España. El desarrollo de la gónada se estudió usando métodos histológicos; además, el estado de los individuos se determinó utilizando cuatro categorías de desarrollo gonadal para las hembras y dos para los machos. Existe un único periodo de puesta a lo largo del año, entre verano y otoño. En las estaciones de Torremuelle y Palmeral la puesta comienza en junio mientras que en La Herradura tiene un retraso de un mes. Las tres poblaciones muestran patrones reproductivos semejantes y se caracterizan por tener gónadas maduras casi todos los meses, aunque en proporciones distintas. Los valores del índice gonadosomático son mayores en La Herradura y menores en Torremuelle a pesar de que las condiciones ambientales son similares

The cg-average tree value for games on cycle-free fuzzy communication structures

The main goal in a cooperative game is to obtain a fair allocation of the profit due the cooperation of the involved agents. The most known of these allocations is the Shapley value. This allocation considers that the communication among the players is complete. The Myerson value is a modification of the Shapley value considering a communication structure which determines the feasible bilateral relationships among the agents. This allocation of the profit is not always a stable solution. Another payoff allocation for games with a communication structure from the definition of the Shapley value is the average tree value. This one is a stable solution for any game using a cycle-free communication structure. Later fuzzy communication structures were introduced. In a fuzzy communication structure, the membership of the agents and the relationships among them are leveled. The Myerson value was extended in several different ways depending on the behavior of the agents. In this paper, the average tree value is extended to games with fuzzy communication structures taking one particular version: the Choquet by graphs (cg). We present an application to the management of an electrical network with an algorithmic implementation.Spanish Ministry of Education and Science MTM2017-83455-PAndalusian Government FQM23

Cost-allocation problems for fuzzy agents in a fixed-tree network

Cost-allocation problems in a fixed network are concerned with distributing the costs for use by a group of clients who cooperate in order to reduce such costs. We work only with tree networks and we assume that a minimum cost spanning tree network has already been constructed and now we are interested in the maintenance costs. The classic problem supposes that each agent stays for the entire time in the same node of the network. This paper introduces cost-allocation problems in a fixed-tree network with a set of agents whose activity over the nodes is fuzzy. Agent’s needs to pay for each period of time may differ. Moreover, the agents do not always remain in the same node for each period. We propose the extension of a very well-known solution for these problems: Bird’s rule.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad MTM2017-83455-PJunta de Andalucía FQM23

Cambios ontogenéticos e intraespecíficos observados en la rádula de Polycera aurantiomarginata García and Bobo, 1984 (Gastropoda Opisthobranchia)

Polycera aurantiomarginata García and Bobo 1984 has a stable population in the intertidal area of El Portil beach (Huelva, SW Spain). This fact allowed specimens of different sizes to be collected from March 2001 to December 2003. In this paper, the ontogenetic variations of the radula of P. aurantiomarginata are studied. The radulae of 141 specimens were examined, 138 from El Portil and 3 from La Herradura (Granada, SE Spain). Specimens of 1.5-2 mm in length lack the typical radula described for P. aurantiomarginata. They have the so called pre-radula whose teeth are different in size and shape from the typical radula of the adults. In the specimens of 3 and 4 mm the pre-radula coexists with the characteristic radula, which is the single structure present in the specimens larger than 4 mm. The following features of the radula are included in this study: radular length, number of teeth rows and length of the outer lateral teeth. According to the three measured variables, the affinities among specimens without a pre-radula were established through cluster analysis, which defined three different groups (4-10 mm, 11-22 mm and 23-48 mm). Correlations between specimen length and radula length, number of rows and mean length of outer lateral teeth were significant. Feeding strategies could be related to the different morphology of the radula established by the Cluster analysis.Polycera aurantiomarginata García y Bobo, 1984 muestra una población estable y en la localidad de El Portil (Huelva, SW de España), lo que ha permitido la recolección, desde marzo de 2001 hasta diciembre de 2003, de un alto número de ejemplares de todos los tamaños. En el presente estudio se ha extraído la rádula de 141 animales, 138 recogidos en la zona intermareal de El Portil y 3 en La Herradura (Granada). Los tamaños de los animales han oscilado entre 1.5 mm y 48 mm. Se ha podido observar en los individuos de entre 1.5 y 2 mm la existencia de una pre-rádula cuyos dientes son morfológicamente diferentes a los de la rádula de los individuos mayores; sin embargo, en los ejemplares de 3 y 4 mm esta pre-rádula coexiste con la rádula típica, siendo esta estructura la única presente en individuos de longitud igual o mayor a 4 mm. A cada una de las rádulas extraídas, tanto con pre-rádula o sin ella, se le ha medido la longitud total de la cinta, la longitud del diente lateral externo y el número de filas de dientes. Considerando los tres parámetros medidos, las afinidades entre los ejemplares sin pre-rádula se establecieron a partir de análisis de Cluster, que definieron tres grupos distintos (4-10 mm, 11-22 mm y 23-48 mm). Las correlaciones existentes entre la longitud de los individuos y la longitud de la rádula, el número de filas y la longitud media de los dientes fueron significativas. Las diferencias morfológicas reconocidas en los grupos considerados podrían estar relacionadas con distintas estrategias alimentarias.

Tolerance to geometrical inaccuracies in CBCT systems:a comprehensive study

Purpose: The last decades have seen the consolidation of the cone-beam CT (CBCT) technology, which is nowadays widely used for different applications such as micro-CT for small animals, mammography, dentistry, or surgical procedures. Some CBCT systems may suffer mechanical strains due to the heavy load of the x-ray tube. This fact, together with tolerances in the manufacturing process, lead to different types of undesirable effects in the reconstructed image unless they are properly accounted for during the reconstruction. To obtain good quality images, it is necessary to have a complete characterization of the system geometry including the angular position of the gantry, the source-object and detector-object distances, and the position and pose of the detector. These parameters can be obtained through a calibration process done periodically, depending on the stability of the system geometry. To the best of our knowledge, there are no comprehensive works studying the effect of inaccuracies in the geometrical calibration of CBCT systems in a systematic and quantitative way. In this work, we describe the effects of detector misalignments (linear shifts, rotation, and inclinations) on the image and define their tolerance as the maximum error that keeps the image free from artifacts. Methods: We used simulations of four phantoms including systematic and random misalignments. Reconstructions of these data with and without errors were compared to identify the artifacts introduced in the reconstructed image and the tolerance to miscalibration deemed to provide acceptable image quality. Results: Visual assessment provided an easy guideline to identify the sources of error by visual inspection of the artifactual images. Systematic errors result in blurring, shape distortion and/or reduction of the axial field of view while random errors produce streaks and blurring in all cases, with a tolerance which is more than twice that of systematic errors. The tolerance corresponding to errors in position of the detector along the tangential direction, that is, skew (<0.2°) and horizontal shift (<0.4 mm), is tighter than the tolerance to those errors affecting the position along the longitudinal direction or the magnification, that is, vertical shift (<2 mm), roll (<1.5°), tilt (<2°), and SDD (<3 mm). Conclusion: We present a comprehensive study, based on realistic simulations, of the effects on the reconstructed image quality of errors in the geometrical characterization of a CBCT system and define their tolerance. These results could be used to guide the design of new systems, establishing the mechanical precision that must be achieved, and to help in the definition of an optimal geometrical calibration process. Also, the thorough visual assessment may be valuable to identify the most predominant sources of error based on the effects shown in the reconstructed image.This work has been supported by Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Agencia Estatal de Investigación, project “DPI2016-79075-R - AEI/FEDER, UE”, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, project “DTS17/00122”, cofunded by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), “A way of making Europe”. Also partially funded by project “DEEPCT-CM-UC3M,” funded by the call "Programa de apoyo a la realización de proyectos interdisciplinares de I+D para jóvenes investigadores de la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid 2019-2020 en el marco del Convenio Plurianual Comunidad de Madrid - Universidad Carlos III de Madrid” and project “RADCOV19,” funded by CRUE Universidades, CSIC and Banco Santander (Fondo Supera). The CNIC is supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades and the Pro CNIC Foundation, and is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (SEV-2015 -0505

Implantación del sistema TALOS en las Unidades de Infantería y su integración en la malla de datos del FSE

El contexto internacional y las alianzas de las que España y, por ende el Ejército, forman parte, obliga a hacer un gran esfuerzo en mejora del material, así como, en la actualización de los procedimientos utilizados hasta la fecha. En este aspecto, nos encontramos con una serie de carencias referente al uso de morteros en Infantería que se traduce en un desfase respecto a los países de nuestro entorno. Ante esto, una solución nos la ofrece el Sistema de Mando y Control TALOS ampliamente utilizado en el Arma de Artillería que permite una mejora sustancial en el empleo táctico de los morteros. En primer lugar, en este trabajo se va a realizar una comparación de los morteros CARDOM (TALOS integrado) recientemente adquiridos por el Ejército con los morteros asentados en tierra (forma de trabajar hasta ahora, sin TALOS). Con esto, se pretende comprobar las ventajas que nos da esta implantación y analizar las posibles deficiencias para poder subsanarlas en el futuro. Como conclusión respecto a este estudio destaca la reducción del tiempo total que implica el tiro de morteros. En segundo lugar, partiendo de un análisis de las posibilidades reales de la implantación del sistema en un Batallón de Infantería Protegida (BIP), se pretende lograr una integración del Sistema de Mando y Control del BIP con las unidades que le apoyan, lo que significa que a través del TALOS se integren los morteros de infantería en la malla de datos de Artillería, logrando una unificación de todos los fuegos de los que dispone un jefe de Batallón para la ejecución de operaciones. Finalmente, cómo se concretará, en lo referente a este estudio ha destacado la capacidad de Mando y Control en la conducción de operaciones por parte del jefe de Batallón. Por último, se ha estudiado la posibilidad de integrar el sistema TALOS con el mini-UAV RAVEN B de dotación en las unidades debido al progreso que han experimentado estos medios en los últimos tiempos en cuanto a su uso. En este último estudio hay que resaltar la capacidad de levantar un objetivo imprevisto por parte del jefe de Batallón.<br /

The DNA damage response acts as a safeguardagainst harmful DNA–RNA hybrids ofdifferent origins

Despite playing physiological roles in specific situations, DNA–RNA hybrids threat genome integrity. To investigate how cells do counteract spontaneous DNA–RNA hybrids, here we screen an siRNA library covering 240 human DNA damage response (DDR) genes and select siRNAs causing DNA–RNA hybrid accumulation and a significant increase in hybrid‐dependent DNA breakage. We identify post‐replicative repair and DNA damage checkpoint factors, including those of the ATM/CHK2 and ATR/CHK1 pathways. Thus, spontaneous DNA–RNA hybrids are likely a major source of replication stress, but they can also accumulate and menace genome integrity as a consequence of unrepaired DSBs and post‐replicative ssDNA gaps in normal cells. We show that DNA–RNA hybrid accumulation correlates with increased DNA damage and chromatin compaction marks. Our results suggest that different mechanisms can lead to DNA–RNA hybrids with distinct consequences for replication and DNA dynamics at each cell cycle stage and support the conclusion that DNA–RNA hybrids are a common source of spontaneous DNA damage that remains unsolved under a deficient DDR.European Research Council (ERC2014AdG669898TARLOOP)Worldwide Cancer Research (WCR15-00098

Short term visual outcomes of a new trifocal intraocular lens

Background: Today, patients often expect to achieve spectacle independance after cataract surgery. New trifocal intraocular lenses have been developed to try and fullfill this demand. The purpose of this study is to report the short-term visual outcomes of a new trifocal intraocular lens (AcrySof PanOptix™). Methods: Consecutive adult patients undergoing cataract surgery with bilateral implantation of the study intraocular lens in a private practice clinic were considered for inclusion. Exclusion criteria were the presence of other ocular pathologies or preoperative astigmatism >1.5 diopters (D). Patients with intraoperative complications were excluded from analysis. One month after surgery patients underwent: monocular defocus curve; monocular and binocular uncorrected visual acuity in photopic and mesopic conditions, for far (4 m), intermediate (60 cm) and near (33 cm) distances and binocular contrast sensitivity. Patients completed a visual satisfaction questionnaire between 9 and 12 months after surgery. Results: One hundred and sixteen eyes of fifty-eight patients receiving bilateral implantation of the study intraocular lens were analysed. Mean binocular uncorrected visual acuity in photopic conditions was 0.03 LogMAR for far, 0.12 for intermediate and 0.02 for near distances. All patients achieved a binocular uncorrected visual acuity better than 0.3 LogMAR (20/40 Snellen equivalent) for distance and near vision and 94.8% of patients for intermediate vision. Mesopic binocular uncorrected visual acuity values were similar to photopic values. The monocular defocus curves showed that the best visual acuity was reached at a vergence of 0.00D. Visual acuity dropped slightly at −1.00D and peaked again at −2.00D. Visual acuities better than 0.2 LogMAR were maintained between −2.50D and +0.50D. Contrast sensitivity was high and similar in photopic and mesopic conditions. As regards patient-evaluated outcomes, only 2 patients (3.4%) were fairly dissatisfied with their sight after surgery. Three patients (5.1%) reported the need for spectacle correction for certain activities. All other patients (94.8%) reported never using spectacle correction. Conclusions: The PanOptix trifocal IOL provides good short-term visual outcomes, with good intermediate performance and excellent patient-reported satisfaction. The similar values achieved in mesopic and photopic conditions in binocular uncorrected visual acuity and contrast sensitivity suggest low pupillary dependence for light distribution. Trial registration number: ISRCTN60143265 , retrospectively registered on the 24th of April 2017