Experimental test of a trace formula for two-dimensional dielectric resonators

Resonance spectra of two-dimensional dielectric microwave resonators of circular and square shapes have been measured. The deduced length spectra of periodic orbits were analyzed and a trace formula for dielectric resonators recently proposed by Bogomolny et al. [Phys. Rev. E 78, 056202 (2008)] was tested. The observed deviations between the experimental length spectra and the predictions of the trace formula are attributed to a large number of missing resonances in the measured spectra. We show that by taking into account the systematics of observed and missing resonances the experimental length spectra are fully understood. In particular, a connection between the most long-lived resonances and certain periodic orbits is established experimentally.Comment: 14 pages, 12 figures, 1 tabl

In vivo cranial bone strain and bite force in the agamid lizard Uromastyx geyri

In vivo bone strain data are the most direct evidence of deformation and strain regimes in the vertebrate cranium during feeding and can provide important insights into skull morphology. Strain data have been collected during feeding across a wide range of mammals; in contrast, in vivo cranial bone strain data have been collected from few sauropsid taxa. Here we present bone strain data recorded from the jugal of the herbivorous agamid lizard Uromastyx geyri along with simultaneously recorded bite force. Principal and shear strain magnitudes in Uromastyx geyri were lower than cranial bone strains recorded in Alligator mississippiensis, but higher than those reported from herbivorous mammals. Our results suggest that variations in principal strain orientations in the facial skeleton are largely due to differences in feeding behavior and bite location, whereas food type has little impact on strain orientations. Furthermore, mean principal strain orientations differ between male and female Uromastyx during feeding, potentially because of sexual dimorphism in skull morphology

Elderly day care centers: Recommendations for improvement

Indexación: Scopus.Introduction: Chile has become a country that continues to grow at an accelerated pace. One of the key pieces of the Comprehensive Policy for Positive Aging for Chile is the development of Day Centers for the Elderly (CDPM) directed elderly at the foot of the dependency. Objective: To know the perception of a group of PMs, their caregivers and professionals of their participation in the CDPM with the purpose of designing recommendations to improve this new type of geriatric service established in the country. Methodology: Qualitative descriptive study performed in 30 participants through 4 focus groups: 2 in elderly (n=12), 1 with caregivers (n=8) and 1 with center professionals (n=10). Results: Two main comprehensive categories were identified: 1) Perception of benefits for elderly: improvement of functionality, increase of well-being and insertion of the social mayor, 2) Recommendations for improvement of CDPM: Criteria for inclusive income, flexibility and diversity in activities stipulated and Improvements in egress. Conclusions: The elderly, their caregivers and the professionals who attend them are consistent in pointing out that elderly assistance to this type of service reports benefits in its functionality, well-being and social insertion. This study contributes to broadening the understanding of results in the uses of CDPM by reporting an experience in a particular social context. © 2018 Spanish Publishers Associate. All rights reserved.Introduction: Chile has become a country that continues to grow at an accelerated pace. One of the key pieces of the Comprehensive Policy for Positive Aging for Chile is the development of Day Centers for the Elderly (CDPM) directed elderly at the foot of the dependency. Objective: To know the perception of a group of PMs, their caregivers and professionals of their participation in the CDPM with the purpose of designing recommendations to improve this new type of geriatric service established in the country. Methodology: Qualitative descriptive study performed in 30 participants through 4 focus groups: 2 in elderly (n=12), 1 with caregivers (n=8) and 1 with center professionals (n=10). Results: Two main comprehensive categories were identified: 1) Perception of benefits for elderly: improvement of functionality, increase of well-being and insertion of the social mayor, 2) Recommendations for improvement of CDPM: Criteria for inclusive income, flexibility and diversity in activities stipulated and Improvements in egress. Conclusions: The elderly, their caregivers and the professionals who attend them are consistent in pointing out that elderly assistance to this type of service reports benefits in its functionality, well-being and social insertion. This study contributes to broadening the understanding of results in the uses of CDPM by reporting an experience in a particular social context.http://www.gerokomos.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/29-1-2018-009.pd

Estimulación vagal en el tratamiento de la epilepsia

The vagal nerve stimulation is a new technique for the treatment of drug resistant epilepsies. DEVELOPMENT: In 1997, it was approved in United States by the FDA to be used in adults with refractory focal epilepsies not candidates for epilepsy surgery. Its mechanism of action is unknown. The results in the controlled studies indicated a decrease of 30 50% in the seizure frequency in around 50% of the patients. Although more experience is needed to corroborate these results, it seems reasonable as a treatment for patients with difficult epilepsies, especially when the response to the antiepileptic drugs is poor or they are producing secondary effects, and the resection of the focus is not possible

Centro de Capacitación y demostración de tecnologías apropiadas para la agricultura familiar. Un espacio de capacitación y aprendizaje.

En Catamarca existen numerosas explotaciones pecuarias y agrícolas, las cuales en su mayoría son atendidas por grupos familiares, constituyendo el único sostén para la familia. Estos sistemas productivos emplean tecnología tradicional que provoca bajos rendimientos y una disminución en la rentabilidad esperada. En los últimos años, tanto a nivel nacional como provincial, se trabaja en el fortalecimiento de políticas tendientes al agregado de valor, la competitividad y el aumento de la producción agropecuaria. Sin embargo, a pesar de los esfuerzos realizados, los desarrollos tecnológicos no siempre han satisfecho estas necesidades. Una alternativa es la conformación de centros demostrativos conjuntamente con otras instituciones. En el presente trabajo se muestran los pasos seguidos para el establecimiento del CDT en el Departamento Belén ? Provincia de Catamarca; se presenta la estructura del mismo, la metodología que se sigue para lograr los objetivos propuestos y las acciones desarrolladas hasta el momento.Fil: Bistoni, Silvia Noemi. Universidad Nacional de Catamarca; Argentina;Fil: Iriarte, Adolfo Antonio. Consejo Nacional de Invest.cientif.y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnol.conicet - Salta. Instituto de Invest.en Energia No Convencional; Argentina;Fil: García, V.. Universidad Nacional de Catamarca;Fil: Bilbao, L.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria; Argentina;Fil: Orcasitas, E.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria; Argentina

Development of a Sentinel-2 burned area algorithm: Generation of a small fire database for sub-Saharan Africa

A locally-adapted multitemporal two-phase burned area (BA) algorithm has been developed using as inputs Sentinel-2 MSI reflectance measurements in the short and near infrared wavebands plus the active fires detected by Terra and Aqua MODIS sensors. An initial burned area map is created in the first step, from which tile dependent statistics are extracted for the second step. The whole Sub-Saharan Africa (around 25 M km(2)) was processed with this algorithm at a spatial resolution of 20 m, from January to December 2016. This period covers two half fire seasons on the Northern Hemisphere and an entire fire season in the South. The area was selected as existing BA products account it to include around 70% of global BA. Validation of this product was based on a two-stage stratified random sampling of Landsat multitemporal images. Higher accuracy values than existing global BA products were observed, with Dice coefficient of 77% and omission and commission errors of 26.5% and 19.3% respectively. The standard NASA BA product (MCD64A1 c6) showed a similar commission error (20.4%), but much higher omission errors (59.6%), with a lower Dice coefficient (53.6%). The BA algorithm was processed over > 11,000 Sentinel-2 images to create a database that would also include small fires (< 100 ha). This is the first time a continental BA product is generated from medium resolution sensors (spatial resolution = 20 m), showing their operational potential for improving our current understanding of global fire impacts. Total BA estimated from our product was 4.9 M km(2), around 80% larger area than what the NASA BA product (MCD64A1 c6) detected in the same period (2.7 M km(2)). The main differences between the two products were found in regions where small fires (< 100 ha) account for a significant proportion of total BA, as global products based on coarse pixel sizes (500 m for MCD64A1) unlikely detect them. On the negative side, Sentinel-2 based products have lower temporal resolution and consequently are more affected by cloud/cloud shadows and have less temporal reporting accuracy than global BA products. The product derived from S2 imagery would greatly contribute to better understanding the impacts of small fires in global fire regimes, particularly in tropical regions, where such fires are frequent. This product is named FireCCISFD11 and it is publicly available at: https://www.esa-fire-cci.org/node/262, last accessed on November 2018.This research was carried out within the Fire_cci project (https://www.esa-fire-cci.org/, last accessed on November 2018), contract no. 4000115006/15/I-NB, which has been funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) under the Climate Change Initiative Programme. The FireCCISFD11 product can be downloaded at https://www.esa-fire-cci.org/node/262 (last accessed on November 2018)