Optimal experimental design for cytogenetic dose-response calibration curves

Purpose: To introduce optimal experimental design techniques in the cytogenetic biological dosimetry practice. This includes the development of a new optimality criterion for the calibration of radiation doses. Materials and Methods: The most typical optimal design criterion and the one developed in this research are introduced and applied in an example from the litera- ture. In another example from the literature, a simulation study has been performed to compare the standard error of the dose estimation using different experimental designs. An RStudio project and a GitHub project have been developed to repro- duce these results. Results: In the paper it is observed that the application of optimal experimental design techniques can reduce the standard error of biodosimetric dose estimations. Conclusions: Optimal experimental design techniques jointly with practitioners re- quirements may be applied. This practice would not involve an additional laboratory work

Optimal experimental design for cytogenetic dose-response calibration curves

Purpose: To introduce optimal experimental design techniques in the cytogenetic biological dosimetry practice. This includes the development of a new optimatility criterion for the calibration of radiation doses. Materials and Methods: The most typical optimal design criterion and the one developed in this research are introduced and applied in an example from the litera- ture. In another example from the literature, a simulation study has been performed to compare the standard error of the dose estimation using di erent experimental designs. An RStudio project and a GitHub project have been developed to repro- duce these results. Results: It is appreciated how the application of optimal experimental design tech- niques can reduce the standard error of biodosimetric dose estimations. Conclusions: Optimal experimental design techniques jointly with practitioners re- quirements may be applied. This practice would not involve an additional laboratory work

A statistical framework for radiation dose estimation with uncertainty quantification from the γ-H2AX assay

Over the last decade, the γ–H2AX focus assay, which exploits the phosphorylation of the H2AX histone following DNA double–strand–breaks, has made considerable progress towards acceptance as a reliable biomarker for exposure to ionizing radiation. While the existing literature has convincingly demonstrated a dose–response effect, and also presented approaches to dose estimation based on appropriately defined calibration curves, a more widespread practical use is still hampered by a certain lack of discussion and agreement on the specific dose–response modelling and uncertainty quantification strategies, as well as by the unavailability of implementations. This manuscript intends to fill these gaps, by stating explicitly the statistical models and techniques required for calibration curve estimation and subsequent dose estimation. Accompanying this article, a web applet has been produced which implements the discussed methods

Potential early adopters of hybrid and electric vehicles in Spain – towards a customer profile

The adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) by consumers is regarded as a key strategic goal for the reduction in transport-related air pollution levels. Although sales of EVs continue to rise year on year, generally, the attainment of the strategic goals set by various governments for the adoption of EVs remain a distant target. The purpose of this study is to identify the customer profile of early adopters of EVs in Spain: one of Europe’s largest economies and yet the country with the lowest take up rate of EVs at present. The analysis presented here is based on an online survey of 404 potential consumers of EVs in Spain. A cluster analysis of the data was performed based on a set of three socio-demographic characteristics (gender, age, and income), one psychographic (green moral obligation - GMO) and two EV attributes (price and driving range). The results of this analysis showed that there exist two segments with respect to higher or lower customer intentions related to the adoption of EVs. These findings represent a theoretical contribution to current understanding of the customer profile of adopters of EVs and will contribute to the development of communication and retail strategies aimed at customers fitting the profile of early adopters of new technologies

Potential early adopters of hybrid and electric vehicles in Spain – towards a customer profile

The adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) by consumers is regarded as a key strategic goal for the reduction in transport-related air pollution levels. Although sales of EVs continue to rise year on year, generally, the attainment of the strategic goals set by various governments for the adoption of EVs remain a distant target. The purpose of this study is to identify the customer profile of early adopters of EVs in Spain: one of Europe’s largest economies and yet the country with the lowest take up rate of EVs at present. The analysis presented here is based on an online survey of 404 potential consumers of EVs in Spain. A cluster analysis of the data was performed based on a set of three socio-demographic characteristics (gender, age, and income), one psychographic (green moral obligation - GMO) and two EV attributes (price and driving range). The results of this analysis showed that there exist two segments with respect to higher or lower customer intentions related to the adoption of EVs. These findings represent a theoretical contribution to current understanding of the customer profile of adopters of EVs and will contribute to the development of communication and retail strategies aimed at customers fitting the profile of early adopters of new technologies

Dinámicas espaciales de ocupación de suelo en torno a la burbuja inmobiliaria española (1990-2012)

Although the recent housing boom & bust in Spain has triggered significant transformations in its urban fabric, the geographical dimensions of this economic phenomenon and its spatial impacts on the local urban structure have not yet been described in depth. Following the latest published data from CORINE Land cover (2012), this study undertakes a dynamic multi-scale spatial analysis of data representing urban land cover over a 22-year span, contributing to the understanding of four main issues: (i) the total amount of change, (ii) its proportion in comparison with the initial stage of geographical distribution, and the (iv) the implications for the metropolitan and regional urban layout. This quantification describes the outlying regional structure of Spain’s urbanization process during the last decades in Europe, showing great acceleration and a significant transformation in land use patterns, as well as major differences in rates and components on smaller scales, using an integrated growth index.Utilizando los datos de ocupación de suelo de CORINE Land Cover (2012), este trabajo propone un análisis multiescalar, cuantitativo y espacial de las dinámicas de urbanización antes, durante y después de la burbuja inmobiliaria española, aportando una visión inédita del fenómeno en cuatro aspectos interrelacionados: (i) la magnitud absoluta del cambio, (ii) su proporción respecto al estado inicial, (iii) su variación temporal respecto a los usos del suelo, y (iv) sus implicaciones para los distintos componentes del sistema urbano español. El estudio precisa el lugar destacado del caso español en el continente europeo, y evidencia, a nivel provincial, una fuerte transformación del modelo de ocupación del territorio o las desigualdades en el ritmo y componentes del proceso, mediante la utilización de un índice integrado de crecimiento

Rotura de vástago femoral de prótesis total de cadera enteramente recubierta de hidroxiapatita. Presentación de tres casos.

Presentamos la descripción de tres casos de rotura de vástago femoral de una prótesis total de cadera enteramente recubierta de hidroxiapatita (Furlong, JRI limited, London), sin antecedente traumático. En dos pacientes el tiempo de evolución fue de 7 años tras el implante primario, y en un caso la rotura del vástago se produjo a los 5 años. El fallo del implante se produjo en todos los casos a nivel de la zona de transición metafiso-diafisaria- infundibulo-. La osteointegración del implante en la porción distal del vástago, favorecida por el recubrimiento de hidroxiapatita produce una transmisión anómala de cargas a nivel de la unión metafisodiafisaria y aumenta el riesgo de fallo del material en los casos descritos.We are describing 3 cases of femoral component failure of a total hip arthroplasty with fully coated hidroxiapa- tite (Furlong, JRI limited, London), without any traumatic event. The follow-up before failure was 7 and 5 years. The fracture of femoral stem was always just distal to the metap- hisal cone. The ingrowth of the distal portion of the femoral component increased by hidrixiapatite causes abnormal transmission of biomechanical forces in the metafiso-diafisal union increasing the risk of material failure

Balancing porosity and mechanical properties of titanium samples to favor cellular growth against bacteria

Two main problems limit the success of titanium implants: bacterial infection, which restricts their osseointegration capacity; and the stiffness mismatch between the implant and the host cortical bone, which promotes bone resorption and risk of fracture. Porosity incorporation may reduce this difference in stiffness but compromise biomechanical behavior. In this work, the relationship between the microstructure (content, size, and shape of pores) and the antibacterial and cellular behavior of samples fabricated by the space-holder technique (50 vol % NH4HCO3 and three ranges of particle sizes) is established. Results are discussed in terms of the best biomechanical properties and biofunctional activity balance (cell biocompatibility and antibacterial behavior). All substrates achieved suitable cell biocompatibility of premioblast and osteoblast in adhesion and proliferation processes. It is worth to highlighting that samples fabricated with the 100–200 μm space-holder present better mechanical behavior—in terms of stiffness, microhardness, and yield strength—which make them a very suitable material to replace cortical bone tissues. Those results exposed the relationship between the surface properties and the race of bacteria and mammalian cells for the surface with the aim to promote cellular growth over bacteria.University of Seville (Spain) VI Plan Propio de Investigación y Transferencia—US 2018, I.3A

Master in water engineering a “semi-attendance” university-specific degree with international participation

The Water Engineering Master Course is a university-specific degree at the University of Seville which nowadays can be coursed in two different modalities: “on line” and “semi-attendance”. Its first edition took place at 2000 and since then, the average of graduated students has been of 40 students per course. The semi-attendance mode offers the possibility of being followed in an on-line way from November to June. A Moodle platform provides all the documentation that is required to attend every module, at the end of each one some online questionnaires are also uploaded in order to evaluate the students. Only one of the 10 mandatory modules which make up the course have to be attended in a classroom mode. It takes place during 15 days in July and allows the students to come into contact with the lecturers, professionals of the sector and their own mates as well. During this period both, teachers and students, are lodged in the same residence and all of them have the chance of interchanging experiences in a full teaching-learning process, solving doubts and improving their skills thanks to specific courses, specially designed in function of the lack of knowledge which has been detected during de previous modules, o even, the suggestions received directly from students. Most of the students come from Hispanic countries and in less amount from African and European countries. Actually every July about 80 students and teachers from 25 different countries around the world, meet in Seville to attend this Master. The classes are given in Spanish with translator support if it’s necessary. Different environments, problematic and conditioning factors are studied and a large kind of solutions in water cycle are designed during these days. The requirements to elaborate the final master project are mainly that this one can be used to resolve a real local problem in the student’s origin place and moreover the student can obtain better marks if he/she finds financing to carry it out. In the last 8 years a useful module named “Tools for design” has been included in the program of the Master in order to enable the student in IT, specifically spreadsheets, cad, software for budgeting and measurement, topography and decision support systems. Students who graduate are able to evaluate the most proper technology from a social, technic and economic point of view, as well as, select the most efficient alternatives in order to achieve a sustainable development