6,067 research outputs found

    Modified spinning black holes

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    In the context of f(R) modified gravity theories we determine that the black holes existence is determined by the sign of a parameter dependent of the mass, the charge, the spin and the scalar curvature. We obtain the different astrophysical objects derived from the presence of different horizons. Thermodynamics for this kind of black holes is studied for negative values of the curvature, revealing that we can distinguish between two kinds of BH: fast and slow.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, Contribution to the ERE2011 Spanish Relativity Meeting, Madrid 201

    The test of Random Rhythm Generation and neuropsychological performance in schizophrenic patients

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    Producción CientíficaThe objective of this study was the assessment of neuropsychological performance in a sample of schizophrenic patients using a new computer-administered instrument, the Test of Random Rhythm Generation (ARG). The test was applied to a group of 20 DSM-IV schizophrenic patients (SG) and 20 sex- and age-matched controls (CG). The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Frankfurt Complaint Questionnaire (Frankfurter Beschwerdefragebogen, FBF) were used to study patients' psychopathology. The neuroleptic treatment received by each patient during the last month was converted into daily equivalents of chlorpromazine. In the ARG, the subject is asked to press the space key of the computer at a rhythm as irregular as possible. The test aims at assessing the individual's ability to create random rhythms by means of sequences of blows, which is hypothetically associated with a high neuropsychological performance. The data were analyzed by means of three different mathematical techniques. Results showed that schizophrenic patients generated more regular and rhythmic sequences than controls (correlation dimension in SG = 2.78 +/- 0.81, in CG = 3.69 +/- 0.64, p < 0.01). This suggests that neuropsychological performance measured by the ARG was worse in patients compared to controls. ARG is proposed as a new technique to evaluate neuropsychological performance with the following advantages: (1) its short-time application tit usually takes no more than 10 minutes), (2) personnel only require a short training to learn how to apply it, and (3) different analyses of the data are quickly carried out by the computer program

    Legal Interpreter for the Jury: the role of the Clerk of the Court in Spain

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    The Clerk of the Court (secretario judicial) in Spanish provincial courts is an important legal actor in the proceedings of the modern Spanish jury, introduced in 1995. In contrast to the general verdicts of traditional common-law juries, Spanish juries must answer an often lengthy list of specific questions, and must provide the reasoning supporting these responses. Early on, many Spanish juries found the task of providing legally acceptable responses and reasons challenging. Because the law permits the clerk to enter the deliberation room to assist the jury in its writing of the verdict, the clerk has come to act as a principal intermediary between the formal demands of the law and lay citizens serving on the jury. The purpose of the present study is to analyze the role of the Clerk of the Court in Spanish jury proceedings, including the jury selection phase and the verdict writing process. Drawing on interviews with Clerks of the Court, we find that clerks’ views of appropriate intervention and clerks’ practices differ significantly across jurisdictions.Proyecto de investigación financiado por el Ministerio de Economía, 2016-2018, UN PASO ADELANTE EN LA CONSOLIDACION DEL ESPACIO JUDICIAL EUROPEO Y SU APLICACION PRACTICA EN ESPAÑA: VISION DESDE EL PROCESO CIVIL Y PENAL (DER2015-71418-P

    Recent Developments: Maryland General Assembly Update

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    Analysing the impact of climate change on hydrological ecosystem services in laguna del sauce (Uruguay) using the swat model and remote sensing data

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    Assessing how climate change will affect hydrological ecosystem services (HES) provision is necessary for long-term planning and requires local comprehensive climate information. In this study, we used SWAT to evaluate the impacts on four HES, natural hazard protection, erosion control regulation and water supply and flow regulation for the Laguna del Sauce catchment in Uruguay. We used downscaled CMIP-5 global climate models for Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 2.6, 4.5 and 8.5 projections. We calibrated and validated our SWAT model for the periods 2005 2009 and 2010 2013 based on remote sensed ET data. Monthly NSE and R2 values for calibration and validation were 0.74, 0.64 and 0.79, 0.84, respectively. Our results suggest that climate change will likely negatively affect the water resources of the Laguna del Sauce catchment, especially in the RCP 8.5 scenario. In all RCP scenarios, the catchment is likely to experience a wetting trend, higher temperatures, seasonality shifts and an increase in extreme precipitation events, particularly in frequency and magnitude. This will likely affect water quality provision through runoff and sediment yield inputs, reducing the erosion control HES and likely aggravating eutrophication. Although the amount of water will increase, changes to the hydrological cycle might jeopardize the stability of freshwater supplies and HES on which many people in the south-eastern region of Uruguay depend. Despite streamflow monitoring capacities need to be enhanced to reduce the uncertainty of model results, our findings provide valuable insights for water resources planning in the study area. Hence, water management and monitoring capacities need to be enhanced to reduce the potential negative climate change impacts on HES. The methodological approach presented here, based on satellite ET data can be replicated and adapted to any other place in the world since we employed open-access software and remote sensing data for all the phases of hydrological modelling and HES provision assessment. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.This work has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme within the framework of the project SMARTLAGOON under grant agreement No. 101017861. This study was also supported by the State Research Agency of Spain through the excellence certification María de Maeztu (Ref. MDM-2017-0714). Celina Aznarez was supported by the Doctoral INPhINIT–INCOMING program, fellowship code (LCF/BQ/DI20/11780004), from “la Caixa” Foundation (ID 100010434). Javier Senent-Aparicio was supported by the training grant (21201/EE/19) awarded by the Séneca Foundation in the framework of the Jimenez de la Espada Mobility, Cooperation and Internationalization Program. Adrián López-Ballesteros was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte with an FPU grant (FPU17/00923). Juan Pablo Pacheco was supported by the Sino-Danish Center–Aarhus University, the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of the Republic, Uruguay. This work has received funding from the European Union?s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme within the framework of the project SMARTLAGOON under grant agreement No. 101017861. This study was also supported by the State Research Agency of Spain through the excellence certification Mar?a de Maeztu (Ref. MDM-2017-0714). Celina Aznarez was supported by the Doctoral INPhINIT?INCOMING program, fellowship code (LCF/BQ/DI20/11780004), from ?la Caixa? Foundation (ID 100010434). Javier Senent-Aparicio was supported by the training grant (21201/EE/19) awarded by the S?neca Foundation in the framework of the Jimenez de la Espada Mobility, Cooperation and Internationalization Program. Adri?n L?pez-Ballesteros was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Educaci?n, Cultura y Deporte with an FPU grant (FPU17/00923). Juan Pablo Pacheco was supported by the Sino-Danish Center?Aarhus University, the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of the Republic, Uruguay. The authors acknowledge Paper Check Proofreading and Editing Services for proofreading the manuscript

    Durvalumab for recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: Results from a single-arm, phase II study in patients with ≥25% tumour cell PD-L1 expression who have progressed on platinum-based chemotherapy

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    Anticossos; Immunoteràpia; Càncer de cap i collAnticuerpos; Inmunoterapia; Cáncer de cabeza y cuelloAntibodies; Immunotherapy; Head and neck cancerBackground Patients with recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC) progressing on platinum-based chemotherapy have poor prognoses and limited therapeutic options. Programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and its ligand 1 (PD-L1) are frequently upregulated in HNSCC. The international, multi-institutional, single-arm, phase II HAWK study ( NCT02207530 ) evaluated durvalumab monotherapy, an anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody, in PD-L1-high patients with platinum-refractory R/M HNSCC. Patients and methods Immunotherapy-naïve patients with confirmed PD-L1-high tumour cell expression (defined as patients with ≥25% of tumour cells expressing PD-L1 [TC ≥ 25%] using the VENTANA PD-L1 [SP263] Assay) received durvalumab 10 mg/kg intravenously every 2 weeks for up to 12 months. The primary end-point was objective response rate; secondary end-points included progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results Among evaluable patients (n = 111), objective response rate was 16.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 9.9–24.4); 29.4% (95% CI, 15.1–47.5) for human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive patients and 10.9% (95% CI, 4.5–21.3) for HPV-negative patients. Median PFS and OS for treated patients (n = 112) was 2.1 months (95% CI, 1.9–3.7) and 7.1 months (95% CI, 4.9–9.9); PFS and OS at 12 months were 14.6% (95% CI, 8.5–22.1) and 33.6% (95% CI, 24.8–42.7). Treatment-related adverse events were 57.1% (any grade) and 8.0% (grade ≥3); none led to death. At data cut-off, 24.1% of patients remained on treatment or in follow-up. Conclusion Durvalumab demonstrated antitumour activity with acceptable safety in PD-L1-high patients with R/M HNSCC, supporting its ongoing evaluation in phase III trials in first- and second-line settings. In an ad hoc analysis, HPV-positive patients had a numerically higher response rate and survival than HPV-negative patients.This study was supported by AstraZeneca
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