Modelado y evaluación de la gestión de recursos en redes móviles celulares

En la última década las redes móviles celulares han experimentado un enorme crecimiento. Asimismo el aumento del número de servicios y el ancho de banda que requieren hace necesario un correcto modelado y gestión de recursos. Este trabajo pretende ser una contribución al desarrollo de modelos para el estudio y la evaluación de la gestión de recursos radio en redes móviles celulares. Más concretamente, se ha pretendido profundizar en el estudio de modelos de reintentos. Estos modelos son de gran utilidad para la caracterización de diferentes aspectos de funcionamiento. Tradicionalmente, se ha entendido por sistema de reintentos aquel sistema en que los usuarios que son bloqueados, tratan de acceder de nuevo, tras un tiempo de espera. Esta es una característica propia del comportamiento humano que no debe obviarse en el modelado de sistemas de comunicaciones, puesto que puede tener un gran impacto en las prestaciones ofrecidas por el sistema. Adicionalmente, en las redes móviles celulares, por su estructura y características propias, podemos encontrar este efecto no sólo debido al comportamiento humano, sino que también puede deberse a la gestión de los handovers. Este tipo de reintentos, incluido en el estándar de GSM, permite realizar un número máximo de reintentos consecutivos, mientras que el terminal se encuentra en el área de handover, sin que el usuario intervenga. Es posible encontrar otro tipo de sistemas de reintentos que caracterizan toda una serie de nuevas aplicaciones. Se trata de aplicaciones que, en caso de bloqueo, permiten reintentar el acceso disminuyendo el número de recursos solicitado. Así, aparecen las aplicaciones rate adaptive en que, según el grado de congestión, se ofrece un servicio de mayor o menor calidad. Este tipo de modelo resulta de especial interés para tratar aplicaciones como VoIP o servicios de videoconferencia para las que se han desarrollado codecs que permiten adaptar la tasa de servicio a las condiciones de la red.Doménech Benlloch, MJ. (2009). Modelado y evaluación de la gestión de recursos en redes móviles celulares [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/8319Palanci

The NEXT experiment: DAQ, Backgrounds and medical applications

La colaboración NEXT propone una TPC de xenón a alta presión para la búsqueda de la desintegración doble beta sin neutrinos del Xe-136 en el Laboratorio Subterráneo de Canfranc. En este trabajo presentamos el sistema de adquisición de datos (DAQ) de NEXT-White. Para transferir y almacenar de forma eficiente toda la información relativa a los eventos detectados se ha definido un formato binario de datos de propósito específico. Se describe en detalle el software de decodificación implementado para traducir dichos ficheros binarios a un formato de más alto nivel (HDF5). Para asegurar la calidad del software, se ha implementado también un sistema de testing automático. El rendimiento del sistema se ha mejorado añadiendo la posibilidad de comprimir los datos usando códigos de Huffman. La segunda parte incluye una actualización de los estudios de sensibilidad del detector NEXT-100 usando las últimas medidas de radiopureza. El estudio presentado en esta tesis incluye una simulación detallada de la deriva de los electrones, el efecto de la electrónica y la reconstrucción. Los resultados obtenidos destacan la importancia crítica de tratar el problema de la difusión de la nube de electrones en detectores grandes. Una solución para este problema es el uso del algoritmo de Richardson-Lucy, capaz de recuperar una imagen que ha sido difuminada por una PSF conocida. En el caso de NEXT, estas PSFs se pueden obtener analizando eventos de Kr-83m. Por último, la tecnología desarrollada para los detectores de NEXT también puede tener aplicaciones en imagen médica. PETALO es una propuesta de escáner PET basado en xenón líquido con SiPM para leer las señales. Esta tecnología ofrece varias ventajas: un centelleo muy rápido con una gran emisión de luz; el xenón líquido es un medio continuo con respuesta uniforme; y, potencialmente, la identificación y reconstrucción de eventos Compton. El xenón líquido produce radiación Cherenkov que podría ser utilizada para conseguir un CRT (Coincidence Resolving Time) muy rápido en un TOF-PET. Se ha realizado una simulación con Geant4 para evaluar el rendimiento de un sistema con esas características. El estudio presentado es una prueba de concepto que muestra que un CRT de ~30 ps podría ser conseguido con sensores y electrónica suficientemente rápidas.The NEXT collaboration proposes a high pressure xenon TPC to search for neutrinoless double beta decays of Xe-136 at Laboratorio Subterráneo de Canfranc. In this work we present the Data Acquisition system of NEXT-White. To transfer efficiently and store all the relevant information regarding the events detected, a specific-purpose binary format has been defined. A decoding software that translates those binary files to higher-level HDF5 files has been implemented and described in detail. To ensure quality, an automated testing system has been implemented. The performance of the system has been improved by adding the possibility of using a Huffman compression algorithm. The second part includes an upgrade on the sensitivity studies for the NEXT-100 detector using the latest radiopurity measurements. The study presented in this thesis includes a detailed simulation of the drift, the effect of the electronics and the reconstruction. The results found highlight the critical importance of dealing with the electron cloud diffusion in larger detectors. One solution to the problem is the use of a Richardson-Lucy algorithm that can recover an underlying image blurred by a known Point Spread Function. In the case of NEXT, these PSFs can be produced by analyzing point-like Kr-83m events. Lastly, the technology developed for the NEXT detectors can also be applied to medical imaging. PETALO is a proposed PET scanner based on liquid xenon (LXe) with SiPM readout. This technology offers several advantages: a very fast scintillation with a high light yield; LXe is a continuous medium with uniform response; and, potentially, identification and reconstruction of Compton events. LXe produces Cherenkov radiation that could be used to achieve a very fast Coincidence Resolving Time in a TOF-PET. A Geant4-based Monte Carlo simulation has been carried out to assess the performance of such a detector. The study presented is a proof-of-concept showing that a CRT of ~30 ps could be achieved with sufficiently fast sensors and electronics

MOTS-c promotes muscle differentiation in vitro

MOTS-c (mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12 S rRNA-c) is a newly discovered peptide that has been shown to have a protective role in whole-body metabolic homeostasis. This could be a consequence of the effect of MOTS-c on muscle tissue. Here, we investigated the role of MOTS-c in the differentiation of human (LHCN-M2) and murine (C2C12) muscle progenitor cells. Cells were treated with peptides at the onset of differentiation or after myotubes had been formed. We identified in silico a putative Src Homology 2 (SH2) binding motif in the YIFY region of the MOTS-c sequence, and created a Y8F mutant MOTS-c peptide to explore the role of this region. In both cellular models, treatment with wild-type MOTS-c peptide increased myotube formation whereas treatment with the Y8F peptide did not. MOTS-c wild-type, but not Y8F peptide, also protected against interleukin-6 (IL-6)-induced reduction of nuclear myogenin staining in myocytes. Thus, we investigated whether MOTS-c interacts with the IL-6/Janus kinase/ Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway, and found that MOTS-c, but not the Y8F peptide, blocked the transcriptional activity of STAT3 induced by IL-6. Altogether, our findings suggest that, in muscle cells, MOTS-c interacts with STAT3 via the putative SH2 binding motif in the YIFY region to reduce STAT3 transcriptional activity, which enhances myotube formation. This newly discovered mechanism of action highlights MOTS-c as a potential therapeutic target against musclewasting in several diseases.This project has been funded by the Universidad Católica de Valencia (2019-168-002, 2019-168-004, 2020-168-001, 2020-168-002, 2020- 168-004). SGB is a predoctoral fellow and RA a postdoctoral fellow of Universidad Católica de Valencia (2018-168-002).Medicin

Women's Songs. The Lullaby in the Spanish Autonomous Region of Valencia

A lullaby is a song performed almost exclusively by women in all cultures to make children fall asleep. But traditional lullaby singing has declined due to social change. This study analyzes its structure and content thoroughly and aspects of this tradition providing information on usage, customs, themes and types of melody, and reflecting the importance of this form of cultural expression

The Impact of Microbiota on the Pathogenesis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and the Possible Benefits of Polyphenols. An Overview

The relationship between gut microbiota and neurodegenerative diseases is becoming clearer. Among said diseases amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) stands out due to its severity and, as with other chronic pathologies that cause neurodegeneration, gut microbiota could play a fundamental role in its pathogenesis. Therefore, polyphenols could be a therapeutic alternative due to their anti-inflammatory action and probiotic effect. Thus, the objective of our narrative review was to identify those bacteria that could have connection with the mentioned disease (ALS) and to analyze the benefits produced by administering polyphenols. Therefore, an extensive search was carried out selecting the most relevant articles published between 2005 and 2020 on the PubMed and EBSCO database on research carried out on cell, animal and human models of the disease. Thereby, after selecting, analyzing and debating the main articles on this topic, the bacteria related to the pathogenesis of ALS have been identified, among which we can positively highlight the presence mainly of Akkermansia muciniphila, but also Lactobacillus spp., Bifidobacterium spp. or Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens. Nevertheless, the presence of Escherichia coli or Ruminococcus torques stand out negatively for the disease. In addition, most of these bacteria are associated with molecular changes also linked to the pathogenesis of ALS. However, once the main polyphenols related to improvements in any of these three ALS models were assessed, many of them show positive results that could improve the prognosis of the disease. Nonetheless, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), curcumin and resveratrol are the polyphenols considered to show the most promising results as a therapeutic alternative for ALS through changes in microbiota.This study was funded by the Valencia Catholic University San Vicente Mártir (grant 2017-216-001).Medicin

Identification of Factors Affecting the Performance of Rural Road Projects in Colombia

[EN] Rural roads play an indispensable role in economic and social well-being, especially in developing countries, contributing to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. For this reason, it is necessary to plan these projects properly to guarantee their success. In this line, the objective of this research is to identify significant variables generating overruns in time and cost using empirical data of 535 rural road projects in Colombia from 2015 to 2018. Bivariate analysis, with statistical tools like Spearman's Rho and Kruskal-Wallis, allowed identifying that higher values of variables like budget and project intensity are related to higher deviations in cost and time. Additionally, it was found that projects with shorter durations are reporting higher time overruns. The worst performers are projects executed in the year that council mayors start their terms, those developed in municipalities with more resources, and those awarded using a competitive bidding process. Multivariate analysis, through Random Forest, assessed the effect of considering all variables interacting simultaneously and ranking them in order of importance. The results demonstrated a relationship between cost and time performance, and that numerical variables are more significant than the categorical ones. This study contributes to a better understanding of the causes of delays and cost overruns on rural roads, providing useful insight for researchers and industry practitioners.Gomez-Cabrera, A.; Sanz-Benlloch, MA.; Montalbán-Domingo, L.; Ponz Tienda, JL.; Pellicer, E. (2020). Identification of Factors Affecting the Performance of Rural Road Projects in Colombia. Sustainability. 12(18):1-18. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12187377S1181218http://www.slocat.net/wp-content/uploads/legacy/u15/contribution_of_rural_transport_to_the_sustainable_development_goals_paper_final.pdfBurrow, M. P. N., Evdorides, H., Ghataora, G. S., Petts, R., & Snaith, M. S. (2016). The evidence for rural road technology in low-income countries. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Transport, 169(6), 366-377. doi:10.1680/jtran.15.00089Muzira, S., de Díaz, D. H., & Mota, B. F. J. (2015). Rethinking Rural Road Infrastructure Delivery. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2474(1), 195-202. doi:10.3141/2474-23FUNDACION PAZ Y RECONCILIACIONhttps://pares.com.co/2016/07/28/las-vias-terciarias-del-postconflicto/Frimpong, Y., Oluwoye, J., & Crawford, L. (2003). Causes of delay and cost overruns in construction of groundwater projects in a developing countries; Ghana as a case study. International Journal of Project Management, 21(5), 321-326. doi:10.1016/s0263-7863(02)00055-8Flyvbjerg, B., Skamris holm, M. K., & Buhl, S. L. (2003). How common and how large are cost overruns in transport infrastructure projects? Transport Reviews, 23(1), 71-88. doi:10.1080/01441640309904Kumaraswamy, M. M., & Chan, D. W. M. (1998). Contributors to construction delays. Construction Management and Economics, 16(1), 17-29. doi:10.1080/014461998372556Iyer, K. C., & Jha, K. N. (2006). Critical Factors Affecting Schedule Performance: Evidence from Indian Construction Projects. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 132(8), 871-881. doi:10.1061/(asce)0733-9364(2006)132:8(871)Flyvbjerg, B., Holm, M. S., & Buhl, S. (2002). Underestimating Costs in Public Works Projects:Error or Lie? Journal of the American Planning Association, 68(3), 279-295. doi:10.1080/01944360208976273Shane, J. S., Molenaar, K. R., Anderson, S., & Schexnayder, C. (2009). Construction Project Cost Escalation Factors. Journal of Management in Engineering, 25(4), 221-229. doi:10.1061/(asce)0742-597x(2009)25:4(221)Kaliba, C., Muya, M., & Mumba, K. (2009). Cost escalation and schedule delays in road construction projects in Zambia. International Journal of Project Management, 27(5), 522-531. doi:10.1016/j.ijproman.2008.07.003Mahamid, I., Bruland, A., & Dmaidi, N. (2012). Causes of Delay in Road Construction Projects. Journal of Management in Engineering, 28(3), 300-310. doi:10.1061/(asce)me.1943-5479.0000096Santoso, D. S., & Soeng, S. (2016). Analyzing Delays of Road Construction Projects in Cambodia: Causes and Effects. Journal of Management in Engineering, 32(6), 05016020. doi:10.1061/(asce)me.1943-5479.0000467Yang, J.-B., & Ou, S.-F. (2008). Using structural equation modeling to analyze relationships among key causes of delay in construction. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 35(4), 321-332. doi:10.1139/l07-101Bhargava, A., Anastasopoulos, P. C., Labi, S., Sinha, K. C., & Mannering, F. L. (2010). Three-Stage Least-Squares Analysis of Time and Cost Overruns in Construction Contracts. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 136(11), 1207-1218. doi:10.1061/(asce)co.1943-7862.0000225Huo, T., Ren, H., Cai, W., Shen, G. Q., Liu, B., Zhu, M., & Wu, H. (2018). Measurement and Dependence Analysis of Cost Overruns in Megatransport Infrastructure Projects: Case Study in Hong Kong. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 144(3), 05018001. doi:10.1061/(asce)co.1943-7862.0001444FLYVBJERG, B., SKAMRIS HOLM, M. K., & BUHL, S. L. (2004). What Causes Cost Overrun in Transport Infrastructure Projects? Transport Reviews, 24(1), 3-18. doi:10.1080/0144164032000080494aOdeck, J. (2004). Cost overruns in road construction—what are their sizes and determinants? Transport Policy, 11(1), 43-53. doi:10.1016/s0967-070x(03)00017-9Cantarelli, C. C., Molin, E. J. E., van Wee, B., & Flyvbjerg, B. (2012). Characteristics of cost overruns for Dutch transport infrastructure projects and the importance of the decision to build and project phases. Transport Policy, 22, 49-56. doi:10.1016/j.tranpol.2012.04.001Hauke, J., & Kossowski, T. (2011). Comparison of Values of Pearson’s and Spearman’s Correlation Coefficients on the Same Sets of Data. Quaestiones Geographicae, 30(2), 87-93. doi:10.2478/v10117-011-0021-1De Winter, J. C. F., Gosling, S. D., & Potter, J. (2016). Comparing the Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients across distributions and sample sizes: A tutorial using simulations and empirical data. Psychological Methods, 21(3), 273-290. doi:10.1037/met0000079Gatignon, H. (2009). Introduction. Statistical Analysis of Management Data, 1-8. doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-1270-1_1Breiman, L. (2001). Machine Learning, 45(1), 5-32. doi:10.1023/a:1010933404324Auret, L., & Aldrich, C. (2012). Interpretation of nonlinear relationships between process variables by use of random forests. 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Cuestionadas : un acercamiento a la redefinición de la experiencia lactante de las madres a partir de las voces de las mujeres

En España, anualmente unas 340.000 mujeres dan a luz y se convierten en protagonistas de un proceso que las llevará a ejercer la maternidad en su sentido más amplio. Durante los primeros años, la lactancia emerge de forma central entre las prácticas maternas, ya que conecta con las formas de alimentar la nueva vida. De este modo, en el siguiente artículo nos acercamos al estudio de las vivencias de las mujeres alrededor de la lactancia. Qué expectativas tienen sobre la práctica lactante, qué posibilidades han vivido o qué cambios han transitado son cuestiones que nos han llevado a profundizar en este tema. Así pues, tras el objetivo inicial de conocer las experiencias de las mujeres que han sido madres, presentamos los resultados de una investigación de corte cualitativo que surge de la respuesta a un cuestionario abierto a 72 mujeres que habían dado a luz en los últimos cinco años. Entre los hallazgos, hemos podido observar que la lactancia es una gran preocupación para las mujeres, lo que nos ha llevado a preguntarnos si se ha producido o no una redefinición social de la lactancia materna. Concluimos que hay un juego de cruces entre las expectativas iniciales, los marcos disciplinarios que se configuran alrededor de la lactancia y las posibilidades de acción de las mujeres, de manera que es necesario repensar cómo se ofrece apoyo, acompañamiento e información por parte de las personas profesionales, y también un mejor conocimiento y concienciación en los círculos cercanos familiares y de la sociedad en general.A Espanya, anualment unes 340.000 dones donen a llum i es converteixen en protagonistes d'un procés que les portarà a exercir la maternitat en el seu sentit més ampli. Durant els primers anys, la lactància emergeix de manera central entre les pràctiques maternes, ja que connecta amb les maneres d'alimentar la nova vida. D'aquesta manera, en l'article següent ens acostem a l'estudi de les vivències de les dones al voltant de la lactància. Quines expectatives tenen sobre la pràctica lactant, quines possibilitats han viscut o quins canvis han experimentat són qüestions que ens han portat a aprofundir en aquest tema. Així doncs, després de l'objectiu inicial de conèixer les experiències de les dones que han estat mares, presentem els resultats d'una recerca de tall qualitatiu que sorgeix de la resposta a un qüestionari obert a 72 dones que havien donat a llum en els últims cinc anys. Entre aquests resultats, hem pogut observar que la lactància és una gran preocupació per a les dones, la qual cosa ens ha portat a preguntar-nos si s'ha produït o no una redefinició social de la lactància materna. Concloem que hi ha un joc d'encreuaments entre les expectatives inicials, els marcs disciplinaris que es configuren al voltant de la lactància i les possibilitats d'acció de les dones, de manera que cal repensar com s'ofereix suport, acompanyament i informació per part de les persones professionals, i també un millor coneixement i conscienciació en els cercles propers familiars i de la societat en general.Every year in Spain, some 340,000 women give birth, becoming the protagonists of a process that will lead them to exercise motherhood in its broadest sense. During the first years, breastfeeding emerges as a central part of maternal practices as it connects with the ways of nourishing the new life. Thus, in the following article we approach the study of women's experiences of breastfeeding. What expectations they have about breastfeeding, what possibilities they have experienced or what changes they have undergone are questions that have led us to delve deeper into this subject. Thus, after the initial objective of finding out about the experiences of women who have been mothers, we present the results of a qualitative research study based on the response to an open questionnaire to 72 women who had given birth in the last 5 years. Among the findings we have been able to observe how breastfeeding is a major concern for women, leading us to ask ourselves whether or not there has been a social redefinition of breastfeeding. We conclude that there is an interplay between initial expectations, the disciplinary frameworks that are configured around breastfeeding and women's possibilities for action, and that it is necessary to rethink how support, accompaniment and information are offered by professionals, as well as a better knowledge and awareness on the part of close family circles and society in general

Reflexiones al final de un inicio: estudio de asociación entre variables sociodemográficas y tipo de parto en la prevención de la violencia obstétrica en España

The aim of our work is to approach types of childbirth at the end of pregnancy from a sociodemographic point of view, with special emphasis in the number of C sections. Material and Method: The birth data in Spain provided by the National Institute of Statistics has been analyzed. Results: The results obtained from crossing the variables show that there are social determinants that should be considered in order to better understand the process of childbirth. Discussion: Our approach goes beyond the mere description and aims to show a causality that should be included in obstetric protocols. Conclusion: Health workers must be aware of the personal circumstances of the patients so that the delivery develops as easily as possible, taking into account the characteristics of the woman, and being not so much concerned with the number of cesarean sections they have to perform