PyMieDAP: a Python--Fortran tool to compute fluxes and polarization signals of (exo)planets

PyMieDAP (the Python Mie Doubling-Adding Programme) is a Python--based tool for computing the total, linearly, and circularly polarized fluxes of incident unpolarized sun- or starlight that is reflected by, respectively, Solar System planets or moons, or exoplanets at a range of wavelengths. The radiative transfer computations are based on an adding--doubling Fortran algorithm and fully include polarization for all orders of scattering. The model (exo)planets are described by a model atmosphere composed of a stack of homogeneous layers containing gas and/or aerosol and/or cloud particles bounded below by an isotropically, depolarizing surface (that is optionally black). The reflected light can be computed spatially--resolved and/or disk--integrated. Spatially--resolved signals are mostly representative for observations of Solar System planets (or moons), while disk--integrated signals are mostly representative for exoplanet observations. PyMieDAP is modular and flexible, and allows users to adapt and optimize the code according to their needs. PyMieDAP keeps options open for connections with external programs and for future additions and extensions. In this paper, we describe the radiative transfer algorithm that PyMieDAP is based on and the code's principal functionalities. And we provide benchmark results of PyMieDAP that can be used for testing its installation and for comparison with other codes. PyMieDAP is available online under the GNU GPL license at http://gitlab.com/loic.cg.rossi/pymiedapComment: 15 pages, 7 figures, 4 tables. Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Social issues of power harvesting as key enables of WSN in pervasive computing

Pervasive systems have gained popularity and open the door to new applications that will improve the quality of life of the users. Additionally, the implementation of such systems over an infrastructure of Wireless Sensor Networks has been proven to be very powerful. To deal with the WSN problems related to the battery of the elements or nodes that constitute the WSN, Power Harvesting techniques arise as good candidates. With PH each node can extract the energy from the surrounding environment. However, this energy source could not be constant, affecting the continuity and quality of the services provided. This behavior can have a negative impact on the user's perception about the system, which could be perceived as unreliable or faulty. In the current paper, some related works regarding pervasive systems within the home environment are referenced to extrapolate the conclusions and problems to the paradigm of Power Harvesting Pervasive Systems from the user perspective. Besides, the paper speculates about the approach and methods to overcome these potential problems and presents the design trends that could be followed.<br/

From ESP to CLIL using the Schema Theory

This paper explains the use of the Schema Theory in planning and preparing a Physiology lesson in a CLIL tertiary context in a Spanish university. The adopted combination of methods used in applying the theory is transferable to any context and subject. Scaffolding for content and language learning was undertaken using schema-building through activities involving: (1) sequencing; (2) using an exercise with causality language for purposeful reading (3) outlining; and (4) commentating on a video. Since CLIL practices have often lead CLIL theory, the study is organized into two parts. The first part is described in this article, and the second part, involving feedback from the students in this study, is work in progress. The required Physiology lesson lent itself to outlining a reading, and applying top-down structuring of information and schema building, as well as to the use of causality. The video commentary activity, on the other hand, catered for a more bottom-up approach. The paper focuses on the design of materials and activities as part of the ongoing CLIL collaboration between the language and the content professors. Other than the Schema theory and top-down bottom-up information processing, the designed activities were based on the principles of social constructivism through language scaffolding and peer collaboration.

Traces of exomoons in computed flux and polarization phase curves of starlight reflected by exoplanets

Context: Detecting moons around exoplanets is a major goal of current and future observatories. Moons are suspected to influence rocky exoplanet habitability, and gaseous exoplanets in stellar habitable zones could harbour abundant and diverse moons to target in the search for extraterrestrial habitats. Exomoons will contribute to exoplanetary signals but are virtually undetectable with current methods. Aims: We identify and analyse traces of exomoons in the temporal variation of total and polarised fluxes of starlight reflected by an Earth-like exoplanet and its spatially unresolved moon across all phase angles, with both orbits viewed in an edge-on geometry. Methods: We compute the total and linearly polarised fluxes, and the degree of linear polarization P of starlight that is reflected by the exoplanet with its moon along their orbits, accounting for the temporal variation of the visibility of the planetary and lunar disks, and including effects of mutual transits and mutual eclipses. Our computations pertain to a wavelength of 450 nm. Results: Total flux F shows regular dips due to planetary and lunar transits and eclipses. Polarization P shows regular peaks due to planetary transits and lunar eclipses, and P can increase and/or slightly decrease during lunar transits and planetary eclipses. Changes in F and P will depend on the radii of the planet and moon, on their reflective properties, and their orbits, and are about one magnitude smaller than the smooth background signals. The typical duration of a transit or an eclipse is a few hours. Conclusions: Traces of an exomoon due to planetary and lunar transits and eclipses show up in F and P of sunlight reflected by planet-moon systems and could be searched for in exoplanet flux and/or polarisation phase functions.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

Vector-valued sequences and multipliers

El texto que se presenta trata de establecer un marco teórico en el que poder manejar dos nuevos conceptos (extensión de conceptos ya conocidos): los multiplicadores por coeficientes a través de una aplicación bilineal y el producto proyectivo tensorial de Hadamard. Ambos espacios se ven siempre como espacios de sucesiones a valores vectoriales, esto es, en un espacio de Banach cualquiera. Posteriormente, se estudia la relación entre ellos y se aportan algunos ejemplos. El punto de partida del proyecto son las clases de espacios introducidas por O.Blasco y M. Pavlovic en el trabajo "Coefficient multipliers on spaces of analytic functions" (Revista Mat. Iberoamericana, 2011) donde se formaliza el problema de multiplicadores y se relaciona con ciertos productos tensoriales clásicos, definiendo las mínimas propiedades en espacios de Banach de funciones analíticas para poder desarrollar la teoría de multiplicadores, teniendo como objetivo dar la versión vectorial de los mismos. Con este objetivo en mente, se ha decidido la división del trabajo en cuatro capítulos diferenciados. Los tres primeros fijan el contexto haciendo hincapié en ciertos aspectos que pueden dar al lector una idea más profunda del uso y de las aplicaciones de esta teoría. El último capítulo es el colofón que une los tres anteriores, confiriéndole un sentido único al texto. De manera mas especifica, en el primer capitulo se dan los preliminares necesarios para poder abordar el problema que nos ocupa. Se presentan las herramientas precisas para comprender el escrito y sus ejemplos: los espacios de sucesiones con valores vectoriales, S(E), y los espacios de funciones analíticas en el disco, también con valores vectoriales, H(D, E). En el segundo capitulo se determinan las condiciones mínimas que se van a exigir a los espacios de trabajo, llamados espacios S(E)-admisibles siguiendo la notación del artículo antes mencionado. Se da el caso concreto de los multiplicadores con valores en el espacio de operadores, germen del espacio de multiplicadores mediante una aplicación bilineal, B. Para poner de manifiesto la importancia de estos espacios, por un lado se da la relación de los mismos con los espacios sólidos y, por otro, se desarrolla el ejemplo de los espacios de norma mixta generalizados. El tercero es un breve capitulo donde se dan condiciones específicas para el caso en el que los espacios de sucesiones sean una forma de representación de espacios de funciones analíticas (a través de sus coeficientes de Taylor). De nuevo, siguiendo la notación introducida por O. Blasco y M.Pavlovic, estos espacios serán notados como H(D, E)-admisibles. Ademas se aportan nuevos resultados que serán aplicados a espacios de funciones con valores vectoriales. Por último, en el cuarto capítulo se detallan las dos construcciones arriba mencionadas: los multiplicadores a través de una aplicación bilineal y el producto tensorial proyectivo de Hadamard. Se ve la relación que existe entre ambas y finalmente se muestran casos particulares del computo del producto tensorial proyectivo de Hadamard y se aplica al calculo de multiplicadores. A modo de conclusión podríamos decir que el caso vectorial esta lejos de seguirse de manera directa del escalar, sin embargo logramos encontrar los mecanismos para salvar estas diferencias y relacionar los espacios de multiplicadores a valores vectoriales con el producto tensorial proyectivo de Hadamard. Así, vemos como se puede resolver un problema complicado, partiéndolo en problemas mas simples o tomando caminos alternativos, siempre respaldados por un marco teórico que nos asegure la veracidad de nuestros pasos

La caracterización del ambiente de aprendizaje en un laboratorio de química general mediante métodos de investigación social

Desde una crítica al paradigma proceso-producto, que asume la causalidad entre el diseño del proceso de aprendizaje y su desarrollo, consideramos la caracterización de los ambientes de aprendizaje un requisito para la evaluación de innovaciones educativas. En este trabajo han sido incorporados métodos de la investigación social como los inspirados en la Teoría Fundamentada, a la caracterización del ambiente de aprendizaje en un contexto experimental. Mediante dichos métodos se ha llevado a cabo un estudio de caso en el que han sido analizadas las preguntas formuladas en el laboratorio y las reflexiones reflejadas en sus cuadernos por los estudiantes, con objeto de proponer un marco conceptual para la evaluación de dichos ambientes de aprendizaje. Los resultados justifican el uso de tales métodos, al ser notablemente contradictorios con los procedentes de la aplicación de un cuestionario basado en el conocido Science Laboratory Environment Inventory.From a critical view point of process-product paradigm, which accepts a causal relationship between learning process design and its classroom development, the characterization of Learning Environments as requirement for educational innovations assessment is considered. In this paper, research methods from Social Sciences as those inspired in the Grounded Theory have been applied to experimental learning environments. Students generated questions during laboratory sessions and self-reports have been analyzed by means of a case study in order to propose a framework to assess these learning environments. The results justify the use of suggested methodology since they are significantly contradictory with the ones from a questionnaire based on the well known Science Laboratory Environment Inventory

Comparison of endoscopic ultrasound guided 22-gauge core needle with standard 25-gauge fine-needle aspiration for diagnosing solid pancreatic lesions

Background and Objectives: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is the standard modality for diagnosing pancreatic masses. We compared the diagnostic yield of a new EUS-guided 22-gauge core needle biopsy to a standard 25-gauge FNA in sampling the same pancreatic lesions during the same EUS. Patients and Methods: The main outcomes of the study were the sample adequacy of each method to provide a final pathological diagnosis, and the concordance in diagnosis between core and FNA specimens. The secondary outcomes were the sensitivity and specificity of the findings for each needle and the incremental yield of using both needles compared with using each needle alone. Results: A total of 56 patients with 61 solid pancreatic lesions were evaluated. The mean number of passes with FNA was 3.5 (ranges 1-8) and with core biopsy needle was 1.7 (ranges 1-5). The proportions of adequate samples were 50/61 (81.9%) for FNA and 45/61 (73.8%) for core biopsy (P = 0.37). The diagnostic yield was 46/61 (75.4%), 42/61 (68.9%) and 47/61 (77.1%) for FNA, core, and both, respectively. There was a substantial agreement of 87.5% ( = 0.77; P \u3c 0.001) in the findings of core and FNA specimens. The sensitivity for the diagnosis of malignancy for FNA and core biopsy were 68.1% and 59.6%, respectively (P = no significant [NS]). The specificity was 100% for both methods. The incremental increase in sensitivity and specificity by combining both methods are 1.5% and 0%, respectively. Conclusion: There are NS differences in the diagnostic yield between EUS-guided 22-gauge core biopsy and standard 25-gauge FNA for diagnosing pancreatic lesions, but core biopsy required fewer numbers of passes. There was NS incremental diagnostic yield when using both needles during the same procedure

Prevalence of integrons and insertion sequences in ESBL-producing E-coli isolated from different sources in Navarra, Spain

Mobile genetic elements play an important role in the dissemination of antibiotic resistant bacteria among human and environmental sources. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the occurrence and patterns of integrons and insertion sequences of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli isolated from different sources in Navarra, northern Spain. A total of 150 isolates coming from food products, farms and feeds, aquatic environments, and humans (healthy people and hospital inpatients), were analyzed. PCRs were applied for the study of class 1, 2, and 3 integrons (intI1, intI2, and intI3), as well as for the determination of insertion sequences (IS26, ISEcp1, ISCR1, and IS903). Results show the wide presence and dissemination of intI1 (92%), while intI3 was not detected. It is remarkable, the prevalence of intI2 among food isolates, as well as the co-existence of class 1 and class 2 (8% of isolates). The majority of isolates have two or three IS elements, with the most common being IS26 (99.4%). The genetic pattern IS26–ISEcp1 (related with the pathogen clone ST131) was present in the 22% of isolates (including human isolates). In addition, the combination ISEcp1–IS26–IS903–ISCR1 was detected in 11 isolates being, to our knowledge, the first study that describes this genetic complex. Due to the wide variability observed, no relationship was determined among these mobile genetic elements and β-lactam resistance. More investigations regarding the genetic composition of these elements are needed to understand the role of multiple types of integrons and insertion sequences on the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes among different environments

Are allergic diseases and internalizing and externalizing behaviours in children related? A cross-sectional study

Introduction: The prevalence of allergies in children has grown in last few decades. Allergies are very often associated with physical, mental, and emotional problems that could be detected through child’s behaviour and feelings