Optimized profile planar UWB monopole antenna for optimal adaptation

This work deals with the possibility of making a completely blind optimization of th profile of a planar monopole antenna in order to satisfy previously defined demands, in this case minimal return losses for an UWB system. Previous results in this topic were already discussed in [1]. In that work, optimization of the profile of the antenna was not completely blind due to the high computational effort needed to obtain results, which can tirn to be a complete failure. Hence, to speed up the method, the global optimization was performed using a less accurate but quicker analysis and then refining the solution with a local optimization using a very accurate analysis

Variabilidad de las pérdidas por evaporación y arrastre en riego por aspersión de maíz en el valle medio del Ebro

2 Ficheros: 1 copia .pdf de la comunicación formal del Congreso (8 Pags.- 3 Figs.- 2 Tabls.-); 1 copia .pdf de la presentación realizada por los autores (10 Pags.)Se estudió la variabilidad espacio-temporal de las pérdidas potenciales de agua por evaporación y arrastre (PEA) de un cultivo de maíz durante el riego por aspersión (cobertura fija) en el valle medio del Ebro. Las PEA horarias se estimaron con la ecuación de Medina (2006) a partir de series históricas de velocidad de viento (U) y deficit de presión de vapor (DPV) registradas de abril a septiembre en 10 estaciones dferentes. En promedio, las PEA horarias mostraron unos mínimos hacia las 6:00-7:00 GMT y unos máximos hacia las 15:00-16:00 GMT. Las mayores estimas de PEA y las mayores diferencias entre estaciones se obtuvieron en junio, julio y agosto. La probabilidad de ocurrencia de PEA mayores del 15 %fue menos del 8 % de ]•(ff) a ]Q•QQ GMT y 20:00 a 24:00 GMT pero alcanzó valores máximos de entre 25 y 65 % en los periodos de ]]QQ a ]9QQ GMT, sobre todo en localidades ventosas. Se recomienda evitar el riego por aspersión del maíz en estos periodos sea cual sea la localidad donde se efectúen los riegos.Este trabajo ha sido financiado por los proyectos P028/2000 (CONSI+D, Gobierno de Aragón) y AGL2004-06675-C03 (Plan Nacional de I+D+I). La existencia de las estaciones meteorológicas de Gallocanta, Montañana, Santa Anastasia y Tamarite ha sido asimismo posible gracias a financiación del Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia y de la Confederación Hidrográfica del Ebro.Peer reviewe

Principales dificultades del alumnado universitario novel a la hora de elaborar un texto científico

The present research-action work is a descriptive mixed analysis of the micro-writing, macro-writing, methodological and writing in a public presentation errors committed by 46 novel psychology students when they making a compilation of scientific articles for an academic subject; choosing the highest quality project of the semester and comparing it with other academic works of the course. The objective of this pedagogical experience is based on the fact that students must learn researching skills such as important in research as the ability to obtain reliable and valid scientific information in from different databases, synthesizing all these data in a genuine document that is administrated by specific rules of writing and finally, they must make a public presentation of the results in a classroom within a stipulated time. Principal conclusions of this study indicate that university students have significant lacks when it comes to making an integrated and structured summary based on a specific regulation. © 2020 Universidad de Extremadura. All rights reserved

Spectroscopic characterization (Raman and infrared) of Aloe maculata from the north Argentina region

In this work we present the Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectra of Aloe maculata (A.maculata)(“maculata” = with spots) gel after elimination of the aloin fraction. The analyzed samples were harvested from two zones of different heights in northern Argentina. From the FTIR measurements it was possible to identify the presence of pectin in the gel, where an analysis of the degree of esterification was done on the basis of characteristic marker bands for the different aloe samples. The effect of the storage time of both samples was also monitored revealing that the degree of esterification undergoes a decrease upon the storage time in all samples. By this way, it was determined that the samples of A. maculata collected from the high lands, present a higher esterification degree in pectins than those collected from the low lands. In order to better follow the distribution of the different spectral signals, we performed a Raman mapping in a selected area. The Raman measurements helped to determine the characteristics of the different fibers of the Aloe gel. Furthermore, theoretical calculations carried out on a molecular model of one important aloe gel component, the acemannan, aided in the assignment of the modes of the groups present in the gel samples. This investigation is important in order to assess the influence of the harvesting place and the storage time on the use and commercialization of the aloe products, since a higher degree of esterification gives rise to a higher viscosity and, consequently, a better bioavailability.Fil: Beverina, Mariana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Química del Noroeste. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Química del Noroeste; ArgentinaFil: Sanchez Cortes, S.. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; EspañaFil: Schabes, F .I.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Química del Noroeste. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Química del Noroeste; ArgentinaFil: Zapata Martínez, José Enrique. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Química del Noroeste. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Química del Noroeste; ArgentinaFil: Arias Cassará, María Lucrecia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Química del Noroeste. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Química del Noroeste; ArgentinaFil: Tuttolomondo, María Eugenia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Química del Noroeste. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Química del Noroeste; Argentin

Identification of 2C-B in hair by UHPLC-HRMS/MS. A real forensic case.

The analysis of drugs of abuse in hair and other biological matrices of forensic inter- 19 est requires great selectivity and sensitivity. This has been traditionally achieved through target 20 analysis, using one or more analytical methods that include different preanalytical stages, and 21 more complex procedures followed by toxicological laboratories. There is no exception with 2C- 22 series drugs, such as 2C-B, a new psychoactive substance (NPS), which use has emerged and sig- 23 nificantly increased, year by year, in the last decades. Continuously new analytical methods are 24 required to selectively detect and identify these new marketed substances at very low concentra- 25 tions. In this case report, one former case of a polydrug consumer (charged of a crime against pub- 26 lic health in Spain) was reanalyzed in hair matrix. In this reanalysis, 2C-B has been positively de- 27 tected and identified using liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry 28 (UHPLC-HRMS/MS). The most selective analytical UHPLC-HRMS/MS method alongside a uni- 29 versal and simpler pretreatment methodology has opened up more possibilities for detection of 30 substances of different chemical structure and optimization of different HRMS/MS detection ap- 31 proaches allowing the identification of 2-CB in the hair of a real forensic case.Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Ciencias Policiales (IUICP

Follow-up care over 12months of patients with prostate cancer in Spain. A multicenter prospective cohort study

This study was funded by an Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) Grant PS09/01204 (Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria [FIS], Spain). Dr María José Martinez Zapata is funded by a Miguel Servet II research contract from the ISCIII (CP1120/00023). ISCIII had any role in the design or execution of the study; in the data collection, management, or interpretation; or in the writing, reviewing, or approval of the manuscript.Ailish Maher and Andrea Cervera Alepuz revised the English in a version of this manuscript. Maria José Martinez Zapata is funded by a Miguel Servet research contract (CPII20/00023). EMPARO Study Group: Coordinating investigator: Xavier Bonfill Cosp (Iberoamerican Cochrane Centre, Public Health and Clinical Epidemiology Service, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, IIB Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain). Project manager: María José Martínez Zapata (Iberoamerican Cochrane Centre, IIBSant Pau, Barcelona, Spain). Clinical research assistants: Alborada Martínez (Universidad de Valencia); Enrique Morales Olivera (Escuela Andaluza de Salud Publica, Granada, Spain); Esther Canovas, Laura Muñoz, Gemma Mas, René Acosta, Ekaterina Popova (Iberoamerican Cochrane Centre, IIB Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain); Irma Ospina (Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain); María José Velázquez (Hospital Donostia, Donostia, Spain); Tamara Ruiz Merlo (Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain); Gael Combarros Herman, Judit Tirado Muñoz (IMIM-Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain). Statistical analysis: Robin W.M. Vernooij (Iberoamerican Cochrane Centre, IIB Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain); Javier Zamora and Claudia Coscia Requena (Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain). Co-investigators: Barcelona, Spain Albert Frances (Hospital del Mar); Carola Orrego Villagran, Rosa Suñol (Instituto Universitario Avedis Donabedian); Dimelza Osorio, Gemma Sancho Pardo, Ignasi Bolívar, José Pablo Maroto, María Jesus Quintana, Cristina Martin (Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau); Ferran Algaba, Palou Redorta, Salvador Esquena (Fundació Puigvert); Jordi Bachs (Fundació Privada Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau); María José Martínez Zapata (Iberoamerican Cochrane Centre, IIB Sant Pau); Montserrat Ferrer Fores, Stefanie Schmidt, Olatz Garin, Virginia Becerra Bachito, Yolanda Pardo (IMIM-Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute). Bilbao, Spain Amaia Martínez Galarza, José Ignacio Pijoán Zubizarreta (Hospital Universitario Cruces/BioCruces Health Research Institute). Granada, Spain Armando Suárez Pacheco, Cesar García López, José Manuel Cozar Olmo (Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves); Carmen Martínez, Daysy Chang Chan, María José Sánchez Pérez (Escuela Andaluza de Salud Publica). Madrid, Spain Ana Isabel Díaz Moratinos, Angel Montero Luis, Asunción Hervás, Carmen Vallejo Ocaña, Costantino Varona, Javier Burgos, Javier Zamora, Jose Alfredo Polo Rubio, Luis López Fando Lavalle, Miguel Angel Jimenez Cidre, Muriel García, Alfonso, Nieves Plana Farras, Rosa Morera Lopez, Sonsoles Sancho Garcia, Victor Abraira, Victoria Gomez Dos Santos (Hospital Ramón y Cajal); Agustín Gómez de la Cámara, Javier de la Cruz, Juan Passas Martínez, Humberto García Muñoz, María Ángeles Cabeza Rodríguez (Hospital 12 de Octubre). San Sebastián, Spain Irune Ruiz Díaz, José Ignacio Emparanza, Juan Pablo Sanz Jaka (Hospital Universitario Donostia). Valencia, Spain Agustín Llopis González, María Morales (Universidad de Valencia); Carlos Camps, Cristina Caballero Díaz, Emilio Marqués Vidal, Francisco Sánchez Ballester, Joaquín Ulises Juan Escudero, Jorge Pastor Peidro, José López Torrecilla, María Macarena Ramos Campos, Miguel Martorell Cebollada (Consorcio Hospital General Universitario de Valencia).The therapeutic approach is crucial to prostate cancer prognosis. We describe treatments and outcomes for a Spanish cohort of patients with prostate cancer during the first 12 months after diagnosis and identify the factors that influenced the treatment they received. This multicenter prospective cohort study included patients with prostate cancer followed up for 12 months after diagnosis. Treatment was stratified by factors such as hospital, age group (<70 and ≥70 years), and D’Amico cancer risk classification. The outcomes were Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, adverse events (AEs), and mortality. The patient characteristics associated with the different treatment modalities were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. We included 470 men from 7 Spanish tertiary hospitals (mean (standard deviation) age 67.8 (7.6) years), 373 (79.4%) of which received treatment (alone or in combination) as follows: surgery (n = 163; 34.7%); radiotherapy (RT) (n = 149; 31.7%); and hormone therapy (HT) (n = 142; 30.2%). The remaining patients (n = 97) were allocated to no treatment, that is, watchful waiting (14.0%) or active surveillance (5.7%). HT was the most frequently administered treatment during follow-up and RT plus HT was the most common therapeutic combination. Surgery was more frequent in patients aged <70, with lower histologic tumor grades, Gleason scores <7, and lower prostate-specific antigen levels; while RT was more frequent in patients aged ≥70 with histologic tumor grade 4, and higher ECOG scores. HT was more frequent in patients aged ≥70, with histologic tumor grades 3 to 4, Gleason score ≥8, ECOG ≥1, and higher prostate-specific antigen levels. The number of fully active patients (ECOG score 0) decreased significantly during follow-up, from 75.3% at diagnosis to 65.1% at 12 months (P < .001); 230 (48.9%) patients had at least 1 AE, and 12 (2.6%) patients died. Surgery or RT were the main curative options. A fifth of the patients received no treatment. Palliative HT was more frequently administered to older patients with higher tumor grades and higher Gleason scores. Close to half of the patients experienced an AE related to their treatment.Instituto de Salud Carlos III CP1120/00023, PS09/0120

KIR+ CD8+ T Lymphocytes in Cancer Immunosurveillance and Patient Survival: Gene Expression Profiling

Killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) are molecules expressed by the most important cells of the immune system for cancer immune vigilance, natural killer (NK) and effector T cells. In this manuscript we study the role that cytotoxic CD8+ T cells expressing KIR receptors could play in cancer immune surveillance. With this objective, frequencies of different KIR+ CD8+ T cell subsets are correlated with the overall survival of patients with melanoma, ovarian and bladder carcinomas. In addition, the gene expression profile of KIR+ CD8+ T cell subsets related to the survival of patients is studied with the aim of discovering new therapeutic targets, so that the outcome of patients with cancer can be improved. Killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) are expressed by natural killer (NK) and effector T cells. Although KIR+ T cells accumulate in oncologic patients, their role in cancer immune response remains elusive. This study explored the role of KIR+CD8+ T cells in cancer immunosurveillance by analyzing their frequency at diagnosis in the blood of 249 patients (80 melanomas, 80 bladder cancers, and 89 ovarian cancers), their relationship with overall survival (OS) of patients, and their gene expression profiles. KIR2DL1+ CD8+ T cells expanded in the presence of HLA-C2-ligands in patients who survived, but it did not in patients who died. In contrast, presence of HLA-C1-ligands was associated with dose-dependent expansions of KIR2DL2/S2+ CD8+ T cells and with shorter OS. KIR interactions with their specific ligands profoundly impacted CD8+ T cell expression profiles, involving multiple signaling pathways, effector functions, the secretome, and consequently, the cellular microenvironment, which could impact their cancer immunosurveillance capacities. KIR2DL1/S1+ CD8+ T cells showed a gene expression signature related to efficient tumor immunosurveillance, whereas KIR2DL2/L3/S2+CD8+ T cells showed transcriptomic profiles related to suppressive anti-tumor responses. These results could be the basis for the discovery of new therapeutic targets so that the outcome of patients with cancer can be improved

Day and night wind drift and evaporation losses in sprinkler solid sets and moving laterals

The definitive version is available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03783774 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2005.01.015Wind drift and evaporation losses (WDEL) represent a relevant water sink in sprinkler irrigation, particularly in areas with strong winds and high evaporative demand. The objectives of this paper include: 1) Characterize WDEL under day and night operation conditions for solid-set and moving lateral configurations; 2) Propose adequate predictive equations; and 3) Prospect the effect of sprinkler irrigation on the meteorological variables and on the estimates of reference evapotranspiration. A total of 89 catch can irrigation evaluations were performed in both irrigation systems and under day and night conditions. Different predictive equations of WDEL were proposed for combinations of the two irrigation systems and the two operation times. The equations were selected based on their capability to explain and predict WDEL. Most equations use wind speed alone as an independent variable, although some use relative humidity or combinations of both variables plus air temperature. In the semi-arid meteorological conditions of Zaragoza (Spain), the average WDEL for the solid-set were 15.4 % and 8.5 % during day and night irrigations, respectively. For the experimental moving lateral, losses amounted to 9.8 % during the day and 5.0 % during the night. The effect of sprinkler irrigation on the meteorological variables was moderate, with small increases in relative humidity (3.9 %) and decreases in air temperature (0.5 ºC) during the irrigation event and a few minutes afterwards. Consequently, reference evapotranspiration, estimated by the Penman-Monteith method, decreased during the irrigation event by 0.023 mm h-1 on the average. This decrease represents 2.1 % of WDEL, suggesting that the WDEL do not significantly contribute to satisfy crop water requirements, and therefore constitute a consumptive water loss.This research was funded by the CONSI+D of the Government of Aragón (Spain) through grant P028/2000 and by the Plan Nacional de I+D+I of the government of Spain through grant AGL2004-06675-C03-03/AGR.Peer reviewe

From on-farm solid-set sprinkler irrigation design to collective irrigation network design in windy areas

The definitive version is available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03783774In this paper, a contribution to the design of collective pressurized irrigation networks in solid-set sprinkler irrigated windy areas is presented. The methodology is based on guaranteeing minimum on-farm performance, using a historical hourly wind speed database and a ballistic solid-set irrigation simulation model. The proposed method was applied to the Montesnegros Irrigation District (central Ebro basin, Spain). The district irrigates an area of 3,493 ha using an on-demand schedule. The average wind speed in the area is 2,8 m s-1. An analysis of district water records showed that farmers often reduce water demand when the wind speed is high, but their irrigation decision making is limited by the capacity of the irrigation network and by the unpredictable character of local winds. Simulations were performed for eleven irrigation seasons, two triangular sprinkler spacings (18x18 and 18x15 m), and two sprinkler models. The percentage of monthly suitable time for irrigation was determined for four management strategies. The first one was based on a wind speed threshold (3 m s-1), while the other three were based on three levels (standard, relaxed and restrictive) of two irrigation performance parameters: the Christiansen Uniformity Coefficient (CU) and the Wind Drift and Evaporation Losses (WDEL). The thresholds for the standard strategy were CU ≥ 84% and WDEL ≤ 20%. The suitable time for the first strategy (56%) was always lower than for the standard and the relaxed strategies (with respective average values of 75 and 86%), and higher than for the restrictive strategy (30%). In order to design the collective network, the hydrant operating time was equalled to the suitable time for irrigation. The differences in the cost of the collective network plus the on-farm equipment were particularly relevant between the restrictive strategy and the other three. Differences in suitable operating time were clear between sprinkler spacings, and less evident between sprinkler models. The application of the proposed methodology may be limited by the availability of historical wind speed records and CU estimates for different combinations of sprinkler models, sprinkler spacings and wind speed.CICYT of the Government of Spain (grant AGL2004-06675-C03-03/AGR) Government of Aragón (grant PIP090/2005)Peer reviewe

Randomized Double-Blind Multicentre Clinical Trial Comparing the Efficacy of Calcium dobesilate with placebo in the treatment of Chronic Venous Disease

Producción CientíficaObjective. To assess the efficacy of calcium dobesilate on the quality-of-life (QoL) of patients with chronic venous disease (CVD). Design. Randomised, parallel, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Methods. Patients were recruited from vascular surgery clinics and randomised to 500 mg capsules of calcium dobesilate twice a day for 3 months or placebo. The primary outcome measure was ‘QoL after 3 months’ treatment measured by the specific Chronic Insufficiency Venous International Questionnaire (CIVIQ). Secondary outcomes were QoL at 12 months and assessment of the CVD signs and symptoms. The principal analysis was undertaken on the intention-to-treat (ITT) data. Results. Five hundred and nine patients were recruited (246 to calcium dobesilate and 263 to placebo). The analysis of the ‘QoL after 3 months’ showed no significant differences between groups ( p ¼ 0.07). For secondary outcomes, oedema and symptoms of CVD, there were no significant differences between groups. In a multi-factorial analysis, the ‘QoL at 12 months’ was better in the calcium dobesilate group than in placebo group ( p ¼ 0.02). Conclusions. Treatment with calcium dobesilate was not found to be superior to placebo on the QoL of CVD patients. The sustained effect of calcium dobesilate observed after treatment should be confirmed in future studies. 2007 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved