Las profecías son noticia. El uso del futuro en la información televisiva española sobre la crisis de Irak (24 de febrero-20 de marzo 2003).

Este artículo analiza el recurso a la anticipación del futuro en la cobertura informativa que las cadenas generalistas de televisión españolas hicieron de la crisis de Irak hasta el estallido de la guerra (24 de febrero al 20 de marzo de 2003). Se realiza un análisis cuantitativo y cualitativo de los informativos de prime time de la cadena pública TVE 1 y de dos cadenas privadas, Telecinco y Antena 3. Se analiza el estilo, fuentes y consecuencias que estas referencias sobre lo venidero tuvieron en el modo de presentar la crisis en general. Se mostrará cómo utiliza el periodismo televisivo, en este período y sobre este tema, los presagios y cómo muchos de ellos fueron especulaciones sin base real. Su papel, en algunos casos, fue mantener el interés por el tema con un tono sensacionalista. En otros, adelantaba la guerra como única salida de la crisis

The surface chemistry of nanocrystalline MgO catalysts for FAME production:an in situ XPS study of H2O, CH3OH and CH3OAc adsorption

An in situ XPS study of water, methanol and methyl acetate adsorption over as-synthesised and calcined MgO nanocatalysts is reported with a view to gaining insight into the surface adsorption of key components relevant to fatty acid methyl esters (biodiesel) production during the transesterification of triglycerides with methanol. High temperature calcined NanoMgO-700 adsorbed all three species more readily than the parent material due to the higher density of electron-rich (111) and (110) facets exposed over the larger crystallites. Water and methanol chemisorb over the NanoMgO-700 through the conversion of surface O2 − sites to OH− and coincident creation of Mg-OH or Mg-OCH3 moieties respectively. A model is proposed in which the dissociative chemisorption of methanol occurs preferentially over defect and edge sites of NanoMgO-700, with higher methanol coverages resulting in physisorption over weakly basic (100) facets. Methyl acetate undergoes more complex surface chemistry over NanoMgO-700, with C–H dissociation and ester cleavage forming surface hydroxyl and acetate species even at extremely low coverages, indicative of preferential adsorption at defects. Comparison of C 1s spectra with spent catalysts from tributyrin transesterification suggest that ester hydrolysis plays a key factor in the deactivation of MgO catalysts for biodiesel production

Breeding for culinary and nutritional quality of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in intercropping systems with maize (Zea mays L.)

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is widely intercropped with maize (Zea mays L.) in the North of Spain. Breeding beans for multiple cropping systems is important for the development of a productive and sustainable agriculture, and is mainly oriented to minimize intercrop competition and to stabilize complementarity with maize. Most agricultural research on intercropping to date has focused on the agronomic and overall yield effects of the different species, but characters related with socio-economic and food quality aspects are also important. The effect of intercropping beans with maize on food seed quality traits was studied for thirty-five bush bean varieties under different environments in Galicia (Northwestern Spain). Parameters determining Asturian (Northern Spain) white bean commercial and culinary quality have also been evaluated in fifteen accessions. There are significant differences between varieties in the selected cropping systems (sole crop, intercrop with field maize and intercrop with sweet maize) for dry and soaked seed weight, coat proportion, crude protein, crude fat and moisture. Different white bean accessions have been chosen according to their culinary quality. Under these environmental conditions it appears that intercropping systems with sweet maize give higher returns than sole cropping system. It is also suggested that the culinary and nutritional quality potential of some white bean accessions could be the base material in a breeding programme the objectives of which are to develop varieties giving seeds with high food quality

Levels of scientific evidence of the quality of life in patients treated for oral cancer

Treatments used in cancer of the oral cavity have great impact on the physical, psychological and functional state of patients. There has been increasingly interest in evaluating the health-related quality of life using questionnaires among patients treated FOR oral cancer. Up to our knowledge no review on this theme has incorporated the level of evidence of the single identified studies. The objective of the present study is to determinate results and conclusions about the health-related quality of life of these patients, in view of scientific evidence. In general, the diversity of designs, level of evidence and questionnaires used for their assessment does not affect results, which indicate a decline in the health-related quality of life after treatment. This decline is greater when the tumor is large in size, and when radiotherapy is used, though the situation is seen to improve over the span of a year. Questionnaires on health-related quality of life provide concrete information regarding the impact of cancer treatment

Local Marangoni number at the onset of hydrothermal waves

We report the results of an experiment in which a layer of fluid, placed in a container open to the air, is subjected to a horizontal temperature difference DT. The fluid height h is kept constant and both the horizontal temperature difference and the horizontal dimensions of the fluid layer are changed. In this configuration, when DT goes beyond a certain threshold, waves propagating from the cold to the hot side appear ~hydrothermal waves! with a determined group velocity. We study the influence of the container geometry on these waves. Close to the threshold, they are spatially localized near the hot side and a local Marangoni number is defined to describe this behavior. If DT is further increased, the waves fill the whole fluid layer. We also find an agreement between our experimental results and theoretical works and simulations

Lepton masses in a supersymmetric 3-3-1 model

We consider the mass generation for both charginos and neutralinos in a 3-3-1 supersymmetric model. We show that R-parity breaking interactions leave the electron and one of the neutrinos massless at the tree level. However the same interactions induce masses for these particles at the 1-loop level. Unlike the similar situation in the MSSM the masses of the neutralinos are related to the masses of the charginos.Comment: RevTex, 11 pages incluing 2 .eps figures. Extended published versio

Modelo hidráulico para la optimización de subunidades irregulares de riego por goteo

La escasez de los recursos hídricos actuales, especialmente en las zonas con clima árido o semiárido, provocan la necesidad de desarrollar herramientas de ayuda en la toma de decisiones para el diseño y manejo del riego, y más cuando se pretende utilizar energía fotovoltaica. El objetivo del trabajo ha sido desarrollar un modelo hidráulico que pueda acoplarse al modelo fotovoltaico, para el caso más general de subunidades de riego de forma y topografía irregular, constituyendo una herramienta de ayuda en la toma de decisiones para el diseño y manejo del riego con energía fotovoltaica, analizando la calidad del riego en las distintas subunidades con forma y topografía irregular. Para la calibración y validación del modelo, se ha aplicado a una parcela de 90 ha, de un cultivo de almendro regado por goteo, situada en una zona con topografía y forma muy irregular. Los resultados permiten identificar las zonas con problemas en la uniformidad de emisión en función de la presión disponible en la entrada de la subunidad de riego.Nowadays, water resources are limited especially in places with arid and semi-arid conditions. For that reason, it is essential the development of decision support system models (DSS) aiming the design and management of irrigation systems, especially when they are fed with photovoltaic energy. The main objective of this study was the development of a hydraulic model linked with a photovoltaic model, considering the most general case of irrigation subunits with irregular shape and topography. Thus, a decision support system tool (DSS) for the design and management irrigation with photovoltaic power is developed. Analyzing the irrigation quality in different subunit with irregular shape and topography is a main issue in precision irrigation. For model calibration and validation has been applied in an almond field with 90 ha with drip irrigation located in a shape and topography land. The results enabled us to identify the areas with uniformity problems depending on the pressure in the subnit head

INTRABEAM: precision hypo-fractionated radiotherapy with a systemic immune response

Purpose or Objective: To evaluate the changes in immune-cell phenotype in peripheral blood following intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) in breast cancer patients

Mineralogical Analysis of Historical Mortars by FTIR

A method for quantitative mineralogical analysis by ATR-FTIR [1] has been used first time for analysis of historical mortars. Mixtures of different minerals and gypsum were used in order to measure the minimum band intensity that must be considered for calculations and the detection limit. In this way, the molar absorptivity coefficient in the Lambert–Beer law and the components of a mixture in mol percentage can be calculated. The GAMS equation modeling environment and the NLP solver CONOPT (©ARKI Consulting and Development) were used to correlate the experimental data in the samples considered. The characterization of the vernacular mortars by FTIR analysis identifies the predominant minerals of the samples, and in conjunction with XRF and XRD, shows the exact composition of historical mortars, which will optimize the restoration and conservation of monuments, preserving our heritage