Research in Colombia on Explosives Detection by Rats

The interdisciplinary research group INVESTUD is investigating the effectiveness of mine-detecting lab rats. In Africa, the APOPO program is well-known for using African giant pouched rats for mine detection, but INVESTUD hopes to build on and even surpass APOPO’s progress to advance Colombia’s mine-clearance efforts

Investigation of the thermal and physicochemical behavior of two types of gutta-percha cones for back-filling the root canal

Gutta-percha (Gp) is an inert thermoplastic polymer used as a filling to replace the dental pulp space, which has been reformulated to improve its three-dimensional sealing properties. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the physical, chemical and thermal properties of two types of gutta-percha filling. As well as measuring the temperature distribution along the cone at the time of cutting through an in-situ test. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two commercially available brands of gutta-percha point were investigated: Conform Fit TM Gutta-Percha for ProTaper Gold(R) (PTG) (Dentsply Sirona), and Hygenic Gutta-Percha (Coltene whaledent). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were selected for the thermal characterization of materials, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) for the chemical analysis of Gp cones. Regarding temperature distribution, it was evaluated using a thermographic camera (FLIR ONE(R) PRO by MicroUSB P/N 435-0011-01) at 0 to 20 s after the cutting process (n=11/group). RESULTS: Both materials have three fusion endotherms associated with the three crystalline phases of Gp, with similar temperatures but enthalpies that differ by 60%, the fusion enthalpy being higher for Conform Fit. In the chemical characterization, elements such as Zn, C, O, Ba, S and Si were found in both materials but in different proportions. Regarding the content of fillers, the Conform Fit presented around 30% of Gp polymer and 25% for the Hygenic. The morphological characterization shows a microtexturized coating in the form of bars on a micrometric scale for the Conform Fit, which could favor a better three-dimensional seal. In addition to that, in heat transfer studies they showed greater temperature control. CONCLUSIONS: The characterization of the materials allowed us to see the variation in terms of their composition and configuration to the Gp cones of two commercial brands. These variations directly modify the thermal behavior of the material. Key words:Gutta-percha, Conform Fit, Infrared thermography, Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Infrared Spectroscopy

A new benchmark problem for electromagnetic modelling of superconductors: the high-Tc_{c} superconducting dynamo

The high-T$_{c}$ superconducting (HTS) dynamo is a promising device that can inject large DC supercurrents into a closed superconducting circuit. This is particularly attractive to energise HTS coils in NMR/MRI magnets and superconducting rotating machines without the need for connection to a power supply via current leads. It is only very recently that quantitatively accurate, predictive models have been developed which are capable of analysing HTS dynamos and explain their underlying physical mechanism. In this work, we propose to use the HTS dynamo as a new benchmark problem for the HTS modelling community. The benchmark geometry consists of a permanent magnet rotating past a stationary HTS coated-conductor wire in the open-circuit configuration, assuming for simplicity the 2D (infinitely long) case. Despite this geometric simplicity the solution is complex, comprising time-varying spatially-inhomogeneous currents and fields throughout the superconducting volume. In this work, this benchmark problem has been implemented using several different methods, including H-formulation-based methods, coupled H-A and T-A formulations, the Minimum Electromagnetic Entropy Production method, and integral equation and volume integral equation-based equivalent circuit methods. Each of these approaches show excellent qualitative and quantitative agreement for the open-circuit equivalent instantaneous voltage and the cumulative time-averaged equivalent voltage, as well as the current density and electric field distributions within the HTS wire at key positions during the magnet transit. Finally, a critical analysis and comparison of each of the modelling frameworks is presented, based on the following key metrics: number of mesh elements in the HTS wire, total number of mesh elements in the model, number of degrees of freedom, tolerance settings and the approximate time taken per cycle for each model. This benchmark and the results contained herein provide researchers with a suitable framework to validate, compare and optimise their own methods for modelling the HTS dynamo

A new benchmark problem for electromagnetic modelling of superconductors: the high- T c superconducting dynamo

Abstract: The high-T c superconducting (HTS) dynamo is a promising device that can inject large DC supercurrents into a closed superconducting circuit. This is particularly attractive to energise HTS coils in NMR/MRI magnets and superconducting rotating machines without the need for connection to a power supply via current leads. It is only very recently that quantitatively accurate, predictive models have been developed which are capable of analysing HTS dynamos and explain their underlying physical mechanism. In this work, we propose to use the HTS dynamo as a new benchmark problem for the HTS modelling community. The benchmark geometry consists of a permanent magnet rotating past a stationary HTS coated-conductor wire in the open-circuit configuration, assuming for simplicity the 2D (infinitely long) case. Despite this geometric simplicity the solution is complex, comprising time-varying spatially-inhomogeneous currents and fields throughout the superconducting volume. In this work, this benchmark problem has been implemented using several different methods, including H-formulation-based methods, coupled H-A and T-A formulations, the Minimum Electromagnetic Entropy Production method, and integral equation and volume integral equation-based equivalent circuit methods. Each of these approaches show excellent qualitative and quantitative agreement for the open-circuit equivalent instantaneous voltage and the cumulative time-averaged equivalent voltage, as well as the current density and electric field distributions within the HTS wire at key positions during the magnet transit. Finally, a critical analysis and comparison of each of the modelling frameworks is presented, based on the following key metrics: number of mesh elements in the HTS wire, total number of mesh elements in the model, number of degrees of freedom, tolerance settings and the approximate time taken per cycle for each model. This benchmark and the results contained herein provide researchers with a suitable framework to validate, compare and optimise their own methods for modelling the HTS dynamo

Occult Follicular Thyroid Carcinoma presenting as Primary Breast Tumor with Sternal and Skull Metastasis

Introduction: Follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) that initially presented as breast tumor with no previous medical history of malignancy of thyroid gland is relatively rare and may cause diagnostic confusion.Presentation of case: We report a 59-year-old Mexican woman with no prior history of malignant thyroid neoplasm that presents with pain and swelling in the upper outer quadrant of the left breast with a year of evolution. Subsequently, subcutaneous tumor was identified in left parietal region. Clinically it was thought in primary breast tumor metastasis to skull. Furthermore, computerized tomography scan identified a tumor in the deep portion of the left breast, infiltrating the sternum that subsequently was confirmed a follicular carcinoma of the thyroid gland.Conclusion: Metastatic FTC may mimic a primary breast tumor. The combined use of clinical information, histopathology and immunohistochemistry were important to establishing a correct cancer diagnosis

Avances en Festuca alta: Red de Evaluación de INTA de Festuca alta

Estudiar el comportamiento productivo y la interacción genotipo ambiente de materiales de festuca alta (Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort.) desarrollados por el INTA (cultivares recientes y líneas experimentales) en comparación con testigos comerciales destacados en ambientes importantes para esta especie bajo condiciones de fertilización moderada.Fil: Mattera, Juan. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino; ArgentinaFil: Re, Alejo Esteban. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Concepción del Uruguay; ArgentinaFil: Otondo, José. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Cuenca del Salado. Agencia de Extensión Rural Chascomus; ArgentinaFil: Bailleres, Matias Andres. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Cuenca del Salado. Agencia de Extensión Rural Chascomus; ArgentinaFil: Bertin, Oscar Dario. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino; ArgentinaFil: Barletta, Pablo Fernando. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino; ArgentinaFil: Pacente, Ezequiel Martin. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino; ArgentinaFil: Mendez, Daniel Gustavo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria General Villegas; ArgentinaFil: Mayo, Ayelén. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bordenave; ArgentinaFil: Tranier Perez, Elián Alberto. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bordenave; Argentin

Abundancia de trébol rojo y trébol blanco en pasturas del centro y norte de la provincia de Buenos Aires

La abundancia de leguminosas en pasturas es clave para el suministro de nitrógeno a la gramínea asociada y el aporte a la calidad de la dieta. De acuerdo con ello se hizo un estudio a escala de sistemas de producción en el norte de la provincia de Buenos Aires con el objetivo de estimar la abundancia de tréboles rojo y blanco en las pasturas y los factores bióticos, abióticos y antrópicos que pueden afectarla. Se relevaron la densidad de plantas de trébol rojo y la cobertura de trébol blanco en 140 pasturas de 2 a 3 años de edad en 68 campos de los partidos de 9 de Julio, Bolívar y Lobos. Para cada pastura se determinó la ocurrencia de enfermedades y el daño por insectos en raíces de trébol rojo, las características químicas del suelo, la tecnología empleada por el productor en la implantación, la producción y el manejo de las pasturas. Asimismo, se obtuvieron registros de precipitaciones y características generales de los suelos de la zona. Los datos se sistematizaron y se analizaron estadísticamente mediante estadísticos descriptivos e inferenciales. La densidad promedio de plantas de trébol rojo fue de 6,9 plantas m-2 y la cobertura promedio de trébol blanco de 2,0%. La tecnología de implantación y el tipo de suelos fueron los factores que más se relacionaron con la densidad de trébol rojo, mientras que las tecnologías de producción y utilización fueron las más relevantes para la cobertura de trébol blanco. La abundancia de tréboles hallada es insuficiente para sostener una productividad competitiva y sustentable de las pasturas sobre la base de gramíneas del norte de la provincia de Buenos Aires. Se identificaron los aspectos susceptibles de mejorar para revertir la baja abundancia de leguminosas en las pasturas.The abundance of legumes in grasslands is a key factor for the supply of nitrogen to associated grasses and the contribution to the quality of the diet of ruminants. Based on the above, a study was conducted at the level of production systems in the northern of Buenos Aires province with the aim of stimating the abundance of white and red clovers in pastures and the biotic, abiotic and anthropogenic factors that may affect them. 140 pastures of 2-3 years old were surveyed in 68 farms of 9 de Julio, Bolivar and Lobos counties in which red clover plant density and white clover content were estimated. For each pasture, the occurrence of diseases and the damage due to insects on red clover roots, chemical soil properties, the technology used by the farmer in the establishment, production and pasture management were determined. The data were systematized and analyzed statistically using descriptive and inferential statistics with the SAS software. The average density of red clover plants was 6.9 plants m-2 and the average white clover coverage was 2.0%. The abundance of clovers that have been found is insufficient to support a competitive and sustainable productivity of grassland in the northern portion of Buenos Aires province. Technology of establishment and soil type were the factors most related to the density of red clover whereas technologies of production and management were the most relevant for white clover content. The factors to reverse the low abundance of legumes in pastures were identified.EEA PergaminoFil: Barletta, Pablo Fernando. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino; ArgentinaFil: Camarasa, Jonatan Nicolás. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino; ArgentinaFil: Carta, Hector Guillermo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino. Agencia de Extensión Rural 9 de Julio; ArgentinaFil: De Andres y Martinez, Nestor Adrian. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino. Agencia de Extensión Rural Lobos; ArgentinaFil: Mendez, Daniel Gustavo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria General Villegas; ArgentinaFil: O'Gorman, Jose Maria. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino. Agencia de Extensión Rural Lobos; ArgentinaFil: Ojuez, Cesar. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino. Agencia de Extensión Rural Bolivar; ArgentinaFil: Perez, Gonzalo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino. Agencia de Extensión Rural Bolivar; ArgentinaFil: Scheneiter, Jorge Omar. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino; ArgentinaFil: Varea, Ivana. Universidad Nacional del Norte de la Provincia de Buenos Aires; Argentin

On strategic choices faced by large pharmaceutical laboratories and their effect on innovation risk under fuzzy conditions

ObjectivesWe develop a fuzzy evaluation model that provides managers at different responsibility levels in pharmaceutical laboratories with a rich picture of their innovation risk as well as that of competitors. This would help them take better strategic decisions around the management of their present and future portfolio of clinical trials in an uncertain environment. Through three structured fuzzy inference systems (FISs), the model evaluates the overall innovation risk of the laboratories by capturing the financial and pipeline sides of the risk.Methods and materialsThree FISs, based on the Mamdani model, determine the level of innovation risk of large pharmaceutical laboratories according to their strategic choices. Two subsystems measure different aspects of innovation risk while the third one builds on the results of the previous two. In all of them, both the partitions of the variables and the rules of the knowledge base are agreed through an innovative 2-tuple-based method. With the aid of experts, we have embedded knowledge into the FIS and later validated the model.ResultsIn an empirical application of the proposed methodology, we evaluate a sample of 31 large pharmaceutical laboratories in the period 2008–2013. Depending on the relative weight of the two subsystems in the first layer (capturing the financial and the pipeline sides of innovation risk), we estimate the overall risk. Comparisons across laboratories are made and graphical surfaces are analyzed in order to interpret our results. We have also run regressions to better understand the implications of our results.ConclusionsThe main contribution of this work is the development of an innovative fuzzy evaluation model that is useful for analyzing the innovation risk characteristics of large pharmaceutical laboratories given their strategic choices. The methodology is valid for carrying out a systematic analysis of the potential for developing new drugs over time and in a stable manner while managing the risks involved. We provide all the necessary tools and datasets to facilitate the replication of our system, which also may be easily applied to other settings

Acupuncture and rehabilitation of the painful shoulder: study protocol of an ongoing multicentre randomised controlled clinical trial [ISRCTN28687220]

BACKGROUND: Although the painful shoulder is one of the most common dysfunctions of the locomotor apparatus, and is frequently treated both at primary healthcare centres and by specialists, little evidence has been reported to support or refute the effectiveness of the treatments most commonly applied. According to the bibliography reviewed, physiotherapy, which is the most common action taken to alleviate this problem, has not yet been proven to be effective, because of the small size of sample groups and the lack of methodological rigor in the papers published on the subject. No reviews have been made to assess the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating this complaint, but in recent years controlled randomised studies have been made and these demonstrate an increasing use of acupuncture to treat pathologies of the soft tissues of the shoulder. In this study, we seek to evaluate the effectiveness of physiotherapy applied jointly with acupuncture, compared with physiotherapy applied with a TENS-placebo, in the treatment of painful shoulder caused by subacromial syndrome (rotator cuff tendinitis and subacromial bursitis). METHODS/DESIGN: Randomised controlled multicentre study with blind evaluation by an independent observer and blind, independent analysis. A study will be made of 465 patients referred to the rehabilitation services at participating healthcare centres, belonging to the regional public health systems of Andalusia and Murcia, these patients presenting symptoms of painful shoulder and a diagnosis of subacromial syndrome (rotator cuff tendinitis and subacromial bursitis). The patients will be randomised into two groups: 1) experimental (acupuncture + physiotherapy); 2) control (TENS-placebo + physiotherapy); the administration of rescue medication will also be allowed. The treatment period will have a duration of three weeks. The main result variable will be the change produced on Constant's Shoulder Function Assessment (SFA) Scale; as secondary variables, we will record the changes in diurnal pain intensity on a visual analogue scale (VAS), nocturnal pain intensity on the VAS, doses of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) taken during the study period, credibility scale for the treatment, degree of improvement perceived by the patient and degree of improvement perceived by the evaluator. A follow up examination will be made at 3, 6 and 12 months after the study period has ended. Two types of population will be considered for analysis: per protocol and per intention to treat. DISCUSSION: The discussion will take into account the limitations of the study, together with considerations such as the choice of a simple, safe method to treat this shoulder complaint, the choice of the control group, and the blinding of the patients, evaluators and those responsible for carrying out the final analysis

Measurement of the polarisation of W bosons produced with large transverse momentum in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS experiment

This paper describes an analysis of the angular distribution of W->enu and W->munu decays, using data from pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2010, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 35 pb^-1. Using the decay lepton transverse momentum and the missing transverse energy, the W decay angular distribution projected onto the transverse plane is obtained and analysed in terms of helicity fractions f0, fL and fR over two ranges of W transverse momentum (ptw): 35 < ptw < 50 GeV and ptw > 50 GeV. Good agreement is found with theoretical predictions. For ptw > 50 GeV, the values of f0 and fL-fR, averaged over charge and lepton flavour, are measured to be : f0 = 0.127 +/- 0.030 +/- 0.108 and fL-fR = 0.252 +/- 0.017 +/- 0.030, where the first uncertainties are statistical, and the second include all systematic effects.Comment: 19 pages plus author list (34 pages total), 9 figures, 11 tables, revised author list, matches European Journal of Physics C versio