Active zone self-similarity of fractal sierpinski antenna verified using infra-red thermograms

The surface current distribution of a Sierpinski fractal antenna shows a self-similar behaviour determined by the self-similar properties of its geometry. The application of infra-red thermography to electromagnetic near field detection allows the experimental verification of the active region scaling of a fractal antenna operating at different bands.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Denitrogenation process in ThMn12 nitride by in situ neutron powder diffraction

ThMn12 nitrides are good candidates for high performance permanent magnets. However, one of the remaining challenges is to transfer the good properties of the powder into a useful bulk magnet. Thus, understanding the denitrogenation process of this phase is of key importance. In this study, we investigate the magnetic and structural stability of the (Nd0.75, Pr0.25)1.2Fe10.5Mo1.5Nx compound (x=0 and 0.85) as function of temperature by means of neutron powder diffraction. Thermal dependence of the lattice parameters, formation of a-(Fe, Mo), as well as the nitrogen content in the nitrides are investigated by heating the compounds up to 1010 K. The decomposition takes place mainly via the formation of the a-(Fe, Mo) phase, which starts at around 900 K, whereas the nitrogen remains stable in the lattice. Additionally, we show that the magnetic properties of the nitrides [M(4T)=90 Am2/kg and Hc=0.55 T] are maintained after the thermal treatments up to 900 K. This study demonstrates that the ThMn12 nitrides with the Mo stabilizing element offer good prospects for a bulk magnet provided an adequate processing route is found

Circulating soluble CD36 is similar in type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus versus non-diabetic subjects

The aim of this study was to determine whether plasma concentrations of sCD36 (soluble CD36) are associated with the presence of type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Plasma levels of sCD36 were analysed in 1023 subjects (225 type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients, 276 type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients, and 522 non-diabetic control subjects) using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Multinomial and logistic regression models were performed to evaluate associations with sCD36 and its association with diabetes types. There were no significant differences in sCD36 (p = 0.144) among study groups, neither in head-to-head comparisons: non-diabetic versus T1D subjects (p = 0.180), non-diabetic versus T2D subjects (p = 0.583), and T1D versus T2D patients (p = 0.151). In the multinomial model, lower sCD36 concentrations were associated with older age (p < 0.001), tobacco exposure (p = 0.006), T2D (p = 0.020), and a higher-platelets count (p = 0.004). However, in logistic regression models of diabetes, sCD36 showed only a weak association with T2D. The current findings show a weak association of circulating sCD36 with type 2 diabetes and no association with T1D

The Effect That Project Management Certification Has on Employability: Agent's Perceptions from Spain

This study analyses the effects that the project management certification has on employability. This analysis started with a participative process in which various groups of experts who are involved in the certification of people were consulted. A personal interview was carried out amongst 106 professionals —certifying bodies, training institutions, the civil service, and international organisations— and amongst professional who are certified in project management by the International Project Management Association in Spain. The results show that the certification emerges as a powerful tool for improving employability. The effects are demonstrated across two complementary aspects: internal company aspects and external aspects relating to the labour market. Finally, by compiling the different agents’ opinions, a series of measures emerge for improving the accreditation processes as an employability tool and increasing the mutual learning between public and private actors

Medical oncology future plan of the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology: challenges and future needs of the Spanish oncologists

Purpose: The SEOM Future Plan is aimed at identifying the main challenges, trends and needs of the medical oncology speciality over the next years, including potential oncologist workforce shortages, and proposing recommendations to overcome them. Methods: The estimations of the required medical oncologists workforce are based on an updated Medical Oncologist Register in Spain, Medical Oncology Departments activity data, dedication times and projected cancer incidence. Challenges, needs and future recommendations were drawn from an opinion survey and an advisory board. Results: A shortage of 211 FTE medical oncologist specialists has been established. To maintain an optimal ratio of 158 new cases/FTE, medical oncology workforce should reach 1881 FTE by 2035. Conclusions: Main recommendations to face the growing demand and complexity of oncology services include a yearly growth of 2.5% of medical oncologist’s workforce until 2035, and development and application of more accurate quality indicators for cancer care and health outcomes measure

NATO Survey of Mental Health Training in Army Recruits

To-date, there has been no international review of mental health resilience training during Basic Training nor an assessment of what service members perceive as useful from their perspective. In response to this knowledge gap, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Human Factors & Medicine Research & Technology Task Group “Mental Health Training” initiated a survey and interview with seven to twenty recruits from nine nations to inform the development of such training (N = 121). All nations provided data from soldiers joining the military as volunteers, whereas two nations also provided data from conscripts. Results from the volunteer data showed relatively consistent ranking in terms of perceived demands, coping strategies, and preferences for resilience skill training across the nations. Analysis of data from conscripts identified a select number of differences compared to volunteers. Subjects also provided examples of coping with stress during Basic Training that can be used in future training; themes are presented here. Results are designed to show the kinds of demands facing new recruits and coping methods used to overcome these demands to develop relevant resilience training for NATO nations

Cooper pair dispersion relation for weak to strong coupling

Cooper pairing in two dimensions is analyzed with a set of renormalized equations to determine its binding energy for any fermion number density and all coupling assuming a generic pairwise residual interfermion interaction. \ Also considered are Cooper pairs (CPs) with nonzero center-of-mass momentum (CMM)--usually neglected in BCS theory--and their binding energy is expanded analytically in powers of the CMM up to quadratic terms. A Fermi-sea-dependent {\it linear} term in the CMM dominates the pair excitation energy in weak coupling (also called the BCS regime) while the more familiar quadratic term prevails in strong coupling (the Bose regime). The crossover, though strictly unrelated to BCS theory {\it per se,} is studied numerically as it is expected to play a central role in a model of superconductivity as a Bose-Einstein condensation of CPs where the transition temperature vanishes for all dimensionality $d\leq 2$ for quadratic dispersion, but is {\it nonzero} for all $d\geq 1$ for linear dispersion.Comment: 11 pages plus 3 figures, revised version accepted in Physical Review

Circulating CD5L is associated with cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality in individuals with chronic kidney disease

This study assessed the association of CD5L and soluble CD36 (sCD36) with the risk of a cardiovascular event (CVE), including CV death and all-cause mortality in CKD. We evaluated the association of CD5L and sCD36 with a predefined composite CV endpoint (unstable angina, myocardial infarction, transient ischemic attack, cerebrovascular accident, congestive heart failure, arrhythmia, peripheral arterial disease [PAD] or amputation by PAD, aortic aneurysm, or death from CV causes) and all-cause mortality using Cox proportional hazards regression, adjusted for CV risk factors. The analysis included 1,516 participants free from pre-existing CV disease followed up for 4 years. The median age was 62 years, 38.8% were female, and 26.8% had diabetes. There were 98 (6.5%) CVEs and 72 (4.8%) deaths, of which 26 (36.1%) were of CV origin. Higher baseline CD5L concentration was associated with increased risk of CVE (HR, 95% CI, 1.17, 1.0-1.36), and all-cause mortality (1.22, 1.01-1.48) after adjusting for age, sex, diabetes, systolic blood pressure, dyslipidemia, waist circumference, smoking, and CKD stage. sCD36 showed no association with adverse CV outcomes or mortality. Our study showed for the first time that higher concentrations of CD5L are associated with future CVE and all-cause mortality in individuals with CKD

TP97 299. Experiencia en el uso de válvula aórtica biológica freedom solo en endocarditis

IntroducciónLas válvulas aórticas biológicas sin soporte Sorin Freedom Solo (FS) han demostrado una mejoría en el aumento del orificio de área efectivo, así como un mejor perfil en los gradientes transvalvulares, fracción de eyección del ventrículo izquierdo (FEVI) y regresión de la hipertrofia ventricular izquierda. También, se ha comprobado una reducción en los tiempos de isquemia miocárdica y de circulación extracorpórea. Sin embargo no hay mucha información sobre su comportamiento en el contexto de endocarditis valvular.Material y métodosDesde noviembre de 2006 – septiembre 2011, se implantaron 17 prótesis FS en 16 pacientes (50% hombres, 60,2±15 años) por endocarditis bacteriana. Se determinó la cantidad de plaquetas en el día 5 postimplante, así como la fracción de eyección (FE) y los gradientes transvalvulares posquirúrgicos. Seguimiento medio de 22,5±26 meses.ResultadosLa prevalencia de trombocitopenia (< 150.000 plaquetas) y trombocitopenia grave (< 50.000 plaquetas) ha sido de 68,8 y 31,3%, respectivamente. Hubo un total de 4 muertes hospitalarias (25%), 2 intraoperatorias. Gradiente transvalvular medio de 22±18mmHg, FEVI postoperatoria media de 52,4±10,3%. Tres pacientes fueron reintervenidos, 2 por deterioro precoz (16%), 1 por nueva endocarditis (8%).ConclusiónLa prótesis aórtica biológica sin soporte FS muestra un buen perfil hemodinámico, mejorando significati-vamente los gradientes transvalvulares.Nuestra prevalencia de trombocitopenia al quinto día y durabilidad de la válvula se encuentran en valores similares a lo publicado en la literatura.El uso de dicha prótesis en endocarditis aórtica debe considerarse una alternativa eficaz al demostrarse baja tasa de reincidencia de endocarditis