Reference-Plane Invariant Free Space Dielectric Material Characterization up to 330 GHz.

This paper describes the process followed to implement a system to characterize the complex permittivity of materials in the 10-330 GHz frequency band. Firstly, the method used and the system's calibration process are shown, consisting of a double calibration TRL (Thru-Reflect-Line) and GRL (Gated-Reflect-Line). Subsequently, a smoothing technique is used to improve the accuracy of the results. Finally, a test is performed on quartz and glass fiber samples, showing that the results are quite reliable over the entire measured bandwidth.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Setup for Material Characterization in the 110-170 GHz Band.

This work outlines the procedure to establish a system for assessing materials' complex permittivity and permeability within the 110-170 GHz frequency range. We present the employed methodology and the calibration procedure for the system, incorporating a dual approach using TRL (Thru-Reflect-Line) and GRL (Gated-Reflect-Line) methods. Following that, a smoothing technique is used to enhance the accuracy of the results. Tests were conducted on a HIPS sample to validate the system's performance, demonstrating the results' reliability across the entire measured bandwidth.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Puesta en marcha de un sistema de caracterización de materiales en la banda de milimétricas

En este trabajo se describe el proceso seguido para la puesta en marcha de un sistema de caracterización de la permitividad y permeabilidad complejas de materiales en la banda de frecuencias de ondas milimétricas. Para ello, se muestra, en primer lugar, el método utilizado, así como el proceso de calibración del sistema, consistente en una doble calibración TRL (Thru-Reflect-Line) y GRL (Gated-Reflect-Line). Posteriormente, se estudia cómo pueden afectar desviaciones en la medida, tales como errores en la distancia entre antenas, o la incidencia oblicua sobre el material, a la solución estimada. Se propone, además, una técnica de suavizado que permite mejorar la exactitud de los resultados. Por último, se realiza un test sobre una muestra de teflón de 6 mm de grosor, demostrando que los resultados son bastante fiables en todo el ancho de banda medido.Este trabajo ha sido financiado por la ayuda PID2020-116968RB-31 financiada por MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 y Unión Europea NextGenerationEU/PRTR, así como por las ayudas PID2020-112545RB-C54, PDC2022-133900-I00, A-TIC-646-UGR20, TED2021-129938B-I00 y TED2021-131699B-I00; y por el Ministerio de Universidades del Gobierno de España y la Unión Europea NextGenerationEU, con fondos del Programa Margarita Salas. Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Clinical Benefit of Tamsulosin and the Hexanic Extract of Serenoa Repens, in Combination or as Monotherapy, in Patients with Moderate/Severe LUTS-BPH: A Subset Analysis of the QUALIPROST Study

To investigate whether tamsulosin (TAM) and the hexanic extract of Serenoa repens (HESr) are more effective in combination than as monotherapy in men with moderate-to-severe lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH). Subset analysis of data from a 6-month, multicenter observational study. Patients received either tamsulosin (0.4 mg/day) or HESr (320 mg/day) alone or in combination. Primary endpoints were change in symptoms and quality of life. Tolerability was also assessed. Seven hundred and nine patients were available for intention to treat (ITT) analysis, 263 treated with tamsulosin, 262 with HESr, and 184 with TAM + HESr. After 6 months, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) scores improved by a mean (standard deviation) of 7.2 (5.0) points in the TAM + HESr group compared to 5.7 (4.3) points with TAM alone and 5.4 (4.6) points with HESr (p < 0.001). Quality of life showed greatest improvement with combination therapy (p < 0.02). Adverse effects were reported by 1.9% of patients receiving HESr, 13.3% receiving TAM, and 12.0% receiving TAM + HESr (p < 0.001). In men with moderate/severe LUTS/BPH, combination treatment with TAM + HESr produced more effective symptom relief and greater improvement in quality of life than with either treatment alone, with acceptable tolerability

Efficacy and safety of a hexanic extract of Serenoa repens (Permixon (R)) for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH): systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials and observational studies

Objectives To comprehensively evaluate the efficacy and safety of the hexanic extract of Serenoa repens (HESr, Permixon (R); Pierre Fabre Medicament, Castres, France), at a dose of 320 mg daily, as monotherapy for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH). Materials and methods We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective observational studies in patients with LUTS/BPH identified through searches in Medline, Web of Knowledge (Institute for Scientific Information), Scopus, the Cochrane Library, and bibliographic references up to March 2017. Articles studying S. repens extracts other than Permixon were excluded. Data were collected on International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), nocturia, quality of life, prostate volume, sexual function, and adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Data obtained from RCTs and observational studies were analysed jointly and separately using a random effects model. A sub-group analysis was performed of studies that included patients on longer-term treatment (= 1 year). Results Data from 27 studies (15 RCTs and 12 observational studies) were included for meta-analysis (total N = 5 800). Compared with placebo, the HESr was associated with 0.64 (95% confidence interval [CI] -0.98 to -0.31) fewer voids/ night (P < 0.001) and an additional mean increase in Q(max) of 2.75 mL/s (95% CI 0.57 to 4.93; P = 0.01). When compared with a-blockers, the HESr showed similar improvements on IPSS (weighted mean difference [WMD] 0.57, 95% CI -0.27 to 1.42; P = 0.18) and a comparable increase in Q(max) to tamsulosin (WMD -0.02, 95% CI -0.71 to 0.66; P = 0.95). Efficacy assessed using the IPSS was similar after 6 months of treatment between the HESr and 5a-reductase inhibitors (5ARIs). Analysis of all available published data for the HESr showed a mean improvement in IPSS from baseline of -5.73 points (95% CI -6.91 to -4.54; P < 0.001). HESr did not negatively affect sexual function and no clinically relevant effect was observed on prostate-specific antigen. Prostate volume decreased slightly. Similar efficacy results were seen in patients treated for = 1 year (n = 447). The HESr had a favourable safety profile, with gastrointestinal disorders being the most frequent ADR (mean incidence of 3.8%). Conclusion The present meta-analysis, which includes all available RCTs and observational studies, shows that the HESr (Permixon) reduced nocturia and improved Q(max) compared with placebo and had a similar efficacy to tamsulosin and short-term 5ARI in relieving LUTS. HESr (Permixon) appears to be an efficacious and well-tolerated therapeutic option for the longterm medical treatment of LUTS/BPH

Extreme, wintertime Saharan dust intrusion in the Iberian Peninsula: Lidar monitoring and evaluation of dust forecast models during the February 2017 event

The research leading to these results has received funding from the H2020 program from the European Union (grant agreement no. 654109, 778349) and also from the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Economy and Competitiviness (MINECO, ref. CGL2013-45410-R, CGL2016-81092-R, CGL2017-85344-R, TEC2015-63832-P), the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (ref. CGL2017-90884-REDT); the CommSensLab "Maria de Maeztu" Unity of Excellence (ref. MDM-2016-0600) financed by the Spanish Agencia Estatal de Investigación. Co-funding was also provided by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ref. POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007690, ALT20-03-0145-FEDER-000004, ALT20-03-0145-FEDER-000011); by the Andalusia Regional Government (ref. P12-RNM-2409); by the Madrid Regional Government (projects TIGAS-CM, ref. Y2018/EMT-5177 and AIRTEC-CM, ref. P2018/EMT4329); by the University of Granada through “Plan Propio. Programa 9 Convocatoria 2013” and by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and national funding (ref. SFRH/BSAB/143164/2019). The BSC-DREAM8b and NNMB/BSC-Dust (now NMMB-MONARCH) model simulations were performed by the Mare Nostrum supercomputer hosted by the Barcelona Supercomputer Center (BSC). S. Basart acknowledges the AXA Research Fund for supporting aerosol research at the BSC through the AXA Chair on Sand and Dust Storms Fund, as well as the InDust project (COST Action CA16202). The authors gratefully acknowledge the NOAA Air Resources Laboratory (ARL) for the provision of the HYSPLIT transport and dispersion model and/or READY website (http://www.ready.noaa.gov) used in this publication.An unprecedented extreme Saharan dust event was registered in winter time from 20 to 23 February 2017 over the Iberian Peninsula (IP). We report on aerosol optical properties observed under this extreme dust intrusion through passive and active remote sensing techniques. For that, AERONET (AErosol RObotic NETwork) and EARLINET (European Aerosol Research LIdar NETwork) databases are used. The sites considered are: Barcelona (41.38°N, 2.17°E), Burjassot (39.51°N, 0.42°W), Cabo da Roca (38.78°N, 9.50°W), Évora (38.57°N, 7.91°W), Granada (37.16°N, 3.61°W) and Madrid (40.45°N, 3.72°W). Large aerosol optical depths (AOD) and low Ångström exponents (AE) are observed. An AOD of 2.0 at 675 nm is reached in several stations. A maximum peak of 2.5 is registered in Évora. During and around the peak of AOD, AEs close to 0 and even slightly negative are measured. With regard to vertically-resolved aerosol optical properties, particle backscatter coefficients as high as 15 Mm−1 sr−1 at 355 nm are recorded at the lidar stations. Layer-mean lidar ratios are found in the range 40–55 sr at 355 nm and 34–61 sr at 532 nm during the event. The particle depolarization ratios are found to be constant inside the dust layer, and consistent from one site to another. Layer-mean values vary in the range 0.19–0.31. Another remarkable aspect of the event is the limited vertical distribution of the dust plume which never exceeds 5 km. The extreme aspect of the event also presented a nice case for testing the ability of two dust forecast models, BSC-DREAM8b and NMMB/BSC-Dust, to reproduce the arrival, the vertical distribution and the intensity of the dust plume over a long-range transport region. In the particular case of the February 2017 dust event, we found a large underestimation in the forecast of the extinction coefficient provided by BSC-DREAM8b at all heights independently of the site. In contrast NMMB/BSC-Dust forecasts presented a better agreement with the observations, especially in southwestern part of the IP. With regard to the forecast skill as a function of lead time, no clear degradation of the prognostic is appreciated at 24, 48 and 72 h for Évora and Granada stations (South). However the prognostic does degrade (bias increases and/or correlation decreases) for Barcelona (North), which is attributed to the fact that Barcelona is at a greater distance from the source region and to the singularity of the event.Funding from the H2020 program from the European Union (grant agreement no. 654109, 778349)Spanish Ministry of Industry, Economy and Competitiviness (MINECO, ref. CGL2013-45410-R, CGL2016-81092-R, CGL2017-85344-R, TEC2015-63832-P)Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (ref. CGL2017-90884-REDT)CommSensLab "Maria de Maeztu" Unity of Excellence (ref. MDM-2016-0600) financed by the Spanish Agencia Estatal de InvestigaciónCo-funding was also provided by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ref. POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007690, ALT20-03-0145-FEDER-000004, ALT20-03-0145-FEDER-000011)Andalusia Regional Government (ref. P12-RNM-2409); by the Madrid Regional Government (projects TIGAS-CM, ref. Y2018/EMT-5177 and AIRTEC-CM, ref. P2018/EMT4329)Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and national funding (ref. SFRH/BSAB/143164/2019

Infrared Assisted Production of 3,4-Dihydro-2(1H)-pyridones in Solvent-Free Conditions

A green approach for the synthesis of a set of ten 4-aryl substituted-5-alcoxy carbonyl-6-methyl-3,4-dihydro-2(1H)-pyridones using Meldrum’s acid has been devised, the absence of solvent and the activation with infrared irradiation in addition to a multicomponent protocol are the main reaction conditions. The transformations proceeded with moderated yields (50–75%) with a reasonable reaction rate (3 h). It is worth noting that two novel molecules of the new class of the bis-3,4-dihydropyridones were also obtained. In addition, a comparison without the use of infrared irradiation was performed