Multifrequency microwave radiometry for characterizing the Internal temperature of biological tissues

The analysis of near-field radiometry is described for characterizing the internal temperature of biological tissues, for which a system based on multifrequency pseudo-correlation-type radiometers is proposed. The approach consists of a new topology with multiple output devices that enables real-time calibration and performance assessment, recalibrating the receiver through simultaneous measurable outputs. Experimental characterization of the prototypes includes a welldefined calibration procedure, which is described and demonstrated, as well as DC conversion from the microwave input power. Regarding performance, high sensitivity is provided in all the bands with noise temperatures around 100 K, reducing the impact of the receiver on the measurements and improving its sensitivity. Calibrated temperature retrievals exhibit outstanding results for several noise sources, for which temperature deviations are lower than 0.1% with regard to the expected temperature. Furthermore, a temperature recovery test for biological tissues, such as a human forearm, provides temperature values on the order of 310 K. In summary, the radiometers design, calibration method and temperature retrieval demonstrated significant results in all bands, validating their use for biomedical applications.This work was supported, in part, by the Council of Tenerife under IACTEC Technological Training Program, grant TF INNOVA 2016-2021, and, in part, by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, under grants ESP2015-70646-C2-2-R and PID2019-110610RB-C22

Analysis and performance assessment of a real-time correction pseudo-correlation microwave radiometer for medical applications

A new configuration of a pseudo-correlation type radiometer is proposed for a microwave biomedical application, such as diabetic foot neuropathy. The new approach as well as its simulated performance are thoroughly assessed using commercial off-the-shelf components and custom designed subsystems. We configured a pseudo-correlation receiver, centred at 3.5 GHz, to validate the proposal, comparing its simulated response with a measured alternative based on a 90º hybrid coupler pseudo-correlation prototype. We custom designed a balanced Wilkinson power divider and a 180º hybrid coupler to fulfil the receiver's requirements. The proposed configuration demonstrated an improved noise temperature response. The main advantage is to enable the recalibration of the receiver through simultaneous measurable output signals, proportional to each input signal, as well as the correlated response between them.This research was funded by the IACTEC Technological Training program, grant number TF INNOVA 2016-202

Education knowledge transfer: Report on in-school placements needs and possibilities of the technologies

The WP2 of the EKT project aimed at describing how in-school placement (ISP) is organised and developed in the initial teacher education in the countries participating in the EKT project (Austria, England, Ireland, Portugal and Spain). In order to achieve this goal, two main pr ocedures were developed: 1. The characterization of national ISP systems, based on the analysis of institutional documentation (legislation, tools, guides, regulations, protocols, reports...) identified and described by the EKT academic teams in each country 2. The identification of the perspectives and conceptions of academic and school mentors involved in ISP, working either Higher Education Institutions (HEI) where Initial Teacher Education (ITE) is developed or at the schools where ISP takes place. For this sake, a questionnaire was designed and applied to a sample of 347 mentors from the different countries involved in the project. The analysis of the different ITE systems enabled the identification of many common features. In fact, all the countries have ITE systems that involve the HEI and nursery/primary/ secondary schools where ISP takes place. In most situations, ITE involves consecutive programmes (at graduation and post-graduation levels). And despite some variation in the length of these consecutive programmes (6 + 3/4 semesters or 8 + 2/3 semesters), the extension of the whole ITE process is less variable, the same happening with the global number of ECTS units involved in any ITE process regardless of the country. In some countries (e.g., Spain), and concerning, mainly but not exclusively, nursery and primary school teachers’ preparation, ITE may take place at the graduation level. It is also worth mentioning the case of England, where two different teacher training paths can be found: HEI routes and School-led postgraduate (consecutive) routes that involve different kinds of programmes: • School-centred initial teacher training (SCITT) programmes (no salaried); • School Direct Training programmes (non-salaried); • School Direct Training programmes (salaried); • Teach First (salaried); • Postgraduate Teaching; Apprenticeship (PGTA) (salaried). No matter the country, ITE processes imply in-school placement. The characteristics of these placements may vary according not only to the features of each national educational system but also to the respective ITE programmes and the school level training refers to. In general ISP is developed under agreements established between HEI where ITE programmes are developed and schools where ISP takes place and involves both HEI teachers and school teachers as mentors. The selection of these school mentors varies from country to country as well as the role they play and their participation in the students´ evaluation. There also seems to be some variation regarding the tasks, the number of hours involved and the kind of materials students have to produce and deliver as a result of their practices during ISP. Despite this variation, it is possible to recognize that there is, in most cases, a concern with the promotion of a reflection on the practice by the use of adequate practices and instruments, such as the construction of portfolios that make possible a critical attitude towards the teaching activities developed. Report on in-school placements needs and possibilities of the technologies Página 5 1. Executive summary The questionnaire enabled the identification of academic and school mentors’ perspectives and conceptions about ISP and focused on different aspects involved in the process, such as: • The relevance of different internship activities and the degree of collaboration between academic and school mentors in their development. • The responsibility for the definition of the curricular framework of isp. • The aspects included in isp guides. • The relation between the student teacher and the mentors and the kind of activities they are involved in during the whole isp process. • The structure of student teachers’ final report or dissertation; the aspects focused on mentors’ observation and supervision during isp. • The structure and content of the Portfolio of in-school placement teaching practice. Due to the diversity of approaches in the countries involved in the study, the design of the questionnaire took into account the complexity of the ISP process and the multiplicity of aspects involved in the process by offering the respondents rather long lists of the items they should express their position about. As far as the relevance of the activities involved in ISP, all the items were valued above 3,10 in a scale that varied from 1 (nothing) to 5 (very much), regardless of the group (country), what may be seen as the recognition of the diversity and complexity of ISP. Despite the existing significant statistical differences, it is possible to say that there are some items, whose relevance is recognized (generally rated above 4), namely those related to the definition of standards and procedures and those concerning classroom observation, feedback, student-teacher evaluation, and collaborative work involving students and mentors. Collaboration between academic and school mentors throughout the ISP process and regarding the different activities involved is highly valued although the comparison of data regarding the degree of real cooperation and the data regarding the degree of cooperation that should exist suggests the necessity of its enhancement. Regardless of the country, the definition of the curricular framework of ISP depends mainly on the HEI, either the HEI coordinator or their mentors. In-school placement guides tend to include several items, but mentors responding to the questionnaire highlight those related to the definition of the different roles involved and to the teaching practices and their assessment. The planning of activities integrated into the school activity emerges as the most important aspect of the relationship between the student teacher and the mentors. Before the placement, activities concerning class teaching planning and the selection of materials and other resources seem to be the most frequent activities involving mentors, either from HEI or schools and student teachers. During the in-school placement, the most frequent activities involving mentors and student teachers concern not only teaching planning and materials selection but also teaching activities; pupils’ assessment is also highlighted as a frequent activity that involves school mentors and student teachers. Activities developed after the placement are valued in the questionnaire; the most highlighted regard pupils´ assessment and the production of students´ progress reports. The model for the student teacher’s final report or dissertation includes not only the monitoring procedures during its preparation and presentation but also writing rules and procedures, as well as guidelines and rules for the use of data collected by the trainee, the extent/ length of the report and formatting standards and references. The structure and content of this report dissertation are defined at the HEI level

Análisis Socio-Urbanístico de Cantabria. Volumen II: Análisis del Planeamiento.

Estudios de base para la redacción de las Normas Urbanísticas Regionales (NUR) de Cantabria.Este proyecto de investigación aplicada se ha realizado gracias al Convenio de Colaboración entre el Gobierno de Cantabria y la Universidad de Cantabria titulado “Análisis Socio-Urbanístico de Cantabria”

Treatment with tocilizumab or corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients with hyperinflammatory state: a multicentre cohort study (SAM-COVID-19)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the association between tocilizumab or corticosteroids and the risk of intubation or death in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) with a hyperinflammatory state according to clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: A cohort study was performed in 60 Spanish hospitals including 778 patients with COVID-19 and clinical and laboratory data indicative of a hyperinflammatory state. Treatment was mainly with tocilizumab, an intermediate-high dose of corticosteroids (IHDC), a pulse dose of corticosteroids (PDC), combination therapy, or no treatment. Primary outcome was intubation or death; follow-up was 21 days. Propensity score-adjusted estimations using Cox regression (logistic regression if needed) were calculated. Propensity scores were used as confounders, matching variables and for the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs). Results: In all, 88, 117, 78 and 151 patients treated with tocilizumab, IHDC, PDC, and combination therapy, respectively, were compared with 344 untreated patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 10 (11.4%), 27 (23.1%), 12 (15.4%), 40 (25.6%) and 69 (21.1%), respectively. The IPTW-based hazard ratios (odds ratio for combination therapy) for the primary endpoint were 0.32 (95%CI 0.22-0.47; p < 0.001) for tocilizumab, 0.82 (0.71-1.30; p 0.82) for IHDC, 0.61 (0.43-0.86; p 0.006) for PDC, and 1.17 (0.86-1.58; p 0.30) for combination therapy. Other applications of the propensity score provided similar results, but were not significant for PDC. Tocilizumab was also associated with lower hazard of death alone in IPTW analysis (0.07; 0.02-0.17; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tocilizumab might be useful in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state and should be prioritized for randomized trials in this situatio

Expression of Interest: The Canfranc Axion Detection Experiment (CADEx)

Trabajo presentado al 29th Meeting of the LSC Scientific Committee, celebrado online del 30 de noviembre al 1 de diciembre de 2021.Peer reviewe

CIBERER : Spanish national network for research on rare diseases: A highly productive collaborative initiative

Altres ajuts: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII); Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación.CIBER (Center for Biomedical Network Research; Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red) is a public national consortium created in 2006 under the umbrella of the Spanish National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII). This innovative research structure comprises 11 different specific areas dedicated to the main public health priorities in the National Health System. CIBERER, the thematic area of CIBER focused on rare diseases (RDs) currently consists of 75 research groups belonging to universities, research centers, and hospitals of the entire country. CIBERER's mission is to be a center prioritizing and favoring collaboration and cooperation between biomedical and clinical research groups, with special emphasis on the aspects of genetic, molecular, biochemical, and cellular research of RDs. This research is the basis for providing new tools for the diagnosis and therapy of low-prevalence diseases, in line with the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium (IRDiRC) objectives, thus favoring translational research between the scientific environment of the laboratory and the clinical setting of health centers. In this article, we intend to review CIBERER's 15-year journey and summarize the main results obtained in terms of internationalization, scientific production, contributions toward the discovery of new therapies and novel genes associated to diseases, cooperation with patients' associations and many other topics related to RD research

Pasados y presente. Estudios para el profesor Ricardo García Cárcel

Ricardo García Cárcel (Requena, 1948) estudió Historia en Valencia bajo el magisterio de Joan Reglà, con quien formó parte del primer profesorado de historia moderna en la Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona. En esta universidad, desde hace prácticamente cincuenta años, ha desarrollado una extraordinaria labor docente y de investigación marcada por un sagaz instinto histórico, que le ha convertido en pionero de casi todo lo que ha estudiado: las Germanías, la historia de la Cataluña moderna, la Inquisición, las culturas del Siglo de Oro, la Leyenda Negra, Felipe II, Felipe V, Austrias y Borbones, la guerra de la Independencia, la historia cultural, los mitos de la historia de España... Muy pocos tienen su capacidad para reflexionar, ordenar, analizar, conceptualizar y proponer una visión amplia y llena de matices sobre el pasado y las interpretaciones historiográficas. A su laboriosidad inimitable se añade una dedicación sin límites en el asesoramiento de alumnos e investigadores e impulsando revistas, dosieres, seminarios o publicaciones colectivas. Una mínima correspondencia a su generosidad lo constituye este volumen a manera de ineludible agradecimiento

Spatiotemporal Characteristics of the Largest HIV-1 CRF02_AG Outbreak in Spain: Evidence for Onward Transmissions

Background and Aim: The circulating recombinant form 02_AG (CRF02_AG) is the predominant clade among the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) non-Bs with a prevalence of 5.97% (95% Confidence Interval-CI: 5.41–6.57%) across Spain. Our aim was to estimate the levels of regional clustering for CRF02_AG and the spatiotemporal characteristics of the largest CRF02_AG subepidemic in Spain.Methods: We studied 396 CRF02_AG sequences obtained from HIV-1 diagnosed patients during 2000–2014 from 10 autonomous communities of Spain. Phylogenetic analysis was performed on the 391 CRF02_AG sequences along with all globally sampled CRF02_AG sequences (N = 3,302) as references. Phylodynamic and phylogeographic analysis was performed to the largest CRF02_AG monophyletic cluster by a Bayesian method in BEAST v1.8.0 and by reconstructing ancestral states using the criterion of parsimony in Mesquite v3.4, respectively.Results: The HIV-1 CRF02_AG prevalence differed across Spanish autonomous communities we sampled from (p &lt; 0.001). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that 52.7% of the CRF02_AG sequences formed 56 monophyletic clusters, with a range of 2–79 sequences. The CRF02_AG regional dispersal differed across Spain (p = 0.003), as suggested by monophyletic clustering. For the largest monophyletic cluster (subepidemic) (N = 79), 49.4% of the clustered sequences originated from Madrid, while most sequences (51.9%) had been obtained from men having sex with men (MSM). Molecular clock analysis suggested that the origin (tMRCA) of the CRF02_AG subepidemic was in 2002 (median estimate; 95% Highest Posterior Density-HPD interval: 1999–2004). Additionally, we found significant clustering within the CRF02_AG subepidemic according to the ethnic origin.Conclusion: CRF02_AG has been introduced as a result of multiple introductions in Spain, following regional dispersal in several cases. We showed that CRF02_AG transmissions were mostly due to regional dispersal in Spain. The hot-spot for the largest CRF02_AG regional subepidemic in Spain was in Madrid associated with MSM transmission risk group. The existence of subepidemics suggest that several spillovers occurred from Madrid to other areas. CRF02_AG sequences from Hispanics were clustered in a separate subclade suggesting no linkage between the local and Hispanic subepidemics