Power-efficient resource allocation in a heterogeneous network with cellular and D2D capabilities

This paper focuses on a heterogeneous scenario in which cellular and wireless local area technologies coexist and in which mobile devices are enabled with device-to-device communication capabilities. In this context, this paper assumes a network architecture in which a given user equipment (UE) can receive mobile service either by connecting directly to a cellular base station or by connecting through another UE that acts as an access point and relays the traffic from a cellular base station. The paper investigates the optimization of the connectivity of different UEs with the target to minimize the total transmission power. An optimization framework is presented, and a distributed strategy based on Q-learning and softmax decision making is proposed as a means to solve the considered problem with reduced complexity. The proposed strategy is evaluated under different conditions, and it is shown that the strategy achieves a performance very close to the optimum. Moreover, significant transmission power reductions of approximately 40% are obtained with respect to the classical approach, in which all UEs are connected to the cellular infrastructure. For multi-cell scenarios, in which the optimum solution cannot be easily known a priori, the proposed approach is compared against a centralized genetic algorithm. The proposed approach achieves similar performance in terms of total transmitted power, while exhibiting much lower computational requirements.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Abatement of Naphthalene by Persulfate Activated by Goethite and Visible LED Light at Neutral pH: Effect of Common Ions and Organic Matter.

Naphthalene (NAP) has received particular attention due to its impact on the environment and human health, mandating its removal from water systems. In this work, the abatement of NAP in the aqueous phase was achieved using persulfate (PS) activated by Fe (III) and monochromatic LED light at a natural pH. The reaction was carried out in a slurry batch reactor using goethite as the Fe (III) source. The influence of the PS concentration, goethite concentration, irradiance, temperature and presence of organic matter, chloride, and bicarbonate on the abatement of NAP was studied. These variables were shown to have a different effect on NAP removal. The irradiance showed a maximum at 0.18 W⋅cm−2W·cm−2 where the photonic efficiency was the highest. As for the concentration of goethite and PS, the influence of the first one was negligible, whereas for PS, the best results were reached at 1.2 mM due to a self-inhibitory effect at higher concentrations. The temperature effect was also negative in the PS consumption. Regarding the effect of ions, chloride had no influence on NAP conversion but carbonates and humic acids were affected. Lastly, this treatment to remove NAP has proved to be an effective technique since minimum conversions of 0.92 at 180 min of reaction time were reached. Additionally, the toxicity of the final samples was decreased.Depto. de Ingeniería Química y de MaterialesFac. de Ciencias QuímicasTRUEComunidad de MadridMinisterio de Economía y CompetitividadMinisterio de Ciencia, Innovaciónpu

Reconstrucción y análisis de la serie de radiación solar de Girona (1990-2013)

Ponencia presentada en: IX Congreso de la Asociación Española de Climatología celebrado en Almería entre el 28 y el 30 de octubre de 2014.[ES]Se analiza después la evolución de la radiación solar global en Girona desde principios de los 90 a la actualidad, enmarcando los resultados en el incremento de radiación solar observado en España durante este periodo. Se ha encontrado que en los últimos 20 años (1994-2013), la radiación solar global media anual ha aumentado a un ritmo de 3.6 Wm-2 por década; buena parte de este aumento se debe a lo que ocurre en verano, con una tendencia de 9.1 Wm-2 por década. Estos valores son consistentes con lo que se ha observado en el entorno regional (Península Ibérica y sur de Francia).[EN]The evolution of the global solar radiation in Girona is then analysed from the early 1990s up to today, in the framework of the observed increase of solar radiation in Spain during this period. It is found that in the last 20 years (1994-2013), the annual average global solar radiation has increased at a rate of 3.6 Wm-2 per decade; much of this increase is due to what happens in summer, with a trend of 9.1 Wm-2 per decade. These values are consistent with what has been observed in the regional environment (Iberian Peninsula and southern France).Esta investigación ha sido financiada por el Ministerio Economía y Competitividad, a través del proyecto NUCLIERSOL (CGL2010-18546). El cuarto autor está financiado por una beca postdoctoral Beatriu de Pinós de la Generalitat de Catalunya (2011 BP-B 00078). El quinto autor disfruta de una beca predoctoral del Ministerio de Educación y Cultura (FPU AP2010-0917)

Identification of β2 microglobulin, the product of B2M gene, as a Host Factor for Vaccinia Virus Infection by Genome-Wide CRISPR genetic screens

Genome-wide genetic screens are powerful tools to identify genes that act as host factors of viruses. We have applied this technique to analyze the infection of HeLa cells by Vaccinia virus, in an attempt to find genes necessary for infection. Infection of cell populations harboring single gene inactivations resulted in no surviving cells, suggesting that no single gene knock-out was able to provide complete resistance to Vaccinia virus and thus allow cells to survive infection. In the absence of an absolute infection blockage, we explored if some gene inactivations could provide partial protection leading to a reduced probability of infection. Multiple experiments using modified screening procedures involving replication restricted viruses led to the identification of multiple genes whose inactivation potentially increase resistance to infection and therefore cell survival. As expected, significant gene hits were related to proteins known to act in virus entry, such as ITGB1 and AXL as well as genes belonging to their downstream related pathways. Additionally, we consistently found β2-microglobulin, encoded by the B2M gene, among the screening top hits, a novel finding that was further explored. Inactivation of B2M resulted in 54% and 91% reduced VV infection efficiency in HeLa and HAP1 cell lines respectively. In the absence of B2M, while virus binding to the cells was unaffected, virus internalization and early gene expression were significantly diminished. These results point to β2-microglobulin as a relevant factor in the Vaccinia virus entry process.This work was supported by grants ERTA2014-00006, RTA2017-0066 and PID2021-128466OR-I00 funded by Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 as part of the Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica, Desarrollo e Innovación (https://www.ciencia.gob.es) to R.B. A.M. was recipient of a predoctoral contract from Subprograma Estatal de Formación, Programa Estatal de Promoción del Talento y su Empleabilidad en I+D+I, Spain from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, grant number PRE2018-085415. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.S

Early diversification and permeable species boundaries in the Mediterranean firs

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Inferring the evolutionary relationships of species and their boundaries is critical in order to understand patterns of diversification and their historical drivers. Despite Abies (Pinaceae) being the second most diverse group of conifers, the evolutionary history of Circum-Mediterranean firs (CMF) remains under debate. METHODS: We used restriction site associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) on all proposed CMF taxa to investigate their phylogenetic relationships and taxonomic status. KEY RESULTS: Based on thousands of genome-wide SNPs, we present here the first formal test of species delimitation, and the first fully resolved, complete species tree for CMF. We discovered that all previously recognized taxa in the Mediterranean should be treated as independent species, with the exception of A. tazaotana and A. marocana. An unexpectedly early pulse of speciation in the Oligocene-Miocene boundary is here documented for the group, pre-dating previous hypotheses by millions of years, revealing a complex evolutionary history encompassing both ancient and recent gene flow between distant lineages. CONCLUSIONS: Our phylogenomic results contribute to shed light on conifers' diversification. Our efforts to resolve the CMF phylogenetic relationships help refine their taxonomy and our knowledge of their evolutio

Valoración del programa "enfermería de urgencia", licenciatura en enfermería / Assessment of the Emergency Nursing Program. Bachelor of Science in Nursing

El diseño curricular en las profesiones de ciencias de la salud constituye en la actualidad uno de los campos teóricos y prácticos que concita mayores debates. Baste decir que la pretensión que subyace es la de diseñar planes de estudio que conduzcan a la formación de un egresado congruente con las expectativas de la sociedad en función de sus necesidades de salud, de modo que el futuro profesional adquiera los conocimientos, habilidades y valores que lo capaciten para desempeñar plenamente las funciones que de él se esperan una vez graduado, por lo que realizamos una valoración del Programa de Enfermería de Urgencias, para lo que tuvimos en cuenta todas las categorías de la didáctica: problema, objetivo, contenido, métodos, medios y evaluación. Considerando que el programa tributa a la formación del egresado a que se aspira formar. Con este trabajo pretendemos realizar una valoración crítica del programa de esta asignatura. Palabras clave: ESTUDIANTES DE ENFERMERÍA, URGENCIAS. ABSTRACT The Curricular Design in the Medical Science professions is one of the most debated theoretic and practical field nowadays. The aim is to design study plans which lead to the formation of a graduate consistent with the expectations of society according to its health requirements ,so we made an evaluation of the Nursing Emergency Program bearing in mind all the following didactic categories: problem, objective , methods , aids and valuation. The program is considered tributary to the formation of the graduate. Key words: NURSING STUDENTS, EMERGENCIES

APLICACIÓN MOVIL PARA EL ANÁLISIS, RECONOCIMIENTO Y RECUPERACIÓN DE INFORMACIÓN DE OBRAS DE ARTE DE UN MUSEO (MOBILE APP FOR ANALYSIS, RECOGNITION, AND RETRIEVAL OF INFORMATION OF MUSEUM ARTWORKS)

Resumen Al visitar un museo, la información completa sobre una obra de arte puede requerirse; sin embargo, a un lado de la misma sólo se encuentran su nombre y del artista. Por tanto, en este trabajo se presenta el análisis y reconocimiento una obra de arte mediante la fotografía tomada con el celular del visitante, así como la recuperación de los datos más relevantes de la misma. De tal manera, que se obtenga la información completa en ese momento. Esta propuesta resulta importante para cualquier persona interesada en la cultura o que simplemente sienta curiosidad por una obra de arte. Consecuentemente, la aplicación resultante se puede ofrecer como un servicio en la nube a todas estas personas, con un tiempo de respuesta mínimo. Además, en la literatura revisada no se encontró una aplicación que brinde este servicio, tal y como, se especifica en este artículo. Palabras Clave: Análisis de información, obras de arte, museo, reconocimiento de información, recuperación de información. Abstract When visiting a museum, you may want complete information about an artwork. However, to one side of it, only its name and artist are found. Therefore, in this work, the photograph analysis and recognition of an artwork taken with the visitor's cell phone, as well as, the retrieving the most relevant data from it; are presented. In such a way, that it obtains the complete information at that moment. This proposal is important for anyone interested in culture, or simply curious about an art work. Consequently, the resulting application can be offered as a cloud service to all of these people, with minimal response time. Furthermore, in the literature reviewed, an application that provides this service as specified in this article, was not found. Keywords: Artworks, information analysis, information recognition, information retrieval, museum

Taming singularities of the quantum Fisher information

Quantum Fisher information matrices (QFIMs) are fundamental to estimation theory: they encode the ultimate limit for the sensitivity with which a set of parameters can be estimated using a given probe. Since the limit invokes the inverse of a QFIM, an immediate question is what to do with singular QFIMs. Moreover, the QFIM may be discontinuous, forcing one away from the paradigm of regular statistical models. These questions of nonregular quantum statistical models are present in both single- and multiparameter estimation. Geometrically, singular QFIMs occur when the curvature of the metric vanishes in one or more directions in the space of probability distributions, while QFIMs have discontinuities when the density matrix has parameter-dependent rank. We present a nuanced discussion of how to deal with each of these scenarios, stressing the physical implications of singular QFIMs and the ensuing ramifications for quantum metrology

Oxidative Stress and Parkinson’s Disease: Effects on Environmental Toxicology

Epidemiological studies have found an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease (PD) with environmental factors such as exposure to substances derived from industrial processes, use of agrochemicals, or living in a rural environment. The hypothesis that certain environmental toxins could be the source of the EP is supported by the discovery that chemicals such as herbicides paraquat, diquat, and the fungicide maneb are selectively toxic in nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons. Also, one of the insecticides produced by plants, such as rotenone, and by-product of the synthesis of synthetic heroin MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine) can be reproduced in animal models where neurochemicals, histopathological, and clinical characteristic of PD can be found. Interestingly, there are similarities in the chemical structure of paraquat and MPTP. Recent evidence exhibited that inflammation and oxidative stress play an essential role in the development of PD. So, in our laboratory we found that in an animal model melatonin decreases the products of lipid oxidation, nitric oxide metabolites, and the activity of cyclooxygenase 2, which are induced by an intraperitoneal injection of MPTP. This suggests that the neuroprotective effects of melatonin are partially attributed to its antioxidant scavenging and anti-inflammatory action

Effect of the Inoculation Site of Bovine and Avian Purified Protein Derivatives (PPDs) on the Performance of the Intradermal Tuberculin Test in Goats From Tuberculosis-Free and Infected Herds

The single and comparative intradermal tuberculin (SIT and CIT) tests are used for the ante-mortem diagnosis of caprine tuberculosis (TB). The tuberculin injection site has been associated with a different performance of the test in cattle. In contrast to that required in cattle in Europe (cervical injection), it can be carried out in the scapular region in goats. Nevertheless, there are no previous data concerning the effect of the injection site on the performance of the test in goats. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of two different inoculation sites (cervical and scapular) on the performance of the SIT/CIT tests. This was done by intradermally inoculating 309 goats from two infected herds and one TB-free herd with both avian and bovine PPDs in the mid-cervical and scapular regions. None of the animals from the TB-free herd had positive reactions, and the number of reactors was not significantly higher, regardless of the inoculation site, in the high and low prevalence herds. However, significantly higher increases in skin fold thickness were observed on the cervical site when compared to the scapular site after the avian and bovine PPD inoculations in the TB-free herd (p < 0.001) and after the bovine PPD injection in the high prevalence herd (p = 0.003). The presence of clinical signs was also more evident on the cervical site when using avian and bovine PPDs in the high prevalence herd (p < 0.01). In contrast, increases in higher skin fold thickness were observed on the scapular site when compared to the cervical site after the bovine and avian PPD inoculations were employed in the low prevalence herd (p < 0.01). These results suggest that the cervical injection of PPDs may improve the sensitivity of the intradermal tuberculin test in high TB prevalence caprine herds, mainly owing to the increased presence of local clinical signs and a better performance of the CIT test. Moreover, specificity was not affected when using standard interpretations, although further analyses in a great number of herds are required in order to confirm these findings.This study was funded by the Herramientas para alcanzar la erradicación de la tuberculosis caprina (GoaTBfree) project (PID2019-105155RB-C31) and the Spanish Government's Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación. JO was supported by an FPU (Formación de Profesorado Universitario) contract-fellowship provided by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (FPU18/05197).S