Goal-oriented self-adaptive hp-strategies for finite element analysis of electromagnetic scattering and radiation problems

In this paper, a fully automatic goal-oriented hp-adaptive finite element strategy for open region electromagnetic problems (radiation and scattering) is presented. The methodology leads to exponential rates of convergence in terms of an upper bound of an user-prescribed quantity of interest. Thus, the adaptivity may be guided to provide an optimal error, not globally for the field in the whole finite element domain, but for specific parameters of engineering interest. For instance, the error on the numerical computation of the S-parameters of an antenna array, the field radiated by an antenna, or the Radar Cross Section on given directions, can be minimized. The efficiency of the approach is illustrated with several numerical simulations with two dimensional problem domains. Results include the comparison with the previously developed energy-norm based hp-adaptivity

Relación entre el color de epidermis y algunas características de calidad en frutos de aguacate 'Hass’.

Mexico is the main 'Hass' avocado exporter in the world. More than 300,0001 are exported every year. The United States of America, Japan, the European Union, and Canada are the main importer countries. Recently, 'Hass'avocado shipments to Canada containing fruit with skin blackening have been rejected since this characteristic is associated with low pulp firmness and short shelf life. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between skin color of 'Hass' avocado fruit with quality characteristics. Fruit varying in black skin color (from 0 to 100%, categories 1 to 5) were collected from two different packinghouses in Michoacán, Mexico. Treatments were arranged in a split-plot design with five replications. Significant differences were detected between packinghouses for weight, length, skin color ('a', ‘b’, chroma and hue) and pulp firmness but not for width, dry matter content or the Avocado Maturity Index (AMI). As color skin category increased towards more blackened fruit, AMI value increased, firmness decreased but dry matter content did not change. These results provide evidence that fruit skin blackening is not associated with lower fruit quality, but it did lower pulp firmness at fruit packing.México es el principal exportador de aguacate 'Hass' en el mundo con más de 300,000 t anuales. Los principales importadores son Estados Unidos de América, Japón, la Unión Europea y Canadá. Recientemente, embarques de aguacate 'Hass' que contenían frutos con ennegrecimiento de la epidermis fueron rechazados por el mercado canadiense, ya que esta característica se asocia con baja firmeza de pulpa y corta vida de anaquel. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar la relación entre el color de la epidermis de frutos de aguacate 'Hass' con algunas características de calidad. En dos empacadoras de Michoacán, México, se tomaron muestras de frutos con diferentes porcentajes de color negro en la epidermis (de 0 a 100%; categorías 1 a 5). A cada fruto se le midió el color externo [luminosidad (L), 'a', 'b', croma y ángulo de tono], firmeza de pulpa,contenido de materia seca y el índice de maduración. Se empleó un diseño de parcelas divididas con cinco repeticiones. Se detectaron diferencias significativas entre empacadoras para peso, largo, color de cascara ('a', b', croma y hue) así como para firmeza de pulpa pero no para ancho, contenido de materia seca ni el índice de maduración. Se observó que conforme el color de categoría se incrementó hacia frutos más obscuros, los valores del índice de madurez se incrementaron, la firmeza disminuyó pero el contenido de materia seca no varió. Estos resultados proveen evidencia de que el obscurecimiento de la cascara no está asociado con la baja calidad de los frutos, aunque sí con la disminución de la firmeza de pulpa al momento del empacado

CrimeNet: Neural Structured Learning using Vision Transformer for violence detection

The state of the art in violence detection in videos has improved in recent years thanks to deep learning models, but it is still below 90% of average precision in the most complex datasets, which may pose a problem of frequent false alarms in video surveillance environments and may cause security guards to disable the artificial intelligence system. In this study, we propose a new neural network based on Vision Transformer (ViT) and Neural Structured Learning (NSL) with adversarial training. This network, called CrimeNet, outperforms previous works by a large margin and reduces practically to zero the false positives. Our tests on the four most challenging violence-related datasets (binary and multi-class) show the effectiveness of CrimeNet, improving the state of the art from 9.4 to 22.17 percentage points in ROC AUC depending on the dataset. In addition, we present a generalisation study on our model by training and testing it on different datasets. The obtained results show that CrimeNet improves over competing methods with a gain of between 12.39 and 25.22 percentage points, showing remarkable robustness.MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033 and by the “European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR ” HORUS project - Grant n. PID2021-126359OB-I0

A multi-isotope analysis of Neolithic human groups in the Yonne valley, Northern France: insights into dietary patterns and social structure

With the arrival of the Neolithic to Europe, new ways of life and new subsistence strategies emerged. In the Paris Basin (northern France), the appearance of some monumental funerary structures during theMiddle Neolithic highlights in particular the increasing complexity of the social organisation. At the same time, several sites, such as open-air cemeteries, do not display any evidence of such arrangement. In the southeast of this area, the two primary routes of neolithisationmeet. Several funerary parameters attest to the diverse influence received from other surrounding cultures. In order to assess potential differences in diet, and therefore on purported social distinctions at the inter- and intra-site level, stable isotope analyses (carbon, nitrogen and sulphur) were performed on bone collagen of humans (n = 177) and non-human animals (n = 62) fromseven archaeological sites located in the same area (< 10 km). This study is the biggest so far on French Neolithic material and thus allows for an extensive investigation at a regional scale. Results show that the human nitrogen isotopic ratios are relatively enriched in nitrogen-15 comparing to those of the domesticated animals. This reflects a trophic step that is rarely observed elsewhere in the surrounding Neolithic people, particularly for humans of the biggest site Gurgy 'Les Noisats'. Though zooarchaeological data support a predominant cattle consumption, here, we propose a mixed protein consumption of cattle and pig, possibly complemented with some freshwater resources. Furthermore, carbon, nitrogen and sulphur isotopic ratios suggest some slight differences between sexes and sites. This sexual distinction has rarely been identified in the diet within a Neolithic context. Some variations over time were also detected. On the whole, this study seems to support previous observations made from burial practices about a specific regional Neolithic pattern in the Paris Basin as well as bring new elements into discussion of social organisation in human populations

The influence of religious identity and socio-economic status on diet over time, an example from medieval France

In Southern France as in other parts of Europe, significant changes occurred in settlement patterns between the end of Antiquity and the beginning of the Middle Ages. Small communities gathered to form, by the tenth century, villages organized around a church. This development was the result of a new social and agrarian organization. Its impact on lifestyles and, more precisely, on diet is still poorly understood. The analysis of carbon and nitrogen isotopes in bone collagen from the inhabitants of the well-preserved medieval rural site Missignac-Saint Gilles le Vieux (fifth to thirteenth centuries, Gard, France) provides insight into their dietary practices and enables a discussion about its transformation over time. A sample of 152 adult individuals dated from 675 to 1175 AD (75 females, 77 males) and 75 specimens from 16 non-human species were analyzed. Results show the exploitation of freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems as well as various breeding practices specific to each species. The use of both C4 and halophyte plants for feeding domestic animals was also observed. Concerning human dietary practices, a change seemed to occur at the beginning of the tenth century with an increase of δ15N values and a decrease of δ13C values. This corresponds to the introduction of a significant amount of freshwater resources into the diet and could be related to the evolution of the Catholic doctrine. A concomitant diversification of access to individual food resources was also observed, probably linked to the increased diversity of practice inside a population otherwise perceived as one community

Synthesis and characterization of a-Fe2O3 nanoparticles showing potential applications for sensing quaternary ammonium vapor at room temperature

P-Type and n-Type metal oxide semiconductors are widely used in the manufacture of gas sensing materials, due to their excellent electronic, electrical and electrocatalytic properties. Hematite (?-Fe2O3) compound has been reported as a promising material for sensing broad types of gases, due to its affordability, good stability and semiconducting properties. In the present work, the efficient and easy-To-implement sol-gel method has been used to synthesize ?-Fe2O3 nanoparticles (NPs). The TGA-DSC characterizations of the precursor gel provided information about the phase transformation temperature and the mass percentage of the hematite NPs. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data analyses indicated the formation of two iron oxide phases (hematite and magnetite) when the NPs are subjected to thermal treatment at 400 °C. Meanwhile, only the hematite phase was determined for thermal annealing above 500 °C up to 800 °C. Besides, the crystallite size shows an increasing trend with the thermal annealing and no defined morphology. A clear reduction of surface defects, associated with oxygen vacancies was also evidenced when the annealing temperature was increased, resulting in changes on the electrical properties of hematite NPs. Resistive gas-sensing tests were carried out using hematite NPs + glycerin paste, to detect quaternary ammonium compounds. Room-Temperature high sensitivity values (S r ?4) have been obtained during the detection of 1/41 mM quaternary ammonium compounds vapor. The dependence of the sensitivity on the particle size, the mass ratio of NPs with respect to the organic ligand, changes in the dielectric properties, and the electrical conduction mechanism of gas sensing was discussed

Growth hormone and aging

Les alteracions vasculars i degeneratives del sistema nerviós central (SNC) són dues de les causes més comunes de malaltia i de mort entre la gent gran; ambdues es correlacionen amb l'edat, amb la deficiència en GH, i poden afectar les funcions fisiològiques de la població d'edat avançada. Amb la finalitat de clarificar els efectes de la GH en el metabolisme, en els vasos i en el SNC, hem dut a terme un estudi in vivo utilitzant rates vellesWistar tractades crònicament amb GH. Les rates velles varen presentar un augment en el pes de greix i una disminució de l'índex específic de gravetat (SGI) (p < 0,05) en comparar-les amb les rates adultes no tractades. La GH va reduir el pes en greix (p < 0,05), i va mostrar també una tendència a augmentar l'SGI. Es va analitzar també la resposta de diverses substàncies vasoactives en els anells aòrtics, i es va demostrar una disminució de la vasodilatació per acetilcolina i isoprenalina (p < 0,05) en els animals vells. La contracció induïda per acetilcolina+L-NAME era més alta en els animals vells que en els adults. L'administració de GH millorava les respostes vasodilatadores (p < 0,05) mentre que tendia a reduïr les respostes vasoconstrictores. L'àrea aòrtica mitja augmentava també en les rates velles, mentre que la GH reduïa aquest paràmetre (p < 0,05). Les poblacions neuronals es reduïen en els hipocamps de les rates velles en comparar-les amb les joves. Aquesta reducció estava asociada a un augment dels nucleosomes i a una reducció de Bcl2 en el cervell. Les caspases 3 i 9 també varen augmentar. El tractament amb GH va augmentar significativament el nombre de neurones i va reduir els nucleosomes i les caspases i augmentar el Bcl2. En conclusió, el tractament perGHindueix l'aparició d'efectes beneficiosos en la composició del cos i ha restablert també les funcions cerebrals i vasculars en les rates velles.Vascular and degenerative alterations of the central nervous system (CNS) are two of the most common reasons for illness and death in elderly people; they exhibit an age-related GH deficiency that can affect their physiological functions. A study was conducted under chronic in vivo conditions using old Wistar rats, in order to clarify the effects of GH on the metabolism, vessels, and the CNS. The old rats showed an increased fat weight and a decreased Specific Gravity Index (SGI) (p < 0.05), as compared to the adult animals. GH reduced the fat weight (p < 0.05) and tended to increase the SGI (N.S.). The response to several vasoactive substances in aortic rings showed impaired vasodilatation to Acetylcholine and Isoprenaline (p < 0.05) in the old animals. Contraction, induced by Acetylcholine+ L-NAME, was higher in the old rats than in the adults. GH administration improved the vasodilatory responses (p < 0.05) and tended to reduce the constrictory responses. The aortic media area was increased in the old rats, and GH reduced this parameter (p < 0.05). The neuronal populations were reduced in the hippocampi of the old rats as compared to the young ones. This reduction was associated with an increase in nucleosomes and a reduction in Bcl2 in the brain. An increase was also detected in caspases 3 and 9. GH treatment was able to significantly enhance the number of neurons by reducing the nucleosomes and the caspases and by increasing Bcl2. In conclusion,GHtreatment was able to show beneficial effects on body composition and was able to restore both vascular and brain functions in the old rats

Consensus of experts from the Spanish pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics society and the Spanish society of medical oncology for the genotyping of DPYD in cancer patients who are candidates for treatment with fluoropyrimidines

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) and oral fluoropyrimidines, such as capecitabine, are widely used in the treatment of cancer, especially gastrointestinal tumors and breast cancer, but their administration can produce serious and even lethal toxicity. This toxicity is often related to the partial or complete deficiency of the dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) enzyme, which causes a reduction in clearance and a longer half-life of 5-FU. It is advisable to determine if a DPD deficiency exists before administering these drugs by genotyping DPYD gene polymorphisms. The objective of this consensus of experts, in which representatives from the Spanish Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics Society and the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology participated, is to establish clear recommendations for the implementation of genotype and/or phenotype testing for DPD deficiency in patients who are candidates to receive fluoropyrimidines. The genotyping of DPYD previous to treatment classifies individuals as normal, intermediate, or poor metabolizers. Normal metabolizers do not require changes in the initial dose, intermediate metabolizers should start treatment with fluoropyrimidines at doses reduced to 50%, and poor metabolizers are contraindicated for fluoropyrimidinesThis project has been financed with SEOM and SEFF resource