Blind source separation from multi-channel observations with channel-variant spatial resolutions

We propose a Bayesian method for separation and reconstruction of multiple source images from multi-channel observations with different resolutions and sizes. We reconstruct the sources by exploiting each observation channel at its exact resolution and size. The source maps are estimated by sampling the posteriors through a Monte Carlo scheme driven by an adaptive Langevin sampler. We use the t-distribution as prior image model. All the parameters of the posterior distribution are estimated iteratively along the algorithm. We experimented the proposed technique with the simulated astrophysical observations. These data are normally characterized by their channel-variant spatial resolution. Unlike most of the spatial-domain separation methods proposed so far, our strategy allows us to exploit each channel map at its exact resolution and size.The authors would like to thank Anna Bonaldi,(INAF, Padova, Italy) and Bulent Sankur, (Bogazici University, Turkey) for their valuable discussions. The simulated maps are courtesy of the Planck working group on diffuse component separation (WG2.1)

A sparse approach to astronomical point source detection

In this work we introduce a method for the detection of point sources in images based on al l1-norm sparse approximation. The method is inspired on astronomical image analysis but is directly applicable to any kind of images. We introduce a "top-to-bottom" detection algorithm that can greatly reduce the computational burden of detection if the images are sufficiently well-behaved, in the sense that sources are truly sparse and the chances of source overlapping are small. We test our ideas with simulated faint sources embedded in white noise, comparing the results with the matched filter detector for a number of detection thresholds. We show that the sparse detection approach leads to better results in the ROC curve than the matched filter detector. Moreover, with the sparse approach it is possible to provide an objective stopping criterion for the detection algorithm.The authors acknowledge partial financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Education (MEC) under project ESP2004-07067-C03-01 and from the joint CNR-CSIC research project 2008IT0059. MLC acknowledges an EGEE-III postdoctoral contract at IFCA

Where and why earthquakes occur in the Iberian Peninsula?

La Península Ibérica presenta una sismicidad baja a moderada, causada por fallas activas que se mueven con tasas del orden de 10-2-10-1 mm/año. Las magnitudes potenciales máximas son de entre 6,0 y alrededor de 7,0, y los periodos de recurrencia de los seísmos catastróficos, para cada falla, del orden de 103-104 años. La zona más activa es la Cordillera Bética, donde la convergencia con la placa Africana se acomoda en un gran número de fallas, causantes de varios terremotos históricos de intensidad = X. Destacan los desgarres sinistrorsos NE-SO de Carboneras, Palomares y Alhama de Murcia (terremotos de Vera, 1526, o Lorca, 2011), o fallas inversas como la del Bajo Segura (terremoto de Torrevieja, 1829), fallas extensionales E-O como la de Zafarraya (terremoto de Arenas del Rey, 1884) y NW-SE como la de Baza (terremoto de Baza, 1531). La compresión que se transmite por Iberia a partir de su margen sur reactiva asimismo grandes desgarres en el Macizo Ibérico (fallas de Manteigas-Vilariça-Bragança –con evidencias de paleosismos holocenos superiores a 7,0– y Plasencia). El este peninsular está afectado por la extensión cortical ligada a la extensión (rifting) del surco de Valencia, que activa fallas normales en las Cadenas Costero-Catalanas y Sierras Transversales (fallas del Camp y Amer, esta última causante de los seísmos de Olot, 1427-1428) y en la Cordillera Ibérica centrooriental (fallas de Concud –con evidencias de paleosismos del Pleistoceno superior de magnitud potencial próxima a 6,8–, Teruel o Maestrat), aquí sin terremotos recientes catastróficos. La tectónica activa en el Pirineo se debe a la interacción de la extensión ligada al rift, la compresión intraplaca y los movimientos isostáticos. La mayor sismicidad se da en la vertiente norte de los Pirineos occidentales (Lourdes-Arette) y en el Pirineo central (terremoto de Vielha, 1923, en la falla norte de la Maladeta).The Iberian Peninsula shows low to moderate seismicity caused by active faults that move at rates of the order of 10-2-10-1 mm/y. Maximum potential magnitudes range from 6.0 to 7.0, and the recurrence periods of the major seisms, for each fault, are of the order of 103-104 years. The Betic chains are the most active zone, where the convergence with the African Plate is accommodated by a high number of faults, responsible for several historic earthquakes with intensity = X. The most conspicuous ones are left-lateral, NE-SW strike-slip faults such as Carboneras, Palomares, Alhama and Bajo Segura faults (seisms of Vera, 1526, Torrevieja, 1829, or Lorca, 2011) and E-W extensional faults such as Zafarraya (Arenas del Rey earthquake, 1884). The compression propagated through Iberia from its southern margin also reactivates large strike-slip faults at the Iberian Massif (Manteigas-Vilariça-Bragança –with evidence of Holocene paleoseisms over M = 7.0– and Plasencia). Eastern Iberia undergoes crustal extension linked to the rift at the Valencia trough, which activates normal faults in the Catalonian and Transversal ranges (El Camp and Amer faults, the latter being responsible for Olot seisms, 1427-1428) and the central-eastern Iberian Chain (Concud –with evidences of Late Pleistocene paleoseisms with potential magnitude close to 6.8–, Teruel or Maestrat faults), in this case without recent catastrophic seisms. Active tectonics in the Pyrenees is caused by interaction between rift extension, intraplate compression and isostatic movements. Main seismicity occurs at the north face of the western Pyrenees (Lourdes-Arette) and at the central chain (Vielha earthquake, 1923, in the northern Maladeta fault).Depto. de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y PaleontologíaFac. de Ciencias GeológicasTRUEMinisterio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN)Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo RegionalAragón. GobiernoAndalucía. Juntapu

A strategic reflection for the management and implementation of CAR-T therapy in Spain: an expert consensus paper

CAR-T cell therapy represents a therapeutic revolution in the prognosis and treatment of patients with certain types of hematological cancer. However, they also pose new challenges in the healthcare, regulatory and financial fields. The aim of the RET-A project was to undertake a strategic reflection on the management of CAR-T therapies within the Spanish National Health System, to agree on recommendations that will help to better deal with the new context introduced by these cell therapies in the present and in the future. This think tank involved 40 key agents and opinion leaders. The experts identified three great challenges for implementing advanced therapies in Spain: therapeutic individualisation, with a multidisciplinary approach; acceleration of access times, by minimizing bureaucracy; and increase in the number of centers qualified to manage the CAR-T therapies in the NHS. The experts agreed on the ideal criteria for designating those qualified centers. They also agreed on a comprehensive CAR-T care pathway with the timings and roles which would ideally be involved in each part of the process.This study was funded by Gilead Sciences, Inc.Peer reviewe

Proceso asistencial integrado de esclerosis lateral amiotrófica

O proceso asistencial integrado da esclerose lateral amiotrófica, elaborouse co obxectivo de crear un proceso de traballo común en todas as áreas para facilitar a asistencia sanitaria ás persoas diagnosticadas desta enfermidade. Establécense actuacións como o asesoramento continuo, as consultas en acto único, a coordinación asistencial, tanto entre especialidades como coa atención primaria e a coordinación administrativa do sistema socio sanitario. Neste proceso participaron profesionais das diferentes áreas sanitarias especialistas en neuroloxía, endocrinoloxía, neumoloxía, psicoloxía clínica, rehabilitación, traballo social e hospitalización a domicilioEl proceso asistencial integrado de la esclerosis lateral amiotrófica, se elaboró con el objetivo de crear un proceso de trabajo común en todas las áreas para facilitar la asistencia sanitaria a las personas diagnosticadas de esta enfermedad. Se establecen actuaciones como el asesoramiento continuo, las consultas en acto único, la coordinación asistencial, tanto entre especialidades como con la atención primaria y la coordinación administrativa del sistema socio sanitario. En este proceso participaron profesionales de las diferentes áreas sanitarias especialistas en neurología, endocrinología, neumología, psicología clínica, rehabilitación, trabajo social y hospitalización a domicili

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

Intermediate Resolution Spectroscopy Of The Radio Galaxy B2 0902+34 At Z ≈ 3.4

We have carried out optical spectroscopic observations at intermediate spectral resolution of the massive high redshift radio galaxy 0902+34 at z ≈ 3.39. This source was first identified by Lilly (1988) (from hereafter L88). The study of high redshift radio galaxies is interesting to analyze the physical conditions of the early universe and the galaxy evolution at cosmological redshifts. It has been claimed that some of these systems may be protogalaxies in the process of formation. Indications for this are the flat spectrum and the absence of the 4000 Å break, features which have already been observed in many cases. In particular, observations in the spectral range from V to K suggest that 0902+34 is a young galaxy (Eisenhardt and Dickinson 1992). Recent radio observations of the 21 cm line of neutral hydrogen have detected (Uson et. al. 1991) an absorption against the radio continuum source. This absorption could also leave a track in the optical, redwards the Lyα line. Our observations were carried out with the ISIS spectrograph at the 4.2 m William Herschel Telescope (seeing ≈ 1.2–1.6 arcsec). A spectral dispersion of 0.78 Å/pixel (blue arm) and 1.38 Å/pixel (red arm) was obtained. A long slit of width 3″ was used providing a spectral resolution of ≈ 5.4 Å in the blue arm and of ≈ 9.5 Å in the red one. Both resolutions are a clear improvement over that achieved by L88 of 20 Å, allowing us to resolve the Lyα line (and its possible structure) and any other possible strong features appearing in the spectral range observed (e. g., C IV λ1549, He II λ1640,…).We acknowledge financia! support from the spanish DGICYT, project PB92-0741. Partial financia! support for this project was provided by the Comission ofthe European Union and their Human Capital and Mobility Contract CHRX CT92-0033. The William Herschel Telescope is operated by the Royal Greenwich Observatory at the spanish Observatorio del Roque de Los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, on behalf of the Science and Engineering Research Council of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research

Extragalactic point source detection in Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe 7-year data at 61 and 94 GHz

The detection of point sources in cosmic microwave background maps is usually based on a single-frequency approach, whereby maps at each frequency are filtered separately and the spectral information on the sources is derived combining the results at the different frequencies. In contrast, in the case of multifrequency detection methods, source detection and spectral information are tightly interconnected in order to increase the source detection efficiency. In this work we apply the matched multifilter method to the detection of point sources in the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) 7-year data at 61 and 94 GHz. This linear filtering technique takes into account the spatial and the cross-power spectrum information at the same time using the spectral behaviour of the sources without making any a priori assumption about it. We follow a two-step approach. First, we do a blind detection of the sources over the whole sky. Secondly, we do a refined local analysis at their positions to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the detections. At 94 GHz we detect 129 5? objects at |b| > 5° (excluding the Large Magellanic Cloud region); 119 of them are reliable extragalactic sources and 104 of these 119 lie outside the WMAP Point Source Catalogue mask. Nine of the total 129 detections are known Galactic sources or lie in regions of intense Galactic emission and one additional (weak) high Galactic latitude source has no counterpart in low-frequency radio catalogues. Our results constitute a substantial improvement over the New Extragalactic WMAP Point Source (NEWPS) 3-year catalogue