Development of a front handinterface for a novel Hybrid Detectorfor Microdosimetry (HDM)

This thesis consist on the design and implementation of a graphic user interface, called MANDARINA. This software is in charge of the data analysis in the read-out system of the Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter detector (TEPC) in the Protontherapycenter in Trento, with which the characterization of the radiation field in a microscopicscale can be achieved. This characterization has a big importance in the radiotherapy field, as it is used in the Treatment Planning System in order to calculate the amount of radiation to apply to cancer patients. As the detector, MANDARINA is based in the microdosimetry approach. The main functionality of the program is the calculation and representation of microdosimetric distributions and its respective mean values. It also includes interface options that allows the user to tune the parameters needed in the distribution calculations, among other needs during the experimental sessions with the TEPC.Esta tesis consiste en el diseño e implementación de una interfaz gráfica, llamada MANDARINA. Este programa se encarga del análisis de datos del detector TEPC (Tissue Equivalente Proportionial Counter) en el centro de prototeràpia de Trento. Este detector se utiliza para la caracterización de la radiación a escala microscópica, proceso muy importante en el campo de la radioterapia. Como el detector, la MANDARINA se basa en la microdosimetria y su principal funcionalidad es el cálculo y la representación de las distribuciones microdosimètricas y sus respectivos valores medios. También, el programa incluye opciones de interfaz para poder variar los parámetros utilizados en el cálculo de las distribuciones, entre otras opciones.Aquesta tesi consisteix en el disseny i implementació d'una interfície gràfica, anomenada MANDARINA. Aquest programa s'encarrega de l'anàlisis de dades del detector TEPC (Tissue Equivalent Proportionial Counter) en el centre de prototeràpia de Trento. Aquest detector s'utilitza per a la caracterització de la radiació a escala microscòpica, procés molt important en el camp de la radioteràpia. Com el detector, la MANDARINA es basa en la microdosimetria i la seva principal funcionalitat és el càlcul i la representació de les distribucions microdosimètriques i els seus respectius valors mitjans. També, el programa inclou opcions d'interfície per tal de poder variar els paràmetres utilitzats en el càlcul de les distribucions, d'entre altres necessitats que poden aparèixer al laboratori

Optical sideband selection in Optical IQ modulators driven by RF tones

This paper deals with IQ modulation using the nested Mach-Zehnder modulator, studying its different parameters and the effect of their value in the resulting signal. The main goal is to obtain the parameters for which a frequency shift is obtained, using different approaches. First, the Bessel functions are used to study the transfer function analytically. Then, numerical representations (both using the Bessel functions and Fourier cofficients) are plotted in order to further illustrate the results obtained, adding up with the spectra of some cases obtained using VPIphotonics, creating a full picture of the solution proposed.2019/202

Acylation of Chiral Alcohols: A Simple Procedure for Chiral GC Analysis

The use of iodine as a catalyst and either acetic or trifluoroacetic acid as a derivatizing reagent for determining the enantiomeric composition of acyclic and cyclic aliphatic chiral alcohols was investigated. Optimal conditions were selected according to the molar ratio of alcohol to acid, the reaction time, and the reaction temperature. Afterwards, chiral stability of chiral carbons was studied. Although no isomerization was observed when acetic acid was used, partial isomerization was detected with the trifluoroacetic acid. A series of chiral alcohols of a widely varying structural type were then derivatized with acetic acid using the optimal conditions. The resolution of the enantiomeric esters and the free chiral alcohols was measured using a capillary gas chromatograph equipped with a CP Chirasil-DEX CB column. The best resolutions were obtained with 2-pentyl acetates (α = 3.00) and 2-hexyl acetates (α = 1.95). This method provides a very simple and efficient experimental workup procedure for analyzing chiral alcohols by chiral-phase GC

Prognostic factors on periapical surgery: a systematic review

Background: Analyze the most important prognostic factors when performing periapical surgery and compare the success rates of distinct authors. Introduction: Periapical surgery is an approach to treat non-healing periapical lesions and it should be viewed as an extension of endodontic treatment and not as a separate entity. Material and Methods: A search of articles published in Cochrane, PubMed (MEDLINE) and Scopus was conducted with the key words “prognostic factors”, “prognosis”, “periapical surgery”, “endodontic surgery” and “surgical endodontic treatment”. The inclusion criteria were articles including at least 10 patients, published in English, for the last 10 years. The exclusion criteria were nonhuman studies and case reports. Results: 33 articles were selected from 321 initially found. Ten articles from 33 were excluded and finally the systematic review included 23 articles: 1 metaanalysis, 1 systematic review, 2 randomized clinical trials, 6 reviews, 12 prospective studies and 1 retrospective study. They were stratified according to their level of scientific evidence using the SORT criteria. Conclusions: Factors associated with a better outcome of periapical surgery are patients ≤45 years old, upper anterior or premolar teeth, ≤10 sized lesions, non cystic lesions, absence of preoperative signs and symptoms, lesions without periodontal involvement, teeth with an adequate root-filling length, MTA as root-end filling material, uniradicular teeth, absence of perforating lesions, apical resection < 3 mm, teeth not associated to an oroantral fistula and teeth with only one periapical surgery

Metabolic fingerprint after acute and under sustained consumption of a functional beverage based on grape skin extract in healthy human subjects

Grape-derived polyphenols are considered to be one of the most promising ingredients for functional foods due to their health-promoting activities. We applied a HPLC-MS-based untargeted metabolomic approach in order to evaluate the impact of a functional food based on grape skin polyphenols on the urinary metabolome of healthy subjects. Thirty-one volunteers participated in two dietary crossover randomized intervention studies: with a single-dose intake (187 mL) and with a 15-day sustained consumption (twice per day, 187 mL per day in total) of a functional beverage (FB). Postprandial (4-hour) and 24-hour urine samples collected after acute consumption and on the last day of sustained FB consumption, respectively, were analysed using an untargeted HPLC-qTOF-MS approach. Multivariate modelling with subsequent application of an S-plot revealed differential mass features related to acute and prolonged consumption of FB. More than half of the mass features were shared between the two types of samples, among which several phase II metabolites of grape-derived polyphenols were identified at confidence level II. Prolonged consumption of FB was specifically reflected in urine metabolome by the presence of first-stage microbial metabolites of flavanols: hydroxyvaleric acid and hydroxyvalerolactone derivatives. Overall, several epicatechin and phenolic acid metabolites both of tissular and microbiota origin were the most representative markers of FB consumption. To our knowledge, this is one of the first studies where an untargeted LC-MS metabolomic approach has been applied in nutrition research on a grape-derived FB

Assimilation of Sentinel-2 Biophysical Variables into a Digital Twin for the Automated Irrigation Scheduling of a Vineyard

Decision support systems (DSS) are needed to carry out precision irrigation. Key issues in this regard include how to deal with spatial variability and the adoption of deficit irrigation strategies at the field scale. A software application originally designed for water balance-based automated irrigation scheduling locally fine-tuned through the use of sensors has been further developed with the emerging paradigm of both digital twins and the Internet of Things (IoT). The aim of this research is to demonstrate the feasibility of automatically scheduling the irrigation of a commercial vineyard when adopting regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) strategies and assimilating in near real time the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (fAPAR) obtained from Sentinel-2 imagery. In addition, simulations of crop evapotranspiration obtained by the digital twin were compared with remote sensing estimates using surface energy balance models and Copernicus-based inputs. Results showed that regression between instantaneous fAPAR and in situ measurements of the fraction of intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (fIPAR) had a coefficient of determination (R2) ranging from 0.61 to 0.91, and a root mean square deviation (RMSD) of 0.10. The conversion of fAPAR to a daily time step was dependent on row orientation. A site-specific automated irrigation scheduling was successfully adopted and an adaptive response allowed spontaneous adjustments in order to stress vines to a certain level at specific growing stages. Simulations of the soil water balance components performed well. The regression between digital twin simulations and remote sensing-estimated actual (two-source energy balance Priestley–Taylor modeling approach, TSEB-PTS2+S3) and potential (Penman–Monteith approach) evapotranspiration showed RMSD values of 0.98 mm/day and 1.14 mm/day, respectively.This research was funded by the projects IRRINTEGRAL (No. RTI2018-099949-R-C21) and DIGISPAC (No. TED2021-131237B-C21), both from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of the Spanish government.The authors would like to thank all the Efficient Use of Water in Agriculture program team at the IRTA for their technical support, as well as Family Torres winery. This study was undertaken as part of the Horizon 2020 Programme for Research and Innovation (H2020) of the European Commission, in the context of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE) action and ACCWA project: grant agreement No.: 823965.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Intercultural mediation and migrant children’s rolein communication placed in a children’s safe center

La llegada de menores migrantes al sur de España lleva en crecimiento desde hace años. Asimismo, desde hace ya algunas décadas, se recurre a la mediación intercultural (MI) para dar respuesta a las necesidades de comunicación en la sociedad. Sin embargo, la precariedad y falta de reconocimiento de esta profesión conllevan la aparición de formas no profesionales, como es el caso dela intermediación lingüística por parte de menores (ILM). Este estudio de caso se centra en las dos formas de comunicación mediada que conviven en un centro de protección de menores de la provincia de Cádiz, perteneciente a la Junta de Andalucía, a saber: la MI y la ILM. Los objetivos principales son (a)dar a conocer la práctica de la ILM realizada por menores migrantes acogidos en dicho centro y observar cómo afecta a estos menores, y (b) hacer una comparativa con el servicio oficial de MI proporcionado por la Junta de Andalucía. Para alcanzar estos objetivos se presentará, en primer lugar, el contexto en el que se sitúa este estudio: la inmigración de menores no acompañados y la realidad de los centros de acogida. A continuación, se expondrán las figuras profesionales y las no profesionales que intervienen en este caso. La parte práctica del trabajo se basa en los datos recogidos mediante una entrevista al mediador actual y un cuestionario distribuido a las educadoras sociales del centro.For the past few years, the south of Spain has experienced an increase in unaccompanied migrant children’s arrival. Furthermore, intercultural mediation (IM) has beena solution to society’s communication needs forsome decades. However, the insecurity and lack of recognition regarding this profession results in the rise of non-professional profiles such as child language brokering (CLB). The following case study focuses on two forms of communication that take placein a children's safe centrelocated in the province of Cadiz and belonging to the Junta de Andalucía(Andalusian Regional Government) –IM and CLB. The main aims of this case study are (a) to present CLB carried out by migrant children living in this centreand the impact CLB produceson them,and (b) to compare it with the IM service. In order to achieve this, the context where this study is placed will be presented –unaccompanied migrant children and children’s safe centres. Moreover, professionals and non-professionals who take part on communication situations will be described. The practical section of this paper is based on data collected by means of various methods –a personal interview with the current mediator and a survey distributed to the centre’s social educators

Taking advantage of difficulties. Variable rate application based on canopy maps to achieve a sustainable crop protection process

The aim of this work wasto evaluate the use of Variable Rate Application technologies based on prescription maps in commercial vineyards with large intra-parcel variability to achieve a more sustainable distribution of Plant Protection Products (PPP).This research was funded by the project Gophytovid: Optimización del uso de fitosanitarios en viticultura en base a mapas de vigor (Rural development 2014-2020 for Operational Groups)Postprint (published version