Double percolation effects and fractal behavior in magnetic/superconducting hybrids

Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy ferromagnetic/superconducting (FM/SC) bilayers with a labyrinth domain structure are used to study nucleation of superconductivity on a fractal network, tunable through magnetic history. As clusters of reversed domains appear in the FM layer, the SC film shows a percolative behavior that depends on two independent processes: the arrangement of initial reversed domains and the fractal geometry of expanding clusters. For a full labyrinth structure, the behavior of the upper critical field is typical of confined superconductivity on a fractal network

Recent changes in the pelagic ecosystem of the Iberian Atlantic in the context of multidecadal variability

Trends in ecosystem variables of the Eastern North Atlantic shelf near the Iberian Peninsula were analysed in relation to regional climate and oceanographic variability. In addition, detailed changes in oceanographic properties (surface temperature, upwelling and poleward current activity) and biological components (plankton and pelagic consumers) in the period 1989-2005 were compared with the main trends and multidecadal periods observed in time series dating back to 1950. In contrast to previous studies, the North Atlantic Oscillation did not appear as the main influence in the climate of the North Iberian region, while East-West and subtropical gradients were the dominant modes. Climatic oscillations at decadal scales were paralleled by similar oscillations in oceanographic and biological variables, but the latter appeared weakly related to climate. Time- lags of up to 5 years in the biological response may partly explain these relationships. The main planktivorous fish species (sardine and anchovy) alternate in periods of 10-15 years of relative dominance, in synchrony with equivalent species around the world. In contrast, plankton cycles appear greatly modified after 1990 in coincidence with shifts in climatic and oceanographic variables. Subregional variability indicated divergent trends in biological variables, particularly the zooplankton increase off A Coruña and the decrease in the Bay of Biscay since 1990. Such divergences are related to direct and indirect effects of global changes in this transitional upwelling region

Evaluación antitumoral y toxicológica de los extractos alcohólicos de Pedilanthus tithymaloides (L.) Poit.

Con el propósito de determinar la posible actividad contra carcinomas que se reportpara la especie P. tithymaloides por la Medicina tradicional, se realizó el estudio de toxicidad y la evaluación antitumoral de los extractos alcohólicos de hojas (IRH) y tallos (IRT) de P.  tithymaloides (Itamo real) sobre el tumor ascítico de Ehrlich (TAE)Para ello se emplearon ratones NMRI (3 grupos a razón de 10 animales por grupos en cada experimento) administrándose en el estudio de toxicidad dosis única de 2000 mg/Kg. de ambos extractos por vía oral (vo), mientras que para la evaluación antitumoral, los animales fueron inicialmente inoculados con células tumorales experimentales (TAE) y tratados con IRT e IRH  a concentraciones de (25, 50, 100) mg/Kg. por vía oral (vo), un control positivo  con 5-flouracilo (20 mg/Kg.) intraperitoneal (iv) y un control negativo cloruro de sodio 0.9% (vo), evaluándose lossignos toxicidad  a través de Test de Irwin y determinándose el porcentaje de aumento de sobrevida (AS); los resultados fueron analizados por el método de Kapplan-Meler y se compararon las curvas de sobrevida para cada grupo,  medianteel Test de Lomg-Rank con un porcentaje de 95% de confianza (p<0.05).  Los resultados demostraron que en ninguno de los extractos existe actividad antitumoralen el modelo experimental empleado y que a las dosis  de 50 mg/Kg. de peso se observó una ligera prolongación de la vida de los animales en comparación con el resto de las dosis y una menor sobrevida a las dosis de 100 mg/Kg. de pesos.  Palabras clave: Pedilanthus tithymaloides (L.) Poit. Carcinomas. Farmacología.                              Extractos alcohólicos

Propuesta de una guía instructiva dirigida a la familia del paciente alcohólico

A retrospective and descriptive study with quanti and quality cross-sectional approach was conducted during the first quarter of 2015 with relatives of dependent alcoholic patients previously diagnosed on individual and group consultation belonging to “Capitán Roberto Fleites” Policlinic. The universe was composed by 579 families; the sample size was 25 families of alcoholic patients in the Group of mutual help of alcoholism. Two questionnaires were applied: one, created by the researcher and subject to an assessment according to the criteria of specialists, consisting of 16 closed questions; the second was the test to assess family functioning. Later it was made an instructive guide directed to family of alcoholic patient that contemplated, fundamentally, instructive aspects of orientation to report to what services to go in order to help these patients and their families. There was a predominance of family nuclearization and policy crisis like phase change between two stages and prevailed crisis by demoralization and the high incidence of family dysfunction and mechanism of family to face with drug dependency of touching the bottom or going to the root of the problem turned out to be predominant. The proposed of instructive guide was considered to be very adapted by a high per cent of consulted specialists.Se realizó un estudio descriptivo retrospectivo con enfoque cuanticualitativo de corte transversal durante el primer trimestre del año 2015 con familiares de pacientes alcohólicos dependientes previamente diagnosticados en consulta individual y grupal pertenecientes al Policlínico “Capitán Roberto Fleites”. El universo quedó constituido por 579 familias, el tamaño de la muestra fue de 25 familias de pacientes alcohólicos pertenecientes al Grupo de ayuda mutua de alcoholismo. Se aplicaron dos cuestionarios: el primero, creado por el investigador y sometido a una valoración según criterio de especialistas, constaba de 16 preguntas cerradas; el segundo fue la prueba para evaluar el funcionamiento familiar. Posteriormente se confeccionó una guía instructiva dirigida a la familia del paciente alcohólico que contempló, fundamentalmente, aspectos instructivos de orientación para informar a que servicios acudir para ayudar a estos enfermos y a sus familias. Hubo un predominio de la nuclearización familiar y de las crisis normativas como fase de cambio entre dos etapas y predominaron las crisis por desmoralización y la alta incidencia a la disfuncionalidad familiar y el mecanismo de afrontamiento familiar a la drogodependencia de tocar fondo o ir a la raíz del problema resultó ser predominante. La propuesta de guía instructiva fue considerada muy adecuada por un por ciento elevado de especialistas consultados. 

Post-Modification of the Electronic Properties by Addition of π-Stacking Additives in N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes with Extended Polyaromatic Systems

A series of iridium complexes containing phenanthro[4,5-abc]phenazino[11,12-d]imidazol-2-ylidene and acetonaphtho[1,2-b]quinoxaline[11,12-d]imidazol-2-ylidene ligands have been obtained and fully characterized. These complexes display highly extended polyaromatic systems attached to the backbone of the N-heterocyclic carbene. The presence of this extended polyaromatic system makes the electron-donating character of these ligands sensitive to the presence of π-stacking additives, such as pyrene and hexafluorobenzene. The computational studies predict that the addition of pyrene affords an increase of the electron-donating character of the polyaromatic ligand (TEP decreases), while the addition of hexafluorobenzene has the opposite effect (TEP increases). This prediction is experimentally corroborated by IR spectroscopy, by measuring the shift of the CO stretching bands of a series of IrCl(NHC)(CO)2 complexes, where NHC is the N-heterocyclic carbene ligand with the polyaromatic system. Finally, the energy of the π-stacking interaction of one of the key Ir(I) complexes with pyrene and hexafluorobenzene has been estimated by using the Benesi-Hildebrand treat-ment, based on the δ-shifts observed by 1H NMR spectroscopy.MEC of Spain (CTQ2011-24055/BQU

Clinical characteristics of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus at the time of insulin initiation: INSTIGATE observational study in Spain

Little information is available on the management of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) in regular clinical practice, prior to and at the point of initiating treatment with insulin. The INSTIGATE study provides a description of the clinical profile of the patient with DM2 who begins treatment with insulin in both primary and secondary care. A total of 224 patients who had been diagnosed with DM2, were not responding to oral treatment, and began receiving insulin were included in the INSTIGATE study in Spain. Demographic data were collected, as well as data on macro- and microvascular complications of diabetes and comorbidities, past medical history of diabetes and oral treatment administered, the clinical severity of diabetes (HbA1c concentration) and insulin treatment initiated. Mean age of the sample was 65.4 years and 56.7% were men. There were 87% of patients who had a diagnosis of at least one significant comorbidity, notably hypertension and hyperlipidemia. The patient profile for metabolic syndrome was met by 75.1% of the patients. There was a higher incidence of macrovascular complications (38.4%) than microvascular complications (16.1%). Prior to insulin initiation, the most recent mean HbA1c was 9.2%. The majority of patients had been treated in the last 12 months with sulfonylureas and/or metformin (69.6 and 57.6%). The most common treatment prior to insulinization was the co-administration of two oral antidiabetics (OADs) (37.5%). Patients with DM2 observed in the study presented with elevated mean HbA1c and body mass index levels, comorbidities and complications related to diabetes at the time of insulin initiation. Changes and adjustments in treatment from diagnosis of diabetes occur when HbA1c levels are far above those recommended by the IDF (International Diabetes Federation), a factor which could be contributing to the development of both macrovascular and microvascular complications in the patient profile described in the study

VAMOS: a Pathfinder for the HAWC Gamma-Ray Observatory

VAMOS was a prototype detector built in 2011 at an altitude of 4100m a.s.l. in the state of Puebla, Mexico. The aim of VAMOS was to finalize the design, construction techniques and data acquisition system of the HAWC observatory. HAWC is an air-shower array currently under construction at the same site of VAMOS with the purpose to study the TeV sky. The VAMOS setup included six water Cherenkov detectors and two different data acquisition systems. It was in operation between October 2011 and May 2012 with an average live time of 30%. Besides the scientific verification purposes, the eight months of data were used to obtain the results presented in this paper: the detector response to the Forbush decrease of March 2012, and the analysis of possible emission, at energies above 30 GeV, for long gamma-ray bursts GRB111016B and GRB120328B.Comment: Accepted for pubblication in Astroparticle Physics Journal (20 pages, 10 figures). Corresponding authors: A.Marinelli and D.Zaboro