On the numerical modeling of terahertz photoconductive antennas

This paper shows the relevance of mobility models to describe the car- rier dynamics for the analysis of radiative semiconductor photoconductive devices in the terahertz regime. We have built a simulator that self-consistently solves the device physics and Maxwell’s equations to study the radiated fields. In particu- lar, we show a significant influence of an accurate description of the steady-state regime of the semiconductor device for calculating radiated electromagnetic fields in the broadside direction. Comparison with measurements shows the accuracy of our simulator and demonstrates the superior performance of numerical schemes based not only on the description of the carrier, electric potential, and field dis- tributions, but also on reliable local mobility models.This work was supported in part by the Spanish Ministry of Educa- tion under Project CSD2008-00068, the Junta de Andalucia Project P09-TIC-5327, the EU FP7/2007-2013, under grant 205294 (HIRF-SE project), and the Spanish National Project TEC2010-20841-C04-04

Implementation of Open Boundary Problems in Photo-Conductive Antennas by Using Convolutional Perfectly Matched Layers

A method to simulate an open boundary problem within the Finite Differences Time Domain (FDTD) approach for the emission of photo-conductive antennas is presented here. For this purpose we use convolutional perfectly matched layers (CPML). In these devices, the semiconductor region, where transient currents are present in simulation time, is considered to be an ”active” medium. This medium is extended virtually beyond its boundaries or the computational domain limits. We explain in this paper how to simulate the transient state of a semiconductor in a CPML region as well as the potential of the method developed to solve conventional practical applications

Boletus luridellus (Murr.) Murrill y Quercus fusiformis Small: cultivo, síntesis de micorrizas y producción de esporomas en invernadero

Se presenta el primer registro de Boletus luridellus (Boletaceae, Boletineae) para los estados de Nuevo León y Tamaulipas, México. Se identificó la especie y se obtuvieron cultivos puros in vitro, se midió el crecimiento en dos medios de cultivo, se obtuvo la síntesis de micorrizas en plántulas de Quercus fusiformis y se regristra por primera vez la producción de esporomas de esta especie en condiciones de invernadero. En las entidades citadas, B. luridellus forma ectomicorrizas con Quercus fusiformis, Q. polymorpha y Q. canbyi, porque tiene potencial para producción de plántulas inoculadas de encino en vivero o invernadero, en el noreste de México, donde se utilizan frecuentemente para arborizar áreas urbanas, parques y nuevos fraccionamientos. Dicha simbiosis es de interés porque ocurre en una zona geográfica donde las temperaturas son altas durante el verano y el hongo puede inducir resistencia a sequía y mejorar crecimiento de las plantas. Se ha comprobado que Boletus luridellus crece bien en campo y produce esporomas cada año en los jardines del campus de la Facultad de Ciencias Forestales en Linares, Nuevo León, además se cita como comestible en la literatura especializada

Measurement of the cosmic ray spectrum above 4×10184{\times}10^{18} eV using inclined events detected with the Pierre Auger Observatory

A measurement of the cosmic-ray spectrum for energies exceeding $4{\times}10^{18}$ eV is presented, which is based on the analysis of showers with zenith angles greater than $60^{\circ}$ detected with the Pierre Auger Observatory between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2013. The measured spectrum confirms a flux suppression at the highest energies. Above $5.3{\times}10^{18}$ eV, the "ankle", the flux can be described by a power law $E^{-\gamma}$ with index $\gamma=2.70 \pm 0.02 \,\text{(stat)} \pm 0.1\,\text{(sys)}$ followed by a smooth suppression region. For the energy ($E_\text{s}$) at which the spectral flux has fallen to one-half of its extrapolated value in the absence of suppression, we find $E_\text{s}=(5.12\pm0.25\,\text{(stat)}^{+1.0}_{-1.2}\,\text{(sys)}){\times}10^{19}$ eV.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO

Treatment with tocilizumab or corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients with hyperinflammatory state: a multicentre cohort study (SAM-COVID-19)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the association between tocilizumab or corticosteroids and the risk of intubation or death in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) with a hyperinflammatory state according to clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: A cohort study was performed in 60 Spanish hospitals including 778 patients with COVID-19 and clinical and laboratory data indicative of a hyperinflammatory state. Treatment was mainly with tocilizumab, an intermediate-high dose of corticosteroids (IHDC), a pulse dose of corticosteroids (PDC), combination therapy, or no treatment. Primary outcome was intubation or death; follow-up was 21 days. Propensity score-adjusted estimations using Cox regression (logistic regression if needed) were calculated. Propensity scores were used as confounders, matching variables and for the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs). Results: In all, 88, 117, 78 and 151 patients treated with tocilizumab, IHDC, PDC, and combination therapy, respectively, were compared with 344 untreated patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 10 (11.4%), 27 (23.1%), 12 (15.4%), 40 (25.6%) and 69 (21.1%), respectively. The IPTW-based hazard ratios (odds ratio for combination therapy) for the primary endpoint were 0.32 (95%CI 0.22-0.47; p < 0.001) for tocilizumab, 0.82 (0.71-1.30; p 0.82) for IHDC, 0.61 (0.43-0.86; p 0.006) for PDC, and 1.17 (0.86-1.58; p 0.30) for combination therapy. Other applications of the propensity score provided similar results, but were not significant for PDC. Tocilizumab was also associated with lower hazard of death alone in IPTW analysis (0.07; 0.02-0.17; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tocilizumab might be useful in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state and should be prioritized for randomized trials in this situatio

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements