Characterization of the water optical properties using hyperspectral

Marine Technology Workshop (Martech05), 17-18 November 2005, Vilanova i la Geltrú, Barcelona.-- 2 pages, 1 figureThe project VARITEC-SAMPLER (CTM2004-04442-C02-2/MAR) is funded from the Spanish Ministry of Education and SciencePeer Reviewe

Turbulent oceanic flow characterization derived from high-resolution CTD data processing

Marine Technology Workshop (Martech05), 17-18 November 2005, Vilanova i la Geltrú, Barcelona.-- 2 pages, 2 figuresThe project VARITEC-SAMPLER (CTM2004-04442-C02-2/MAR) is funded from the Spanish Ministry of Education and SciencePeer Reviewe

SAMPLER: An instrumentation project for studying the effect of turbulence in aquatic systems

Marine Technology Workshop (Martech05), 17-18 November 2005, Vilanova i la Geltrú, Barcelona.-- 2 pages, 2 figuresThe project VARITEC-SAMPLER (CTM2004-04442-C02-2/MAR) is funded from the Spanish Ministry of Education and SciencePeer Reviewe

Frequency of rare mutations and common genetic variations in severe hypertriglyceridemia in the general population of Spain

Background: Hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) is a common complex metabolic trait that results of the accumulation of relatively common genetic variants in combination with other modifier genes and environmental factors resulting in increased plasma triglyceride (TG) levels. The majority of severe primary hypertriglyceridemias is diagnosed in adulthood and their molecular bases have not been fully defined yet. The prevalence of HTG is highly variable among populations, possibly caused by differences in environmental factors and genetic background. However, the prevalence of very high TG and the frequency of rare mutations causing HTG in a whole non-selected population have not been previously studied. Methods: The total of 23, 310 subjects over 18 years from a primary care-district in a middle-class area of Zaragoza (Spain) with TG >500 mg/dL were selected to establish HTG prevalence. Those affected of primary HTG were considered for further genetic analisys. The promoters, coding regions and exon-intron boundaries of LPL, LMF1, APOC2, APOA5, APOE and GPIHBP1 genes were sequenced. The frequency of rare variants identified was studied in 90 controls. Results: One hundred ninety-four subjects (1.04 %) had HTG and 90 subjects (46.4 %) met the inclusion criteria for primary HTG. In this subgroup, nine patients (12.3 %) were carriers of 7 rare variants in LPL, LMF1, APOA5, GPIHBP1 or APOE genes. Three of these mutations are described for the first time in this work. The presence of a rare pathogenic mutation did not confer a differential phenotype or a higher family history of HTG. Conclusion: The prevalence of rare mutations in candidate genes in subjects with primary HTG is low. The low frequency of rare mutations, the absence of a more severe phenotype or the dominant transmission of the HTG would not suggest the use of genetic analysis in the clinical practice in this population

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy in the transplant kidney - a prospective 20 year multicentre experience

Introduction & Objectives: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) in transplanted kidneys presents unique endourological challenges. By pooling the collective experience of three centres, each combining high volume transplant and high volume endourology practices, we aim to accurately and reliably demonstrate the safety and feasibility of this technique

Endovascular management of hemorrhagic complications after percutaneous nephrolithotomy: 10-years experience

Background: bleeding is one of the most common and most important complications of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), which is mainly controlled with conservative treatment options. Transcatheter arterial embolization is required in less than 1 % of the patients undergoing PCNL. There are only a few studies about endovascular treatment of vascular complications of PCNL. The purpose of this study was to evaluate renal arterial complications of PCNL and treatment outcomes with endovascular coil embolization. Patients and methods: this retrospective study evaluated 16 patients who underwent endovascular management for complications after PCNL, including diagnostic angiography. We analyzed the angiographic appearances of the vascular lesions that caused hemorrhages, treatment outcomes for endovascular coil embolization, and renal parenchymal loss rate following this treatment. Results: seven patients had a pseudoaneurysm, two patients had an arteriocaliceal fistula (ACF), five patients had a pseudoaneurysm and an arteriovenous fistula (AVF), and two patients had a pseudoaneurysm and an ACF. Of the 14 patients with pseudoaneurysms, five had more than one pseudoaneurysm. Endovascular coil embolization was successful in all patients, and it was able to stop the bleeding. After embolization, 12 patients had less than 10 % parenchymal loss, and 4 patients had 10-20 % parenchymal loss. Mean hospital stay after embolization was 2.3 ± 0.7 days (range, 1 to 3 days). Conclusions: the injuries seen in the intrarenal arterial system during the PCNL procedure can result in pseudoaneurysms and/or AVFs and/or ACFs, and more than one artery can be harmed. Arterial complications of PCNL can be treated with endovascular coil embolization while preserving renal function at a maximum level

Observational hints of radial migration in disc galaxies from CALIFA

Context. According to numerical simulations, stars are not always kept at their birth galactocentric distances but they have a tendency to migrate. The importance of this radial migration in shaping galactic light distributions is still unclear. However, if radial migration is indeed important, galaxies with different surface brightness (SB) profiles must display differences in their stellar population properties. Aims: We investigate the role of radial migration in the light distribution and radial stellar content by comparing the inner colour, age, and metallicity gradients for galaxies with different SB profiles. We define these inner parts, avoiding the bulge and bar regions and up to around three disc scale lengths (type I, pure exponential) or the break radius (type II, downbending; type III, upbending). Methods: We analysed 214 spiral galaxies from the CALIFA survey covering different SB profiles. We made use of GASP2D and SDSS data to characterise the light distribution and obtain colour profiles of these spiral galaxies. The stellar age and metallicity profiles were computed using a methodology based on full-spectrum fitting techniques (pPXF, GANDALF, and STECKMAP) to the Integral Field Spectroscopic CALIFA data. Results: The distributions of the colour, stellar age, and stellar metallicity gradients in the inner parts for galaxies displaying different SB profiles are unalike as suggested by Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Anderson-Darling tests. We find a trend in which type II galaxies show the steepest profiles of all, type III show the shallowest, and type I display an intermediate behaviour. Conclusions: These results are consistent with a scenario in which radial migration is more efficient for type III galaxies than for type I systems, where type II galaxies present the lowest radial migration efficiency. In such a scenario, radial migration mixes the stellar content, thereby flattening the radial stellar properties and shaping different SB profiles. However, in light of these results we cannot further quantify the importance of radial migration in shaping spiral galaxies, and other processes, such as recent star formation or satellite accretion, might play a role

La construcción de la dimensión social de la unión europea : muchos retos pendientes y muchas necesidades a las que responder

La política social europea se encuentra en una difícil situación. La crisis económica y social iniciada en 2008 ha significado la reducción y restricción de derechos sociales en muchos Estados de la Unión Europea, y también el incremento del número de personas desempleadas. Es importante potenciar el "rostro social" de la UE si se quiere mantener los ideales de la construcción europea que dieron origen al Tratado de Roma de 1957. En esta tarea, el diálogo social es un instrumento de primera importancia para conseguir que las políticas sociales y laborales alcancen la importancia debida y no sean sólo un complemento de las políticas económicas. La nueva Comisión Europea afronta este importante reto.La política social europea es troba en una difícil situació. La crisi econòmica i social iniciada en 2008 ha significat la reducció i restricció de drets socials en molts Estats de la Unió Europea, i també l'increment del nombre de persones aturades. És important potenciar el "rostre social" de la UE si es vol mantenir els ideals de la construcció europea que van donar origen al Tractat de Roma de 1957. En aquesta tasca, el diàleg social és un instrument de vital importància per aconseguir que les polítiques socials i laborals asoleixin la rellevància deguda i no siguin només un complement de les polítiques econòmiques. La nova Comissió Europea afronta aquest important repte.European social policy is in a difficult situation. The economic and social crisis that began in 2008 has meant the reduction and restriction of rights in many states of the European Union, and the increasing number of unemployed people. It is important to strengthen the "social face" of the EU if you want to maintain the ideals of European integration that led to the Treaty of Rome in 1957. In this work, social dialogue is an instrument of prime importance to ensure that policies achieve social and labor due importance and are not just a snap of economic policies. The new European Commission addresses this important challenge

Spiral-like star-forming patterns in CALIFA early-type galaxies

Based on a combined analysis of SDSS imaging and CALIFA integral field spectroscopy data, we report on the detection of faint (24 < {\mu}$_r$ mag/arcsec$^2$ < 26) star-forming spiral-arm-like features in the periphery of three nearby early-type galaxies (ETGs). These features are of considerable interest because they document the still ongoing inside-out growth of some local ETGs and may add valuable observational insight into the origin and evolution of spiral structure in triaxial stellar systems. A characteristic property of the nebular component in the studied ETGs, classified i+, is a two-radial-zone structure, with the inner zone that displays faint (EW(H\alpha)$\simeq$1{\AA}) low-ionization nuclear emission-line region (LINER) properties, and the outer one (3{\AA}<EW(H\alpha)<~20{\AA}) HII-region characteristics. This spatial segregation of nebular emission in two physically distinct concentric zones calls for an examination of aperture effects in studies of type i+ ETGs with single-fiber spectroscopic data.Comment: Accepted to A&A, 5 pages, 1 figur