Search

Aims A previous randomized study demonstrated that the subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (S-ICD) was noninferior to transvenous ICD with respect to device-related complications and inappropriate shocks. However, that was performed prior to the widespread adoption of pulse generator implantation in the intermuscular (IM) space instead of the traditional subcutaneous (SC) pocket. The aim of this analysis was to compare survival from device-related complications and inappropriate shocks between patients who underwent S-ICD implantation with the generator positioned in an IM position in comparison with an SC pocket. Methods and results We analysed 1577 consecutive patients who had undergone S-ICD implantation from 2013 to 2021 and were followed up until December 2021. Subcutaneous patients (n = 290) were propensity matched with patients of the IM group (n = 290), and their outcomes were compared. : During a median follow-up of 28 months, device-related complications were reported in 28 (4.8%) patients and inappropriate shocks were reported in 37 (6.4%) patients. The risk of complication was lower in the matched IM group than in the SC group [hazard ratio 0.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.17-0.99, P = 0.041], as well as the composite of complications and inappropriate shocks (hazard ratio 0.50, 95% CI 0.30-0.86, P = 0.013). The risk of appropriate shocks was similar between groups (hazard ratio 0.90, 95% CI 0.50-1.61, P = 0.721). There was no significant interaction between generator positioning and variables such as gender, age, body mass index, and ejection fraction. Conclusion Our data showed the superiority of the IM S-ICD generator positioning in reducing device-related complications and inappropriate shocks.

The different organisms, ranging from plants to bacteria, and viruses that dwell on built cultural heritage can be passive or active participants in conservation processes. For the active participants, particular attention is generally given to organisms that play a positive role in bioprotection, bioprecipitation, bioconsolidation, bioremediation, biocleaning, and biological control and to those involved in providing ecosystem services, such as reducing temperature, pollution, and noise in urban areas. The organisms can also evolve or mutate in response to changes, becoming tolerant and resistant to biocidal treatments or acquiring certain capacities, such as water repellency or resistance to ultraviolet radiation. Our understanding of the capacities and roles of these active organisms is constantly evolving as bioprotection/biodeterioration, and biotreatment studies are conducted and new techniques for characterizing species are developed. This brief review article aims to shed light on interesting research that has been abandoned as well as on recent (some ongoing) studies opening up new scopes of research involving a wide variety of organisms and viruses, which are likely to receive more attention in the coming year

Williams–Beuren syndrome (WBS) is caused by an haploinsufficiency of the 7q11.2 region which involves the elastin gene (ELN). A deficiency of elastin is a known pathophysiological mechanism of emphysema/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A previous study hypothesized a higher risk of COPD in WBS patients. Herein, this phenomenon was further investigated looking for a possible correlation between COPD and WBS. Dynamic lung volumes (forced vital capacity [FVC], FEV1, FEV1/FVC) were measured in 22 patients (age range 18.9 ± 7.4 years) affected with WBS, genetically confirmed, correlating these parameters to respiratory risk factors. Dyspnea, cough and wheezing were detected in 6/22 (27%) patients. Obstructive and restrictive patterns were identified in 6/22 (27%) and 2/22 (9%) cases, respectively with no evidence of irreversible obstruction. CVF, FEV1 and FEV1/CVF mean values were all normal, with values of 91.3% (n.v. > 80%), 84.2% (n.v. > 80%) and 0.82 (n.v. > 0.7), respectively. The severity of the comorbidities did not show a cause-effect relation with the respiratory patterns, nevertheless patients treated with anti-hypertensive drugs had poorer pulmonary function. Our findings are in accordance with previous observations, showing that emphysema/COPD is not a typical finding in young patients with WBS. However, a respiratory function assessment should be included in the follow-up of WBS patients, especially in adolescents/young adults under treatment with anti-hypertensive drugs.

The irregular damp dark staining on the stonework of a salt-contaminated twelfth century granite-built chapel is thought to be related to a non-homogeneous distribution of salts and microbial communities. To enhance understanding of the role of microorganisms in the presence of salt and damp stains, we determined the salt content and identified the microbial ecosystem in several paving slabs and inner wall slabs (untreated and previously bio-desalinated) and in the exterior surrounding soil. Soluble salt analysis and culture-dependent approaches combined with archaeal and bacterial 16S rRNA and fungal ITS fragment as well as with the functional genes nirK, dsr, and soxB long-amplicon MinION-based sequencing were performed. State-of-the-art technology was used for microbial identification, providing information about the microbial diversity and phylogenetic groups present and enabling us to gain some insight into the biological cycles occurring in the community key genes involved in the different geomicrobiological cycles. A well-defined relationship between microbial data and soluble salts was identified, suggesting that poorly soluble salts (CaSO4) could fill the pores in the stone and lead to condensation and dissolution of highly soluble salts (Ca(NO3)2 and Mg(NO3)2) in the thin layer of water formed on the stonework. By contrast, no direct relationship between the damp staining and the salt content or related microbiota was established. Further analysis regarding organic matter and recalcitrant elements in the stonework should be carried out

Agent-Based Models (ABMs) are used in several fields to study the evolution of complex systems from micro-level assumptions. However, ABMs typically can not estimate agent-specific (or "micro") variables: this is a major limitation which prevents ABMs from harnessing micro-level data availability and which greatly limits their predictive power. In this paper, we propose a protocol to learn the latent micro-variables of an ABM from data. The first step of our protocol is to reduce an ABM to a probabilistic model, characterized by a computationally tractable likelihood. This reduction follows two general design principles: balance of stochasticity and data availability, and replacement of unobservable discrete choices with differentiable approximations. Then, our protocol proceeds by maximizing the likelihood of the latent variables via a gradient-based expectation maximization algorithm. We demonstrate our protocol by applying it to an ABM of the housing market, in which agents with different incomes bid higher prices to live in high-income neighborhoods. We demonstrate that the obtained model allows accurate estimates of the latent variables, while preserving the general behavior of the ABM. We also show that our estimates can be used for out-of-sample forecasting. Our protocol can be seen as an alternative to black-box data assimilation methods, that forces the modeler to lay bare the assumptions of the model, to think about the inferential process, and to spot potential identification problems.

Do boundedly rational players learn to choose equilibrium strategies as they play a game repeatedly? A large literature in behavioral game theory has proposed and experimentally tested various learning algorithms, but a comparative analysis of their equilibrium convergence properties is lacking. In this paper we analyze Experience-Weighted Attraction (EWA), which generalizes fictitious play, best-response dynamics, reinforcement learning and also replicator dynamics. Studying games for tractability, we recover some well-known results in the limiting cases in which EWA reduces to the learning rules that it generalizes, but also obtain new results for other parameterizations. For example, we show that in coordination games EWA may only converge to the Pareto-efficient equilibrium, never reaching the Pareto-inefficient one; that in Prisoner Dilemma games it may converge to fixed points of mutual cooperation; and that limit cycles or chaotic dynamics may be more likely with longer or shorter memory of previous play.

Contains fulltext : 232918.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access), PURPOSE: To develop and evaluate the diagnostic performance of an algorithm for multi-marker radiomic-based classification of breast masses in dedicated breast computed tomography (bCT) images. METHODS: Over 1000 radiomic descriptors aimed at quantifying mass and border heterogeneity, morphology, and margin sharpness were developed and implemented. These included well-established texture and shape feature descriptors, which were supplemented with additional approaches for contour irregularity quantification, spicule and lobe detection, characterization of degree of infiltration, and differences in peritumoral compartments. All descriptors were extracted from a training set of 202 bCT masses (133 benign and 69 malignant), and their individual diagnostic performance was investigated in terms of area under the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve (AUC) of single-feature-based linear discriminant analysis (LDA) classifiers. Subsequently, the most relevant descriptors were selected through a multiple-step feature selection process (including stability analysis, statistical significance, evaluation of feature interaction, and dimensionality reduction), and used to develop a final LDA radiomic model for classification of benign and malignant masses, which was then tested on an independent test set of 82 cases (45 benign and 37 malignant). RESULTS: The majority of the individual radiomic descriptors showed, on the training set, an AUC value deriving from a linear decision boundary higher than 0.65, with the lower limit of the associated 95% confidence interval (C.I.) not overlapping with random chance (AUC = 0.5). The final LDA radiomic model resulted in a test set AUC of 0.90 (95% C.I. 0.80-0.96). CONCLUSIONS: The proposed multi-marker radiomic approach achieved high diagnostic accuracy in bCT mass classification, using a radiomic signature based on different feature types. While future studies with larger datasets are needed to further validate these results, qu

In recent decades the conservation of cultural heritage has been attracting increasing research interest from many different scientific disciplines. Lately, the co-integration of chemistry and physics with biological techniques has shaped our understanding of the living microbial communities on sites of cultural heritage

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Rochester. Margaret Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development, 2019., Evaluation of school counselors by district administrators is required across the United States. Typically trained as teachers, district administrators may be unfamiliar with the ever-changing role of the school counselor, thus making it difficult to accurately evaluate their performance. A review of current school counselor evaluation tools across the United States demonstrates that seven states have adapted Charlotte Danielson’s Framework for Teaching (2007) for school counselors, twelve states utilize rubrics solely aligned with the American School Counseling Association (ASCA) National Model (2014), and thirty-one states have either created their own assessments or have no defined process for school counselor evaluation. Additionally, no current evaluation tools measure the nuanced counseling skills and techniques inherent in school counselor practice. The purpose of this dissertation was to develop and validate the Lustica-School Counselor Evaluation Tool (L-SCET), an instrument for district administrators to evaluate school counselors. I accomplished this using an exploratory sequential mixed method design to explore the skills and attributes district administrators need to understand to evaluate school counselors. In Phase 1 of this study, I created items for the evaluation tool by incorporating qualitative data from expert focus groups of district administrators and school counselors with the extant literature surrounding school counselor supervision, the ASCA National Model, The Counseling Skills Scale (Erickson & McAuliffe, 2003) and The Counselor Competencies Scale Revised (Lambie, Mullen, Swank, & Blount, 2014). Once developed, the initial LSCET items were distributed in survey form to obtain consensus from a national sample of school counselors. In phase II of this study, I analyzed the survey data and recruited an independent sample of participants to participate in two Q-Sorts to obtain further consensus on the LSCET items. Lastly, the items were revi

PurposeTo develop and evaluate the diagnostic performance of an algorithm for multi-marker radiomic-based classification of breast masses in dedicated breast computed tomography (bCT) images.MethodsOver 1000 radiomic descriptors aimed at quantifying mass and border heterogeneity, morphology, and margin sharpness were developed and implemented. These included well-established texture and shape feature descriptors, which were supplemented with additional approaches for contour irregularity quantification, spicule and lobe detection, characterization of degree of infiltration, and differences in peritumoral compartments. All descriptors were extracted from a training set of 202 bCT masses (133 benign and 69 malignant), and their individual diagnostic performance was investigated in terms of area under the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve (AUC) of single-feature-based linear discriminant analysis (LDA) classifiers. Subsequently, the most relevant descriptors were selected through a multiple-step feature selection process (including stability analysis, statistical significance, evaluation of feature interaction, and dimensionality reduction), and used to develop a final LDA radiomic model for classification of benign and malignant masses, which was then tested on an independent test set of 82 cases (45 benign and 37 malignant).ResultsThe majority of the individual radiomic descriptors showed, on the training set, an AUC value deriving from a linear decision boundary higher than 0.65, with the lower limit of the associated 95% confidence interval (C.I.) not overlapping with random chance (AUC = 0.5). The final LDA radiomic model resulted in a test set AUC of 0.90 (95% C.I. 0.80-0.96).ConclusionsThe proposed multi-marker radiomic approach achieved high diagnostic accuracy in bCT mass classification, using a radiomic signature based on different feature types. While future studies with larger datasets are needed to further validate these results, qua

Contains fulltext : 218554.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access)

[Resumen] En una perspectiva comparatista entre literatura española e italiana, se considera un posible diálogo intertextual entre el Lazarillo de Tormes y la figura del medio gigante Margutte, propuesta por Luigi Pulci en su Morgante (publicado entre 1478 y 1483). En realidad, se examina esta figura tal como aparece en la traducción al español de la obra de Pulci realizada por Jerónimo de Aunés. Dicha traducción está dividida en dos volúmenes, ambos publicados en Valencia, el primero en 1533 por el impresor Francisco Díaz Romano (cantos del I al XVII del original italiano); el segundo en 1535 por el impresor Nicolás Durán de Salvanyach (cantos del XVIII al XXV). De este segundo volumen, que incluye el episodio de Margutte, no existen ediciones modernas y por lo tanto se ha utilizado una copia anastática del mismo. Esta investigación trata de poner en evidencia algunos puntos de contacto entre el Lazarillo y la traducción de Aunés, tanto a nivel de contenido como a nivel lingüístico. Así las cosas, este estudio tiende también a integrar el panorama de las competencias literarias del anónimo autor del Lazarillo., [Abstract] In a comparative perspective between Spanish and Italian literature, it is considered a possible intertextual dialogue between Lazarillo de Tormes and the figure of the medium giant Margutte, proposed by Luigi Pulci in his Morgante (published between 1478 and 1483). This figure is actually examined as it appears in the Spanish translation of Pulci's work by Jerónimo de Aunés. This translation is divided into two volumes, both published in Valencia, the first in 1533 by the printer Francisco Díaz Romano (canti from I to XVII of the Italian original); the second in 1535 by the printer Nicolás Durán de Salvanyach (canti from the XVIII to the XXV). With regard to the second volume, which includes Margutte's episode, there are no modern editions and therefore I used a its facsimile. My research tries to highlight some points of contact between Lazarillo and the translation of Aunés, both at content and linguistic level. Therefore, this study also tends to integrate the corpus of literary knowledge of the anonymous author of Lazarillo.

All’interno del presente contributo intendo sottoporre ad analisi critica la riflessione filosofico-politica elaborata da Charles Taylor circa alcuni aspetti della democrazia. A giudizio del filosofo canadese, ai fini della loro stessa sussistenza, i moderni stati democratici richiedono la presenza di un “popolo” caratterizzato da una forte identità collettiva. La democrazia, infatti, implica, da parte dei cittadini, un impegno morale e politico molto più considerevole di quanto accadeva nelle società gerarchiche e autoritarie del passato. Per la sopravvivenza della democrazia, pertanto, le società non possono evitare di porsi il problema di uno spazio identitario condiviso: accanto al riconoscimento dei valori che si collocano alla base della democrazia e del bisogno di costituire un’identità pubblica condivisa, è ragionevole – tuttavia – interrogarsi circa il problema della “differenza”, almeno secondo due accezioni, strettamente interrelate. In primo luogo, ci chiediamo come si debba interpretare l’esigenza di dar vita a un’identità condivisa preservando, al tempo stesso, il valore della “differenza”, a prescindere dal quale la pur comprensibile esigenza di coesione sociale finirebbe con l’essere preda di qualche forma di collettivismo, di omologazione politica o di potere totalitario. In secondo luogo, il tema della “differenza” si declina nella presenza di prospettive tra loro divergenti all’interno di un medesimo spazio pubblico e, quindi, fa emergere il problema del pluralismo etico, culturale e religioso. All’interno del presente contributo viene valutata la plausibilità di un ragionamento pratico che si sviluppa per mezzo di “transizioni” e di un “vocabolario comparativo” nell’affrontare le sfide del pluralismo.

A Pomegranate Peel Extract (PGE) has been proposed as a natural antifungal substance with a wide range of activity against plant diseases. Previous studies showed that the extract has a direct antimicrobial activity and can elicit resistance responses in plant host tissues. In the present study, the transcriptomic response of orange fruit toward PGE treatments was evaluated. RNA-seq analyses, conducted on wounded fruits 0, 6, and 24 h after PGE applications, showed a significantly different transcriptome in treated oranges as compared to control samples. The majority (273) of the deferentially expressed genes (DEGs) were highly up-regulated compared to only 8 genes that were down-regulated. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis showed the involvement of 1233 gene ontology (GO) terms and 35 KEGG metabolic pathways. Among these, important defense pathways were induced and antibiotic biosynthesis was the most enriched one. These findings may explain the underlying preventive and curative activity of PGE against plant diseases.

The relevance of cross border security operations has been identified as a priority at European level for a long time. A European network where Public Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR) forces share communications processes and a legal framework would greatly enforce response to disaster recovery and security against crime. Nevertheless, uncertainty on costs, timescale and functionalities have slowed down the interconnection of national PPDR networks and limited the transnational cooperation of their PPDR forces so far. Currently, the European research project ISITEP is aimed at developing the legal, operational and technical framework to achieve a cost effective solution for PPDR interoperability across European countries. Inter alia, ISITEP project is specifying a new Inter-System-Interface (ISI) for the interconnection of current TETRA and TETRAPOL networks through Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity. This approach turns communications security as a central aspect. In this context, this paper describes the framework and methodology defined to carry out the development of the security requirements for the interconnection of PPDR networks via the new IP ISI and provides a discussion on the undertaken security risk and vulnerability analysis. Furthermore, an overview of the designed security architecture solution for network interconnection is provided., The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) THEME [SEC-2012.5.3-4]-[Global solution for interoperability between first responder communication systems - Integration Project] - “Inter System Interoperability for Tetra-TetraPol Networks” under grant agreement n° [312484]-[ISITEP]., Peer Reviewed, Postprint (author's final draft)

automated manufacturing services use different applications. Often, the application suitable for the control of the process, including the mamagement of people in charsge of tasks is not the most suitable for reporting or user interface. The proposed TFG aims to develop a tool tht takes information from Microsoft Project (used for documentation purposes) and sets up a Jira environment to control the process and workers.

This paper discusses an intercomparison campaign carried out in several locations around the CERN Proton Synchrotron. The locations were selected in order to perform the measurements in different stray field conditions. Various neutron detectors were employed: ionisation chambers, conventional and extended range rem counters, both commercial and prototype ones, including a novel instrument called LUPIN, specifically conceived to work in pulsed fields. The attention was focused on the potential differences in the instrument readings due to dead-time losses that are expected to affect most commercial units. The results show that the ionisation chambers and LUPIN agree well with the expected H*(10) values, as derived from FLUKA simulations, showing no relevant underestimations even in strongly pulsed fields. On the contrary, the dead-time losses of the other rem counters induced an underestimation in pulsed fields that was more important for instruments characterised by a higher dead time

The relevance of cross border security operations has been identified as a priority at European level for a long time. A European network where Public Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR) forces share communications processes and a legal framework would greatly enforce response to disaster recovery and security against crime. Nevertheless, uncertainty on costs, timescale and functionalities have slowed down the interconnection of national PPDR networks and limited the transnational cooperation of their PPDR forces so far. Currently, the European research project ISITEP is aimed at developing the legal, operational and technical framework to achieve a cost effective solution for PPDR interoperability across European countries. Inter alia, ISITEP project is specifying a new Inter-System-Interface (ISI) for the interconnection of current TETRA and TETRAPOL networks through Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity. This approach turns communications security as a central aspect. In this context, this paper describes the framework and methodology defined to carry out the development of the security requirements for the interconnection of PPDR networks via the new IP ISI and provides a discussion on the undertaken security risk and vulnerability analysis. Furthermore, an overview of the designed security architecture solution for network interconnection is provided., Peer Reviewed, Postprint (author's final draft)

Kristina Callis Duffin,1 Michael Bukhalo,2 Margaret A Bobonich,3 David Shrom,4 Fangyi Zhao,4 James R Kershner,4 Anne Gill,4 Beth Pangallo,4 Catherine L Shuler,4 Jerry Bagel5 1Department of Dermatology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, 2Arlington Dermatology, Arlington Heights, IL, 3CWRU Schools of Medicine and Nursing, Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH, 4Lilly Research Labs, Eli Lilly and Company, Lilly Corporate Center, Indianapolis, IN, 5Psoriasis Treatment Center of Central New Jersey, East Windsor, NJ, USA Background: Most biologic therapies for psoriasis are delivered via subcutaneous injection. Ixekizumab, an anti-interleukin 17A monoclonal antibody approved for patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, is delivered subcutaneously via prefilled syringe or autoinjector. Here we report the results of an ixekizumab autoinjector usability study as well as the patient-reported experience with the autoinjector in a clinical trial. Methods: The usability study enrolled 49 subjects (patients with a range of autoimmune conditions or their caregivers). Subjects were randomized to a trained or untrained group and were evaluated for their ability to perform an injection successfully when provided the device and the instructions for use. In the clinical trial, 102 subjects (patients with psoriasis or their caregivers) used the autoinjector to deliver injections of ixekizumab (80 mg every 2 weeks after a starting dose of 160 mg). At weeks 0, 4, and 8, subjects completed the subcutaneous administration assessment questionnaire, which assesses the ease of use and confidence with using an injection device. Results: In the usability study, all subjects in the untrained arm performed successful injections, while two subjects in the trained arm had an injection failure. These incidences were not consistent with any pattern of issues with the device or the instructions for use. In the clinical trial, there were two injection failures

The relevance of cross border security operations has been identified as a priority at European level for a long time. A European network where Public Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR) forces share communications processes and a legal framework would greatly enforce response to disaster recovery and security against crime. Nevertheless, uncertainty on costs, timescale and functionalities have slowed down the interconnection of PPDR networks across countries and limited the transnational cooperation of their PPDR forces so far. In this context, the European research project ISITEP is aimed at developing the legal, operational and technical framework to achieve a cost effective solution for PPDR interoperability across European countries. Inter alia, ISITEP project is specifying a new Inter-System-Interface (ISI) interface for the interconnection of current TETRA and TETRAPOL networks that can be deployed over Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity. This approach turns communications security as a central aspect to consider when deploying the new IP ISI protocol between PPDR national networks. Ensuring that threats to the interconnected communications systems and terminals are sufficiently and appropriately reduced by technical, procedural and environmental countermeasures is vital to realise the trusted and secure communication system needed for the pursued PPDR transnational cooperation activities. In this context, this paper describes the framework and methodology defined to carry out the development of the security requirements and provides a discussion on the undertaken security risk and vulnerability analysis., Peer Reviewed, Postprint (author's final draft)

The European Council has been stressing the need for interoperability among technologies used for Public Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR) communications across Europe for a long time. Nevertheless, while the introduction of TETRA and TETRAPOL technologies in the last two decades has increased the possibility to talk cross agency internally in a country, cross border communication for the public safety forces is not well solved as of today. This paper describes the communications interoperability solution that is being developed in the framework of the ISITEP project. This solution, referred to as the European Inter-System Interface (ISI) Cloud Network, aims to integrate the PPDR national/regional infrastructures to allow migration (i.e., roaming) and communication services between networks within a secure framework. The ISI Cloud Network involves, among other components, the specification of a new ISI interface to be deployed over IP transport networks and the development of a number of different gateways to cover the use of TETRA and TETRAPOL technologies as well as the use of legacy TETRA ISI by some networks., Peer Reviewed, Postprint (author's final draft)

Per questa breve incursione nel romanzo spagnolo contemporaneo ho scelto di servirmi, come filo conduttore, della produzione di Eduardo Mendoza, ed in particolare del suo recente romanzo Riña de gatos. Madrid 1936 (2010). Se il primo romanzo di Eduardo Mendoza dal titolo: La verdad sobre el Caso Savolta, pubblicato nel 1975, può essere considerato come il precursore del romanzo postmoderno in Spagna, in Riña de gatos possiamo riscontrare un superamento delle caratteristiche tipicamente postmoderne e un nuovo orientamento dei contenuti narrativi del romanzo, diretto verso il recupero dei temi della realtà storica di Spagna e il recupero della memoria. La tendenza che mostra Eduardo Mendoza nel romanzo preso in esame corrisponde ad un generale interesse da parte degli autori contemporanei verso temi storici: mi riferisco agli ultimi prodotti di autori come Almudena Grandes, Antonio Muñoz Molina, Javier Cercas e Alicia Giménez-Bartlett. Eduardo Mendoza entre ficción narrativa e historia. Para estas breves reflexiones sobre la novela contemporánea española he elegido la producción de Eduardo Mendoza y en particular su reciente novela Riña de gatos. Madrid 1936 (2010). Si consideramos la primera novela de Eduardo Mendoza, La verdad sobre el Caso Savolta (1975), como representativa y precursora de la novela posmoderna en España, con Riña de gatos podemos notar una superación de los rasgos típicamente posmodernos y una nueva dirección orientada hacia la recuperación de la memoria histórica de España. La misma actitud que presenta Eduardo Mendoza en la novela estudiada corresponde a un general interés por parte de los autores contemporáneos hacia temas históricos: me refiero a la producción de autores como Almudena Grandes, Antonio Muñoz Molina, Javier Cercas y Alicia Giménez-Bartlett.

Técnicas de adquisición y análisis de datos para estudiar el comportamiento a la conducción de usuarios de vehículos de turismo., Preprint

Algunos de los aspectos fundamentales en el desarrollo de los modernos vehículos de turismo son la evolución tecnológica y la ingeniería verde. Por un lado, los componentes electrónicos en los vehículos tienen un desarrollo proporcional al de las nuevas tecnologías. La continua mejora de características como miniaturización, integración, potencial de cálculo, fiabilidad y eficiencia de costes, permite que la electrónica esté cada vez más presente en los nuevos modelos de vehículos, substituyendo y mejorando las funcionalidades de las piezas mecánicas. Por otro lado, la ingeniería verde orienta a los fabricantes de vehículos hacia soluciones que optimicen y reduzcan el consumo de energía. Palabras como seguridad, entretenimiento, comunicación, telemática, diagnóstico, eficiencia y sostenibilidad hacen de estos dispositivos unos puntos estratégicos del sector de automoción actual y futuro. Lo considerado ciencia-ficción en los años ochenta, hoy es un tema común, no solo para aplicaciones militares, sino como sistemas económicamente viables para vehículos de turismo. El presente estudio se enfoca hacia los sistemas de ayuda a la conducción que facilitan al conductor la reducción de emisiones y de consumo. Se resaltan la importancia del factor humano y la aceptación de los usuarios; se analizan los sistemas comerciales, aquellos actualmente en desarrollo y las posibles futuras aplicaciones. // Some of the key aspects in the development of modern vehicles are the technological and environmental evolution and the green engineering. On one hand, the presence of electronic components in the vehicles is proportional to the development of new technologies. The fast and continuous technological improvement in miniaturization, integration, computational potential, reliability, cost efficiency, and other features promotes the replacing and improving the functionalities of mechanical parts. On the other hand, the green engineering drives vehicle producers to solutions that optimi, Peer Reviewed, Postprint (author’s final draft)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences; and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), 2009., Cataloged from PDF version of thesis., Includes bibliographical references., Halogenated 1'-methyl-1,2'-bipyrroles (MBPs) are a distinctive class of marine organic compounds. They are naturally produced, they have a unique carbon structure, they are highly halogenated, and they bioaccumulate in upper trophic levels. MBPs share many characteristics with persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and may prove to be useful natural analogues for these anthropogenic compounds. Further, their unique structure suggests that their biosynthetic organism(s) may have new genes to add to current knowledge of biosynthetic chemistry. The objectives of this dissertation were to further clarify the environmental distribution of MBPs, to examine whether MBPs biomagnify, and to investigate possible origins of these compounds through their stable nitrogen isotopic signatures. Results from these investigations have shown that over 40 highly brominated MBP congeners are present in marine mammals, fish, and squid from the Northwestern Atlantic Ocean. The most abundant MBPs do appear to biomagnify through the food web to reach the concentrations observed in marine mammals. This additional evidence affords greater confidence in the use of MBPs as natural analogues for POPs. However, differences in the environmental chemistry of MBPs and anthropogenic compounds are also evident, and may be due to these compounds' different origins, or to the capacity of degradative enzymes to act upon them., (cont.) Finally, compound-specific nitrogen isotope analyses on MBPs isolated from dolphin blubber show that these compounds are dramatically enriched in 15N relative to other biosynthetic organic compounds. This enrichment is likely a signal imparted during biosynthesis, and may assist in elucidating the organism(s) and mechanism(s) responsible for the biosynthesis of MBPs., by Kristin C. Pangallo., Ph.D.

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution September 2009, Halogenated 1’-methyl-1,2’-bipyrroles (MBPs) are a distinctive class of marine organic compounds. They are naturally produced, they have a unique carbon structure, they are highly halogenated, and they bioaccumulate in upper trophic levels. MBPs share many characteristics with persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and may prove to be useful natural analogues for these anthropogenic compounds. Further, their unique structure suggests that their biosynthetic organism(s) may have new genes to add to current knowledge of biosynthetic chemistry. The objectives of this dissertation were to further clarify the environmental distribution of MBPs, to examine whether MBPs biomagnify, and to investigate possible origins of these compounds through their stable nitrogen isotopic signatures. Results from these investigations have shown that over 40 highly brominated MBP congeners are present in marine mammals, fish, and squid from the Northwestern Atlantic Ocean. The most abundant MBPs do appear to biomagnify through the food web to reach the concentrations observed in marine mammals. This additional evidence affords greater confidence in the use of MBPs as natural analogues for POPs. However, differences in the environmental chemistry of MBPs and anthropogenic compounds are also evident, and may be due to these compounds’ different origins, or to the capacity of degradative enzymes to act upon them. Finally, compound-specific nitrogen isotope analyses on MBPs isolated from dolphin blubber show that these compounds are dramatically enriched in 15N relative to other biosynthetic organic compounds. This enrichment is likely a signal imparted during biosynthesis, and may assist in elucidating the organism(s) and mechanism(s) responsible for the biosynthesis of MBPs., This dissertation was made possible with funding provided by the National Science Foundation, through their Graduate Research Fellowship Program and OCE grant number 0550486 (PI: Dr. Christopher M. Reddy), and by The Seaver Institute, the J. Seward Johnson Fund, the Virginia Walker Smith Fund, and the WHOI Ocean Ventures Fund.

Not Avaliable

This paper discusses an intercomparison campaign carried out in several locations around the CERN Proton Synchrotron. The locations were selected in order to perform the measurements in different stray field conditions. Various neutron detectors were employed: ionisation chambers, conventional and extended range rem counters, both commercial and prototype ones, including a novel instrument called LUPIN, specifically conceived to work in pulsed fields. The attention was focused on the potential differences in the instrument readings due to dead-time losses that are expected to affect most commercial units. The results show that the ionisation chambers and LUPIN agree well with the expected H*(10) values, as derived from FLUKA simulations, showing no relevant underestimations even in strongly pulsed fields. On the contrary, the dead-time losses of the other rem counters induced an underestimation in pulsed fields that was more important for instruments characterised by a higher dead time