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Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) are electromagnetic excitations existing at the interface between a metal and a dielectric. SPPs provide a promising path in nanophotonic devices for light manipulation at the micro and nanoscale with applications in optoelectronics, biomedicine, and energy harvesting. Recently, SPPs are extended to unconventional materials like graphene, transparent oxides, superconductors, and topological systems characterized by linearly dispersive electronic bands. In this respect, 3D Dirac and Weyl semimetals offer a promising frontier for infrared (IR) and terahertz (THz) radiation tuning by topologically-protected SPPs. In this work, the THz-IR optical response of platinum ditelluride (PtTe2) type-II Dirac topological semimetal films grown on Si substrates is investigated. SPPs generated on microscale ribbon arrays of PtTe2 are detected in the far-field limit, finding an excellent agreement among measurements, theoretical models, and electromagnetic simulation data. The far-field measurements are further supported by near-field IR data which indicate a strong electric field enhancement due to the SPP excitation near the ribbon edges. The present findings indicate that the PtTe2 ribbon array appears an ideal active layout for geometrically tunable SPPs thus inspiring a new fashion of optically tunable materials in the technologically demanding THz and IR spectrum.

Esta investigación se centra en el desarrollo de modelos de clasificación multiclase mediante técnicas de ciencia de datos aplicadas a un conjunto de tuits, asignándolos a 5 y 3 categorías según su nivel de positividad. Para llevar a cabo este proyecto de manera ordenada, se ha aplicado la metodología CRISP-DM. Se han desarrollado múltiples modelos y se han tomado diferentes métricas para asegurar que la distribución de sentimientos resultante sea lo más similar a la original y que el modelo tenga la mayor tasa de aciertos. Para esto, utilizaremos tres métricas: la divergencia KL, la F1 de cada una de las categorías y, por último, la .accuracy". Para construir estos modelos, hemos utilizado tres algoritmos de complejidad diferente: Naive Bayes, Redes Neuronales Transformer y BERT. En líneas generales, los modelos basados en algoritmos de mayor complejidad ofrecen una me- jor capacidad predictiva. Dependiendo de los objetivos de la empresa, un modelo más sencillo puede resultar suficiente y aportar prestaciones similares, Aquesta investigació es centra en el desenvolupament de models de classificació multiclasse mitjançant tècniques de la ciència de dades aplicades a un conjunt de tuits, assignant-los 5 i 3 categories segons el seu nivell de positivitat. Per dur a terme aquest projecte de manera ordenada, s’ha aplicat la metodologia CRISP-DM. S’han desenvolupat múltiples models i s’han pres diferents mètriques per assegurar que la dis- tribució de sentiments resultant sigui el més similar a l’original i que el model tingui la major taxa d’encerts. Per això, utilitzarem tres mètriques: la divergència KL, la F1 de cadascuna de les categories i, finalment, l’.accuracy". Per construir aquests models, hem utilitzat tres algorismes de complexitat diferent: Naive Bayes, Xarxes Neuronals Transformer i BERT. En general, els models basats en algorismes de major complexitat ofereixen una millor capacitat predictiva. Depenent dels objectius de l’empresa, un model més senzill pot ser suficient i aportar prestacions similars, This research focuses on the development of multiclass classification models using data scien- ce techniques applied to a set of tweets, assigning them to 5 and 3 categories based on their positivity level. To carry out this project in an organized manner, the CRISP-DM methodology has been applied. Multiple models have been developed, and different metrics have been taken to ensure that the resulting sentiment distribution is as similar to the original as possible, and that the model has the highest accuracy rate. For this purpose, three metrics will be used: KL divergence, F1 for each of the categories, and, finally, accuracy. To build these models, three algorithms of different complexity have been employed: Naive Bayes, Transformer Neural Networks, and BERT. Models based on more complex algorithms offer better predictive capabilities. Depending on the goals of the company, a simpler model may be sufficient and provide similar result

El procesamiento de señales digitales es una disciplina que permite manipular una señal para que pueda ser analizada, modificada o mejorada. Esta disciplina se utiliza actualmente en diversos campos, con diferentes tipos de aplicaciones, como las telecomunicaciones, el procesamiento de imágenes, la medicina, entre otros. Las señales digitales son una representación de una señal analógica convertida a formato digital. Un ejemplo común de señales digitales son los archivos de audio. Mediante el procesamiento de estas señales digitales, se pueden extraer los componentes de frecuencia presentes en el audio. A través del análisis de estos componentes de frecuencia, se puede obtener información valiosa sobre el contenido del audio, como las frecuencias dominantes, patrones, presencia de ruido, entre otros. Una de las formas de analizar las frecuencias presentes en una señal es mediante la visualización de sus componentes de frecuencia a lo largo del tiempo. En este contexto, se propone el desarrollo de una aplicación en lenguaje C, ejecutada en un entorno GNU/Linux, que sea capaz de procesar señales de audio y permita visualizar sus frecuencias a través de una interfaz de usuario. El objetivo es crear una herramienta que permita a los usuarios analizar las frecuencias de los archivos de audio mediante la implementación de algoritmos de análisis de frecuencias, y que sea configurable a través de la línea de comandos. ABSTRACT Digital signal processing is a discipline that allows a signal to be manipulated so that it can be analysed, modified, or enhanced. This discipline is currently used in various fields, with different types of applications, such as telecommunications, image processing, medicine, among others. Digital signals are a representation of an analogue signal converted to digital format. A common example of digital signals is audio files. By processing these digital signals, the frequency components present in the audio can be extracted. Through the analysis of

En este trabajo se busca realizar un estudio de diversos conceptos relacionados con archivos y señales de audio, así como de los formatos y dispositivos asociados. En la actualidad, las señales de audio son una parte fundamental de nuestra vida, presentes en la música que escuchamos o en las llamadas telefónicas que realizamos. Procesar y manipular estas señales es crucial en diversos campos de la tecnología actual. Debido a esta gran importancia, existen múltiples formatos de audio distintos. Este trabajo se va a centrar en el formato de audio WAVE y cómo éste se captura y reproduce en sistemas GNU/Linux. Además, se desarrollará una implementación en lenguaje C de una aplicación que permita tanto la captura como la reproducción de señales de audio. Todo esto en un entorno GNU/Linux. Así mismo, la aplicación permitirá la conversión de las señales de audio entre distintos formatos y poder ver la información de los audios capturados. Por último, se elaborará una documentación asociada con la que el usuario pueda comprender la aplicación y como ha de usarse. Con este proyecto, se espera desarrollar una herramienta útil y educativa con la que poder comprender como los sistemas GNU/Linux manejan las señales de audio digitales. ABSTRACT This work aims to conduct a detailed study of various concepts related to audio files and signals, as well as associated formats and devices. In our daily lives, audio signals play a very important role, such as the music we listen to or the phone calls we make. Processing and manipulating these signals is crucial in various fields of modern technology. Due to this great importance, there are multiple different audio formats. This work will focus on the WAVE audio format and how it is captured and reproduced in GNU/- Linux systems. In addition, an implementation in C language will be developed for an application that allows both the capture and playback of audio signals. All this will be done in a GNU/Linux environment. Likewise, the appli

Durante los últimos años hemos visto como las diferentes inteligencias artificiales como los modelos GPT o DALL-E de OpenAI han sido el punto de mira para toda la sociedad, siendo así que a diario oímos sobre nuevas tecnologías y avances en este campo tanto de personas cercanas como de los medios de comunicación. Muchos de los usuarios con acceso a internet hoy en día dan uso estas emergentes tecnologías en el trabajo y educación como herramientas de apoyo y consulta, siendo cada vez más común encontrar soluciones y sistemas que usen estas inteligencias artificiales. Las redes neuronales artificiales forman parte del conjunto de instrumentos de Aprendizaje Automático (Machine Learning), que se utilizan para diseñar y desarrollar modelos que permiten dar respuestas a problemas complejos mediante un entrenamiento iterativo. Como su nombre indica, las redes neuronales artificiales se inspiran en las neuronas del sistema nervioso biológico y en la conexión entre ellas con el fin de simular una falsa inteligencia. Pese a que ahora estén en pleno auge, las redes neuronales no son tan modernas como aparentan, los primeros intentos de diseños que proponían la estructura de una red de neuronas datan de la década de los 1940s. Pero hasta el final de los 2000s y principios de los 2010s no se pudieron lograr los hitos masivos que vemos que cada poco tiempo incrementan la capacidad de las IAs y nos acercan a los futuros descritos en la ciencia ficción donde las maquinas son capaces de tomar decisiones y razonar por si solas. En este trabajo nos adentraremos en una de las bases de las nuevas tecnologías emergentes, las redes de neuronas artificiales, y sus principios más básicos, construyendo una librería en el lenguaje C que nos permita crear redes y entrenarlas de forma sencilla. Exploraremos la raíz de este modelo matemático y diferentes formas de aplicarlo para resolver problemas de clasificación, predicción y reconocimiento de patrones. Empezaremos con el estudio de los mode

Efficient image processing is increasingly crucial in constrained embedded and real-time platforms, especially in emerging applications such as Autonomous Driving (AD) or Augmented/Virtual Reality (AR/VR). A commonality among most image processing operations is their reliance on primitives like convolutions and stencil operations, which typically utilize a sliding window dataflow. Many existing implementations are domain-specific, lacking generality, or are programmable at the cost of sacrificing performance and energy efficiency. Among the latter, the CPU-based platforms that typically rely on Vector Processing Units (VPUs) often miss critical optimization opportunities, particularly those arising from the overlapping nature of the mentioned windowed image processing operations. In response, we propose SLIDEX, a novel high-performance and energy-efficient vector ISA extension to exploit Sliding Window Processing (SWP) in conventional CPUs. SWP extends the conventional vector SIMD execution model, treating vector registers like variable-sized groups of overlapping pixel windows. SLIDEX-enabled VPU processes multiple windows simultaneously, maximizing the Data Level Parallelism (DLP) achievable per instruction while maintaining the same vector length. Furthermore, it significantly reduces the need for data access, movement, and alignment, decreasing memory and register file accesses compared to traditional SIMD designs. To support SLIDEX, we introduce a cost-effective microarchitecture designed for easy integration into existing VPUs with minimal modifications. We demonstrate the efficacy of SLIDEX by testing it on a state-of-the-art visual localization task critical in AD and AR/VR. The results are compelling: SLIDEX achieves significant speedups in vital tasks such as 2D convolutions for image filtering and stencil operations for feature extraction, leading to an overall speedup of ~ 1.2 × and up to 19% energy reduction compared to traditional vector extensions., This work has been supported by the CoCoUnit ERC Advanced Grant of the EU’s Horizon 2020 program (grant No 833057), the Spanish State Research Agency (MCIN/AEI) under grant PID2020-113172RB-I00, the Catalan Agency for University and Research (AGAUR) under grant 2021 SGR 00383, the ICREA Academia program, and the FPU grant FPU18/04413., Peer Reviewed, Postprint (author's final draft)

Circulating proteins may provide insights into the varying biological mechanisms involved in heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). We aimed to identify specific proteomic patterns for HF, by comparing proteomic profiles across the ejection fraction spectrum. We investigated 4210 circulating proteins in 739 patients with normal (Stage A/Healthy) or elevated (Stage B) filling pressures, HFpEF, or ischemic HFrEF (iHFrEF). We found 2122 differentially expressed proteins between iHFrEF-Stage A/Healthy, 1462 between iHFrEF-HFpEF and 52 between HFpEF-Stage A/Healthy. Of these 52 proteins, 50 were also found in iHFrEF vs. Stage A/Healthy, leaving SLITRK6 and NELL2 expressed in lower levels only in HFpEF. Moreover, 108 proteins, linked to regulation of cell fate commitment, differed only between iHFrEF-HFpEF. Proteomics across the HF spectrum reveals overlap in differentially expressed proteins compared to stage A/Healthy. Multiple proteins are unique for distinguishing iHFrEF from HFpEF, supporting the capacity of proteomics to discern between these conditions.

A devastating bluetongue (BT) epidemic caused by bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV-3) has spread throughout most of the Netherlands within two months since the first infection was officially confirmed in the beginning of September 2023. The epidemic comes with unusually strong suffering of infected cattle through severe lameness, often resulting in mortality or euthanisation for welfare reasons. In total, tens of thousands of sheep have died or had to be euthanised. By October 2023, more than 2200 locations with ruminant livestock were officially identified to be infected with BTV-3, and additionally, ruminants from 1300 locations were showing BTV-associated clinical symptoms (but not laboratory-confirmed BT). Here, we report on the spatial spread and dynamics of this BT epidemic. More specifically, we characterized the distance-dependent intensity of the between-holding transmission by estimating the spatial transmission kernel and by comparing it to transmission kernels estimated earlier for BTV-8 transmission in Northwestern Europe in 2006 and 2007. The 2023 BTV-3 kernel parameters are in line with those of the transmission kernel estimated previously for the between-holding spread of BTV-8 in Europe in 2007. The 2023 BTV-3 transmission kernel has a long-distance spatial range (across tens of kilometres), evidencing that in addition to short-distance dispersal of infected midges, other transmission routes such as livestock transports probably played an important role.

Background and purpose: The CardioSwitch-study demonstrated that patients with solid tumors who develop cardiotoxicity on capecitabine or 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) treatment can be safely switched to S-1, an alternative fluoropyrimidine (FP). In light of the European Medicines Agency approval of S-1 in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), this analysis provides more detailed safety and efficacy information, and data regarding metastasectomy and/or local ablative therapy (LAT), on the mCRC patients from the original study. Materials and methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at 12 European centers. The primary endpoint was recurrence of cardiotoxicity after switch. For this analysis, safety data are reported for 78 mCRC patients from the CardioSwitch cohort (N = 200). Detailed efficacy and outcomes data were available for 66 mCRC patients. Results: Data for the safety of S-1 in mCRC patients were similar to the original CardioSwitch cohort and that expected for FP-based treatment, with no new concerns. Recurrent cardiotoxicity (all grade 1) with S-1-based treatment occurred in 4/78 (5%) mCRC patients; all were able to complete FP treatment. Median progression-free survival from initiation of S-1-based treatment was 9.0 months and median overall survival 26.7 months. Metastasectomy and/or LAT was performed in 33/66 (50%) patients, and S-1 was successfully used in recommended neoadjuvant/conversion or adjuvant-like combination regimens and schedules as for standard FPs. Interpretation: S-1 is a safe and effective FP alternative when mCRC patients are forced to discontinue 5-FU or capecitabine due to cardiotoxicity and can be safely used in the standard recommended regimens, settings, and schedules.

Background and purpose: The CardioSwitch-study demonstrated that patients with solid tumors who develop cardiotoxicity on capecitabine or 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) treatment can be safely switched to S-1, an alternative fluoropyrimidine (FP). In light of the European Medicines Agency approval of S-1 in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), this analysis provides more detailed safety and efficacy information, and data regarding metastasectomy and/or local ablative therapy (LAT), on the mCRC patients from the original study. Materials and methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at 12 European centers. The primary endpoint was recurrence of cardiotoxicity after switch. For this analysis, safety data are reported for 78 mCRC patients from the CardioSwitch cohort (N = 200). Detailed efficacy and outcomes data were available for 66 mCRC patients. Results: Data for the safety of S-1 in mCRC patients were similar to the original CardioSwitch cohort and that expected for FP-based treatment, with no new concerns. Recurrent cardiotoxicity (all grade 1) with S-1-based treatment occurred in 4/78 (5%) mCRC patients; all were able to complete FP treatment. Median progression-free survival from initiation of S-1-based treatment was 9.0 months and median overall survival 26.7 months. Metastasectomy and/or LAT was performed in 33/66 (50%) patients, and S-1 was successfully used in recommended neoadjuvant/conversion or adjuvant-like combination regimens and schedules as for standard FPs. Interpretation: S-1 is a safe and effective FP alternative when mCRC patients are forced to discontinue 5-FU or capecitabine due to cardiotoxicity and can be safely used in the standard recommended regimens, settings, and schedules.

Background and purpose: The CardioSwitch-study demonstrated that patients with solid tumors who develop cardiotoxicity on capecitabine or 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) treatment can be safely switched to S-1, an alternative fluoropyrimidine (FP). In light of the European Medicines Agency approval of S-1 in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), this analysis provides more detailed safety and efficacy information, and data regarding metastasectomy and/or local ablative therapy (LAT), on the mCRC patients from the original study. Materials and methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at 12 European centers. The primary endpoint was recurrence of cardiotoxicity after switch. For this analysis, safety data are reported for 78 mCRC patients from the CardioSwitch cohort (N = 200). Detailed efficacy and outcomes data were available for 66 mCRC patients. Results: Data for the safety of S-1 in mCRC patients were similar to the original CardioSwitch cohort and that expected for FP-based treatment, with no new concerns. Recurrent cardiotoxicity (all grade 1) with S-1-based treatment occurred in 4/78 (5%) mCRC patients; all were able to complete FP treatment. Median progression-free survival from initiation of S-1-based treatment was 9.0 months and median overall survival 26.7 months. Metastasectomy and/or LAT was performed in 33/66 (50%) patients, and S-1 was successfully used in recommended neoadjuvant/conversion or adjuvant-like combination regimens and schedules as for standard FPs. Interpretation: S-1 is a safe and effective FP alternative when mCRC patients are forced to discontinue 5-FU or capecitabine due to cardiotoxicity and can be safely used in the standard recommended regimens, settings, and schedules.

With the significant increase in cyber-attacks and attempts to gain unauthorised access to systems and information, Network Intrusion-Detection Systems (NIDSs) have become essential detection tools. Anomaly-based systems use machine learning techniques to distinguish between normal and anomalous traffic. They do this by using training datasets that have been previously gathered and labelled, allowing them to learn to detect anomalies in future data. However, such datasets can be accidentally or deliberately contaminated, compromising the performance of NIDSs. This paper addresses the mislabelling problem of real network traffic datasets by introducing a novel methodology that (i) allows analysing the quality of a network traffic dataset by identifying possible hidden or unidentified anomalies and (ii) selects the ideal subset of data to optimise the performance of the anomaly detection model even in the presence of hidden attacks erroneously labelled as normal network traffic.

PurposeSplenectomy might be a risk factor for valvular heart disease (VHD) in adult Hodgkin lymphoma survivors. As this risk is still unclear for childhood cancer survivors (CCS), the aim of this study is to evaluate the association between treatments affecting splenic function (splenectomy and radiotherapy involving the spleen) and VHD in CCS.MethodsCCS were enrolled from the DCCSS-LATER cohort, consisting of 6,165 five-year CCS diagnosed between 1963 and 2002. Symptomatic VHD, defined as symptoms combined with a diagnostic test indicating VHD, was assessed from questionnaires and validated using medical records. Differences in the cumulative incidence of VHD between CCS who received treatments affecting splenic function and CCS who did not were assessed using the Gray test. Risk factors were analyzed in a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model.ResultsThe study population consisted of 5,286 CCS, with a median follow-up of 22 years (5-50 years), of whom 59 (1.1%) had a splenectomy and 489 (9.2%) radiotherapy involving the spleen. VHD was present in 21 CCS (0.4%). The cumulative incidence of VHD at the age of 40 years was significantly higher in CCS who received treatments affecting splenic function (2.7%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.4%-4.9%) compared with CCS without (0.4%, 95% CI 0.1%-0.7%) (Gray's test, p = 0.003). Splenectomy was significantly associated with VHD in a multivariable analysis (hazard ratio 8.6, 95% CI 3.1-24.1).Conclusions and implicationsSplenectomy was associated with VHD. Future research is needed to determine if CCS who had a splenectomy as part of cancer treatment might benefit from screening for VHD.

Curva acumulada de retirada de bellotas, iuFOR

El objeto del presente proyecto contempla la transformación de una parcela dedicada tradicionalmente al cultivo de cereal de secano, con manejo convencional en monocultivo, hacia un Sistema AgroForestal (SAF) en ecológico, en el término municipal de Noviercas (Soria). Esta transformación tendrá un papel estratégico en la explotación ganadera, en ecológico, de serrana negra (raza vacuna, muy rústica, de aptitud cárnica, propiedad del promotor), pues alojará al ganado en los meses más fríos del año cuando las condiciones ambientales son más desfavorables en la dehesa de Noviercas, donde actualmente permanecen de forma continuada. La solución propuesta para estas 9,63 ha pasa por generar unas plantaciones arbóreas lineales con distintas especies, junto con una orla arbustiva que permita a la vez la implantación de una pradera permanente polifita, que será objeto de aprovechamiento a diente en invierno y mediante siega y ensilado durante el tiempo que la ganadería se encuentre en la dehesa. El proyecto busca conseguir así la integración de la vegetación leñosa, los cultivos y el ganado en una misma superficie. Un pormenorizado estudio de alternativas, un análisis del proceso productivo (necesidades, producciones y manejo) y un estudio económico de la inversión en distintos escenarios, atendiendo especialmente las subvenciones a las que puede optar en el nuevo marco del Plan estratégico de la PAC Española (PEPAC) vigente hasta 2027 ( donde estos sistemas Agroforestales tienen una especial relevancia), completan la toma de decisiones. En la realización de este proyecto han tenido un papel distinguido, D. Jorge Conte, propietario de la parcela a transformar, por su especial interés en la realización de dicho proyecto, aportando todo tipo de datos sobre la situación actual de la explotación ganadera y de la propia parcela, así como la dirección externa de D. Jaime Coello, del CTFC (Centro de Ciencia y Tecnología Forestal de Cataluña ) especialista en Sistemas Agroforestales, Grado en Ingeniería Agrícola y del Medio Rural

The relationship between rodents and oak species has been interpreted, based on their results, as a range of relationships varying from the extreme in which rodents behave as predators to the extreme in which the rodent collaborates by participating in the dissemination of their acorns. Here we have studied the relationships between three rodent species and six oak species. We obtained results corresponding to the two extremes. The most abundant oak species in the study area have high concentrations of nutrients, low concentrations of tannins and thin shells. The higher concentration of nutrients favors the ability of acorns to settle. This may be one of the multiple causes of their abundance in the area. This high availability of nutrients attracts the attention of the three rodent species to incorporate them into their diet. Two of these rodent species are also hoarders so they transport acorns to protected places where they can germinate and emerge. This transporting activity would be sufficient to call this relationship with the oaks as collaborative, but they also show a behavior that partially consumes the acorns, initiating them at the basal end and preserving the embryo, which brings this relationship even closer to the mutualistic end of collaboration. With this behavior, the two rodent species participate in the dissemination of acorns improving their efficiency, which could be another of the multiple causes of the abundance of these oak species in the area. The predator rodent species in this study, recently arrived in the study area, may decrease the dispersal efficiency of the oaks because it interferes with the relationship of the dispersers by destroying the acorns. The two oak species that exhibit predation avoidance characteristics are not consumed, but neither are they transported or disseminated.

Los roedores tratan de diferente manera las bellotas que consumen. Se trata de conocer cómo procesa M. spretus las bellotas, Ciencia Agroforestales, iuFOR

Background and purpose: The CardioSwitch-study demonstrated that patients with solid tumors who develop cardiotoxicity on capecitabine or 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) treatment can be safely switched to S-1, an alternative fluoropyrimidine (FP). In light of the European Medicines Agency approval of S-1 in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), this analysis provides more detailed safety and efficacy information, and data regarding metastasectomy and/or local ablative therapy (LAT), on the mCRC patients from the original study. Materials and methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at 12 European centers. The primary endpoint was recurrence of cardiotoxicity after switch. For this analysis, safety data are reported for 78 mCRC patients from the CardioSwitch cohort (N = 200). Detailed efficacy and outcomes data were available for 66 mCRC patients. Results: Data for the safety of S-1 in mCRC patients were similar to the original CardioSwitch cohort and that expected for FP-based treatment, with no new concerns. Recurrent cardiotoxicity (all grade 1) with S-1-based treatment occurred in 4/78 (5%) mCRC patients; all were able to complete FP treatment. Median progression-free survival from initiation of S-1-based treatment was 9.0 months and median overall survival 26.7 months. Metastasectomy and/or LAT was performed in 33/66 (50%) patients, and S-1 was successfully used in recommended neoadjuvant/conversion or adjuvant-like combination regimens and schedules as for standard FPs. Interpretation: S-1 is a safe and effective FP alternative when mCRC patients are forced to discontinue 5-FU or capecitabine due to cardiotoxicity and can be safely used in the standard recommended regimens, settings, and schedules.

The European Habitats Directive prescribes Member States to report on trends in abundance and distribution of protected species. One of these species is Graphoderus bilineatus (De Geer, 1774), a middle-sized predaceous aquatic beetle, listed in Annex II and IV of the Habitats Directive. In the Netherlands, a monitoring scheme for this species has been set up to assess the national trend as well as the trend in the national Natura2000 sites. In this scheme, a selection of 1 km2 squares is surveyed in cycles of six years using a standardized field method by professional fieldworkers. In each selected square, five locations were sampled per annum (September–October) by two different observers using hand netting. The data of the first two rounds (2011–2016 and 2017–2022) have been analysed using both an occupancy model and a Poisson GLMM. We found evidence of a declining trend in occupancy as well as in population size. The decreases were stronger outside than within Natura2000 sites and also stronger than those of three other beetle species that are often found together with G. bilineatus. In addition, considerable differences between observers were detected in the data, despite the application of a standardized field method.

Maërl habitats are composed of coralline red algae species that can live freely rolling on the seabed and forming nodules, the so-called rhodoliths, or incrusted forming coralligenous habitats. Maërl habitats are generally distributed in the Mediterranean at a depth of between 30 m and 70 m and are considered one of the most emblematic Mediterranean seabeds. In the present study, the complex structure of maërl habitats was investigated to i) characterise the relief features and classify the different sediments, ii) to estimate the abundance of the coralline red algae (both rhodoliths and encrusting ones) and iii) to analyse the biodiversity of the species inhabiting the habitat. Data were obtained from an approximately 11 km-long transect, using non-intrusive sampling methods, integrating information from video images collected using the Remotely Operated Vehicle LIROPUS (IEO_CSIC), and multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data. Video images were used to reconstruct (using GIS) the habitat structure and characteristics. Throughout the transect, a strong relationship between habitat characteristics and the effect of trawling activity and the geomorphology of the studied area was observed. The closed area to fishing activity showed a high abundance of rhodoliths in well-structured megaripples reliefs. Contrarily, the areas affected by fishing showed an important destructuring of the relief with a low density of rhodoliths. Last, the muddy bottoms showed areas with no characteristic features and no rhodoliths. All this information has allowed to reconstruct the maërl habitat in the Blanes continental shelf (NW Mediterranean) and analyse the fragmentation of the assemblages seen in the video to assess its good environmental status (GES), and finally to identify the level of ecological integrity of this vulnerable habitat.

Background and purpose: The CardioSwitch-study demonstrated that patients with solid tumors who develop cardiotoxicity on capecitabine or 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) treatment can be safely switched to S-1, an alternative fluoropyrimidine (FP). In light of the European Medicines Agency approval of S-1 in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), this analysis provides more detailed safety and efficacy information, and data regarding metastasectomy and/or local ablative therapy (LAT), on the mCRC patients from the original study. Materials and methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at 12 European centers. The primary endpoint was recurrence of cardiotoxicity after switch. For this analysis, safety data are reported for 78 mCRC patients from the CardioSwitch cohort (N = 200). Detailed efficacy and outcomes data were available for 66 mCRC patients. Results: Data for the safety of S-1 in mCRC patients were similar to the original CardioSwitch cohort and that expected for FP-based treatment, with no new concerns. Recurrent cardiotoxicity (all grade 1) with S-1-based treatment occurred in 4/78 (5%) mCRC patients; all were able to complete FP treatment. Median progression-free survival from initiation of S-1-based treatment was 9.0 months and median overall survival 26.7 months. Metastasectomy and/or LAT was performed in 33/66 (50%) patients, and S-1 was successfully used in recommended neoadjuvant/conversion or adjuvant-like combination regimens and schedules as for standard FPs. Interpretation: S-1 is a safe and effective FP alternative when mCRC patients are forced to discontinue 5-FU or capecitabine due to cardiotoxicity and can be safely used in the standard recommended regimens, settings, and schedules.

Large language models (LLMs) reflect societal norms and biases, especially about gender. While societal biases and stereotypes have been extensively researched in various NLP applications, there is a surprising gap for emotion analysis. However, emotion and gender are closely linked in societal discourse. E.g., women are often thought of as more empathetic, while men's anger is more socially accepted. To fill this gap, we present the first comprehensive study of gendered emotion attribution in five state-of-the-art LLMs (open- and closed-source). We investigate whether emotions are gendered, and whether these variations are based on societal stereotypes. We prompt the models to adopt a gendered persona and attribute emotions to an event like 'When I had a serious argument with a dear person'. We then analyze the emotions generated by the models in relation to the gender-event pairs. We find that all models consistently exhibit gendered emotions, influenced by gender stereotypes. These findings are in line with established research in psychology and gender studies. Our study sheds light on the complex societal interplay between language, gender, and emotion. The reproduction of emotion stereotypes in LLMs allows us to use those models to study the topic in detail, but raises questions about the predictive use of those same LLMs for emotion applications., Comment: Accepted to ACL 2024

Emotions are a central aspect of communication. Consequently, emotion analysis (EA) is a rapidly growing field in natural language processing (NLP). However, there is no consensus on scope, direction, or methods. In this paper, we conduct a thorough review of 154 relevant NLP publications from the last decade. Based on this review, we address four different questions: (1) How are EA tasks defined in NLP? (2) What are the most prominent emotion frameworks and which emotions are modeled? (3) Is the subjectivity of emotions considered in terms of demographics and cultural factors? and (4) What are the primary NLP applications for EA? We take stock of trends in EA and tasks, emotion frameworks used, existing datasets, methods, and applications. We then discuss four lacunae: (1) the absence of demographic and cultural aspects does not account for the variation in how emotions are perceived, but instead assumes they are universally experienced in the same manner; (2) the poor fit of emotion categories from the two main emotion theories to the task; (3) the lack of standardized EA terminology hinders gap identification, comparison, and future goals; and (4) the absence of interdisciplinary research isolates EA from insights in other fields. Our work will enable more focused research into EA and a more holistic approach to modeling emotions in NLP., Comment: Accepted to LREC-COLING 2024

We aimed to investigate whether a dysregulated maternal diet during gestation and lactation induces long‐lasting changes in the hypothalamic control of feeding behavior in the offspring and whether this effect is sex specific. Methods: The study included an analysis of appetite‐regulating metabolic hormones and hypothalamic signaling in male and female offspring in adulthood after exposure to a free‐choice high‐calorie palatable low‐protein (P) diet or standard chow (C) during (pre)gestation/lactation (maternal) and/or postweaning (offspring). Results: Maternal exposure to the P diet resulted in decreased protein intake and body weight gain in dams and decreased body weight gain in offspring during lactation. The maternal P diet (PC) specifically increased feed efficacy and decreased body weight and cholesterol levels in the female offspring in adulthood, but no changes in adiposity or leptin levels were found. In contrast, P diet exposure after weaning (CP and PP) increased caloric intake, adiposity and circulating levels of leptin in the male and female offspring in adulthood. The hypothalami of the female offspring exposed to the maternal P diet (PC and PP) expressed high levels of the phospho‐leptin receptor and low levels of SOCS3, phospho‐IRS1 and phospho‐AMPK, regardless of the postweaning diet. The hypothalami of the female rats in the PC group also showed increased levels of STAT3 and the orexigenic neuropeptide. Conclusions : Maternal exposure to a free‐choice high‐calorie low‐protein diet induces a long‐term feed efficacy associated with changes in leptin signaling through IRS‐1 and AMPK dephosphorylation in the hypothalami of female offspring in adulthood., Depto. de Psicobiología y Metodología en Ciencias del Comportamiento, Fac. de Psicología, TRUE, pub

El texto completo de este trabajo no se encuentra disponible por no haber sido facilitado aún por su autor, por restricciones de copyright, o por no existir una versión digital, An unusual conducting surface state can be produced in SrTiO3 substrates by irradiation with Argon ions from a plasma source, at low energy and high doses. The effects of irradiation are analyzed here by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) combined with electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). Depth sensitive studies demonstrate the existence of a heavily damaged surface layer and an oxygen vacancy rich layer immediately underneath, both induced during the irradiation process. We find a clear dependence of the Ti oxidation state with the depth, with a very intense Ti3+ component near the surface. Oxygen vacancies act as n-type doping by releasing electrons into the lattice and producing an insulator-to-metal transition, which explains the unusual metallic behavior of these samples., Materials Sciences and Engineering Division of the US Department of Energy (DOE), ORNL’s Shared Research Equipment (ShaRE) User Program, ERC starting Investigator Award, Depto. de Física de Materiales, Fac. de Ciencias Físicas, TRUE, pub

Está depositada una versión preprint del artículo, The peculiar features of domain walls observed in ferroelectrics make them promising active elements for next-generation non-volatile memories, logic gates and energy-harvesting devices. Although extensive research activity has been devoted recently to making full use of this technological potential, concrete realizations of working nanodevices exploiting these functional properties are yet to be demonstrated. Here, we fabricate a multiferroic tunnel junction based on ferromagnetic La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 electrodes separated by an ultrathin ferroelectric BaTiO3 tunnel barrier, where a head-to-head domain wall is constrained. An electron gas stabilized by oxygen vacancies is confined within the domain wall, displaying discrete quantum-well energy levels. These states assist resonant electron tunnelling processes across the barrier, leading to strong quantum oscillations of the electrical conductance., Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España), Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid, United States Department of Energy (DOE), BBVA Foundation, European Research Council (ERC), Red Española de Superconputación (RES), Universite Paris Saclay (DAlembert Program), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), CeSViMa (Madrid), Depto. de Física de Materiales, Fac. de Ciencias Físicas, TRUE, pub

La-filled skutterudites LaxCo4Sb12 (x = 0.25 and 0.5) have been synthesized and sintered in one step under high-pressure conditions at 3.5 GPa in a piston-cylinder hydrostatic press. The structural properties of the reaction products were characterized by synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction, clearly showing an uneven filling factor of the skutterudite phases, confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. The non-homogeneous distribution of La filling atoms is adequate to produce a significant decrease in lattice thermal conductivity, mainly due to strain field scattering of high-energy phonons. Furthermore, the lanthanum filler primarily acts as an Einstein-like vibrational mode having a strong impact on the phonon scattering. Extra-low thermal conductivity values of 2.39 W m−1 K−1 and 1.30 W m−1 K−1 are measured for La0.25Co4Sb12 and La0.5Co4Sb12 nominal compositions at 780 K, respectively. Besides this, lanthanum atoms have contributed to increase the charge carrier concentration in the samples. In the case of La0.25Co4Sb12, there is an enhancement of the power factor and an improvement of the thermoelectric properties., Depto. de Química Inorgánica, Fac. de Ciencias Químicas, TRUE, pub

Insight into the catalytic mechanism of Lactobacillus leichmannii nucleoside 2’-deoxyribosyltransferase (LlNDT) has been gained by calculating a quantum mechanics–molecular mechanics (QM/MM) freeenergy landscape of the reaction within the enzyme active site. Our results support an oxocarbenium species as the reaction intermediate and thus an SN1 reaction mechanism in this family of bacterial enzymes. Our mechanistic proposal is validated by comparing experimental kinetic data on the impact of the single amino acid replacements Tyr7, Glu98 and Met125 with Ala, Asp and Ala/norLeu, respectively, and accounts for the specificity shown by this enzyme on a non-natural substrate. This work broadens our understanding of enzymatic C–N bond cleavage and C–N bond formation., Depto. de Química en Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Fac. de Farmacia, TRUE, pub

Purpose: Accurate perception of tactile stimuli is essential for performing and learning activities of daily living. Through this scoping review, we sought to summarize existing examination approaches for identifying tactile deficits at the upper extremity in individuals with stroke. The goal was to identify current limitations and future research needs for designing more comprehensive examination tools. Methods: A scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodological framework and the PRISMA for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. A database search for tactile examination approaches at the upper extremity of individuals with stroke was conducted using Medline (Ovid), The Cochrane Library (Wiley), CINAHL Plus with Full Text (Ebsco), Scopus (Elsevier), PsycInfo (Ebsco), and Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global. Original research and review articles that involved adults (18 years or older) with stroke, and performed tactile examinations at the upper extremity were eligible for inclusion. Data items extracted from the selected articles included: if the examination was behavioral in nature and involved neuroimaging, the extent to which the arm participated during the examination, the number of possible outcomes of the examination, the type(s) of tactile stimulation equipment used, the location(s) along the arm examined, the peripheral nerves targeted for examination, and if any comparison was made with the non-paretic arm or with the arms of individuals who are neurotypical. Results: Twenty-two articles met the inclusion criteria and were accepted in this review. Most examination approaches were behavioral in nature and involved self-reporting of whether a tactile stimulus was felt while the arm remained passive (i.e., no volitional muscle activity). Typically, the number of possible outcomes with these behavioral approaches were limited (2-3), whereas the neuroimaging approaches had many more possible outcomes (> 15). Tacti

Understanding the prevalence of Organic Gunshot Residue (OGSR) particles in a non-shooting environment can provide useful information in forensic investigations. Previous studies have shown that certain OGSR compounds are widely used in various occupational sources. This research investigated the prevalence of OGSR in various non-shooting occupational sources. Samples were collected from the hands of 90 volunteers using polyester swabs and deionized water. A total of 119 qualified samples were analyzed for the presence of 2,6 dinitrotoluene (2, 6- DNT), trinitroglycerin (TNG), and ethyl centralite (EC) using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). This research determined that of those 119 samples: 100 samples contained 2, 6- DNT, 25 samples contained EC at a threshold concentration of 0.5 ug/mL or above, and no sample contained TNG at a threshold concentration of 25 ug/mL or above. According to previous studies, the presence of TNG and EC as a pair is considered characteristic of OGSR; therefore, these findings were not characteristic of OGSR. Furthermore, these results strengthen the likelihood that certain OGSR compounds, if found in pairs, are indicative of a discharge of a firearm. The use of this knowledge in conjunction with the traditional analysis of GSR can reduce the risk of false negative results. With the aid of future studies to incorporate known shooter samples to assess the threshold levels of these compounds in real life scenarios, OGSR analysis can ultimately strengthen the probative results of forensic GSR analysis in the criminal justice system.

Global collaboration in cardio-oncology is needed to understand the prevalence of cancer therapy-related cardiovascular toxicity in different risk groups, practice settings, and geographic locations. There are limited data on the socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities that may impact access to care and outcomes. To address these gaps, we established the Global Cardio-Oncology Registry, a multinational, multicenter prospective registry.We assembled cardiologists and oncologists from academic and community settings to collaborate in the first Global Cardio-Oncology Registry. Subsequently, a survey for site resources, demographics, and intention to participate was conducted. We designed an online data platform to facilitate this global initiative.A total of 119 sites responded to an online questionnaire on their practices and main goals of the registry: 49 US sites from 23 states and 70 international sites from 5 continents indicated a willingness to participate in the Global Cardio-Oncology Registry. Sites were more commonly led by cardiologists (85/119; 72%) and were more often university/teaching (81/119; 68%) than community based (38/119; 32%). The average number of cardio-oncology patients treated per month was 80 per site. The top 3 Global Cardio-Oncology Registry priorities in cardio-oncology care were breast cancer, hematologic malignancies, and patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Executive and scientific committees and specific committees were established. A pilot phase for breast cancer using Research Electronic Data Capture Cloud platform recently started patient enrollment.We present the structure for a global collaboration. Information derived from the Global Cardio-Oncology Registry will help understand the risk factors impacting cancer therapy-related cardiovascular toxicity in different geographic locations and therefore contribute to reduce access gaps in cardio-oncology care. Risk calculators will be prospectively derived and vali

Past studies have revealed the benefits of rodent participation in the colonization process of oak species. Certain rodent species (Apodemus sylvaticus and Mus spretus) partially consume acorns, beginning at the basal part and preserving the embryo. Perea et al. (2011) and Yang and Yi (2012) found that during periods of abundance, the remains left after partial consumption continue to be present on the surface and are not transported to caches, given that they are perceived as leftovers. These remains, produced after several visits by the cache owner or by thieving conspecifics, also appear in the caches. If they are perceived as offal, they will not be attacked and may remain in these stores for longer periods, serving as resources for the cache builder. Our objective is to determine whether these remnants are perceived as offal by the rodent generating them or if the remains left by other rodents are considered offal. This is relevant in cases of theft, a common behavior of this species, if the thieving animals reject the remains. The results suggest that foreign remains and the rodents’ own remains are not rejected, but rather, they are consumed in preference to intact acorns. The intact acorns remain in the cache for longer periods and have a greater opportunity to germinate and emerge. Rodents prefer to consume foreign remains first. This may be due to the fact that, in case of shortage, it is considered advantageous to finish the reserves of a potential competitor before depleting one’s own reserves. Significance statement: Rodents participate in the acorn dissemination process by constructing surface stores (caches). The rodent species studied here partially consumes acorns, beginning with the basal part and preserving the embryo located at the apical end. These partially consumed acorn remains are considered offal and remain in the caches for longer periods, serving as reserves for the rodent. Our objective is to examine whether these acorn remains

Autonomous Driving (AD) systems extensively manipulate 3D point clouds for object detection and vehicle localization. Thereby, efficient processing of 3D point clouds is crucial in these systems. In this work we propose K-D Bonsai, a technique to cut down memory usage during radius search, a critical building block of point cloud processing. K-D Bonsai exploits value similarity in the data structure that holds the point cloud (a k-d tree) to compress the data in memory. K-D Bonsai further compresses the data using a reduced floating-point representation, exploiting the physically limited range of point cloud values. For easy integration into nowadays systems, we implement K-D Bonsai through Bonsai-extensions, a small set of new CPU instructions to compress, decompress, and operate on points. To maintain baseline safety levels, we carefully craft the Bonsai-extensions to detect precision loss due to compression, allowing re-computation in full precision to take place if necessary. Therefore, K-D Bonsai reduces data movement, improving performance and energy efficiency, while guaranteeing baseline accuracy and programmability. We evaluate K-D Bonsai over the euclidean cluster task of Autoware.ai, a state-of-the-art software stack for AD. We achieve an average of 9.26% improvement in end-to-end latency, 12.19% in tail latency, and a reduction of 10.84% in energy consumption. Differently from expensive accelerators proposed in related work, K-D Bonsai improves radius search with minimal area increase (0.36%)., This work has been supported by the CoCoUnit ERC Advanced Grant of the EU’s Horizon 2020 program (grant No 833057), the Spanish State Research Agency (MCIN/AEI) under grant PID2020-113172RB-I00, the ICREA Academia program, and a FPI-UPC 2020 grant., Peer Reviewed, Postprint (author's final draft)

Pancreatic parenchyma-sparing surgery is a feasible and safe technique of choice in selected patients with small pancreatic tumors, neuroendocrine tumors or low-grade malignant tumors. These types of resections allow a better maintenance of the endocrine and exocrine pancreatic functions and if this surgery is also performed minimally invasively (laparoscopic, hybrid or robotic), will minimize the surgical trauma. We present three cases of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors in which parenchyma-sparing surgery was performed to resection the lesions, using different surgical techniques, associated with minimally invasive approaches and with the help of intraoperative ultrasound., La cirugía preservadora de parénquima pancreático son técnicas de elección factibles y seguras en pacientes seleccionados con tumores pancreáticos de pequeño tamaño, tumores neuroendocrinos o malignos de bajo grado. Este tipo de resecciones permiten el mantenimiento de las funciones endocrina y exocrina del páncreas y si además se realizan vía mínimamente invasiva (laparoscópica, híbrida o robótica) minimizan el trauma quirúrgico. Presentamos tres casos de tumores neuroendocrinos de páncreas en los que se llevó a cabo una cirugía preservadora de parénquima para la resección de las lesiones, mediante diferentes técnicas quirúrgicas, asociadas a abordajes mínimamente invasivos y con la ayuda de la ecografía intraoperatoria.

2022 Descuento MDPI, Background: the area beneath the metatarsal heads is a common location of foot pain, which is often associated with high plantar pressures. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the application of a Morton’s extension on the pressure in the metatarsal bones of the foot using a pressure platform. Methods: twenty-five subjects without musculoskeletal pathology were selected for this study, and an experiment was conducted with them as the subjects, before and after application of a Morton’s extension. The foot regions were divided into the forefoot (transversely subdivided into six areas corresponding to the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth metatarsal heads, and the hallux), midfoot, and rearfoot, and then the maximum and average pressures exerted at each region were measured before and after placing a Morton’s extension. Main findings: we found a pressure reduction, with a p-value less than (p < 0.05), in the head of the second and third metatarsals in statics and dynamics. Conclusions: we can conclude that the Morton’s extension produces a variation in plantar pressures on the lesser metatarsals. The application of a Morton’s extension may be beneficial for the management of forefoot pathology. This study will help clinicians consider various tools to treat forefoot disorders. NCT05879094 (ClinicalTrial.gov (accessed on 18 May 2023)., Depto. de Enfermería, Fac. de Enfermería, Fisioterapia y Podología, TRUE, pub, Descuento UCM

Background: The myofascial induction technique (MIT) has been shown to increase shoulder range of motion (ROM) in breast cancer survivors and decrease pain pressure threshold over the radial nerve in patients with epicondylalgia. To the authors’ best knowledge, no study on trigger points and MIT has been published to date. The effect on ROM of latent trigger points is also unknown. Methods: A total of 20 twins with one latent trigger point of the gastrocnemius muscle were evaluated pre- and post-MIT in the calf. We measured static footprint variables in a pre–post study. Results: We found differences in PPT (p = 0.001) and no differences in ROM with knee flexed (p = 0.420) or stretched (p = 0.069). Conclusions: After Calf MIT, latent myofascial trigger points improve PPT but no change in ankle dorsiflexion with knee bent or knee flexed were found in non-restriction healthy subjects., Depto. de Enfermería, Fac. de Enfermería, Fisioterapia y Podología, TRUE, pub