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Ultraviolet erythemal radiation (UVER) values have been simulated for different values of column ozone and aerosol optical depth (AOD) using a multiple scattering model: SBDART. The results show that UVER decreased when atmospheric ozone and aerosols increased, with the ozone having greater influence than AOD. To quantify these dependencies the influence of aerosols on the simulated values of UVER has been analysed for different ozone values. This dependence was linear. Similarly, to quantify the influence of ozone on the UVER values this was simulated for fixed values of AOD while varying the column ozone. The expression of this dependence was found to be a second-order polynomial. We also analysed the dependence of the experimental UVER values on the total column ozone and the AOD at 500 nm. Daily values of UVER were used, normalized with respect to a reference value. It was seen that the modified clearness index, k*tUVER, decreased as the total column ozone increased and also as the 500 nm AOD increased. These linear relationships were obtained and were found to be of the same order for the different intervals of AOD and for those total column ozone intervals for which the greater number of experimental data were available. At the same time, the relations between the modified UVER clearness index and the ozone, as between the modified clearness index and the AOD, showed an annual pattern. Finally, an expression was found to represent the combined dependence of the modified UVER clearness index, k*tUVER, on ozone and aerosols. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society

The values of three clearness indices have been measured for the city of Valencia: kt, the clearness index for the whole solar spectrum, ktUV the clearness index for the ultraviolet range, and the erythemal clearness index for the erythemal radiation ktUVER, corresponding to the solar radiation weighted by the erythemal action spectrum on human skin, normalized with respect to the solar constant corresponding to that spectrum. The measurements of ktUV reached values that were approximately 54% of that corresponding to kt, while those of ktUVER were much smaller. Some statistics of the erythemal clearness index have been calculated both for monthly as well as hourly means. The shape of the distribution in both cases was nearly normal, so standard deviation and variance were used to analyse the dispersion of the data. The ratio of the erythemal clearness index and the corresponding solar irradiance was also studied. When only the central hours of the day were considered the relation between the two was markedly linear, giving a correlation coefficient that reached 99%. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society

Although ultraviolet B radiation (UVB), the solar radiation band between 280 and 315 nm, is only a small fraction of the extraterrestrial solar radiation, it accounts for 80% of the harmful effects of exposure to the sun. In this work values of erythemal solar irradiance (UVER) measured in Valencia on a horizontal plane in the period between June 2003 and June 2005 are analysed and compared with measures of UV (A+B) and global irradiances on a horizontal plane. UV erythemal (UVER) irradiance has been measured using a YES-UVB-1 broadband radiometer; UV (A+B) irradiance has been measured using a TUVR Eppley radiometer with spectral response between 290 and 385 nm and global irradiance on a horizontal plane has been measured with a Kipp and Zonen model CM-6 broadband radiometer. A study of a statistically representative index of UVER irradiance has been made by comparing with the results corresponding to UV (A+B) irradiance and those of global irradiance on a horizontal plane. A fit has been performed using all the irradiance values to estimate the UVER and UV (A+B) components as functions of the other ranges. We have calculated for each month the irradiation acumulated during an average day, for the UVER, UV (A+B) and global, the highest values was 4.1, 791 and 25 146 kJ/m 2 respectively. Copyright  2007 Royal Meteorological Society

We report the performance of a 10 atm Xenon/trimethylamine time projection chamber (TPC) for the detection of X-rays (30 keV) and gamma-rays (0.511-1.275 MeV) in conjunction with the accurate tracking of the associated electrons. When operated at such a high pressure and in 1%-admixtures, trimethylamine (TMA) endows Xenon with an extremely low electron diffusion (1.3 +-0.13 mm-sigma (longitudinal), 0.8 +-0.15 mm-sigma (transverse) along 1 m drift) besides forming a convenient Penning-Fluorescent mixture. The TPC, that houses 1.1 kg of gas in its active volume, operated continuously for 100 live-days in charge amplification mode. The readout was performed through the recently introduced microbulk Micromegas technology and the AFTER chip, providing a 3D voxelization of 8mm x 8mm x 1.2mm for approximately 10 cm/MeV-long electron tracks. This work was developed as part of the R&D program of the NEXT collaboration for future detector upgrades in the search of the 0bbnu decay in 136Xe, specifically those based on novel gas mixtures. Therefore we ultimately focus on the calorimetric and topological properties of the reconstructed MeV-electron tracks. We report the performance of a 10 atm Xenon/trimethylamine time projection chamber (TPC) for the detection of X-rays (30 keV) and γ-rays (0.511–1.275 MeV) in conjunction with the accurate tracking of the associated electrons. When operated at such a high pressure and in ~1%-admixtures, trimethylamine (TMA) endows Xenon with an extremely low electron diffusion ( 1.3±0.13mm-σ (longitudinal), 0.95±0.20mm-σ (transverse) along 1 m drift) besides forming a convenient ‘Penning-Fluorescent’ mixture. The TPC, that houses 1.1 kg of gas in its fiducial volume, operated continuously for 100 live-days in charge amplification mode. The readout was performed through the recently introduced microbulk Micromegas technology and the AFTER chip, providing a 3D voxelization of 8mm×8mm×1.2mm for approximately 10 cm/MeV-long electron tracks. Resolution in energy ( ε ) at full width half maximum (R) inside the fiducial volume ranged from R=14.6% (30 keV) to R=4.6%(1.275MeV) . We report the performance of a 10 atm Xenon/trimethylamine time projection chamber (TPC) for the detection of X-rays (30 keV) and gamma-rays (0.511-1.275 MeV) in conjunction with the accurate tracking of the associated electrons. When operated at such a high pressure and in 1%-admixtures, trimethylamine (TMA) endows Xenon with an extremely low electron diffusion (1.3 +-0.13 mm-sigma (longitudinal), 0.8 +-0.15 mm-sigma (transverse) along 1 m drift) besides forming a convenient Penning-Fluorescent mixture. The TPC, that houses 1.1 kg of gas in its active volume, operated continuously for 100 live-days in charge amplification mode. The readout was performed through the recently introduced microbulk Micromegas technology and the AFTER chip, providing a 3D voxelization of 8mm x 8mm x 1.2mm for approximately 10 cm/MeV-long electron tracks. This work was developed as part of the R&D program of the NEXT collaboration for future detector upgrades in the search of the 0bbnu decay in 136Xe, specifically those based on novel gas mixtures. Therefore we ultimately focus on the calorimetric and topological properties of the reconstructed MeV-electron tracks.

Artículo escrito por un elevado número de autores, solo se referencian el que aparece en primer lugar, el nombre del grupo de colaboración, si le hubiere, y los autores pertenecientes a la UAM, The ”Neutrino Experiment with a Xenon TPC” (NEXT), intended to investigate the neutrinoless double beta decay using a high-pressure xenon gas TPC filled with Xe enriched in 136Xe at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory in Spain, requires ultra-low background conditions demanding an exhaustive control of material radiopurity and environmental radon levels. An extensive material screening process is underway for several years based mainly on gamma-ray spectroscopy using ultra-low backgroundgermanium detectors in Canfranc but also on mass spectrometry techniques like GDMS and ICPMS. Components from shielding, pressure vessel, electroluminescence and high voltage elements and energy and tracking readout planes have been analyzed, helping in the final design of the experiment and in the construction of the background model. The latest measurements carried out will be presented and the implication on NEXT of their results will be discussed. The commissioning of the NEW detector, as a first step towards NEXT, has started in Canfranc; in-situ measurements of airborne radon levels were taken there to optimize the system for radon mitigation and will be shown too, The NEXT Collaboration acknowledges funding support from the following agencies and institutions: the European Research Council under the Advanced Grant 339787-NEXT and the T-REX Starting Grant ref. ERC-2009-StG-240054 of the IDEAS program of the 7th EU Framework Program; the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad under grants CONSOLIDER-Ingenio 2010 CSD2008-0037 (CUP), FPA2009-13697-C04-04, and FIS2012-37947- C04; the Director, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences of the US DoE under Contract no. DE-AC02- 05CH11231; and the Portuguese FCT and FEDER through the program COMPETE, Projects PTDC/FIS/103860/2008 and PTDC/FIS/112272/2009. S. Cebrián acknowledges the support from the University of Zaragoza (Convocatoria propia de proyectos de investigación para Jóvenes Investigadores 2014). Special thanks are due to LSC directorate and staff for their strong support for performing the measurements at the LSC Radiopurity Service

Roman microspectrosocpy (RMS) is now established as a key technique for the identification of pigments of archaeological pottery that permits the in situ study of art objects by a non-destructive procedure. The information obtained represents a great aid to restoration and conservation techniques. In this work, the chemical nature of the red, black and white pigments of five samples of Greek pottery from the end of the fifth century and the first half of the fourth century BC, exhumed from the Iberian necropolis of Cabezo Lucero (Guardamar del Segura, Alicante. Spain), has been identified. The black and the red pigments are found to be magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) and hematite (α-Fe 2 O 3 ), respectively. The white pigment is found, for the first time, to be composed of alumina (α-Al 2 O 3 and γ-Al 2 O 3 ) probably yielded by the thermal decomposition of Greek bauxite.

Accurate hemodynamic and intravascular volume status assessment is essential in the diagnostic and therapeutic management of critically ill patients. Over the last two decades, a number of technological advances were translated into a variety of minimally invasive or non-invasive hemodynamic monitoring modalities. Despite the promise of less invasive technologies, the quality, reliability, reproducibility, and generalizability of resultant hemodynamic and intravascular volume status data have been lacking. Since its formal introduction, ultrasound technology has provided the medical community with a more standardized, higher quality, broadly applicable, and reproducible method of accomplishing the above-mentioned objectives. With the advent of portable, hand-carried devices, the importance of sonography in hemodynamic and volume status assessment became clear. From basic venous collapsibility and global cardiac assessment to more complex tasks such as the assessment of cardiac flow and tissue Doppler signals, the number of real-life indications for sonology continues to increase. This review will provide an outline of the essential ultrasound applications in hemodynamic and volume status assessment, focusing on evidence-based uses and indications.

The tendency to respond with fear and avoidance can be seen as a shared vulnerability contributing to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain. Although several studies have examined which specific symptoms of PTSD (re-experiencing, avoidance, emotional numbing and hyperarousal) are associated with chronic pain, none has considered this association within the framework of fear-avoidance models.Seven hundred fourteen patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain were assessed. Of these, 149 patients were selected for the study based upon the following inclusion criteria: exposure to a traumatic event before the onset of pain (with scores equal to or higher than 8 points on the fear and hopelessness scales of the Stressful Life Event Screening Questionnaire Revised) and scores equal to or higher than 30 on the Davidson Trauma Scale.Structural equation modelling was used to test the association between PTSD symptoms and pain outcomes (pain intensity and disability) using the mediating variables considered in the fear-avoidance models. The results show that emotional numbing and hyperarousal symptoms, but neither re-experiencing nor avoidance, affected pain outcome via anxiety sensitivity (AS), catastrophizing and fear of pain. PTSD symptoms increased the levels of AS, which predisposes to catastrophizing and, in turn, had an effect on the tendency of pain patients to respond with more fear and avoidance.This study provides empirical support for the potential role of PTSD symptoms in fear-avoidance models of chronic pain and suggests that AS is a relevant variable in the relationship between both disorders.

The most intense wildfire experienced in Eastern Spain since 2004 happened in Valencia during summer 2012. Although the fire was mostly active during days 29–30 June, a longer temporal period (from 24 June to 4 July) was selected for this analysis. Column-integrated, vertical resolved and surface aerosol observations were performed continuously at the Burjassot station throughout the studied period. The aerosol optical depth at 500 nm shows values larger than 2 for the most intense part of the wildfire and an extremely high maximum of 8 was detected on 29 June. The simultaneous increase of the Ångström exponent was also observed, indicating the important contribution of small particles in the smoke plume. An extraordinary increase in the particle concentration near the ground was observed and hence the measured scattering coefficient was drastically enhanced. The scattering coefficient and the PM2.5 level maxima reached the unusually high values of 2100 Mm−1 and 160 μg m−3, respectively. These records represent an enhancement factor of 26 and 7 with respect to the climatological averages found in this station during June and July. The surface maxima were observed with 1-day lag from the maximum AOD, and this fact is linked with the mixing layer amplitude and the sedimentation of smoke particles. The aerosol microphysical parameters and optical properties were determined for the whole period by combination of an inversion procedure and the Mie Theory. The smoke particles enhanced drastically the volume concentration of the fine mode with a maximum of 0.4 μm3 μm−2, which is 10 times higher than the climatological summer background in this site. The simultaneous presence of dust and smoke particles at different altitudes was observed and hence the coarse mode was also significant during the most intense period of the wildfire episode. Therefore the aerosol single scattering albedo and the asymmetry parameter obtained during the smoke cases display high variability which is partially modulated by the volume of coarse particles. The smoke episode highly contributed to increase the load of particles remaining in the atmosphere after the event, especially in the fine mode, although similar aerosol microphysical and optical properties were observed before and after the event. In addition, the particle concentration observed at surface level due to the wildfire episode largely contributes to exceed the EU annual limits for the particulate matter in the studied region.

An analysis is made of the UV Index (UVI) obtained from the ultraviolet erythemal solar radiation (UVER) data measured by the Spanish UVB Radiometric Network between the years 2000 and 2009. Previously, the daily UVI has been evaluated using two different criteria: (a) the value corresponding to solar noon; and (b) the daily maximum value. The mean percentage of agreement is 92% if we consider the cases for which the difference is zero or one UVI unit. These results are similar to those obtained in a previous work where only 2 years were analyzed. In all the stations the UVI reaches very high values (8-10) in spring-summer, and the very high and extreme (≥ 11) UVI values are more dependent on the continental effect than on the latitude effect. From the UVI values it is possible to classify the stations into four groups: Coastal stations, Continental stations (more than 200 km from the coast), Southern stations (Coastal stations but with similar values of UVI as the Continental ones due to their low latitude) and Canary Islands stations (1400 km southwest from the Iberian Peninsula thus lower latitude). The monthly mean maximum of UVI is reached in July due to the annual evolution of the total ozone column. This value corresponds, for a skin phototype II, to three times the minimal erythemal dose (MED) in an hour in a Coastal station, 3.5 MEDs in an hour measured in a Continental or Southern station and up five MEDs in an hour in the Izana station (Canary Islands). The cumulative dose on a horizontal plane over an average year has been calculated for each station. More than 40% of the annual dose is received in summer, about 35% in spring, more than 11% in autumn and less than 10% in winter except for the stations in the Canary Islands where the difference between seasons is less significant.

Previous studies on children's pain perspectives remain limited to English-speaking populations.An exploratory cross-sectional descriptive design was used to investigate the developmental progression of children's pain perspectives, including their pain experience, its definition and attributes, causality and coping. The Children's Pain Perspectives Inventory was applied to 180 healthy Spanish children. A coding system was developed following the content analysis method. Three age groups were compared: 4-6 years, corresponding to the Piagetian pre-operational stage of cognitive development; 7-11 years, corresponding to stage of concrete operations; and 12-14 years, corresponding to the period of early formal operations.In children between 4 and 6, the predominant narratives related to physical injuries, the notion of causality and the definition of pain. In children between 7 and 11, the predominant narratives were those in which pain was described as a sensation in one part of the body. The view of pain as having an emotional basis significantly increased with age and was more frequent in adolescents. In contrast, children between 4-6 and 7-11 indicated that pain occurs spontaneously. The denial of any positive aspects of pain significantly decreased with age; some children between 7 and 11 referred to the 'possibility of relief', while the view that pain is a 'learning experience' was significantly more frequent among adolescents aged between 12 and 14 years. The use of cognitive strategies to control pain significantly increased with age. Between 12 and 14 years of age, adolescents communicate pain by non-verbal behaviour and reported that they do not express demands for relief.There was a progression from concrete to more complex notions of pain as age increased. These results may be of use to health professionals and parents to understand how children at various developmental stages express and cope with pain and to develop tools that effectively assess and manage pain in children.

Although routinely monitored by ground based air quality networks, the particulate matter distribution could be eventually better described with remote sensing techniques. However, valid relationships between ground level and columnar ground based quantities should be known beforehand. In this study we have performed a comparison between particulate matter measurements at ground level at different cut sizes (10, 2.5 and 1.0 mm), and the aerosol optical depth obtained by means of a ground based sunphotometer during a multiinstrumental field campaign held in El Arenosillo (Huelva, Spain) from 28 June to 4 July 2006. All the PM fractions were very well correlated with AOD with correlation coefficients that ranged from 0.71 to 0.81 for PM10, PM2.5 and PM1. Furthermore, the influence of the mixing layer height in the correlations was explored. The improvement in the correlation when the vertical distribution is taken into account was significant for days with a homogeneous mixing layer. Moreover, the chemical analysis of the individual size fractions allowed us to study the origin of the particulate matter. Secondary components were the most abundant and also well correlated in the three size fractions; but for PM10 fraction, chemical species related to marine origin were best correlated. Finally, we obtained a relationship between MODIS L3 AOD from collection 5.1 and the three PM cut sizes. In spite of being a relatively clean environment, all the techniques were able to capture similar day to day variations during this field campaign.

Anxiety sensitivity has been included in the fear-avoidance model as a vulnerability factor to explain individual differences in fear of pain. Several studies have suggested that the relationship between anxiety sensitivity and some psychopathological disorders is mediated by experiential avoidance, an affect-related regulatory process that involves unwillingness to endure private experiences. The role of these constructs as vulnerability variables has not been investigated in chronic pain patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of anxiety sensitivity and experiential avoidance as dispositional variables in pain fear-avoidance. Two alternative hypothetical models were tested: one in which anxiety sensitivity and experiential avoidance would be independently associated with pain fear-avoidance; and second, one in which experiential avoidance would mediate the relationship between anxiety sensitivity and pain fear-avoidance. The sample was composed of 299 patients with chronic back pain. The postulated relationships were tested using LISREL 8.20 software (Scientific Software International, Chicago, IL, USA) and the generally weighted least squares. The structural equation modelling analyses showed that experiential avoidance and anxiety sensitivity were independently associated with pain fear-avoidance and that anxiety sensitivity had a stronger association with pain fear-avoidance than experiential avoidance. The alternative model, in which experiential avoidance mediates the relationship between anxiety sensitivity and pain fear-avoidance, gave a much worse fit. These results highlight the importance of both anxiety sensitivity and experiential avoidance as variables which could explain individual differences in pain fear-avoidance. Thus, in terms of prevention, it should be a priority to identify patients with increased anxiety sensitivity and experiential avoidance during the first stages of the development of chronic pain conditions.

Aerosol optical properties were measured by NOAA's Airborne Aerosol Observatory over Bondville, Illinois, during more than two years using a light aircraft. Measured properties included total light scattering, backscattering, and absorption, while calculated parameters included aerosol optical depth (AOD), Ångström exponent, single-scattering albedo, hemispheric backscatter fraction, asymmetry parameter, and submicrometer mode fraction of scattering. The in-situ aircraft measurements are compared here with AERONET measurements and retrievals of the aerosol optical properties at the same location. The comparison reveals discrepancies between the aerosol properties retrieved from AERONET and from in-situ aircraft measurements. These discrepancies are smaller for the AOD, while the biggest discrepancies are for the single-scattering albedo, hemispheric backscatter fraction, and asymmetry parameter. Possible sources of discrepancy between the AOD measured by AERONET and the one calculated from the in-situ aircraft measurements are investigated. The largest portion of the AOD discrepancy is likely due to an incorrect adjustment to ambient RH of the scattering coefficient. Another significant part (along with uncertain nephelometer truncation corrections) may come from the possibility that there might be less aerosol below the lowest flight altitude or that the aircraft inlet excludes aerosol particles larger than 5–7 μm diameter.

The electrical properties of post‐oxidized PECVD oxides in wet oxygen based on 3C‐SiC(111) epilayers grown by Vapor‐Liquid‐Solid and Chemical‐Vapor‐Deposition mechanisms on 6H‐SiC(0001) have been studied. Different 6H‐SiC(0001) samples exhibiting diverse crystal orientations (on‐axis, 2° off‐axis) and growth conditions were regarded. A comparative study of oxide qualities has been carried out via capacitance and conductance measurements (C‐G‐V). Achieved interface traps densities and effective oxide charges were compared for the different samples. Reliability issues have been considered via current measurements (I–V and TZDB) and statistical data treatment techniques (Weibull plots). Oxides based on 3C‐SiC layer grown by a process combining VLS and CVD methods demonstrated low interface states densities Dit of 1.2×1010 eV−1cm−2 at 0.63 eV below the conduction band and fixed oxide charges Qeff/q estimated to −0.1×1011 cm−2.

Cet article presente une clef d'evaluation de la productivite potentielle du Pin d'Alep pour la region mediterraneenne francaise, utilisable meme en absence de peuplement. Elle est completee par l'interpretation des relations entre la croissance du Pin d'Alep et les principaux facteurs du milieu. Le bilan hydrique stationnel est determinant dans cette croissance. Le role du climat est complexe en raison des correlations et interactions entre pluie et temperature, aucune combinaison optimale de ces deux facteurs pour le Pin d'Alep n'etant presente en France. Le Pin d'Alep craint les grands gels et la neige. Les meilleures croissances sont obtenues dans les stations a tres bon bilan hydrique entre 100 et 300 m d'altitude. Grâce a son exceptionnelle resistance a la secheresse et a son adaptabilite a tout type de sol, il n'existe quasiment aucune station en region mediterraneenne francaise en dessous de 700 m ou le Pin d'Alep ne puisse au moins survivre. Mais le changement climatique pourrait modifier la donne. L'accroissement des deficits hydriques d'origine climatique, qui ne pourraient plus etre entierement compenses par les facteurs stationnels a basse altitude, devrait eliminer le Pin d'Alep des plus mauvaises stations et diminuer globalement sa croissance dans une grande partie de son aire actuelle. Les clefs autoecologiques, dont celle presentee dans cet article, devront sans doute etre adaptees dans quelques decennies.

Values of measured and modeled diffuse UV erythemal irradiance (UVER) for all sky conditions are compared on planes inclined at 40 degrees and oriented north, south, east and west. The models used for simulating diffuse UVER are of the geometric-type, mainly the Isotropic, Klucher, Hay, Muneer, Reindl and Schauberger models. To analyze the precision of the models, some statistical estimators were used such as root mean square deviation, mean absolute deviation and mean bias deviation. It was seen that all the analyzed models reproduce adequately the diffuse UVER on the south-facing plane, with greater discrepancies for the other inclined planes. When the models are applied to cloud-free conditions, the errors obtained are higher because the anisotropy of the sky dome acquires more importance and the models do not provide the estimation of diffuse UVER accurately.

The influence of cloudiness over experimental UV erythemal radiation (UVER) has been studied. This influence has been analysed considering total cloudiness and low clouds. The measurements of cloudiness correspond to the daily values registered at 13:00 GMT at the Meteorological Centre of Valencia, which is part of the State Agency of Meteorology of Spain (AEMET). The UVER measurements were made using a YES UVB-1 radiometer located on the roof terrace of the Physics Faculty at the Burjassot Campus, Valencia (latitude 39.508° , longitude − 0.418° , 60 m above sea level). First, a statistical analysis of cloudiness at 13:00 GMT in Valencia was carried out, confirming that the situation is mainly clear skies or very few clouds. Next, the influence of cloudiness on experimental UVER values was analysed, for both total cloudiness and low clouds. The experimental UVER values decrease as cloudiness increases for all solar zenith angles (SZA), and this reduction increases with the zenith angle. Next, the cloud modification factor (CMF) has been defined to reduce the influence of the zenith angle and ozone over the UVER. In order to quantify the relationship between CMF and the degree of cloudiness in oktas, linear, quadratic and potential regressions for both total cloudiness and low clouds have been calculated. Transmissivity due to total cloudiness and for overcast skies reaches 40%. On the other hand, the analysis of the influence over the zenith angle shows that CMF reduces as the zenith angle increases in the case of both total cloudiness and low clouds. With regard to the low cloud CMF, the results are comparable to those proposed by the COST-713 Action “UV-B Forecasting” for partially cloudy or cloudy skies (70% and 50%, respectively). Finally, the relationship between the CMF and the clearness index (kT) has been analysed, as both parameters are simple indicators of cloudiness. It has been proved that such relationship is close to unity for zenith angles in the mid-range, while the CMF is greater than kT for lower SZA and is less than kT for high SZA, which indicates a certain dependence of these two parameters on the zenith angle. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society

[1] Measurements of diffuse UV erythemal radiation (UVER) using a shadowband have been corrected using the models proposed by Drummond (1956), LeBaron et al. (1990), and Batlles et al. (1995). Two different methods were used to validate these models: intercomparison with an Optronic OL754 spectroradiometer and comparison with the values simulated by two radiative transfer codes, SMARTS and SBDART. For this comparison only clear days have been used. The corrected experimental values were analyzed in order to study the average values of the diffuse UVER fraction in relation to the clearness index kt. These varied between 62%, for kt close to 0.8, and 93% for kt of 0.2–0.3. Finally, a study of the monthly average and extreme values of the UV Index for diffuse radiation is presented, showing a maximum value of 6 in June.

We have studied the calibration of PMTs in scintillation detectors, inducing single electron response on the PMT from primary scintillation produced by x-ray interaction. The results agree with those obtained by the commonly used single electron response (SER) method, which uses LED light pulses to induce the PMT SER. The use of the primary scintillation for PMT calibration will be convenient in situations where the PMT is already in situ, when it becomes difficult or even impossible to apply the SER method, e.g. in commercial sealed scintillator/PMT devices. Furthermore, we have experimentally investigated the possibility of fitting the high-charge tail of the PMT SER pulse-height distribution to an exponential function, inferring the PMT gain from the inverse of the exponent. The results of the exponential fit method agree with those obtained by the SER method for pulse-height distributions resulting from an average number of around 1.0 photoelectrons reaching the first dynode per light/scintillation pulse. The SER method has higher precision and, therefore, is used in a larger number of applications. Nevertheless, the exponential fit method will be useful in situations where the single photoelectron peak is under the background or noise peak and it may present an alternative, simple way, for relative gain calibration of PMT arrays as well as for monitoring the PMT gain variations., The NEXT experiment is supported by the following agencies and institutions: the European Research Funding through an ERC Advanced Grant (NEXT 2013); Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad of Spain under grants CONSOLIDER-Ingenio 2010 CSD2008- 0037 (CUP), FPA2009-13697-C04-04 and FIS2012-37947-C04; the Portuguese FCT and FEDER through program COMPETE, project PTDC/FIS/103860/2008. C.M.B. Monteiro acknowledges grant SFRH/BPD/76842/2011 from FCT.

In this paper we present the front end electronics for the time projection chamber (TPC) of the ALICE experiment. The system, which consists of about 570000 channels, is based on two basic units: (a) an analogue ASIC (PASA) that incorporates the shaping-amplifier circuits for 16 channels; (b) a mixed-signal ASIC (ALTRO) that integrates 16 channels, each consisting of a 10-bit 25-MSPS ADC, the baseline subtraction, tail cancellation filter, zero suppression and multi-event buffer. The complete readout chain is contained in front end cards (FEC), with 128 channels each, connected to the detector by means of capton cables. A number of FECs (up to 25) are controlled by a readout control unit (RCU), which interfaces the FECs to the data acquisition (DAQ), the trigger, and the detector control system (DCS). A function of the final electronics (1024 channels) has been characterized in a test that incorporates a prototype of the ALICE TPC as well as many other components of the final set-up. The tests show that the system meets all design requirements. Originally conceived and optimized for the time projection chamber (TPC) of the ALICE experiment, its architecture and programmability make this system suitable for the readout of a wider class of detectors.

The electrical properties of metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) devices based on ONO (SiO2-Si3N4-SiO2) structures fabricatedon n-type 4H-SiC (0001) epilayers have been investigated. Three differen ...

6037 Background: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) ligands, such as prostaglandin E2, are upregulated in HNSCC; cross-talk occurs between EGFR and GPCR signaling. E, an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, plus S, a cyclooxygenase 1/2 inhibitor, are synergistic in killing HNSCC cells (Thomas et al. Cancer Research 2006). We sought to identify tumor biomarkers that are modulated by E with or without S and to assess the efficacy of adjuvant E in resected HNSCC. Methods: Pts with resectable HNSCC, clinical stage II-IVA, of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx or larynx are randomly assigned to receive E 150 mg orally QD plus S 150 mg orally BID (Arm A), E 150 mg QD (Arm B), or placebo QD (Arm C) for 7–14 days, continued until the day prior to surgery, in a 5:5:3 ratio. 4–6 weeks after completing platinum-based postoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT), pts receive adjuvant E 150 mg QD for 2 years. The primary endpoint is the 3-year disease-free survival and the sample s...

14668 Background: D is a small molecule inhibitor of several kinases, including SRC, c-KIT, PDGFR, and BCR-ABL. Preclinical data suggest that the interactions between Epidermal Growth Factor Recept...

Solar ultraviolet erythemal irradiance (UVER) has been studied on inclined planes with different orientations in Valencia, Spain. To do this a platform was designed that could turn through 90 degrees on its own axis. The radiometers were inclined at an angle close to the latitude of Valencia (39.5 degrees N). Using two timers the platform could be turned through 90 degrees every 5 min. On clear or partially cloudy days, including those with different turbidity values, it was observed that the UVER showed a maximum at 1200 h GMT, very close to solar noon, in the north and south positions, while the maximum for east and west orientations was found at approximately one hour before and one hour after midday respectively. It was also observed how the irradiance for the south orientation was greater and for the north was less than for the horizontal plane, as well as the opposite performances of the east and west orientations, for four days close to the summer and winter solstices and each equinox. Some experimental results were also compared with the results from the SMARTS2.9 model for the same conditions. It was found that the model frequently overestimated the experimental data. With respect to the maximum calculated UV Index in the different planes this was always higher for the south orientation than for the north, while it was similar for east and west orientations throughout the year. Finally the accumulated erythemal dosage for the considered period was obtained as a function of phototype and orientation, confirming that the accumulated erythemal dosage decreased by around 37% in the north orientation compared to the horizontal value, while in the south position it was only 6% less and some 20% and 15% less in the east and west positions, respectively.

In 71 children with fibrosis of the gluteus maximus, the affection was nearly always bilateral and of variable severity. The diagnosis was made at ages ranging from 18 months to 15 years. The contraction results in an inability to flex the hips with the knees together and produces an awkward gait and difficulty in running and climbing stairs. Half of these patients were treated surgically. Complete correction was achieved in most instances by Z lengthening of the gluteus maximus. At operation the subcutaneous tissue was found to be thin and fibrotic. The underlying aponeurosis was thickened by fibrosis, which also affected the muscle. The muscle lesion appears to evolve from muscular interfascicular fibrosis to the formation of a tendinous-like tissue with a concomitant reduction in the number and size of muscle fibers. There is a strong etiologic relationship between this condition and intragluteal injections. All the patients studied had received antibiotics by intramuscular injection since early childhood; 58 patients received extraordinary large numbers of injections. However, there may have been an individual predisposing factor in the collagenous tissue reaction and in the muscle itself in the production of the condition.