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The ability of Chlorella vulgaris to accumulate heavy metals in solution (Mn, Cr, Ni, Zn and Cu) was investigated. Various parameters (algal biomass, pH and contact time of the algae with the sample) have been studied. Nine mg of algal biomass, pH 8 and 15 min of contact time, with 1 ppm of each metal, were the optimized conditions. At pH 8, the optimum value to rise the maximum binding, a fraction of metals in solution precipitates forming hydroxides. Combining both processes, a chemical–biological system for the removing of metals at ppb levels from the environment is obtained. The simultaneous determination of these five metals was performed by capillary electrophoresis (CE) with a UV/Vis detector.

GRB 021004 is one of the best sampled gamma-ray bursts (GRB) to date, although the nature of its light curve is still being debated. Here we present a large amount (107) of new optical, near-infrared (NIR) and millimetre observations, ranging from 2 hours to more than a year after the burst. Fitting the multiband data to a model based on multiple energy injections suggests that at least 7 refreshed shocks took place during the evolution of the afterglow, implying a total energy release (collimated within an angle of 1.8 deg) of ~ 8x10^51 erg. Analysis of the late photometry reveals that the GRB 021004 host is a low extinction (Av ~ 0.1) starburst galaxy with M_B ~ -22.0., 9 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in A&Ax

The application of a zero-crossing method to the simultaneous determination of copper (II) and mercury (II) with methylethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (MEDTA) is described. The procedure does not require equations to be solved, and it is suitable for concentrations of 0.008–0.036 mg ml−1 of copper and 0.025–0.300 mg ml−1 of mercury. The main interferences, both anionic and cationic, were easily eliminated. The method was applied to different aqueous matrices. It was compared with an atomic absorption spectrophotometry method (AA) and good results were obtained.

Chapter 3 was mainly about the state of the art in airline operations’ disruption management and related fields.We have additionally proposed a possible classification encompassing the existing work within this field. This chapter is about the main application domain we are interested in and the knowledge it entails. The information provided here is the result of the observation and interviews we have done at TAP Portugal1 Airline Operations Control Center (AOCC), complemented with information from related literature. As we stated in Chapter 1 and considering the line of research we chose to follow, it is important to have a rigorous description of the real application domain scenario as well as the problem to be solved. This chapter is a source of empirical knowledge, that will help the reader to understand both.We will introduce the AOCC organization and how it works, the type of problems that the AOCC human operators have to solve as well as the most common solutions and methods used therefore. Some real statistical data from TAP Portugal will be presented as well as the main costs involved in possible solutions.

In Chapter 4 we introduced the Airline Scheduling Problem and the Airline Operations Control Problem. We have described the AOCC organization and its roles as well as the typical problems that appear during the execution of the operational plan. The disruption management process used by airlines was presented as well as the main costs involved in generating and evaluating the solutions. In this chapter we present our new approach to disruption management in the airline domain, including how we represent the AOCC using a Multi-Agent System (MAS), a computational organization of intelligent agents and the negotiation protocol with adaptive characteristics that we use as a decision mechanism. Besides providing new or updated processes and mechanisms for the AOCC we also aim to focus on the AOCC as an entity, trying to change the way AOCCs are setup and organized and not only in providing DSS tools. Our main focus in this chapter is on the conceptual aspects of our approach.

The "Seyfert and star formation Activity in the Far-Infrared" (SAFIR) project is aimed at studying the physical nature of the nuclear IR emission and star formation properties of a small sample of nearby Seyfert galaxies observed with the PACS and SPIRE instruments on board the Herschel space observatory. In this paper, we review the achieved results, that reveal the importance of the far-IR range to improve the quality and reliability of the estimates of basic AGN torus parameters, and describe some preliminary outcome from the on-going work on the dust properties of resolved AGN host galaxies.

The application of derivative spectrophotometry to the simultaneous determination of nickel(II) and mercury(II) with diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) is described. The procedure d...

To determine the influence of demographics, medical, and surgical variables on 30-day mortality in patients who need continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT).A retrospective-following study was conducted using the data of 112 patients admitted to the postoperative intensive care unit who required CRRT, between August 2006 and August 2011, and followed-up for 30 days. The following information was collected: age, gender, history of HBP, DM, cardiovascular disease, and CKD, urgent surgery, surgical speciality, organic dysfunction according to the SOFA scale, the number of organs with dysfunction, use of mechanical ventilation, diagnostic and origin of sepsis, type of CRRT, and 30-day mortality. General linear models were used for estimating the strength of association (relative risk [RR], and 95% confidence interval [CI] between variables and 30-day mortality.In the univariant analysis, the following variables were identified as risk factors for 30-day mortality: age (RR 1.04; 95% CI 1.01-1.06; P=.0005), and history of cardiovascular disease (RR 1.57; 95% CI 1.02-2.41; P=.039). Among the variables included in the multivariable analysis (age, history of cardiovascular disease, sepsis, and number of organs with dysfunction), only age was identified as an independent risk factor for 30-day mortality (RR 1.03; 95% CI 1.00-1.05; P=.007).Thirty-day mortality in postoperative, critically ill patients who require CRRT is high (41.07%). Age has been identified as an independent risk factor, with renal failure as the most common indication for the use of these therapies.

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have been proposed as a tool for studying star formation in the Universe, so it is crucial to investigate whether their host galaxies and immediate environments are in any way special compared with other star-forming galaxies. Here we present spatially resolved maps of dust emission of the host galaxy of the closest known GRB 980425 at z=0.0085 using our new high-resolution observations from Herschel, Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX), Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) and Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA). We modelled the spectral energy distributions of the host and of the star-forming region displaying the Wolf-Rayet signatures in the spectrum (WR region), located 800 pc from the GRB position. The host is characterised by low dust content and a high fraction of UV-visible star formation, similar to other dwarf galaxies. These galaxies are abundant in the local universe, so it is not surprising to find a GRB in one of them, assuming the correspondence between the GRB rate and star formation. The WR region contributes substantially to the host emission at the far-infrared, millimetre, and radio wavelengths and we propose that this is a consequence of its high gas density. If dense environments are also found close to the positions of other GRBs, then the ISM density should also be considered, along with metallicity, an important factor influencing whether a given stellar population can produce a GRB., Comment: Accepted by A&A. 14 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables. V2: minor updates to match the published version

The NASA Deep Space Network hosts three complexes worldwide for spacecrafts tracking. The Spanish complex, the Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex (MDSCC), operates a set of highly sensitive antennas, which are used for Host Country Radio Astronomy (HCRA) during a percentage of their operational time. We have designed, developed and built a wideband backend for HCRA in MDSCC, which greatly improves its available facilities, and opens new scientic cases to be tackled. The backend is able to sample up to 6 GHz of instantaneous bandwidth, in the frequency range from 18 to 50 GHz, using two dierent antennas. An intermediate-frequency (IF) processor downconverts the two-polarization signals to four base-band channels of 1.5 GHz width. Digitalisation is done through a set of FPGA-based FFT spectrometers, which can provide spectral resolutions from 7 to 200 kHz, and spectral coverages from 100MHz to 1.5 GHz each. This new facility enables HCRA to aord new scientic projects, such as extragalactic radio astronomy and spectral surveys; at the same time, the available time for HC is greatly optimized. It was necessary the development of dedicated software for spectra acquisition and control of the equipment, and also the upgrading of the existing observing programs. Once end-to-end assembled, the whole backend was tested through a set of commissioning observations. In this contribution the main features of the new backend are described, including the IF processor, the FFT spectrometer and the developed software. Some astronomical results are also included.

The antennas of NASA's Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex (MDSCC) in Robledo de Chavela are available as single-dish radio astronomical facilities during a significant percentage of their operational time. Current instrumentation includes two antennas of 70 and 34 m in diameter, equipped with dual-polarization receivers in K (18 - 26 GHz) and Q (38 - 50 GHz) bands, respectively. We have developed and built a new wideband backend for the Robledo antennas, with the objectives (1) to optimize the available time and enhance the efficiency of radio astronomy in MDSCC; and (2) to tackle new scientific cases impossible to that were investigated with the old, narrow-band autocorrelator. The backend consists of an IF processor, a FFT spectrometer (FFTS), and the software that interfaces and manages the events among the observing program, antenna control, the IF processor, the FFTS operation, and data recording. The whole system was end-to-end assembled in August 2011, at the start of commissioning activities, and the results are reported in this paper. Frequency tunings and line intensities are stable over hours, even when using different synthesizers and IF channels; no aliasing effects have been measured, and the rejection of the image sideband was characterized. The first setup provides 1.5 GHz of instantaneous bandwidth in a single polarization, using 8192 channels and a frequency resolution of 212 kHz; upgrades under way include a second FFTS card, and two high-resolution cores providing 100 MHz and 500 MHz of bandwidth, and 16384 channels. These upgrades will permit simultaneous observations of the two polarizations with instantaneous bandwidths from 100 MHz to 3 GHz, and spectral resolutions from 7 to 212 kHz., Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures. Accepted to Astronomy and Astrophysics

Michalowski, M. J. et al., The objective of this paper is to determine the level of obscured star formation activity and dust attenuation in a sample of gamma-ray burst (GRB) hosts, and to test the hypothesis that GRB hosts have properties consistent with those of the general star-forming galaxy populations. We present a radio continuum survey of all z < 1 GRB hosts in The Optically Unbiased GRB Host (TOUGH) sample supplemented with radio data for all (mostly pre-Swift) GRB-SN hosts discovered before 2006 October. We present new radio data for 22 objects and have obtained a detection for three of them (GRB 980425, 021211, 031203; none in the TOUGH sample), increasing the number of radio-detected GRB hosts from two to five. The star formation rate (SFR) for the GRB 021211 host of 825 M yr -1, the highest ever reported for a GRB host, places it in the category of ultraluminous infrared galaxies. We found that at least 63% of GRB hosts have SFR < 100 M yr -1 and at most 8% can have SFR > 500 M yr -1. For the undetected hosts the mean radio flux (, M.J.M. acknowledges the support of the Science and Technology Facilities Council. The Dark Cosmology Centre is funded by the Danish National Research Foundation. A.K. and D.L.K. are partially supported by NSF Award AST-1008353. L.B. acknowledges partial financial support from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación project AYA2010-21766-C03-01. J.S.D. acknowledges the support of the Royal Society via a Wolfson Research Merit award, and also the support of the European Research Council via the award of an Advanced Grant.

The objective of this paper is to determine the level of obscured star formation activity and dust attenuation in a sample of gamma-ray burst (GRB) hosts; and to test the hypothesis that GRB hosts have properties consistent with those of the general star-forming galaxy populations. We present a radio continuum survey of all z 500 Mo yr^-1. For the undetected hosts the mean radio flux (, Accepted by ApJ. 13 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables. V3: minor changes to match the published version

The reagent diethyldithiocarbamic acid has been examined for the high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of cobalt(II) and nickel(II) chelates on reversed-phase HPLC columns (150 × 3.9 mm) packed with Nova-Pak C 18 , 4 μm. The metal-diethyldithiocarbamic chelates were preconcentrated by solvent extraction. An aliquot of sample containing copper, cobalt and nickel in a mixture was transferred to a well-stoppered test tube to which was added reagent [diethyldithiocarbamic acid 0.5% in ethanol—water (1:1), pH 10] and 10 ml organic solvent (diethyl ether). After shaking with mechanical shaker for 5 min, the organic layer was separated and 0.1 ml transferred to another tube containing methanol (1 ml). The methanolic solution (15 μl) was injected, on the reversed-phase HPLC column. The complexes are eluted with methanol—water (75:25) at a flow-rate of 0.5 ml min −1 . The detection is carried out with a UV detector at 260 nm. The method shows several advantages: short analysis time, minimized sample preparation, minimized effect of interfering ions, a low detection limit (50 ppb for nickel and 5 ppb for cobalt) and good reproducibility, making it suitable for many types of samples, including alloys.

Simultaneous quantitation of several components in a sample is an alternative to the sequential determination. It avoids the separation on masking steps, simplifying the automatization of the analysis. The solvent extraction procedure is used for the determination of copper, cobalt and nickel simultaneously at microgram levels. The reagent diethyldithiocarbamic acid has been examined for the high performance liquid chromatographic separation of copper(II), cobalt(II) and nickel(II) chelates (range pH 9–11) on Reversed Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP–HPLC) columns (150 x 3,9 mm) packed with Nova Pak C18, 4 μm. An aliquot of sample containing copper, cobalt and nickel in a mixture was transferred to a well-stoppered test tube to which was added reagent [diethyldithiocarbamic acid 0,5% in ethanol:water (1:1), pH 10] and 10 ml organic solvent (ethyl ether). After shaking with mechanical shaker for 5 min, the organic layer was separated and 20 μl transferred to another tube containing...

Summary A total of 522 Streptococcus suis isolates were recovered from the tonsils of slaughtered pigs by culturing on media containing different specific antisera. The serogroup reactions were determined by coagglutination. The most frequently isolated serotype was serotype 4 (representing 28.7 % of the isolates), followed by serotype 3 (24.9 %) and serotype 2 (22.6 %). Typable isolates were examined by growth in 6.5 % NaCl, amylase activity, acetoin production, susceptibility to optochin and production of acid from mannitol, melibiose, raffinose, salicin, sorbitol and trehalose. Finally, all isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility against ampicillin, cephalotin, lincomycin, neomycin, penicillin, spiramycin and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole using the disk-diffusion technique. All isolates were amylase-positive and acetoin-negative, and failed to grow in 6.5 % NaCl broth. Nine isolates were optochin-susceptible. Moreover, 10 isolates produced acid from mannitol, 21 produced acid from sorbitol, and 36 and 37 did not produce acid from salicin and trehalose, respectively. Six salicin- and trehalose-negative isolates and two mannitol- and sorbitol-fermenting isolates were found. Biochemical differences between serotypes were not observed. The most active drugs against S. suis were the beta-lactam antibiotics, although only 83.3 %, 70 % and 78.5 % of isolates were susceptible to ampicillin, cephalotin and penicillin, respectively. Half of the isolates were resistant to trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole, and resistance to lincomycin, neomycin and spiramycin appeared to be very high.

Motivated by the development of power semiconductor technologies, flexible ac transmission systems (FACTS) devices and their penetration in the field of electrical power systems, an educational challenge in complementing theoretical knowledge with practical experience is recognized. In this paper, the design and implementation of a lab-scale hardware and software setup is presented. Three small-scale devices, including a static VAr compensator (SVC) unit, a transmission line model, and a substation, are developed. The SVC unit is validated by obtaining its operating characteristic. The lab setup is presented as a platform to carry out different experiments related to the SVC operation. Safety considerations in the design are discussed. Steady-state and dynamic analysis are presented showing the consistency between theory and practice. The potential use of small SVC units on low-voltage distributed generation schemes is discussed.

The Airline Operations Control Centre (AOCC) of an Airline Company is the organization responsible for monitoring and solving operational problems. It includes teams of human experts specialized in solving problems related with aircraft, crew members and passengers, in a process called disruption management of operations recovery. In this chapter we propose a new concept fro disruption management in this domain. The organization of the AOCC is represented through a Multi-Agent System (MAS), in which the roles that correspond to the most repetitive tasks are performed by intelligent agents. Human experts represented by agents that are able to inteact with them, are also part of this AOCC-MAS. We show the architecture of our AOCC-MAS, including the main costs involved and details about how the system takes decisions. We tested the concept, using several real airline crew related problems and using four methods: human experts (traditional way), the AOCC-MAS with and without the use of quality-costs and, finally, the integrated approach presented in this chapter. Results are here presented and discussed.

Operations control is one of the most important areas for an airline company. Through operations control mechanisms an airline company monitors all the flights checking if they follow the schedule that was previously defined by other areas of the company. Unfortunately, some problems may arise during this stage (Clausen et al., 2005). Those problems can be related with crewmembers, aircrafts and passengers. The Airline Operations Control Centre (AOCC) includes teams of experts specialized in solving the above problems under the supervision of an operation control manager. Each team has a specific goal contributing to the common and general goal of having the airline operation running under as few problems as possible. The process of solving these kinds of problems is known as Disruption Management (Kohl et al., 2004) or Operations Recovery.

Given the continuous development and availability of strong-motion databases containing real accelerograms, the consideration of such information in nonlinear structural analysis becomes increasingly attractive. However, the selection of records to adopt in structural analysis requires not only the consideration of consistent selection criteria but also the availability of computational tools that allow for fast and efficient searches of earthquake records within such databases. In this context, and following the recent advances in internet-based technologies, the present paper introduces SelEQ, a web-based application for the search and selection of earthquake records. This tool incorporates a number of filtering procedures allowing for the search of seismic records based on geophysical data but also on more advanced criteria such as spectral shape matching. Furthermore, SelEQ allows also the selection of earthquake records according to current seismic design code requirements, such as those of Eurocode 8, which demand for record suites compatible with a given response spectrum.

We have gathered optical photometry data from the literature on a large sample of Swift-era gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows including GRBs up to September 2009, for a total of 76 GRBs, and present an additional three pre-Swift GRBs not included in an earlier sample. Furthermore, we publish 840 additional new photometry data points on a total of 42 GRB afterglows, including large data sets for GRBs 050319, 050408, 050802, 050820A, 050922C, 060418, 080413A and 080810. We analyzed the light curves of all GRBs in the sample and derived spectral energy distributions for the sample with the best data quality, allowing us to estimate the host galaxy extinction. We transformed the afterglow light curves into an extinction-corrected z=1 system and compared their luminosities with a sample of pre-Swift afterglows. The results of a former study, which showed that GRB afterglows clustered and exhibited a bimodal distribution in luminosity space, is weakened by the larger sample. We found that the luminosity distribution of the two afterglow samples (Swift-era and pre-Swift) are very similar, and that a subsample for which we were not able to estimate the extinction, which is fainter than the main sample, can be explained by assuming a moderate amount of line-of-sight host extinction. We derived bolometric isotropic energies for all GRBs in our sample, and found only a tentative correlation between the prompt energy release and the optical afterglow luminosity at one day after the GRB in the z=1 system. A comparative study of the optical luminosities of GRB afterglows with echelle spectra (which show a high number of foreground absorbing systems) and those without reveals no indication that the former are statistically significantly more luminous. (abridged), Comment: ApJ, in press; 65 pages in journal format; 20 pages main text, 18 pages Appendix, 5 pages references, 6 tables (21 pages), 9 figures, 840 original data points; v4: Updated references and acknowledgements, corrected mistake in table 1

We analyse the distribution of matter around the progenitor star of gamma-ray burst GRB 021004 as well as the properties of its host galaxy with high-resolution echelle as well as near-infrared spectroscopy. Observations were taken by the 8.2m Very Large Telescope with the Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle spectrograph (UVES) and the Infrared Spectrometer And Array Camera (ISAAC) between 10 and 14 hours after the onset of the event. We report the first detection of emission lines from a GRB host galaxy in the near-infrared, detecting H-alpha and the [O III] doublet. These allow an independent measurement of the systemic redshift (z = 2.3304 +/- 0.0005) which is not contaminated by absorption as the Ly-alpha line is, and the deduction of properties of the host galaxy. From the visual echelle spectroscopy, we find several absorption line groups spanning a range of about 3,000 km/s in velocity relative to the redshift of the host galaxy. The absorption profiles are very complex with both velocity-broadened components extending over several 100 km/s and narrow lines with velocity widths of only 20 km/s. By analogy with QSO absorption line studies, the relative velocities,widths, and degrees of ionization of the lines ("line-locking", "ionization--velocity correlation") show that the progenitor had both an extremely strong radiation field and several distinct mass loss phases (winds). These results are consistent with GRB progenitors being massive stars, such as Luminous Blue Variables (LBVs) or Wolf--Rayet stars, providing a detailed picture of the spatial and velocity structure of the GRB progenitor star at the time of explosion. The host galaxy is a prolific star-forming galaxy with a SFR of about 40 solar masses per year., Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics.

The introduction of endovascular procedures in the routine of vascular surgery allowed for the expansion of therapeutic options in the diverse areas of vascular disease. Endoluminal revascularization can be regarded as a usefull complement of conventional surgical techniques. An above-knee femoro-popliteal bypass surgery ePTFE graft has been performed, followed by a sheath introduction on the graft body. This allows a simplified access to crural vessels, while providing efficient revascularization of the femoro-popliteal sector. Distal revascularization was performed using angioplasty and stenting when appropriate, as to insure continuous flux in at least one of the tibial or the peroneal arteries. The aim of this kind of procedure is to insure efficient femoro-popliteal revascularization and to achieve a run-off to the foot in at least one vessel. This type of intervention may be particularly attractive in Leriche-Fontaine's grade IV patients with no available autologous venous graft.

The authors report the clinical case of a 29 year-old caucasian male, previously healthy, victim of traffic accident with head and chest trauma, resulting in a prolonged stay (around 60 days) in an intensive care unit. After hospital discharge, the patient noticed a slow growing of a left supraclavicular pulsatile mass, associated with pain, both local and irradiating to the left arm. The diagnostic investigation revealed a complex false aneurysm with associated arterio-venous fistulae, dissecting cervical muscle planes and involving the braquial plexus. He was submitted to surgical intervention consisting in the ligation of a scapular afferent artery and ligation of communication to the internal jugular vein, with significant decrease in the intra-luminal blood flow velocity. He was subsequently submitted to percutaneous eco-guided thrombin injection under Valsalva manouver, with complete thrombosis of the false aneurysm. There was a quick resolution of the clinical complaints and a progressive reduction of the mass volume (6 month follow-up). A discussion is made on the main features of this entity, normally its etiopathogeny, surgical management and false aneurysm exclusion by means of eco-guided injection of thrombin.

Through operations control mechanisms an airline company monitors all the flights checking if they follow the schedule that was previously defined by other areas of the company. Some problems may arise during this stage related with crew members, aircrafts and passengers. The Airline Operations Control Centre (AOCC) includes teams of experts specialized in solving the above problems, seeking for solutions that minimize the negative impact on passengers and, at the same time, minimizing the operational costs. This book proposes a Multi-Agent System (MAS) that represents the AOCC allowing the airline company to take faster and better decisions when solving operational problems, taking into consideration the operational costs involved. It shows how such a system can be designed using an Agent-Oriented Software Engineering (AOSE) methodology and presents the implementation of the system in a real airline company, using widely available tools. For airline professionals it shows how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help to solve such a critical problem. For students and AI/AOSE researchers shows the rationale behind the development of a real-world MAS.

The Airline Operations Control Centre (AOCC) tries to solve unexpected problems that might occur during the airline operation. Problems related to aircrafts, crewmembers and passengers are common and the actions towards the solution of these problems are usually known as operations recovery. Usually, the AOCC tries to minimize the operational costs while satisfying all the required rules. In this paper we present the implementation of a Distributed Multi-Agent System (MAS) representing the existing roles in an AOCC. This MAS has several specialized software agents that implement different algorithms, competing to find the best solution for each problem that include not only operational costs but, also, quality costs so that passenger satisfaction can be considered in the final decision. We present a real case study where a crew recovery problem is solved. We show that it is possible to find valid solutions, with better passenger satisfaction and, in certain conditions, without increasing significantly the operational costs.

When recovering from operational problems, the Airline Operations Control Centre (AOCC) usually tries to minimize direct operational costs while satisfying all the required rules. In this paper we present the implementation of a Distributed Multi-Agent System (MAS) representing the existing real-life roles in an AOCC. This MAS includes software agents that cooperate through a distributed problem solving approach, to find the best solution for each problem. We propose a general approach to quantify quality operational costs, so that passengers' satisfaction can also be considered in the final decision. We present a real case study to introduce our approach to quantify the quality operational costs and solve several real unexpected crew problems. We show that our MAS with quality costs is able to reduce flight delays and increase passenger satisfaction without increasing significantly the direct operational costs. A comparison with two other methods is presented. Copyright © 2009 Praise Worthy Prize S.r.l. - All rights reserved.

Airports are important infra-structures for the air transportation business. One of the major operational constraints is the peak of passengers in specific periods of time. Airline companies take into consideration the airport capacity when building the airline schedule and, because of that, the execution of the airline operational plan can contribute to improve or avoid airport peak problems. The Airline Operations Control Center (AOCC) tries to solve unexpected problems that might occur during the airline operation. Problems related to aircrafts, crewmembers and passengers are common and the actions towards the solution of these problems are usually known as operations recovery. In this paper we propose a way of measuring the AOCC performance that takes into consideration the relation that exists between airline schedule and airport peaks. The implementation of a Distributed Multi-Agent System (MAS) representing the existing roles in an AOCC, is presented. We show that the MAS contributes to minimize airport peaks without increasing the operational costs of the airlines.

In this paper we introduce an implementation of an Intelligent Interface Agent to support the use of a web portal in an airline company. The interface agent architecture and data model is presented. We formalized concepts such as relevance and proximity regarding the data structure. The concepts of personal opinion and general opinion are also introduced and formalized. A statistical analysis was performed to obtain the best value when processing the general opinion. Some results of that analysis are presented and we conclude discussing our work and presenting future improvements.

The application of derivative Spectrophotometry to the simultaneous determination of copper(II) and cobalt(II) with methylethylenediaminetetraacetic acid is described. The procedure does not require equations to be solved, and is suitable for concentrations of 0.2–8.0 mg ml −1 of cobalt and 0.05–1.60 mg ml −1 of copper. The main interferences, both anionic and cationic, are easily eliminated.

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of mycoplasma contamination on acid hydrolase activity and the action of the mycoplasma removal agent (MRA), in cultures of human fibroblasts from individuals with lysosomal diseases. For this purpose, we measured the activity of the b-galactosidase, arylsulphatase B (ASB), hexosaminidase A and a-glucosidase enzymes. The activity of the above mentioned enzymes in fibroblasts contaminated by mycoplasma was measured before and after the addition of the MRA. The results were then compared to the enzymatic activity in contamination-free cultures. Only the ASB enzyme showed significant alteration in activity both in the presence of mycoplasma and MRA. The remaining enzymes did not suffer significant interference by the presence of the two agents. Of the four enzymes tested, three did not suffer significant alterations by the presence of the mycoplasma nor from the MRA. However, the activity measured in the ASB enzyme increased significantly in the presence of mycoplasma and MRA and could lead to a doubtful diagnosis. Therefore, we suggest that contamination should be prevented by using aseptic techniques as well as the MRA in those fibroblast cultures that cannot be discarded.

We report on the use of a frequency-reflectometry domain technique for referencing optical intensity sensors located between two fibre Bragg gratings. The experiment combines the concept of frequency modulated continuous wave with the spectrally selective mirror properties of fibre Bragg gratings to interrogate with referencing properties intensity based sensors. Multiplexing two of these sensors using this technique in a parallel topology system was also experimentally demonstrated. Due to the use of different fibre lengths (delay lines), signals from the fibre Bragg gratings located at different positions in an array are separated in the frequency-domain.

Summary The aim of the study is to evaluate the influence of antiretroviral treatment on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of three groups of HIV-positive inmates: those who are taking antiretroviral treatment, those who are not on treatment as it has not yet been indicated, and those who refuse to take treatment even though it has been recommended. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 585 HIV+ inmates in three prisons. The response variable was HRQOL. Independent variables were: sociodemographic variables, psychosocial and drug-related variables. Two multivariate linear regression models were constructed in order to determine the HRQOL, physical health score (PHS) and mental health score (MHS), for each of the three groups identified, using patients who refused treatment as the reference category. Patients who refused therapy had a lower MHS compared with patients in whom treatment was not indicated (P = 0.038). With regard to PHS, patients refusing therapy had a lower score than patients who were not indicated therapy (P = 0.005), and than patients receiving therapy (P = 0.010).

Introduction: Current studies of HIV+ patients in the prison population have been carried out without considering differences that might exist between patients who accept retroviral treatment and those who do not. One possible reason for this may be the difficulty in gaining access to patients who refuse antiretroviral treatment. However, the prison environment makes it possible to locate and study this type of patient, who up till now has not been the subject of study. The aim of this article is to describe the clinical and psychosocial state of HIV+ inmates who refuse ARVT and compare this data with patients receiving treatment and others for whom treatment has not been indicated. Methods: Cross-sectional study using 585 HIV+ inmates in three prisons in Andalusia from May to June 2004. Refusal, acceptance and non-indication of ARVT treatment was the grouping variable used. The independent variables were socio-demographic, psychosocial, clinical and other variables relating to the prison environment. Results: 16.8% of patients refused ARVT, while 56.3% were receiving treatment and another 26.8 were not indicated for any medication. Amongst the patients that refused ARVT there was a greater prevalence of HIV co-infection, higher inprison consumption of opiates and methadone treatment, more cases pending and higher rates of recidivism. Conclusions: these results highlight the existence of a group with unique characteristics that is accessible thanks to the special conditions within the prison environment. It is a group that chooses not to follow therapeutic indications and which represents a risk factor not only for its own health, but also for the community at large. Key words: HIV, Psychosocial Impact, Antiretroviral Therapy, Prison, Refusal to Treatment, Prison.

An airline schedule very rarely operates as planned. Problems related with aircrafts, crew members and passengers are common and the actions towards the solution of these problems are usually known as operations recovery. The Airline Operations Control Center (AOCC) tries to solve these problems with the minimum cost and satisfying all the required rules. In this paper we present the implementation of a Distributed Multi-Agent System (MAS) representing the existing roles in an AOCC, This MAS deals with several operational bases and for each type of operation problems it has several specialized software agents that implement different algorithms (heuristic, AI, OR, etc.), competing to find the best solution for each problem. We present a real case study taken from an AOCC where a crew recovery problem is solved. Computational results using a real airline schedule are presented, including a comparison with a solution for the same problem found by the human operators in the AOCC. We show that, even in simple problems and when comparing with solutions found by human operators, it is possible to find valid solutions, in less time and with a smaller cost.

This work is an “in vivo” dosimetry study for breast cancer patients, treated with external radiotherapy. Patients who have suffered a modified radical mastectomy have been included in the study. Measurements will be made with thermoluminescent dosimeters and with radiochromic films. Such dosimetry will let us know the dose distribution in the zone which the applied beams overlap and compare the measureddose with that calculated one using the Eclipse 6.5 (Varian) planning system.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of concentrate supplementation on the performance and ingestive behaviour of lambs grazing tropical grasslands of Panicum maximum cv. IZ-5 and its effect on pasture characteristics. Different levels of daily supplementation with concentrate were compared: no supplementation; or supplemented at 1.5% and 2.5% of lamb liveweight. The grazing simulation technique was used for qualitative assessment of the pasture every 28 days. Herbage mass, pasture growth rate, sward height as well as botanical and morphological composition of the pasture were evaluated. Average daily gain, gain per hectare and ingestive behaviour were measured on the lambs. The forage supply was 4% of green leaves (4 kg dry matter per 100 kg of liveweight) in all treatments. Six 3–4-month-old Texel and Corriedale lambs were used per paddock. The design was a randomised block design with three replications. Concentrate supplementation had a direct effect on pasture structure, especially height (significant interaction treatment vs period – P = 0.0373). In the treatment without supplementation, the animals grazed for a longer period than the others. Idle time was higher in the treatment with the highest level of supplementation, and rumination time was similar among the treatments. Supplementation with 2.5% significantly increased the average daily gain (0.143 g vs 0.026 g for no supplementation) and gain per hectare (30 kg vs 258 kg for no supplementation vs supplementation at 2.5% of lamb liveweight, respectively). The results show the potential increase in production and productivity with the use of concentrate supplementation at 2.5% lamb bodyweight. Notwithstanding the increase in production, supplementation with concentrate provided a strong negative impact on pasture structure and behaviour of animals that should be considered when using concentrate supplementation for finishing lambs in tropical regions.

Die Verfasser berichten uber Ultraschall- und CT-Befunde an 7 Patienten mit periportaler und pankreatischer tuberkuloser Adenitis. Bei Ultraschall-Scans zeigten sich echoarme Adenopathien bei 6 Patienten. Der 7. Patient wies eine echoarme, unscharf definierte Masse auf. CT-Untersuchungen zeigten vergroserte Lymphknoten geringer Dichte (25-35 HU) mit unmittelbar nach Kontrastmittelgabe auftretender peripherer Randverstarkung bei 3 Patienten. - Eine infiltrierende inhomogene Masse fand sich bei einem Patienten, lobulare Tumormassen von Weichteildichte bei nach Kontrastmittelgabe verzogerten Scans bei 2 Patienten. Die Ultraschallbefunde liefern keine Unterscheidungsmerkmale bei Tuberkulose und anderen Ursachen von Adenitis. Die CT-Darstellung schwankt in ihrer Aussage; lediglich die dichtearmen Knoten mit peripherer Verstarkung bei Scans nach Kontrastmittelgabe deuten auf Tb. We present ultrasound (US) and computed tomography (CT) findings in 7 patients with periportal and peripancreatic tuberculous adenitis. In US scans, hypoechoic adenopathies were found in 6 patients while in the other one a hypoechoic, poorly marginated mass was seen. CT studies showed hypodense (25-35 HU) enlarged lymph nodes with immediate postcontrast peripheral rim enhancement in 3 patients. An infiltrating inhomogeneous mass was present in other patient and soft tissue density lobulated masses were found in delayed postcontrast scans of 2 patients. The US findings are of no help in distinguishing tuberculosis from other causes of adenitis. The CT appearance has been variable and only the hypodense nodes with peripheral enhancement in postcontrast scans are suggestive of this entity.

This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of an inactivated vaccine based on a European-type strain of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) against the reproductive form of the syndrome in breeding gilts, and any congenital disease in their piglets. Five gilts were vaccinated twice, following the manufacturer's instructions, before they were inseminated. Nine additional gilts remained unvaccinated and served as positive (five gilts) and negative (four gilts) controls. A European wild-type strain genetically divergent from the vaccine strain was used to challenge the five vaccinated and five unvaccinated positive control gilts at 90 days' gestation. The vaccination of the five seronegative gilts did not produce any clinical signs or adverse reactions. However, the vaccine failed to prevent the clinical signs associated with PRRSV infection, viraemia after the challenge and transplacental infection of their piglets. The reproductive performance of the vaccinated gilts was similar to that of the unvaccinated positive controls, and there were no statistically significant differences in most of the parameters tested. However, the preweaning mortality of the piglets born to the vaccinated gilts was significantly lower than that of the piglets born to the positive control gilts.

An airline schedule very rarely operates as planned. Problems related with aircrafts, crew members and passengers are common and the actions towards the solution of these problems are usually known as operations recovery. The airline operations control center (AOCC) tries to solve these problems with the minimum cost and satisfying all the required rules. In this paper we present the implementation of a distributed multi-agent system (MAS) representing the existing roles in an AOCC. This MAS has several specialized software agents that implement different algorithms, competing to find the best solution for each problem. We present a real case study where a crew recovery problem is solved. We show that it is possible to find valid solutions, in less time and with a smaller cost.

We present detailed fits of the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of four submillimeter (submm) galaxies selected by the presence of a gamma-ray burst (GRB) event (GRBs 980703, 000210, 000418 and 010222). These faint ~3 mJy submm emitters at redshift ~1 are characterized by an unusual combination of long- and short-wavelength properties, namely enhanced submm and/or radio emission combined with optical faintness and blue colors. We exclude an active galactic nucleus as the source of long-wavelength emission. From the SED fits we conclude that the four galaxies are young (ages 45 K) indicate that GRB host galaxies are hotter, younger, and less massive counterparts to submm-selected galaxies detected so far. Future facilities like Herschel, JCMT/SCUBA-2 and ALMA will test this hypothesis enabling measurement of dust temperatures of fainter GRB-selected galaxies., 9 pages, 2 figures, submitted to ApJ, for SED templates, see http://archive.dark-cosmology.dk/