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Resumen: Introducción y objetivos: Numerosos estudios han demostrado los beneficios del levosimendán en pacientes con insuficiencia cardiaca crónica y aguda; sin embargo, los resultados son contradictorios cuando se analiza el uso de levosimendán previo a cirugía de revascularización miocárdica y disfunción ventricular severa. El objetivo de este estudio es valorar el rendimiento del precondicionamiento con levosimendán en cirugía de revascularización coronaria en pacientes con disfunción ventricular severa. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio de cohortes retrospectivo emparejado por escala de propensión. Participantes: pacientes intervenidos desde enero de 2009 a octubre de 2019 de cirugía de revascularización coronaria, asociada o no a cirugía mitral de etiología isquémica/funcional con FEVI ≤ a 35%. Se dividieron en dos cohortes, según si recibieron levosimendán (Levo) o no (NoLevo) previamente a la intervención, quedando tras el emparejamiento 64 pacientes por cohorte. Variables analizadas: morbimortalidad postoperatoria, reingreso y mortalidad en el seguimiento. Análisis estadístico: los datos categóricos se compararon mediante χ2 o test de Fisher, y los cuantitativos mediante t de Student o W de Wilcoxon. Se estimó el RR/HR para valorar la asociación entre el uso de levosimendán preoperatorio y las variables resultado. Resultados: El uso de levosimendán preoperatorio no disminuyó la mortalidad (RR = 0,86, p = 0,770), ni la estancia hospitalaria, ni tampoco las complicaciones postoperatorias. La supervivencia libre de reingreso cardiológico, mortalidad en seguimiento por cualquier causa y de causa cardiaca fue similar entre cohortes. Conclusiones: Los resultados obtenidos no apoyan el uso extendido de levosimendán previo a la cirugía de revascularización miocárdica en pacientes con disfunción ventricular severa. Abstract: Introduction and objectives: Numerous studies have demonstrated the benefit of levosimendan in patients with chronic and acute heart failure. However, when it comes to its preoperatory use in coronary by-pass surgery in patients with severe ventricular dysfunction, there are some contradictory results. The objective of this study is assessing preconditioning efficiency with levosimendan in surgical myocardial revascularization in patients with severe ventricular dysfunction. Methods: We design a propensity score-matched cohort study. The study included patients with a LVEF less or equal to 35% who underwent isolated coronary artery by-pass grafting or associated to ischemic/functional mitral surgery from January 2009 to October 2019. They were split into two cohorts whether they received levosimendan preoperatively (Levo) or not (NoLevo); after matching there were 64 patients per cohort. Outcome variables were postoperative morbi-mortality, readmission and follow-up mortality. Statistical analysis: categorical data were compared with a Chi-square or Fisher exact test, and quantitative data with a t-Student or W-Wilcoxon tests. RR/HR were estimated for assessing the association between preoperative use of levosimendan and outcomes. Results: Preoperative levosimendan use did not decreased in-hospital mortality (RR = 0,86, p = 0.770), and neither do hospital stay, nor postoperative complications. Event-free survival was similar between cohorts in terms of cardiological readmissions, all-cause and cardiological follow-up mortality. Conclusions: Our results do not support the widespread use of levosimendan previously to myocardial revascularization surgery in patients with severe ventricular dysfunction.

Grain size distribution and orientation distribution functions are combined in a single multivariate continuous grain size orientation distribution function (GSODF). Several examples of practical applications to low carbon steels are presented, in which it is shown how the GSODF can be used in the analysis of 2D and 3D electron backscatter diffraction data, and as input in full-field and mean-field crystal plasticity simulations., Two of the microstructural parameters most influential in the properties of polycrystalline materials are grain size and crystallographic texture. Although both properties have been extensively studied and there are a wide range of analysis tools available, they are generally considered independently, without taking into account the possible correlations between them. However, there are reasons to assume that grain size and orientation are correlated microstructural state variables, as they are the result of single microstructural formation mechanisms occurring during material processing. In this work, the grain size distribution and orientation distribution functions are combined in a single multivariate grain size orientation distribution function (GSODF). In addition to the derivation of the function, several examples of practical applications to low carbon steels are presented, in which it is shown how the GSODF can be used in the analysis of 2D and 3D electron backscatter diffraction data, as well as in the generation of representative volume elements for full-field models and as input in simulations using mean-field methods.

International audience; BabyIAXO is a helioscope under construction to search for an emission of the axion particle from the Sun. At the same time it serves as an intermediate stage towards the International Axion Observatory (IAXO). An integral component of this experiment is a low background X-ray detector with a high efficiency in the 1–10 keV energy range. Micromegas detectors are considered as baseline technology for BabyIAXO thanks to the relatively high efficiency and very low background level. Other detector technologies developed to reach better energy resolution while maintaining high efficiency and low background level are also under study. In this paper, we review the BabyIAXO design and present the analysis of data taken with the prototype of an IAXO Micromegas detector. A background level of 8.8×10−7counts keV−1cm−2s−1 was reached.

Synthetic methods that edit soft polymer backbones are critical technologies for tailoring the structures and properties of macromolecules. Developing strategies that leverage underexplored reaction manifolds are vital for accessing new chemical (and functional) space in soft materials. Here, we report a mild electrochemical approach that enables both degradation and functionalization of synthetic polymers. We found that bulk electrolysis (under either homogeneous or heterogeneous conditions) promoted facile, chemoselective chain scission in a variety of olefin-containing materials. Polymer degradation could also be coupled with functionalization (e.g., azidation) to afford new species that could serve as macromonomers.

Postsynthetic modification is a powerful strategy for tuning soft materials. While methods for side-chain functionalization abound, modifications of backbone structural elements can be difficult to achieve. This challenge arises, in part, from a lack of intrinsically reactive motifs that can be installed in the main chain of a polymer. Incorporating established synthetic handles into polymer architectures is paramount for overcoming this limitation. Allenes are salient examples of moieties that could be leveraged in a wide range of postsynthetic modifications; however, the synthesis of a polyallene has proven elusive. Using the metathesis polymer of norbornene as a model architecture, we have established the Skattebøl rearrangement as a facile route to polyallenes. Polymers with varying allene content (20-95%) were readily prepared in excellent yields (89-94%). These materials possess unique optical properties and can be engaged through further postsynthetic modifications. As such, polyallenes could serve as valuable platforms for developing functional soft materials.

Bacterial resistance is responsible for a wide variety of health problems, both in children and adults. The persistence of symptoms and infections are mainly treated with β-lactam antibiotics. The increasing resistance to those antibiotics by bacterial pathogens generated the emergence of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs), an actual public health problem. This is due to rapid mutations of bacteria when exposed to antibiotics. In this case, β-lactamases are enzymes used by bacteria to hydrolyze the beta-lactam rings present in the antibiotics. Therefore, it was necessary to explore novel molecules as potential β-lactamases inhibitors to find antibacterial compounds against infection caused by ESBLs. A computational methodology based on molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulations was used to find new microalgae metabolites inhibitors of β-lactamase. Six 3D β-lactamase proteins were selected, and the molecular docking revealed that the metabolites belonging to the same structural families, such as phenylacridine (4-Ph), quercetin (Qn), and cryptophycin (Cryp), exhibit a better binding score and binding energy than commercial clinical medicine β-lactamase inhibitors, such as clavulanic acid, sulbactam, and tazobactam. These results indicate that 4-Ph, Qn, and Cryp molecules, homologous from microalgae metabolites, could be used, likely as novel β-lactamase inhibitors or as structural templates for new in-silico pharmaceutical designs, with the possibility of combatting β-lactam resistance

Expanding the scope of cycloolefin-type monomers that polymerize via coordination–insertion mechanisms is an enduring synthetic challenge. Vinyl-addition polymerizations of cyclic olefins are almost exclusively limited to norbornene scaffolds and/or copolymerizations with ethylene. To circumvent these synthetic limitations, we report the vinyl-addition polymerization of cycloallenes using the catalyst, [(π-allyl)NiOCOCF3]2. The polycyclic materials could be accessed in excellent yields (up to 97%), and the polymerization exhibited living character (which was leveraged for copolymerizations with acyclic monomers). Importantly, we found that multiple ring sizes could be incorporated into polymer architectures, and material properties could be tailored by controlling the cycloallene feed ratios.

This work presents an advanced crystal plasticity model for the simulation of the mechanical behavior of multiphase advanced high-strength steels. The model is based on the Visco-Plastic Self-Consistent (VPSC) model and uses information about the material’s crystallographic texture and grain morphology together with a grain constitutive law. The law used here, based on the work of Pantleon, considers how dislocations are created and annihilated, as well as how they interact with obstacles such as grain boundaries and inclusions (carbides). Additionally, strain rate sensitivity is implemented using a phenomenological expression derived from literature data that does not require any fitting parameter. The model is applied to the study of two bainitic steels obtained by applying different heat treatments. After fitting the required parameters using tensile experiments in different directions at quasi-static and high strain rates, formability properties are determined using the model for the performance of virtual experiments: uniaxial tests are used to determine r-values and stress levels and biaxial tests are used for the calculation of yield surfaces and forming limit curves.

Crystal plasticity models attempt to reproduce the complex deformation processes of polycrystalline metals based on a virtual representation of the real microstructure. When choosing this representation, a compromise must be made between level of detail at the local level and statistical significance of the aggregate properties, also taking into account the computational cost of each solution. In this work, the correlation between crystallographic orientation and grain size is considered in the definition of virtual microstructures for the simulation of the mechanical behavior of AISI 420 stainless steel (consisting of a ferrite matrix with large carbide precipitates), in order to improve the accuracy of the solution without increasing model complexity or computation time. Both full-field (DAMASK) and mean-field models (Visco Plastic Self Consistent (VPSC)) are used together in combination with experimental results to study the validity of the assumptions done in each of the models.

Currently, the deaf women’s community must face the lack of several resources related to their personal and professional development: (i) the lack of bilingualism (sign language and written language), (ii) the lack of appropriate knowledge about the local language sign; and (iii) the scarcity of educational plans on Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH). This situation triggers several problems, such as the transmission of sexually trans- mitted diseases, unwanted pregnancy in adolescence, sexual violence and complications during pregnancy. For these reasons, in this document, we present an intelligent ecosystem and an educational methodology aimed at improving access to SRH programs in Ecuadorian Sign Language (ESL), with the aim of improving access to information and knowledge in SRH through methodologies based on interactive and dynamic learning environments capable of responding to the specific needs of deaf people. Our proposal relies on an expert system based on rules-reasoning, and an educational web-environment. This approach was tested with 30 volunteers (26 deaf women and 4 interpreters in ESL), evaluating the contents that are housed within the system (content quality, the coherence of the applied methodology, access to the environment,...). The results are encouraging and have shown that it is necessary to implement interactive programs for the support of the SRH.

International audience; More than 80 years after the postulation of dark matter, its nature remains one of the fundamental questions in cosmology. Axions are currently one of the leading candidates for the hypothetical, non-baryonic dark matter that is expected to account for about 25% of the energy density of the Universe. Especially in the light of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN slowly closing in on Weakly-Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) searches, axions and axion-like particles (ALPs) provide a viable alternative approach to solving the dark matter problem. The fact that makes them particularly appealing is that they were initially introduced to solve a long-standing problem in quantum chromodynamics and the Standard Model of particle physics.Helioscopes are a type of axion experiment searching for axions produced in the core of the Sun via the Primakoff effect. The International Axion Observatory (IAXO) is a next generation axion helioscope aiming at a sensitivity to the axion-photon coupling of 1 − 1.5 orders of magnitude beyond the current most sensitive axion helioscope, which is the CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST). IAXO will be able to challenge the stringent bounds from supernova SN1987A and test the axion interpretation of anomalous white-dwarf cooling. Beyond standard axions, this new experiment will also be able to search for a large variety of axion-like particles and other novel excitations at the low-energy frontier of elementary particle physics. BabyIAXO is proposed as an intermediate-scale experiment increasing the sensitivity to axion-photon couplings down to a few 10$^{−11}$ GeV$^{−1}$ and thus delivering significant physics results while demonstrating the feasibility of the full-scale IAXO experiment. Here we introduce the IAXO and BabyIAXO experiments, report on the current status of both and outline the expected IAXO science reach.

Currently, the community of deaf women must face lack of several resources related to their personal and professional development: (i) the lack of bilingualism (sign language and written language), (ii) the lack of an appropriate knowledge about local sign language, and (iii) the scarcity of educational plans about of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH). This situation triggers several problems such as transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancy in adolescence, sexual violence, and complications during pregnancy. For these reasons, in this paper, we present an ecosystem and an educational methodology aimed on improving the access to SRH programs as well complementing the engineering academic curriculum. Our proposal was put to test with 3 (deaf) human experts of the Federation of the Deaf of Azuay. The results are encouraging and have shown that it is necessary to implement educational programs in universities and colleges.

According to latest estimates of the UNESCO between 350 and 500 million of persons that belong to indigenous peoples live currently in the world. These peoples have created and the share of the world’s almost 7000 languages. In Ecuador coexist 18 indigenous peoples, and 14 have different traditions and cosmovision. However, due to several social, cultural, and economic factors, the cultural heritage of these peoples is slowly disappearing nowadays. For these reasons, in this paper, we present an interactive platform aimed at the cultural rescue of one of the most representative indigenous people of Ecuador: the Canaris. Our platform has the aim of providing an interactive environment where children can play educational games and access to the multimedia content of the Canari cultural heritage. The platform includes a data mining module to automatically analyze the activity of its users to suggest and educational areas that must be reinforced. Our proposal was put to test with 30 children that speak Spanish and Kichwa and has achieved encouraging results.

Introduction Acute arterial embolism is a potential severe complication after cardiac surgery: it can be a clinical manifestation of early prosthetic valve (PV) thrombosis, whose incidence is higher in case of mechanical mitral valve or in presence of subtherapeutic anticoagulation, hemodynamic (atrial fibrillation) or haemostatic (obesity, anaemia, renal failure) predisposing factors (1). EACTA guidelines recommend to start anticoagulation during the first 24 hours after surgery, balancing the haemorragic risk(2). Although, in presence of specific comorbidities and risk factors, life-threatening thrombotic events can complicate postoperative period even following the international recommendations. Methods We report a 73-year-old man, suffering from chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (without treatment) and paroxysmal AF who received mitral mechanical valve replacement with a On-X 27/29 mm valve placed on anti-anatomic position because of a severe mitral insufficiency (with chordal systolic anterior movement) and single coronary artery by-pass graft. Unfractionated heparin (UFH) and acetylsalicylic acid were started 18 hours after surgery, in order to maintain an aPTT ratio of 1.5 to 2.5. On postoperative day (POD) 4 patient presented sudden pain and signs of acute hypoperfusion in left leg (distal femoral artery territory), requiring urgent surgery. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed but limited by artefacts and suboptimal acoustic windows. Considering the high risk surgery and the usefulness of early transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE), the patient received a general anaesthesia with tracheal intubation. Results Successful open embolectomy on the common femoral artery was performed; UFH perfusion was maintained during the whole duration of the procedure without haemorrhagic complication. Intraoperative TEO detected spontaneous echo contrast in left atrial appendage and reduced motion with impaired coaptation of the right leaflet (red arrows in figure); neither valvular-atrial-ventricular thrombus nor increased transvalvular gradient nor regurgitation were found. Postoperative TEO (POD 3) showed a PV with normal leaflets movement, without significative stenosis/regurgitation. Warfarin was started on POD 4 and heparin bridging was discontinued when INR target range was reached. Discussion In patient with multiple thrombotic risk factor (id malignancy, AF) adequate anticoagulation level can be difficult to reach: in these cases, serious thrombotic complications must be highly suspected even when guidelines have been followed. Prompt diagnosis and aggressive treatment are crucial to guarantee a good prognosis. Early TOE and a “tailored” anticoagulation therapy play a fundamental role in the management of such complications.

Primary graft dysfunction after heart transplantation (HTx) has a very high mortality rate, especially if the left ventricle (PGD-LV) is involved. Early diagnosis is important to select the appropriate therapy to improve prognosis. The value of high-sensitivity troponin T (HS-TNT) measurement obtained at patient arrival at the intensive care unit was analyzed in 71 HTx patients. Mild or moderate PGD-LV was defined by hemodynamic compromise with one of the following criteria: left ventricular ejection fraction 15 mm Hg, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure >20 mm Hg, cardiac index 10) or newly placed intra-aortic balloon pump. The mean recipient age was 54 +/- 12 years (73% men), and donor age was 47 +/- 11 years. Ischemic time was 200 +/- 51 minutes, and coronary bypass time was 122 +/- 31 minutes. Nine (13%) HTx patients were diagnosed with PGD-LV post-HTx, 8 with biventricular dysfunction. Four patients died, 2 with PGD-LV (22%) and 2 without PGD (4%). Mean HS-TNT before HTx was 158 +/- 565 ng/L, and post-HT was 1621 +/- 1269 ng/L. The area under the curve (receiver-operator characteristic) of HS-TNT to detect patients at risk of PGD-LV was 0.860 (P < .003). A cutoff value of HS-TNT >2000 ng/L had a sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 87% to identify patients at risk of PGD-LV. Multivariate analysis identified HS-TNT >2000 ng/L (P < .02) and coronary bypass-time (P < .01) as independent predictors of PGD-LV. HS-TNT >2000 ng/L at intensive care admission after HT and prolonged coronary bypass time were the most powerful predictors of PGD-LV. HS-TNT may be helpful for early detection of HTx patients at risk of PGD-LV.

Recently, the third generation of advanced high strength steels (AHSSs) show promising properties for automotive applications. The improvement of macroscopic mechanical performance is not feasible without a deep understanding of the micromechanical behavior and failure micro-mechanisms involved during its response under various loading conditions. In this study, a uniaxial tensile test is conducted on a low silicon bainitic steel with second phase constituents (martensite and carbides). A comprehensive image processing on SEM micrographs is performed in order to quantify the damage evolution as a function of plastic deformation. A new methodology is examined to address the correlation between crystallographic orientation and damage initiation. In this multiphase steel, it appears that orientation dependence of damage initiation is blurred by the presence of different phases and hence there is not an obvious preferential orientation from where damage has initiated.

Periodontal disease has been associated with poor dental care, which promotes the accumulation of bacteria and the development of diseases of the mouth. Porphyromonas gingivalis are anaerobic Gramnegative bacteria found in the subgingival plaque. They are largely responsible for chronic periodontal disease. Streptococcus intermedius is a Gram positive coccus found in the supragingival plaque. The objective of the present work was to evaluate the expression of several virulence genes of P. gingivalis in a mixed culture with S. intermedius using qPCR and heterologous microarrays. P. gingivalis ATCC 33277 and W83 and S. intermedius ATCC 27335 strains were cultured and total RNA was extracted using the High Pure RNA isolation kit. Oligodeoxynucleotides were designed to make multiple comparisons with organisms. Microarray was performed to identify gene expression. To quantify gene expression, cDNA samples from three different P. gingivalis:S. intermedius ratios were diluted 10-1, 10-2 and 10-3. The microarray experiment indicated that in P. gingivalis , 29 genes were upregulated. The putative function of upregulated genes was the biosynthesis of different metabolic pathways. Heterologous microarrays are a new approach that are useful for investigating gene expression. Keywords: Porphyromonas gingivalis, Streptococcus intermedius , periodontal disease, virulence genes, cross gene regulation. African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(28), pp. 4498-4502

The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency Data Bank operates as an international centre of reference for its member countries with respect to basic tools, such as computer codes and data, for use in different nuclear applications. The NEA Data Bank, as part of an international network of data centres, maintains large databases containing experimental (EXFOR), bibliographic (CINDA), and evaluated (EVA) nuclear data, and makes them available online via its website or via the JANIS display program. As part of its responsibilities, the Data Bank is also in charge of the compilation, verification, and distribution of the Joint Evaluated Fission and Fusion (JEFF) library. In addition, the Data Bank provides a service to its users by collecting, validating and making available upon request computer codes and associated application data libraries in many different areas relevant to the nuclear field. As part of its knowledge preservation activities, large collections of integral benchmark experiments for data and code validation are also available in areas such as criticality safety (ICSBEP), reactor physics (IRPhE), fuel performance (IFPE), and radiation shielding (SINBAD). Finally, the Data Bank coordinates the development and distribution of a database of recommended chemical thermodynamic data (TDB) for radioactive waste management applications. The Data Bank provides also support to other NEA divisions, a major part of this support is allocated to the NEA Science programme.

Urban traffic congestion is a pandemic illness affecting many cities around the world. We have developed and tested a new model for traffic signal optimization based on the combination of three key techniques: 1) genetic algorithms (GAs) for the optimization task; 2) cellular-automata-based microsimulators for evaluating every possible solution for traffic-light programming times; and 3) a Beowulf Cluster, which is a multiple-instruction-multiple-data (MIMD) multicomputer of excellent price/performance ratio. This paper presents the results of applying this architecture to a large-scale real-world test case in a congestion situation, using four different variables as fitness function of the GA. We have simulated a set of congested scenarios for ?La Almozara? in Saragossa, Spain. Our results in this extreme case are encouraging: As we increase the incoming volume of vehicles entering the traffic network - from 36 up to 3600 vehicles per hour - we get better performance from our architecture. Finally, we present new research directions in this area.

Although mistimed reproduction (i.e., time-lag between peak food supply and offspring food demand) has been attributed to habitat modifications or climate change in recent avian investigations, earlier breeding parents have higher reproductive success in many habitats. Here we compare first and second broods in great tits (Parus major L.) from two Mediterranean oak habitats differing significantly in the timing (about 5 weeks), but not the amount of caterpillar supply required to rear chicks. The study indicates that both the extent of mistimed reproduction and the breeding date per se influence breeding performance in this study system.

In this paper, a Bayesian-Network-based model isproposed to optimize the Global Adaptive e-LearningProcess (GAeLP). This model determines the type ofpersonalization required for a learner according to his orher real needs, in which we have considered both objectsand objectives of personalization. Furthermore, cause-andeffectrelations among these objects and objectives with thelearning phases, the learner, and the Intelligent TutorialSystem (ITS) are accomplished. These cause-and-effectrelations were coded into a Bayesian Network (BN), suchthat it involves the entire GAeLP. Four fundamental phasesthat have a direct effect in the learner’s learning process areconsidered: Learner’s previous knowledge Phase, Learner’sProgress Knowledge Phase, Learner’s /Teacher’s Aims andGoals Phase, and Navigation Preferences and ExperiencesPhase. The efficacy of the Bayesian networks is proventhrough the first phase, in which learners of differentknowledge area were select. The main results in this workare: causal relations among objects and objectives ofpersonalization, knowledge phases, learner and electronicsystem. Personalization profiles set and their probabilities inthe first phase were obtained to diagnose the type ofpersonalization of the learner.

Although Bayesian networks (BNs) are increasingly being used to solve real-world risk problems, their use is still constrained by the difficulty of constructing the node probability tables (NPTs). A key challenge is to construct relevant NPTs using the minimal amount of expert elicitation, recognizing that it is rarely cost effective to elicit complete sets of probability values. We describe a simple approach to defining NPTs for a large class of commonly occurring nodes (called ranked nodes). The approach is based on the doubly truncated normal distribution with a central tendency that is invariably a type of weighted function of the parent nodes. In extensive real-world case studies, we have found that this approach is sufficient for generating the NPTs of a very large class of nodes. We describe one such case study for validation purposes. The approach has been fully automated in a commercial tool, called AgenaRisk, and is thus accessible to all types of domain experts. We believe that this work represents a useful contribution to the BN research and technology, since its application makes the difference between being able to build realistic BN models and not.

The Strategic Plan for the Calderona Mountain Range (Valencia, Spain) covers an area of 200 km2 including 5 municipalities located at the northern edge of the Valencia’s Metropolitan Area. The Plan deals with a wide diversity of aspects, being ecology and sustainable development their common denominators. Thus, the analysis of the different territorial layers (forestry, agriculture, natural environment, urban planning, landscape, heritage, tourism & public use, mobility & infrastructures, and economic activity) was developed from an ecological and sustainability focused point of view which is afterwards extended in the definition of regional strategies and in a set of ten thematic plans and eighteen pilot projects. In particular, sustainability, the structural role of ecology and the effective enhancement of the different existing and potential ecosystems, permeate the whole Strategic Plan but are in particular the central elements of the Territorial and Landscape Plan, which includes the definition of a regional and local Green Infrastructure; of the Natural Environment Plan, which identifies the existing and potential plant communities and establishes the conditions for their adequate improvement and maintenance, and, finally, the Sustainable Development Plan, that analyzes the present flows of energy and resources and explores the territorial and urban models which would permit the reinforcement of internal metabolisms and the reduction of ecological footprints.

Calderona’s outstanding environmental and visual resources have made it one of the preferred destinations for the 1.5 million inhabitants of the Valencia Metropolitan Area, imposing at the same time a strong pressure for urbanization and public use. In this context, the creation in the year 2002 of a Natural Park, has positively released the pressure over this territory but, at the same time, has emphasised some of the most typical rural conflicts: the role and continuity of agriculture, the low sustainability levels of some urban typologies, the lack of a diversified economy, the preservation of local identities and the need of a balanced governance. All these issues are analyzed and developed in the Strategic Territorial Plan for the central area of the Calderona Mountain Range. A plan promoted by 5 municipalities and prepared by a multidisciplinary team. The document includes a multilayer analysis of the territory, the definition of a set of strategies and, finally, 10 thematic plans (Landscape and Territory, Forestry and Natural Heritage, Agriculture and Stockbreeding, Hunting, Urban Planning, Infrastructures and Transport, Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Public Use, Socioeconomic Development and Sustainability, and Governance), which were accompanied by 18 pilot studies that exemplified some of their key aspects. The whole plan shows the benefits of regional and transversal planning and was developed in collaboration with regional and local authorities and in parallel with a public participation process.

Biodegradable cast films of about 50 μm thickness were fabricated by blending oppositely charged biopolymers such as anionic starch–chitosan, and cationic starch–pectin. The tensile strength and elongation at break (%) of films were evaluated as well as their capacity to degrade in compost. Films recovered from soil every 48 h showed consistent degradation (weight loss), diminution of the polymer’s characteristic peak absorbance in the carbohydrate fingerprint region of the FTIR, and changes in the surface morphology via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Anionic starch–chitosan films had much superior tensile strength and elongation compared to cationic starch–pectin, suggesting that the ionic bonds formed between anionic-starch and positively charged groups in chitosan polymer were much more stable and stronger. Initially, both films lost about 36% weight within 96 h, which also correlated well with the loss in the characteristic absorption peaks in the region of the infrared spectrum typical of biopolymers. The total mineralization of films by microorganisms in compost soil was also measured using respirometric techniques. Though the rate of mineralization differed for two formulations, total mineralization (extent) for both films were achieved within 45 days.

Çetin, Serkant Ali (Dogus Author) -- Yıldız, Süleyman Cenk (Dogus Author) -- Conference full title: 2010 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium conference record (NSS/MIC 2010) : [including the 2010 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium, Medical Imaging Conference, and the 17th International Workshop on Room-Temperature Semiconductor X-Ray and Gamma-Ray Detectors (RTSD)]; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, 30 October - 6 November 2010 The CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST) is searching for solar axions which could be produced in the core of the Sun via the so-called Primakoff effect. Not only would these hypothetical particles solve the strong CP problem, but they are also one of the favored candidates for dark matter. In order to look for axions originating from the Sun, CAST uses a decommissioned LHC prototype magnet. In its 10 m long magnetic field region of 9 Tesla, axions could be reconverted into X-ray photons. Different X-ray detectors are installed on both ends of the magnet, which is mounted on a structure built to follow the Sun during sunrise and sunset for a total of about 3 hours per day. The analysis of the data acquired during the first phase of the experiment with vacuum in the magnetic field region yielded the most restrictive experimental upper limit on the axion-to-photon coupling constant for axion masses up to about 0.02 eV. In order to extend the sensitivity of the experiment to a wider mass range, the CAST experiment continues its search for axions with helium in the magnet bores. In this way it is possible to restore coherence of conversion for larger masses. Changing the pressure of the helium gas enables the experiment to scan different axion masses in the range of up to about 1.2 eV. Especially at high pressures, a precise knowledge of the gas density distribution is crucial to obtain accurate results. In the first part of this second phase of CAST, 4He was used and the axion mass region was extended up to 0.39 eV, a part of phase space favored by axion models. In CAST's ongoing 3He phase the studied mass range is now being extended further. In this contribution the final results of CAST's 4He phase will be presented and the current status of the 3He run will be given. This includes latest results as well as prospects of future axion experiments. Nucl. Plasma Sci. Soc. Inst. Electr. Electron. Eng. (NPSS)