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Apatite is an accessory phase in all the units of the internally zoned Berry-Havey complex pegmatite. This body presents a highly fractionated core zone, enriched in Li, F, B, Be, and P, which hosts three different types of pockets, some of them often containing tens to hundreds of gemmy euhedral Li-rich tourmaline crystals, together with other mineral phases such as lepidolite. Processes involved in the complex internal evolution of pegmatitic melts that give rise to zoned bodies containing pockets are not completely understood. To shed light on these processes, apatite from all the different units of the Berry-Havey pegmatite (wall zone, intermediate zone, core margin, and core zone pods) and from the three pocket types (Li-poor, Li-rich, and apatite seams) has been characterized petrographically and later analyzed for major (electronic microprobe) and trace elements (LA-ICP-MS). Results indicate that apatite chemistry changed significantly during the crystallization of the Berry-Havey pegmatite, reflecting the conditions at each stage and mainly depending on the fractionation degree, fO2, and paragenetic association. Fluorapatite is found in all the units except the core margin, the Li-poor pockets, and the seams, where Mn-bearing fluorapatite is present. A gradual increase of the Mn content in apatite from the pegmatite border (wall zone) inward, up to the formation of subrounded masses of Mn-Fe phosphate in the core zone pods, parallels the increasing fractionation of the melt. Phosphate crystallization would deplete the residual melt in Mn, probably causing the significant Mn-decrease observed in apatite from the core zone pods and Li-rich pockets. The late depletion of Mn could also be related to an increase of fO2 in the melt during the later stages of its evolution. Main trace element variations in apatite at both pegmatite and crystal scales correspond to REE, Y, and Sr. Yttrium and REE behave in a very similar way, decreasing inward, i.e., with fractionation of the pegmatitic melt (ΣREE from 1796 ppm in the apatite from the wall zone to 0 ppm in the core zone; and Y from 1503 ppm in the apatite from the wall zone to 0 ppm in the core zone); which could be due to early crystallization of REE-bearing phosphates such as monazite and xenotime. Strontium shows a more complex trend, with an initial depletion in apatite from the wall zone (52 ppm) to the intermediate zone (3 ppm) and a pronounced increase from the core margin (23–87 ppm) up to the core zone and pockets (up to 2.87 wt%). This increase of Sr at the latest fractionation stages of the pegmatite is interpreted to be associated with a late, incompatible character of this element in highly fractionated melts, related to the composition of feldspars from the core margin (mainly pure albite). The lack of Ca in feldspars would decrease affinity for Sr incorporation into their structure and, consequently, Sr would go preferentially to apatite in the core zone pods and, more markedly, in the pockets. Apatite also records changes in the redox conditions during crystallization, with the highest fO2 at the end of the crystallization, mainly reflected in the Eu and Ce anomalies. The chemistry of apatite also reflects the evolution of the pegmatitic melt during crystallization regarding the fluids saturation and pockets generation. Accordingly, at least two exsolution events took place during the Berry-Havey crystallization history: (1) at the beginning of the core zone crystallization, giving rise to the Li-poor pockets, and (2) after the crystallization of the Li-rich pods of the core zone, resulting in the Li-rich pockets. The apatite-rich seams may have crystallized between these two exsolution events or later, at a subsolidus stage, after a Na-autometasomatism episode. This study shows how a detailed petrographic and chemical characterization of apatite associated with different units of a highly fractionated, internally zoned pegmatite may help understand the crystallization history of pegmatitic melts. It is also evidenced that during the internal evolution of pegmatites, apatite chemistry records variations in the fO2, elemental fractionation, interaction with competing mineral phases, fluids activity and exsolution events. In addition, it is shown how apatite chemistry may be useful as an exploration tool for pegmatites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: Automatic detection, classification, and accounting of mussel larvae in their different stages of growth using computer vision. The European Union's mussel production industry is dependent on obtaining mussel larvae as seed for cultivation, a process traditionally monitored through labor-intensive manual sampling and microscopic counting prone to human error and time-consuming procedures. To address these challenges, our research presents a computer vision-based methodology for accurately identifying, classifying, and quantifying mussel larvae individuals across various developmental stages from microscopic images of water samples. Utilizing a neural network architecture derived from the YOLO method, our approach integrates convolutional, pooling, and fully connected layers to automate detection, classification, and accounting tasks. Through training with manually labeled samples and employing data augmentation techniques, we established a robust framework capable of processing diverse larval specimens effectively. Our research not only streamlines mussel larvae monitoring processes but also underscores the potential of computer vision techniques to enhance efficiency and accuracy in aquaculture industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the study of a pillow lava interbedded with Late Albian-Early Cenomanian sediments that crops out in Armintza (Bizkaia, Northern Spain). The lava flow is an alkaline basalt with abundant macrocrysts of clinopyroxene, kaersutite, Ca-rich plagioclase (50-86% An) and ilmenite, which display a variety of textures and complex zoning patterns indicative of open-system magmatic behaviour. Macrocryst cores are likely to be inherited antecrysts that underwent complex processes under deep pre-eruptive conditions (≈ 700-800 MPa). Microcrysts and macrocryst rims formed during magmatic ascent and emplacement at shallower levels (≈ 35 MPa). Hypothetical melts in equilibrium with clinopyroxenes and amphiboles have trace element compositions like metasomatic vein melts containing amphibole, and their patterns overlap with those of the Armintza pillow lava. This suggests a metasomatised lithospheric mantle with amphibole-rich veins as a potential source for the alkaline basaltic melt. It is even conceivable that the Armintza pillow lava and other alkaline volcanic manifestations of the Basque-Cantabrian Basin were part of the same magma plumbing system through which a series of time-limited eruptions of different batches of magma ascended from the lithospheric mantle to the upper crust during the Albian to the Santonian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Klebsiella aerogenes has been reclassified from Enterobacter to Klebsiella genus due to its phenotypic and genotypic similarities with Klebsiella pneumoniae. It is unclear if clinical outcomes are also more similar. This study aims to assess clinical outcomes of bloodstreams infections (BSI) caused by K. aerogenes, K. pneumoniae and Enterobacter cloacae, through secondary data analysis, nested in PRO-BAC cohort study. Methods: Hospitalized patients between October 2016 and March 2017 with monomicrobial BSI due to K. aerogenes, K. pneumoniae or E. cloacae were included. Primary outcome was a composite clinical outcome including all-cause mortality or recurrence until 30 days follow-up. Secondary outcomes were fever ≥ 72 h, persistent bacteraemia, and secondary device infection. Multilevel mixed-effect Poisson regression was used to estimate the association between microorganisms and outcome. Results: Overall, 29 K. aerogenes, 77 E. cloacae and 337 K. pneumoniae BSI episodes were included. Mortality or recurrence was less frequent in K. aerogenes (6.9%) than in E. cloacae (20.8%) or K. pneumoniae (19.0%), but statistical difference was not observed (rate ratio (RR) 0.35, 95% CI 0.08 to 1.55; RR 0.42, 95% CI 0.10 to 1.71, respectively). Fever ≥ 72 h and device infection were more common in K. aerogenes group. In the multivariate analysis, adjusted for confounders (age, sex, BSI source, hospital ward, Charlson score and active antibiotic therapy), the estimates and direction of effect were similar to crude results. Conclusions: Results suggest that BSI caused by K. aerogenes may have a better prognosis than E. cloacae or K. pneumoniae BSI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The failure of a 144‐m‐high lava‐dam waterfall on the Río Coca, Ecuador, in February 2020 initiated a catastrophic watershed reset—regressive erosion upstream and a massive sediment pulse downstream—as the river evolves towards a new equilibrium grade. The evolution of this river corridor after a sudden base‐level fall embodies the "complex response" concepts long understood through laboratory experiments, numerical modelling and smaller‐scale field studies, but that have not been observed in the field before on this scale. This paper presents geomorphic and geotechnical data to characterize the evolution of the Río Coca since 2020. In the three years after the lava‐dam failure, the erosion front migrated almost 13 km upstream along the mainstem river and triggered secondary headcuts that began migrating up tributaries. Erosion of the mainstem and tributary valleys generated a sediment pulse estimated to be 277 million m3 and ~500 million tonnes (Mt) over three years, depositing sediment tens of meters thick over tens of kilometres downstream from the former waterfall. This sediment pulse is one of the largest in modern times, comparable to the annual sediment load of a major continent‐draining river but with orders‐of‐magnitude greater sediment yield. Geomorphic adjustment of the Río Coca represents a highly unusual natural disaster threatening life, property, water quality, the regional economy, major infrastructure and energy security. However, this event also provides a rare opportunity to learn how a large autogenic watershed disturbance and recovery evolve, with important lessons for interpreting the sedimentary record of volcanic landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research assesses the feasibility of a collision avoidance methodology for CubeSats lacking propulsion. The approach involves altering the satellite's orientation to modify its cross-sectional area and, subsequently, the drag force. Examining altitudes within low Earth orbit (LEO) across 2U, 3U, and 6U CubeSat formats, maneuvers are considered two days before the Time to Closest Approach (TCA). Evaluation against the Conjunction Data Messages (CDMs) threshold miss distances reveals a minimum 7% and maximum 106% deviation in Vertical Distance Difference (VDD), and 68% to 1045% in Horizontal Distance Difference (HDD) concerning the notification threshold. These findings strongly endorse the practicality of the proposed collision avoidance methodology, utilizing CubeSat Attitude Determination and Control Systems (ADCS). Ongoing research focuses on assessing ADCS maneuver execution rates and implementation times, advancing our understanding and applicability of this innovative CubeSat collision avoidance approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systems for wireless energy transmission (WET) are gaining prominence nowadays. This work presents a WET system based on the photo‐thermoelectric effect. With an incident laser beam at λ = 1450 nm, a temperature gradient is generated in the radial flexible thermoelectric (TE) device, with a carbon‐based light collector in its center to enhance the photoheating. The three‐part prototype presents a unique approach by using a radial TE device with one simple manufacturing process ‐ screen‐printing. A TE ink with a polymeric matrix of poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate and doped‐Poly(vinyl alcohol) with Sb‐Bi‐Te microparticles is developed (S∽33 µVK−1 and s∽10.31 Sm−1), presenting mechanical and electrical stability. Regarding the device, a full electrical analysis is performed, and the influence of the light collector is investigated using thermal tests, spectrophotometry, and numerical simulations. A maximum output voltage (Vout) of ∽16 mV and maximum power density of ∽25 µWm−2 are achieved with Plaser = 2 W. Moreover, the device's viability under extreme conditions is explored. At T∽180 K, a 25% increase in Vout compared to room‐temperature conditions is achieved, and at low pressures (∽10‒6 Torr), an increase of 230% is obtained. Overall, this prototype allows the supply of energy at long distances and remote places, especially for space exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RNA viruses have recently been detected in association with house dust mites, including laboratory cultures, dust samples, and mite‐derived pharmaceuticals used for allergy diagnosis. This study aimed to assess the incidence of viral infection on Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus physiology and on the allergenic performance of extracts derived from its culture. Transcriptional changes between genetically identical control and virus‐infected mite colonies were analysed by RNAseq with the support of a new D. pteronyssinus high‐quality annotated genome (56.8 Mb, 108 scaffolds, N50 = 2.73 Mb, 96.7% BUSCO‐completeness). Extracts of cultures and bodies from both colonies were compared by inspecting major allergen accumulation by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), allergen‐related enzymatic activities by specific assays, airway inflammation in a mouse model of allergic asthma, and binding to allergic patient's sera IgE by ImmunoCAP. Viral infection induced a significant transcriptional response, including several immunity and stress‐response genes, and affected the expression of seven allergens, putative isoallergens and allergen orthologs. Major allergens were unaffected except for Der p 23 that was upregulated, increasing ELISA titers up to 29% in infected‐mite extracts. By contrast, serine protease allergens Der p 3, 6 and 9 were downregulated, being trypsin and chymotrypsin enzymatic activities reduced up to 21% in extracts. None of the parameters analysed in our mouse model, nor binding to human IgE were significantly different when comparing control and infected‐mite extracts. Despite the described physiological impact of viral infection on the mites, no significant consequences for the allergenicity of derived extracts or their practical use in allergy diagnosis have been detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is not known whether sequential outpatient parenteral antimicrobial (OPAT) is as safe and effective as conventional hospitalization in patients with S. aureus bacteremia (SAB). A post-hoc analysis of the comparative effectiveness of conventional hospitalization versus sequential OPAT was performed in two prospective Spanish cohorts of patients with S. aureus bacteremia. The PROBAC cohort is a national, multicenter, prospective observational cohort of patients diagnosed in 22 Spanish hospitals between October 2016 and March 2017. The DOMUS OPAT cohort is a prospective observational cohort including patients from two university hospitals in Seville, Spain from 2012 to 2021. Multivariate regression was performed, including a propensity score (PS) for receiving OPAT, stratified analysis according to PS quartiles, and matched pair analyses based on PS. Four hundred and thirteen patients were included in the analysis: 150 in sequential OPAT and 263 in the full hospitalization therapy group. In multivariate analysis, including PS and center effect as covariates, 60-day treatment failure was lower in the OPAT group than in the full hospitalization group (p < 0.001; OR 0.275, 95%CI 0.129–0.584). In the PS-based matched analyses, sequential treatment under OPAT was not associated with higher 60-day treatment failure (p = 0.253; adjusted OR 0.660; % CI 0.324–1.345). OPAT is a safe and effective alternative to conventional in-patient therapy for completion of treatment in well-selected patients with SAB, mainly those associated with a low-risk source and without end-stage kidney disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background The aim of this study was to describe the natural history of acute Q fever, including its clinical and serological evolution and progression to chronic Q fever. Methods Observational cohort study (January 2011–September 2020) performed at Valme University Hospital (Seville, Spain). Inclusion criteria: (1) patients aged ≥18 years; (2) acute Q fever diagnosis, defined as suggestive symptoms in the presence of phase II immunoglobulin G (IgG) titer >1:256; (3) at least 6 months' follow-up after the acute Q fever episode. The incidence of seroconversion to a chronic Q fever serological pattern, defined as phase I IgG titers ≥1:1024 6 months after acute Q fever diagnosis, was assessed. Results During the study period, 117 patients were included. Thirty-four (29%) patients showed phase I IgG titers ≥1:1024 6 months after acute Q fever diagnosis. All patients with classic serological criteria for chronic Q fever diagnosis remained asymptomatic despite no specific treatment, with a median (quartile 1–quartile 3 [Q1–Q3]) follow-up of 26.5 (14–44) months in this subgroup. No cases of Q fever endocarditis nor other persistent focalized infection forms were observed during the study period. Conclusions A significant proportion of acute Q fever patients develop classic serological criteria for chronic Q fever diagnosis in the absence of additional data of chronic Q fever. Consequently, phase I IgG cutoff titers >1:800 should not be used as a criterion to consider such a diagnosis. The incidence of persistent focalized infection forms after acute Q fever is extremely low and does not justify the use of prophylaxis strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of a vehicle launch comprises many factors, including the optimization of the climb path and the distribution of the mass in stages. The optimization process has been addressed historically from different points of view, using proprietary software solutions to obtain an ideal mass distribution among stages. In this research, we propose software for the separate optimization of the trajectory of a launch rocket, maximizing the payload weight and the global design, while varying the power plant selection. The launch is mathematically modeled considering its propulsive, gravitational, and aerodynamical aspects. The ascent trajectory is optimized by discretizing the trajectory using structural and physical constraints, and the design accounts for the mass and power plant of each stage. The optimization algorithm is checked against various real rockets and other modeling algorithms, obtaining differences of up to 9%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community-onset bloodstream infections (CO-BSI) caused by gram-negative bacilli are common and associated with significant mortality; those caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa are associated with worse prognosis and higher rates of inadequateempirical antibiotic treatment. The aims of this study were to describe the characteristics of patients with CO-BSI caused by P. aeruginosa, to identify predictors, and to develop a predictive score for P. aeruginosa CO-BSI. Materials/methods: PROBAC is a prospective cohort including patients >14 years with BSI from 26 Spanish hospitals between October 2016 and May 2017. Patients with monomicrobial P. aeruginosa CO-BSI and monomicrobial Enterobacterales CO-BSI were included. Variables of interest were collected. Independent predictors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa CO-BSI were identified by logistic regression and a prediction score was developed. Results: A total of 78patients with P. aeruginosa CO-BSI and 2572 with Enterobacterales CO-BSI were included. Patients with P. aeruginosa had a median age of 70 years (IQR 60–79), 68.8% were male, median Charlson score was 5 (IQR 3–7), and 30-daymortality was 18.5%. Multivariate analysis identified the following predictors of CO-BSI-PA [adjusted OR (95% CI)]: male gender [1.89 (1.14–3.12)], haematological malignancy [2.45 (1.20–4.99)], obstructive uropathy [2.86 (1.13–3.02)], source of infection other than urinary tract, biliary tract or intra-abdominal [6.69 (4.10–10.92)] and healthcare-associated BSI [1.85 (1.13–3.02)]. Anindex predictive of CO-BSI-PA was developed; scores ≥ 3.5 showed a negative predictive value of 89% and an area under the receiver operator curve (ROC) of 0.66. Conclusions: We did not find a good predictive score of P. aeruginosa CO-BSI due to its relatively low incidence in the overall population. Our model includes variables that are easy to collect in real clinical practice and could be useful to detect patients with very low risk of P. aeruginosa CO-BSI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs) increase morbidity and mortality, prolong hospitalization and generate considerable medical costs. Recent guidelines for CRBSI recommend empirical therapy against Gram-positive bacteria (GPB) and restrict coverage for Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) only to specific circumstances.Objectives: To investigate predictors of GNB aetiology in CRBSI and to assess the predictors of outcome in patients with CRBSI.Methods: Patients with CRBSI were selected from the PROBAC cohort, a prospective, observational, multicentre national cohort study including patients with bloodstream infections consecutively admitted to 26 Spanish hospitals in a 6 month period (October 2016-March 2017). Outcome variables were GNB aetiology and 30 day mortality. Adjusted analyses were performed by logistic regression.Results: Six hundred and thirty-one episodes of CRBSI were included in the study. Risk factors independently related to GNB aetiology were central venous catheter (CVC) [OR 1.60 (95% CI: 1.05-2.44), P = 0.028], sepsis/septic shock [OR: 1.76 (95% CI: 1.11-2.80), P = 0.016], antibiotic therapy in the previous 30 days [OR: 1.56 (95% CI: 1.02-2.36), P = 0.037], neutropenia <500/μL [OR: 2.01 (95% CI: 1.04-3.87), P = 0.037] and peripheral vascular disease [OR: 2.04 (95% CI: 1.13-3.68), P = 0.018]. GNB were not associated with increased mortality in adjusted analysis, while removal of catheter [OR: 0.24 (95% CI: 0.09-0.61), P = 0.002] and adequate empirical treatment [OR: 0.37 (95% CI: 0.18-0.77), P = 0.008] were strong protective factors.Conclusions: Our study reinforces the recommendation that empirical coverage should cover GNB in patients presenting with sepsis/septic shock and in neutropenic patients. Catheter removal and adequate empirical treatment were both protective factors against mortality in patients with CRBSI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly), Ceratitis capitata, is an agricultural pest of a wide range of fruits. The advent of high-throughput sequencing has boosted the discovery of RNA viruses infecting insects. In this article, we aim to characterize the RNA virome and viral sRNA profile of medfly. By means of transcriptome mining, we expanded the medfly RNA virome to 13 viruses, including two novel positive ssRNA viruses and the first two novel dsRNA viruses reported for medfly. Our analysis across multiple laboratory-reared and field-collected medfly samples showed the presence of a core RNA virome comprised of Ceratitis capitata iflavirus 2 and Ceratitis capitata negev-like virus 1. Furthermore, field-collected flies showed a higher viral diversity in comparison to the laboratory-reared flies. Based on the small RNA sequencing, we detected small interfering RNAs mapping to all the viruses present in each sample, except for Ceratitis capitata nora virus. Although the identified RNA viruses do not cause obvious symptoms in medflies, the outcome of their interaction may still influence the medfly's fitness and ecology, becoming either a risk or an opportunity for mass-rearing and SIT applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses how a merit-based scheme for selecting and hiring teachers in Mexico has been implemented. In so doing, the Advocacy Coalition Framework (Sabatier and Jenkins-Smith 1988) was used, showing that a pluralist approach can be relevant to a more comprehensive understanding of the policy implementation process in a corporatist context. Two coalitions were identified; however, despite their formation and their relative power of influence, they were rather limited in putting their policy beliefs into practice. This allowed a deeper analysis of the factors constraining policy implementation. It was found that top level pacts need to be revised in the light of the complex nature of policies regarding teachers' professional development. Furthermore, technical issues as well as a coherent normative framework seem to be taken into account more seriously, which may disentangle the conflicting goals of teacher professionalism policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Allergy to house dust mites (HDM), the most important source of indoor allergens worldwide, is diagnosed and treated using natural extracts from cultures that can contain immunoactive components from the HDM microbiome, including mite‐infecting viruses. This study aimed to contribute to the discovery and characterization of RNA viruses from Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, followed by their detection in different mite‐derived sources. Methods: Viruses were assembled after in silico metatranscriptomic analysis of D. pteronyssinus RNA samples, visualized by electron microscopy, and RNA detected by direct RT‐PCR or data mining. Mite culture performance was evaluated in vivo. Results: Seven RNA viruses were identified in our laboratory stock colony. Picornavirus‐like viral particles were detected in epithelial cells of the digestive system and in fecal pellets. Most of these viruses could be persistently transmitted to an inbred virus‐free colony by inoculating fecal material from the stock colony. Upon viral infection, no significant effect could be seen on mite population growth. Transcriptomic screening confirmed the presence of homolog sequences to these viruses in independent laboratory stocks of D. pteronyssinus and in other Astigmata mites. Noteworthy, RNA from most of the viruses could be detected by RT‐PCR on house dust samples, reference standards, and/or commercial diagnostic D. pteronyssinus extracts. Conclusions: Our results show that viral infections are common and widespread in D. pteronyssinus, both in natural and culture‐based growth conditions. Potential effects on the mites themselves and consequences toward allergenicity in humans whether exposed naturally or after immunotherapy are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amino acid insertions have been rarely found in the integrase (IN) coding region of Human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV‐1), and have been considered as natural polymorphisms. It is still unclear the potential impact of these insertion mutations on the viral replication capacity and/or susceptibility to integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs). The objective of this study was to describe a previously unreported amino acid insertion in the IN coding region of HIV‐1 isolates obtained from antiretroviral treatment‐naïve infected individuals. Nucleotide sequences of HIV‐1 isolates obtained from two infected individuals were analyzed for genotypic resistance to antiretroviral drugs. Phylogenetic inference was carried out for HIV‐1 genetic variant identification. An unreported insertion of a threonine (T) and an asparagine (N) between codon 255 and 256 (S255N_TN) was identified in the IN C‐terminal domain of HIV‐1 subtype G isolates. No resistance‐associated mutations to INSTIs were detected in the inserted sequences. Both individuals maintained undetectable HIV‐1 RNA viral load, 24 months after undergoing antiretroviral treatment with an INSTI containing regimen. The results demonstrated the possibility of transmission of this insertion mutation and suggested that the codon 255 insert by itself may not affect susceptibility to INSTIs. Highlights: A new insertion mutation in HIV‐1 integrase. The codon 255 insert by itself may not affect susceptibility to INSTIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inclusive language focuses on using the vocabulary to avoid exclusion or discrimination, specially referred to gender. The task of finding gender bias in written documents must be performed manually, and it is a time-consuming process. Consequently, studying the usage of non-inclusive language on a document, and the impact of different document properties (such as author gender, date of presentation, etc.) on how many non-inclusive instances are found, is quite difficult or even impossible for big datasets. This research analyzes the gender bias in academic texts by analyzing a study corpus of more than 12,000 million words obtained from more than one hundred thousand doctoral theses from Spanish universities. For this purpose, an automated algorithm was developed to evaluate the different characteristics of the document and look for interactions between age, year of publication, gender or the field of knowledge in which the doctoral thesis is framed. The algorithm identified information patterns using a CNN (convolutional neural network) by the creation of a vector representation of the sentences. The results showed evidence that there was a greater bias as the age of the authors increased, who were more likely to use non-inclusive terms; it was concluded that there is a greater awareness of inclusiveness in women than in men, and also that this awareness grows as the candidate is younger. The results showed evidence that the age of the authors increased discrimination, with men being more likely to use non-inclusive terms (up to an index of 23.12), showing that there is a greater awareness of inclusiveness in women than in men in all age ranges (with an average of 14.99), and also that this awareness grows as the candidate is younger (falling down to 13.07). In terms of field of knowledge, the humanities are the most biased (20.97), discarding the subgroup of Linguistics, which has the least bias at all levels (9.90), and the field of science and engineering, which also have the least influence (13.46). Those results support the assumption that the bias in academic texts (doctoral theses) is due to unconscious issues: otherwise, it would not depend on the field, age, gender, and would occur in any field in the same proportion. The innovation provided by this research lies mainly in the ability to detect, within a textual document in Spanish, whether the use of language can be considered non-inclusive, based on a CNN that has been trained in the context of the doctoral thesis. A significant number of documents have been used, using all accessible doctoral theses from Spanish universities of the last 40 years; this dataset is only manageable by data mining systems, so that the training allows identifying the terms within the context effectively and compiling them in a novel dictionary of non-inclusive terms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sterile insect technique (SIT) is widely used in integrated pest management programs for the control of the Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly), Ceratitis capitata. The genetic interactions between the released individuals from the genetic sexing strains (GSS), used for SIT applications worldwide, and wild individuals have not been studied. Under the hypothesis that a number of Vienna GSS individuals released to the field might not be completely sterile and may produce viable offspring, we have analyzed medfly Spanish field populations to evaluate the presence of Vienna strain genetic markers. To this goal, we have used contrasted nuclear and mitochondrial genetic markers, and two novel sets of nuclear polymorphisms with the potential to be markers to discriminate between Vienna and wild individuals. Nuclear Vienna markers located on the 5th chromosome of Vienna males have been found in 2.2% (19 from 875) of the Spanish wild medfly females captured at the area where SIT is applied. In addition, a female-inherited mitochondrial Vienna marker has been found in two from the 19 females showing nuclear Vienna markers. The detection of several of these markers in single individuals represents evidence of the introgression of Vienna strain into natural populations. However, alternative explanations as their presence at low frequency in wild populations in the studied areas cannot be fully discarded. The undesired release of non-fully sterile irradiated GSS individuals into the field and their interactions with wild flies, and the potential environmental implications should be taken into account in the application of the SIT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decoherence effects experienced by the qubits of a quantum processor are generally characterized using the amplitude damping time (T1) and the dephasing time (T2). Quantum channel models that exist at the time of writing assume that these parameters are fixed and invariant. However, recent experimental studies have shown that they exhibit a time-varying (TV) behaviour. These time-dependant fluctuations of T1 and T2, which become even more pronounced in the case of superconducting qubits, imply that conventional static quantum channel models do not capture the noise dynamics experienced by realistic qubits with sufficient precision. In this article, we study how the fluctuations of T1 and T2 can be included in quantum channel models. We propose the idea of time-varying quantum channel (TVQC) models, and we show how they provide a more realistic portrayal of decoherence effects than static models in some instances. We also discuss the divergence that exists between TVQCs and their static counterparts by means of a metric known as the diamond norm. In many circumstances this divergence can be significant, which indicates that the time-dependent nature of decoherence must be considered, in order to construct models that capture the real nature of quantum devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communications, navigation, and other related systems need to have a well-defined antenna radiation pattern. In onboard vessel systems, the radiation pattern can be much different than the one obtained for an isolated antenna (because of the vessel's structure and other nearby radiating systems interference). Finding out the onboard antenna's radiation pattern is a well-known problem for any shipbuilder/owner. The conventional method consists of measuring radiation patterns from a fixed antenna on the coast while the ship is navigating in circles. Recent electronic systems in the market now allow for an alternative method: keeping the ship static while an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) circles it, measuring the antenna's transmitted power. This research paper examines the airspace volume and optimal flight path of an off-the-shelf UAV system for measuring the onboard antenna's radiation pattern in the presence of physical constraints such as the vessel's dimensions, safety zone, distance to base, Fresnel's and multipath distances, and considering the loss due to polarization decoupling between the antenna under test and UAV's antenna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The sustainable control of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), is compromised by the development of resistance to malathion and lambda‐cyhalothrin in Spanish field populations. At present, field populations remain susceptible to spinosad. However, the resistant strain JW‐100s has been obtained under laboratory selection with spinosad, and resistance has been associated with the presence of different mutations causing truncated transcripts of the α6 subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChRα6). RESULTS: An F1 screen assay followed by the molecular characterization of surviving flies has been used to search for spinosad‐resistant alleles in field populations. Two different resistant alleles giving rise to truncated isoforms of Ccα6 have been identified, which corresponds to an estimated allelic frequency of at least 0.0023–0.0046. The fitness values of the resistant nAChRα6 alleles found in the laboratory strain JW‐100s were estimated to be 0.4 for RR and 0.2 for SR. Mathematical modelling predicted that spinosad‐resistant alleles will rapidly decline over time in field populations if their fitness cost was the same as estimated for laboratory‐resistant alleles. However, they are predicted to increase in the field if their fitness cost is lower and resistance management strategies are not implemented. CONCLUSION: Spinosad‐resistant alleles have been detected in field populations for the first time. Our modelling simulations indicate that the best option to delay the appearance of spinosad resistance would be its rotation with other insecticides without cross‐resistance. The integrated F1 screen/molecular genetic analysis presented here can be used for future monitoring studies. © 2020 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new type of Li mineralisation in hard rock has been found to occur in the Valdeflórez area (Cáceres, Spain), where there is 111.3 Mt of resources and a mean value of 0.61 wt% of Li2O. Lithium is mainly held by very fine-grained micas, important constituents of Ordovician psammopelitic rocks belonging to the Palaeozoic metasedimentary sequence of the Cáceres syncline. The mineralised zone has an elliptical surface shape with a dimension of ~ 700 × 500 m. Lithium-bearing rocks show a characteristic layered appearance, in which light grey quartz-micaceous laminae < 1 mm to some centimetres in thickness, with a variable ratio of quartz to mica, alternate with fine to very fine-grained, dark grey to black tourmalinite laminae parallel to the regional foliation. Subvertical quartz + (montebrasite)-veins that cut the regional foliation at an extremely high angle are also common in this area. Mineralisation and the associated veins are likely to be linked to the intrusion of the nearby Cabeza de Araya pluton. The infiltration of granite-derived Li-, F-, B- and P-rich aqueous fluids into the host rocks through fractures related to shearing processes is considered to be the cause of the formation of Li-rich micas and intense tourmalinisation at the expense of pre-existing phyllosilicates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainability of control programs for the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, for citrus crops in Spain has been threatened by the development of resistance to malathion and lambda-cyhalothrin in recent years. Spinosad is widely used without apparent loss of efficacy. However, a highly resistant strain, JW-100s, has been obtained after laboratory selection. Spinosad resistance in JW-100s has been associated with different mutant alleles of the α6 subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (Ccα6) including an isoform-specific truncation allele, Ccα63aQ68*. Using the GAL4 > UAS system in Drosophila melanogaster to demonstrate expression of this truncated α6 subunit, in a dα6 loss-of-function genetic background, does not rescue susceptibility to spinosad, while the expression of Ccα6 wild-type isoforms does. We have also generated C. capitata isolines from JW-100s homozygous for: (1) the Ccα63aQ68*Δ3b-4 allele, which contains the mutation 3aQ68*, and (2) the Ccα63aQ68*–K352* allele, which contains the mutations 3aQ68* and K352*. Neither of these produce complete Ccα6 transcripts. The frequency of resistant alleles declined when in competition with individuals carrying the wild-type allele. Through extensive testing of both biological and behavioral fitness traits, we identified a reduced ability of Ccα63aQ68*Δ3b-4 males to detect the parapheromone and to mate with females carrying the Ccα63aQ68*–K352* allele in competition experiments. Thus, not only the potential for spontaneous resistant mutations to arise in Ccα6 but also their fitness costs must be considered when planning resistance management strategies for C. capitata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design and first results of a large‐solid‐angle X‐ray emission spectrometer that is optimized for energies between 1.5 keV and 5.5 keV are presented. The spectrometer is based on an array of 11 cylindrically bent Johansson crystal analyzers arranged in a non‐dispersive Rowland circle geometry. The smallest achievable energy bandwidth is smaller than the core hole lifetime broadening of the absorption edges in this energy range. Energy scanning is achieved using an innovative design, maintaining the Rowland circle conditions for all crystals with only four motor motions. The entire spectrometer is encased in a high‐vacuum chamber that allocates a liquid helium cryostat and provides sufficient space for in situ cells and operando catalysis reactors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ceftobiprole is a broad-spectrum, fifth-generation cephalosporin currently approved for community-acquired and non-ventilator-associated hospital-acquired pneumonia. High bactericidal and anti-biofilm activity has been exhibited in in vitro and animal models. This, together with its synergism with other antibiotics against gram-positive bacteria, makes it an ideal candidate for treatment of complex infections, such as those associated with devices or infective endocarditis. More clinical data are needed to achieve drug positioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The equatorial Daule and Babahoyo rivers meet and combine into the tidal Guayas River, which flows into the largest estuary on the Pacific coast of South America. The city of Guayaquil, located along the Guayas, is the main port of Ecuador but, at the same time, the planet's fourth most vulnerable city to future flooding due to climate change. Sedimentation, which has increased in recent years, is seen as one of the factors contributing to the risk of flooding. The cause of this sedimentation is the subject of the current research. We used the process-based Delft3D FM model to assess the dominant processes in the river and the effects that past interventions along the river and its estuary have had on the overall sediment budget. Additionally, a simulation including sea level rise was used in order to understand the possible future impact of climate change on the sediment budget. Results indicate an increase in tidal asymmetry due to land reclamation and a decrease in episodic flushing by river floods due to upstream dam construction. These processes have induced an increased import of marine sediment potentially responsible for the observed sedimentation. This is in contrast with the local perception of the problem, which ascribes sedimentation to deforestation in the upper catchment. Only the deposition of silt and clay in connected stagnant water bodies could perhaps be ascribed to upstream deforestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel scheme for the slow block fading Gaussian multiple access relay channel inspired by the compute-and-forward (CoF) relaying strategy. The CoF relaying strategy exploits interference to obtain significantly higher rates between users in a network by decoding linear functions of the transmitted messages. Unlike other approaches in the literature, our approach is valid for any number of transmitters and, most importantly, it only requires channel state information at the receiver side, while it still attains similar or higher rates than the other approaches found in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Equatorial Daule and Babahoyo rivers meet and combine into the tidal Guayas River, which flows into the largest estuary on the Pacific coast of South America. The city of Guayaquil, located along the Guayas, is the main port of Ecuador but, at the same time, the planet's fourth most vulnerable city to future flooding due to climate change. Fluvial sedimentation, which has increased in the recent years, is seen as one of the factors contributing to the risk of flooding. The planning and design of effective mitigation measures requires a good understanding of the causes which have led to the current hazards. In this study, the process-based Delft3D FM model was used in order to explain the dominant processes in the river and the effects that past interventions along the river and its estuary have had in the overall sediment budget. Additionally, a simulation including sea level rise was used in order to understand the possible future impact of climate change on the sediment budget. Results indicate that the increased import of marine sediment is the result of the recent increase in tidal asymmetry due to land reclamation and a decrease of episodic flushing by river floods due to upstream dam construction. This is in contrast with the local perception of the problem, which ascribes sedimentation to deforestation in the upper catchment. Only the deposition of silt and clay in connected stagnant water bodies could perhaps be ascribed to upstream deforestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, we design a low-latency, low-complexity, and low-transmission power analog linear coding scheme to estimate the finite-length data blocks under a mean-square-error (distortion) criterion. The proposed scheme is based on the analog linear coding and the discrete Fourier transform. A remarkable feature of our scheme is that it does not require knowing the correlation matrix of the data blocks, and therefore, it can be used even if the correlation matrix changes slowly with time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper focuses on the modeling, simulation, and experimental verification of wideband single-input single-output (SISO) mobile fading channels for indoor propagation environments. The indoor reference channel model is derived from a geometrical rectangle scattering model, which consists of an infinite number of scatterers. It is assumed that the scatterers are exponentially distributed over the two-dimensional (2D) horizontal plane of a rectangular room. Analytical expressions are derived for the probability density function (PDF) of the angle of arrival (AOA), the PDF of the propagation path length, the power delay profile (PDP), and the frequency correlation function (FCF). An efficient sum-of-cisoids (SOC) channel simulator is derived from the nonrealizable reference model by employing the SOC principle. It is shown that the SOC channel simulator approximates closely the reference model with respect to the FCF. The SOC channel simulator enables the performance evaluation of wideband indoor wireless communication systems with reduced realization expenditure. Moreover, the rationality and usefulness of the derived indoor channel model is confirmed by various measurements at 2.4, 5, and 60 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Use of MON 810 maize (Zea mays), which expresses the insecticidal protein Cry1Ab from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt maize), is a highly effective method to control Sesamia nonagrioides (Lefèbvre), a key maize pest in Mediterranean countries. Monitoring programs to assess the potential development of resistance of target pests to Bt maize are mandatory in the European Union (EU). Here we report the results of the S. nonagrioides resistance monitoring plan implemented for MON 810 maize in the EU between 2004 and 2015 and reassess the different components of this long-term harmonized plan. RESULTS: Nomajor shifts in the susceptibility of S. nonagrioides to theCry1Abprotein have occurred over time. The reassessment of this long-term program has identified some practical and technical constraints, allowing us to provide specific recommendations for improvement: use reference strains instead of susceptibility baselines as comparators for field-collected populations; shift fromdose–response bioassays to diagnostic concentrations; and focus monitoring on areas with high adoption rates, such as the Ebro basin in Spain. CONCLUSION: There are no signs of field resistance of S. nonagrioides to the Cry1Ab protein of MON 810 maize. Specific recommendations for improvement are provided, based on the knowledge and experience accumulated through the implementation of this unique EU-wide harmonized plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-circular or improper Gaussian signaling has proven beneficial in several interference-limited wireless networks. However, all implementable coding schemes are based on finite discrete constellations rather than Gaussian signals. In this paper, we propose a new family of improper constellations generated by widely linear processing of a square M-QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) signal. This family of discrete constellations is parameterized by κ , the circularity coefficient and a phase ϕ . For uncoded communication systems, this phase should be optimized as ϕ∗(κ) to maximize the minimum Euclidean distance between points of the improper constellation, therefore minimizing the bit error rate (BER). For the more relevant case of coded communications, where the coded symbols are constrained to be in this family of improper constellations using ϕ∗(κ) , it is shown theoretically and further corroborated by simulations that, except for a shaping loss of 1.53 dB encountered at a high signal-to-noise ratio (snr), there is no rate loss with respect to the improper Gaussian capacity. In this sense, the proposed family of constellations can be viewed as the improper counterpart of the standard proper M-QAM constellations widely used in coded communication systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using some recent results on asymptotically equivalent sequences of matrices, we present in this paper, a new derivation of the capacity formula given by Brandenburg and Wyner for a discrete-time Gaussian multiple-input-multiple-output channel with memory. In this paper, we tackle not only the case considered by them, where the number of channel inputs and the number of channel outputs are the same, but also when both numbers are different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a network, a distributed consensus algorithm is fully characterized by its weighting matrix. Although there exist numerical methods for obtaining the optimal weighting matrix, we have not found an in-network implementation of any of these methods that works for all network topologies. In this paper, we propose an in-network algorithm for finding such an optimal weighting matrix [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wide availability of power distribution cables provides an interesting no-new-wires communication channel. However, its electrical characteristics make it a harsh environment for the data transmission purpose and prevent the deployment of services with high reliability requirements. This paper proposes and implements an OSI-Layer2 network coding-based cooperative scheme with the aim of improving communication reliability in indoor narrowband powerline channels. The proposed scheme uses random linear network coding with a sliding window and relaying. We use network coding to replace the retransmissions triggered by legacy subsequent repeat request (ARQ) schemes. We evaluate the performance of our approach in terms of throughput and delay. Regarding the throughput achieved in harsh environments, we show that our scheme often more than doubles the throughput of existing legacy ARQ schemes. At the same time, and even under the large variation of traffic characteristics, it is shown that the delay is likely to be upper bounded by a few seconds, a bound that cannot be guaranteed in other existing transmission techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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Copyright of Cuadernos de Historia Contemporanea is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)