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Canopy base height (CBH) and canopy bulk density (CBD) are forest canopy fuel parameters that are key for modeling the behavior of crown wildfires. In this work, we map them at a pan-European scale for the year 2020, producing a new dataset consisting of two raster layers containing both variables at an approximate resolution of 100 m. Spatial data from Earth observation missions and derived down-stream products were retrieved and processed using artificial intelligence to first estimate a map of aboveground biomass (AGB). Allometric models were then used to estimate the spatial distribution of CBH using the canopy height values as explanatory variables and CBD using AGB values. Ad-hoc allometric models were defined for this study. Data provided by FIRE-RES project partners and acquired through field inventories was used for validating the final products using an independent dataset of 804 ground-truth sample plots. The CBH and CBD raster maps have, respectively, the following accuracy regarding specific metrics reported from the modeling procedures: (i) coefficient of correlation (R) of 0.445 and 0.330 (p-value < 0.001); (ii) root mean square of error (RMSE) of 3.9 m and 0.099 kg m−3; and (iii) a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 61% and 76%. Regarding CBD, the accuracy metrics improved in closed canopies (canopy cover > 80%) to R = 0.457, RMSE = 0.085, and MAPE = 59%. In short, we believe that the degree of accuracy is reasonable in the resulting maps, producing CBH and CBD datasets at the pan-European scale to support fire mitigation and crown fire simulations.

This study presents results regarding the estimation of two critical variables for modelling fire behaviour and fire danger: the canopy base height (CBH) and the canopy bulk density (CBD). Both variables have been mapped as raster datasets at a 100-meter spatial resolution across Europe, harmonizing data for all EU countries. Therefore, these canopy fuels are subsequently used for further processing regarding the identification of fire danger assessment, being a key input for forest fire prevention actions. A more in-depth analysis of these findings has been submitted to a journal and is currently in a revision phase. We present here a summary of the results and ideas for future developments. The overall study consists of estimating CBH and CBD using Earth observation products combined with artificial intelligence and species-specific allometric equations, applied geo-spatially using a tree species map of Europe encompassing the 16 most important tree species. Validation was carried out by comparing the results with higher-accuracy sampling methods, combining LiDAR data and field measurements in different European latitudes, typically applied on a smaller scale and with greater detail. Results show, as expected, a higher level of uncertainty than local methods, but they are still applicable to the European scale for which they were implemented. The accuracies reported in our study, when considering aggregated data on the 7 areas in Portugal were the following: R = 0.75, RMSE = 0.890 m, and MAPE = 54% for the mean CBH, and R = 0.93, RMSE = 0.020 kg m−3, and MAPE = 57% for the mean CBD.

Laser scanning data are increasingly used to segment forests into homogeneous units, called segments or stand compartments. Region growing and region merging have been traditionally employed for this purpose. Recently, alternative methods such as cellular automata (CA), self-organizing maps (SOM), and combinatorial optimization have emerged, promising more homogeneous stand delineations. However, these newer methods often require fine-tuning due to rugged stand boundaries. To address this, we propose and assess a novel hybrid approach that combines two segmentation algorithms, resulting in smoother boundaries and homogeneous stands. Our hybrid method outperforms traditional fine-tuning techniques, particularly using CA or SOM for initial segmentation and then refining it with another cellular automaton (CA’), adjusted to produce smooth boundaries. The new two-step hybrid method resulted in better segmentation results than the one-step algorithm combined with previously suggested fine-tuning methods. SOM-CA’ showed the highest degree of explained variance (R2) of the LiDAR metrics used in the segmentation. CA-CA’ reached almost the same R2 values with a larger average segment area. When the R2 of the LiDAR metrics was used as the criterion, the segments produced by the hybrid method outperformed the stand delineations of the current Spanish forest map with a clear margin.

Resumen: Antecedentes: En España, aunque el Ministerio de Sanidad elabora el informe de posicionamiento terapéutico (IPT) y las condiciones de reembolso de los fármacos, las Comunidades Autónomas (CC. AA.) gestionan los servicios de salud y deciden sobre las condiciones de prescripción en su ámbito territorial. El objetivo del estudio EQUIDAD fue describir los condicionantes para la prescripción de los nuevos fármacos en Dermatología en las CC. AA. y sus posibles diferencias. Material y métodos: Estudio transversal realizado en abril-mayo del 2023. Dos dermatólogos con responsabilidades directivas de cada Comunidad Autónoma (C. A.) informaron sobre los condicionantes autonómicos y locales en la prescripción de los fármacos cuyo IPT para el tratamiento de enfermedades dermatológicas fue publicado en los años 2016-2022. Los datos fueron recogidos mediante un cuestionario online. Resultados: Un total de 33 investigadores de 17 CC. AA. participaron en el estudio. Se observaron inequidades entre CC. AA. para el acceso a los nuevos fármacos. Existieron condicionantes autonómicos adicionales al IPT en psoriasis en el 64,7% de las CC. AA., siendo este porcentaje menor en dermatitis atópica (35,3%) o melanoma (11,8%). El más frecuente fue el requisito de un orden de prescripción previo para el uso del fármaco. En algunas CC. AA. se detectaron además variaciones y condicionantes locales (diferencias entre centros de una misma C. A.). Conclusiones: Existe una multiplicidad de criterios tanto a nivel autonómico como local que añade restricciones adicionales a las establecidas por los IPT y que plantean una situación de inequidad entre los pacientes y los profesionales de las diferentes CC. AA. en el acceso a los nuevos fármacos. Abstract: Background: Although the Spanish Ministry of Health prepares national therapeutic positioning reports (TPRs) and drug reimbursement policies, each of the country's 17 autonomous communities (ACs) is responsible for health care services and prescription requirements in its territory. The aim of the EQUIDAD study was to describe and explore potential differences in prescription requirements for new dermatology drugs across the autonomous communities. Material and methods: Cross-sectional study conducted in April and May, 2023. Two dermatologists with management responsibilities from each autonomous community reported on territorial and more local prescription requirements for drugs covered by national TPRs issued between 2016 and 2022. Results: Thirty-three researchers from 17 autonomous communities participated. The data submitted revealed between-community inequities in access to new drugs. Overall, 64.7% of the regions imposed additional prescription requirements to those mentioned in the TPRs for psoriasis. This percentage was lower for atopic dermatitis (35.3%) and melanoma (11.8%). The most common requirement for accessing a new drug was a previous prescription for another drug. Differences and additional requirements were also detected atthe local level (i.e., differences between hospitals within the same autonomous community). Conclusions: Spain's autonomous communities have multiple regional and local prescription requirements that are not aligned with national TPR recommendations. These differences result in inequitable access to new drugs for both patients and practitioners across Spain.

Wildfire risk has been exacerbated across Europe by climate change favoring more damaging and severe wildfire events. This evolving wildfire risk context interacts with a broad landscape of EU policies including those on nature conservation, forestry, bioeconomy or climate and energy, all of which may increase or reduce fire hazard and the level of exposure and vulnerability of the values at risk. Coherently addressed, policies may support wildfire disaster risk management synergistically while reducing potential dysfunctions. This research conducts a content analysis of EU policies and initiatives under the European Green Deal with respect to integrated wildfire risk management and related nature-based solutions. The results show that a consistent EU policy framework to address wildfire risk reduction in a synergic way exists, with no major conflicts in the policy design. Nevertheless, better guidance on fire-smart land management practices and the conceptualization of wildfire-related nature-based solutions may enhance a more coherent policy implementation. Additional suggestions around the legal status of wildfire protection and ‘whole of government’ governance frameworks are discussed. Notably, within the laws, policies and initiatives analyzed, the beneficial side of fire addressed by integrated fire management is either missing or not explicitly mentioned, although it is considered in policy-related supporting guidelines.

We present a browser-based App for smartphones that is freely available to end-users for collecting geotagged and oriented photos depicting vegetation biomass and fuel characteristics. Our solution builds on advantages of smartphones, allowing their use as easy sensors to collect data by imaging forest ecosystems. The strength and innovation of the proposed solution is based on the following points: (i) using a low memory footprint App, streaming images and data with as little data-volume and memory as needed; (ii) using JavaScript APIs that can be launched from both a browser or as an installed App, as it applies features such as service workers and Progressive Web App; (iii) storing both image and survey data (geolocation and sensor orientation) internally to the device on an indexed database, and synchronizing the data to a cloud-based server when the smartphone is online and when all other safety tests have been successfully passed. The goal is to achieve properly positioned and oriented photos that can be used as training and testing data for future estimation of the surface fuel types based on automatic segmentation and classification via Machine Learning and Deep Learning.

Background: Although the Spanish Ministry of Health prepares national therapeutic positioning reports (TPRs) and drug reimbursement policies, each of the country's 17 autonomous communities (ACs) is responsible for health care services and prescription requirements in its territory. The aim of the EQUIDAD study was to describe and explore potential differences in prescription requirements for new dermatology drugs across the autonomous communities. Material and methods: Cross-sectional study conducted in April and May, 2023. Two dermatologists with management responsibilities from each autonomous community reported on territorial and more local prescription requirements for drugs covered by national TPRs issued between 2016 and 2022. Results: Thirty-three researchers from 17 autonomous communities participated. The data submitted revealed between-community inequities in access to new drugs. Overall, 64.7% of the regions imposed additional prescription requirements to those mentioned in the TPRs for psoriasis. This percentage was lower for atopic dermatitis (35.3%) and melanoma (11.8%). The most common requirement for accessing a new drug was a previous prescription for another drug. Differences and additional requirements were also detected at the local level (i.e., differences between hospitals within the same autonomous community). Conclusions: Spain's autonomous communities have multiple regional and local prescription requirements that are not aligned with national TPR recommendations. These differences result in inequitable access to new drugs for both patients and practitioners across Spain. Resumen: Antecedentes: En España, aunque el Ministerio de Sanidad elabora el informe de posicionamiento terapéutico (IPT) y las condiciones de reembolso de los fármacos, las Comunidades Autónomas (CC. AA.) gestionan los servicios de salud y deciden sobre las condiciones de prescripción en su ámbito territorial. El objetivo del estudio EQUIDAD fue describir los condicionantes para la prescripción de los nuevos fármacos en Dermatología en las CC. AA. y sus posibles diferencias. Material y métodos: Estudio transversal realizado en abril-mayo del 2023. Dos dermatólogos con responsabilidades directivas de cada Comunidad Autónoma (C. A.) informaron sobre los condicionantes autonómicos y locales en la prescripción de los fármacos cuyo IPT para el tratamiento de enfermedades dermatológicas fue publicado en los años 2016-2022. Los datos fueron recogidos mediante un cuestionario online. Resultados: Un total de 33 investigadores de 17 CC. AA. participaron en el estudio. Se observaron inequidades entre CC. AA. para el acceso a los nuevos fármacos. Existieron condicionantes autonómicos adicionales al IPT en psoriasis en el 64,7% de las CC. AA., siendo este porcentaje menor en dermatitis atópica (35,3%) o melanoma (11,8%). El más frecuente fue el requisito de un orden de prescripción previo para el uso del fármaco. En algunas CC. AA. se detectaron además variaciones y condicionantes locales (diferencias entre centros de una misma C. A.). Conclusiones: Existe una multiplicidad de criterios tanto a nivel autonómico como local que añade restricciones adicionales a las establecidas por los IPT y que plantean una situación de inequidad entre los pacientes y los profesionales de las diferentes CC. AA. en el acceso a los nuevos fármacos.

Currently, AI-designed systems in which, given a certain input or prompt, the system returns an output or response are becoming very popular. A chatbot is an example of this kind of system. However, human beings, besides processing the input stimuli or information adequately, are also capable of simultaneously expressing an emotional response to that input information. This is a major factor in the survival of our species. For years, bio-inspired AI models have been proposed in order to make AI systems more human-like. Paradigms, such as neuromorphic computing, represent an example of this trend. In this paper, we propose a new approach that we have termed hormone-morphic by designing a chatbot, Fattybot, with which it is possible to have a conversation. However, since Fattybot is endowed with both a hormonal and immune system, it can feel anxiety or some other altered condition during a conversation, which induces the chatbot to eat compulsively. The ultimate goal of the work is to propose AI systems that not only process information but also experience some of the emotional traits of human beings. In this paper, several simulation experiments are performed showing the usefulness of this approach, for example, in the simulation of a virtual patient.

Resumen: Introducción y objetivos: Las fracturas de fémur distal representan un problema por su elevado número de complicaciones. El objetivo fue comparar los resultados, las complicaciones y la estabilidad conseguidos con el enclavado intramedular retrógrado y la placa de estabilidad angular en el tratamiento de las fracturas diafisarias distales de fémur. Material y método: Se realizó un estudio clínico y experimental biomecánico mediante elementos finitos. Los resultados de las simulaciones permitieron obtener los principales resultados relacionados con la estabilidad de la osteosíntesis. En el seguimiento clínico se utilizaron frecuencias en variables cualitativas, y la prueba exacta de Fisher y la prueba χ2 para evaluar la significación de los diferentes factores, con la condición p

Abstract Continuous renal replacement techniques (CRRT) can induce complications and monitoring is crucial to ensure patient safety. We designed a prospective multicenter observational and descriptive study using the DIALYREG registry, an online database located on a REDCap web-based platform that allows real-time data analysis. Our main objective was to identify CRRT-related complications in our intensive care units (ICUs) and implement security measures accordingly. From January 2019 to December 2020, we included 323 patients with admission diagnoses of medical illness (54%), sepsis (24%), postoperative care (20%), and trauma (2%). CRRT indications were homeostasis (42%), oliguria (26%), fluid overload (15%), and hemodynamic optimization (13%). The median initial therapy dose was 30 ml/kg/h (IQR 25–40), and dynamic adjustment was performed in 61% of the treatments. Sets were anticoagulated with heparin (40%), citrate (38%) or no anticoagulation (22%). Citrate anticoagulation had several advantages: more frequent dynamic CRRT dose adjustment (77% vs. 58% with heparin and 56% without anticoagulation, p

Molecular electronics represents an avenue to enrich conventional electronics, but its reproducibility and scalability are still challenging. Here, the authors report the realization of multifunctional hybrid molecular graphene field effect transistors enabling operando spectroscopy and the implementation of optoelectronic logic gates.

Resumen: Introducción: La mejoría de la esperanza de vida está incrementando la incidencia de fractura de cadera en centenarios. Nuestro objetivo es comparar las características basales de una serie de centenarios con fractura de cadera frente a controles de menor edad, analizando si existen diferencias en cuanto a complicaciones, mortalidad intrahospitalaria y supervivencia a corto-medio plazo. Material y métodos: Estudio retrospectivo, tipo caso control, sobre 24 centenarios y 48 controles octogenarios con fractura de cadera. Se analizó la presencia de comorbilidades y el índice de Charlson, la demora quirúrgica, las complicaciones, la estancia hospitalaria y la mortalidad durante el ingreso. Al alta se valoró la mortalidad precoz, la supervivencia después del año y el retorno a la funcionalidad previa. Resultados: No se encontraron diferencias significativas en parámetros basales ni en comorbilidades (p > 0,05), siendo el paciente tipo una mujer con fractura extracapsular. La estancia hospitalaria fue mayor en el grupo control (p = 0,038) y la complicación más frecuente la anemia, que precisó transfusión sanguínea (23/24 en los centenarios, p .05), and the type of was a woman with an extracapsular fracture. Hospital stay was longer in the control group (P = .038), and the most frequent complication was anemia requiring transfusion (23/24 in centenarians, P

Introduction and objectives: Distal femoral fractures represent a problem due to their high number of complications. The aim was to compare the results, complications and stability achieved with retrograde intramedullary nailing and the angular stable plate in the treatment of distal femoral diaphyseal fractures. Material and method: A clinical and experimental biomechanical study was carried out using finite elements. The results of the simulations allowed us to obtain the main results related to the stability of osteosynthesis. For clinical follow-up data, frequencies were used for qualitative variables, and Fisher's exact test and χ2 test were used to evaluate the significance of the different factors, with the condition of P

Resumen: Antecedentes y objetivos: Es conveniente ampliar el conocimiento del manejo de apremilast en práctica clínica. El estudio APPRECIATE (NCT02740218) pretende describir las características de pacientes con psoriasis tratados con apremilast, evaluar sus perspectivas y las de sus dermatólogos, y los resultados obtenidos en la práctica clínica española. Métodos: Estudio observacional, retrospectivo, transversal y multicéntrico en pacientes con psoriasis crónica en placas, a los que se visitó seis (± 1) meses después de iniciar apremilast. Los datos se obtuvieron de las historias clínicas y cuestionarios realizados por pacientes y dermatólogos. Resultados: Se evaluaron 80 pacientes, al iniciar apremilast presentaban Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) medio (desviación estándar, DE) = 8,3 (5,3) y Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) medio (DE) = 8,9 (6,6). A los seis meses, el 58,8% (n = 47) continuaba con apremilast (discontinuaciones: falta de eficacia [16,3%], seguridad/tolerabilidad [20,0%]). En pacientes que continuaban en tratamiento, el PASI75 fue alcanzado por el 36,7%; la puntuación DLQI media (IC 95%) fue 2,2 (0,7-3,6) y Patient Benefit Index medio (DE) 2,8 (0,8). El cumplimiento de las expectativas de los dermatólogos se correlacionó con los beneficios descritos por los pacientes (r = 0,636). El 56,3% reportó acontecimientos adversos (diarrea y náuseas los más frecuentes). Conclusiones: Los pacientes que recibieron apremilast durante seis meses en la práctica clínica en España reportaron una mejoría en su calidad de vida (DLQI medio se redujo más de seis puntos) y en la gravedad de la enfermedad (PASI75 alcanzado por más de un tercio de los pacientes), a pesar de presentar una afectación cutánea menor que aquellos pacientes incluidos en ensayos clínicos. Abstract: Background and objectives: It is necessary to expand the knowledge in the use of apremilast in clinical practice. The APPRECIATE study (NCT02740218) aims to describe the characteristics of patients with psoriasis treated with apremilast, to evaluate their perspectives and those of dermatologists, as well as the outcomes obtained in clinical practice in Spain. Methods: Observational, retrospective, cross-sectional, multicenter study of patients with chronic plaque psoriasis who could be contacted 6 (±1) months after apremilast initiation. The data were obtained from medical records and questionnaires from patients and physicians. Results: A total of 80 patients were evaluated; at apremilast onset, they showed mean (standard deviation, SD) Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) = 8.3 (5.3), mean (SD) Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) = 8.9 (6.6). At six months, 58.8% (n=47) of patients continued apremilast treatment (discontinuations due to lack of efficacy [16.3%], safety/tolerability [20.0%]). In patients continuing treatment, PASI75 was achieved by 36.7% of patients; mean (95% CI) DLQI score was 2.2 (0.7-3.6) and mean (SD) Patient Benefit Index score was 2.8 (0.8). Compliance with physicians’ expectations was correlated with benefits reported by patients (r=0.636). Adverse events were reported by 56.3% of patients (the most common were diarrhoea and nausea). Conclusions: Patients receiving apremilast for 6 months in Spanish clinical practice, reported substantial improvements in their quality of life (mean DLQI reduced by more than 6 points) and disease severity (PASI75 achieved by over one-third of patients), despite less skin involvement than patients who enrolled in clinical trials.

Resumen: Introducción y objetivos: El objetivo de este estudio es valorar si los pacientes que han sufrido una fractura de cadera tienen una mortalidad más alta de la esperada. Material y métodos: Se realizó un estudio prospectivo, observacional donde se toma como muestra los pacientes con fractura de cadera a lo largo de un año, cuya cifra fue de 284 y el seguimiento mínimo fue de 2 años. La edad media de estos pacientes fue de 84,26 años, siendo el 21,48% (61/284) varones y el 78,5% (223/284) mujeres. La supervivencia y las enfermedades previas que afectan a la mortalidad como factores de riesgo se recogieron y se analizaron mediante el método de Kaplan-Meier y mediante la regresión de Cox. Se comparó la mortalidad real con la esperada según el Índice de Comorbilidad de Charlson, ajustado por la edad. Resultados: La patología previa fue el principal factor de mortalidad, siendo la cardiopatía la más significativa (HR: 1,817; IC95%: 1,048; 3,149). La mortalidad real al año de la muestra fue del 22,5%, mientras que la mortalidad anual estimada según el Índice de Comorbilidad de Charlson era de un 29,68% (IC95%: 44,36-15). Conclusiones: La fractura de cadera no provoca un aumento de mortalidad según la estimación del Índice de Comorbilidad de Charlson. Abstract: Background and objective: The aim of this study is to value whether patients who have suffered a hip fracture have a higher mortality than expected. Material and methods: A prospective, observational study was carried out where patients with hip fracture were collected as a sample over a year. The study included 284 patients and a minimum follow-up was 2 years. The mean age of these patients was 84.26 years, with 21.48% (61/284) males and 78.5% (223/284) females. Survival and previous diseases that affect mortality, as risk factors, were collected and analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and the Cox regression model. Actual mortality was compared with that expected according to the Charlson Comorbidity Index, adjusted for age. Results: Previous pathology was the main mortality factor, with heart disease being the most significant (OR 1.817, CI95%: 1.048; 3.149). The real mortality at one year of the sample was 22.5%, while the estimated annual mortality according to the Charlson Comorbidity Index was 29.68% (CI95%:44,36-15). Conclusions: Hip fracture does not cause an increase in mortality according to the Charlson Comorbidity Index estimate.

Introduction: Hip fractures in centenarians are rising due to the increase in life expectancy. The objective of this study is to compare the characteristics of centenarians’ hip fracture with a younger control group, and to analyze whether there are differences in terms of in-hospital mortality, complications, and short-medium-term survival between them. Material and methods: Retrospective case–control study, with a series of 24 centenarians and 48 octogenarians with a hip fracture. Comorbidities and Charlson index, surgical delay, complications and mortality during admission, and hospital stay were analyzed. At discharge, early mortality, survival after one year, and return to previous functionality were assessed. Results: No significant differences were found in baseline parameters or comorbidities (P > .05), and the type of was a woman with an extracapsular fracture. Hospital stay was longer in thecontrol group (p = .038), and the most frequent complication was anemia requiring transfusion (23/24 in centenarians, p 0,05), siendo el paciente tipo una mujer con fractura extracapsular. La estancia hospitalaria fue mayor en el grupo control (p = 0,038) y la complicación más frecuente la anemia, que precisó transfusión sanguínea (23/24 en los centenarios, p < 0,0001). La mortalidad intrahospitalaria y acumulada al año en los centenarios fue del 33 y el 67%, respectivamente, frente al 10 y 25% en octogenarios (p = 0,017, OR = 4,3 [1,224-15,101] y p = 0,110]. Solo 2 pacientes centenarios consiguieron volver a caminar tras la intervención, frente a un 53,84% que volvió a la situación funcional previa en los controles (p = 0,003). Conclusiones: Frente a un grupo control de pacientes de menor edad, la mortalidad intrahospitalaria y en el primer año tras una fractura de cadera es significativamente mayor en los centenarios y muy pocos recuperan la actividad previa a la fractura.

Levetiracetam is a broad-spectrum antiepileptic drug commonly used in intensive care units (ICUs). The objective of this study is to evaluate the adequacy of levetiracetam dosing in patients with normal or augmented renal clearance (ARC) admitted to the ICU by population modelling and simulation. A multicentre prospective study including twenty-seven critically ill patients with urinary creatinine clearance (CrCl) > 50 mL/min and treated with levetiracetam was developed. Levetiracetam plasma concentrations were best described by a two-compartment model. The parameter estimates and relative standard errors (%) were clearance (CL) 3.5 L/h (9%), central volume of distribution (V1) 20.7 L (18%), intercompartmental clearance 31.9 L/h (22%), and peripheral volume of distribution 33.5 L (13%). Interindividual variability estimates were, for the CL, 32.7% (21%) and, for V1, 56.1% (29%). The CrCl showed significant influence over CL. Simulations showed that the administration of at least 500 mg every 8 h or 1000 mg every 12 h are needed in patients with normal renal function. Higher doses (1500 or 2000 mg, every 8 h) are needed in patients with ARC. Critically ill patients with normal or ARC treated with levetiracetam could be at high risk of being underdosed.

The study analyses the individual and joint impact of family control and diversification on the performance of major Spanish corporations, considering the nature of the ultimate owner of non-family groups. The study uses a sample of ninety-nine Spanish corporations, each comprising a parent company listed on the stock exchange and a set of subsidiaries. Heckman's two-step correction is used to eliminate selection bias and the endogeneity of family ownership. Different models are contemplated in which we analyse the impact of both diversification and the family nature of a business on performance, established as Tobin's q-value. The results show how family control has a negative impact on Tobin's q-value, and that differences are greater between family groups and non-family groups controlled by banks and/or foreign agents. They also show how diversification does not affect the creation of value either individually or considering the possible moderating effect of family ownership.

Molecular electronics holds promise to overcome scaling limits of conventional technologies, but is currently limited to low frequency operation. Here, Trasobares et al. show radio frequencies of up to 17.8 GHz in a molecular diode based on ferrocenyl undecanethiol self-assembled monolayers on gold nanodots.

In the last decade, the interest for the study of ownership structure as a determinant of diversification arises. However, there is a lack of researches that analyze the influence of the nature of the ultimate owner in the level and type of diversification. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to analyze the diversification strategies used by the main Spanish business groups whose parent company is listed on the stock markets, and to study the differences between family and non-family business groups, considering in these last, the type of ultimate owner. In the study a sample of ninety-nine listed companies is used, where companies that constitute the business group are identified. In the paper are used as econometric methodologies the binomial logistic models and panel data models. The results show that family nature of business group positively influences in specialization and related diversification and negatively on unrelated diversification. Family groups differ most form those non-family groups where there is not a reference shareholder than can exercise effective control and ownership dispersion is higher, the groups referred as non effective control. The research allows further analysis of differences between family and non-family groups, considering the nature of the ultimate owner for non-family groups.

E-beam lithography has been used for reliable and versatile fabrication of sub-15 nm single-crystal gold nanoarrays and led to convincing applications in nanotechnology. However, so far this technique was either too slow for centimeter to wafer-scale writing or fast enough with the so-called dot on the fly (DOTF) technique but not optimized for sub-15 nm dots dimension. This prevents use of this technology for some applications and characterization techniques. Here, we show that the DOTF technique can be used without degradation in dots dimension. In addition, we propose two other techniques. The first one is an advanced conventional technique that goes five times faster than the conventional one. The second one relies on sequences defined before writing which enable versatility in e-beam patterns compared to the DOTF technique with same writing speed. By comparing the four different techniques, we evidence the limiting parameters for the writing speed. Wafer-scale fabrication of such arrays with 50 nm pitch allowed XPS analysis of a ferrocenylalkyl thiol self-assembled monolayer coated gold nanoarray.

La exposición de la población general al cadmio es un problema de salud pública, siendo las principales fuentes tanto el consumo de tabaco como la exposición al humo del mismo.El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar la concentración de cadmio en sangre en una población laboral hospitalaria y su asociación con el consumo de tabaco.Se administró el cuestionario PESA® a 395 sujetos. El cadmio en sangre se midió por espectrometría de absorción atómica con atomización electrotérmica.La mediana de cadmio en sangre fue 0,29 μg/L. La mediana de cadmio de los fumadores (0,83 μg/L) fue la más elevada y la de los exfumadores (0,31 μg/L) fue a su vez más elevada que la de aquellos que nunca habían fumado (0,21 μg/L). Dentro del grupo de fumadores, se observó una asociación entre la concentración de cadmio y el número de cigarrillos inhalados.En el grupo de exfumadores se observó una asociación con el número de cigarrillos que habían consumido y una correlación negativa entre el tiempo transcurrido desde el abandono del hábito tabáquico y la concentración de cadmio en sangre.Dentro del grupo de los que nunca habían fumado, se observó una diferencia entre la concentración de cadmio de los fumadores pasivos (0,24 μg/L) y los que no lo eran (0,20 μg/L).La concentración de cadmio en sangre se relacionó con el consumo de tabaco. Son necesarios más estudios para confirmar el hallazgo de concentraciones de cadmio más elevadas en los fumadores pasivos.Exposure to cadmium is a public health problem due to the broad exposure to this toxic substance among the general population. The main sources of exposure are both tobacco consumption and tobacco smoke.The aim of this study was to determine the blood cadmium concentration in an employee population drawn from our hospital and its association with tobacco consumption.The exposure questionnaire PESA® was administered to 395 employees. Blood cadmium was measured by electrothermal atomization atomic absorption spectrometry.The median blood cadmium concentration was 0.29 μg/L. The median cadmium of current smokers (0.83 μg/L) was the highest, while that for ex-smokers (0.31 μg/L) was also higher than that for those who had never smoked. Among the smokers, an association was observed between the concentration of blood cadmium and the number of cigarettes inhaled.The group of ex-smokers showed an association with the number of cigarettes they had consumed and a negative correlation between the elapsed time between quitting smoking and the concentration of blood cadmium.In never smokers, there was a difference between the concentration of cadmium in those who were passive smokers (0.24 μg/L) and those who were not (0.20 μg/L).The concentration of cadmium in blood is related to the tobacco consumption. Further studies are needed to confirm the finding of higher concentrations of cadmium in passive smokers.A exposição da população em geral ao cádmio é um problema de saúde pública, sendo as principais fontes o consumo de tabaco e a exposição ambiental ao fumo do mesmo. Este trabalho teve como objetivo determinar a concentração de cádmio no sangue numa população de trabalhadores de um hospital e a sua associação com o consumo de tabaco. Aplicou-se um questionário PESA® a 395 indivíduos. O cádmio no sangue mediu-se por espectrometria de absorção atómica com atomização eletrotérmica. A mediana de cádmio no sangue foi 0,29 μg/L. A mediana de cádmio nos fumadores (0,83 μg/L) foi a mais elevada e a dos ex-fumadores (0,31 μg/L) foi superior à dos indivíduos que nunca tinham fumado (0,21 μg/L). Dentro do grupo de fumadores, observou-se uma associação entre a concentração de cádmio e o número de cigarros fumados. No grupo de ex-fumadores observou-se uma associação com o número de cigarros que tinham consumido e uma correlação negativa entre o tempo decorrido desde o abandono do hábito tabágico e a concentração de cádmio no sangue. Dentro do grupo de pessoas que nunca tinham fumado, observou-se uma diferença entre a concentração de cádmio nos fumadores passivos (0,24 μg/L) em relação àqueles que não o eram (0,20 μg/L). A concentração de cádmio no sangue está relacionada com o consumo de tabaco. São necessários mais estudos para confirmar a existência de concentrações mais altas de cádmio no sangue de fumadores passivos.

A novel and simple transcription strategy has been designed for the template-synthesis of CePO4·xH2O nanofibers having an improved nanofibrous morphology using a pH-sensitive nanofibrous hydrogel (glycine-alanine lipodipeptide) as structure-directing scaffold. The phosphorylated hydrogel was employed as a template to direct the mineralization of high aspect ratio nanofibrous cerium phosphate, which in-situ formed by diffusion of aqueous CeCl3 and subsequent drying (60 °C) and annealing treatments (250, 600 and 900 °C). Dried xerogels and annealed CePO4 powders were characterized by conventional thermal and thermogravimetric analysis (DTA/TG), and Wide-Angle X-ray powder diffraction (WAXD) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) techniques. A molecular packing model for the formation of the fibrous xerogel template was proposed, in accordance with results from Fourier-Transformed Infrarred (FTIR) and WAXD measurements. The morphology, crystalline structure and composition of CePO4 nanofibers were characterized by electron microscopy techniques (Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy/High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM/HRTEM), and Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy working in High Angle Annular Dark-Field (STEM-HAADF)) with associated X-ray energy-dispersive detector (EDS) and Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy-Electron Energy Loss (STEM-EELS) spectroscopies. Noteworthy, this templating approach successfully led to the formation of CePO4·H2O nanofibrous bundles of rather co-aligned and elongated nanofibers (10–20 nm thick and up to ca. 1 μm long). The formed nanofibers consisted of hexagonal (P6222) CePO4 nanocrystals (at 60 and 250 °C), with a better-grown and more homogeneous fibrous morphology with respect to a reference CePO4 prepared under similar (non-templated) conditions, and transformed into nanofibrous monoclinic monazite (P21/n) around 600 °C. The nanofibrous morphology was highly preserved after annealing at 900 °C under N2, although collapsed under air conditions. The nanofibrous CePO4 (as-prepared hexagonal and 900 °C-annealed monoclinic) exhibited an enhanced UV photo-luminescent emission with respect to non-fibrous homologues.

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Despite empirical support for an increase in ecosystem productivity with species diversity in synthetic systems, there is ample evidence that this relationship is dependent on environmental characteristics, especially in structurally more complex natural systems. Empirical support for this relationship in forests is urgently needed, as these ecosystems play an important role in carbon sequestration.We tested whether tree wood production is positively related to tree species richness while controlling for climatic factors, by analyzing 55265 forest inventory plots in 11 forest types across five European countries. On average, wood production was 24% higher in mixed than in monospecific forests. Taken alone, wood production was enhanced with increasing tree species richness in almost all forest types. In some forests, wood production was also greater with increasing numbers of tree types. Structural Equation Modeling indicated that the increase in wood production with tree species richness was largely mediated by a positive association between stand basal area and tree species richness. Mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation affected wood production and species richness directly. However, the direction and magnitude of the influence of climatic variables on wood production and species richness was not consistent, and vary dependent on forest type.Our analysis is the first to find a local scale positive relationship between tree species richness and tree wood production occurring across a continent. Our results strongly support incorporating the role of biodiversity in management and policy plans for forest carbon sequestration.

La exposición de la población general al cadmio es un problema de salud pública, siendo las principales fuentes tanto el consumo de tabaco como la exposición al humo del mismo. El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar la concentración de cadmio en sangre en una población laboral hospitalaria y su asociación con el consumo de tabaco. Se administró el cuestionario PESA® a 395 sujetos. El cadmio en sangre se midió por espectrometría de absorción atómica con atomización electrotérmica. La mediana de cadmio en sangre fue 0,29 μg/L. La mediana de cadmio de los fumadores (0,83 μg/L) fue la más elevada y la de los exfumadores (0,31 μg/L) fue a su vez más elevada que la de aquellos que nunca habían fumado (0,21 μg/L). Dentro del grupo de fumadores, se observó una asociación entre la concentración de cadmio y el número de cigarrillos inhalados. En el grupo de exfumadores se observó una asociación con el número de cigarrillos que habían consumido y una correlación negativa entre el tiempo transcurrido desde el abandono del hábito tabáquico y la concentración de cadmio en sangre. Dentro del grupo de los que nunca habían fumado, se observó una diferencia entre la concentración de cadmio de los fumadores pasivos (0,24 μg/L) y los que no lo eran (0,20 μg/L). La concentración de cadmio en sangre se relacionó con el consumo de tabaco. Son necesarios más estudios para confirmar el hallazgo de concentraciones de cadmio más elevadas en los fumadores pasivos.

La exposición de la población general al cadmio es un problema de salud pública, siendo las principales fuentes tanto el consumo de tabaco como la exposición al humo del mismo. El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar la concentración de cadmio en sangre en una población laboral hospitalaria y su asociación con el consumo de tabaco. Se administró el cuestionario PESA® a 395 sujetos. El cadmio en sangre se midió por espectrometría de absorción atómica con atomización electrotérmica. La mediana de cadmio en sangre fue 0,29 μg/L. La mediana de cadmio de los fumadores (0,83 μg/L) fue la más elevada y la de los exfumadores (0,31 μg/L) fue a su vez más elevada que la de aquellos que nunca habían fumado (0,21 μg/L). Dentro del grupo de fumadores, se observó una asociación entre la concentración de cadmio y el número de cigarrillos inhalados. En el grupo de exfumadores se observó una asociación con el número de cigarrillos que habían consumido y una correlación negativa entre el tiempo transcurrido desde el abandono del hábito tabáquico y la concentración de cadmio en sangre. Dentro del grupo de los que nunca habían fumado, se observó una diferencia entre la concentración de cadmio de los fumadores pasivos (0,24 μg/L) y los que no lo eran (0,20 μg/L). La concentración de cadmio en sangre se relacionó con el consumo de tabaco. Son necesarios más estudios para confirmar el hallazgo de concentraciones de cadmio más elevadas en los fumadores pasivos.

Several probability density functions have been used in describing the diameter distributions of forest stands. In a case where both the stand basal area and number of stems per hectare are assessed, the fitted or predicted distribution is scaled using only one of these variables, with the result that the distribution often gives incorrect values for the other variable. Using a distribution that provides incorrect values for known characteristics means wasting information. Calibrating the distribution so that it is compatible with the additional information on stand characteristics is a way to avoid such wasting. This study examined the effect of calibration on the accuracy of the predicted diameter distributions of the main tree species of Catalonia. The distributions were calibrated with and without considering the prediction errors of the frequencies of diameter classes. When prediction errors were assumed, the calibration was done with and without making allowance for estimation errors in the stand level calibration variables. Calibrated distributions were more accurate than non-calibrated in terms of sums of different powers of diameters. The set of calibration variables that gave the most accurate results included six stand variables: number of trees per hectare, stand basal area, basal-area-weighted mean diameter, non-weighted mean diameter, median diameter, and basal area median diameter. Of the tested three-variable combinations the best was: number of trees per hectare, stand basal area, and basal-area-weighted mean diameter. Means were more useful calibration variables than medians.

Presentamos un caso de esta entidad en una paciente caucásica, con lesiones maculosas purpúricas en zona tibial posterior de pierna derecha, sin afectación sistémica, de curso crónico y persistente en la actualidad, tras dieciocho meses de seguimiento con mejoría parcial, después de recibir tratamiento con esteroides e inmunosupresores tópicos. Los anticonceptivos orales y la hipercolesterolemia leve, podrían ser datos asociados en nuestro caso a dicha entidad, aunque se necesitarían más estudios para confirmar esta hipótesis.We present a case of this entity in a Caucasian, patient with purpuric macular lesion area with her right posterior tibial, without affecting systemic, chronic and persistent course now, after eighteen months of follow-up with partial improvement after treatment with topical steroids and immunosuppressors. Oral contraceptives and mild hypercholesterolemia may be associated data in our case to the entity, althought further studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis.

Presentamos un caso de micosis fungoide liquenoide. La paciente presentó prurito intenso, pero con una buena evolución hasta el momento. Tanto clínica como histológicamente se correspondía con un patrón liquenoide, hecho de excepcional frecuencia. Respondió al tratamiento esteroideo tópico de alta potencia.A 53-years-old woman with a lichenoid mycoses fungoides is reported. Both clinical and histological lichenoid pattern was finding, which is unusual. The treatment with high potency corticoids was successfully and the outcome is favorable up to now.