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N-type GaAs photovoltaic heterostructures with embedded GaNxAs1-x/GaAs multi-quantum well nanostructures are proposed to develop a Schottky-junction photodevice to generate an alternative to the conventional p-i-n photovoltaic architecture that allows a simple characterization process of the GaNAs performance in photoconversion. Molecular beam epitaxy was employed to grow two samples with well layer widths of 6 and 12 nm, using identical growth processes. Variations in the nominal x value and crystallinity were found by high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD), showing a better photoresponse for the sample with higher x and crystallinity. Photoluminescence measurements were performed to explore the presence of n-type GaAs and GaNAs/GaAs arrangement, indicating an identical n-type GaAs growth process across the samples through emissions linked to silicon-doped GaAs. Photoreflectance spectroscopy was used to examine the electric field strength and distribution, revealing that the electric field at the surface diminishes the conversion efficiency. Optical characterization techniques confirmed the presence of GaNAs/GaAs multi-quantum wells and bound states in the nanostructure, which were estimated through a numerical study of the band structure and carrier distribution. A Schottky-junction photodevice was produced by a rectifying(ohmic) junction on the front(rear) side of the heterostructure to evaluate the design as a solar cell. The devices exhibited typical J-V characteristics under both dark and illuminated conditions of Schottky-based solar cells, indicating the viability of this photovoltaic heterostructure as a methodology to understand and optimize the employment of GaNAs in optoelectronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spin polarization in chiral molecules is a magnetic molecular response associated with electron transport and enantioselective bond polarization that occurs even in the absence of an external magnetic field. An unexpected finding by Santos and co-workers reported enantiospecific NMR responses in solid-state cross-polarization (CP) experiments, suggesting a possible additional contribution to the indirect nuclear spin-spin coupling in chiral molecules induced by bond polarization in the presence of spin-orbit coupling. Herein we provide a theoretical treatment for this phenomenon, presenting an effective spin-Hamiltonian for helical molecules like DNA and density functional theory (DFT) results on amino acids that confirm the dependence of J-couplings on the choice of enantiomer. The connection between nuclear spin dynamics and chirality could offer insights for molecular sensing and quantum information sciences. These results establish NMR as a potential tool for chiral discrimination without external agents.The authors present a theoretical treatment demonstrating that NMR experiments on chiral molecules can reveal enantioselective nuclear J-couplings due to bond polarization and spin-orbit interaction. This also aids in understanding chirality-induced phenomena more generally and their applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We characterize the good weights for some weighted weak-type iterated Hardy-Copson inequalities to hold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the impact of inclusive education on the educational outcomes of students without Special Educational Needs (non-SEN) in Peru, utilizing official Ministry of Education data and implementing cross-sectional regression analyses. Inclusive education is a complex issue that, without appropriate adaptations and comprehensive understanding, can present substantial challenges to the educational community. While prior research from developed nations offers diverse perspectives on the effects of inclusive education on non-SEN students, limited evidence exists regarding its impact in developing countries. Our study addresses this gap by examining inclusive education in Peru and its influence on non-SEN students, thereby contributing to the existing literature. Our findings reveal that, on average, the presence of SEN students in regular classrooms does not significantly affect their non-SEN counterparts. However, we uncover heterogeneous results contingent on the specific type of SEN and students' academic placement. These results emphasize the importance of targeted resources and parental involvement in facilitating successful inclusive education, particularly for specific SEN types. In summary, this study underscores the need for tailored strategies and additional resources to foster the success of inclusive education and calls for further research in this field to expand our understanding and enhance educational policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We characterize the good weights for some weighted weak-type iterated and bilinear modified Hardy inequalities to hold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report SnO2, CdS, and ZnS multilayer thin films structure synthesized on glass substrates using the SILAR method to produce an n–n homopolar junction as an emitter layer. A reaction mechanism is proposed to explain the several interactions between the precursors on each film layer. Scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction determinate a polycrystalline nature, uniform substrate coverage, and a reasonable number of imperfections. The optical transmittance data obtained in addition with the I–V curve analysis give necessary information about optoelectrical properties of the material growth made on the substrate as a n–n homopolar junction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerobiological studies are still scarce in northwestern Mexico where allergenic pollen have great impacts on health. Current global pollution and climate change problems are closely related to many allergic diseases, enhancing the need to continue researching these issues and improve life quality. This study provides the first Pollen Calendar for Hermosillo, Sonora, México. Airborne pollen were continuously collected for 5 years (2015–2019). The standardized methodology with a Hirst-type spore trap proposed for global aerobiological studies was used. Weather data were also taken from a station located in the city and used to explore correlations between climate and airborne pollen concentrations in different seasons. The most important pollen taxa recorded in air belongs to herbaceous pollen, such as Poaceae, Ambrosia, Asteraceae, Chenopodiaceae-Amaranthaceae, and some shrub trees typical of this arid region, such as Nyctaginaceae, Prosopis, Parkinsonia, and Fabaceae. The most critical herbaceous pollen related to allergies have a long mean pollen season throughout the years, and the most critical periods with high pollen concentration in air occur in two seasons, spring (March–April) and summer–fall (August–October). In these 5 years, the correlation analyses for these two peaks indicate that a link exists between pollen in the air and decreases in precipitation and temperatures, and an increase in relative humidity. An inter-annual variability in pollen concentrations was recorded related to different weather conditions. Although pollen calendars are location-specific, they are useful for future research on biological air quality scenarios in different cities. Using this standardized method for other regions can provide pollen calendars that have been proven clinically important in allergic disease management worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop diversification practices (CDPs) are alternative strategies aimed to achieve sustainable cropping systems and food production overcoming the agro-environmental impacts of conventional cropping systems such as monoculture. Thus, this paper aims to improve the knowledge of implementing CDPs in different European pedoclimatic regions by assessing the economic performance at the farm level. CDPs are compared with conventional cropping systems and clustered in terms of their gross margin (GM) results and variations. Farm-level assessment shows that CDPs provide positive economic results, representing an adaptive management strategy for ecological transition, without compromising economic sustainability. Particularly, the main findings show that (1) the impact of diversification depends more on crop type than on the selected CDPs, (2) most farms exhibited a low GM with low economic impact, and (3) there is a great likelihood that the CDPs facilitate the buildup of more resilient farming systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optical non-destructive characterization of tin-doped GaNxAs1−x layer grown on GaAs (100) is presented. Molecular beam epitaxy was employed to grow GaNAs:Sn samples with nitrogen molar content at two different values, x ~ 0.001 and ~ 0.02. The n-type doping concentration was controlled by the Sn effusion cell temperature (TSn), exploring the range from 700 to 850 °C. High-resolution x-ray diffraction rocking curves of the samples indicate that it is possible to obtain GaNAs:Sn layers with appropriated crystallinity. Raman spectra present modifications in vibrational modes related to the Sn atom incorporation. The plasmon-phonon-coupled mode frequency and intensity are evaluated, showing a TSn-dependent donor atom concentration range from 1016 to 1019 cm−3. Spectral signatures obtained by photoreflectance spectroscopy reveal an increasing E− broadening parameter as the Sn effusion cell temperature is raised. Additionally, from Franz–Keldysh oscillations it is observed that the internal electric field strength increases with the donor concentration. The optical results were contrasted using the four-point probe method, demonstrating changes in sheet resistivity for the samples according with the employed spectroscopies. For similar TSn, the set of samples with x ~ 0.02 shows increased properties related to tin incorporation for each characterization technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pellets for energy purposes are produced from various sources, such as residues from sawmills, carpentry, and other waste materials. As industry demands are always increasing, it is necessary to find new sources of biomass suitable for pelletization according to international standards, so that the present research aimed to characterize pellets from 17 sources of woody and agricultural biomass. Physical, mechanical, and energetic characterization was realized, evaluating length, diameter, density, moisture content, ashes, fixed carbon, gross calorific value, durability, and compressive resistance for pellet biofuels from agricultural and forestry sources. Pellets from all sources had moisture content less than 10%. The ash content in forestry residues was lower than 1% (except for laeta oak sawdust), in agricultural residues the values range from 2.12 to 10.54% (except for oil palm fiber). The gross calorific values were higher than 16.5 MJ kg−1. The durability showed the range 73.61–99.15%, and compressive resistance, the range 322–1,729 N mm−1, with oil palm fiber residues registering the lowest value, and laeta oak sawdust the highest. According to these results, pellets from forestry and agricultural sources had good characteristics for industrial and residential uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructure of the twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) steel microalloyed by Ti (TWIP-Ti) exhibited a wide grain size distribution after applying a thermomechanical treatment. The presence of fine and coarsest grains affected mechanical twinning and properties. This research was directed toward elucidating the effect of an optimum secondary annealing treatment to produce a homogenous microstructure through the release of remnant energy stored during the hot deformation processing of a TWIP-Ti steel. A comprehensive analysis of the effect of annealing parameters on the microstructure and its enhanced mechanical properties in terms of grain size distribution, precipitation strengthening and annealing twin fraction was performed. The microstructural characterization included light optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). SEM line scans were performed to characterize precipitate particles found in the TWIP-Ti steel. Microhardness and tensile tests were performed on the base material (as-solution condition) and post-annealing samples. The Taguchi method was applied to optimize the annealing parameters. Furthermore, image processing was employed to quantify the grain size distribution and annealing twin fraction. The analysis results revealed that upon completion of the second stage of annealing treatment with the optimal parameters, the grain size heterogeneity decreased due to the effect of coarsest grain subdivision. The low SFE of the TWIP-Ti steel, homogenous grain size microstructure and precipitation strengthening produced yield strength and ultimate tensile strength increases of 27% and 8.5%, respectively. The homogenous grain size distribution had a more substantial effect on improving the mechanical properties than the annealing twin fraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a 3-dimensional fully natural sonic crystal composed of spherical aggregates of fibers (called Aegagropilae) resulting from the decomposition of Posidonia Oceanica. The fiber network is first acoustically characterized, providing insights on this natural fiber entanglement due to turbulent flow. The Aegagropilae are then arranged on a principal cubic lattice. The band diagram and topology of this structure are analyzed, notably via Argand representation of its scattering elements. This fully natural sonic crystal exhibits excellent sound absorbing properties and thus represents a sustainable alternative that could outperform conventional acoustic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research work developed a decoupled thermo-mechanical-microstructural (TMM) numerical framework to simulate a multi-pass welding process. The numerical framework was applied to evaluate the effect of operating parameters on the weldability of a twinning induced plasticity (TWIP) steel considering metallurgical defects and the weld joint's mechanical properties. The thermo-mechanical model was solved numerically using a finite element model (FEM). After that, the simulation of the thermo-microstructural field was performed through a combined probabilistic approach Monte Carlo (MC)-Voronoi tessellation. The staggered solution approach and the optimized FE macro-scale mesh further improved the convergence and reduced computing time. The correlation of TMM model estimations with thermal history measurements and mechanical and metallographic characterizations helped explain the variation of post-welding mechanical properties. The nature of residual stresses in the TWIP steel joint was correlated with the heat flux in the critical weld regions. The thermal gradients were also correlated with the weld regions that underwent grain growth and grain size reduction. The grain growth simulation performed by the MC-Voronoi model was in good agreement with the hardness reduction in the heat-affected zone (HAZ). The grain size distribution in the HAZ produced an unexpected tensile elongation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of boost radiotherapy on ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) after breast-conserving surgery and whole breast radiotherapy (WBRT) with or without boost. Methods and materials: Retrospective, multicentre study of 622 patients (624 tumors) diagnosed with pure DCIS from 1993–2011. Results: Most tumors (377/624; 60.4%) received a boost. At a median follow-up of 8.8 years, IBTR occurred in 64 cases (10.3%). A higher percentage of patients with risk factors for IBTR received a boost (p < 0.05). Boost was not associated with lower rates of IBTR than WBRT alone (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.42–1.35). On the univariate analyses, IBTR was significantly associated with tumor size (11–20 mm, HR 2.32, 95% CI 1.27–4.24; and > 20 mm, HR 2.10, 95% CI 1.14–3.88), re-excision (HR 1.76, 95% CI 1.04–2.96), and tamoxifen (HR 2.03, 95% CI 1.12–3.70). Boost dose > 16 Gy had a protective effect (HR 0.39, 95% CI 0.187–0.824). Multivariate analyses confirmed the independent associations between IBTR and 11–20 mm (p = 0.02) and > 20 mm (p = 0.009) tumours, and re-excision (p = 0.006). On the margin-stratified multivariate analysis, tamoxifen was a poor prognostic factor in the close/positive margin subgroup (HR 4.28 95% CI 1.23–14.88), while the highest boost dose (> 16 Gy) had a significant positive effect (HR 0.34, 95% CI 0.13–0.86) in the negative margin subgroup. Conclusions: Radiotherapy boost did not improve the risk of IBTR. Boost radiotherapy was more common in patients with high-risk disease. Tumor size and re-excision were significant independent prognostic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental, socioeconomic, educational, custom, occupation, and native pathogen microbiota factors have been identified as unique etiological factors by region for chronic renal insufficiency (CRI). In the region of Tierra Blanca, Veracruz, there is a significant incidence of CRI. The objective of this research was to identify the presence of the genus Bacillus spp. and its kinetic characterization for recognition as a possible non-traditional etiology of CRI in the region. The methodology included the isolation and morphological, biochemical, molecular and kinetic characterization of strains of the genus Bacillus spp. and an analysis of factors that indicate that their presence could affect the occupational health of the population, prompting cases of CRI. The presence of Bacillus cereus (pathogenic strain for humans) was established (biochemical identification, similarity 99%, by 16S rRNA gene) in sugarcane crops, mainly in the MEX-69-290 variety, with the higher growth rate and lower lag phase, compared to the other isolates. The strains are reported as a potential danger of direct infection and a risk factor for the indirect development of CRI, in the non-traditional cause modality, in the sugarcane fields. It is recommended that committed actions be undertaken to protect and promote the health of the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research work, a finite element (FE) numerical analysis was conducted to study the welding thermal field. The finite element model (FEM) was improved by means of the optimal mesh element size using statistical analysis of a design of experiment (DoE) based on the Taguchi method. Through the improved FEM, numerical model were carried out estimations of the penetration depth, heat dissipation phenomenon, and thermal energy input. Then, FE numerical results were linked to Matlab®. The FEM-Matlab® approach proposed the application of thermal energy predictions to estimate welding critical zones extensions and their possible non-metallic inclusions. The FEM-MATLAB® approach was applied to a case study: twinning-induced plasticity steel microalloyed with titanium (TWIP-Ti) weldments. Welding experiments were performed with the autogenous Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) process in 6.3-mm thickness plates. The weld samples were analyzed metallographically to measure welding critical regions extensions. Both austenitic grain size and non-metallic inclusions were in good agreement with numerical results. The weld bead obtained by means of the optimal process parameters estimated by the FEM-Matlab® approach achieved full penetration and showed better microstructural characteristics according to the numerical estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work deals with the study of the physical properties of substituted lanthanum manganite, La0.67Ca0.29Sr0.04MnO3, prepared by using a modified sol-gel Pechini method. The manganite was obtained following the traditional Pechini method, but starting from an unusual mixture of precursors wherein manganese sulfate replaces the manganese nitrate. This single change induces variations on the physical properties of the compound. The phase crystallization was analyzed using X-ray diffraction along with the Rietveld method of refinement of the structure. Morphological analysis showed particle sizes around 0.5 µm organized in porous structures and forming cubic clusters. The manganite exhibits high crystallinity and second-order ferromagnetic–paramagnetic transition near room temperature. Also, the magnetocaloric effect and the maximum entropy change (ΔSMmax) were calculated by using a phenomenological model. The associated magnetic entropy change |ΔSM| and the relative cooling power have been determined from the phenomenological parameters as a function of the applied magnetic field. In the vicinity of the Curie temperature (TC), ΔSM reached a maximum value of 2.44 J/kgK when 3 T of magnetic strength was applied. Highlights: Magnetocaloric properties of substituted lanthanum manganite. Obtainment of La0.67Ca0.29Sr0.04MnO3 from modified Pechini method. Crystallization of a substituted manganite porous structure. Second order ferromagnetic-paramagnetic transition in substituted manganite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The renowned k-nearest neighbor decision rule is widely used for classification tasks, where the label of any new sample is estimated based on a similarity criterion defined by an appropriate distance function. It has also been used successfully for regression problems where the purpose is to predict a continuous numeric label. However, some alternative neighborhood definitions, such as the surrounding neighborhood, have considered that the neighbors should fulfill not only the proximity property, but also a spatial location criterion. In this paper, we explore the use of the k-nearest centroid neighbor rule, which is based on the concept of surrounding neighborhood, for regression problems. Two support vector regression models were executed as reference. Experimentation over a wide collection of real-world data sets and using fifteen odd different values of k demonstrates that the regression algorithm based on the surrounding neighborhood significantly outperforms the traditional k-nearest neighborhood method and also a support vector regression model with a RBF kernel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a pair of welds was made in austenitic stainless steel AISI 304L and the novel twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) steel microalloyed with titanium. Microstructural characterization and mechanical assessment were conducted with the aim to compare the weldability of both materials. The weld joints were performed in two passes by means of the autogenous gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) process. The operating parameters were defined with the aid of penetration depth predictions carried out by a finite element (FE) numerical model. The results indicated that the weldability of TWIP-Ti steel compared to that of the AISI 304L steel had some advantages as the lower extension of the heat affected zone (HAZ) and a lower mechanical properties loss with respect to the base material. The ferritic solidification mode towards the outer of the FZ in the AISI 304L steel avoided hot cracking in the HAZ. Conversely, the HAZ of TWIP-Ti steel did not present hot cracking despite the austenitic solidification mode. The higher thermal diffusivity of the TWIP-Ti steel had a positive effect in the HAZ conditions improvement, which in turn was correlated with the welding cooling rates and microstructural aspects through the FEM model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prevalence of malnutrition in older persons depends on the healthcare setting. In recent years, hospital-based case management programs (CM Programs) targeting individuals in the community with chronic multimorbidity and high use of hospital resources (admissions or emergency visits) have been developed in many countries to reduce the need for complex health care. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of risk of malnutrition, using the Short Form of the Mini-Nutritional assessment, of community dwelling patients included in a chronic CM Program. Factors associated with malnutrition risk were also explored.Methods: Patients included in a hospital-based integrated CM Program for older persons at high risk for hospital readmission after an index admission were studied. MNA-SF was used at program inclusion to assess the risk of malnutrition. An array of factors potentially associated with malnutrition were explored (including feeding route, use of dental prosthesis, dysphagia, consistency of foods, specific therapeutic diets, use of oral nutritional supplements, polypharmacy, falls, and other diseases and geriatric syndromes).Results: 791 participants were included, mean age 79.8 years, 50.1% females. Risk of malnutrition was present in 44.9%. Participants at risk of malnutrition were more frequently female, had a lower BMI, were less likely to be fed orally and used more nutritional supplements. They also had a higher prevalence of dysphagia, needing changes in food consistency or using specific therapeutic diets, and had dementia or cancer more frequently. They also showed a higher need for palliative care.Conclusions: Risk of malnutrition in patients included in a CM Program is higher than in non-selected community dwelling older individuals. This information may help inform screening policies in similar populations at risk of hospital readmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study of values placed on wildlife by Bantu and Yaka Pygmy forest dwellers ( n = 200) in Northern Congo identified and analyzed two wildlife value orientations - 'anthropocentric' and 'biocentric.' The former, strongly displayed across all segments of both societies, was likely motivated by heavy reliance on bushmeat and human-wildlife conflicts, and was linked to attitudes approving the killing of animals for human benefit. The 'biocentric' orientation was more common among formally educated male respondents who do not hunt and positively linked to attitudes favoring conservation. Wildlife management strategies should consider including 1) sustainable local wildlife exploitation, 2) livelihood projects that provide a real alternative to hunting, and 3) human-wildlife conflict mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of flash flood events on the input and distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs) in surface sediments from the Mar Menor lagoon were characterized in this study. These contaminants were analyzed in surface water samples collected during two flash flood events in the main surface watercourse which flow into the Mar Menor lagoon. Surface sediments were sampled semiannually before and after flash flood events. The total input of PAHs, OCPs, and PCBs (sorbed + dissolved) during two flash flood events was estimated at 0.98, 1.32, and 0.34 kg, respectively, the main input corresponding to p,p′-DDE (1.00 kg). The distribution of organic contaminants in surface sediments was not homogeneous as a consequence of the presence of many simultaneous sources and different meteorological, hydrodynamic, and physicochemical conditions. As a consequence of flash flood events, p,p′-DDE concentrations in surface sediments increased significantly in the central and south zones of the lagoon. However, in the case of PCBs, a dilution effect was observed in the south zone after such events, reducing the environmental risk. These changes in the pollutant distribution persisted at least 1 year later (autumn 2010), showing that the impact of flood events in the distribution of persistent organic contaminants in Mediterranean coastal lagoons is of relevance according to the ecological risk assessment carried out. The impact of these events should be also considered in other coastal systems, especially in semiarid and semiconfined areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Melatonin reduces the development of breast cancer interfering with oestrogen-signalling pathways, and also inhibits aromatase activity and expression. Our objective was to study the promoters through which melatonin modifies aromatase expression, evaluate the ability of melatonin to regulate cyclooxygenases and assess whether the effects of melatonin are related to its effects on intracellular cAMP, in MCF-7 cells.Methods: Total aromatase mRNA, aromatase mRNA promoter regions and cyclooxygenases mRNA expression were determined by real-time RT-PCR. PGE(2) and cAMP were measured by kits.Results: Melatonin downregulated the gene expression of the two major specific aromatase promoter regions, pII and pI.3, and also that of the aromatase promoter region pI.4. Melatonin 1 nM was able to counteract the stimulatory effect of tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate on PGE(2) production and inhibit COX-2 and COX-1 mRNA expression. Melatonin 1 nM elicited a parallel time-dependent decrease in both cyclic AMP formation and aromatase mRNA expression.Conclusions: This study shows that melatonin inhibits aromatase activity and expression by regulating the gene expression of specific aromatase promoter regions. A possible mechanism for these effects would be the regulation by melatonin of intracellular cAMP levels, mediated by an inhibition of cyclooxygenase activity and expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Second-line treatments recommended by the National Cancer Center Network to manage advanced-stage gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) were evaluated to determine the cost and cost-effectiveness of each intervention in the Mexican insurance system, the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS). Treatments examined over a 5-year temporal horizon to estimate long-term costs included 800 mg day(-1) of imatinib mesylate, 50 mg day(-1) of sunitinib malate (administered in a 4 week on/2 week rest schedule), and palliative care. The mean cost (MC), cost-effectiveness, and benefit of each intervention were compared to determine the best GIST treatment from the institutional perspective of the IMSS. As sunitinib was not reimbursed at the time of the study, a Markov model and sensitivity analysis were conducted to predict the MC and likelihood of reimbursement. Patients taking 800 mg day(-1) of imatinib had the highest MC (+/-s.d.) of treatment at $35,225.61 USD (+/-1253.65 USD); while sunitinib incurred a median MC of $17,805.87 USD (+/-694.83 USD); and palliative care had the least MC over treatment duration as the cost was $2071.86 USD (+/-472.88 USD). In comparison to palliative care, sunitinib is cost-effective for 38.9% of patients; however, sunitinib delivered the greatest survival benefit as 5.64 progression-free months (PFM) and 1.4 life-years gained (LYG) were obtained in the economic model. Conversely, patients on imatinib and palliative care saw a lower PFM of 5.28 months and 2.58 months and also fewer LYG (only 1.31 and 1.08 years, respectively). Therefore, economic modeling predicts that reimbursing sunitinib over high dose imatinib in the second-line GIST indication would deliver cost savings to the IMSS and greater survival benefits to patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A techno-economic and environmental analysis for the production of biodiesel, ethanol, butanol, hydrogen and electricity as main products and acetone as by-product from oil palm was studied considering the biorefinery concept in the Colombian context. Fresh fruit bunches were used as raw material to obtain biofuels and bioenergy. As a result, the production costs under the biorefinery concept are 0.34, 9.59, 5.69, 6.98 and 5.69 USD per kilogram of biodiesel, hydrogen, butanol, ethanol and acetone, respectively. Besides, the cost related to the electricity generation is 0.7 USD per kWh. According to these results, biodiesel and hydrogen, have a positive economic margin of 77 and 20 %, respectively. On the other hand, the biorefinery presents a negative economic margin for both minimum and maximum sale prices of the products due to the low productivity of most of the process stages. As a consequence, the process scale is the key parameter in the economic profitability for this biorefinery. From the environmental point of view, the stages involved in the biodiesel production have a lesser extent of potential environmental impact in the biorefinery due to the minimum waste streams generated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a method for residual stress analysis of ceramic coatings by applying a laser for quasi non-destructive material removal and measuring the 3D displacement around the machined area by means of high-resolution digital holography is described. The residual stresses are retrieved by numerical calculations using the finite element method (FEM) from the measured 3D displacements, the profile of the machined hole and the material parameters of the coating and substrate. Experimental results on thermal spray coatings together with discussion of the difficulties, work in progress, potential of the method, and comparative measurements by the hole-drilling method are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper a new dynamic over-sampling method is proposed, it is a hybrid method that combines a well known over-sampling technique (SMOTE) with the sequential back-propagation algorithm. The method is based on the back-propagation mean square error (MSE) for automatically identifying the over-sampling rate, i.e., it allows only the use of necessary training samples for dealing with the class imbalance problem and avoiding to increase excessively the (neural networks) NN training time. The main aim of the proposed method is to obtain a trade-off between NN classification performance and NN training time on scenarios where the training data set represents a multi-class classification problem, it is high imbalanced and it might request a large NN training time. Experimental results on fifteen multi-class imbalanced data sets show that the proposed method is promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant coagulants may offer a wide range of possibilities for cheese production, but before they can be used on an industrial scale, an in-depth study needs to be made concerning their suitability for cheese making and their effect on the coagulation process. The aims of this study were to determine the clotting activity of two plant coagulants in standard milk, to study the influence of different conditions (coagulant concentration, temperature, and frozen storage) on the coagulation of standard milk, and to compare the technological behavior of artichoke and thistle coagulants in goat milk. The coagulant activity of artichoke extract (46 IMCU mL) was lower than that of thistle extract (61 IMCU mL). Both extracts behaved similarly in the different conditions mentioned above in standard milk, and both can be used to curdle goat milk with no significant differences. The results point to similar rates of micellar aggregation for both plant coagulants, suggesting that artichoke could be used as an alternative coagulant to thistle for cheese making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new polyoxovanadoborates based crystalline lattices are being reported: K(HO)(1,3-diapH)[VBOH]·10.80HO ( 1), and K(HO)(enH)[VBOH]·9HO ( 2). These structures are characterized by presenting multiple hydrogen bonds between the diprotonated diamines (enH and 1,3-diapH) and hydronium ions, and the oxygen atoms of the [VBOH] cluster. The crystalline packing and stability of these new polyoxovanadoborates is dominated by the different types of hydrogen interactions present in the lattices ranging from unidirectional to trifurcated ones. The crystallographic data, together with the BVS method, permit to assign a mixed valence ratios for the [VBOH] anionic cluster for ( 1) and ( 2) being 11/1 (V/V) ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We tackle the parallelization of Non-Negative Matrix Factorization (NNMF), using the Alternating Least Squares and Lee and Seung algorithms, motivated by its use in audio source separation. For the first algorithm, a very suitable technique is the use of active set algorithms for solving several non-negative inequality constraints least squares problems. We have addressed the NNMF for dense matrix on multicore architectures, by organizing these optimization problems for independent columns. Although in the sequential case, the method is not as efficient as the block pivoting variant used by other authors, they are very effective in the parallel case, producing satisfactory results for the type of applications where is to be used. For the Lee and Seung method, we propose a reorganization of the algorithm steps that increases the convergence speed and a parallelization of the solution. The article also includes a theoretical and experimental study of the performance obtained with similar matrices to that which arise in applications that have motivated this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on archaeological evidence from Kutch-Saurashtra (N Gujarat, NW India), we use agent-based modelling (ABM) to explore the persistence of hunter-gatherer (HG) groups in semi-arid environments in the mid and late Holocene. Agents interact within a realistic semi-arid environment dominated by the monsoon. Precipitation trends are modelled from instrumental records (1871-2008) calibrated with existing models for the Asian monsoon in the Holocene (c. 12 ka-present). Experiments aim at exploring dependencies between population dynamics and climate-driven environmental change (in terms of resource availability) for precipitation patterns at the local, regional and continental scales. Resources are distributed across a simplified ground model. Average yearly precipitation (AYP, i.e. mean) and variance in yearly precipitation (VYP, i.e. standard deviation) are the main parameters affecting resource availability in the simulations. We assess the effects of environmental change on HG populations at different timescales: (1) patterns of seasonal (inter-annual) resource availability, (2) effects of changes in mean precipitation trends over the long (Pleistocene-Holocene) and the mid (Holocene, millennial) periods, and (3) effects of intra-annual precipitation variability, i.e. changes in standard deviation from mean precipitation trends over the short period (annual to decadal). Simulations show that (1) strong seasonality is coherent with the persistence of HG populations in India, independently of the geographical scale of the precipitation models, (2) changes in AYP over the mid period (Holocene) are not sufficient to explain the disappearance of HG populations in Kutch-Saurashtra (K-S) 4 ka and (3) precipitation variability (VYP) over the short period (annual to decadal) is the main parameter affecting population performance and overall ecosystem dynamics. To date, sufficiently refined palaeoclimatic records do not exist for the study area, but higher VYP values 4 ka do not exclude the possibility that other factors may have driven the disappearance of HG populations in Kutch-Saurashtra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new discrete distribution depending on two parameters $$\alpha >-1$$ and $$\sigma >0$$ is obtained by discretizing the generalized normal distribution proposed in García et al. (Comput Stat and Data Anal 54:2021-2034, ), which was derived from the normal distribution by using the Marshall and Olkin (Biometrika 84(3):641-652, ) scheme. The particular case $$\alpha =1$$ leads us to the discrete half-normal distribution which is different from the discrete half-normal distribution proposed previously in the statistical literature. This distribution is unimodal, overdispersed (the responses show a mean sample greater than the variance) and with an increasing failure rate. We revise its properties and the question of parameter estimation. Expected frequencies were calculated for two overdispersed and underdispersed (the responses show a variance greater than the mean) examples, and the distribution was found to provide a very satisfactory fit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]