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SUMMARYGenome-wide association analysis of electroencephalographic endophenotypes for alcohol use disorder has identified non-coding polymorphisms within theKCNJ6gene.KCNJ6encodes the GIRK2 protein, a subunit of a G-protein-coupled inwardly-rectifying potassium channel that regulates neuronal excitability. To elucidate how GIRK2 affects neuronal excitability and the response to ethanol exposure, we upregulatedKCNJ6in human glutamatergic neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells using two distinct strategies: CRISPRa induction and lentiviral expression. Multi-electrode-arrays, calcium imaging, patch-clamp electrophysiology, and mitochondrial stress tests collectively show that elevated GIRK2 acts in concert with 7-21 days of ethanol exposure to inhibit neuronal activity, to counteract ethanol-induced increases in glutamate sensitivity, and to promote an increase intrinsic excitability. Furthermore, ethanol exposure did not alter basal nor activity-dependent mitochondrial respiration in elevated GIRK2 neurons. These data highlight a role for GIRK2 in mitigating the effects of ethanol on neuronal glutamatergic signaling and mitochondrial activity.Graphical Abstract

A través del presente artículo, los autores analizan la naturaleza del impuesto a la riqueza, su historia en el sistema tributario peruano, su aplicación en la legislación comparada así como diversas iniciativas legislativas presentadas en el Congreso de la República.

A key challenge in psychiatry research is the development of high-fidelity model systems that can be experimentally manipulated to explore and test pathophysiological mechanisms of illness. In this respect, the emerging capacity to derive neural cells and circuits from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has generated significant excitement. This review aims to provide a critical appraisal of the potential for iPSCs in illuminating pathophysiological mechanisms and to situate them in the wider technical landscape. We discuss the selection of iPSC phenotypes relevant to psychiatry, the information that researchers can draw on to help guide these decisions, and how researchers choose between the use of 2D cultures, vs. more complex 3D model systems. We discuss the strengths and limitations of current models, and the challenges and opportunities that they present. Finally, we discuss the potential of iPSC-based model systems for clarifying the mechanisms underlying genetic risk for psychiatry, and the steps that will be needed to ensure that robust and reliable conclusions can be drawn. We argue that, whilst iPSC-based models are ideally placed to study fundamental processes occurring within and between neural cells, they are often less well-suited for case-control studies, given issues relating to statistical power and the challenges in identifying which cellular phenotypes are meaningful at the level of the whole individual. Our aim is to highlight the importance of considering the hypotheses of a given study to guide decisions about which, if any, iPSC-based system is most appropriate to address it.

Meningkatnya jumlah limbah besi salah satunya dikarenakan daya hidup masyarakat yang menyukai kepraktisan,semua barang yang sudah tidak terpakai pada lingkungan pabrik yang sering kali hanya di buang begitu saja. Ini di karenakan tidak adanya tanggung jawab perusahaan,untuk menarik kembali produk bekas dari mereka yang sudah digunakan. Jika limbah yang tidak terpakai tersebut dibiarkan,tentu akan menimbulkan dampak serius bagi lingkungan disekitarnya. Disisi lain,barang bekas atau barang rongsok itu sebenernya masih bernilai jual yang relative tinggi. Dan semua barang bekas itu masih bisa dimanfaatkan .Rongsokan tersebut nantinya didaur ulang untuk di jadikan benda yang lainnya.Dengan meningkatnya pertumbuhan Industri tersebut salah satunya berupa limbah Scrab,Besi Batangan,Drum Dll yang secara fisik menyerupai Besi. Saat ini sudah banyak barang pengepul bekas ataupun barang rongsokan disetiap daerah termasuk di kota Jakarta.Para pengepul tersebut biasanya ada yang mengambil barang dari perusahaan ataupun ada yang mengirim barang ke pengepul.Oleh karena itu Scrab,Besi Batangan, Drum Dll tersebut perlu ditangani dengan tepat. Berdasarkan hal tersebut perlu adanya suatu penelitian untuk pemanfaatan limbah Industri. Dari barang yang dapat merusak lingkungan,menjadi sesuatu yang dapat dimanfaatkan sebagai komuditi atau bahan tambahan.

En el presente estudio se evalúa la viabilidad económica y financiera para la producción y comercialización de una nueva salsa de rocoto verde llamada Herencia. Para ello nace Productos Alimenticios Los Álamos S. A. C., una empresa peruana enfocada en la estrategia de cormecialización B2C, la cuál a través de sus distribuidores, permite llevar Herencia al alcance de más personas y éstas puedan conocer los sabores que ofrece. Herencia está conformada por un equipo de profesionales jóvenes, de distintas especialidades, pero con un objetivo común y con ambición de contribuir al desarrollo de las distintas regiones del Perú. Asimismo contará con las herramientas necesarias para proveer a sus clientes sabores únicos acompañados de un excelente servicio. En el Perú, según ADEX (citado en Gestión, 2017) se consume aproximadamente 17,000 toneladas de ají al año, equivaliendo a que el peruano consume 4.5 kilogramos de ají al año. Según Ipsos Apoyo (citado en La República, 2012) el 89 % de hogares acompaña sus comidas con salsas o cremas picantes, y de los 7 días de la semana, las personas consumen ajíes en al menos 5 días. Éstas estadísticas, explican claramente que en el Perú existe una cultura de consumo de ajíes, lo cual resultaría ser una atractiva oportunidad de negocio. Debido a la gran demanda de consumo de la categoría de ajíes, se aprovecha esta gran coyuntura y nace Herencia. El público objetivo estará conformado por hombres y mujeres sofisticados que residen en Lima Metropolitana, pertenecientes a los niveles socioeconómicos A, B y C1, con edades de 25 a 45 años, los cuales gustan acompañar sus comidas con algún tipo de ají. Finalmente la empresa Productos Alimenticios Los Álamos S. A. C. tiene por objetivo definir estrategias y planes de acción, que permiten desarrollar la producción y comercialización de rocoto verde dando una venta el primer año de 1,710,363.94 nuevos soles a lo que equivale a una facturación mínima de 142,530.33 nuevos soles mensuales, además de ello anualmente se tendrá que observar un incremento market share. Trabajo de investigación Escuela de Postgrado

Impulsive noise (IN) is a major component that degrades signal integrity in power line communication (PLC) systems. PLC systems driven by orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) have Rayleigh distributed amplitudes. Based on the dynamic nature of each OFDM symbol, peak amplitude of the symbol was recently shown to be a suitable threshold for detecting IN, and this technique outperforms the conventional optimal blanking (COB) scheme. In this study, we improve the dynamic peak-based threshold estimation (DPTE) scheme that relies on the OFDM Rayleigh distributed amplitudes by converting the default Rayleigh distribution to uniform distribution to unveil IN with power levels below that of the conventional peak signal. Then, we perform nonlinear mitigation processing on the received signals, whose amplitudes exceed the uniformly distributed amplitude using blanking, a scheme we will refer to as uniformly distributed DPTE (U-DPTE). Our results (based on U-DPTE) significantly outperform the DPTE scheme by up to 4-dB gain in terms of output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Additionally and unlike earlier DPTE studies, we propose a novel threshold criterion that compensates the Gaussian noise power-level amplification (after equalization) for achieving the optimal SNR over a log-normal multipath fading channel. The results further reveal the suboptimality of the DPTE scheme over COB.

Internet of things technology has grown rapidly in recent years. Internet of things can be used for environmental monitoring to make an early warning system for disaster. This technology is much needed to warn people about flood that usually happen in Jakarta. In this prototype water level sensor are used to measure whether the water level has reached a dangerous state and flow rate sensor is used to measure flow rate. In this paper the number of notification sent and the time it needed since water level has reached a dangerous state until a notification alert is received is measure to see if the notification can be receive before flood happens. The result shows that most of the notification received before flood happens. The states of the sensor and internet speed affect the process to send the notification.

This paper proposes a hybrid circuit between a conformal strongly-coupled magnetic resonance (CSCMR) and a strongly-coupled magnetic resonance (SCMR), for better wireless power transmission (WPT). This combination promises to enhance the flexibility of the proposed four-loop WPT system. The maximum efficiency at various distances is achieved by combining coupling-matching between the source and transmitting coils along with the coupling factor between the transmitting and receiving coils. Furthermore, the distance between transmitting and receiving coils is investigated along with the distance relationship between the source loop and transmission coil, in order to achieve the maximum efficiency of the proposed hybrid WPT system. The results indicate that the proposed approach can be effectively employed at distances comparatively smaller than the maximum distance without frequency matching. The achievable efficiency can be as high as 84% for the whole working range of the transmitter. In addition, the proposed hybrid system allows more spatial freedom compared to existing chargers.

A new approach has been considered to detect threat item among multiple concealed objects by analyzing the delayed time-response of the objects, that would be illuminated by an ultra wide band radar. It was observed that the reflected wave, from the target, produced a delayed damped sinusoidal oscillation, that contained aspect independent complex natural resonances, which was unique for any individual object. A generalized pencil of function is applied for signal processing to extract poles from the scattered late time response of different objects. Application of hamming window function improves discrimination and detection of poles of multiple objects. Determination of the presence of a particular pole or concealed threat is observed upon using this proposed methodology.

Missed hemodialysis treatments lead to increased morbidity and mortality in the end-stage renal disease population. Little is known about why patients have difficulty attending their scheduled in-center dialysis treatments. Semistructured interviews with 15 adherent and 15 nonadherent hemodialysis patients were conducted to determine patients' attitudes about dialysis, health beliefs and risk perception regarding missed treatments, barriers and facilitators to hemodialysis attendance, and recommendations to improve the system to facilitate dialysis attendance. Average time on dialysis was 2.5 years for the nonadherent group and 7.3 years in the adherent group. In both groups, patients felt that dialysis is life-saving and a necessity. A substantial number of patients in both groups understood that missing hemodialysis treatments is dangerous and several patients could clearly communicate the risk of skipping. The most common barriers to hemodialysis were inadequate or unreliable transportation (mentioned in both groups) and a lack of motivation to get to dialysis or that dialysis is not a priority (typically mentioned by the nonadherent group). Facilitators to hemodialysis attendance included explanations from the health care team regarding the risk of skipping and relationships with other dialysis patients. Patient recommendations to improve dialysis attendance included continued education about the risk of poor attendance and more accessible transportation. Patients did not feel that home dialysis would improve adherence. Hemodialysis patients must adhere to a complex and burdensome regimen. Through the elucidation of barriers and facilitators to hemodialysis attendance and through specific patient recommendations, at least three interventions may be further investigated to improve hemodialysis attendance: Improvement of the transportation system, education and supportive encouragement from the health care team, and peer support mentorship.

Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is common in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and a major determinant of death and disability. ICH commonly increases in size and coagulopathy has been implicated in such progression. We investigated the association between coagulopathy diagnosed by routine laboratory tests and ICH progression.Subgroup post hoc analysis from a randomized controlled trial including adult patients with blunt severe TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale scoreor=8) and repeat computerized tomography scans in 48 hours. Coagulopathy was defined as international normalized ratioor=1.3, activated partial thromboplastin timeor=35, or platelet count (PLT)or=100 x 10/L any time in the first 24 hours. Progression was any size increase or new ICH. TBI-associated coagulopathy was investigated measuring soluble tissue factor (TF) and d-dimer.The ICH progressed in 37 of 72 patients (51%), in 80% if any abnormal laboratory test (coagulopathic patients) versus 36% in noncoagulopathic (p = 0.0004). Abnormal international normalized ratio (odds ratio [OR] = 4.09; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.29-12.95; p = 0.017), PLT (OR = 12.59; 95% CI = 1.52-108.57; p = 0.019), head Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) (OR = 1.82; 95% CI = 1.15-2.88; p = 0.011) were significantly associated with progression (univariate analysis). In a multiple logistic regression, only head AIS (OR = 1.81; 95% CI 1.10-2.98; p = 0.0198) and PLT (OR = 11.8; 95% CI = 1.38-101.23; p = 0.024) correlated with progression. All patients with abnormal partial thromboplastin time experienced progression. ICH progression carried a 5-fold higher odds of death; 32% with progression died versus 8.6% without. Age, head AIS, Injury Severity Score, and d-dimer were also associated with mortality. Tissue factor was not associated with progression or mortality.This study demonstrates an association between coagulopathy, diagnosed by routine laboratorial tests in the first 24 hours, with ICH progression; and ICH progression with mortality in patients with severe TBI. The causal relationship between coagulopathy and ICH progression will require further studies.

Aim: Newborn infants are routinely exposed to pain. We wanted to see how practice regarding pain relief changed over a 6-year period. Methods: Serial audits were carried out of existing practice and attitudes at three points, over a 6-year span, in New Zealand neonatal units. Results: Almost all units agreed that many commonly performed procedures were painful over the 6-year study period. The number of units using analgesia rose markedly over the same period. Conclusions: The fact that a simple, cheap and effective intervention (oral sucrose) has taken more than 6 years to be used routinely in New Zealand highlights the problem of turning evidence into practice.

Fadiga é uma causa comum de falhas em componentes mecânicos e estruturas metálicas, quando sujeitos a carregamentos dinâmicos, causadas pelo surgimento e propagação de uma trinca de fadiga, sendo a chamada lei de Paris o principal modelo dessa propagação. Esse trabalho teve o objetivo de gerar e avaliar o processo de fadiga para o aço SAE 4140 em diferentes microestruturas, obtidas por meio da realização de tratamento térmico. As cargas dinâmicas, necessárias para a geração da fadiga nos materiais, foram obtidas mediante a utilização da vibração forçada, servindo também como controle do comprimento de trinca por meio da frequência natural, calculada previamente pelo método de elementos finitos (MEF) e verificada experimentalmente para diferentes comprimentos de trinca. Foram realizados 3 tratamentos térmicos distintos, assim como utilizados diferentes níveis de carga, para avaliação do número de ciclos e a taxa de crescimento da trinca de fadiga. Os ensaios foram feitos em corpos de prova normalizados, temperados e revenidos a 600°C e temperados e revenidos a 500°C. Com a utilização da vibração foi possível exercer dois métodos diferentes de aplicação de carga: por deslocamento e força constantes. Com carregamento por deslocamento constante foram obtidos melhores resultados quando comparado com a outra abordagem, pois na medida em que ocorreu a progressão da trinca, as tensões evoluíram com uma menor intensidade. O material temperado e revenido a 500°C teve durabilidade superior, em comparação com os demais tratamentos, independente do método de carregamento. Nos ensaios com deslocamento constante foi possível realizar o cálculo dos parâmetros m e C do modelo de Paris, obtendo-se o valor de 4,44 e 1,51 x 10-13 ( mm⁄ciclos (MPa√m) m) para m e C, respectivamente, na amostra normalizada. No material temperado e revenido a 600°C os valores foram 2,61 e 2,20 x 10-10 ( mm⁄ciclos (MPa√m) m), enquanto que na amostra temperada e revenida a 500°C foi obtido 2,50 e 2,10 x 10-10 ( mm⁄ciclos (MPa√m) m). Fatigue is a common cause of failures in mechanical components and metal structures when subjected to dynamic loads, caused by the growth of a crack, with the so-called Paris’ law the main model for crack propagation. This work aimed to generate and evaluate the process of fatigue for the AISI 4140 steel in different microstructures, obtained by distinct heat treatments. Dynamic loads, necessary for the generation of fatigue in the material, were obtained by forced vibration, also serving as the crack length control through natural resonance frequency, previously calculated in finite elements (FEM) with experimental verification for different crack lengths. Three different heat treatments were performed, as well as different levels of loadings, to evaluate the number of cycles and the fatigue crack growth rate. Experiments were done with samples in normalized condition, quenched and tempered at 600°C and quenched and tempered at 500°C. With the use of vibration it was possible to apply two different methods of loading: constant displacement and constant force. With the displacement loading was obtained better results when compared to the other approach, since the propagation of the crack occurs, the stresses developed at a lower intensity. The quenched and tempered at 500°C sample had superior durability in comparison with the other heat treatments, regardless of the loading method. With the constant strain loading it was possible to evaluate the Paris’ law constants, m and C. For the normalized sample, the values were 4,44 e 1,51 x 10-13 (mm⁄cycles (MPa√m) m) for m and C, respectively. With the quenched and tempered at 600°C material it were obtained 2,61 e 2,20 x 10-10 ( mm⁄cycles (MPa√m) m), whereas for quenched and tempered at 500°C the results were 2,50 e 2,10 x 10-10 ( mm⁄cycles (MPa√m) m).

Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are one of the most common presentations to child health professionals. It is important that community practitioners are able to distinguish serious RTIs from those which can be managed in the community with advice and reassurance. Common respiratory symptoms include cough, wheeze, fever, tachypnoea and stridor. This paper aims to identify the common presentations of RTIs seen in children. A discussion on asthma with relevance to RTIs is also included. The red flag indicators and children from high risk groups should be identified while assessing a child with suspected RTI and an early referral to a medical professional should be initiated. Community practitioners should be able to reassure parents and educate them on signs of deterioration when the management of a child with RTI is considered appropriate in the community.

En este trabajo de grado se analizará el impacto que genera dentro de una organización la implementación de un aplicativo Help Desk. Luego de conocer la percepción que tienen los usuarios en cuanto al servicio técnico que reciben por parte del área técnica encargada y de haber analizado los incidentes informáticos que se presentan diariamente, se examinara y elegirá cual es la herramienta que mejor se adapta a las necesidades de la organización para luego de su implementación hacer un análisis de las mejoras en los procesos que ésta proporciona, principalmente los tiempos de respuesta, el rendimiento de los técnicos del área de soporte y la satisfacción del usuario final. In this thesis the impact generated within an organization implementing a Help Desk application will be analyzed. After getting to know the users perception regarding the service received by the technical area in charged and having analyzed the data incidents that occur daily, we will examine and choose which tool best suited the needs of the organization after its implementing to analyze the process improvement it provides, mainly the time response the performance of the technical support area and the final user satisfaction.

This paper investigates the application of the CLEAN non–linear deconvolution method to Late Time Response (LTR) analysis for detecting multiple objects in Concealed Threat Detection (CTD). When an Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) frequency radar signal is used to illuminate a conductive target, surface currents are induced upon the object which in turn give rise to LTR signals. These signals are re-radiated from the target and the results from a number of targets are presented. The experiment was performed using double ridged horn antenna in a pseudo-monostatic arrangement. A Vector network analyser (VNA) has been used to provide the UWB Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) radar signal. The distance between the transmitting antenna and the target objects has been kept at 1 metre for all the experiments performed and the power level at the VNA was set to 0dBm. The targets in the experimental setup are suspended in air in a laboratory environment. Matlab has been used in post processing to perform linear and non-linear deconvolution of the signal. The Wiener filter, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT) are used to process the return signals and extract the LTR features from the noise clutter. A Generalized Pencil-of-Function (GPOF) method was then used to extract the complex poles of the signal. Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) have been used to classify the data.

This paper investigates the use of Late Time Response (LTR) analysis for detecting multiple simulated objects using via Finite Element Analysis (FEA) in concealed object detection. The LTR results from a pair of simulated targets are presented individually and present within the same simulation. The simulation used a plane wave to represent the Ultra Wide-Band (UWB) signal from a Vector Network Analyser (VNA). The simulated targets are suspended in air and the perimeter of the environment is a perfectly matched layer. To allow for the de-convolution of the signal and the removal of background clutter post processing has been applied.

Vomiting is a common presentation in infants and is mostly due to a benign cause. Although vomiting is usually considered to be gastrointestinal in origin, it can be due to dysfunction of other organ systems, some of which may be life threatening. Community practitioners are often the first health professionals to come across these infants. They should assess these infants keeping in mind the 'red flags'. Suspicion of a serious disorder should be followed by prompt referral to a medical professional. This article aims to highlight the commonly encountered causes of vomiting in infants and provides some suggestions to be followed by community practitioners while dealing with an infant presenting with vomiting.

Missed hemodialysis treatments lead to increased morbidity and mortality in the end-stage renal disease population. Little is known about why patients have difficulty attending their scheduled in-center dialysis treatments. Semistructured interviews with 15 adherent and 15 nonadherent hemodialysis patients were conducted to determine patients' attitudes about dialysis, health beliefs and risk perception regarding missed treatments, barriers and facilitators to hemodialysis attendance, and recommendations to improve the system to facilitate dialysis attendance. Average time on dialysis was 2.5 years for the nonadherent group and 7.3 years in the adherent group. In both groups, patients felt that dialysis is life-saving and a necessity. A substantial number of patients in both groups understood that missing hemodialysis treatments is dangerous and several patients could clearly communicate the risk of skipping. The most common barriers to hemodialysis were inadequate or unreliable transportation (mentioned in both groups) and a lack of motivation to get to dialysis or that dialysis is not a priority (typically mentioned by the nonadherent group). Facilitators to hemodialysis attendance included explanations from the health care team regarding the risk of skipping and relationships with other dialysis patients. Patient recommendations to improve dialysis attendance included continued education about the risk of poor attendance and more accessible transportation. Patients did not feel that home dialysis would improve adherence. Hemodialysis patients must adhere to a complex and burdensome regimen. Through the elucidation of barriers and facilitators to hemodialysis attendance and through specific patient recommendations, at least three interventions may be further investigated to improve hemodialysis attendance: Improvement of the transportation system, education and supportive encouragement from the health care team, and peer support mentorship.

This paper investigates the use of Late Time Response (LTR) analysis for detecting multiple objects in concealed object detection. When a conductive object is illuminated by an ultra-wide band (UWB) frequency radar signal, the surface currents induced upon the object give rise to LTR signals. The LTR results from a number of different targets are presented. The distance between the targets within the same radar beam has been adjusted in increments of 5cm to determine the point at which the individual objects can be distinguished from each other. The experiment was performed using double ridged horn antennas in a pseudo-monostatic arrangement. Vector network analysers (VNA) are used to provide the UWB stepped frequency continuous wave radar signal. The distance between the transmitting antenna and the target object is kept at 50cm for all the experiments performed and the power level at the VNA was set to 2dBm. The targets in the experimental setup are suspended in isolation in a non-anechoic environment. To allow for the de-convolution of the signal and the removal of background clutter Matlab was used in post processing. The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT) are used to process the return signals and extract the LTR features from the noise clutter. A Generalized Pencil-of-Function (GPOF) method was then used to extract the complex poles of the signal. In the case of a single needle these poles can be found around 1.9GHz.

El proyecto presenta la solución a una necesidad requerida por el laboratorio de meteorología del Instituto Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología de contar con una nueva cámara de presión/vacío para mejorar el proceso de calibración de sensores barométricos, necesario para la correcta medición de presión atmosférica. El instituto se dedica a la recolección y estudio de datos meteorológicos de varias zonas del país. Estos datos son de vital importancia para el entendimiento de fenómenos climáticos y predicción de los mismos, por lo que tener instrumentos de medición calibrados y garantizar la veracidad de la información es de suma importancia. El proyecto se enfoca en la implementación de una cámara que genere en su interior, una presión determinada en el rango de 500 a 1050 hPa. De esta manera se puede simular las condiciones de presión en diferentes zonas del país y calibrar los sensores barométricos en varios puntos para asegurar lecturas correctas de dichos sensores una vez ubicados en campo. Para la realización de la cámara se dispone de un controlador lógico programable Allen Bradley Micrologix 1100 con un módulo de entradas y salidas analógicas y un computador, estos dispositivos permiten el control y supervisión del proceso.

This article aims to take the reader through the common presentations and assessment of children presenting with a surgical condition. Although relatively uncommon, most of these conditions need urgent identification and management. After reading this article and completing the questions that follow the reader should be able to: identify the signs and symptoms of a surgical problem; recognise the importance of supporting families with a surgical condition, both pre and post diagnosis; initiate appropriate referral for different surgical conditions.

Se estudió la cinética de la estabilidad térmica y de almacenamiento de las antocianinas en jugo y concentrado de agraz (Vaccinium meridionale Sw.) siguiendo una cinética de primer orden. La degradación de las antocianinas con la temperatura fue modelada adecuadamente con la ecuación de Arrhenius. El efecto del pH en la estabilidad térmica de las antocianinas en los concentrados de agraz se estudió a seis diferentes valores (3,0 - 8,0) en buffer citrato-fosfato. La degradación de las antocianinas fue mayor para el jugo que para el concentrado. Una disminución significante en la estabilidad de las antocianinas del concentrado se observó a pH cercano a 5,0. The kinetics of thermal and storage stabilities of anthocyanins in agraz (Vaccinium meridionale Sw.) juice and concentrate were studied with first-order reaction kinetics. The temperature-dependent degradation was adequately modeled on the Arrhenius equation. The effect of pH on thermal stability of anthocyanins in concentrate of agraz was studied at six different pHs (3.0 - 8.0) in citrate-phosphate buffer solutions. The results indicated that anthocyanins degradation was higher in juice than concentrate. A significant decrease in anthocyanin stability was observed at pHs above 5.0.

Studies are being directed to one of the areas of artificial intelligence, affective computing, aiming to improve human-computer interaction. Learning process is an important activity for the humans. In affective computing, the areas as psychology and cognitive science are closed. It is possible to study how computer systems can detect, classify and respond to human emotions, making computers able to capture, recognize and transmit emotions. The recognition of emotions can occur through the voice, observable behavior, facial expressions and physiological signals. In this context, there are pedagogical agents (in learning environments), that perform functions to aid learning. These agents can be animated or not, and classified as a tutor or companion. The companion agent is a character with emotions that guide the students in the virtual environment. This work presents the development of a companion agent with emotions.

Se estudió la cinética de la estabilidad térmica y de almacenamiento de las antocianinas en jugo y concentrado de agraz (Vaccinium meridionale Sw.) siguiendo una cinética de primer orden. La degradación de las antocianinas con la temperatura fue modelada adecuadamente con la ecuación de Arrhenius. El efecto del pH en la estabilidad térmica de las antocianinas en los concentrados de agraz se estudió a seis diferentes valores (3,0 – 8,0) en buffer citrato-fosfato. La degradación de las antocianinas fue mayor para el jugo que para el concentrado. Una disminución significante en la estabilidad de las antocianinas del concentrado se observó a pH cercano a 5,0.

Study Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of the CTrach Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA) when used electively. Design Retrospective analysis. Setting Operating room of an academic hospital. Measurements Data from 126 patients who were electively intubated with the CTrach LMA over a 16-month period were reviewed. Each patient's weight, height, ASA physical status classification, Mallampati score, thyromental distance, and cervical spine range of motion were recorded. Main Results Successful ventilation was achieved in 100% of patients, while successful intubation was achieved in 89.7% of patients. The most common reason for failure to intubate was poor airway visualization and the inability to appropriately position the device anterior to the vocal cords. Conclusions The major advantage of the CTrach LMA is that it is the only device that allows airway visualization during patient ventilation; however, it does not have 100% success with intubation.

This work provides a brief outline of the basic theory of indirect microwave holography. This is supported by experimental work which illustrates how this technique can be used successfully in a number of areas including antenna measurements, concealed weapons detection and medical imaging.

In this paper a new technique is proposed to model the current across a monopole antenna and thereby the radiation fields of the antenna can be calculated. Generally, the Method of Moments (MOM) technique is used for this purpose whereby the integral equations are discretised to find the fields of an antenna. The proposed model requires only the knowledge of three parameters (Initial Current I0, Damping coefficient a and the radial parameter τ) and hence considerably reduces the computational time and space as its results do not depend on the number of functions involved. The new technique is also developed to take account of the conductivity property of the surrounding medium. Hence this technique can be used in field prediction for antennas employed in medical imaging applications. Initial results obtained from the new technique show good correlation in comparison with the MOM technique.

This paper surveys the development of microwave medical imaging and the fundamental challenges associated with microwave antennas design for medical imaging applications. Different microwave antennas used in medical imaging applications such as monopoles, bow-tie, vivaldi and pyramidal horn antennas are discussed. The challenges faced when the latter used in medical imaging environment are detailed. The paper provides the possible solutions for the challenges at hand and also provides insight into the modelling work which will help the microwave engineering community to understand the behaviour of the microwave antennas in coupling media.