Showing papers by "University of Alcalá published in 1995"
TL;DR: The COSTEP experiment on SOHO forms part of the CEPAC complex of instruments that will perform studies of the suprathermal and energetic particle populations of solar, interplanetary, and galactic origin this paper.
Abstract: The COSTEP experiment on SOHO forms part of the CEPAC complex of instruments that will perform studies of the suprathermal and energetic particle populations of solar, interplanetary, and galactic origin. Specifically, the LION and EPHIN instruments are designed to use particle emissions from the Sun for several species (electrons, protons, and helium nuclei) in the energy range 44 keV/particle to > 53 MeV/n as tools to study critical problems in solar physics as well as fundamental problems in space plasma and astrophysics. Scientific goals are presented and a technical description is provided of the two sensors and the common data processing unit. Calibration results are presented which show the ability of LION to separate electrons from protons and the ability of EPHIN to obtain energy spectra and achieve isotope separation for light nuclei. A brief description of mission operations and data products is given.
189 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the seasonal dependence of seasonal predictions in the Equatorial Pacific during the 1970s and 1980s using a dynamic ocean model of intermediate complexity coupled with a statistical atmosphere.
Abstract: When forecasting sea surface temperature (SST) in the Equatorial Pacific on a timescale of several seasons, most prediction schemes have a spring barrier; that is, they have skill scores that are substantially lower when predicting northern spring and summer conditions compared to autumn and winter. This feature is investigated by examining predictions during the 1970s and the 1980s, using a dynamic ocean model of intermediate complexity coupled to a statistical atmosphere. Results show that predictions initialized during the 1970s exhibit the typical prominent skill decay in spring, whereas the seasonal dependence in those predictions initialized during the 1980s is rather small. Similar changes in seasonal dependence are also found in predictions based on simple persistence of observed SST anomalies. This decadal change in the spring barrier is related to decadal variations found in the seasonal phase locking of the SST anomalies, which is largely determined by the timing of El Nino events. The...
176 citations
TL;DR: A large retrospective series aiming to confirm whether the histological groups of gastric MALT lymphoma confer different clinical features and behavior and to analyze the prognostic factors in patients shows striking clinical and prognostic differences.
164 citations
TL;DR: The present study validates the prognostic significance of such a distinction both by Mantel-Haenszel life table method and Cox's regression analysis and proves the depth of tumor infiltration can be assessed in a considerable proportion of Stage T1 bladder neoplasms.
134 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the suitability of Saaty's AHP method for rank reversal has been investigated and it is shown that this undesirable effect does not, per se, invalidate that method, but it does make it necessary to identify the kind of situations in which the method is suitable.
Abstract: The purpose of this short paper is to help clarify some questions which have arisen with respect to the suitability, or even the correctness, of the way Saaty's AHP method handles criteria weights, sometimes causing the rank reversal phenomenon. The position set forth in this paper is that this undesirable effect does not, per se, invalidate that method, but it does make it necessary to identify the kind of situations in which the method is suitable.
133 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the performance of a tyrosinase graphite-epoxy electrode for the detection of phenolic compounds is described, which is based on the entrapment of commercially available tyrosinsase in a graphiteepoxy matrix, and the mixing of the resulting conductive epoxy resin with a hardener.
132 citations
TL;DR: It is proposed that the concept of 'pre-emptive analgesia', as such, has no neurophysiological basis and any analgesic procedure aimed at reducing postoperative pain must not only prevent the arrival in the CNS of the initial afferent barrage evoked in nociceptive endings but also reduce or eliminate the persistent discharges of sensitized nocICEptors during the inflammatory repair process that are critically important for the maintenance of the central pain state.
Abstract: This paper describes the responses of peripheral and central visceral nociceptive systems to acute injury and discusses these observations in relation to the concept of 'pre-emptive analgesia'. Visceral nociceptors are known to respond to injury but are also known to become sensitized to non-noxious stimuli during the inflammatory process that follows intense noxious stimulation. The afferent barrages triggered in visceral nociceptors by the acute injury and the enhanced responses evoked in sensitized nociceptors during the repair process can, in turn, increase the excitability of central nociceptive systems. The maintenance of central hypersensitivity is, however, dependant on the continuing presence of afferent volleys from sensitized nociceptors because the central changes cannot be sustained in the absence of a peripheral drive. Therefore it is proposed that the concept of 'pre-emptive analgesia', as such, has no neurophysiological basis. Any analgesic procedure aimed at reducing postoperative pain mu...
128 citations
TL;DR: The behaviour of two biomaterials polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polypropylene has been studied, focussing especially on the macrophage response to the implant, as well as on certain aspects of the process of scar formation.
105 citations
TL;DR: The designation of a new category of PRP (type 6), characterized by the presence of HIV infection, usually without immunosuppression, a poor prognosis and response to treatment, and the development of nodulocystic and lichen spinulosus lesions is proposed.
Abstract: Recently, the occurrence of pityriasis rubra pilaris (PRP) has been reported in patients with HIV infection It presents different clinical features, and has a poorer prognosis, than the classical adult type of PRP We report the occurrence of severe PRP in an HIV-infected patient, and review the previously reported cases of this association We propose the designation of a new category of PRP (type 6), characterized by the presence of HIV infection, usually without immunosuppression, a poor prognosis and response to treatment, and the development of nodulocystic and lichen spinulosus lesions
105 citations
TL;DR: Findings indicate that the elevation of urinary zinc elimination in osteoporosis is dependent on bone resorption, and the relation between total body bone mineral content corrected for body weight and plasma and urinary zinc levels was significant.
Abstract: Having observed previously that the reduction of levels of biological markers of nutrition in postmenopausal osteoporosis may be related to zinc deficiency, we measured plasma and urinary zinc concentrations in 30 women with postmenopausal osteoporosis and in 30 healthy postmenopausal women who served as controls. Plasma zinc levels did not differ between groups, but urinary zinc excretion was significantly higher in the women with postmenopausal osteoporosis (p = 0.002). The relation between total body bone mineral content corrected for body weight (TBBMC/W) and markers of nutrition was significant (multiple regression analysis: p < 0.0001) in the women with postmenopausal osteoporosis but not in the healthy postmenopausal controls. Likewise, the relation between TBBMC/W and plasma and urinary zinc levels also was significant in the women with postmenopausal osteoporosis but not in the controls (multiple regression analysis: p = 0.0022). Neither group showed any correlation between plasma or urinary zinc concentrations and levels of biological markers of nutrition. Urinary zinc concentration correlated significantly with serum tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase level (simple linear regression analysis: r = 0.583, p < 0.001) in the women with postmenopausal osteoporosis but not in controls. TBBMC correlated with urinary zinc concentration significantly in the women with postmenopausal osteoporosis (simple linear regression: r = 0.567, p = 0.0015), but the correlation was nonsignificant in healthy postmenopausal controls. These findings indicate that the elevation of urinary zinc elimination in osteoporosis is dependent on bone resorption.
93 citations
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that daily high and maintained physical training over a prolonged period of time (7 mo) provokes marked modifications in the immune system of elite sportsmen accompanied by a psychological and biochemical stress level.
TL;DR: A dependent-user recognition voice system and ultrasonic and infrared sensor systems has been integrated in this wheelchair which can be driven with using voice commands and with the possibility of avoiding obstacles and downstairs or hole detection.
Abstract: This paper describes a wheelchair for physically disabled people developed within the UMIDAM Project. A dependent-user recognition voice system and ultrasonic and infrared sensor systems has been integrated in this wheelchair. In this way we have obtained a wheelchair which can be driven with using voice commands and with the possibility of avoiding obstacles and downstairs or hole detection. The wheelchair has also been developed to allow autonomous driving (for example, following walls). The project, in which two prototypes have been produced, has been carried out totally in the Electronics Department of the University of Alcala (Spain). It has been financed by the ONCE. Electronic system configuration, a sensor system, a mechanical model, control (low level control, control by voice commands), voice recognition and autonomous control are considered. The results of the experiments carried out on the two prototypes are also given.
TL;DR: It is suggested that salmon calcitonin is effective in the treatment of osteoporosis and show that it acts on cortical and trabecular bone.
Abstract: Seventy-two postmenopausal osteoporotic women having more than one nontraumatic vertebral crush fracture were studied. Thirty-six of them, aged 68.8±1.2 years (18±4 YSM-years since menopause), were treated with 100 IU/day of salmon calcitonin i.m. plus 500 mg of elemental calcium for 10 days each month. The remaining 36 patients, aged 69.6±1.4 years (19±3 YSM), were given only 500 mg of elemental calcium for 10 days each month. All patients underwent clinical and analytical evaluation every 3 months. Radiological evaluation, assessment of vertebral deformities, and metacarpal radiogrammetry were done every 6 months. Densitometric measurements of total and regional bone mass were made every 12 months. At 24 months, the calcitonin group showed a 60% reduction in the number of new fractures and the group receiving only calcium had a 45% increase (P<0.001). The incidence of vertebral fractures was 0.07 per patient-year in the group treated with calcitonin and 0.45 per patient-year in the group treated with calcium (P<0.001). At 2 years, the calcitonin group showed a 12% increase in cortical bone mass on metacarpal radiogrammetry, a 16% increase in the axial skeleton on trunk densitometry, a 3.5% increase in total body bone mineral content, a 30.7% increase in pelvic bone mineral content, and a 6.2% increase in arm bone mineral content (all P<0.001). In the group treated with calcium alone there was a loss of bone mass in every region. These findings suggest that salmon calcitonin is effective in the treatment of osteoporosis and show that it acts on cortical and trabecular bone.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide a first approach to the role and the economic weight of exhibitions in the EU, trying to sketch out a hierarchy of fair-hosting cities.
Abstract: Cities of Europe tend to be thought of in hierarchical terms. Although interesting results have been achieved, it seems clear that there is no single hierarchy. The process of European integration is generating numerous changes in different fields. One of these changes is the need for European capitals and cities of a certain size to upscale their position from national to continental. A system of European cities competing with one another to attract activities and facilities and to gain international influence is in formation. Fairs and exhibitions are an example. The paper provides a first approach to the role and the economic weight of exhibitions in the EU, trying to sketch out a hierarchy of fair-hosting cities. The most significative variables are analysed, exploring their explanatory power. An interpretative hypothesis linking exhibition size and internationality to inter-urban competition is finally provided.
TL;DR: A case of primary low grade MALT gastric lymphoma that evolved into a high grade lymphoma, involved the bone and disseminated to the blood supporting that all of them were part of the same neoplasia.
Abstract: Malignant lymphomas arising from the mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) exhibit a clinical behaviour which reflects the biological peculiarities of lymphocytes forming this tissue'. The most common MALT-derived lymphoma is gastric B-cell MALT lymphoma. which can show low grade or high grade morphology: although these two types of MALT lymphoma seem to be related and form part of the spectrum of the same disease'.l, their relationship has not yet been proved. We describe a case of primary low grade MALT gastric lymphoma that evolved into a high grade lymphoma, involved the bone and disseminated to the blood. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis demonstrated clonal IgH rearrangement of the same size in all the stages of the evolution of the lymphoma supporting that all of them were part of the same neoplasia.
TL;DR: It is concluded that neural mechanisms other than wind‐up may underlie the development of visceral pain and hyperalgesia.
Abstract: 1. Wind-up (frequency-dependent potentiation of the responses of spinal neurones to stimulation of unmyelinated afferents) and other N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-mediated phenomena have been proposed as key mechanisms underlying persistent pain states. In this study we have compared wind-up in visceral and somatic nociceptive pathways to examine the possible contribution of these mechanisms to visceral pain and hyperalgesia. 2. Experiments were performed on thirteen decerebrate spinalized rabbits. A somato-somatic (SS) reflex (evoked by stimulating skin and muscle afferents from the L2 spinal nerve) and a viscero-somatic (VS) reflex (evoked by stimulating visceral afferents in the splanchnic nerve) were recorded from the L1 spinal nerve. The reflexes consisted of an early (A fibre) and a late (C fibre) component. 3. Conditioning trains of sixteen high intensity electrical stimuli at 1 Hz were applied to the somatic or visceral nerve. These conditioning stimuli did not produce wind-up in the early component of either reflex but evoked powerful wind-up in the late SS reflex (mean percentage of baseline +/- S.E.M., 191 +/- 30%). In contrast wind-up was weak or absent in the late VS reflex (mean percentage of baseline +/- S.E.M., 21 +/- 6%). Conditioning of somatic afferents facilitated both the early and late SS reflex but strongly depressed the early and late VS reflex. Conditioning of visceral afferents had little effect on the early SS reflex, but depressed the early VS reflex and the late components of both reflexes. 4. Intravenous administration (1-10 mg kg-1) of the NMDA receptor antagonist ketamine dose-dependently inhibited the strong wind-up in the late SS reflex and the weak wind-up in the late VS reflex, but also dose-dependently inhibited the early and late components of both baseline reflexes. 5. We conclude that neural mechanisms other than wind-up may underlie the development of visceral pain and hyperalgesia. The present results emphasize the important differences in the processing of somatic and visceral nociceptive input by spinal nociceptive systems and confirm the involvement of NMDA receptors in the spinal processing of nociceptive information.
TL;DR: There is not enough evidence to suggest an optimal sequence of treatment for this rare malignancy, and Cox's regression analysis reveals size of the testicular tumor as the only independent predictor of survival.
TL;DR: Examples of influential and/or highly cited papers that were initially rejected by one or more scientific journals are described, to suggest that, although rejection may subsequently result in an improved manuscript, on other occasions referees may simply have failed to appreciate a paper's importance.
Abstract: This article describes examples of influential and/or highly cited papers that were initially rejected by one or more scientific journals. The work reported in eight of the papers eventually earned...
TL;DR: Three chromosome pairs belonging to the A genome showed hybridization signals near the telomeres of their long arms, indicating the existence of intergenomic chromosome rearrangements and the deletions of the repeated units are deduced from these observations.
Abstract: Satellite DNA specific to the oat C genome was sequenced and located on chromosomes of diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid Avena ssp. using in situ hybridization. The sequence was present on all seven C genome chromosome pairs and hybridized to the entire length of each chromosome, with the exception of the terminal segments of some chromosome pairs. Three chromosome pairs belonging to the A genome showed hybridization signals near the telomeres of their long arms. The existence of intergenomic chromosome rearrangements and the deletions of the repeated units are deduced from these observations. The number of rDNA loci (18S–5.8S–26S rDNA) was determined for the tetraploid and hexaploid oat species. Simultaneous in situ hybridization with the satellite and rDNA probes was used to assign the SAT chromosomes of these species to their correct genomes.Key words: oats, satellite DNA, rDNA, in situ hybridization, genome evolution.
TL;DR: In this paper, mitomycin C (MC) and its mixtures with DNA were used to study cyclic voltammetry (CV) in connection with the hanging mercury drop electrode, and the results suggest that some potential-controlled interactions of MC with DNA might occur at the electrode.
TL;DR: In this paper, the effect of juveniles of larger life forms on diversity of lower layers was analyzed in a boreal coniferous forest and its strata (tree, shrub, herb and bryophyte layers): number of species per community, total species richness, mean similarity, β-diversity, and mosaic diversity, a measure of complexity.
Abstract: . Patterns of diversity were analyzed in a boreal coniferous forest and its strata (tree, shrub, herb and bryophyte layers): number of species per community — α-diversity, total species richness — γ-diversity, mean similarity — β-diversity, and mosaic diversity, a measure of complexity. These four measures of diversity consistently decreased from lower to upper vegetation layers. To study the effect of juveniles of larger life forms on diversity of lower layers, they were removed from the data and the measures of diversity reanalyzed. Number of species per community and mosaic diversity decreased substantially, but β-diversity did not change. So, the effect of juveniles on γ-diversity is due to the greater number of species per community. Multiple regression models revealed that the relationships between α-diversity and the environmental variables were the same for the whole forest and for the herb layer. Elevation and soil pH were the major variables explaining α-diversity in the whole community. Climate was the only environmental gradient related to species richness in all individual strata. Tree and herb richness values were negatively related to soil drainage and acidity, respectively. Species richness of the plant community was affected by environmental variability mostly through the herb layer. Various explanations of the observed diversity patterns included: environmental constraints, resource competition, generation time, and colonization processes.
TL;DR: The phase diagram of the ternary system CTAB/benzyl alcohol/water has been studied in this article, showing a clear, isotropic and low-viscous region, the L phase, and three liquid crystalline mesophases.
TL;DR: The molecular characterization of C-banded regions of Secale montanum Guss by means of in situ hybridization was performed to provide new information about their chromosome structure relative to cultivated rye and revealed the exact translocation breakpoints and allowed the identification of the transferred rye segments.
Abstract: The molecular characterization of C-banded regions of Secale montanum Guss. by means of in situ hybridization was performed in order to provide new information about their chromosome structure rela...
TL;DR: The electronic system allows the chair user a safe, easy ride, and guarantees the concordance between user commands and actual trajectories, and has been designed to allow the addition of future features, like obstacle and stair detection and the tele-commanding of electrical household appliances from the chair.
TL;DR: The extent of mineral binding by these concentrates of fibre depended both on the nature and chemical composition of the sample used and on the type of mineral element studied as mentioned in this paper, however, the majority of these samples exhibited a higher capacity to bind Fe(II) than Ca(II), and Fe(III).
TL;DR: The solubility of paracetamol was determined as a function of temperature in mixtures of wide polarity range (ethyl acetate:ethanol and ethanol:water) to compare the solvation effects of amphiprotic and amphipprotic-aprotic solvent systems as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The solubility of paracetamol was determined as a function of temperature in mixtures of wide polarity range (ethyl acetate:ethanol and ethanol:water) to compare the solvation effects of amphiprotic and amphiprotic-aprotic solvent systems.
The mole fraction solubility of the drug showed solubility maxima at δ1 = 14·53 (cal mL−1)1/2 (15:85 v/v, water:ethanol) and δ1 = 11·78 (cal mL−1)1/2 (30:70 v/v, ethyl acetate:ethanol) against the solubility parameter (δ1) of these solvent mixtures. The solubility peaks result from different processes, and the nature of the solvent mixture plays an important role; in the ethanol:water mixtures, the dissolution process is entropy-controlled while enthalpy is the driving force in the case of ethanol:ethyl acetate mixtures. The nature of the solute determines the solvent proportion at which the solubility peak is located in the amphiprotic-aprotic mixture.
Separate nonlinear enthalpy-entropy compensation is observed in the two solvent systems. Ethanol deviates from the general trend in the amphiprotic mixtures.
TL;DR: Comparison with ndhB transcripts from other chloroplast species shows that six of the nine editing sites observed in barley are structurally and functionally conserved in maize, rice and tobacco, however, the remaining three sites show divergent patterns of conservation even within the three members of the grass family.
Abstract: The ndhB-encoded transcript from barley chloroplasts deviates from the genomic ndhB sequence by nine C-to-U transitions, which is the maximum number of editing events for a chloroplast mRNA reported so far. Comparison with ndhB transcripts from other chloroplast species shows that six of the nine editing sites observed in barley are structurally and functionally conserved in maize, rice and tobacco. The remaining three sites, however, show divergent patterns of conservation even within the three members of the grass family. The conservation of two of these sites in tobacco but not in the closely related graminean species suggests that divergence of the ndhB editing sites is caused by the loss of preexisting editing sites rather than by gain of new sites.
TL;DR: The results establish DX and PDTC as useful tools to study the regulation of NO synthesis in the mesangial cell and glomerulus, and suggest that NF-kappa B is involved in the transcriptional regulation of iNOS in RMC.
TL;DR: A thorough macroscopic and microscopic study of the species was undertaken, including observation of the fruit bodies of 15 species of Tulostomataceae from the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico.
Abstract: Fifteen species of Tulostomataceae from the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico were studied. A thorough macroscopic and microscopic study of the species was undertaken, including observation...