Novel Electromagnetic Characterization Methods for New Materials and Structures in Aerospace Platforms

The tendency over the last decades in the aerospace industry is to substitute classic metallic materials with new composite materials such as carbon fiber composites (CFC), fiber glass, etc., as well as adding electronic devices to ensure the safety and proper platform operation. Due to this, to protect the aircraft against the Electromagnetic Environmental Effects (E3), it is mandatory to develop accurate electromagnetic (EM) characterization measurement systems to analyze the behavior of new materials and electronic components. In this article, several measurement methods are described to assess the EM behavior of the samples under test: microstrip transmission line for a surface current analysis, free space to obtain intrinsic features of the materials and shielding effectiveness (SE) approaches to figure out how well they isolate from EM fields. The results presented in this work show how the different facilities from the National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA) are suitable for such purposes, being capable of measuring a wide variety of materials, depending on the type of test to be carried out.     

The influence of children's self-report trait anxiety and depression on visual search for emotional faces

BACKGROUND: This study presents two experiments that investigated the relationship between 7- and 10-year-olds' levels of self-report trait anxiety and depression and their visual search for threatening (angry faces) and non-threatening (happy and neutral faces) stimuli. METHOD: In both experiments a visual search paradigm was used to measure participants' reaction times to detect the presence or absence of angry, happy or neutral schematic faces (Experiment 1) or cartoon drawings (Experiment 2). On target present trials, a target face was displayed alongside three, five or seven distractor items. On target absent trials all items were distractors. RESULTS: Both experiments demonstrated that on target absent (but not present) trials, increased levels of anxiety produced significantly faster search times in the angry face condition, but not in the neutral condition. In Experiment 2 there was some trend towards significance between anxiety and searches for happy faces in absent trials. There were no effects of depression on search times in any condition. CONCLUSION: The results support previous work highlighting a specific link between anxiety and attention to threat in childhood.     

Spatial expression of IKK-alpha is associated with a differential mutational landscape and survival in primary colorectal cancer

Background To understand the relationship between key non-canonical NF-κB kinase IKK-alpha(α), tumour mutational profile and survival in primary colorectal cancer.Methods Immunohistochemical expression of IKKα was assessed in a cohort of 1030 patients who had undergone surgery for colorectal cancer using immunohistochemistry. Mutational tumour profile was examined using a customised gene panel. Immunofluorescence was used to identify the cellular location of punctate IKKα expression.Results Two patterns of IKKα expression were observed; firstly, in the tumour cell cytoplasm and secondly as discrete ‘punctate’ areas in a juxtanuclear position. Although cytoplasmic expression of IKKα was not associated with survival, high ‘punctate’ IKKα expression was associated with significantly reduced cancer-specific survival on multivariate analysis. High punctate expression of IKKα was associated with mutations in KRAS and PDGFRA. Dual immunofluorescence suggested punctate IKKα expression was co-located with the Golgi apparatus.Conclusions These results suggest the spatial expression of IKKα is a potential biomarker in colorectal cancer. This is associated with a differential mutational profile highlighting possible distinct signalling roles for IKKα in the context of colorectal cancer as well as potential implications for future treatment strategies using IKKα inhibitors.Subject terms: Prognostic markers, Colorectal cancer     

Comparative study of diets and disease prevalence in Greek Chians part II Chian immigrants to Athens and to the United States

The study examined differences in Greek and Greek‐American diets and disease patterns related to migration within the Mediterranean and from the Mediterranean to the United States. Data reported here discuss changes in food patterns and health‐related characteristics of two populations, both originating from the Greek island of Chios, residing either in Athens, Greece, or urban centers in the United States. Food consumption and medical history questionnaires were mailed to 2652 Chians residing in Athens, New York, and the San Francisco Bay region of California. A total of 381 usable responses were obtained; 79% of both the Chian Greek and the Chian Greek American sample were first generation emigrants. Food consumption data were analyzed as monthly frequencies of 49 food items and categories using factor analysis and discriminate analysis. Associations between location of residence and disease prevalence were examined using maximum‐likelihood logit analysis; results were controlled for age, Body Mass Index, physical activity, smoking habit, and socio‐economic status. After controlling for these potential confounders, as well as for presence of the conditions of elevated serum cholesterol, hypertension, and diabetes, Chian American men were identified at higher risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) than their Athenian counterparts (p < 0.06). This difference in risk for CVD may be related to more frequent use of oils and fats other than olive oil, and less frequent use of olive oil. Among women, diabetes exhibited a positive association with Chian women residing in Athens (p < 0.09), which may be explained by a less frequent use of foods rich in complex carbohydrates by Athenian women than by their American counterparts.