Integrating pressure sensor control into semi-solid extrusion 3D printing to optimize medicine manufacturing

Semi-solid extrusion (SSE) is a three-dimensional printing (3DP) process that involves the extrusion of a gel or paste-like material via a syringe-based printhead to create the desired object. In pharmaceuticals, SSE 3DP has already been used to manufacture formulations for human clinical studies. To further support its clinical adoption, the use of a pressure sensor may provide information on the printability of the feedstock material in situ and under the exact printing conditions for quality control purposes. This study aimed to integrate a pressure sensor in an SSE pharmaceutical 3D printer for both material characterization and as a process analytical technology (PAT) to monitor the printing process. In this study, three materials of different consistency were tested (soft vaseline, gel-like mass and paste-like mass) under 12 different conditions, by changing flow rate, temperature, or nozzle diameter. The use of a pressure sensor allowed, for the first time, the characterization of rheological properties of the inks, which exhibited temperature-dependent, plastic and viscoelastic behaviours. Controlling critical material attributes and 3D printing process parameters may allow a quality by design (QbD) approach to facilitate a high-fidelity 3D printing process critical for the future of personalized medicine

An alternative algebraic method for solving the radial equation for the hidrogen atom

Dos operadores de escalera se introducen  para resolver la ecuación radial del átomo de hidrógeno. Los valores propios de energía, así explícitas expresiones analíticas para las funciones propias de este problema particular, Kepler se obtienen después de un poco de manipulación algebraica de los operadores

Evaluation of Fattening Efficiency of Grazing Bulls through Panel Data Envelop Analysis

The purpose of this paper was to assess fattening efficiency changes in grazing bulls, using panel data envelop analysis in two periods of time. The panel data were compiled by DEAP 2.1, which included the results of a 3-year period from 38 private farms (beef farms) in cooperatives of credits and services. The farms were on prairie savannahs, located on 21.4831 latitude, and -77.3174 longitude, less than 300 meters above sea level, province of Camagüey, mideastern Cuba. The output variable was total sold kg (TSKG), and the input variables were cost of Norgold (CN), fuel kg per ha (FKGXHA), fuel kg per livestock unit (FKGXLU), and unit of human labor force (UHL), which were highly correlated to the output variable. Table 2 shows that technical efficiency (TE), pure efficiency (PEC), and scale sufficiency (SEC), underwent 0.2%, 0.4, and 0.5%, respectively, by the third year of fattening. Technological change (TC) between the second and third years rose to almost 14%, and the total productivity factor (TPF) spiked as farmers became more skilled and experienced, with a 4.9% increase in comparison to the first year, and 13.7% in the second year

A basis for variational calculations in d dimensions

In this paper we derive expressions for matrix elements (\phi_i,H\phi_j) for the Hamiltonian H=-\Delta+\sum_q a(q)r^q in d > 1 dimensions. The basis functions in each angular momentum subspace are of the form phi_i(r)=r^{i+1+(t-d)/2}e^{-r^p/2}, i >= 0, p > 0, t > 0. The matrix elements are given in terms of the Gamma function for all d. The significance of the parameters t and p and scale s are discussed. Applications to a variety of potentials are presented, including potentials with singular repulsive terms of the form b/r^a, a,b > 0, perturbed Coulomb potentials -D/r + B r + Ar^2, and potentials with weak repulsive terms, such as -g r^2 + r^4, g > 0.Comment: 22 page

Balance de energía, nitrógeno y fósforo en sistemas de ceba bovina en pastoreo

Objective: The aim of this work was to perform balances of energy, nitrogen, and phosphorus in pre-fattening and fattening bovine systems at Turiguanó Livestock Breeding Company, in the province of Ciego de Ávila, Cuba. Materials and methods: The botanical composition of the farms evaluated was determined, and energy, nitrogen, and phosphorus balances were performed. Results: The annual energy, nitrogen, and phosphorus balances were negative on the farms in the study. Conclusions: New strategies are required to enhance energy and nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) use to increase beef production during the final stage. Accordingly, improvements in recycling, balance, and efficiency in the use of energy and these minerals are linked to increases in live weight/day, and better final weights for the industry during that stage.Objetivo: Realizar el balance de energía, nitrógeno y fósforo de sistemas de ceba inicial y ceba final bovina en la Empresa Pecuaria Genética Turiguanó en la provincia Ciego de Ávila en Cuba. Materiales y métodos: Se determinó la composición botánica en las unidades evaluadas y se realizaron los balances de energía, nitrógeno y fósforo. Resultados: Las unidades estudiadas presentaron balances negativos anuales en lo energético y en el nitrógeno y fósforo. Conclusiones: Son necesarias estrategias para aumentar el aprovechamiento de energía y los nutrientes como nitrógeno y fósforo e incrementar la producción bovina de carne en su fase final, por lo que las mejoras del reciclaje, el balance y la eficiencia de utilización de la energía y estos minerales, están ligadas a los incrementos en peso vivo/día y a mejores pesos finales a industria en esta fase

Spread of a SARS-CoV-2 variant through Europe in the summer of 2020.

Following its emergence in late 2019, the spread of SARS-CoV-21,2 has been tracked by phylogenetic analysis of viral genome sequences in unprecedented detail3–5. Although the virus spread globally in early 2020 before borders closed, intercontinental travel has since been greatly reduced. However, travel within Europe resumed in the summer of 2020. Here we report on a SARS-CoV-2 variant, 20E (EU1), that was identified in Spain in early summer 2020 and subsequently spread across Europe. We find no evidence that this variant has increased transmissibility, but instead demonstrate how rising incidence in Spain, resumption of travel, and lack of effective screening and containment may explain the variant’s success. Despite travel restrictions, we estimate that 20E (EU1) was introduced hundreds of times to European countries by summertime travellers, which is likely to have undermined local efforts to minimize infection with SARS-CoV-2. Our results illustrate how a variant can rapidly become dominant even in the absence of a substantial transmission advantage in favourable epidemiological settings. Genomic surveillance is critical for understanding how travel can affect transmission of SARS-CoV-2, and thus for informing future containment strategies as travel resumes. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited

Impacto del Centro de Estudios para el Desarrollo de la Producción Animal (CEDEPA) en la ganadería del territorio. 1. Programa de formación en extensión rural

The impact of a teaching program to train people as rural extension workers was evaluated at livestock centers in Camagüey province, Cuba, from 1996 to 2006. This project, named Rural Extension and Agricultural Technology Office (OFERTA), is and agricultural extension working tool developed by CEDEPA affiliated to the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences from Camagüey University. The highest impact of this program was centered on the project management and integration as well graduate and postgraduate teaching to train people as rural extension workers for regional livestock centers. Qualified personnel can be found at every production structure level; however, they are not always oriented towards the communication with simple producers, technology transfer, their own re-qualification, and the links and feedback with alike universities and research centers.Se evaluó el impacto de un programa de formación de recursos humanos como extensionistas, en el período de 1996 a 2006 en empresas ganaderas de Camagüey, Cuba. El proyecto se nombra Oficina de Extensión Rural y Tecnología Agropecuaria (OFERTA), dispositivo de trabajo en extensión agrícola creado en el Centro de Estudios para el Desarrollo de la Producción Animal (CEDEPA) de la Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias de la Universidad de Camagüey. Las áreas de mayor impacto del programa fueron la gestión-integración de proyectos y, por supuesto, la docencia de pre y posgrado para la formación de recursos humanos en extensión rural para las empresas ganaderas de la región. En las estructuras de producción hay personal calificado en cada frente, pero no siempre orientado al trabajo de comunicación con el productor de base, la transferencia de tecnología, su propia recalificación y el enlaceretroalimentación con las universidades y centros de investigación afines

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Base de datos de abejas ibéricas

Las abejas son un grupo extremadamente diverso con más de 1000 especies descritas en la península ibérica. Además, son excelentes polinizadores y aportan numerosos servicios ecosistémicos fundamentales para la mayoría de ecosistemas terrestres. Debido a los diversos cambios ambientales inducidos por el ser humano, existen evidencias del declive de algunas de sus poblaciones para ciertas especies. Sin embargo, conocemos muy poco del estado de conservación de la mayoría de especies y de muchas de ellas ignoramos cuál es su distribución en la península ibérica. En este trabajo presentamos un esfuerzo colaborativo para crear una base de datos de ocurrencias de abejas que abarca la península ibérica e islas Baleares que permitirá resolver cuestiones como la distribución de las diferentes especies, preferencia de hábitat, fenología o tendencias históricas. En su versión actual, esta base de datos contiene un total de 87 684 registros de 923 especies recolectados entre 1830 y 2022, de los cuales un 87% presentan información georreferenciada. Para cada registro se incluye información relativa a la localidad de muestreo (89%), identificador y colector de la especie (64%), fecha de captura (54%) y planta donde se recolectó (20%). Creemos que esta base de datos es el punto de partida para conocer y conservar mejor la biodiversidad de abejas en la península ibérica e Islas Baleares. Se puede acceder a estos datos a través del siguiente enlace permanente: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6354502ABSTRACT: Bees are a diverse group with more than 1000 species known from the Iberian Peninsula. They have increasingly received special attention due to their important role as pollinators and providers of ecosystem services. In addition, various rapid human-induced environmental changes are leading to the decline of some of its populations. However, we know very little about the conservation status of most species and for many species, we hardly know their true distributions across the Iberian Peninsula. Here, we present a collaborative effort to collate and curate a database of Iberian bee occurrences to answer questions about their distribution, habitat preference, phenology, or historical trends. In total we have accumulated 87 684 records from the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands of 923 different species with 87% of georeferenced records collected between 1830 and 2022. In addition, each record has associated information such as the sampling location (89%), collector and person who identified the species (64%), date of the capture (54%) and plant species where the bees were captured (20%). We believe that this database is the starting point to better understand and conserve bee biodiversity in the Iberian Peninsula. It can be accessed at: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6354502Esta base de datos se ha realizado con la ayuda de los proyectos EUCLIPO (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-028360/EUCLIPO) y SAFEGUARD (ref. 101003476 H2020 -SFS-2019-2).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio