Evaluación de resistencias en concretos para pavimentos convencionales MR. 41. y concretos Hidratium MR. 41

Trabajo de investigaciónEl proyecto consiste en la realización de una evaluación de las resistencias obtenidas en los procesos constructivos que actualmente se manejan para ciudades donde el tráfico es denso y se requiere colocar la vía en marcha rápidamente. El concreto HIDRATIUM MR. 41. Es una nueva tecnología donde el concreto aporta una mayor tolerancia a las deficientes prácticas de curado, permitiendo inclusive eliminar este proceso. Su mecanismo regula y controla la pérdida de humedad para reducir la formación de fisuras.EspecializaciónEspecialista en Ingeniería de Pavimento

Correlación clínica de la procalcitonina en pacientes con bacteriemia

OBJETIVOS: Relacionar el nivel de procalcitonina (PCT) de los pacientes con bacteriemia confirmada, con escalas validadas de gravedad clínica para enfermedades infecciosas: Pitt bacteriemia score (PBS), APACHE-II, SOFA score así como describir la posible relación existente ente la PCT y los pacientes ancianos (>75 años) y con gran nivel de comorbilidad (Índice Comorbilidad de Charlson, ICC). MÉTODOS: Para ello hemos diseñado un estudio transversal ,retrospectivo con recogida y análisis de datos entre enero de 2017 y marzo de 2018. Un total de 87 pacientes fueron incluidos en el estudio. La variable de interés se analizo estadisticamente mediante test no paramétricos: U de Mann-Whitney, mediana y rango intercuartílico (IQR). RESULTADOS: De los 87 casos el 51.7% fueron mujeres. La edad media muestral fue de 73,8 años(20-100).La mediana en los niveles de PCT fue de 2.4 (IC95%;1.3-4.5).La PCT en el subgrupo PBS ¿3 fue de 1.7ng/ml, siendo de 19 mg/ml en el subgrupo de PBS ¿4 (p 0.000).Para APACHE-II ¿21 fue de 10 ng/ml (p 0,008); siendo para SOFAs¿ 4 de 4.35 ng/ml (p 0.013). En pacientes mayores de 75 años la mediana de PCT fue de 2,3 ng/ml (p 0.765). En pacientes con alto nivel de comorbilidad (ICC¿5) fue de 3.26 ng/ml, siendo en el grupo de ICC¿4 de 1.14 (p 0.093). CONCLUSIÓN: No se han observado diferencias de PCT entre los pacientes mayores de 75 años, ni con alto nivel de comorbildiad La PCT ha demostrado ser un buen marcador de bacteriemia en pacientes ancianos y con importante pluripatología

Distribution patterns of bottom trawl faunal assemblages in Porcupine bank: implications for Porcupine surveys stratification design.

The distribution patterns of bottom trawl faunal assemblages in Porcupine bank is addressed using data from two bottom trawl surveys performed in the area. Hierarchical cluster analyses and canonical ordination analyses are applied respectively to define the different assemblages and to evaluate the main structuring environmental factors using information on depth, latitude, longitude, bottom temperature and salinity. Analyses are performed with two different matrices one in numbers of individuals per species in each haul and another in biomass of main commercial species in each haul. Three large assemblages are discriminated by hierarchical cluster analyses: shelf, outer-shelf and shelf-break, with some subgroups within each of them consistent in the results of both data matrices. Depth is the main structuring environmental factor in the area. Longitude has also an important effect on the bottom trawl assemblages distribution pattern, this effect is more likely to be related with relief structure and ground types differences in both sides of Porcupine bank. The original strata design used in Porcupine surveys, based on previous information on commercial catches, does not agree with the results of this study, but more information on the bathymetry in the area is needed to implement new bathymetric strata.Versión de edito

Integrating cognitive contents in Physical Education classes: Effects on cognitive variables and emotional intelligence

The aim was to analyse the effect of a 4-week programme integrating cognitive contents in Physical Education (CogniPE) on cognitive performance (CP) and emotional intelligence (EI) of adolescents. A randomised controlled trial was conducted with a control group (CG, n=58), which performed physical exercises at low intensity (i.e., stretching or pilates), an experimental group 1, which performed small-sided games of team sports (EG1, n=62), and experimental group 2, which performed CogniPE (EG2, n=60). Intensity of exercises and scores were registered after each station to classify and motivate the teams. Selective attention and concentration increased by 11.9% and 9.2% in EG1, and by 18.2% and 14.4% in EG2, respectively, compared to CG. Mathematical calculation improved by 15.9% and 18.7% in EG1 and EG2, compared to CG. In EI, well-being improved by 10.9% in EG1, sociability improved by 12.8% in EG1 and 15.9% in EG2 compared to CG. It is concluded to use CogniPE in school context

Food web functioning of the benthopelagic community in a deep-sea seamount based on diet and stable isotope analyses

14th Deep-Sea Biology Symposium (DSBS), 31 August 2015 - 04 September 2015, AveiroPeer Reviewe

Innovation in the Electrophoretic Deposition of TiO2 Using Different Stabilizing Agents and Zeta Potential

Surface engineering is gaining increasing relevance in various industrial sectors and in research, and in this sense, zeta potential measurements, being a physicochemical parameter of interface, are key to linking the functionality of a coating with its application environment. In this work, different stabilizing agents with different chemical structure and electrical charge were used to improve the stability of the TiO2 particles. The influence of the electrophoretic deposition (EPD) parameters (potential and deposition time) and the concentration of chitosan and TiO2 in suspension were studied to find the best deposition performance on the titanium substrate. The composition and structure of the coatings were evaluated by infrared spectroscopies (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was observed that the TiO2 particles were dispersed in the chitosan matrix through simultaneous deposition. Corrosion resistance was evaluated by electrochemical polarization curves, indicating a higher corrosion resistance of TiO2 and TiO2-chitosan coatings compared to the pure titanium substrate in a solution of sulfuric acid

Multifactoriality of Parkinson’s disease as explored through human neural stem cells and their transplantation in middle-aged parkinsonian mice

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is an age-associated neurodegenerative disorder for which there is currently no cure. Cell replacement therapy is a potential treatment for PD; however, this therapy has more clinically beneficial outcomes in younger patients with less advanced PD. In this study, hVM1 clone 32 cells, a line of human neural stem cells, were characterized and subsequently transplanted in middle-aged Parkinsonian mice in order to examine cell replacement therapy as a treatment for PD. In vitro analyses revealed that these cells express standard dopamine-centered markers as well as others associated with mitochondrial and peroxisome function, as well as glucose and lipid metabolism. Four months after the transplantation of the hVM1 clone 32 cells, striatal expression of tyrosine hydroxylase was minimally reduced in all Parkinsonian mice but that of dopamine transporter was decreased to a greater extent in buffer compared to cell-treated mice. Behavioral tests showed marked differences between experimental groups, and cell transplant improved hyperactivity and gait alterations, while in the striatum, astroglial populations were increased in all groups due to age and a higher amount of microglia were found in Parkinsonian mice. In the motor cortex, nonphosphorylated neurofilament heavy was increased in all Parkinsonian mice. Overall, these findings demonstrate that hVM1 clone 32 cell transplant prevented motor and non-motor impairments and that PD is a complex disorder with many influencing factors, thus reinforcing the idea of novel targets for PD treatment that tend to be focused on dopamine and nigrostriatal damag

Improving cognition in school children and adolescents through exergames. A systematic review and practical guide

Recent studies and reviews have shown the positive effects of exergames (EXs) on physical activity (PA) and fitness in children and adolescents. Nevertheless, their effects on cognition have been scarcely explored, and no previous review has focussed on this relationship. The purpose of the research reported on here was to analyse the acute and chronic effects of the use of different EXs on the cognition of young people aged 6 to 18 years, to review potential confounders, and to elaborate a practical guide to using EXs in schools or extracurricular contexts. Studies were identified from 4 databases (Pubmed, SportDiscus, ProQuest and Web of Science) from January 2008 through January 2018. Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria. All the studies showed a positive effect of EXs on cognition. The review showed an acute improvement effect on executive functions (EFs) (visual attention, mental processing, working memory, response inhibition, and motor planning) and chronic benefits on mathematical calculation, self-concept, classroom behaviour, and on parental and interpersonal relationships. Only 5 studies used confounders. EXs are an effective and motivating tool to improve cognition in young people aged 6 to 18 years. Didactic recommendations to use EXs in school or extracurricular contexts are provided in this article. Keywords: academic performance; active video games; acute and chronic effects; cognitive performance; executive functions;  exergames; learning; motivation; physical activity; physical educatio

Benthic litter distribution on circalittoral and deep sea bottoms of the southern Bay of Biscay: Analysis of potential drivers

En prens

To what extent is fishing effort affecting the trophic level of the demersal communities at small scale? Preliminary results of a new food web indicator

Due to the complexity of benthic and demersal ecosystems, to be really helpful, a food web indicator should summarize, in a single number, a variety of complex processes that are otherwise hard to apprehend. The present work assesses the direct impact of bottom fishing gears on the trophic level (TL) of benthic and demersal communities dwelling in the continental shelf of the southern Bay of Biscay. Using a spatio-temporal approach at small scale, we tackle two main objectives: 1) to evaluate temporal trends in mean TL at community scale per sampling rectangle (5 x 5 miles grid resolution), and 2) to assess to what extent these trends are related to fishing effort. Two types of data are involved in the analyses: 1) TL data (mean trophic level by sampling rectangle), and 2) VMS data (number of fishing days by sampling rectangle). TL data were calculated using stomach contents sampled for demersal fish species during the Demersales surveys (IBTS), carried out every autumn in the southern Bay of Biscay since 1983, and combined with data from Fishbase and local references for those species which lacked empirical data. We only considered species that appeared in a minimum of 5 years and were consistently well identified along the whole historical series, in order to keep consistency in the community spatiotemporal sampling. Preliminary results point to a significant increase in TL in most of the sampling rectangles, suggesting that the trend observed globally is spatially homogeneous. A clear relationship between fishing effort and TL was also identified, particularly in those areas where fishing effort (mainly otter trawl fisheries) has been decreasing in recent years