Real-Time Fluids – Optimizing Grid-Based Methods

A fluid simulation suitable for use in real-time virtual environments running at interactive frame rates has the potential to greatly improve the quality of the virtual environments it is used in. To this end we present a method suitable for use in real-time grid-based fluid simulation that considerably reduces the amount of data being processed at each simulation step by removing unused cells from the simulation gri

Insulin Receptor Substrate-1 Expression Is Increased in Circulating Leukocytes of Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

The mechanisms underlying the increased risk of cardiovascular disease associated with diabetes mellitus (DM) are not fully defined. Insulin resistance in human metabolic syndrome patients is associated with decreased expression of the insulin receptor substrate-2- (Irs2-) AKT2 axis in mononuclear leukocytes (MLs). Moreover, acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has been linked through genome-wide association studies to the 2q36-q37.3 locus, which contains the Irs1 gene. Here, we investigated the expression of insulin-signaling pathway genes in MLs from patients with DM, ACS, and ACS plus DM. Quantitative real-time PCR expression studies showed no differences in the mRNA levels of Irs2, Akt2, and Akt1 among all patients. However, Irs1 mRNA expression was significantly increased in patients with ACS—diabetics and nondiabetics—compared with diabetic patients without ACS (P < .02 and P < .005, resp.). The present study reveals for the first time an association between increased Irs1 mRNA levels in MLs of patients with ACS which is not related to DM

Cognitive status and nutritional markers in a sample of institutionalized elderly people

Background: Since many of the risk factors for cognitive decline can be modified by diet, the study of nutrition and its relationships with cognitive status in aging has increased considerably in recent years. However, there are hardly any studies that have assessed cognitive status using a comprehensive set of neuropsychological tests along with measures of functional capacity and mood and that have related it to nutritional status measured from several nutritional parameters that have shown its relationships with cognitive function. Objective: To test the differences in depressive symptomatology and in several measures of nutritional status between three groups classified according to their cognitive status (CS hereafter). Method: One hundred thirteen participants from nursing homes in Galicia, Spain, underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological examination, including a general screening test (MMSE) and tests for different cognitive domains along with measures of activities of daily living (ADL) and assessment of depressive symptomatology (GDSSF). According to established clinical criteria, participants were divided into three CS groups, Cognitively Intact (CI), Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), and All-Cause Dementia (ACD). Nutritional status was also examined using blood-derived measures, body mass index (BMI) and a nutritional screening test (MNA-SF). Differences between CS groups in all nutritional variables were studied by one-way ANOVAs with post-hoc Bonferroni correction or Kruskal-Wallis with Games-Howell post-hoc correction when appropriate. Multinomial logistic regression was also applied to test the association between nutritional variables and CS. Results: Differences between CS groups were statistically significant for depressive symptomatology, vitamin A and D, albumin, selenium (Se), uric acid (UA), and BMI. The results of multinomial logistic regression found positive associations between groups with better CS and higher concentrations of vitamins A and D, transthyretin (TTR), albumin, Se, and UA, while negative associations were found for BMI. Conclusion: Higher serum levels of vitamin A, vitamin D, TTR, albumin, Se, and UA could act as protective factors against cognitive decline, whereas higher BMI could act as a risk factorNUTRIAGE (0359_NUTRIAGE_1_E) was a research project 75% co-financed by the Interreg V-A Spain-Portugal Program (POCTEP) 2014–2020 through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) of the European UnionS

Extremes in hydraulic modelling: combined capabilities in the spanish network MARHIS

This abstract provides an overview of the experimental work carried out at the MARHIS network formed by the Barcelona and the Santander research laboratories. The emphasis is on the role played by extremes as hydraulic drivers and also in terms of the observed responses. This has implications for the experimental generation equipment (waves, currents, wind) and for the observed responses (morphodynamic or structural). The paper discusses the joint capability of the two laboratories and the importance of reproducing and capturing those extremes for more efficient hydraulic tests.Postprint (published version

Plan de responsabilidad social empresarial Navitrans.

A continuación, se presenta el enlace del video que hace contextualización sobre Marketing Social y Marketing Corporativo e identificación del sector de la economía al cual pertenece la empresa Navitrans. Link video RSE vs. Marketing https://www.powtoon.com/online-presentation/fukfTSirMew/?mode=movie#/El presente trabajo consiste en Diseñar el plan de responsabilidad social empresarial para la empresa Navitrans, después de una serie de investigaciones y la orientación pertinente de directores y tutores del Diplomado De Profundización En Gerencia Estratégica Y Responsabilidad Social Empresarial, se logra realizar este a través de la evaluación de desempeño que ha tenido la empresa a nivel económico, social y ambiental, en el que mide su nivel de impacto y la prioridad de atención que se le debe dar. Para ello se justifica la importancia de la RSE y la implementación de un código de conducta en el que todos aportaron para su construcción y aprobación, teniendo como referencia el Modelo Benchmarking, en el que ofrece beneficios en los procesos. Los Stakeholder juegan un papel importante en el diseño del plan de responsabilidad social empresarial ya que nos ayudan a identificar a las personas, grupos u organizaciones, que pueden afectar positiva o negativamente según las actividades y decisiones de la empresa, analizando la matriz de relaciones (influencia vs Impacto) de los actores internos y externos con el fin de informar la situación presentada a los interesados. Lo anterior favoreció para la construcción del Plan De Responsabilidad Social Empresarial de Navitrans S.A.S, el cual aportará a su eficiencia, sostenibilidad y transparencia; adoptando políticas organizacionales que propicien y fomenten el balance económico, social y ambiental; atrayendo nuevos clientes y futuros socios que desarrollan oportunidades sociales de negocio.The current work consists of designing the responsibility plan for social work for the Navitrans business, after a series of investigations and the pertinent investigation of the directors and tutors of the diploma of deepening in strategic management and corporate social responsability it will be carried out through the evaluation of the economic, social and environmental performance company has had in that we measure the level of impact and the priority of attention that should be given. It justifies the importance of the RSE and the implementation of a code of conduct in that all contributed to its construction and approval having as a reference the Benchmarking Model in that it offers benefits in the processes. The Stakeholders plays an important part in the responsibility plan for social work since it helps identify the people groups or organizations that can affect positively or negatively according to the activities and decisions of the business, analyzing the matrix of relationships (influence vs impact) of the internal and external actors with an end to inform the presented situation to those interested. The anterior favored for the construction of the responsibility plan for social work of Navitrans S.A.S. Which contributes to its efficiency, sustainability and transparency; adapting organizational politics that create a suitable atmosphere for and promote the economic, social and environmental balance; attracting new clients and future partners that bring social opportunities to the business

Top-squark searches at the Tevatron in models of low-energy supersymmetry breaking

We study the production and decays of top squarks (stops) at the Tevatron collider in models of low-energy supersymmetry breaking. We consider the case where the lightest Standard Model (SM) superpartner is a light neutralino that predominantly decays into a photon and a light gravitino. Considering the lighter stop to be the next-to-lightest Standard Model superpartner, we analyze stop signatures associated with jets, photons and missing energy, which lead to signals naturally larger than the associated SM backgrounds. We consider both 2-body and 3-body decays of the top squarks and show that the reach of the Tevatron can be significantly larger than that expected within either the standard supergravity models or models of low-energy supersymmetry breaking in which the stop is the lightest SM superpartner. For a modest projection of the final Tevatron luminosity, L = 4 fb-1, stop masses of order 300 GeV are accessible at the Tevatron collider in both 2-body and 3-body decay modes. We also consider the production and decay of ten degenerate squarks that are the supersymmetric partners of the five light quarks. In this case we find that common squark masses up to 360 GeV are easily accessible at the Tevatron collider, and that the reach increases further if the gluino is light.Comment: 32 pages, 9 figures; references adde

An Earthworm Riddle: Systematics and Phylogeography of the Spanish Lumbricid Postandrilus

As currently defined, the genus Postandrilus Qui and Bouché, 1998, (Lumbricidae) includes six earthworm species, five occurring in Majorca (Baleares Islands, western Mediterranean) and another in Galicia (NW Spain). This disjunct and restricted distribution raises some interesting phylogeographic questions: (1) Is Postandrilus distribution the result of the separation of the Baleares-Kabylies (BK) microplate from the proto-Iberian Peninsula in the Late Oligocene (30-28 Mya)--vicariant hypothesis? (2) Did Postandrilus diversify in Spain and then colonize the Baleares during the Messinian salinity crisis (MSC) 5.96-5.33 Mya--dispersal hypothesis? (3) Is the distribution the result of a two-step process--vicariance with subsequent dispersal?To answer these questions and assess Postandrilus evolutionary relationships and systematics, we collected all of the six Postandrilus species (46 specimens - 16 locations) and used Aporrectodea morenoe and three Prosellodrilus and two Cataladrilus species as the outgroup. Regions of the nuclear 28S rDNA and mitochondrial 16S rDNA, 12S rDNA, ND1, COII and tRNA genes (4,666 bp) were sequenced and analyzed using maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods of phylogenetic and divergence time estimation. The resulting trees revealed six new Postandrilus species in Majorca that clustered with the other five species already described. This Majorcan clade was sister to an Iberian clade including A. morenoe (outgroup) and Postandrilus bertae. Our phylogeny and divergence time estimates indicated that the split between the Iberian and Majorcan Postandrilus clades took place 30.1 Mya, in concordance with the break of the BK microplate from the proto-Iberian Peninsula, and that the present Majorcan clade diversified 5.7 Mya, during the MSC.Postandrilus is highly diverse including multiple cryptic species in Majorca. The genus is not monophyletic and invalid as currently defined. Postandrilus is of vicariant origin and its radiation began in the Late Oligocene

Electroweak Baryogenesis: Concrete in a SUSY Model with a Gauge Singlet

SUSY models with a gauge singlet easily allow for a strong first order electroweak phase transition (EWPT) if the vevs of the singlet and Higgs fields are of comparable size. We discuss the profile of the stationary expanding bubble wall and CP-violation in the effective potential, in particular transitional CP-violation inside the bubble wall during the EWPT. The dispersion relations for charginos contain CP-violating terms in the WKB approximation. These enter as source terms in the Boltzmann equations for the (particle--antiparticle) chemical potentials and fuel the creation of a baryon asymmetry through the weak sphaleron in the hot phase. This is worked out for concrete parameters.Comment: 46 pages, LaTeX, 11 figures, discussion of source terms and transport equations modified, version to appear in Nucl. Phys.