Aplicación de placas basadas en residuos del desmote del algodón a envolventes horizontales de viviendas

El censo poblacional de 2010 indica que alrededor del 30% de las viviendas de la región algodonera poseen cerramientos horizontales formados por chapas de acero galvanizado, sin ningún tipo de cielorraso. Este tipo de cubierta, sin aislación térmica, redunda en una falta de confort y consumo excesivo de energía, produciéndose además en épocas invernales el fenómeno de la condensación superficial, que genera humedecimiento de la envolvente, propiciando el crecimiento de hongos y el desarrollo de afecciones crónicas (alérgicas y respiratorias). Frente a esto, se propone el empleo de elementos constructivos compuestos por residuos de desmote del algodón, aportando de manera innovadora una solución viable a la problemática ambiental (aprox. 1.195.000 m3) de residuos por campaña sin uso previsto), a la reducida demanda laboral de este sector agroindustrial, y al fuerte déficit habitacional existente en la región, mediante nuevas tecnologías de reducido costo, rápida ejecución y adecuadas características de aislamiento térmico.Área Investigación - Eje 2 Tecnología para la construcción sustentableFacultad de Arquitectura y Urbanism

Genetic mechanisms of critical illness in COVID-19.

Host-mediated lung inflammation is present1, and drives mortality2, in the critical illness caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Host genetic variants associated with critical illness may identify mechanistic targets for therapeutic development3. Here we report the results of the GenOMICC (Genetics Of Mortality In Critical Care) genome-wide association study in 2,244 critically ill patients with COVID-19 from 208 UK intensive care units. We have identified and replicated the following new genome-wide significant associations: on chromosome 12q24.13 (rs10735079, P = 1.65 × 10-8) in a gene cluster that encodes antiviral restriction enzyme activators (OAS1, OAS2 and OAS3); on chromosome 19p13.2 (rs74956615, P = 2.3 × 10-8) near the gene that encodes tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2); on chromosome 19p13.3 (rs2109069, P = 3.98 ×  10-12) within the gene that encodes dipeptidyl peptidase 9 (DPP9); and on chromosome 21q22.1 (rs2236757, P = 4.99 × 10-8) in the interferon receptor gene IFNAR2. We identified potential targets for repurposing of licensed medications: using Mendelian randomization, we found evidence that low expression of IFNAR2, or high expression of TYK2, are associated with life-threatening disease; and transcriptome-wide association in lung tissue revealed that high expression of the monocyte-macrophage chemotactic receptor CCR2 is associated with severe COVID-19. Our results identify robust genetic signals relating to key host antiviral defence mechanisms and mediators of inflammatory organ damage in COVID-19. Both mechanisms may be amenable to targeted treatment with existing drugs. However, large-scale randomized clinical trials will be essential before any change to clinical practice

Measuring the health-related Sustainable Development Goals in 188 countries : a baseline analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015

Background In September, 2015, the UN General Assembly established the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs specify 17 universal goals, 169 targets, and 230 indicators leading up to 2030. We provide an analysis of 33 health-related SDG indicators based on the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2015 (GBD 2015). Methods We applied statistical methods to systematically compiled data to estimate the performance of 33 health-related SDG indicators for 188 countries from 1990 to 2015. We rescaled each indicator on a scale from 0 (worst observed value between 1990 and 2015) to 100 (best observed). Indices representing all 33 health-related SDG indicators (health-related SDG index), health-related SDG indicators included in the Millennium Development Goals (MDG index), and health-related indicators not included in the MDGs (non-MDG index) were computed as the geometric mean of the rescaled indicators by SDG target. We used spline regressions to examine the relations between the Socio-demographic Index (SDI, a summary measure based on average income per person, educational attainment, and total fertility rate) and each of the health-related SDG indicators and indices. Findings In 2015, the median health-related SDG index was 59.3 (95% uncertainty interval 56.8-61.8) and varied widely by country, ranging from 85.5 (84.2-86.5) in Iceland to 20.4 (15.4-24.9) in Central African Republic. SDI was a good predictor of the health-related SDG index (r(2) = 0.88) and the MDG index (r(2) = 0.2), whereas the non-MDG index had a weaker relation with SDI (r(2) = 0.79). Between 2000 and 2015, the health-related SDG index improved by a median of 7.9 (IQR 5.0-10.4), and gains on the MDG index (a median change of 10.0 [6.7-13.1]) exceeded that of the non-MDG index (a median change of 5.5 [2.1-8.9]). Since 2000, pronounced progress occurred for indicators such as met need with modern contraception, under-5 mortality, and neonatal mortality, as well as the indicator for universal health coverage tracer interventions. Moderate improvements were found for indicators such as HIV and tuberculosis incidence, minimal changes for hepatitis B incidence took place, and childhood overweight considerably worsened. Interpretation GBD provides an independent, comparable avenue for monitoring progress towards the health-related SDGs. Our analysis not only highlights the importance of income, education, and fertility as drivers of health improvement but also emphasises that investments in these areas alone will not be sufficient. Although considerable progress on the health-related MDG indicators has been made, these gains will need to be sustained and, in many cases, accelerated to achieve the ambitious SDG targets. The minimal improvement in or worsening of health-related indicators beyond the MDGs highlight the need for additional resources to effectively address the expanded scope of the health-related SDGs.Peer reviewe

Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 315 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE), 1990-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015.

BACKGROUND: Healthy life expectancy (HALE) and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) provide summary measures of health across geographies and time that can inform assessments of epidemiological patterns and health system performance, help to prioritise investments in research and development, and monitor progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We aimed to provide updated HALE and DALYs for geographies worldwide and evaluate how disease burden changes with development. METHODS: We used results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2015 (GBD 2015) for all-cause mortality, cause-specific mortality, and non-fatal disease burden to derive HALE and DALYs by sex for 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2015. We calculated DALYs by summing years of life lost (YLLs) and years of life lived with disability (YLDs) for each geography, age group, sex, and year. We estimated HALE using the Sullivan method, which draws from age-specific death rates and YLDs per capita. We then assessed how observed levels of DALYs and HALE differed from expected trends calculated with the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator constructed from measures of income per capita, average years of schooling, and total fertility rate. FINDINGS: Total global DALYs remained largely unchanged from 1990 to 2015, with decreases in communicable, neonatal, maternal, and nutritional (Group 1) disease DALYs offset by increased DALYs due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Much of this epidemiological transition was caused by changes in population growth and ageing, but it was accelerated by widespread improvements in SDI that also correlated strongly with the increasing importance of NCDs. Both total DALYs and age-standardised DALY rates due to most Group 1 causes significantly decreased by 2015, and although total burden climbed for the majority of NCDs, age-standardised DALY rates due to NCDs declined. Nonetheless, age-standardised DALY rates due to several high-burden NCDs (including osteoarthritis, drug use disorders, depression, diabetes, congenital birth defects, and skin, oral, and sense organ diseases) either increased or remained unchanged, leading to increases in their relative ranking in many geographies. From 2005 to 2015, HALE at birth increased by an average of 2·9 years (95% uncertainty interval 2·9-3·0) for men and 3·5 years (3·4-3·7) for women, while HALE at age 65 years improved by 0·85 years (0·78-0·92) and 1·2 years (1·1-1·3), respectively. Rising SDI was associated with consistently higher HALE and a somewhat smaller proportion of life spent with functional health loss; however, rising SDI was related to increases in total disability. Many countries and territories in central America and eastern sub-Saharan Africa had increasingly lower rates of disease burden than expected given their SDI. At the same time, a subset of geographies recorded a growing gap between observed and expected levels of DALYs, a trend driven mainly by rising burden due to war, interpersonal violence, and various NCDs. INTERPRETATION: Health is improving globally, but this means more populations are spending more time with functional health loss, an absolute expansion of morbidity. The proportion of life spent in ill health decreases somewhat with increasing SDI, a relative compression of morbidity, which supports continued efforts to elevate personal income, improve education, and limit fertility. Our analysis of DALYs and HALE and their relationship to SDI represents a robust framework on which to benchmark geography-specific health performance and SDG progress. Country-specific drivers of disease burden, particularly for causes with higher-than-expected DALYs, should inform financial and research investments, prevention efforts, health policies, and health system improvement initiatives for all countries along the development continuum. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Genomic investigations of unexplained acute hepatitis in children

Since its first identification in Scotland, over 1,000 cases of unexplained paediatric hepatitis in children have been reported worldwide, including 278 cases in the UK1. Here we report an investigation of 38 cases, 66 age-matched immunocompetent controls and 21 immunocompromised comparator participants, using a combination of genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic and immunohistochemical methods. We detected high levels of adeno-associated virus 2 (AAV2) DNA in the liver, blood, plasma or stool from 27 of 28 cases. We found low levels of adenovirus (HAdV) and human herpesvirus 6B (HHV-6B) in 23 of 31 and 16 of 23, respectively, of the cases tested. By contrast, AAV2 was infrequently detected and at low titre in the blood or the liver from control children with HAdV, even when profoundly immunosuppressed. AAV2, HAdV and HHV-6 phylogeny excluded the emergence of novel strains in cases. Histological analyses of explanted livers showed enrichment for T cells and B lineage cells. Proteomic comparison of liver tissue from cases and healthy controls identified increased expression of HLA class 2, immunoglobulin variable regions and complement proteins. HAdV and AAV2 proteins were not detected in the livers. Instead, we identified AAV2 DNA complexes reflecting both HAdV-mediated and HHV-6B-mediated replication. We hypothesize that high levels of abnormal AAV2 replication products aided by HAdV and, in severe cases, HHV-6B may have triggered immune-mediated hepatic disease in genetically and immunologically predisposed children

Vårdpersonals attityder till missbrukare : En litteraturstudie

Background: Alcohol and drug abuse is a worldwide health problem and health care professionals should maintain an ethical approach to all patients. People with substance abuse problems experience poor health care delivery, partly because of the attitudes of health care professionals. Aim: To examine the attitudes of health care professionals towards people with substance abuse problems. Method: A literature study where 8 qualitative research articles were quality reviewed and analyzed. Results: The attitudes of the majority of health care professionals towards people with substance abuse were negative. People with substance abuse were considered to lack will, to be hopeless cases, to be manipulative with rapid mood swings and were seen only on the basis of their addiction problems. There was also a reluctance to work with these patients. Among the few positive attitudes that emerged were that the health care professionals wanted to show respect, understanding and a willingness to support people with substance abuse. Lack of knowledge and skills is fundamental to the negative attitudes of health care professionals. Conclusion: Negative attitudes towards people with substance abuse were evident among health care professionals who tended to see them based only on their addiction problems. These negative attitudes can affect the care provided to these patients so that they do not receive adequate care. Education is needed to change the negative attitudes.   Keywords: Attitudes, health care professionals, people with substance abuseBakgrund: Alkohol- och drogmissbruk är ett hälsoproblem som finns över hela världen och vårdpersonalen bör upprätthålla ett gott etiskt förhållningssätt till alla patienter. Personer med missbruksproblematik upplever en dålig vård bland annat på grund av vårdpersonalens attityder. Syfte: Att undersöka vårdpersonals attityder till personer med missbruk. Metod: En litteraturstudie där 8 kvalitativa vetenskapliga artiklar kvalitetsgranskats och analyserats. Resultat: Det framkom att majoriteten av vårdpersonalens attityder till personer med missbruk var negativa. Detta innebar att personer med missbruk ansågs sakna vilja, vara hopplösa fall, vara manipulativa med snabba humörsvängningar och ses endast utifrån sitt missbruksproblem. Det framkom även en motvilja till att arbeta med den här patientgruppen. Bland de få positiva attityder som framkom var att vårdpersonalen ville visa respekt, få förståelse för och vilja stödja personer med missbruk. Brist på kunskap och kompetens är en grund till negativa attityder hos vårdpersonalen. Slutsats: Negativa attityder till personer med missbruk var tydliga hos vårdpersonalen och de tenderade att se personerna endast utifrån sitt missbruksproblem. Dessa negativa attityder kan påverka vården som ges till den här patientgruppen på så sätt att de inte får adekvat vård. Utbildning behövs för att förändra de negativa attityderna.   Nyckelord: Attityder, vårdpersonal, personer med missbru

Residuos de desmote de algodón aglomerados: su producción y aplicación en la construcción de viviendas

La factibilidad de producir bloques y placas mediante la aglomeración de residuos de desmote del algodón (cascarilla) con ligantes cálcicos se ha comprobado en trabajos previos. Estos residuos representan un serio inconveniente para las plantas desmotadoras, que anualmente generan gran cantidad de desechos sin destino final identificado en Argentina. La variabilidad de la producción anual de algodón, la dispersión geográfica de las desmotadoras y los costos de transporte, dificultan proponer alternativas de reutilización de alta complejidad. Se propone emplearlo como materia prima para elaborar aglomerados de cascarilla con cemento portland utilizando tecnologías sencillas, fácilmente apropiables y transferibles. Este trabajo analiza las características de los aglomerados obtenidos y la influencia que ejercen diversos parámetros de producción sobre ellas y sobre la productividad del proceso. Los resultados alcanzados muestran la mejora de la productividad del proceso mediante el empleo de aditivos de calidad industrial, así como un mejor comportamiento higrotérmico de envolventes de viviendas por la incorporación de estos aglomerados, reemplazando materiales de elevado costo y tecnologías constructivas complejas