EX POST AND EX ANTE IMPACT ANALYSIS OF RESEARCH PROGRAMMES USING CMMI FRAMEWORK

In this paper, we propose a new approach for evaluating research projects and programs. According our approach, the improvement might be achieved by adopting a results-based and a project portfolio approach, and assuring a research and technology development (RTD) indicators documentation through a standard and comprehensive indicator description, named indicator template. The results-based approach will assure a consistent indicators structure, according to the results chains and a strong connection between ex ante and ex post impact evaluation. The project portfolio approach will assure a tight integration of the research performance indicators, especially between policies goals and program results. And, finally defining a comprehensive indicator template it will be possible to understand better the indicators, develop a detailed analysis, based on the business intelligence techniques, such as OLAP (On-Line Analytical Processing), data mining and text mining. According our knowledge the usage of this kind of techniques on RTD metadata is an innovative process. What we expect to find out is the indicators similarities and differentiations, the indicators clusters, the association between indicators, the most important input factors of indicators definition. According the results-based and project portfolio approach the discovered patterns will be evaluatedRDT indicator, RDT statistics, indicator template, data mining, text mining.

Possible Role of Tetracyclines on COVID-19: Recycling Well-Known Old Drugs from the Shelf

We are in the midst of a pandemic due to the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Innovative therapies are in the lookup around the world. Recently, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in addition to Azithromycin were proposed to be used in patients with severe disease even though strong evidence is lacking. We propose the use of tetracyclines in addition to anti-virals early in the curse of the disease in order to prevent the Cytokine Storm Syndrome associated with COVID-19 and prevent ARDS. The proposed mechanisms of tetracyclines are: 1) anti-apoptotic properties; 2) decrease the Myeloperoxidase and ROS releaser from immune cells; 3) decrease neutrophil and monocyte migration and chemotaxis; 4) decrease the secretion of pro-inflammatory and vasoactive cytokines from macrophages (IL-1 beta, IL-8, and TNF-alpha); 5) inhibition of iNOS expression; 6) inhibition of chemotaxis of peripheral monocytes; 7) inhibition of IL-6 production and its receptor system; 8) prevention of fibrosis; and 9) inhibition of metalloproteinases (particularly MMP-2 and 9). Tetracyclines are well-known drugs with lower costs, and are not associated with adverse effects like QT prolongation. Clinical trials are needed to test our hypothesis

Análisis estadístico exploratorio de dos tipos de secado de quinua

El presente trabajo “Análisis Estadístico Exploratorio de dos Tipos de Secado de Quinua” permite realizar una validación estadística del tipo de secador que posea una alta eficiencia, rendimiento en el secado de este tipo de cereal (Chenopodium quinoa Willd). Para el efecto se empleó el secador de bandejas y un secador solar tipo invernadero, el experimento se llevó a cabo con tres tipos de muestras, una con cascara y las otras escarificadas. La quinua fue sometida a un secado a tres diferentes temperaturas 30, 40 y 60 °C en el secador de bandejas a una velocidad de aire de 1.85 m/s, en cambio en el secador solar se lo realizó en tres días diferentes en los cuales la irradiación solar tenía una media de 4.64 (kWh/m xi 2 /d). Con los resultados obtenidos se realizó una regresión lineal con R 2 entre 0.95 a 0.99 siendo el modelo más cercano el de Page y Henderson and Pabis. Evaluados los resultados de los dos tipos de secadores se encontró que tiene mejor rendimiento el de bandejas cuando se trabaja a temperaturas superiores a los 40 °C. Se sugiere realizar un estudio de la cinética del secado de la quinua con un análisis nutricional del producto tras el secado como el de germinación.This paper "Analysis statistical exploration of two types of drying of quinoa" allows performing validation statistical type dryer having a high efficiency, performance in this type of cereal drying (Chenopodium quinoa Willd). Dryer trays and a solar dryer greenhouse were used for the effect; the experiment was conducted with three types of samples, one with shell and other scarified. Quinoa was subjected to drying at three different temperatures 30, 40 and 60 °C into the dryer trays at a speed of air of 1.85 m/s, however in the dryer solar carried out on three different days in which the solar irradiation had an average of 4.64 (kWh/m 2 /d), with the results obtained was performed a linear regression with R 2 between 0.95 to 0.99 being the nearest model Page and Henderson and Pabis. Evaluated the results of the two types of dryers was found having better performance the trays when working at temperatures above 40 ° C. It is suggested to conduct a study of the kinetics of drying of the quinoa with a nutritional analysis of the product after drying as the germination

CWPO of bisphenol A with iron catalysts supported on microporous carbons from grape seeds activation

This accepted manuscript is available under a CC BY-NC-ND licence after the 24 months embargo periodThe catalytic wet peroxide oxidation (CWPO) of bisphenol A (BPA) with Fe catalysts supported on activated carbon from grape seeds (GS) has been studied. The GS were pyrolized (N2, 600 °C, 2 h) and subjected to activation upon partial gasification with air (400 °C, 2 h). Oxidized samples of the char and activated carbon were also obtained upon treatment with HNO3. The Fe catalysts were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation with ferric nitrate solution. They showed narrow microporosity, with surface area values ≈350–500 m2 g−1 and total iron contents between 2.8 and 4.2% wt. The CWPO experiments were carried out at 50–80 °C. The best catalyst allowed complete conversion of BPA (100 mg L−1) and a 60% TOC reduction in 3 h reaction time at 80 °C and the theoretical stoichiometric amount of H2O2 (530 mg L−1). The ecotoxicity of the effluent was negligible and the biodegradability was highly improved. In a long-term experiment (100 h), the catalyst suffered a loss of activity upon the early stages on stream (≈15 h), where about 20% of Fe was lost, followed by a highly stable behavior for the rest of the experimentThe authors wish to thank the Spanish MINECO and Comunidad de Madrid for the financial support through the projects CTM2013-43803-P and S2013/MAE-2716, respectively. I. F. Mena wishes to thank the MINECO and the ESF for a research gran

Assessment of hormonal parameters in long-term karate Practitioners

Introduction: Karate is a Japanese martial art which is widely practiced in the Western world as a form of self-defense, as well as a discipline to achieve physical and mental balance.However, little is known with respect to its specific psychobiological effects, particularly in relation to the influence that karate may exert on the endocrine system. Thus, in the present study we analyzed the effects of regular karate practice on several hormonal parameters. Methods: 27 healthy volunteer subjects participated in the study, of whom 15 were allocated to the experimental group, and 12 were assigned to the control group. Experimental subjects were karate players with a minimum of 3 years of practice in this discipline. Blood samples for the quantification of hormonal parameters (TSH, T3, T4, PTH, ACTH, cortisol, and DHEA) were taken in both groups. To compare the means of the control and experimental group, a t-test for independent groups was performed in each dependent variable. Results: Significant differences between the experimental and control group were found in T3, T4, and cortisol, with karate players showing lower blood levels of these hormones than control. Conclusions: These findings reveal that long-term karate practice is associated to a significant endocrine modulation, which suggests interesting psychobiological implications, and lends itself to potential clinical considerations. Further research is needed to properly assess the scope of the peculiar hormonal profile displayed by advanced karate practitioners.Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

A method for obtaining the preventive maintenance interval in the absence of failure time data

One of the ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other polluting gases caused by ships is to improve their maintenance operations through their life cycle. The maintenance manager usually does not modify the preventive intervals that the equipment manufacturer has designed to reduce the failure. Conditions of use and maintenance often change from design conditions. In these cases, continuing using the manufacturer's preventive intervals can lead to non-optimal management situations. This article proposes a new method to calculate the preventive interval when the hours of failure of the assets are unavailable. Two scenarios were created to test the effectiveness and usefulness of this new method, one without the failure hours and the other with the failure hours corresponding to a bypass valve installed in the engine of a maritime transport surveillance vessel. In an easy and fast way, the proposed method allows the maintenance manager to calculate the preventive interval of equipment that does not have installed an instrument for measuring operating hours installed

Immune modulation after long-term karate practice

Introduction: Karate is a Japanese martial arts system which traces its roots back to China, and is nowadays widely popular both as a method of self-defense, as well as a discipline with potential physical and psychological benefits. However, karate has been scarcely investigated from a psychobiological perspective, and its effects on the immune system remain virtually unknown. Therefore, we designed the present study with the aim of analyzing the effects of several years of regular karate practice on different immune parameters. Methods: 27 healthy volunteer subjects participated in the study, 15 being allocated to the experimental group, and 12 to the control group. Experimental subjects were all karate players who had practiced this martial art for a minimum of three years. Blood samples for the quantification of immune parameters (leukocytes, neutrophils, monocytes, eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes, IgG, IgA, IgM, IgE) were taken in both groups. As statistical analysis, a t-test for independent groups was performed in each dependent variable. Results: Compared to the control group, karate practitioners exhibited a significantly higher number of leukocytes, monocytes, and lymphocytes, as well as greater serum concentrations of IgG and IgM. Conclusions: Our findings show that long-term karate practice is related to a broad modulation of immune parameters, including leukocytes counts as well as immunoglobulin concentrations. This peculiar immunomodulatory profile, apart from its psychobiological relevance, may have noteworthy clinical implications. Further investigation would be necessary to fully elucidate the influence that long-term karate training can exert on the immune system.Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

Lateral variability of ichnological content in muddy contourites: Weak bottom currents affecting organisms’ behavior

Although bioturbation is commonly recognized in contourites, only a few studies have analyzed the ichnological content of these deposits in detail. These studies have mainly focused on meso-scale bigradational sequence (a coarsening upward followed by a fining-upward sequence resulting from variations in current velocity). Here we present data from gravitational cores collected along the NW Iberian Margin showing systematic variation in ichnological content across proximal to distal depocenters within a large-scale elongated contourite drift. Data demonstrate that tracemakers’ behavior varies depending on the distance relative to the bottom current core. Trace fossils are already known to be a useful tool for studying of contouritic deposits and are even used as criterion for differentiating associated facies (e.g., turbidites, debrites), though not without controversy. We propose a mechanism by which the distance to the bottom current core exerts tangible influence on specific macro-benthic tracemaker communities in contourite deposits. This parameter itself reflects other bottom current features, such as hydrodynamic energy, grain size, nutrient transport, etc. Ichnological analysis can thus resolve cryptic features of contourite drift depositional settings.European Commission | Ref. H2020, n. 792314Universidad de Granada | Ref. UCE-2016- 05Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED481B 2016/029-0Junta de Andalucía | Ref. CGL2015-66835-

Effect of flocculation on lipid extraction from Chlorella vulgaris Utex 1803 using response surface methodology

Microalgae are an attractive source of metabolites, such as lipids, proteins, pigments and carbohydrates, of potential interest to the pharmaceutical, food and energy sectors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of flocculation on lipid extraction from Chlorella Vulgaris. A 3 3 experimental design was performed with STATISTICA 7.0 software in order to determine the effects of flocculant (AlCl 3 ) addition, pH and time. The best strategy of pH adjustment-flocculant addition was evaluated, followed by lipid extraction under optimal conditions. pH adjustment after the addition of flocculant provided higher flocculation efficiencies (87.2-98.9%) compared to adjustments made before adding the flocculant (67.8-85.9%). Experiments performed according to the experimental design led to a flocculation efficiency of 99.7% when 100 mg/L of AlCl 3 , pH 7 and a cultivation time of 18.3 days were used. The percentage of a lipid extract from the flocculated biomass was 2.7% and the flocculant did not affect the production of fatty acid methyl esters

Digital versatile discs as platforms for multiplexed genotyping based on selective ligation and universal microarray detection

[EN] The development of a high-performance assay readout using integrated detectors is a current challenge in the implementation of DNA tests in diagnostic laboratories, particularly for supporting pharmacogenetic tests. A method for allelic discrimination, associated with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), is presented. Genomic DNA is extracted from blood and buccal swab samples. The procedure comprises fast multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification, PCR amplification using universal primers and subsequent barcode hybridization. In this last step, each product is recognized by the specific probes immobilized on the surface of an optical disc. Assay results can be obtained with a disc reader. The optical sensing method in a DNA microarray format was optimized and evaluated for the simultaneous identification of 28 polymorphisms associated with psychiatric pharmacogenomics. The target biomarkers were located in the genes related to drug-metabolizing enzymes and drug transporters. The multiplexing capability and assay selectivity strongly depended on correct design (ligation probes, tails and barcodes). The discriminant analysis of reader outputs (spot intensities) led to patients being classified into different allelic populations. The obtained assignations correlated properly with the results provided by the reference technique (bead arrays), and the assay ended in an 8-fold shorter time using affordable equipment. The combination of a highly selective genotyping reaction as array-MLPA and the compact disc technology provides a reliable point-of-care approach. This genotyping tool is useful for the selection of personalized drug therapies in decentralized clinical laboratories.The authors acknowledge the financial support received from the Generalitat Valenciana (GVA-PROMETEOII/2014/040 Project) through the FEDER funds and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (the MINECO CTQ2016-75749- R Project)Tortajada-Genaro, LA.; Niñoles Rodenes, R.; Mena-Mollá, S.; Maquieira Catala, A. (2019). Digital versatile discs as platforms for multiplexed genotyping based on selective ligation and universal microarray detection. The Analyst. 144:707-715. https://doi.org/10.1039/C8AN01830HS70771514