Optimising Health Emergency Resource Management from Multi-Model Databases

The health care sector is one of the most sensitive sectors in our society, and it is believed that the application of specific and detailed database creation and design techniques can improve the quality of patient care. In this sense, better management of emergency resources should be achieved. The development of a methodology to manage and integrate a set of data from multiple sources into a centralised database, which ensures a high quality emergency health service, is a challenge. The high level of interrelation between all of the variables related to patient care will allow one to analyse and make the right strategic decisions about the type of care that will be needed in the future, efficiently managing the resources involved in such care. An optimised database was designed that integrated and related all aspects that directly and indirectly affected the emergency care provided in the province of Jaén (city of Jaén, Andalusia, Spain) over the last eight years. Health, social, economic, environmental, and geographical information related to each of these emergency services was stored and related. Linear and nonlinear regression algorithms were used: support vector machine (SVM) with linear kernel and generated linear model (GLM), and the nonlinear SVM with Gaussian kernel. Predictive models of emergency demand were generated with a success rate of over 90%

Fotometría fotográfica con un detector reticón

La mayoría de los datos utilizados en la fotometría fotográfica estelar han sido medidos con fotómetros a iris (IDP). Referencias a los numerosos trabajos sobre los aspectos metodológicos pueden verse en Schaeffer (1981).Asociación Argentina de Astronomí

Los polímeros tipo elastina y su utilización como tags para la purificación de proteínas

Actualmente, una de las técnicas más ampliamente utilizadas en la purificación de proteínas recombinantes es la cromatografía de afinidad. Sin embargo, esta técnica es costosa, requiere de equipo especializado y es difícil de escalar. Por tanto, es deseable el desarrollo de métodos más económicos y técnicamente más sencillos. Uno de estos métodos está basado en aprovechar las características termosensibles y el comportamiento inteligente de los polímeros tipo elastina (ELP) para purificar una proteína de interés. El bajo coste que esta metodología requiere permitiría disminuir el precio de diversas proteínas de interés biomédico en el mercado, con las consiguientes repercusiones que ello conlleva a la hora de su aplicación en clínica. Por tanto, el presente artículo pretende indagar en la utilización de los ELP como tags para la purificación proteica, gracias al diseño y la producción de construcciones de fusión compuestas por la proteína diana de interés unida al tag elastomérico. Además se resaltarán otros efectos colaterales positivos que la presencia del ELP puede aportar a la proteína quimérica.Currently, chromatography is one of the most commonly used techniques to achieve protein purification. Nevertheless, such technique requires specialized equipment and is difficult to scale-up. Therefore, the development of new, simpler and broadly applicable purification methods to circumvent these problems is desirable. One such approach takes advantages of the thermo-sensitive and smart behavior of the elastin like polymers (ELP) to purify the target protein. The low-cost of carrying out such methodology may permit us to decrease the price of diverse biomedical useful proteins, with the consistent impact that such fact entails when applying in clinic. Therefore, the aim of this article is to clarify some aspects related to the use of the ELP as protein purification tags. For such use, it is necessary to design and produce fusion constructs between the target protein and the elastomeric tag. Moreover, apart from protein purification, further effects of the presence of the ELP in the fusion construct would be described.Peer ReviewedAward-winnin

Obtención de un polímero de tipo Elastina modificado con secuencias Bioactivas y Biodegradables, para su aplicación en ingeniería

La matriz extracelular es uno de los principales elementos reguladores de la actividad celular. Los diferentes módulos de las macromoléculas que la componen son capaces de desencadenar señales que activan diferentes rutas intracelulares que organizan las funciones vitales de las células. La ingeniería de tejidos se dedica a desarrollar sistemas capaces de imitar, temporalmente, el comportamiento de la matriz extracelular con objeto de promover la regeneración o el reemplazo de tejidos y órganos dañados, actuando como un soporte atractivo para las células que deben adherirse y crecer sobre ella, hasta reemplazarla por tejido sano. En este trabajo se describe el proceso de diseño y producción de un polímero de tipo elastina que se ha funcionalizado con secuencias bioactivas que añaden actividades específicas al andamio o soporte celular que constituye la elastina. Así,algunos dominios elastoméricos se modificaron con el aminoácido lisina para poder entrecruzar las moléculas de polímero y conseguir matrices. También se incluyó la secuencia REDV, presente el dominio CS5 de la fibronectina humana, como motivo de adhesión celular. Por último, el polímero se funcionalizó con secuencias diana de enzimas proteolíticas para mejorar su bioprocesabilidad.Extracellular matrix (ECM) is a major component for the regulation of cell activity. The different modules of the proteins which constitute the extracellular matrix macromolecules represent for the cells which enter in contact with them, new signals capable of activating several intracellular signaling pathways, resulting in the modulation of numerous cell functions. Tissue engineering tries to develop new materials based on these components as scaffolds for cells to promote their adhesion and growth. In this work, genetic engineering techniques were used to design and biosynthesize an extracellular matrix analogue based in the elastin component. The structural base of our scaffold is an elastin –derived sequence which confers an adequate mechanical behavior. In addition, several domains were included, for adding new bioactivities to this elastin-like polymer (ELP). Some of these elastic domains were modified to contain lysine for cross linking purposes. The polymer also contained periodically spaced fibronectin CS5 domain enclosing the well known cell attachment sequence REDV. Finally, the polymer had target sequences for proteolitic action.Peer ReviewedAward-winnin

Velocidades radiales de galaxias australes

Se informa sobre el estado de avance del programa de velocidades radiales de galaxias con el Espectrógrafo Nebular de Page.Asociación Argentina de Astronomí

The globular cluster NGC 5286

NGC 5286 is a very interesting globular cluster of the southern hemisphere because of its photometric and spectroscopic characteristics. The cluster is located in the direction of the galactic centre rather than in the anticentre (1" = 311°, 57; b" = +10°,58) and at a small altitude over tha galactic plane. The cluster is seen through the Sagitarius Arm of our Galaxy and therefore the stellar field studied shows a strong component of Population I. The reddening of the cluster is E(B-V)=0.47 magnitudes and its distance is of about 6982 pc while the Population I stars projected into the field are located at about 1600 pc which agrees quite well with the Sagitarius arm in this direction (1"= 311°,57). The color-magnitude diagram of NGC 5286 imitates the diagram of clusters with very low metallic content formed in the Halo of our Galaxy. There is a marked predominance of blue stars in the horizontal branch. These stars are located at large projects distances from the cluster center.Asociación Argentina de Astronomí

Curvas de rotación en galaxias australes

Se dan los resultados del análisis de las curvas de rotación de 9 galaxias obtenidas con el Espectrógrafo Rápido Page y tubo de imágenes en Bosque Alegre. Se estiman masas y densidades.Asociación Argentina de Astronomí

Testing postcombustion CO2 capture with CaO in a 1.7 MWt pilot facility

AbstractCalcium looping, CaL, is a new and rapidly developing technology that makes use of CaO as a high temperature regenerable sorbent of CO2. Previous theoretical and lab scale studies have shown that this technology could lead to a substantial reduction in the cost of CO2 capture and energy penalties because heat can be effectively recovered from this high temperature solid looping system. We report in this paper on the first results from a pilot plant designed to demonstrate the viability of postcombustion capture of CO2 using CaL under conditions comparable to those expected in a large scale plant. The pilot includes two interconnected circulating fluidized bed reactors of 15 m height: a CO2 absorber (carbonator) able to treat up to 2400kg/h (equivalent to about 1.7 MWth), and an oxy-fired CFB calciner with a firing power between 1-3 MWth. CO2 capture efficiencies over 90% have been experimentally observed, including continuous operation with highly cycled solids in the system (i.e. with modest CO2 carrying capacities). SO2 capture is shown to be extremely high, with concentrations of SO2 well below 10 ppmv at the exit of the carbonator. Closure of carbon and sulfur balances is satisfactory. These results should be valuable base for model validation and scaling up purposes in future stages of the EU FP7 “CaOling” project, under which this investigation has been carried out

Estrellas variables en NGC 5286

NGC 5286 es un cúmulo globular pobre en metales y por consiguiente rico en estrellas variables RR Lyrae (L. Rosino, 1972). Los autores han descubierto en este cúmulo 13 estrellas variables, de las cuales, 6 se han estudiado en el presente trabajo en forma preliminar ya que las observaciones son escasas.Asociación Argentina de Astronomí