Multifunctional Activity of the β-Defensin-2 during Respiratory Infections

Human β-defensin-2 is a small cationic peptide that is part of the innate and adaptive immunity. It is expressed mainly in the epithelium and has a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity against bacteria, fungi and viruses. In addition to its antimicrobial activity, it has other biological functions. The alteration of the expression of β-defensin-2 in the respiratory epithelium has been associated with the pathogenesis of several respiratory diseases such as asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, rhinitis, etc. The acute respiratory infections caused by viruses are the main cause of morbidity and mortality in the world; there are few studies and it is necessary to study this peptide to understand its role in the viral pathogenesis. In addition, it also becomes relevant in its potential to take advantage of its properties in the development of alternative therapies that allow the prevention or treatment of viral respiratory infections

Plan de Marketing operativo para la empresa Publiset en la ciudad de Talca

145 p.Para toda empresa es fundamental conocer las necesidades y deseos de sus clientes, de lo cual se deduce la importancia que tiene el marketing y la preocupación constante que debe tener cada empresa por desarrollar efectivos planes de marketing para poder dar a conocer su nombre, calidad de sus productos y servicios; para así asegurar la satisfacci6n de sus clientes y la fidelidad de estos. A pesar de esto, la empresa Publiset ubicada en 4 Oriente 848, cuya actividad es la fabricaci6n de publicidad visual a través de graficas publicitarias, no ha dimensionado la importancia de la promoción para dar a conocer su nombre en el mercado, producir recordación y persuadir al cliente. En virtud de lo expuesto anteriormente, la investigaci6n realizada tiene como finalidad elaborar un plan de marketing operativo para la empresa, ya que esta no ha sido capaz de identificar la importancia del marketing, principalmente en lo que se refiere a mantener a sus clientes y evitar la perdida de estos. Para el presente proyecto se realizo una investigaci6n detallada de los clientes actuales y de los ex - clientes de la empresa, aplicando una encuesta a 65 clientes y a 20 ex clientes, con el fin de evaluar principalmente la percepción de cada segmento respecto de los productos y servicios que Publiset ofrece y atributos buscados. Para complementar esta investigaci6n, se realizó además dos estudios exploratorios, siendo, por un lado estos los Clientes Potenciales y por otro la Industria en la que se encuentra inmersa la empresa Publiset. El estudio de los clientes potenciales, pretende evaluar si estos conocen la existencia de la empresa, además de conocer lo que ellos buscan en empresas como esta. Por otra parte el análisis industrial busca determinar la posición de Publiset en la industria, además de conocer el competidor directo de la empresa. La investigación pretende convertirse en un real aporte para la organización en estudio, además de entregar herramientas c instrumentos para fortalecer y facilitar la gestión a nivel T alquino

Cuestiones clave en auditoría financiera. Un estudio prospectivo

[ES] En junio de 2016 entró en vigor la nueva ley de auditoría de cuentas, culminando así el proceso de armonización iniciado por la normativa europea. Actualmente la aplicación del nuevo Reglamento de Auditoría de cuentas supone modificaciones importantes en la labor del auditor, como las nuevas obligaciones y requisitos relacionados con la Comisión de Auditoría, o las modificaciones en los informes de auditoría, como la inclusión de las cuestiones clave de la auditoría. Dada la importancia que la auditoría financiera ha adquirido en el entorno económico actual, este TFG analiza las principales modificaciones que la nueva normativa y su aplicación va a originar en la práctica de la profesión en nuestro país, así como los nuevos retos a los que se enfrentan sus profesionales, como la incorporación de las nuevas tecnologías (Big Data y Data Analytics) y la divulgación de información no financiera, entre otros. Se realiza una revisión bibliográfica en profundidad de los principales aspectos que los nuevos textos legales introducen y su impacto en la labor del auditor y el resultado de la misma. Se plantea una consulta a expertos en el objeto de estudio, para analizar la adecuación de la reforma a las necesidades de la profesión y los aspectos más controvertidos de la mismaCabello Portolés, P. (2018). Cuestiones clave en auditoría financiera. Un estudio prospectivo. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/106981TFG

Three-dimensional characterisation of sedimentary heterogeneity and its impact on subsurface flow behaviour through the braided-to-meandering fluvial deposits of the Castissent Formation (late Ypresian, Tremp-Graus Basin, Spain)

Thanks, are given to Schlumberger for the donation of the Petrel E&P licenses, to the Virtual Outcrop Geology Group for the donation of LIME licenses, to Petroleum Experts for the donation of MOVE licenses, to Innovmetric for the donation of the Polyworks license and to Agisoft for the donation of the Agisoft Photoscan license. Magda Chmielewska is acknowledged for the technical support during the virtual outcrop processing. Support from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Project SEROS CGL2014-55900-P) and from the Generalitat de Catalunya (2017SGR596) is gratefully acknowledged. Thanks to reviewers Brian Willis and César Viseras and also to the Associate Editor Luca Colombera for their constructive comments, which have improved the content of this paper.Peer reviewedPostprin

Three-dimensional characterisation of sedimentary heterogeneity and its impact on subsurface flow behaviour through the braided-to-meandering fluvial deposits of the Castissent Formation (late Ypresian, Tremp-Graus Basin, Spain)

Fluvial deposits of the Castissent Formation (late Ypresian) form part of the Eocene infill of the Tremp-Graus piggyback basin. The Castissent Formation has been subdivided into three complexes (A, B, and C). This project focuses on the proximal fluvial-sandstones of Complex A in the Mas de Faro outcrop (NE Iberian Peninsula). There, three amalgamated channel belts are exposed in a 15-24m thick succession that passes upwards from sandy braided-river deposits (A1-A2) to coarse-grained meandering-river deposits (A3). Sedimentary heterogeneities within these deposits are characterised and their impact on oil recovery in a reservoir analogue are estimated using field descriptions, virtual outcrop interpretation, a 3D geocellular facies model and fluid-flow simulations. Petrophysical values of different facies types were derived from well data through analogous fluvial deposits of the Eiriksson Formation, in the Norwegian North Sea. Facies analysis show a waning succession of gravel channel lags, unit-bar and dune deposits in A1; a basal mud-clast channel lag, unit-bars and dune deposits in A2, and a coarse-grained point-bar succession in A3. Flow simulation shows: a) fingering of the waterfront related to the gravel channel lag and unit-bars of A1 and A2, and the gravel bars, scour-and-fill deposits and dunes of A3, which act as thief zones hindering efficient sweeping of the intervals immediately above; b) segregation of the injected fluids towards the base of the channel belts due to the fining-upwards successions; and c) vertical compartmentalization due to a relatively impermeable barrier at mud-clast channel lag beds. Permeability contrasts trapped 35% of the original oil in place after 0.5-0.6 pore volumes were injected

Chronology of recent sedimentary infill of the Inner Río de la Plata Estuary, Argentina

The Inner Río de la Plata Estuary is a sedimentary depositional system that resulted from fuvial-deltaic activity. Gentle Pliocene-Pleistocene slopes make-up the northern side of the estuary whereas small clifs of the same age constitute the southern side. A long coastal estuarine barrier developed at about 6000 years BP when the maximum fooding surface occurred. Attached to this barrier, and at a lower elevation, is a large strandplain (covering an area of about 2400 km2 ) which displays more than 220 beach ridges. In diferent areas, the dating indicates a periodicity of 13.4-13.7 years for the development of each beach ridge. These data are like the periodicity of the ENSO efects, which could be associated with the variability of Sunspots. These ridges were formed shortly after the maximum fooding surface, which was followed by a gradual fall in sea-level that contributed signifcantly to the Inner Río de la Plata Estuary sedimentary infll. In addition, ENSO activities were probably instrumental in the distribution of the main geoforms in the Inner Rio de la Plata Estuary. Small deltas, which were generated by other rivers and creeks such as the Nogoyá Arroyo and the Gualeguay River, developed coevally with the coastal estuarine barrier. The Ibicuy Delta grew in the middle of the inner Río de la Plata Estuary when the former Paraná River fowed northwards during the sea-level fall. The upper part of the delta front was reworked, giving rise to a large dunefeld. Thereafter, a chenier plain developed along with tidal fats. The current Paraná Delta continues to prograde at a rate of about 56-64 m/year (m year−1). The sedimentary infll of the Inner Río de la Plata Estuary occurred along the Holocene

Sedimentary architecture of a Middle Ordovician embayment in the Murzuq Basin (Libya)

The Hawaz Formation comprises a siliciclastic, shallow to transitional marginal marine succession, deposited on the north-western cratonic margin of Gondwana during the Middle Ordovician. This unit is well documented in the north central part of the Murzuq Basin, where it is often dramatically truncated by Late Ordovician glaciation unconformities, generating a major discontinuity, not only in the studied area but also across the whole Saharan Platform of North Africa. The Hawaz Formation is particularly relevant as one of the two major oil-bearing reservoirs in the Murzuq Basin. However, Late Ordovician erosion ensures that its present configuration bears very little relation to the original sedimentary architecture and, consequently, there is a need for a detailed largescale correlation and sedimentary reconstruction of the Hawaz in order to improve subsurface management of this reservoir unit. The present study was developed from a previous sedimentological characterization of the Hawaz Formation, based on subsurface data provided by 35 wells. This sedimentological background provided the basis for the reconstruction of the sedimentary architecture of this unit by means of eight correlation panels oriented along both sedimentological dip (NNW-SSE) and strike (WSW to ENE). In addition, a series of Gross Depositional Environment (GDE) maps were also generated with the aim of providing insight into the lateral distribution of facies belts within the framework of a sequence stratigraphic-based reservoir zonation. The results of this study suggest that the Hawaz Formation was deposited in a relatively protected or embayed shoreline with multiple bays/estuaries as the main entry points for sediment into the basin, most likely influenced by the effects of pre-existing north-northwest to south-southeast Pan-African structures controlling local accommodation space and reactivated during Ordovician times. Correlation panels and GDE maps also show the Hawaz Formation to be an extensive and continuous reservoir across the studied area, deposited in a broadly extensive subtidal to intertidal paralic environment, with very few or possibly no modern sedimentary analogues

Efecto jurídico funcional de Osiptel en la percepción de protección de derechos por los usuarios de telecomunicaciones

El objetivo de esta investigación es determinar cuál es la percepción que tiene el usuario respecto a la defensa de sus derechos cuando recurre a Osiptel, abarcando aspectos teóricos, y prácticos. Para ello se aplicó una encuesta a los usuarios de telefonía, información relevante. Esta investigación es de diseño no experimental transversal, de método deductivo hipotético y ha tomado como muestra para análisis ciento cincuenta usuarios de telefonía del distrito de Lima Metropolitana. El instrumento aplicado es un cuestionario que permite recoger información sobre la percepción de la función de Osiptel y la defensa de los derechos del usuario. Finalmente, se alcanza a reconocer la relación causal significativa negativa entre las dos variables. 

Sedimentology of a 'non-actualistic' Middle Ordovician tidal-influenced reservoir in the Murzuq basin (Libya)

The subsurface of the highly productive Murzuq Basin in southwest Libya remains poorly understood. As a consequence, a need exists for detailed sedimentological studies of both the oil-prone Mamuniyat Formation and Hawaz Formation reservoirs in this area. Of particular interest in this case is the Middle Ordovician Hawaz Formation, interpreted as an excellent example of a 'nonactualistic,' tidally influenced clastic reservoir that appears to extend hundreds of kilometers across much of the North African or Saharan craton. The Hawaz Formation comprises 15 characteristic lithofacies grouped into 7 correlatable facies associations distributed in broad and laterally extensive facies belts deposited in a shallow marine, intertidal to subtidal environment. Three main depositional sequences and their respective systems tracts have also been identified. On this basis, a genetic-based stratigraphic zonation scheme has been proposed as a tool to improve subsurface management of this reservoir unit. A nonactualistic sedimentary model is proposed in this work with new ideas presented for marginal to shallow marine depositional environments during the Middle Ordovician in the northern margin of Gondwana

Adenosine deaminase as a biomarker of tenofovir mediated inflammation in naïve HIV patients

Plasma levels of adenosine deaminase (ADA), an enzyme that deaminates adenosine to inosine, are increased during inflammation. An increase in ADA activity occurs with lower human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) viral load and higher CD4+ T cell counts. We aimed to investigate the role of plasma ADA as a biomarker of inflammation in treatment-naïve HIV patients who received tenofovir or another nucleoside analog for comparison. Ninety-two treatment-naïve patients were included in the study and grouped by treatment, i.e., tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) or Triumeq. ADA activity was measured in plasma and cytokines were analyzed by MILLIPLEX® MAP-Luminex® Technology. Plasma concentration of monocytes and neutrophils was measured at 0, 3, and 12 months post-treatment. Treatment-naïve HIV patients had increased ADA concentrations (over 15 U/L) that decreased after treatment with TAF and Triumeq, though this did not occur in TDF-treated patients. However, all groups exhibited a pro-inflammatory systemic profile at 12 months of treatment. Plasma GM-CSF levels decreased after 12 months of treatment in the TDF group, with a concomitant decrease in blood monocyte count, and a negative correlation with ADA values was found. In conclusion, ADA levels may be modulated by antiretroviral therapy in HIV patients, possibly affecting inflammatory status.This work was supported by grants from Instituto de Salud Carlos III through the “Miguel Servet” program (CP15/00053), co-funded by Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) and research grants from the Spanish Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI16/00991 and PI19/00744