A Java based simulation for basic control

7th IFAC Symposium on Advances in Control Education 21/06/2006 MadridIn this paper we present a java based simulator for control education in basiccourses. The application has been developed using the well known tool Easy JavaSimulation.The objective of the application is to help the student to learn the design of classiccontrollers such as P,PI, PID, etc testing the tuning procedures to control the position ofan antenna controlled by a DC motor. Thus the application allows the student to choosethe parameters of the antenna and the DC motor, to choose the controller to be used andits parameters and finally to simulate the closed loop system observing the evolution ofthe signals as well as a 3-D view. Furthermore, in order to show the real behavior of thesystem, dead zone, saturation, disturbances and non-linearities can be added to the model.This application has been used by the authors to teach a basic control course at EscuelaSuperior de Ingenieros (University of Seville) as virtual laboratory.Moreover, since the application is java based, this can be used by the students from theauthors’ web pages and this can also be installed in the student’s laptop (whichever theplatform is) by downloading it from the authors web page (Limon and Salas, 2003Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología DPI2004-07444Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología DPI2003-0042

A 3D multi-agent-based model for lumen morphogenesis: the role of the biophysical properties of the extracellular matrix

The correct function of many organs depends on proper lumen morphogenesis, which requires the orchestration of both biological and mechanical aspects. However, how these factors coordinate is not yet fully understood. Here, we focus on the development of a mechanistic model for computationally simulating lumen morphogenesis. In particular, we consider the hydrostatic pressure generated by the cells'' fluid secretion as the driving force and the density of the extracellular matrix as regulators of the process. For this purpose, we develop a 3D agent-based-model for lumen morphogenesis that includes cells'' fluid secretion and the density of the extracellular matrix. Moreover, this computer-based model considers the variation in the biological behavior of cells in response to the mechanical forces that they sense. Then, we study the formation of the lumen under different-mechanical scenarios and conclude that an increase in the matrix density reduces the lumen volume and hinders lumen morphogenesis. Finally, we show that the model successfully predicts normal lumen morphogenesis when the matrix density is physiological and aberrant multilumen formation when the matrix density is excessive

EL SISTEMA DE JUSTICIA PENAL ACUSATORIO. RETOS Y PERSPECTIVAS

El presente trabajo de investigación, consiste y tiene como finalidad la de analizar, ¿Cuáles son los retos y perspectivas que enfrenta actualmente el “Nuevo Sistema de Justicia Penal Acusatorio, Adversarial y Oral” ?, teniendo como ámbito territorial el comprendido en el Municipio de Tenancingo, Estado de México, mismo que pertenece al XIII Distrito Judicial del Estado de México; esto en relación a las dificultades que enfrenta la implementación de un sistema de justicia penal oral en el Estado de México, a su vez se analizara que tan capacitados se encuentran los oficiales de las distintas instituciones policiacas que tienen lugar en el ya mencionado municipio, así mismo el enorme reto que representa contar con las instalaciones y el equipo necesario para que los servidores públicos que participan en este sistema de enjuiciamiento y de esta manera poder brindar a toda la ciudadanía que lo requiera una buena atención y garantizar que se cumplirán cabalmente con todos y cada uno de los principios establecidos en la legislación que rige la materia. Por otro lado, se investigará cuáles son las mejores escuelas que ofrecen la Licenciatura en Derecho, cuáles son las mejores capacitadas para brindar a sus estudiantes y aspirantes, una educación de calidad y darles herramientas suficientes para hacer frente a los retos que la sociedad mexicana actualmente enfrenta

Triclosan-induced genes Rv1686c-Rv1687c and Rv3161c are not involved in triclosan resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

A key issue towards developing new chemotherapeutic approaches to fight Mycobacterium tuberculosis is to understand the mechanisms underlying drug resistance. Previous studies have shown that genes Rv1686c-Rv1687c and Rv3161c, predicted to encode an ATP-binding cassette transporter and a dioxygenase respectively, are induced in the presence of triclosan and other antimicrobial compounds. Therefore a possible role in drug resistance has been suggested for the products of these genes although no functional studies have been done. The aim of the present study was to clarify the role of Rv1686c-Rv1687c and Rv3161c in M. tuberculosis resistance to triclosan and other drugs. To this end, deficient mutants and overproducing strains for both systems were constructed and their minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) against over 20 compounds, including triclosan, was evaluated. Unexpectedly, no differences between the MIC of these strains and the wild-type H37Rv were observed for any of the compounds tested. Moreover the MIC of triclosan was not affected by efflux pump inhibitors that inhibit the activity of transporters similar to the one encoded by Rv1686c-Rv1687c. These results suggest that none of the two systems is directly involved in M. tuberculosis resistance to triclosan or to any of the antimicrobials tested

Metodología táctica para la implantación de sistemas de información basado en métrica y COBIT

El propósito de este trabajo es proponer una metodología para la implantación de un sistema de información basándose en los lineamientos de METRICA (metodología de planificación, desarrollo y mantenimiento de sistemas de información) y en COBIT (Objetivos de Control para la información y Tecnologías relacionadas) el cual es un conjunto de mejores prácticas para el manejo de información. Sintetizando ambos conjuntos de conocimientos orientados a procesos nos enfocaremos específicamente en la implantación de las soluciones informáticas.Tesi

Phosphate-activated glutaminase activity is enhanced in brain, intestine and kidneys of rats following portacaval anastomosis

AIM: To assess whether portacaval anastomosis (PCA) in rats affects the protein expression and/or activity of glutaminase in kidneys, intestines and in three brain areas of cortex, basal ganglia and cerebellum and to explain the neurological alterations found in hepatic encephalopathy (HE). METHODS: Sixteen male Wistar rats weighing 250-350 gwere grouped into sham-operation control (n = 8) or portacaval shunt (n = 8). Twenty-eight days after the procedure, the animals were sacrificed. The duodenum, kidney and brain were removed, homogenised and mitochondria were isolated. Ammonia was measured in brain and blood. Phosphate-activated glutaminase (PAG) activity was determined by measuring ammonia production following incubation for one hour at 37 with O-phthalaldehyde (OPA) and specific activity expressed in units per gram of protein (μkat/g of protein). Protein expression was measured by immunoblotting. RESULTS: Duodenal and kidney PAG activities together with protein content were significantly higher in PCA group than in control or sham-operated rats (duodenum PAG activity was 976.95±268.87 μkat/g of protein in PCA rats vs 429.19±126.92 μkat/g of protein in shamoperated rats; kidneys PAG activity was 1259.18 ± 228.79 μkat/g protein in PCA rats vs 669.67± 400.8 μkat/g of protein in controls, P < 0.05; duodenal protein content: 173% in PCA vs sham-operated rats; in kidneys the content of protein was 152% in PCA vs sham-operated rats). PAG activity and protein expression in PCA rats were higher in cortex and basal ganglia than those in shamoperated rats (cortex: 6646.6 ± 1870.4 μkat/g of protein vs 3573.8 ± 2037.4 μkat/g of protein in control rats, P < 0.01; basal ganglia, PAG activity was 3657.3 ± 1469.6 μkat/g of protein in PCA rats vs 2271.2 ± 384 μkat/g of protein in sham operated rats, P < 0.05; In the cerebellum, the PAG activity was 2471.6 ± 701.4 μkat/g of protein vs 1452.9 ± 567.8 μkat/g of protein in the PCA and sham rats, respectively, P < 0.05; content of protein:cerebral cortex: 162% ± 40% vs 100% ± 26%, P < 0.009;and basal gangl ia: 140% ± 39% vs 100% ± 14%,P < 0.05; but not in cerebel lum: 100% ± 25% vs 100% ± 16%, P = ns). CONCLUSION: Increased PAG activity in kidney and duodenum could contribute significantly to the hyperammonaemia in PCA rats, animal model of encephalopathy. PAG is increased in non-synaptic mitochondria from the cortex and basal ganglia and could be implicated in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy. Therefore, PAG could be a possible target for the treatment of HE orliver dysfunction

Confined cell migration and asymmetric hydraulic environments to evaluate the metastatic potential of cancer cells

Metastasis, a hallmark of cancer development, is also the leading reason for most cancer-related deaths. Furthermore, cancer cells are highly adaptable to microenvironments and can migrate along pre-existing channel-like tracks of anatomical structures. However, more representative three-dimensional models are required to reproduce the heterogeneity of metastatic cell migration in vivo to further understand the metastasis mechanism and develop novel therapeutic strategies against it. Here, we designed and fabricated different microfluidic-based devices that recreate confined migration and diverse environments with asymmetric hydraulic resistances. Our results show different migratory potential between metastatic and nonmetastatic cancer cells in confined environments. Moreover, although nonmetastatic cells have not been tested against barotaxis due to their low migration capacity, metastatic cells present an enhanced preference to migrate through the lowest resistance path, being sensitive to barotaxis. This device, approaching the study of metastasis capability based on confined cell migration and barotactic cell decisions, may pave the way for the implementation of such technology to determine and screen the metastatic potential of certain cancer cells

Synthesis and evaluation of aromatic BDSF bioisosteres on biofilm formation and colistin sensitivity in pathogenic bacteria

The diffusible signal factor family (DSF) of molecules play an important role in regulating intercellular communication, or quorum sensing, in several disease-causing bacteria. These messenger molecules, which are comprised of cis-unsaturated fatty acids, are involved in the regulation of biofilm formation, antibiotic tolerance, virulence and the control of bacterial resistance. We have previously demonstrated how olefinic N-acyl sulfonamide bioisosteric analogues of diffusible signal factor can reduce biofilm formation or enhance antibiotic sensitivity in a number of bacterial strains. This work describes the design and synthesis of a second generation of aromatic N-acyl sulfonamide bioisosteres. The impact of these compounds on biofilm production in Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, Burkholderia multivorans, Burkholderia cepacia, Burkholderia cenocepacia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is evaluated, in addition to their effects on antibiotic tolerance. The ability of these molecules to increase survival rates on co-administration with colistin is also investigated using the Galleria infection model

El cuerpo y máquina en el arte contemporáneo

El cuerpo y máquina en el arte contemporáneo. La figura humana tiene una tradición ancestral y un protagonismo indiscutible en el arte de todos los tiempos y culturas. Se trata de una búsqueda artística que guarda una estrecha relación con los avances tecnológicos de la humanidad, los cuales sin duda contribuyen a la revisión y sustitución de los paradigmas vigentes por otros mucho más acordes con la época en la que tienen lugar dichos avances. En este sentido, el arte se revisa y renueva continuamente de la mano de la tecnología. La investigación se plantea como objetivo poner de manifiesto las diversas maneras cómo ha sido abordado el cuerpo, en el sentido de material artístico, por parte del arte contemporáneo, así como las correspondientes repercusiones asociadas a los diferentes cambios, tanto conceptuales como tecnológicos. Desde un punto de vista metodológico, se trata por ello de plantear un estudio de casos que permitan poner de manifiesto la búsqueda de un hombre nuevo, asociado a las relaciones artísticas interdisciplinares del arte contemporáneo. Dicha búsqueda, iniciada en la primera mitad del siglo XX, supone además la apertura de nuevos horizontes culturales y de internacionalización en la génesis de la obra artística, lo que sin duda se traduce en un enriquecimiento recíproco de los artistas implicados. De esta forma, partiendo de las vanguardias históricas, encontramos ejemplos interdisciplinares como los diseños y escenografías teatrales del Constructivismo, el Futurismo o la Bauhaus, coexistiendo con nuevos medios técnicos como las fotografías de László Moholy-Nagy y Lucia Moholy. Dicha coexistencia tiene su continuación en otros contextos diferentes, como es el caso del Black Mountain College, que sigue los postulados de John Dewey, con el arte como principio de la educación y con artistas como Merce Cunningham, John Cage, Josef Albers o Richard Buckminster Fuller. Otros ejemplos revisionistas son el The Living Theatre, o teatro experimental de Julian Beck y Judith Malina, pero también la actual ciberdanza de Ricardo Barreto y Paula Perissinotto. En la misma argumentación, podría hablarse del cuerpo como concepto en Marcel Duchamp, e incluso de la importancia de la propia acción corporal, en artistas como Jackson Pollock y la Action Paiting, o de otros como Piero Manzoni e Ives Klein, así como de las implicaciones en arquitectura con Gordon Matta-Clark. En este sentido, en la Performance se hace ciertamente un uso claro del cuerpo, como es el caso del propio artista, ejemplificado sobre todo en Joseph Beuys, pero sucede lo mismo en el Happening, al utilizar como medio el cuerpo de los participantes del evento. Por ello, en el Body Art el cuerpo pasa a ser el máximo protagonista, al convertirse en el medio exclusivo, es decir, la materia prima de la obra artística. Cabe mencionar ejemplos como el del Accionismo vienés, con artistas como Hermann Nitsch, Günter Brus y Otto Muehl, o de artistas como Marina Abramovic, Vito Acconci, Chris Burden, Gina Pane o Lygia Clark. Como resultado, se constata en nuestros días un progresivo, pero imparable, predominio tecnológico, que conecta a las personas y ofrece oportunidades nuevas de interacción e inmersión sensorial, real y/o virtual. Este planteamiento tecnológico despliega, sin duda, nuevos canales de exploración y comunicación. Se trata, en algunos casos, de novedosos enfoques con fronteras diluidas y ejemplos como el del arte ciborg de Stelarc, que postula la obsolescencia del cuerpo, junto a otros como Mona Hatoum o Neil Harbisson. // The Body and Machine in Contemporary Art. The human figure has an ancestral tradition and an indisputable prominence in the art of all times and cultures. It is an artistic quest that is closely related to the technological advances of humanity, which undoubtedly contribute to the revision and replacement of the current paradigms with others much more in line with the time in which these advances take place. In this sense, art is continually revised and renewed hand in hand with technology. The aim of this research is to highlight the different ways in which the body has been approached in the sense of artistic material by contemporary art, as well as the corresponding repercussions associated with different changes, both conceptual and technological. From a methodological point of view, it is therefore a question of proposing a case study that allows us to highlight the search for a new man, associated with the interdisciplinary artistic relations of contemporary art. This search, which began in the first half of the 20th century, also entails the opening of new cultural horizons and internationalization in the genesis of the artistic work, which undoubtedly translates into a reciprocal enrichment of the artists involved. In this way, starting from the historical avant-gardes, we find interdisciplinary examples such as the theatrical designs and scenography of Constructivism, Futurism or the Bauhaus, coexisting with new technical media such as the photographs of László Moholy-Nagy and Lucia Moholy. This coexistence continues in other different contexts, such as Black Mountain College, which follows the postulates of John Dewey, with art as a principle of education and with artists such as Merce Cunningham, John Cage, Josef Albers or Richard Buckminster Fuller. Other revisionist examples are The Living Theatre, or experimental theatre by Julian Beck and Judith Malina, but also the current cyberdance by Ricardo Barreto and Paula Perissinotto. In the same argument, one could speak of the body as a concept in Marcel Duchamp, and even of the importance of bodily action itself, in artists such as Jackson Pollock and Action Paiting, or others such as Piero Manzoni and Ives Klein, as well as the implications in architecture with Gordon Matta-Clark. In this sense, in the Performance there is certainly a clear use of the body, as is the case of the artist himself, exemplified above all in Joseph Beuys, but the same happens in the Happening, when he uses the body of the participants of the event as a medium. For this reason, in Body Art the body becomes the main protagonist, becoming the exclusive medium, that is, the raw material of the artistic work. Examples include Viennese Actionism, with artists such as Hermann Nitsch, Günter Brus and Otto Muehl, or artists such as Marina Abramovic, Vito Acconci, Chris Burden, Gina Pane and Lygia Clark. As a result, there is a progressive, but unstoppable, technological predominance that connects people and offers new opportunities for interaction and sensory immersion, real and/or virtual. This technological approach undoubtedly opens up new channels of exploration and communication. These are, in some cases, novel approaches with diluted boundaries and examples such as Stelarc's cyborg art, which postulates the obsolescence of the body, along with others such as Mona Hatoum or Neil Harbisson

Enfermería de práctica avanzada en la atención urgente, una propuesta de cambio : revisión sistemática

Fundamentos: La Enfermería de Práctica Avanzada es un rol desconocido en nuestro país. El objetivo principal de esta revisión fue mostrar los resultados de este modelo en los servicios de urgencias para alcanzar su futura implementación dentro del ámbito sanitario español. Métodos: Revisión sistemática de las bases de datos de The Cochrane Controlled, Web Of Science, Cinahl, Cuiden, LILACS, Guía Salud y Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Se utilizaron escalas validadas para la selección de 14 artículos finales, siguiendo el formato PRISMA. Resultados: Se apreciaron resultados favorables, con tiempos de espera máximos de 53 minutos y tiempo medio de estancia de 45 minutos, y menos de un 8% de casos de reingresos inesperados; así como en materia seguridad y satisfacción del paciente. Conclusiones: La implantación de esta figura ofrecería ventajas muy importantes para la mejora del sistema sanitario público, incrementando la calidad asistencial en términos de eficiencia.country. The aim of the study is to show the results of this model in emergency services for its future implementation in the Spanish health system. Methods: Systematic review with the Cochrane Controlled, Web Of Science, Cinahl, Cuiden, LILACS, Guía Salud and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews databases. Different validated scales were used for the selection of 14 final articles, following the PRISMA Statement. Results: Favourable results were observed, with maximum waiting times of 53 minutes and average time of stay of 45 minutes. There were less than 8% of cases of unexpected readmissions. Favourable results were also found regarding safety and patient satisfaction. Conclusions: The implementation of this figure could be beneficial for the improvement of the public health system, increasing the quality of care in terms of efficiency