Small caliber arterial prosthesis: prototype and pre-industrialization

Cardiovascular diseases represent the leading cause of death in developed countries. Modern surgical methods show poor efficiency in the substitution of small-diameter arteries (< 6 mm). Due to the mismatch in mechanical properties between the native artery and the substitute, the behavior of the vessel wall remains a major cause of inefficient substitutions an unsolved complication in surgery since 1970. The purpose of this work was to obtain polylysine-enriched vascular substitutes, derived from decellularized porcine femoral and carotid arteries. Polylysine was selected as a matrix cross-linker, increasing the mechanical resistance of the scaffold with respect to decellularized vessels, without altering the native biocompatibility and haemocompatibility properties. The biological characterization showed excellent biological performances, while mechanical tests displayed that the Young’s modulus of the polylysine-enriched matrix was comparable to that of the native vessel. Concerning haemocompatibility, the performed analyses show that polylysine-enriched matrices increase coagulation time, with respect to commercial Dacron® vascular substitutes. Based on these findings, polylysine-enriched decellularized vessels resulted in a promising approach for vascular substitution. In order to consider the industrial phase, a business plan (BP) and the preengineering of the production reactor were developed in the present project. Is crucial to consider the scale-up process of the project from the initial stages to increase the chances of its success. In this way, the feasibility study will contemplate the viability of the project from an economic point of view thus, the BP is the most important document of the study. From an engineering point of view, the industrial production reactor is the heart of the plant, so designing it from the outset will allow considering costs and performing the necessary experiments for its final design

La tecnologización de la prueba en el proceso penal. La videconferencia: objeciones y ventajas

[Resumen] Una de las asignaturas pendientes de nuestro sistema judicial es la modernización de la Administración de Justicia. En el momento actual, caracterizado por la aplicación de las denominadas TICs (Nuevas Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación) a todos los ámbitos de nuestra sociedad, el sistema judicial debe afron- tar la revolución tecnológica para aprovechar las ventajas que le ofrece. Partiendo de esta realidad, en este trabajo se pretende abordar la práctica de la prueba en el proceso penal a través del sistema de videoconferencia como un instrumento eficaz en este proceso de modernización.[Abstract] One of the asignaturas pending of our judicial system is the modernization of the Administration of Justice. In the current moment, characterized by the application of the designated TICs (New Technologies of the Information and the Communication) to all the fields of our society, the judicial system has to face the technological revolution to take the advantages that offers him. Splitting of this reality, in this work pretends abor- dar the practice of the proof in the Penal process through the system of videoconference like an effective instrument in this process of modernization

Protección de las libertades de expresión y sanción del discurso del odio en las democracias occidentales

[RESUMEN] En los últimos tiempos han aumentado los crímenes de odio que son proyección de un discurso que se escuda tras las libertades de expresión lo que permite afirmar que estas expresiones son un crimen de odio si bien hay otras conductas que responden a este tipo delictivo. La necesaria regulación de este discurso no se ha abordado de forma adecuada y esta ausencia de previsiones normativas favorece su proliferación ante la dificultad de determinar cuándo las libertades de expresión mal usadas o abusadas se convierten en una manifestación del mismo. La cuestión jurídica será determinar si este discurso goza de protección jurídica en cuanto ejercicio de las libertades de expresión; si este tipo de manifestaciones suponen un ejercicio abusivo de éstas quedando fuera de toda protección dispensada por el ordenamiento jurídico; o si constituyen una conducta delictiva merecedora de sanción penal[ABSTRACT]Hate crimes that are projection of a discourse that castles after the freedoms of expression have increased in recent times. The necessary regulation of speech or language of hatred has not been addressed adequately and this absence of regulatory provisions favors its proliferation given the difficulty of determining when improperly used or abused freedom of expression become a manifestation of the same. The legal question will determine if this speech enjoys legal protection in the exercise of freedom of expression; If such displays pose an abusive exercise of these being out of all protection provided by law; or if they are a criminal conduct deserving of criminal sanctio