Calibration of calculation models of wooden guardrails with Operational Modal Analysis

This study analyses the differences between two calculation models for guardrails on building sites that use wooden boards and tubular steel posts. Wood was considered an isotropic material in one model and an orthotropic material in a second model. The elastic constants of the wood were obtained with ultrasound. Frequencies and vibration modes were obtained for both models through linear analysis using the finite element method. The two models were experimentally calibrated through operational modal analysis. The results obtained show that for the three types of wood under analysis, the model which considered them as an orthotropic material fitted the experimental results better than the model which considered them as an isotropic material

Influence of assessment in the teaching-learning process in the higher education

The new European Higher Education Area (EHEA) involves a change in the way of understanding learning and the teacher?s work. In this field, assessment is a very important aspect in education. It influences determinedly in the process of helping and encouraging the students to learn and understand their progresses in learning. This paper shows, from the results obtained in the subject "Concrete as a Structural Material", of fourth grade in Building Degree, the factors which affect the teaching-learning process through assessmen

Pain in women: bridging the gender pain gap

Bridging the gender pain gap requires collaborative efforts that address female-specific biological and psychosocial dimensions of pain through evidence-based, compassionate and empathy-driven approaches

Evolución paleoambiental de la mitad sur de la Península Ibérica. Aplicación a la evaluación del comportamiento de los repositorios de residuos radiactivos

Esta publicación refleja los resultados obtenidos de la realización de los proyectos "EQUIP: Evidency from Quaternary Infills Palaeohydrogeology" (F 14W/ CT96/0031), financiado por la UE, "Evolución Paleoclimática de [a Mitad Sur de [a Península Ibérica" financiado por ENRESA y "Paleoclima" financiado por el Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear y ENRESA. La cuenca de Guadix-Baza, sector oriental, es una de las escasas zonas europeas donde se ha conservado un registro razonablemente completo del Pleistoceno. La cuenca de Guadix Baza, en régimen continental desde el Plioceno, funcionó bajo un régimen centrípeto, con abanicos aluviales en los bordes y una zona compleja lacustre en mosaico en su centro. Se ha podido establecer la existencia de una amplia variedad de facies aluviales y fluviales y sus interrelaciones. La sedimentación en el margen lacustre estaba constituida por arenas bioclásticas y lutitas con fósiles, mientras que en zonas más centrales predominaron lutitas yesíferas, lutitas con yeso intrasedimentario, arenas yesíferas yesos y, ocasionalmente, carbonatos que durante un período concreto depositaron los materiales que configuran el "Nivel Calcáreo de Orce", calizas y dolomías con cantidades variables de yeso y terrígenos cerca de los bordes. El trabajo de campo permitió el establecimiento de una serie estratigráfica tipo compuesta, que refleja los principales acontecimiento paleoambientales que tuvieron lugar durante el Pleistoceno. Con el fin de evitar la yesificación de la calcita y aragonito, propia del ambiente lacustre, la serie tipo de ha establecido en el registro del margen lacustre. Con ayuda del análisis paleomagnético y el análisis de la racemización de aminoácidos en conchas de moluscos y ostrácodos se ha establecido la cronología numérica de la sección estratigráfica tipo que cubre desde el límite Plioceno-Pleistoceno hasta unos 250 ka BP, cuando la erosión de la cabecera del río Fardes alcanza la cuenca abriéndola hacia el valle del Guadalquivir y cesando [a sedimentación lacustre. También se ha datado un depósito de terraza fluvial. Se han obtenido datos paleoambientales "instantáneos" mediante el estudio palinológico, el análisis paleobotánico de material silicificado (madera opalizada) o carbonizado (análisis paleoantracológico), el análisis geoquímico orgánico de algunos niveles especialmente favorables. La geoquímica orgánica de biomarcadores de algunos niveles concretos proporcionó datos sobre su origen (plantas terrestres o acuáticas) y confirmó que un conspicuo nivel carbonoso tuvo su origen en un incendio forestal. El análisis paleobiológico basado en la distribución de especies de ostrácodos, gasterópodos y pelecípodos ha permitido una primera aproximación paleoambiental, pese al evidente sesgo introducido por la presencia de fuentes salinas y materiales yesíferos en el área fuente de los abanicos aluviales del límite oriental de la cuenca. Esta interpretación se ha depurado mediante el estudio geoquímico inorgánico, isótopos estables y elementos traza de las conchas calcíticas de ostrácodos. Ello ha permitido el establecimiento de una alternancia de períodos "fríos y húmedos" y "cálidos y áridos" que permiten reconocer de las clases climáticas "mediterráneo seco" y "mediterráneo húmedo" sensu Horowitz (1989), que tienen sus correlatos en el registro paleoclimático de los grandes lagos del rift del Mar Muerto, el Mar Caspio y lagos pluviales de Norte América. La correlación de los datos isotópicos con las paleosalinidades deducidas del estudio de las inclusiones fluidas en yeso intrasedimentario ha permitido corroborar estas interpretaciones. Esto plantea un nuevo enfoque en el análisis del comportamiento de los repositorios de residuos radiactivos de alta

B cell and/or autoantibody deficiency do not prevent neuropsychiatric disease in murine systemic lupus erythematosus

Background: Neuropsychiatric lupus (NPSLE) can be one of the earliest clinical manifestations in human lupus. However, its mechanisms are not fully understood. In lupus, a compromised blood-brain barrier may allow for the passage of circulating autoantibodies into the brain, where they can induce neuropsychiatric abnormalities including depression-like behavior and cognitive abnormalities. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of B cells and/or autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of murine NPSLE. Methods: We evaluated neuropsychiatric manifestations, brain pathology, and cytokine expression in constitutively (JhD/MRL/lpr) and conditionally (hCD20-DTA/MRL/lpr, inducible by tamoxifen) B cell-depleted mice as compared to MRL/lpr lupus mice. Results: We found that autoantibody levels were negligible (JhD/MRL/lpr) or significantly reduced (hCD20-DTA/MRL/lpr) in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid, respectively. Nevertheless, both JhD/MRL/lpr and hCD20-DTA/MRL/lpr mice showed profound depression-like behavior, which was no different from MRL/lpr mice. Cognitive deficits were also observed in both JhD/MRL/lpr and hCD20-DTA/MRL/lpr mice, similar to those exhibited by MRL/lpr mice. Furthermore, although some differences were dependent on the timing of depletion, central features of NPSLE in the MRL/lpr strain including increased blood-brain barrier permeability, brain cell apoptosis, and upregulated cytokine expression persisted in B cell-deficient and B cell-depleted mice. Conclusions: Our study surprisingly found that B cells and/or autoantibodies are not required for key features of neuropsychiatric disease in murine NPSLE

Abdominal tuberculosis in Ecuador, a problem that is still not solved

Tuberculosis (TB) in the gastrointestinal tract or peritoneum is an uncommon condition in clinical practice. Its rarity, combined with its nonspecific presentations, makes this kind of extrapulmonary tuberculosis difficult to diagnose as it can mimic other inflammatory or malignant conditions. Delays in treatment and frequent misdiagnosis can lead to hazardous complications. In countries like Ecuador where the disease is endemic, TB should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of a patients who present with nonspecific abdominal symptoms. In these scenarios, laparoscopy can be an invaluable tool when used with sufficiently high clinical awareness and adequate training. Case presentation: We present the case of a 37-year-old female patient from Ecuador with a 1-year history of abdominal pain, nausea, intermittent vomits, night sweats, and weight loss. After clinical evaluation and a laparoscopic intervention, abdominal TB was detected and promptly treated. Antituberculosis chemotherapy was initiated, and the patient successfully recovered. Conclusions: High clinical awareness is imperative when approaching abdominal TB due to its wide spectrum of clinical symptoms and its rarity. Early detection and prompt treatment are critical to minimize the possibility of hazardous complications

The association between selected mid-trimester amniotic fluid candidate proteins and spontaneous preterm delivery

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore inflammatory response and identify early potential biomarkers in mid-trimester amniotic fluid associated with subsequent spontaneous preterm delivery (PTD). Methods: A cohort study was performed at Sahlgrenska University Hospital/ 6stra, Gothenburg, Sweden, between 2008 and 2010. Amniotic fluid was collected from consecutive women undergoing mid-trimester transabdominal genetic amniocentesis at 14–19 gestational weeks. Clinical data and delivery outcome variables were obtained from medical records. The analysis included 19 women with spontaneous PTD and 118 women who delivered at term. A panel of 26 candidate proteins was analyzed using Luminex xMAP technology. Candidate protein concentrations were analyzed with ANCOVA and adjusted for plate effects. Results: The median gestational age at delivery was 35 + 3 weeks in women with spontaneous PTD and 40 + 0 weeks in women who delivered at term. Nominally significantly lower amniotic fluid levels of adiponectin (PTD: median 130,695 pg/mL (IQR 71,852–199,414) vs term: median 185,329 pg/mL (IQR (135,815–290,532)), granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (PTD: median 137 pg/mL (IQR 74–156) vs term: median 176 pg/mL (IQR 111–262)), and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (PTD: median 3025 pg/mL (IQR 1885–3891) vs term: median 3400 pg/mL (IQR 2181–5231)) were observed in the spontaneous PTD group, compared with the term delivery group, after adjusting for plate effects. No significant differences remained after Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Conclusions: Our results are important in the process of determining the etiology behind spontaneous PTD but due to the non-significance after Bonferroni correction, the results should be interpreted with caution. Further analyses of larger sample size will be required to determine whether these results are cogent and to examine whether microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity or intra-amniotic inflammation occurs in asymptomatic women in the mid-trimester with subsequent spontaneous PTD

Moments that matter: childhood pain treatment shapes pain for life—we can do better every time in every child

Background: Needle procedures, such as vaccinations, blood draws, and intravenous cannulation, are the most frequent source of childhood pain, causing fear and reducing the uptake of medical procedures. Every child has the right to expect pain relief, and we have evidence-based tools to reduce needle procedure-related pain. Therefore, the lack of analgesic provision for needle pain is not justified. We argue that better informed and motivated healthcare professionals and families can advocate for appropriate pain relief in every child, every time. Observations: Engaging communication campaigns are needed to educate our healthcare professionals. Evidence-based modalities such as topical anaesthesia, sucrose or breastfeeding, comfort positioning, and age-appropriate distractions should be available for every child during needle procedures. However, high-quality information is not enough to change behaviour—healthcare professionals need to be motivated, encouraged, and inspired. Parents and carers should be empowered to advocate for their children and be aware that their child has the right to receive pain relief during these procedures. Conclusions and relevance: This is a call to action—we need collaboration between academics, healthcare professionals, industry and charities, to expedite behavioural change and parental advocacy through high-quality communication strategies. Effective pain management in infants and children can play a crucial role in promoting the uptake of vaccinations and medical procedures and can influence future attitudes to pain

Protein Concentrations of Thrombospondin-1, MIP-1β, and S100A8 Suggest the Reflection of a Pregnancy Clock in Mid-Trimester Amniotic Fluid

The development of immunoassays enables more sophisticated studies of the associations between protein concentrations and pregnancy outcomes, allowing early biomarker identification that can improve neonatal outcomes. The aim of this study was to explore associations between selected mid-trimester amniotic fluid proteins and (1) overall gestational duration and (2) spontaneous preterm delivery. A prospective cohort study, including women undergoing mid-trimester transabdominal genetic amniocentesis, was performed in Gothenburg, Sweden, 2008–2016 (n = 1072). A panel of 27 proteins related to inflammation was analyzed using Meso-Scale multiplex technology. Concentrations were adjusted for gestational age at sampling, experimental factors, year of sampling, and covariates (maternal age at sampling, parity (nulliparous/multiparous), smoking at first prenatal visit, and in vitro fertilization). Cox regression analysis of the entire cohort was performed to explore possible associations between protein concentrations and gestational duration. This was followed by Cox regression analysis censored at 259\ua0days or longer, to investigate whether associations were detectable in women with spontaneous preterm delivery (n = 47). Finally, linear regression models were performed to analyze associations between protein concentrations and gestational duration in women with spontaneous onset of labor at term (n = 784). HMG-1, IGFBP-1, IL-18, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, S100A8, and thrombospondin-1 were significantly associated with gestational duration at term, but not preterm. Increased concentrations of thrombospondin-1, MIP-1β, and S100A8, respectively, were significantly associated with decreased gestational duration after the Holm-Bonferroni correction in women with spontaneous onset of labor at term. This adds to the concept of a pregnancy clock, where our findings suggest that such a clock is also reflected in the amniotic fluid at early mid-trimester, but further research is needed to confirm this

Statistical analysis plan for the Petal trial: the effects of parental touch on relieving acute procedural pain in neonates

BackgroundInfants undergo multiple clinically-required painful procedures during their time in hospital, and there is an increasing desire from both parents and clinical staff to have parents directly involved in their newborn's pain relief. To avoid biases due to selective analysis and reporting, a clinical trial's statistical analysis plan (SAP) should be finalised and registered prior to dataset lock and unblinding. Here, we outline the SAP for the Petal trial, which was registered on the ISRCTN registry prior to dataset lock and unblinding.MethodsThe Petal trial is a multicentre, individually randomised, parallel-group interventional superiority trial. The study involves in-patient neonates born at or after 35+0 weeks gestation with a postnatal age of ≤7 days, in two hospital research sites (John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK; Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, Exeter, UK). The primary objective is to investigate the potential efficacy of a non-pharmacological parent-led stroking intervention on reducing the magnitude of neonates' noxious stimulus-evoked brain activity. The primary outcome is the neonate's brain activity recorded using electroencephalography (EEG) in response to a heel lance blood sampling procedure. Secondary outcomes include neonatal clinical pain scores and tachycardia, and parental anxiety. The study hypothesis is neonates' pain responses and parents' anxiety scores are lower in the intervention group. Randomisation will be via a minimisation algorithm to maintain balance in five prognostic factors.ConclusionsPaediatric pain trials have been highlighted by regulatory bodies as an important and challenging topic, with interest increasing in brain imaging outcomes. The Petal trial, to which this SAP relates, is part of a larger effort of establishing a brain-based EEG outcome measure of infant pain for use in clinical trials. This SAP is thus likely to be of interest to those in academia, pharmaceutical companies, and regulatory bodies.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04901611, 25/05/2021; ISRCTN: ISRCTN14135962, 23/08/2021)