Residence time effects on the NOx removal efficiency in two different dielectric barrier discharge cell

Experimental tests of the removal of NOx compounds were carried out in two dielectric barrier discharge cells (DBD) reactors. Two different geometries of these reactor were studied, one circular 11.94 cm diameter, and another rectangular, 16x7cm, both 2.5mm gap and 28.0cm3 reaction volume. A gas mixture composed of 1.0 l/m of molecular nitrogen was injected to each reactor along with an additional flow that provided a concentration of 90ppm of NO in both cells. The gas mixture was treated with non –thermal plasma generated by dielectric barrier discharge at different working potentials and at a 1.75 kHz frequency. The residual products were identified by means of a Sensonic 2000 gas analyzer. According to the experimental results, it was identified a greater removal efficiency in the rectangular cell than in thecircular one. This might be attributed both to residence time due to geometric effects and to a factor related with the chemical reaction mechanisms, since it has been showed that, at greater powers, the removal efficiency diminishes due to the regeneration of NO by inverse kinetic mechanisms. Our kinetic model proves that the main reaction product was N2O in the presence of are ducing atmosphere

Functional Massage of the Teres Major Muscle in Patients with Subacromial Impingement Syndrome. A Randomized Controlled Case Series Study.

Objective: the purpose of the present study was to analyze the concurrent validity and reliability of a force platform clinical COBS Feedback® for the estimation of the height of vertical jumps. Design: a cross-sectional correlational and comparative study. Setting: University Human Movement and Physiotherapy Laboratory. Participants: healthy university students (14 female and 13 male) aged between 18 and 25 years old (mean = 20.074 ±1.542). Main Outcome Measures: vertical jump heights, technical error and grade of agreement between methods of measurement. Results: after the 27 subjects performed a total of 135 vertical jumps on COBS Feedback®platform while simultaneously being recorded with a high-speed camera-based method, the intraclass correlation coefficient showed an almost perfect concordance between the two methods (ICC = 0.916, CI95%= 0.882 to 0.940, p<0.001). The technical error of the COBS Feedback® against HSC-Kinovea video analysis was at 0.310±0.223m, being higher in males than in females (t= -2.822, CI95%: -0.376 to -0.574, p=0.001). Conclusions: the COBS Feedback® method provided a valid measurement of the flight times for estimate the vertical jump height as a number of well-known tests and devices.Aims: Subacromial impingement syndrome is the most common shoulder condition. Myofascial trigger points in teres major muscle can be associated with this syndrome. Our objective is to determine whether adding manual therapy specifically for teres major trigger points can produce better results in these patients. Study Design: Randomized controlled case series. Place and Duration of Study: Public Primary Care Center in the Spanish National Health System (Cornellà de Llobregat - Barcelona) and the FREMAP Mutual Society for Work-related Injuries and Occupational Illness (Arnedo - La Rioja), between January and March 2014. Methodology: Fifty-eight people were recruited but 8 subjects were lost during the follow-up period. The sample consisted of 50 patients (17 male and 33 female, age range 23-80 years) randomly assigned to one of two groups: the intervention group or the control group. Both groups received a protocolized physical therapy treatment, while the intervention group also received manual therapy for teres major trigger points. Results: Pain intensity (p=.01) and function (p=.01) showed significant improvement in the control group, whereas pain intensity (p=.01), function (p=.01) and active range of motion (p=.01) showed significant improvement in the intervention group. Between-group differences were statistically significant for abduction (p=.01), extension (p=.02) and lateral rotation (p=.02), and clinically significant (Cohen’s d) for function, flexion, extension, lateral rotation and abduction. Conclusion: Although our findings must be considered as preliminary, they suggest that adding manual therapy to treat teres major trigger points achieves better results in the glenohumeral range of motion

A linguaxe como medio de violencia simbólica no deporte

[RESUMO] En todas as sociedades machistas a linguaxe ten un papel fundamental na discriminación das mulleres, configurándose como un instrumento de dominación e lexitimador da violencia simbólica. O obxectivo deste estudo foi analizar se as estudantes de Ciencias do Deporte e a Educación Física da Universidade da Coruña reciben frases ao longo da súa carreira deportiva que reflicten a dominación e reprodución dun modelo social discriminatorio. A metodoloxía empregada inscríbese baixo o paradigma cualitativo e feminista, facendo uso da análise de contido como técnica de investigación. Para a recompilación de datos empregouse unha ficha de rexistro anecdótico que se aplicou a corenta alumnas e un grupo de discusión con cinco estudantes. Os resultados permítennos concluír que a linguaxe é un medio máis de violencia simbólica no deporte, que perpetúa un sistema de dominación masculina a través da transmisión dunha visión de inferioridade das mulleres, que menospreza a súa práctica e establece como ideal o deporte masculino. Non se acepta que unha muller poida ser superior a un home en situacións deportivas mixtas e danse casos nos que, a través da linguaxe, se chega a incitar á violencia física e sexual.

Specialized business incubators as a strategy for small and medium-sized enterprises in the industry 4.0 era – a systemic approach

The present research aims to get a holistic view of the characteristics of specialization in business incubators models. This paper centers on building a general framework by taking into account a holistic look at the features, profiles, advantages, and disadvantages of specialization in business incubators models. The strategy aims to impact mainly stakeholders by adopting business incubators strategies, especially to those tenant firms of the manufacturing sector related to emerging technologies such as Industry 4.0 technologies. Moreover, the framework is built based on the discussion of the leading representatives' heads of the specialization in the field of specialized business incubators' models. The strategy aims to reduce the current short-term death rate expectancy prevailing in the contemporary economic context by a robust business model for business incubation. Business incubators hold tenants into a hub with not only supportive facilities for the business without investing vital capital, which is not part of their core chain value but also harnessing the closer source of knowledge transfer and skilfully workforce-related on these technologies. Finally, remarks and recommendations are proposed for futures tenant companies' prospects, who wish to reduce the bankruptcy risk by boosting innovative goods and services with high technological development in a specific field of knowledge.N/

Development of Peptide Targeted PLGA-PEGylated Nanoparticles Loading Licochalcone-A for Ocular Inflammation

Licochalcone-A is a natural compound with anti-inflammatory properties. However, it possesses low water solubility, making its application for the treatment of ocular inflammation difficult. To overcome this drawback, biodegradable nanoparticles incorporating Licochalcone-A have been developed. Additionally, to avoid fast clearance and increase cellular internalization into the ocular tissues, PLGA nanoparticles have been functionalized using PEG and cell penetrating peptides (Tet-1 and B6). To optimize the formulations, a factorial design was carried out and short-term stability of the nanoparticles was studied. Moreover, morphology was also observed by transmission electron microcopy and in vitro drug release was carried out. Ocular tolerance of the formulations was ensured in vitro and in vivo and anti-inflammatory therapeutic efficacy was also assessed. Surface functionalized nanoparticles loading Licochalcone-A were developed with an average size below 200 nm, a positive surface charge, and a monodisperse population. The formulations were non-irritant and showed a prolonged Licochalcone-A release. Despite the fact that both Licochalcone-A Tet-1 and B6 functionalized nanoparticles demonstrated to be suitable for the treatment of ocular inflammation, B6 targeted nanoparticles provided greater therapeutic efficacy in in vivo assays. Keywords: Licochalcone-A; nanoparticles; ocular inflammation; cell-penetrating peptides; PLG

Efectividad de una ivermectina (22-23 dihydroavermectin B1) sobre larvas de Demartobia hominis.

En el Centro Regional de Investigaciones (C.R.I.) El Nus, del Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario (ICA), se llevó a cabo un ensayo para determinar la efectividad de una ivermectina sobre larvas de la mosca Dermatobia hominis en bovinos. El producto demostró ser altamente efectivo contra todos los instares larvarios, iniciando su efectividad el día quinto post-tratamiento y manteniendo su acción residual durante 60 días, a partir de los cuales se obtuvo una aparente reinfestació

CO72 357. Reconstrucción del cuerpo fibroso mitroaórtico: Resultados perioperatorios y supervivencia a largo plazo

ObjetivosDescribir las características clínicas, resultados perioperatorios y supervivencia a largo plazo de pacientes sometidos a sustitución valvular mitral y aórtica con reconstrucción de la fbrosa mitroaórtica según técnica de David.MétodosRevisión retrospectiva de pacientes sometidos a sustitución valvular y reconstrucción de la fibrosa mitroaórtica intervenidos en los últimos 14 años. Se incluyen 27 pacientes, 63% varones, edad 55,3±16,1 años, EuroSCORE 34,4±25,9. El 70,4% de los pacientes presentaban al menos una cirugía previa. La indicación para el procedimiento fue endocarditis infecciosa complicada con absceso de la unión mitroaórtica en el 74,1%; en el restante 25,9% la principal indicación fue la necesidad de ampliación del anillo aórtico en el seno de una valvulopatía mitroaórtica.ResultadosLa supervivencia perioperatoria (30 días) fue del 85,2%. No se observó mortalidad entre los pacientes sin endocarditis. Estancia media: 42,8±42,8 días. Complicaciones perioperatorias: accidente cerebrovascular agudo (ACVA) 3,1% (1), balón de contrapulsación intraaórtica (BCIA) 11,1% (3), insuficiencia renal aguda (IRA) 7,4% (2), infarto agudo de miocardio (IAM) 3,7% (1), reintervención por sangrado 14,8% (4), ventilación mecánica prolongada 11,1% (3), necesidad de marcapasos (MP) definitivo 22,2%. La supervivencia acumulada para los supervivientes a 1, 3 y 5 años fue de 85,9±7,6%, 75,8 ± 9,5% y 45,5 ± 11,1%, respectivamente. No se observó diferencia significativa al comparar la super-vivencia a 1, 3 y 5 años entre los grupos intervenidos por endocarditis y los no endocarditis (log rank 0,146).ConclusionesLa reconstrucción de la fibrosa mitroaórtica mediante técnica de David representa una alternativa terapéutica para el manejo de patología compleja que involucra esta estructura. Hemos observado buenos resultados perioperatorios y a largo plazo teniendo en cuenta el perfil de alto riesgo de los pacientes que requieren este tipo de intervención

Soluble platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1, a biomarker of ventilator-induced lung injury

Introduction: Endothelial cell injury is an important component of acute lung injury. Platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM1) is a transmembrane protein that connects endothelial cells to one another and can be detected as a soluble, truncated protein (sPECAM1) in serum. We hypothesized that injurious mechanical ventilation (MV) leads to shedding of PECAM1 from lung endothelial cells resulting in increasing sPECAM1 levels in the systemic circulation. Methods: We studied 36 Sprague–Dawley rats in two prospective, randomized, controlled studies (healthy and septic) using established animal models of ventilator-induced lung injury. Animals (n = 6 in each group) were randomized to spontaneous breathing or two MV strategies: low tidal volume (VT) (6 ml/kg) and high-VT (20 ml/kg) on 2 cmH2O of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP). In low-VT septic animals, 10 cmH2O of PEEP was applied. We performed pulmonary histological and physiological evaluation and measured lung PECAM1 protein content and serum sPECAM1 levels after four hours ventilation period. Results: High-VT MV caused severe lung injury in healthy and septic animals, and decreased lung PECAM1 protein content (P < 0.001). Animals on high-VT had a four- to six-fold increase of mean sPECAM1 serum levels than the unventilated counterpart (35.4 ± 10.4 versus 5.6 ± 1.7 ng/ml in healthy rats; 156.8 ± 47.6 versus 35.6 ± 12.6 ng/ml in septic rats) (P < 0.0001). Low-VT MV prevented these changes. Levels of sPECAM1 in healthy animals on high-VT MV paralleled the sPECAM1 levels of non-ventilated septic animals. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that circulating sPECAM1 may represent a promising biomarker for the detection and monitoring of ventilator-induced lung injury

Towards sustainable industrial development - a systems thinking-based approach

Various critical global issues, including global warming and poverty, have been recognized and identified by the United Nations (UN) as drivers for unsustainability. Consequently, the UN established the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the aim of seeking universal peace and larger freedom by balancing the three dimensions of sustainable development, i.e. economic, social and environmental. A particular attention SDGs pay is in eradicating poverty as this is considered one of the greatest global challenges. Poverty is not only an economic matter as it also has an impact on the social and environmental dimensions. A strategy to tackle poverty is to foster industry development. However, a holistic point of view is necessary by also considering stakeholders otherwise, it becomes a neoliberal solution. Despite the fact that some research has been conducted, e.g. case studies and surveys of sustainable practices, there is a lack of industrial sustainable development as a framework to tackle sustainability issues. Thus, this paper proposes a framework for industrial sustainable development under a socially inclusive approach within the context of the Mexican manufacturing industry. The framework proposal is based on a state-of-the-art literature review conducted in the Web of Science and Scopus databases.N/