Expresión de aprendizaje consciente e inconsciente mediante priming asociativo enmascarado

Setenta y tres participantes recibieron entrenamiento de discriminación con presentaciones repetidas de dos secuencias de estímulos (E1AàE2A y E1B à E2B), en las que E1 eran estímulos enmascarados y E2 constituían estímulos imperativos para una tarea de tiempo de reacción (TR). Entre los ensayos de entrenamiento fueron insertados algunos ensayos de secuencias de estímulos incompatibles (E1A à E2B and E1B à E2A) para determinar los efectos del priming. Los resultados mostraron que los participantes perceptivamente inconscientes  respondían más rápido a las secuencias compatibles que a las incompatibles, justo lo contrario que los participantes perceptivamente conscientes.

Improved Method to Select the Lagrange Multiplier for Rate-Distortion Based Motion Estimation in Video Coding

The motion estimation (ME) process used in the H.264/AVC reference software is based on minimizing a cost function that involves two terms (distortion and rate) that are properly balanced through a Lagrangian parameter, usually denoted as lambda(motion). In this paper we propose an algorithm to improve the conventional way of estimating lambda(motion) and, consequently, the ME process. First, we show that the conventional estimation of lambda(motion) turns out to be significantly less accurate when ME-compromising events, which make the ME process to perform poorly, happen. Second, with the aim of improving the coding efficiency in these cases, an efficient algorithm is proposed that allows the encoder to choose between three different values of lambda(motion) for the Inter 16x16 partition size. To be more precise, for this partition size, the proposed algorithm allows the encoder to additionally test lambda(motion) = 0 and lambda(motion) arbitrarily large, which corresponds to minimum distortion and minimum rate solutions, respectively. By testing these two extreme values, the algorithm avoids making large ME errors. The experimental results on video segments exhibiting this type of ME-compromising events reveal an average rate reduction of 2.20% for the same coding quality with respect to the JM15.1 reference software of H.264/AVC. The algorithm has been also tested in comparison with a state-of-the-art algorithm called context adaptive Lagrange multiplier. Additionally, two illustrative examples of the subjective performance improvement are provided.This work has been partially supported by the National Grant TEC2011-26807 of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.Publicad

Mutations in the ND2 subunit of mitochondrial complex I are sufficient to confer increased tumorigenic and metastatic potential to cancer cells

Multiprotein complexes of the mitochondrial electron transport chain form associations to generate supercomplexes. The relationship between tumor cell ability to assemble mitochondrial supercomplexes, tumorigenesis and metastasis has not been studied thoroughly. The mitochondrial and metabolic differences between L929dt cells, which lost matrix attachment and MHC-I expression, and their parental cell line L929, were analyzed. L929dt cells have lower capacity to generate energy through OXPHOS and lower respiratory capacity than parental L929 cells. Most importantly, L929dt cells show defects in mitochondrial supercomplex assembly, especially in those that contain complex I. These defects correlate with mtDNA mutations in L929dt cells at the ND2 subunit of complex I and are accompanied by a glycolytic shift. In addition, L929dt cells show higher in vivo tumorigenic and metastatic potential than the parental cell line. Cybrids with L929dt mitochondria in L929 nuclear background reproduce all L929dt properties, demonstrating that mitochondrial mutations are responsible for the aggressive tumor phenotype. In spite of their higher tumorigenic potential, L929dt or mitochondrial L929dt cybrid cells are sensitive both in vitro and in vivo to the PDK1 inhibitor dichloroacetate, which favors OXPHOS, suggesting benefits for the use of metabolic inhibitors in the treatment of especially aggressive tumors

Simulación continua de modelo hidrológico agregado con HEC-HMS en zonas con datos escasos. Caso de estudio en el Río La Silla, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México.

El reto principal para la construcción de un modelo hidrológico es la cantidad y calidad de datos disponibles, así como la estimación y calibración de los parámetros del modelo. El objetivo es realizar una simulación continua de un modelo hidrológico agregado en una zona con datos escasos para utilizarlo en futuras investigaciones. El caso de estudio es el Río La Silla, en Monterrey, Nuevo León. Se utilizó HEC-HMS y se formaron dos modelos con datos de ERA5-Land y CLICOM-MALLA. Los parámetros fueron estimados con el tipo y uso de suelo y fueron calibrados manualmente, obteniendo un rango de parámetros similares. Se utilizaron diferentes indicadores del error estadístico para comparar los resultados de caudales simulados y observados, obteniendo un comportamiento satisfactorio para los periodos de calibración y validación en ambos modelos. En general, el modelo de CLICOM-MALLA muestra un mejor comportamiento para el periodo completo de datos de caudales observados

Cryptogenic organizational pneumonia

Paciente masculino de 74 años de edad, con antecedentes patológicos personales de obesidad, hipertensión arterial, diabetes mellitus y bloqueo de rama izquierda del haz de His. Comenzó con disnea y tos seca que no mejoró con el tratamiento impuesto por el médico de familia. Acudió al Cardiocentro “Ernesto Che Guevara” -se le realizaron complementarios: hemoglobina (cifras bajas), creatinina y acido úrico (elevados)-, desde donde fue remitido al Cuerpo de Guardia del Hospital “Arnaldo Milián Castro”: se le auscultaron crepitantes bibasales en el aparato respiratorio, soplo sistólico II/VI en focos aórticos y pulmonar y edema de miembros inferiores; una radiografía de torax arrojó moteado algodonoso en ambas  bases pulmonares y un  ecocardiograma signos de hipertensión pulmonar severa. Fue ingresado con diagnósticos de enfermedad renal crónica por nefropatía diabética e hipertensión arterial; evolucionó mal, no respondió a los tratamientos y falleció por insuficiencia respiratoria a los 18 días de admitido. Los hallazgos en la necropsia permitieron el diagnóstico de cor pulmonale crónico descompensado en paciente que padece hipertensión pulmonar severa por neumonía organizativa criptógena como causa básica de muerte.Male patient of 74 years old, with personal pathological histories of obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and left branch block of the bundle of His. He began with dyspnea and dry cough that did not improve with the treatment imposed by the family doctor. He went to the Cardiocentro “Ernesto Che Guevara” and carried out complementary tests: hemoglobin (low figures), creatinine and uric acid (elevated), from where he was referred to “Arnaldo Milián Castro” Hospital Guardhouse: bibasal crackles were heard in the respiratory system, systolic murmur II/VI in aortic and pulmonary focus and edema of the lower limbs; a chest x-ray showed cottony speckling on both lung bases and an echocardiogram signs of severe pulmonary hypertension. He was admitted with diagnoses of chronic kidney disease due to diabetic nephropathy and arterial hypertension; he evolved poorly, he did not respond to the treatments and died of respiratory failure 18 days after admission. The findings at necropsy allowed the diagnosis of decompensated chronic cor pulmonale in a patient suffering from severe pulmonary hypertension due to cryptogenic organizing pneumonia as a basic cause of death

The SADDEN DEATH Study: Results from a Pilot Study in Non-ICU COVID-19 Spanish Patients

Introduction: The worldwide pandemic, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel infection with serious clinical manifestations, including death. Our aim is to describe the first non-ICU Spanish deceased series with COVID-19, comparing specifically between unexpected and expected deaths. Methods: In this single-centre study, all deceased inpatients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 who had died from March 4 to April 16, 2020 were consecutively included. Demographic, clinical, treatment, and laboratory data, were analyzed and compared between groups. Factors associated with unexpected death were identified by multivariable logistic regression methods. Results: In total, 324 deceased patients were included. Median age was 82 years (IQR 76–87); 55.9% males. The most common cardiovascular risk factors were hypertension (78.4%), hyperlipidemia (57.7%), and diabetes (34.3%). Other common comorbidities were chronic kidney disease (40.1%), chronic pulmonary disease (30.3%), active cancer (13%), and immunosuppression (13%). The Confusion, BUN, Respiratory Rate, Systolic BP and age ≥65 (CURB-65) score at admission was >2 in 40.7% of patients. During hospitalization, 77.8% of patients received antivirals, 43.3% systemic corticosteroids, and 22.2% full anticoagulation. The rate of bacterial co-infection was 5.5%, and 105 (32.4%) patients had an increased level of troponin I. The median time from initiation of therapy to death was 5 days (IQR 3.0–8.0). In 45 patients (13.9%), the death was exclusively attributed to COVID-19, and in 254 patients (78.4%), both COVID-19 and the clinical status before admission contributed to death. Progressive respiratory failure was the most frequent cause of death (92.0%). Twenty-five patients (7.7%) had an unexpected death. Factors independently associated with unexpected death were male sex, chronic kidney disease, insulin-treated diabetes, and functional independence. Conclusions: This case series provides in-depth characterization of hospitalized non-ICU COVID-19 patients who died in Madrid. Male sex, insulin-treated diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and independency for activities of daily living are predictors of unexpected death

El desarrollo de los planes de acción tutorial en la Universidad de Oviedo

Resumen basado en el de la publicaciónLa Universidad de Oviedo aborda la integración y la sistematización de todas sus acciones de información y orientación al estudiante, bajo los Planes de Acción Tutorial (PAT) de cada centro. Estos planes aúnan las acciones dirigidas al estudiantado en general, realizadas por los vicerrectorados competentes, junto a la concreción de las actuaciones más específicas que protagonizan las facultades y las escuelas de la Universidad de Oviedo. Se ha aprobado un acuerdo en el Consejo de Gobierno de la Universidad, que recoge el marco general de esta estrategia. Los centros universitarios están desarrollando este marco, adaptándolo a sus características, que son muy variadas en cuanto a número de estudiantes, número y tipología de las titulaciones, espacios físicos y tradición de planes tutoriales desarrollados en el pasado.ES

Adaptive Lagrange multiplier estimation algorithm in HEVC

The latest High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard relies on a large number of coding tools from which the encoder should choose for every coding unit. This optimization process is based on the minimization of a Lagrangian cost function that evaluates the distortion produced and the bit-rate needed to encode each coding unit. The value of the Lagrangian parameter lambda, which balances the weight of the rate and distortion terms, is related to the quantization parameter through a model that has been implemented in the HEVC reference software. Nevertheless, in this paper we show that this model can be refined, especially for static background sequences, so that the coding performance of HEVC can be improved by adaptively modifying the relation between A. and the quantization parameter. Specifically, the proposed method (i) determines whether the background of a sequence is static or not by means of a simple classifier; and (ii) when static, it evaluates an exponential regression function to estimate a proper value of the lambda parameter. In so doing, the proposed method becomes content-aware, being able to dynamically act on the lambda parameter. Experiments conducted over a large set of static and dynamic background video sequences prove that the proposed method achieves an average bit-rate saving of -6.72% (-11.07% for static background video sequences) compared with the reference HM16.0 software, notably outperforming the results of a state-of-the-art method.This work has been partially supported by the National Grant TEC2014-53390-P of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness.Publicad