Modelado de micro-central hidráulica para el diseño de controladores con aplicación en regiones aisladas de Honduras

[Resumen] Este artículo trata el modelado de una planta de micro-generación destinada al abastecimiento eléctrico de regiones aisladas en países en vías de desarrollo. El objetivo del modelo es caracterizar fielmente el comportamiento de estas microcentrales ante acciones externas como la actuación sobre la válvula de admisión y la conexión o desconexión repentina de cargas. Este modelo permitirá el desarrollo de estrategias de control eficientes, robustas y sencillas, adaptadas al contexto de precariedad de este tipo de instalaciones.Ministeriro de Economía y Competitividad ; DPI-75294-CS-2-RMinisterio de Economía y Competitividad; TEC2016-80242-

European Society for Swallowing Disorders: European Union Geriatric Medicine Society white paper: oropharyngeal dysphagia as a geriatric syndrome

This position document has been developed by the Dysphagia Working Group, a committee of members from the European Society for Swallowing Disorders and the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society, and invited experts. It consists of 12 sections that cover all aspects of clinical management of oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) related to geriatric medicine and discusses prevalence, quality of life, and legal and ethical issues, as well as health economics and social burden. OD constitutes impaired or uncomfortable transit of food or liquids from the oral cavity to the esophagus, and it is included in the World Health Organization’s classification of diseases. It can cause severe complications such as malnutrition, dehydration, respiratory infections, aspiration pneumonia, and increased readmissions, institutionalization, and morbimortality. OD is a prevalent and serious problem among all phenotypes of older patients as oropharyngeal swallow response is impaired in older people and can cause aspiration. Despite its prevalence and severity, OD is still underdiagnosed and untreated in many medical centers. There are several validated clinical and instrumental methods (videofluoroscopy and fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing) to diagnose OD, and treatment is mainly based on compensatory measures, although new treatments to stimulate the oropharyngeal swallow response are under research. OD matches the definition of a geriatric syndrome as it is highly prevalent among older people, is caused by multiple factors, is associated with several comorbidities and poor prognosis, and needs a multidimensional approach to be treated. OD should be given more importance and attention and thus be included in all standard screening protocols, treated, and regularly monitored to prevent its main complications. More research is needed to develop and standardize new treatments and management protocols for older patients with OD, which is a challenging mission for our societies

The Cretaceous of the Sistema Central (Spain): Stratigraphic record, depositional framework and evolutionary scheme

El Cretácico del Sistema Central representa las sucesiones sedimentarias de margen costero de las plataformas carbonatadas, que desarrolladas a partir de la cuenca Ibérica (cordillera Ibérica después de la orogénesis alpina), se extendieron sobre el margen oriental del macizo Ibérico a favor del gran ascenso eustático y de la subsidencia térmica regional. Tras la estructuración alpina del macizo Ibérico, la mayor parte de estos apilamientos sedimentarios han quedado ocultos bajo el relleno cenozoico de las cuencas del Duero y del Tajo; otra buena parte de ellos han desaparecido por la erosión subsecuente al levantamiento de la cordillera Cantábrica, el Sistema Central y los Montes de Toledo. Así, hoy en día afloran esporádicamente en el borde meridional de la Cantábrica occidental, borde septentrional de los Montes de Toledo y en depresiones internas del Sistema Central, y de manera más profusa, en los márgenes N y S del Sistema Central a lo largo de sendas bandas casi continuas. Estos afloramientos constituyen una de las escasas oportunidades que existen para conocer en detalle cómo son estas sucesiones de margen costero, reconstruyendo su arquitectura estratigráfica y su patrón de apilamiento deposicional. Ello ha permitido: (i) reconocer las relaciones laterales entre las facies carbonatadas de plataforma de áreas más internas de la cuenca y las facies siliciclásticas de margen costero, dentro del marco conceptual que impone la estratigrafía secuencial; (ii) demostrar y determinar el diacronismo de las unidades litoestratigráficas formales, cuyos límites superan, en muchos casos, los de las secuencias deposicionales; (iii) relacionar secuencialmente materiales afines de otros márgenes de la cuenca del Duero; (iv) identificar eventos de discontinuidad mayor a partir del reconocimiento de discordancias erosivas costeras, que puedan correlacionarse con sucesiones de áreas más centrales de la cuenca, y con ello, reconocer las paraconformidades presentes en el registro sedimentario de aquellas áreas; y (v) identificar cuatro unidades genéticas o mesosecuencias, asimilables a ciclos de 2º orden por su amplitud temporal y origen tecto-eustático, que permiten reconocer el marco evolutivo de este margen costero durante el Cretácico Superior.Cretaceous rocks at the Sistema Central (central Spain) represent the coastal margin sediments of the carbonate platforms developed in the Iberian basin during the large Upper Cretaceous eustatic sea-level rise. They consist of a lower succession of mainly terrigenous sediments (sands, sandstones, clays, marls and minor dolostones), an intermediate carbonate succession (dolostones, limestones and marls) and an upper terrigenous and evaporitic succession (sands, clays and gypsums), which have been traditionally considered uppermost Cretaceous - Paleocene in age but, as suggested by recent data, they should be considered older (Campanian-Maastrichtian). Most of Cretaceous sediments at the western coastal margin of the Iberian basin were eroded after the tectonic inversion of the Iberian massif (Iberian microplate) along the Alpine orogeny, or are presently covered by cainozoic deposits of the cainozoic Duero and Tajo basins. Exceptionally, these sediments crop out on the southwest edge of the cordillera Cantábrica, on northern margin of Montes de Toledo and more widely, on both sides of the Sistema Central. Then, the Cretaceous outcrops of the Sistema Central are one of the scarce areas we have to know in detail these sediments, reconstructing both their depositional stacking pattern, composed of different-order superimposed depositional sequences (Figure 5) and their wedge-shaped stratigraphic architecture as well; which, in general, shows that the subsequent sequences were progressively more extensive, onlapping onto the coastal margin, until the Santonian-Campanian, and from then they were continuously recessive prograding towards the Cantabrian margin (NW) until the end of the Cretaceous. More specifically, the stacking pattern and the stratigraphic architecture allow to: (i) recognize the lateral relationships between platform carbonate facies deposited in central areas of the basin and siliciclastic facies at the coastal margin within the conceptual framework of sequence stratigraphy; (ii) demonstrate the diachronism of formal lithostratigraphic units, whose boundaries exceed sequence boundaries in many cases; (iii) correlate with these sequences, units from other margins of the Duero basin; (iv) identify major regional discontinuities from recognition of coastal erosive unconformities, which can be traced to their correlative sediments in more internal areas of the basin, recognizing thus paraconformable strata in the record of these areas; and (v) identify four mesosequences, tecto-eustatic origin, which subsequently allow to reconstruct the evolutionary framework of this coastal margin along the Upper Cretaceous. Mesosequence I (Cenomanian Middle Turonian) is bounded by two major eustatic discontinuities, being represented on both sides of the Sistema Central by siliciclastic facies to the SW, mixed facies in the central part and carbonate facies at the NE. It is composed of three 3rd-order sequences with an overall transgressive-regressive trend (Figure 6), which is clearly recognizable by geometrical relationships of the internal sequences and by facies belt displacements. Mesosequences II and III (Upper Turonian – Lower Santonian and Middle Santonian – Lower Campanian, respectively), consist of two and three 3rd-order sequences respectively. Both constitute the vast carbonate masses of the entire Cretaceous (intermediate carbonate succession) in this area. Southwestwards the thinning of this huge carbonate succession and the lateral transition to terrigenous facies of the coastal margin can be observed; some of these terrigenous deposits could be recognized on the west margin of the Duero basin (provinces of Zamora and Salamanca). The boundary between both mesosequences is a major tectonic discontinuity at microplate scale, and it might represent the onset of the first tectonic events of the alpine cycle in the studied area. Mesosequence IV (Middle Campanian-Maastrichtian) is represented by the upper terrigenous-evaporitic succession. Its lower boundary is a major, eustatic discontinuity; although, it has been locally mapped as a cartographic unconformity (Valdeprados, Segovia), representing a major break in the general sedimentary trend, with the end of open marine sedimentation characteristic of the underlying mesosequences. In fact, until the recent finds of cretaceous vertebrate faunas at the north of the Sistema Central, the sediments of this mesosequence had been assigned mostly to the Paleocene, being correlated with other tertiary deposits of the Duero and Tajo basins. The depositional stacking pattern of their internal 3rd-order sequences has not been determined yet.Depto. de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y PaleontologíaFac. de Ciencias GeológicasTRUEEspaña. Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. Dirección General de Investigaciónpu

Mineral and volatile composition of agua-mel from Portugal

Agua-mel (honey-water) is a typical honey-based product produced by the Portuguese beekeepers, particularly in southern Portugal. Agua-mel was characterized by mineral content and volatiles contents. Mineral content evaluation was performed based on a random sampling of 14 samples from a total of 16 samples provided by local producers. Mineral content showed that potassium predominated in agua-mel samples (1270-4105 mg/kg). The concentration of aluminium in one sample was tenfold higher (5.8 mg/kg) than in the remaining samples (0.3-0.6 mg/kg). Agua-mel volatiles were isolated by hydrodistillation and analysed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) from a subset of eight samples. Cluster analysis showed two poorly correlated clusters (S (corr) < 0.3). Cluster I only sample was dominated by trans-beta-ocimene (19 %), gamma-terpinene (15 %) and 2-furfural (9 %). Cluster II that included the remaining seven samples showed two moderately correlated subclusters (S (corr) < 0.5). The six samples with high correlation from subcluster IIa were dominated by 2-furfural (18-41 %) and benzene acetaldehyde (12-39 %). n-Nonadecane (14 %), n-heneicosane and 2-furfural (both 13 %) were the main components of subcluster IIb sample. Although the presence of some volatile compounds can help in the correlation between agua-mel and honey botanical source, the final product varies largely according to the preparation process even for the same producer, in different years. Agua-mel detailed characterization may assist in bringing added value to this typical Portuguese honey-based product

Making waves: collaboration in the time of SARS-CoV-2 - rapid development of an international co-operation and wastewater surveillance database to support public health decision-making

The presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater was first reported in March 2020. Over the subsequent months, the potential for wastewater surveillance to contribute to COVID-19 mitigation programmes has been the focus of intense national and international research activities, gaining the attention of policy makers and the public. As a new application of an established methodology, focused collaboration between public health practitioners and wastewater researchers is essential to developing a common understanding on how, when and where the outputs of this non-invasive community-level approach can deliver actionable outcomes for public health authorities. Within this context, the NORMAN SCORE "SARS-CoV-2 in sewage" database provides a platform for rapid, open access data sharing, validated by the uploading of 276 data sets from nine countries to-date. Through offering direct access to underpinning meta-data sets (and describing its use in data interpretation), the NORMAN SCORE database is a resource for the development of recommendations on minimum data requirements for wastewater pathogen surveillance. It is also a tool to engage public health practitioners in discussions on use of the approach, providing an opportunity to build mutual understanding of the demand and supply for data and facilitate the translation of this promising research application into public health practice. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bumble bee parasite strains vary in resistance to phytochemicals

Nectar and pollen contain diverse phytochemicals that can reduce disease in pollinators. However, prior studies showed variable effects of nectar chemicals on infection, which could reflect variable phytochemical resistance among parasite strains. Inter-strain variation in resistance could influence evolutionary interactions between plants, pollinators, and pollinator disease, but testing direct effects of phytochemicals on parasites requires elimination of variation between bees. Using cell cultures of the bumble bee parasite Crithidia bombi, we determined (1) growth-inhibiting effects of nine floral phytochemicals and (2) variation in phytochemical resistance among four parasite strains. C. bombi growth was unaffected by naturally occurring concentrations of the known antitrypanosomal phenolics gallic acid, caffeic acid, and chlorogenic acid. However, C. bombi growth was inhibited by anabasine, eugenol, and thymol. Strains varied >3-fold in phytochemical resistance, suggesting that selection for phytochemical resistance could drive parasite evolution. Inhibitory concentrations of thymol (4.53-22.2 ppm) were similar to concentrations in Thymus vulgaris nectar (mean 5.2 ppm). Exposure of C. bombi to naturally occurring levels of phytochemicals—either within bees or during parasite transmission via flowers—could influence infection in nature. Flowers that produce antiparasitic phytochemical, including thymol, could potentially reduce infection in Bombus populations, thereby counteracting a possible contributor to pollinator decline

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p&lt;0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p&lt;0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

Optimisation of Perioperative Cardiovascular Management to Improve Surgical Outcome II (OPTIMISE II) trial: study protocol for a multicentre international trial of cardiac output-guided fluid therapy with low-dose inotrope infusion compared with usual care in patients undergoing major elective gastrointestinal surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Postoperative morbidity and mortality in older patients with comorbidities undergoing gastrointestinal surgery are a major burden on healthcare systems. Infections after surgery are common in such patients, prolonging hospitalisation and reducing postoperative short-term and long-term survival. Optimal management of perioperative intravenous fluids and inotropic drugs may reduce infection rates and improve outcomes from surgery. Previous small trials of cardiac-output-guided haemodynamic therapy algorithms suggested a modest reduction in postoperative morbidity. A large definitive trial is needed to confirm or refute this and inform widespread clinical practice. METHODS: The Optimisation of Perioperative Cardiovascular Management to Improve Surgical Outcome II (OPTIMISE II) trial is a multicentre, international, parallel group, open, randomised controlled trial. 2502 high-risk patients undergoing major elective gastrointestinal surgery will be randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio using minimisation to minimally invasive cardiac output monitoring to guide protocolised administration of intravenous fluid combined with low-dose inotrope infusion, or usual care. The trial intervention will be carried out during and for 4 hours after surgery. The primary outcome is postoperative infection of Clavien-Dindo grade II or higher within 30 days of randomisation. Participants and those delivering the intervention will not be blinded to treatment allocation; however, outcome assessors will be blinded when feasible. Participant recruitment started in January 2017 and is scheduled to last 3 years, within 50 hospitals worldwide. ETHICS/DISSEMINATION: The OPTIMISE II trial has been approved by the UK National Research Ethics Service and has been approved by responsible ethics committees in all participating countries. The findings will be disseminated through publication in a widely accessible peer-reviewed scientific journal. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN39653756.The OPTIMISE II trial is supported by Edwards Lifesciences (Irvine, CA) and the UK National Institute for Health Research through RMP’s NIHR Professorship

Stratigraphy and syntectonic relationships related to the Miocene conglomerate units of the Montejo de la Vega (Southeast border of the Duero Basin)

New precisions are given about the stratigraphy and chronology of the marginal conglomerate units and their associated distal fades in the SE sector of the Duero Basin are described. The syntectonic units formed during the latest episodes of Alpine uplift (Guadarrama stage) in Honrubia anticline located in the northern border fault of the Spanish Central Syste