The Therapeutic garden: Gaudí and the patients of the former Sant Boi Mental Hospital

Dins de l'antic hospital psiquiàtric de Sant Boi de Llobregat, actualment transformat en el Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, es conserven els rastres d'un jardí modernista inspirat en l'obra de Gaudí. Construït entre el 1903 i el 1912 amb la participació destacada dels malalts mentals, el jardí s'estructura a partir d'un conjunt de llacs, coves i cascades que van ocupant els límits interiors dels horts de l'hospital fins al punt de transformar-se en un jardí «a l'anglesa», tal com reconeix el 1903 la Revista Frenopática Española, òrgan científic de l'hospital.On the premises of the former Mental Hospital of Sant Boi de Llobregat, currently the Sant Joan de Déu Health Care Complex, the remains of a Modernist garden inspired by Gaudí's work still survive. Constructed between 1903 and 1912 with the participation of the hospital's psychiatric patients, the garden comprised lakes, caves, and cascades, quickly reaching the limits of the hospital's vegetable gardens. As described in a 1903 issue of Revista Frenopática Española, the Modernist garden was reminiscent of an “English style garden.

Forced oscillation assessment of respiratory mechanics in ventilated patients

The forced oscillation technique (FOT) is a method for non-invasively assessing respiratory mechanics that is applicable both in paralysed and non-paralysed patients. As the FOT requires a minimal modification of the conventional ventilation setting and does not interfere with the ventilation protocol, the technique is potentially useful to monitor patient mechanics during invasive and noninvasive ventilation. FOT allows the assessment of the respiratory system linearity by measuring resistance and reactance at different lung volumes or end-expiratory pressures. Moreover, FOT allows the physician to track the changes in patient mechanics along the ventilation cycle. Applying FOT at different frequencies may allow the physician to interpret patient mechanics in terms of models with pathophysiological interest. The current methodological and technical experience make possible the implementation of portable and compact computerised FOT systems specifically addressed to its application in the mechanical ventilation setting

Un jardí invisible

Gaudí i el conjunt modernista dels jardins de l'Antic Manicomi de Sant Bo

Technology for noninvasive mechanical ventilation: looking into the black box

Current devices for providing noninvasive respiratory support contain sensors and built-in intelligence for automatically modifying ventilation according to the patient's needs. These devices, including automatic continuous positive airway pressure devices and noninvasive ventilators, are technologically complex and offer a considerable number of different modes of ventilation and setting options, the details of which are sometimes difficult to capture by the user. Therefore, better predicting and interpreting the actual performance of these ventilation devices in clinical application requires understanding their functioning principles and assessing their performance under well controlled bench test conditions with simulated patients. This concise review presents an updated perspective of the theoretical basis of intelligent continuous positive airway pressure and noninvasive ventilation devices, and of the tools available for assessing how these devices respond under specific ventilation phenotypes in patients requiring breathing support

A REDUÇÃO DE CUSTOS VARIÁVEIS DEVE SER TRANSFERIDA EM PREÇOS PARA OBTER VANTAGEM DA CAPACIDADE OCUPADA?

El artículo estudia los casos de empresas poliproductoras con restrictores comunes que estuvieren operandoen óptimos de mercado con desaprovechamiento de capacidad productiva y/o comercial, focalizándose enproyectos de optimización de costos variables que permitan trasladar a precio una proporción de la reducciónobtenida en búsqueda del triple objetivo: maximización de participación de mercado, maximización deutilidades y aprovechamiento de capacidad ociosa.Forma parte del desarrollo de modelos cuadráticos de optimización de precios y mezclas de productosante restricciones en contextos de mercados competitivos, en donde las funciones de ingresos tienenun comportamiento no lineal por la necesidad de reducir el precio para aumentar el volumen de ventas,considerando la elasticidad precio-demanda como una variable relevante del modelo. La modelización sepresenta en el plano teórico y práctico, sustentado por una planilla de cálculo con funciones de investigaciónoperativa no lineal de uso generalizado.The article studies the cases of poly-production companies with common restrictors that are operating inoptimal market conditions with wasted productive and / or commercial capacity, focusing on variable costoptimization projects that allow a proportion of the reduction obtained to be transferred to price, in search ofthe triple objective: maximization of market share, maximization of profits and use of idle capacity. It is part of the development of quadratic models for optimizing prices and product mixes in the face ofrestrictions in contexts of competitive markets, where income functions have a non-linear behavior due to theneed to reduce price to increase the volume of sales, considering price-demand elasticity as a relevant variableof the model. The modeling is presented at a theoretical and practical level, supported by a spreadsheet withwidely used non-linear operational research functions.L’article aborde le cas des entreprises poli-productrices ayant des restricteurs communs qui opérent dans desmarchés optimaux avec un manque de profit de la capacité productive et/ou commerciale, en priorisant desprojets d’optimisation des coûts variables permettant de reporter sur le prix une proportion de la réductionobtenue dans la recherche d’un triple objectif: maximisation de la participation de marché, maximisation desavantages et profit de la capacité oisive.Cela fait partie du développement des modèles quadratiques d’optimisation des prix et mélanges deproduits face aux restrictions dans des contextes de marché compétitifs où les fonctions de revenus ontun comportement non linéaire face au besoin de reduire le prix afin d’augmenter le volume des ventes,considérant l’élasticité prix-demande comme une variable notable du modèle. La modélisation se présentesur le plan théorique et pratique, soutenue par un tableau de calcul ayant des fonctions de rechercheopérationnelle non linéaire à usage généralisé.O artigo estuda os casos de empresas de poli-produção com restrições comuns que estão operando emcondições ótimas de mercado com desperdício de capacidade produtiva e / ou comercial, colocando o focoem projetos de otimização de custos variáveis que permitem uma proporção da redução obtida em busca dotriplo objetivo: maximização da quota de mercado, maximização do lucro e utilização da capacidade ociosa.Faz parte do desenvolvimento de modelos quadráticos para a otimização de preços e mix de produtos diantede restrições em contextos de mercados competitivos, onde as funções de renda têm um comportamentonão linear devido à necessidade de reduzir o preço para aumentar o volume das vendas, considerando aelasticidade preço-demanda como variável relevante do modelo. A modelagem é apresentada a nível teóricoe prático, apoiada por uma planilha com funções de pesquisa operacional não linear, muito utilizadas

Cynipoideus col·lectats a Menorca (Hymenoptera)

Es presenten les dades obtingudes a partir de la mostra amb trampa Malaise del parc Natural de s'Albufera des Grau (Menorca, illes Balears) des de l'octubre de 1997 fins al setembre de 1998 i de la mostra amb mànega de batuda “tipus Noyes” a 25 punts de l'illa durant dos períodes (final de setembre de 1997 i final de maig de 1998). Han estat capturades espècies pertanyents a les tribus Aylacini, Cynipini o Synergini (Cynipidae), i a les subfamílies Eucoilinae, Charipinae i Aspicerinae (Figitidae). Es discuteix la riquesa d'aquest grup d'himenòpters a l'illa i es repassa la biodiversitat de la zona.Cynipoidea collected in Menorca (Hymenoptera). We present the results from samples took with a Malaise trap in “S’Albufera des Grau” Natural Park (Menorca, Balearic Islands) from October 1997 to September 1998, and from samples took with sweep net of Noyes’ type, on 25 spots throughout the island in two periods (at the end of September 1997 and at the end of May 1998). We have captured species from Aylacini and Cynipini tribes (Cynipidae), and Eucoilinae, Charipinae and Aspicerinae subfamilies (Figitidae). We discuss about the richness of this hymenoptera group in the island and we revise the biodiversity in this area

Inverse Opal CuCrO2 Photocathodes for H2 Production Using Organic Dyes and a Molecular Ni Catalyst.

Dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical (DSPEC) cells are an emerging approach to producing solar fuels. The recent development of delafossite CuCrO2 as a p-type semiconductor has enabled H2 generation through the coassembly of catalyst and dye components. Here, we present a CuCrO2 electrode based on a high-surface-area inverse opal (IO) architecture with benchmark performance in DSPEC H2 generation. Coimmobilization of a phosphonated diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP-P) or perylene monoimide (PMI-P) dye with a phosphonated molecular Ni catalyst (NiP) demonstrates the ability of IO-CuCrO2 to photogenerate H2. A positive photocurrent onset potential of approximately +0.8 V vs RHE was achieved with these photocathodes. The DPP-P-based photoelectrodes delivered photocurrents of -18 μA cm-2 and generated 160 ± 24 nmol of H2 cm-2, whereas the PMI-P-based photocathodes displayed higher photocurrents of -25 μA cm-2 and produced 215 ± 10 nmol of H2 cm-2 at 0.0 V vs RHE over the course of 2 h under visible light illumination (100 mW cm-2, AM 1.5G, λ > 420 nm, 25 °C). The high performance of the PMI-constructed system is attributed to the well-suited molecular structure and photophysical properties for p-type sensitization. These precious-metal-free photocathodes highlight the benefits of using bespoke IO-CuCrO2 electrodes as well as the important role of the molecular dye structure in DSPEC fuel synthesis

Gas Partial Pressure in Cultured Cells: Patho-Physiological Importance and Methodological Approaches

Gas partial pressures within the cell microenvironment are one of the key modulators of cell pathophysiology. Indeed, respiratory gases (O2 and CO2) are usually altered in respiratory diseases and gasotransmitters (CO, NO, H2S) have been proposed as potential therapeutic agents. Investigating the pathophysiology of respiratory diseases in vitro mandates that cultured cells are subjected to gas partial pressures similar to those experienced by each cell type in its native microenvironment. For instance, O2 partial pressures range from ∼13% in the arterial endothelium to values as low as 2–5% in cells of other healthy tissues and to less than 1% in solid tumor cells, clearly much lower values than those used in conventional cell culture research settings (∼19%). Moreover, actual cell O2 partial pressure in vivo changes with time, at considerably different timescales as illustrated by tumors, sleep apnea, or mechanical ventilation. Unfortunately, the conventional approach to modify gas concentrations at the above culture medium precludes the tight and exact control of intra-cellular gas levels to realistically mimic the natural cell microenvironment. Interestingly, well-controlled cellular application of gas partial pressures is currently possible through commercially available silicone-like material (PDMS) membranes, which are biocompatible and have a high permeability to gases. Cells are seeded on one side of the membrane and tailored gas concentrations are circulated on the other side of the membrane. Using thin membranes (50–100 μm) the value of gas concentration is instantaneously (<0.5 s) transmitted to the cell microenvironment. As PDMS is transparent, cells can be concurrently observed by conventional or advanced microscopy. This procedure can be implemented in specific-purpose microfluidic devices and in settings that do not require expensive or complex technologies, thus making the procedure readily implementable in any cell biology laboratory. This review describes the gas composition requirements for a cell culture in respiratory research, the limitations of current experimental settings, and also suggests new approaches to better control gas partial pressures in a cell culture