Healthcare Models in Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is currently a health care problem and in the future, when we have effective treatments, it will become a public health priority. Health systems should adapt to this situation. New technologies are tools that can improve healthcare and lower costs. The mobile phone with call o video call conference is going to suppose a radical change in the control of these patients. The telephone assistance to patient or relatives is very satisfactory for both due to the rapidity in the response to their problem and the comfort with which they are attended to. Also the health system reduces the costs of face-to-face consultation. In addition, this telemedicine could be applied for cognitive stimulation, with specific programs for each patient and for the follow-up of patients in their homes, delaying their entry into residences. The objective is to turn the patients and their caregiver into cotherapists together with the nurse and the physician, in the follow-up of Alzheimer’s disease

Hypogammaglobulinemia in BLT Humanized Mice – An Animal Model of Primary Antibody Deficiency

Primary antibody deficiencies present clinically as reduced or absent plasma antibodies without another identified disorder that could explain the low immunoglobulin levels. Bone marrow-liver-thymus (BLT) humanized mice also exhibit primary antibody deficiency or hypogammaglobulinemia. Comprehensive characterization of B cell development and differentiation in BLT mice revealed other key parallels with primary immunodeficiency patients. We found that B cell ontogeny was normal in the bone marrow of BLT mice but observed an absence of switched memory B cells in the periphery. PC-KLH immunizations led to the presence of switched memory B cells in immunized BLT mice although plasma cells producing PCor KLH- specific IgG were not detected in tissues. Overall, we have identified the following parallels between the humoral immune systems of primary antibody deficiency patients and those in BLT mice that make this in vivo model a robust and translational experimental platform for gaining a greater understanding of this heterogeneous array of humoral immunodeficiency disorders in humans: (i) hypogammaglobulinemia; (ii) normal B cell ontogeny in bone marrow; and (iii) poor antigen-specific IgG response to immunization. Furthermore, the development of strategies to overcome these humoral immune aberrations in BLT mice may in turn provide insights into the pathogenesis of some primary antibody deficiency patients which could lead to novel clinical interventions for improved humoral immune function

Identification of Influencers in eWord-of-Mouth communities using their Online Participation Features

[EN] The identification of influencers in any type of online social network is of paramount importance, as they can significantly affect consumers’ purchasing decisions. This paper proposes the utilization of a self-designed web scraper to extract meaningful information for the identification of influencers and the analysis of how this new set of variables can be used to predict them. The experimental results from the Ciao UK website will be used to illustrate the proposed approach and to provide new insights in the identification of influencers. Obtained results show the importance of the trust network, but considering the intensity and the quality of both trustors and trustees.Olmedilla, M.; Arenas-Márquez, FJ.; Martinez-Torres, MR.; Toral, SL. (2016). Identification of Influencers in eWord-of-Mouth communities using their Online Participation Features. En CARMA 2016: 1st International Conference on Advanced Research Methods in Analytics. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 38-45. https://doi.org/10.4995/CARMA2016.2016.3642OCS384

Avocado (persea americana mill) industrialization as a regional sustainability development strategy

Se plantea el uso de proyectos de transformación y desarrollo tecnológico como alternativa para el desarrollo social y territorial y sustentableAvocado production is a profitability and competitiveness business, is a job generator and is a healthy food. Food habits and tendency consumption is looking for nutraceutical and heathy products. There is an interest to get avocado oil for human consumption because its highly non- saturated fatty acids and the benefits in human health. The objective of this study was to evaluate the technical, financial and economic viability of an oil avocado plant. Information was obtained from 82 avocado producers belonging to three avocado local Associations. The study was carried on between 2015 and 2016. Productive and post-harvest productive chains methodology was used as a diagnosis tool and for the construction of SWOT matrix. Financial evaluation was determined with a five-year horizon. The commercial strategy, technical and financial design was integrated considering contributions from the partners, subsidies and financing. Finally, a risk analysis was carried out based on Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Return Rate (IRR), Cost-Benefit Ratio (CB/R) and Period recovery (PR) indicators, based on product sales prices. This analysis reported low uncertainty in contrast to the Minimum Return Rate of 13%, being the financial indicators: NPV of $ 217,448 USD; IRR of 25.4% and CB/R 2.26, PR of 3.0 years. The sensitivity analysis showed that the project can support a reduction in the sale price of up to 0.55 USD.This project was partially funded by FCT - project SOC 4884/2019. CONACyT. Beca de Maestría de Ana Luisa Velázquez Torre

Construction of Social Sustainability in Milk Production Systems in Central Mexico

Objective: To build mathematical models to evaluate the social sustainability of small-scale milk production systems. Design/Methodology/Approach: Thirty small-scale cowsheds were analyzed. Two models were built using multivariate regression, estimated with ordinary least squares and considering the factors that producers perceive as important for social sustainability. Results: The first model (ER) included tangible variables and the second intangible variables (SR). Both models explained more than 80% of the variables associated with social sustainability. Study Limitations/Implications: The results represent an effort to link the statistical analysis with qualitative data that is difficult to quantify. Conclusions: The ER and SR models represent a proposal for counting immaterial indicators so they can be incorporated into the sustainability analysis. Both models could be a methodological proposal to connect statistical data with purely qualitative data such as perceptionThis study is part of the project with key 129449/2009 financed by CONACy

Nonlinear dynamic modeling and analysis of self-oscillating H-bridge parallel resonant converter under zero current switching control: unveiling coexistence of attractors

This paper deals with the global dynamical analysis of an H-bridge parallel resonant converter under a zero current switching control. Due to the discontinuity of the vector field in this system, sliding dynamics may take place. Here, the sliding set is found to be an escaping region. Different tools are combined for studying the stability of oscillations of the system. The desired crossing limit cycles are computed by solving their initial value problem and their stability analysis is performed using Floquet theory. The resulting monodromy matrix reveals that these cycles are created according to a smooth cyclic-fold bifurcation. Under parameter variation, an unstable symmetric crossing limit cycle undergoes a crossing-sliding bifurcation leading to the creation of a symmetric unstable sliding limit cycle. Finally, this limit cycle undergoes a double homoclinic connection giving rise to two different unstable asymmetric sliding limit cycles. The analysis is performed using a piecewise-smooth dynamical model of a Filippov type. Sliding limit cycles divide the state plane in three basins of attraction, and hence, different steady-state solutions may coexist which may lead the system to start-up problems. Numerical simulations corroborate the theoretical predictions, which have been experimentally validated.Postprint (author's final draft

Suppression of undesired attractors in a self-oscillating H-bridge parallel resonant converters under zero current switching control

Resonant converters under zero current switching control strategy can exhibit coexistence of attractors, making it difficult the startup of the system from zero initial conditions. In this paper, the problem of multiple coexisting attractors in parallel resonant converters is addressed. Appropriate modifications of the switching decision with the aim of converting undesired attractors into virtual ones are proposed. A suitable control signal is generated from the state variables of the system and used to adjust the switching decision. Numerical simulations corroborate the proposed solutions and the simplest one was finally verified by measurements from a laboratory prototype.Postprint (author's final draft

Delay effects on the limit cycling behavior in an H-bridge resonant inverter with zero current switching control strategy

In this paper, bifurcations of limit cycles in a H-bridge LC resonant inverter under a zero current switching control strategy with delay in the switching action are analyzed. Mathematical analysis and numerical simulations show that the delay can degrade the quality of the oscillations and even inhibit them.Postprint (author's final draft

Type 2 diabetes mellitus and COVID-19: a narrative review

Type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder. The incidence and prevalence of patients with T2DM are increasing worldwide, even reaching epidemic values in most high- and middle-income countries. T2DM could be a risk factor of developing complications in other diseases. Indeed, some studies suggest a bidirectional interaction between T2DM and COVID-19. A growing body of evidence shows that COVID-19 prognosis in individuals with T2DM is worse compared with those without. Moreover, various studies have reported the emergence of newly diagnosed patients with T2DM after SARS-CoV-2 infection. The most common treatments for T2DM may influence SARS-CoV-2 and their implication in infection is briefly discussed in this review. A better understanding of the link between TD2M and COVID-19 could proactively identify risk factors and, as a result, develop strategies to improve the prognosis for these patients