DESCARTES: Development Environment for Simulating Hybrid Connectionist Architectures

The symbolic and subsymbolic paradigms each offer advantages and disadvantages in constructing models for understanding the processes of cognition. A number of research programs at U C L A utilize connectionist modeling strategies, ranging from distributed and localist spreading-activation networks to semantic networks with symbolic marker passing. As a way of combining and optimizing the advantages offered by different paradigms, we have started to explore hybrid networks, i.e. multiple processing mechanisms operating on a single network, or multiple networks operating in parallel under different paradigms. Unfortunately, existing tools do not allow the simulation of these types of hybrid connectionist architectures. To address this problem, we have developed a tool which enables us to create and operate these types of networks in a flexible and general way. W e present and describe the architecture and use of DESCARTES, a simulation environment developed to accomplish this type of integration

Polymer Composites Containing Gated Mesoporous Materials for On-Command Controlled Release

Polyamidic nanofibrous membranes containing gated silica mesoporous particles, acting as carriers, are described as novel hybrid composite materials for encapsulation and on-command delivery of garlic extracts. The carrier system consists of MCM-41 solids functionalized in the outer surface, with linear polyamines (solid P1) and with hydrolyzed starch (solid P2), both acting as molecular gates. Those particles were adsorbed on electospun nylon-6 nanofibrous membranes yielding to composite materials M1 and M2. FE-SEM analysis confirmed the presence of particles incorporated on the nylon nanofibers. The release of the entrapped molecules (garlic extract) from the P1, P2, M1, and M2 materials was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry measurements. Electrochemical studies showed that at acidic pH P1 and M1 were unable to release their entrapped cargo (closed gate), whereas at neutral pH both materials release their loading (open gate). Dealing with P2 and M2 materials, in the absence of pancreatin a negligible release is observed (closed gate), whereas in the presence of enzyme the load is freely to diffuse to the solution. These newly developed composite nanomaterials, provide a homogeneous easy-to-handle system with controlled delivery and bioactive-protective features, having potential applications on pharmacology, medical and engineering fields.The authors wish to express their gratitude to the Generalitat Valenciana (Grisolia scholarship 2011/012, project PROM-ETEO/2009/016), Spanish Government (MINECO Projects AGL2012-39597-C02-01, AGL2012-39597-C02-02 and MAT2012-38429-C04-01) and the CIBER-BBN for their support. IILA thanks DISTAM and Universita degli di Milano for a specialization scholarship. We would also like to thank the Institut de Ciencia dels Materials (ICMUV) and to the Microscopy Service of the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia for technical support. We thank Roquette for the Glucidex samples.Acosta Romero, C.; Pérez Esteve, E.; Fuenmayor, CA.; Benedetti, S.; Cosio, MS.; Soto Camino, J.; Sancenón Galarza, F.... (2014). Polymer Composites Containing Gated Mesoporous Materials for On-Command Controlled Release. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. 6(9):6453-6460. https://doi.org/10.1021/am405939y645364606

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Características de carcaça e dos componentes não-carcaça de cabritos Moxotó e Canindé submetidos a dois níveis de alimentação Characteristics of carcass and non-carcass components of Moxotó and Canindé male kids under two feeding levels

Foram utilizados 22 cabritos não-castrados (10 Moxotó e 12 Canindé com peso médio inicial de 15 kg) confinados em baias individuais. Os animais foram distribuídos em um delineamento inteiramente casualizado, em arranjo fatorial 2 x 2 (duas raças e dois níveis de alimentação: AV = à vontade e AR = 30% de restrição). Foram avaliados os rendimentos de carcaça quente (RCQ), verdadeiro (RV) e comercial (RC), os cortes da carcaça e o rendimento dos componentes não-carcaça em relação ao peso do corpo vazio (PCV). Cabritos alimentados à vontade apresentaram maiores RCQ e RC e porções comestíveis da carcaça. O rendimento verdadeiro não foi influenciado pelo maior nível de alimentação. Após o abate e resfriamento da carcaça, foram feitos os seguintes cortes: pescoço, paleta, costelas (1ª-5ª), costelas (6ª-13ª), lombo, perna e baixo. Apesar do maior peso (kg) dos cortes dos animais alimentados AV, não foi observada diferença entre seus rendimentos em relação ao peso da carcaça fria. O rendimento da perna foi afetado pelo nível de alimentação, sendo menor para os grupos com nível de alimentação AV. Os rendimentos do fígado, da cabeça e do trato gastrintestinal foram influenciados pelo nível de alimentação. A raça não foi determinante de diferenças nas características de carcaça e dos componentes não-carcaça, assim como no rendimento dos cortes quando o peso e o tamanho à maturidade foram semelhantes. A restrição alimentar afetou o desenvolvimento e a deposição de tecidos nos animais, resultando em menores rendimentos e quilogramas de carcaça fria a ser comercializada.<br>Twenty-two non-castrated male kids (10 Moxotó and 12 Canindé) averaging 15 kg of initial body weight and housed in individual pens were used in this trial. Animals were assigned to a completely randomized design in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments [two breeds and two feeding levels: ad libitum (AL) or 30% of feed restriction (FR). Animals fed AL had greater yields of hot carcass, cold carcass, and carcass edible parts compared to those fed FR. It was not observed a significant feeding level effect on true carcass yield. After slaughter and cooling of the carcasses the following cuts were done: neck, shoulder clod, ribs (1st-5th and 6th-13th), loin, leg and breast. Although animals fed AL had greater body weights than FR kids, no significant differences were found between treatments for the different carcass cuts when expressed as percentage of cold carcass weight. Hind leg yield was affected by feeding level being lower in animals fed AL. Yields of liver, head, and gut, as percentage of empty body weight, were also affected by feeding level. Feed restriction had a negative effect on development and tissue deposition leading to lower cold carcass yield and weight. It can be concluded that when size and mature weight were similar, breed was not responsible for the differences on carcass characteristics, non-carcass components, and commercial cuts

Association between use of enhanced recovery after surgery protocols and postoperative complications in colorectal surgery in Europe: The EuroPOWER international observational study

Assess the relationship between the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS®) pathway and routine care and 30-day postoperative outcomes

Evaluation of a quality improvement intervention to reduce anastomotic leak following right colectomy (EAGLE): pragmatic, batched stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized trial in 64 countries

Background Anastomotic leak affects 8 per cent of patients after right colectomy with a 10-fold increased risk of postoperative death. The EAGLE study aimed to develop and test whether an international, standardized quality improvement intervention could reduce anastomotic leaks. Methods The internationally intended protocol, iteratively co-developed by a multistage Delphi process, comprised an online educational module introducing risk stratification, an intraoperative checklist, and harmonized surgical techniques. Clusters (hospital teams) were randomized to one of three arms with varied sequences of intervention/data collection by a derived stepped-wedge batch design (at least 18 hospital teams per batch). Patients were blinded to the study allocation. Low- and middle-income country enrolment was encouraged. The primary outcome (assessed by intention to treat) was anastomotic leak rate, and subgroup analyses by module completion (at least 80 per cent of surgeons, high engagement; less than 50 per cent, low engagement) were preplanned. Results A total 355 hospital teams registered, with 332 from 64 countries (39.2 per cent low and middle income) included in the final analysis. The online modules were completed by half of the surgeons (2143 of 4411). The primary analysis included 3039 of the 3268 patients recruited (206 patients had no anastomosis and 23 were lost to follow-up), with anastomotic leaks arising before and after the intervention in 10.1 and 9.6 per cent respectively (adjusted OR 0.87, 95 per cent c.i. 0.59 to 1.30; P = 0.498). The proportion of surgeons completing the educational modules was an influence: the leak rate decreased from 12.2 per cent (61 of 500) before intervention to 5.1 per cent (24 of 473) after intervention in high-engagement centres (adjusted OR 0.36, 0.20 to 0.64; P &lt; 0.001), but this was not observed in low-engagement hospitals (8.3 per cent (59 of 714) and 13.8 per cent (61 of 443) respectively; adjusted OR 2.09, 1.31 to 3.31). Conclusion Completion of globally available digital training by engaged teams can alter anastomotic leak rates. Registration number: NCT04270721 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov)