On the real impact of path inflation in networks under production

Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works. F. Mata, R. Gonzalez-Rey, J. L. García-Dorado, and J. Aracil, "On the real impact of Path Inflation in networks under production", in 8th International Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing Conference (IWCMC), 2012 , p. 53 - 58The research community has proved the existence and studied the root causes of Path Inflation on the Internet - end-to-end paths significantly longer than necessary. However, it has been typically ignored that the popularity of traffic destinations and, consequently, of network paths, is clearly heterogeneous - some destinations are popular while others are barely accessed. In this paper, we propose a trace-driven methodology to measure the Path Inflation accounting for the popularity of Internet destinations from a given network, thus evaluating the implications that Path Inflation exerts on real networks under production. This information is important for network operators because it allows them to objectively stand out those destinations whose connection analysis must be prioritized. The results of applying this methodology to the Spanish academic network show that the most critical regions to focus on are Spain's closest countries, which either are very popular or have large Path Inflation as a consequence of the use of transatlantic links as intermediate nodes, or both.The authors would like to thank the support of the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovaci´on (MICINN) to this work, under project ANFORA (TEC2009-13385) and the FPU fellowship program that has funded this research wor

Masonry mortars, precast concrete and masonry units using coal bottom ash as a partial replacement for conventional aggregates

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade da Coruña/CISUG[Abstract:] Granular coal combustion products are problematic waste materials whose use as aggregates in concrete has been extensively studied. However, its integration into other non-structural materials and elements has not been so widely documented. Masonry mortars, precast concrete and masonry units with different ratios of coal bottom ash replacing conventional aggregates have been studied. With the incorporation of coal bottom ash in the mortars, the workability, density and strength decrease whereas the porosity, the weight loss and the drying shrinkage increase. However, low replacement ratios have slight effects. The use of coal bottom ash as an internal curing water reservoir is proposed as the most promising future line of research.Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad; BIA2017-85657-

Fístula enterovesical. A propósito de un caso

The enterovesical fistula is the communication between the bladder and the bowel. The leakage of fecal matter and gas in the urinary tract are characteristic signs of this abnormal communication, easily detectable by the patient. The intestinal segments that most frequently communicate with the bladder are the rectum, colon, sigmoid colon and terminal ileum. A 58-year-old patient with a history of developing bilateral renal cysts and hypertension is presented. He began with repeated episodes of urinary sepsis and reported that he was urinating feces and gases through the urine. Interestingly, the patient had undergone an endoscopic ureterolithectomy a year ago. He was diagnosed a perforated diverticulum of bladder after multiple complementary examinations. He underwent surgery (bowel resection and termino-terminal anastomosis with partial cystectomy) and evolved favorably.La fístula entero vesical es la comunicación entre la vejiga urinaria y el intestino; el escape de materia fecal y de gases por la vía urinaria son signos característicos de esta comunicación anormal, detectable fácilmente por el paciente. Los segmentos intestinales que más frecuentemente se comunican con la vejiga son el recto, el colon, el sigmoides y el íleon terminal. Se presenta un paciente de 58 años con antecedentes de  padecer quistes renales bilaterales e hipertensión arterial -como dato interesante se le había practicado un año atrás una ureterolitectomia endoscópica- que comenzó con episodios de sepsis urinaria a repetición e informó que estaba orinando heces fecales y que le salían gases por la orina. Se le diagnosticó, después de múltiples exámenes complementarios, un divertículo perforado a vejiga; se le realizó el acto quirúrgico (resección intestinal y anastomosis término-terminal con cistectomía parcial) y evolucionó favorablemente

Tamaño del infarto cerebral aterotrombótico del territorio carotídeo según sus factores de riesgo

Introducción: La mayoría de los infartos cerebrales aterotrombóticos son debidos a aterosclerosis extracraneal y a los factores de riesgo que lo condicionan. Objetivo: Caracterizar a pacientes con ictus aterotrombótico de territorio anterior según tamaño, sexo y factores de riesgo aterotrombótico. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio transversal a 63 pacientes que acudieron al Hospital Militar Central "Dr. Carlos J. Finlay" con diagnóstico de infarto cerebral aterotrombótico reciente de territorio carotídeo, a los que se les realizó tomografía de cráneo simple, entre los años 2011 y 2013. Resultados: Predominaron los infartos grandes (57,1 %) en hombres (80,6 %) y de forma general también fue el sexo masculino el más afectado (68,3 %). La mayoría de los pacientes que tuvieron tanto infartos medianos (59,3 %) como infartos grandes (58,3 %), refirieron de 3 a 4 factores de riesgo aterotrombótico (58,7 %). Prevaleció la hipertensión arterial (82,5 %), con mayor coincidencia con los infartos medianos (88,9 %), que con los infartos grandes (77,8 %). Conclusiones: El ictus aterotrombótico reciente de territorio de irrigación carotídeo se caracterizó en esta serie, por infartos grandes y mayor afectación de adultos mayores, hipertensos, del sexo masculino. La existencia de 3 a 4 factores de riesgo en cada paciente prevalece tanto en los que presentan infarto cerebral mediano como grande

Aterosclerosis carotídea en el infarto cerebral aterotrombótico del territorio vascular homónimo

Introducción: El eco-Doppler carotídeo es la prueba de elección en el estudio inicial y de seguimiento del ictus aterotrombótico. Objetivo: Describir los hallazgos ecográficos en ambos ejes carotídeos en pacientes con infarto cerebral aterotrombótico del territorio vascular homónimo. Métodos: Se realizó una investigación observacional con todos los pacientes (63), que acudieron al Hospital Militar Central "Dr. Carlos J. Finlay", entre octubre del 2012 y septiembre del 2013, con diagnóstico clínico y tomográfico de infarto cerebral aterotrombótico de territorio anterior, a los que se les realizó eco-Doppler carotídeo. Resultados: Se contabilizaron mayor cantidad de placas de ateromas en el eje carotídeo homolateral al ictus aterotrombótico (54,3 %) y la gran mayoría de estos fueron inestables (98,4 %). La placa tipo III (50 %), la irregularidad del contorno (54,1%) y la estenosis menor del 49 % (57,6 %) fueron los hallazgos ecográficos que dominaron en el eje contralateral al infarto. En ambas carótidas también fueron las placas tipo III (47,1 %), la irregularidad de los contornos (51,6 %), las estenosis no significativas (54,3 %) y la inestabilidad de estas (94,4 %), las que predominaron. Conclusiones: La aterosclerosis carotídea en el ictus aterotrombótico describe mayoritariamente placas tipo III irregulares, que provocan estenosis menores del 49 % en ambos ejes carotídeos y la inestabilidad es casi constante, con una incidencia ligeramente mayor en el eje carotídeo homolateral al infarto. La frecuencia del resto de las cualidades de las placas de ateromas enunciadas, domina levemente en el eje carotídeo contralateral

A Mathematical Study of Barcelona Metro Network

The knowledge of the topological structure and the automatic fare collection systems in urban public transport produce many data that need to be adequately analyzed, processed and presented. These data provide a powerful tool to improve the quality of transport services and plan ahead. This paper aims at studying, from a mathematical and statistical point of view, the Barcelona metro network; specifically: (1) the structural and robustness characteristics of the transportation network are computed and analyzed considering the complex network analysis; and (2) the common characteristics of the different subway stations of Barcelona, based on the passenger hourly entries, are identified through hierarchical clustering analysis. These results will be of great help in planning and restructuring transport to cope with the new social conditions, after the pandemic.This research was funded by Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MCIU, Spain), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI, Spain), and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER, UE) under project NOTREDAMME and by Scientific Research Grant of the “Fundación Memoria D. Samuel Solórzano Barruso”, University of Salamanca

Activity of the β-Lactamase inhibitor LN-1-255 against carbapenem-hydrolyzing class D β-lactamases from Acinetobacter baumannii

The number of infections caused by Gram-negative pathogens carrying carbapenemases is increasing, and the group of carbapenem-hydrolyzing class D β-lactamases (CHDLs) is especially problematic. Several clinically important CHDLs have been identified in A. baumannii, including OXA-23, OXA-24/40, OXA-58, OXA-143, OXA-235, and the chromosomally encoded OXA-51. The selection and dissemination of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii strains constitutes a serious global threat. Carbapenems have been successfully utilized as last resort antibiotics for the treatment of multi-drug-resistant A. baumannii infections. However, the spread of OXA carbapenemases is compromising the continued use of these antimicrobials. In response to this clinical issue, it is necessary and urgent to design and develop new specific inhibitors with efficacy against these enzymes. The aim of this work is to characterize the inhibitory activity of LN-1-255 (a 6-alkylidene-2-substituted penicillin sulfone) and compare it to that of two established inhibitors (avibactam and tazobactam) against the most relevant enzymes of each group of class D carbapenemases in A. baumannii. The β-lactamase inhibitor LN-1-255 demonstrated excellent microbiological synergy and inhibition kinetics parameters against all tested CHDLs, and a significantly higher activity than tazobactam and avibactam. A combination of carbapenems and LN-1-255 was effective against A. baumannii class D carbapenemases. Docking assays confirmed the affinity of LN-1-255 for the active site of these enzymes. LN-1-255 represents a potential new β-lactamase inhibitor, which may have a significant role in eradicating infections caused by A. baumannii isolates carrying CHDLsThis work was supported by the Spanish National Plans for Scientific Research, Development and Technological Innovation 2008-2011 and 2013-2016 and funded by the ISCIII- General Subdirection of Assessment and Promotion of the Research-European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) “A way of making Europe”: PI12/00552 to G.B. and PI14/00059 to M.P. and A.B. Also, this study was supported in part by funds from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health (USA) under award numbers R01AI063517 and R01AI100560, by funds and/or facilities provided by the Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Affairs Merit Review Program Award 1I01BX001974 and the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center VISN 10 to R.A.B., and by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competiveness (SAF2013-42899-R), Xunta de Galicia (GRC2013-041) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to C.GB. J.V. was financially supported by the Sara Borrell Programme ISCIII-FEDER (CD13/00373). J.V.H. and A.B. were financially supported by the Miguel Servet Programme ISCIII-FEDER (CP13/00226)S

A nation-wide analysis of socioeconomic and geographical disparities in the prevalence of obesity and excess weight in children and adolescents in Spain: Results from the ENE-COVID study

Objective: To estimate national and provincial prevalence of obesity and excess weight in the child and adolescent population in Spain by sex and sociodemographic characteristics, and to explore sources of inequalities in their distribution, and their geographical patterns. Methods: ENE-COVID is a nationwide representative seroepidemiological survey (68 287 participants) stratified by province and municipality size (April-June 2020). Participants answered a questionnaire which collected self-reported weight and height, that allowed estimating crude and model-based standardized prevalences of obesity and excess weight in the 10 543 child and adolescent participants aged 2-17 years. Results: Crude prevalences (WHO growth reference) were higher in boys than in girls (obesity: 13.4% vs. 7.9%; excess weight: 33.7% vs. 26.0%; severe obesity: 2.9% vs. 1.2%). These prevalences varied with age, increased with the presence of any adult with excess weight in the household, while they decreased with higher adult educational and census tract average income levels. Obesity by province ranged 1.8%-30.5% in boys and 0%-17.6% in girls; excess weight ranged 15.2%-49.9% in boys and 10.8%-40.8% in girls. The lowest prevalences of obesity and excess weight were found in provinces in the northern half of Spain. Sociodemographic characteristics only partially explained the observed geographical variability (33.6% obesity; 44.2% excess weight). Conclusions: Childhood and adolescent obesity and excess weight are highly prevalent in Spain, with relevant sex, sociodemographic and geographical differences. The geographic variability explained by sociodemographic variables indicates that there are other potentially modifiable factors on which to focus interventions at different geographic levels to fight this problem.Instituto de Salud Carlos III; Ministerio de SanidadS

A comparative study of platelet-rich plasma, hydroxyapatite, demineralized bone matrix and autologous bone to promote bone regeneration after mandibular impacted third molar extraction.

Objectives: 1) to compare mandibular bone regeneration by applying autologous bone, platelet-rich plasma and two biomaterials (synthetic calcium hydroxyapatite, and demineralized bone matrix), and thus establish the potential benefits of these biomaterials in the regeneration of postextraction alveolar bone, 2) to identify wich of them accelerates more bone regeneration and 3) to determine whether there are differences in the postoperative period (pain, swelling, trismus, infection) depending on the material used. Study Design: It consists in a prospective, controlled (with a split- mouth design) and double blinded study. We use as a model an easily reproducible non-critical bone defect: the defect that remains after extraction of mandibular impacted third molar. The study design is based on the extraction of two mandibular impacted third molars in a patient during the same surgical procedure by the same surgeon. We assessed postoperative clinical data, and short, medium and long term neoformation of alveolar bone after extraction. We compared the two sockets (right and left), which had been grafted in a different way with the various elements mentioned above. In addition, we compared the postoperative inflammatory symptoms between groups. Results: The highest acceleration in bone formation was observed in groups in which we used autologous bone and demineralized bone matrix. There were no statistically significant differences between groups regarding pain, swelling, trismus and infection throughout the postoperative period. Conclusions: According to the results of our study, autologous bone persists as the gold standard material for bone regeneration. Among the assessed biomaterials, demineralized bone matrix has yielded the best results obtained. No significant differences in the postoperative (pain, swelling, trismus and infectious events) were observed, depending on the type of material used as a graft