És vostè un 'bon' pacient?

El propòsit d'aquest article és incitar a una reflexió: què volem dir quan diem 'aquest pacient és un bon pacient'? I sobre tot: els pacients han de ser 'bons o dolents' segons el que nosaltres entenem per aquests qualificatius?..

Hydrogels for flexible and compressible free standing cellulose supercapacitors

Cellulose-based supercapacitors display important advantages in comparison with devices fabricated with other materials, regarding environmental friendliness, flexibility, cost and versatility. Recent progress in the field has been mainly focused on the utilization of cellulose fibres as: structural mechanical reinforcement of electrodes; precursors of electrically active carbon-based materials; or primary electrolytes that act as reservoirs of secondary electrolytes. In this work, a flexible, lightweight, robust, portable and manageable all-carboxymethyl cellulose symmetric supercapacitor has been obtained by assembling two electrodes based on carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogels to a solid electrolytic medium formulated with the same material. Hydrogels, which were made by cross-linking carboxymethyl cellulose paste with citric acid in water, rendered not only effective solid electrolytic media by simply loading NaCl but also electroactive electrodes. For the latter, conducting polymer microparticles, which were loaded into the hydrogel network during the physical cross-linking step, were appropriately connected through the in situ anodic polymerization of a similar conducting polymer in aqueous medium, thus creating conduction paths. The performance of the assembled supercapacitors has been proved by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. This design opens a new window for the green and mass production of flexible cellulose-based supercapacitorsPeer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

És vostè un 'bon' pacient?

El propòsit d'aquest article és incitar a una reflexió: què volem dir quan diem 'aquest pacient és un bon pacient'? I sobre tot: els pacients han de ser 'bons o dolents' segons el que nosaltres entenem per aquests qualificatius?..

Hydrogels for flexible and compressible free standing cellulose supercapacitors

Cellulose-based supercapacitors display important advantages in comparison with devices fabricated with other materials, regarding environmental friendliness, flexibility, cost and versatility. Recent progress in the field has been mainly focused on the utilization of cellulose fibres as: structural mechanical reinforcement of electrodes; precursors of electrically active carbon-based materials; or primary electrolytes that act as reservoirs of secondary electrolytes. In this work, a flexible, lightweight, robust, portable and manageable all-carboxymethyl cellulose symmetric supercapacitor has been obtained by assembling two electrodes based on carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogels to a solid electrolytic medium formulated with the same material. Hydrogels, which were made by cross-linking carboxymethyl cellulose paste with citric acid in water, rendered not only effective solid electrolytic media by simply loading NaCl but also electroactive electrodes. For the latter, conducting polymer microparticles, which were loaded into the hydrogel network during the physical cross-linking step, were appropriately connected through the in situ anodic polymerization of a similar conducting polymer in aqueous medium, thus creating conduction paths. The performance of the assembled supercapacitors has been proved by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. This design opens a new window for the green and mass production of flexible cellulose-based supercapacitorsPeer Reviewe

Investigación en docencia de la nueva titulación de Grado en Ingeniería de Edificación

El trabajo que se ha desarrollado en la red de investigación en docencia de la nueva titulación de Grado en Ingeniería de Edificación ha consistido en la adaptación de los actuales estudios de la titulación de Arquitecto Técnico al Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior. Para desarrollar este trabajo se ha tenido en cuenta que la profesión de Arquitecto Técnico es una profesión regulada en nuestro país, y a partir de la cual surge la de Ingeniero de Edificación, con las mismas atribuciones profesionales que la legislación otorga al Arquitecto Técnico. El paso de una titulación de tres cursos, en la actual Arquitectura Técnica con 250 créditos, a cuatro cursos, en el nuevo Grado de Ingeniería de Edificación con 240 créditos ECTS, permitirá que la carga docente a la que se han de enfrentar los alumnos para completar su formación, esté mejor distribuida en el tiempo, permitiéndoles una mejor asimilación de contenidos y resultados académicos. Con la planificación desarrollada, que forma parte de la memoria para la verificación del Título de Graduado/a en Ingeniería de Edificación, se pretende que los alumnos adquieran los conocimientos y destrezas necesarias para desempeñar con calidad y rigor su profesión.Universidad de Alicante, Vicerrectorado de Planificación Estratégica y Calidad. Instituto de Ciencias de la Edificación

Genetic data from the extinct giant rat from Tenerife (Canary Islands) points to a recent divergence from mainland relatives

Evolution of vertebrate endemics in oceanic islands follows a predictable pattern, known as the island rule, according to which gigantism arises in originally small-sized species and dwarfism in large ones. Species of extinct insular giant rodents are known from all over the world. In the Canary Islands, two examples of giant rats, †Canariomys bravoi and †Canariomys tamarani, endemic to Tenerife and Gran Canaria, respectively, disappeared soon after human settlement. The highly derived morphological features of these insular endemic rodents hamper the reconstruction of their evolutionary histories. We have retrieved partial nuclear and mitochondrial data from †C. bravoi and used this information to explore its evolutionary affinities. The resulting dated phylogeny confidently places †C. bravoi within the African grass rat clade (Arvicanthis niloticus). The estimated divergence time, 650 000 years ago (95% higher posterior densities: 373 000-944 000), points toward an island colonization during the Günz-Mindel interglacial stage. †Canariomys bravoi ancestors would have reached the island via passive rafting and then underwent a yearly increase of mean body mass calculated between 0.0015 g and 0.0023 g; this corresponds to fast evolutionary rates (in darwins (d), ranging from 7.09 d to 2.78 d) that are well above those observed for non-insular mammals.C.L.-F. is supported by a PGC2018-0955931-B-100 grant (MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE) of Spain; T.M.-B. is supported by funding from the European Research Council (ERC) (grant agreement no. 864203), BFU2017-86471-P (MINECO/FEDER, UE), ‘Unidad de Excelencia María de Maeztu’, funded by the AEI (CEX2018-000792-M), Howard Hughes International Early Career and Generalitat de Catalunya (CERCA Programme and 2017 SGR 880); I.C.-V. is supported by grant nos. I+D+i PID2020-117289GBI00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/, the MINECO (RYC-2013-12470) and the Generalitat de Catalunya (CERCA Programme and 2017 SGR 116)

Radiocarbon Chronology of the Inca Expansion in Argentina

The purpose of this article is to broaden the information available on the chronology of the Inca expansion in Collasuyu by analyzing all radiocarbon dates obtained in Argentina’s Inca sites. We evaluated and classified all the dates (n=178) into three different groups (G1, G2, and G3), according to the quantity and quality of contextual information, and the possibility of effectively verifying this information through published articles. The interpretation was mainly based on the dates showing the best information regarding the origin and context of the samples (28 of the G1, and 36 of the G2). Our results indicate that the Inca advance started towards the beginnings of 15th Century AD in the northernmost part of Argentina and rapidly continued southwards, probably reaching the province of Mendoza some 50 years later. This study confirms the differences between the ethnohistoric chronology and the radiocarbon data, previously pointed out by other authors. Moreover, it suggests a sequence of at least three stages in which the Incas would have incorporated the existing territories until ca. 24°, 28°, and 34° 30' S, respectively. This is the first global study of Inca chronology in Argentina, and the first time that dates are classified to determine their level of context information and reliability.La finalidad de este artículo es contribuir al conocimiento sobre la cronología de la expansión incaica en el Collasuyu, mediante el análisis de todas las dataciones radiocarbónicas publicadas de sitios incaicos en Argentina. Evaluamos y clasificamos todas las fechas (n = 178), en tres grupos diferentes (G1, G2 y G3), de acuerdo con la cantidad y calidad de la información contextual, y con la posibilidad de verificarla, de manera efectiva, a través de los artículos publicados. La interpretación se basó principalmente en las fechas que revelan la mejor información sobre el origen y el contexto de las muestras (28 del G1 y 36 del G2). Nuestros resultados indican que el avance incaico comenzó a principios del siglo XV d. C., en el extremo norte de Argentina, y que culminó unos cincuenta años después en la provincia de Mendoza. Este estudio confirma las diferencias entre las dataciones radiocarbónicas y las fechas etnohistóricas previamente señaladas por otros autores. Además, sugiere una secuencia de al menos tres etapas en las que los incas habrían incorporado los territorios existentes hasta ca. 24°, 28° y 34° 30' S, respectivamente. Este es el primer estudio global sobre la cronología inca en Argentina, y es la primera vez que las fechas son clasificadas y utilizadas según su nivel de información, contexto y confiabilidad.O objetivo deste artigo é contribuir para o conhecimento da cronologia da expansão inca no Collasuyu, analisando todas as datações de radiocarbono publicadas de sítios incas na Argentina. Avaliamos e classificamos todas as datas (n = 178) em três grupos distintos (G1, G2 e G3) de acordo com a quantidade e qualidade das informações contextuais e com a possibilidade de sua verificação efetiva pelos artigos publicados. A interpretação baseou-se principalmente nas datas que apresentam as melhores informações sobre a origem e contexto das amostras (28 do G1 e 36 do G2). Nossos resultados indicam que o avanço inca começou no início do século XV d.C., no extremo norte da Argentina e culminou cerca de 50 anos depois na província de Mendoza. Este estudo confirma as diferenças entre a datação por radiocarbono e datas etno-históricas, previamente indicadas por outros autores. Além disso, sugere uma sequência de pelo menos três etapas nas quais os Incas teriam incorporado os territórios existentes até ca. 24°, 28° e 34° 30' S, respectivamente. Este é o primeiro estudo global da cronologia inca na Argentina e é a primeira vez que as datas são classificadas e utilizadas de acordo com seu nível de informação de contexto e confiabilidade.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Deep-sequencing reveals broad subtype-specific HCV resistance mutations associated with treatment failure.

A percentage of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients fail direct acting antiviral (DAA)-based treatment regimens, often because of drug resistance-associated substitutions (RAS). The aim of this study was to characterize the resistance profile of a large cohort of patients failing DAA-based treatments, and investigate the relationship between HCV subtype and failure, as an aid to optimizing management of these patients. A new, standardized HCV-RAS testing protocol based on deep sequencing was designed and applied to 220 previously subtyped samples from patients failing DAA treatment, collected in 39 Spanish hospitals. The majority had received DAA-based interferon (IFN) α-free regimens; 79% had failed sofosbuvir-containing therapy. Genomic regions encoding the nonstructural protein (NS) 3, NS5A, and NS5B (DAA target regions) were analyzed using subtype-specific primers. Viral subtype distribution was as follows: genotype (G) 1, 62.7%; G3a, 21.4%; G4d, 12.3%; G2, 1.8%; and mixed infections 1.8%. Overall, 88.6% of patients carried at least 1 RAS, and 19% carried RAS at frequencies below 20% in the mutant spectrum. There were no differences in RAS selection between treatments with and without ribavirin. Regardless of the treatment received, each HCV subtype showed specific types of RAS. Of note, no RAS were detected in the target proteins of 18.6% of patients failing treatment, and 30.4% of patients had RAS in proteins that were not targets of the inhibitors they received. HCV patients failing DAA therapy showed a high diversity of RAS. Ribavirin use did not influence the type or number of RAS at failure. The subtype-specific pattern of RAS emergence underscores the importance of accurate HCV subtyping. The frequency of "extra-target" RAS suggests the need for RAS screening in all three DAA target regions