A model for the sustainable selection of building envelope assemblies

The aim of this article is to define an evaluation model for the environmental impacts of building envelopes to support planners in the early phases of materials selection. The model is intended to estimate environmental impacts for different combinations of building envelope assemblies based on scientifically recognised sustainability indicators. These indicators will increase the amount of information that existing catalogues show to support planners in the selection of building assemblies.To define the model, first the environmental indicators were selected based on the specific aims of the intended sustainability assessment. Then, a simplified LCA methodology was developed to estimate the impacts applicable to three types of dwellings considering different envelope assemblies, building orientations and climate zones. This methodology takes into account the manufacturing, installation, maintenance and use phases of the building. Finally, the model was validated and a matrix in Excel was created as implementation of the model

Management of Virtual Machines on Globus Grids Using GridWay

Virtual machines are a promising technology to over-come some of the problems found in current Grid infras-tructures, like heterogeneity, performance partitioning or application isolation. In this work, we present an straight-forward deployment of virtual machines in Globus Grids. This solution is based on standard services and does not re-quire additional middleware to be installed. Also, we assess the suitability of this deployment in the execution of a high throughput scientific application, the XMM-Newton Scien-tific Analysis System

Análisis de sistemas de valoración de la sostenibilidad en la edificación en relación con la norma CEN/TC 350

Numerous sustainability rating systems have been developed in the building sector. In this paper we distinguish between those whose aim is to allow companies striving for improved performance to gain an objective basis for communicating their efforts, such as LEED, and those that aim to communicate the life cycle environmental impact of goods, such as ATHENA Impact Estimator. We name the former effort-driven assessment and the latter data-driven assessment. This work undertakes a state-of-the-art review of all these assessment systems and assesses their effectiveness comparing the indicators used for assessment against the established standards by the Technical Committee (TC) 350 of the European Committee for standardization (CEN/TC 350). About 62% of the social and economic indicators remain unconsidered by the existing data-driven assessment tools, whereas effort-driven assessment tools have a higher consideration of social and economic aspects, with about half of the indicators unconsidered.En el sector de la construcción se han desarrollado numerosos sistemas de calificación de sostenibilidad. En este documento distinguimos entre aquellos que pretenden que las empresas que luchan por mejorar su sostenibilidad obtengan una base objetiva para comunicar sus esfuerzos, como LEED, y aquellos que evalúan el impacto medioambiental de los productos durante el ciclo de vida, como ATHENA Impact Estimador. Denominamos a los primeros, sistemas de evaluación basada en el esfuerzo y a los segundos, sistemas de evaluación basada en datos. Este trabajo revisa el estado del arte de estos sistemas y evalúa su efectividad comparando los indicadores utilizados con los estándares establecidos por el the Technical Committee (TC) 350 of the European Committee for standardization (CEN). Observamos que un 62% de los indicadores sociales y económicos propuestos por el CEN/TC 350 no son considerados por los sistemas de evaluación basados en datos mientras que los sistemas de evaluación basados en el esfuerzo tienen en cuenta aproximadamente la mitad de estos indicadores

What matters? - Natur, Technologie und Geschlecht im Diskurs der Präimplantationsdiagnostik

Seit der Einführung der In-vitro-Fertilisation in den 1970er-Jahren sind im Feld der modernen Reproduktionsmedizin eine Reihe weiterer Verfahren entstanden, die die Vorstellungen von Zeugung und Elternschaft verändern. Leihmutterschaft, Präimplantationsdiagnostik, Eizell- und Samenspende lösen die Verbindung von Sexualität und Reproduktion und bieten ein Beispiel für die These der zunehmenden Auflösung von Körper- und Geschlechtergrenzen. Der vorliegende Beitrag leuchtet am Beispiel der Präimplantationsdiagnostik (PID) aus, wie Geschlecht und die Grenze von Natur und Technologie im Zuge dieser Entwicklung neu verhandelt werden. Anhand der Ergebnisse einer Analyse des Diskurses um die PID in Deutschland wird aufgezeigt, wie sich die PID von einer selektiven und mehrheitlich abgelehnten Diagnostik zu einer helfenden Hand für Paare mit Kinderwunsch wandelt und wie diese diskursiven Verschiebungen mit Rückgriff auf die Science and Technology Studies als eine "strategische Naturalisierung" (Thompson) und "Reinigungsarbeit" (Latour) im Diskurs verstanden werden können.New reproductive technologies have changed our understanding of pregnancy and reproduction. In vitro fertilization, preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and surrogate motherhood have created new forms of family and parenthood. As a result, reproduction is no longer solely regarded as a natural process, and the dualism of nature and technology is becoming fragile. But what kind of nature do we have instead, and what does it mean for gender boundaries? The article outlines the results of a discourse analysis of the debate around PGD in Germany. It shows how PGD is changing from a selective technology into an almost therapeutic procedure and how this change is intertwined with women’s and couples’ desire to have a healthy child. It also raises the issue of how the debate can be described from a hybrid perspective of nature and society. It is argued that the discursive shifts can be understood as a result of a “strategic naturalization” (Thompson) and "the work of purification" (Latour)

Comparative proteomic analysis of collection and clinical-isolate strains of psudomonas aeruginosa

Comunicaciones a congreso

An accurate test for homogeneity of odds ratios based on Cochran's Q-statistic

Background: A frequently used statistic for testing homogeneity in a meta-analysis of K independent studies is Cochran's Q. For a standard test of homogeneity the Q statistic is referred to a chi-square distribution with K - 1 degrees of freedom. For the situation in which the effects of the studies are logarithms of odds ratios, the chi-square distribution is much too conservative for moderate size studies, although it may be asymptotically correct as the individual studies become large. Methods: Using a mixture of theoretical results and simulations, we provide formulas to estimate the shape and scale parameters of a gamma distribution to t the distribution of Q. Results: Simulation studies show that the gamma distribution is a good approximation to the distribution for Q. Conclusions: : Use of the gamma distribution instead of the chi-square distribution for Q should eliminate inaccurate inferences in assessing homogeneity in a meta-analysis. (A computer program for implementing this test is provided.) This hypothesis test is competitive with the Breslow-Day test both in accuracy of level and in power

Genetic variants of the DSF quórum sensing system in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia influence virulence and resistance phenotypes among genotypically diverse clinical isoaltes

The pathogenicity of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is regulated in part by its quorum sensing (QS) system. The main QS signaling molecule in S. maltophilia is known as diffusible signal factor (DSF), and the rpf gene cluster is responsible for its synthesis and perception. Two cluster variants have been previously described, rpf-1 and rpf-2, which differ basically in the conditions under which DSF is produced. Here, correlations between the rpf variant and antibiotic susceptibility, LPS electrophoretic profiles and virulence-related phenotypes were evaluated for a collection of 78 geographically and genetically diverse clinical strains of S. maltophilia. In general there were associations between previously established genogroups and the genetic variant of the rpf cluster. However, only few genotype-phenotype correlations could be observed. Resistance to the β-lactam antibiotics ceftazidime and ticarcillin was associated with strains carrying the rpf-1 variant, whereas strains of variant rpf-2, particularly those of genogroup C, showed higher resistance levels to colistin. Strains of variant rpf-2 were also significantly more virulent to Galleria mellonella larvae than those of rpf-1, most likely due to an increased ability of rpf-2 strains to form biofilms. A comparative genomic analysis revealed the presence of proteins unique to individual genogroups. In particular, the strains of genogroup C share an operon that encodes for a new virulence determinant in S. maltophilia related to the synthesis of an alternative Flp/Tad pilus. Overall, this study establishes a link between the DSF-based QS system and the virulence and resistance phenotypes in this species, and identifies potential high-risk clones circulating in European hospitals

Genetic Variants of the DSF Quorum Sensing System in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Influence Virulence and Resistance Phenotypes Among Genotypically Diverse Clinical Isolates

Altres ajuts: Departament de Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya: SLT002/16/00349The pathogenicity of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is regulated in part by its quorum sensing (QS) system. The main QS signaling molecule in S. maltophilia is known as diffusible signal factor (DSF), and the rpf gene cluster is responsible for its synthesis and perception. Two cluster variants have been previously described, rpf -1 and rpf -2, which differ basically in the conditions under which DSF is produced. Here, correlations between the rpf variant and antibiotic susceptibility, LPS electrophoretic profiles and virulence-related phenotypes were evaluated for a collection of 78 geographically and genetically diverse clinical strains of S. maltophilia. In general there were associations between previously established genogroups and the genetic variant of the rpf cluster. However, only few genotype-phenotype correlations could be observed. Resistance to the β-lactam antibiotics ceftazidime and ticarcillin was associated with strains carrying the rpf -1 variant, whereas strains of variant rpf -2, particularly those of genogroup C, showed higher resistance levels to colistin. Strains of variant rpf -2 were also significantly more virulent to Galleria mellonella larvae than those of rpf -1, most likely due to an increased ability of rpf -2 strains to form biofilms. A comparative genomic analysis revealed the presence of proteins unique to individual genogroups. In particular, the strains of genogroup C share an operon that encodes for a new virulence determinant in S. maltophilia related to the synthesis of an alternative Flp/Tad pilus. Overall, this study establishes a link between the DSF-based QS system and the virulence and resistance phenotypes in this species, and identifies potential high-risk clones circulating in European hospitals

High-resolution diffusion pattern of human infections by Salmonella enterica serovar Napoli in Northern Italy explained through phylogeography

Salmonella enterica serovar Napoli (serovar Napoli) is an emerging cause of human salmonellosis in Northern Italy. No specific reservoirs of serovar Napoli have been identified in Italy, so far. However, the environment, especially surface waters, has been hypothesized as an important source of infection based on the observation that genotypically different clusters of serovar Napoli are detected in different geographical macro-areas. To further support the hypothesis of a spatially-restricted pattern of serovar Napoli diffusion, a spatial segregation of serovar Napoli lineages should be observed also at smaller geographical scale. However, classical genotyping techniques used for Salmonella, such as pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), did not possess enough discriminatory power to highlight spatial clustering of serovar Napoli within the macro-areas. To this purpose, we performed phylogeographical analyses based on genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms to test whether spatiotemporal evolution patterns of serovar Napoli in Northern Italy could be recognized with high geographical resolution, i.e. at local level. Specifically, we analyzed the local spread of the main PFGE clonal group, responsible for more than 60% of human infections in the study area, that did not show any geographical differentiation by PFGE within Northern Italy, i.e. the macro-area considered in the study. Both discrete and continuous phylogeography highlighted the existence of two main geographically-restricted clades: a Southern clade corresponding to the Po Valley and a Northern clade corresponding to the Pre-Alps area. Furthermore, the phylogeographical analyses suggested that the most probable site of origin of the clone was in an area of the Po Valley at the confluence of the Po and Ticino rivers, one of the most important Italian wetlands. These findings provide further support to the hypothesis that environmental transmission may play an important role in the ecology of serovar Napoli

Epidemiology and Molecular Typing of Pregnancy-Associated Listeriosis Cases in Lombardy, Italy, over a 10-Year Period (2005–2014)

In developed countries, pregnancy-related listeriosis accounts for 20\u201343% of total invasive listeriosis. This work describes the first pregnancy-related listeriosis survey in Italy based on two data sources, that is, mandatory notification system and regional laboratory-based network. Out of 610 listeriosis cases reported over a 10-year period, 40 were pregnancy-related (6.6%). Among these, 29 pregnancy-related isolates were available and have been analysed with serotyping, Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis, and Multi-Virulence-Locus Sequence Typing. No maternal fatality was recorded, but 11 (29.7%) pregnancies resulted in a foetal death, a miscarriage, or a birth of a foetus dying immediately after birth. The average incidence of pregnancy-related listeriosis was 4.3 cases per 100000 births, and the proportion of pregnancy-associated listeriosis among ethnic minorities was significantly higher compared to the general population (30.0% versus 3.5%, ). L. monocytogenes isolates belonged to serotypes 1/2a, 1/2b, and 4b, with the latter significantly more prevalent among pregnancy-related isolates. Twenty different pulsotypes were distinguished and 16 out of the 29 isolates were classified into seven clusters. A total of 16 virulence types (VTs) were identified. Five VTs accounted for 45% of the total cases and coincided with those of previously described Epidemic Clones (ECs) of L. monocytogenes