Parques Nacionales: crónica bibliográfica de su régimen jurídico.

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Incentivos para pequeñas y medianas empresas y su refuerzo a partir de la llegada de la COVID-19

[ES] Con la llegada de la pandemia, el mundo ha cambio de forma abrupta por lo que se debe determinar si existe un apoyo explícito aplicable a las pequeñas y medianas empresas, y en su caso, si ello supondría una discriminación negativa hacia las grandes. Puesto que la mayor parte del PIB se genera por parte de las PYMES debería favorecerse el crecimiento y desarrollo de este tipo de empresas de cara a la generación de PIB y creación de empleo y necesario en estos momentos de incertidumbre. Por ello, es muy importante conocer la situación actual de las PYMES y las medidas que se han llevado a cabo con un análisis detallado de todos sus condicionantes. Además la Small Business Act de la UE crea 10 principios básicos sobre los que se debe actuar para promover el crecimiento y sostenibilidad de las PYMES. Sería interesante comprobar si en España se cumplen esos diez principios a nivel de regulación y de aplicación, y si son conocidos por parte de los empresarios y organizaciones patronales y proponer medidas que se implementen para el cumplimiento de esos objetivos. Por su parte la El International Trade Centre (ITC) establece objetivos para el refuerzo de las capacidades de las pequeñas y medianas empresas dirigidos a incentivar las posibilidades de inversión y de participación en comercio exterior, así como su contribución a la ejecución de los ODS (Objetivos de desarrollo sostenible de la ONU). Se debería analizar si estos principios se aplican en el ámbito de las empresas españolas.[EN] With the arrival of the pandemic, the world has changed abruptly, so it must be determined whether there is explicit support applicable to small and medium-sized companies, and, where appropriate, whether this would mean negative discrimination towards large ones. Since most of the GDP is generated by SMEs, the growth and development of this type of companies should be favored in order to generate GDP and create jobs, and this is necessary in these uncertain times. For this reason, it is very important to know the current situation of SMEs and the measures that have been carried out with a detailed analysis of all their conditioning factors. In addition, the EU Small Business Act creates 10 basic principles on which to act to promote the growth and sustainability of SMEs. It would be interesting to check whether these ten principles are met in Spain at the level of regulation and application, and whether they are known to employers and employers' organizations and to propose measures to be implemented to meet those objectives. For its part, the International Trade Center (ITC) establishes objectives to strengthen the capacities of small and medium-sized companies aimed at encouraging investment opportunities and participation in foreign trade, as well as their contribution to the implementation of the SDGs ( UN Sustainable Development Goals). It should be analyzed whether these principles are applied in the field of Spanish companies.Iniesta Núñez, P. (2020). Incentivos para pequeñas y medianas empresas y su refuerzo a partir de la llegada de la COVID-19. Universitat Politècnica de València. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/158969TFG

O-RAN y software con APIs abiertas en las redes de telefonía móvil de nueva generación

[ES] Los problemas derivados de la seguridad en las comunicaciones y la guerra comercial por la 5G, han llevado a muchos operadores a la necesaria transición hacia redes móviles basadas en código abierto. En este marco, este trabajo final de grado tiene como objetivo evaluar la alternativa O-RAN y estudiar su aplicación junto con la red de Open Air Interface, para el despliegue y puesta en práctica de redes privadas 5G de código abierto.[EN] The problems derived from communication security and the commercial war for 5G, have led many operators to the necessary transition to mobile networks based on open source. Within this framework, this final degree project aims to evaluate the O-RAN alternative and study its application together with an Open Air Interface network, for the deployment and implementation of open source private 5G networks.Iniesta Núñez, P. (2020). O-RAN y software con APIs abiertas en las redes de telefonía móvil de nueva generación. Universitat Politècnia de València. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/157699TFG

Time Variability of Fibrillatory Waves Energy Predicts Long-Term Outcome of Atrial Fibrillation Concomitant Surgical Ablation

[EN] Surgical ablation (SA) is the most effective procedure to terminate atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients requiring concomitant open-heart surgery. However, considering the great stress provoked in the patient¿s heart, along with the benefits of anticipating antiarrhythmic therapeutical decisions, preoperative prediction of long-term failure of the procedure is an interesting clinical challenge. Hence, the present work introduces a novel algorithm to anticipate SA outcome after one year of follow-up by just analyzing the surface ECG. The method firstly extracts fibrillatory waves reflected on standard lead V1 using an adaptive QRST cancellation approach. The resulting signal is then segmented into 1 s-length intervals and wavelet energy is computed for all of them. Finally, the coefficient of variation of the time series obtained for the 7th scale is computed. Analyzing 20 second-length preoperative ECG excerpts from 53 persistent AF patients undergoing concomitant openheart surgery, only the proposed method reported statistically significant differences between the patients who relapsed to AF and those who maintained sinus rhythm during the follow-up. The algorithm also provided values of sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy between 10 and 20% better than the well-established dominant atrial frequency and fibrillatory waves amplitude, thus suggesting to be a promising predictor of AF recurrence after SA.This research has been supported by grants DPI2017-83952-C3 from MINECO/AEI/FEDER EU, SBPLY/17/180501/000411 from Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-la Mancha and AICO/2019/036 from Generalitat Valenciana. Moreover, Pilar Escribano holds a graduate research scholarship from University of Castilla-La Mancha.Ródenas, J.; Escribano, P.; Martinez-Iniesta, M.; Garcia, M.; Hornero, F.; Rieta, JJ.; Alcaraz, R. (2020). Time Variability of Fibrillatory Waves Energy Predicts Long-Term Outcome of Atrial Fibrillation Concomitant Surgical Ablation. IEEE. 1-4. https://doi.org/10.22489/CinC.2020.393S1

Time Variability of FibrillatoryWaves Energy Predicts Long-Term Outcome of Atrial Fibrillation Concomitant Surgical Ablation

Surgical ablation (SA) is the most effective procedure to terminate atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients requiring concomitant open heart surgery. However, considering the great stress provoked in the patients heart, along with the benefits of anticipating antiarrhythmic therapeutical decisions, preoperative prediction of long term failure of the procedure is an interesting clinical challenge. Hence, the present work introduces a novel algorithm to anticipate SA outcome after one year of follow up by just analyzing the surface ECG. The method firstly extracts fibrillatory waves reflected on standard lead V1 using an adaptive QRST cancellation approach. The resulting signal is then segmented into 1 s length intervals and wavelet energy is computed for all of them. Finally, the coefficient of variation of the time series obtained for the 7th scale is computed. Analyzing 20 second length preoperative ECG excerpts from 53 persistent AF patients undergoing concomitant openheart surgery, only the proposed method reported statistically significant differences between the patients who relapsed to AF and those who maintained sinus rhythm during the follow up. The algorithm also provided values of sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy between 10 and 20% better than the well established dominant atrial frequency and fibrillatory waves amplitude, thus suggesting to be a promising predictor of AF recurrence after SA

Desarrollo de un cuestionario dirigido a conocer el proceso de consentimiento informado en investigación clínica desde la perspectiva del paciente

OBJECTIVE: To develop a Spanish-language questionnaire aimed at  evaluating patients' perception of the way they are briefed and their  consent is obtained prior to participating in clinical trials. The tool was  conceived to evaluate the following aspects: patients' personal experience,  the way the informed consent process was implemented in practice,  patients' level of satisfaction with the process, and their level of  understanding of the study itself. METHOD: This study looked into the development, adaptation and  validation of a self-administered questionnaire intended to evaluate the  informed consent process on the basis of information provided by  respondents. The steps followed included: literature review, generation of  an items pool, drawing up of the questionnaire, expert review, piloting, and reading ease optimization and analysis. A commonly-used English- language questionnaire was evaluated, translated into Spanish and  adapted so as to determine the extent to which subjects understood the  information conveyed to them. RESULTS: In its final version, the questionnaire came to comprise four sections intended to evaluate: 1) socio-demographic data; 2) practical aspects related with the development of the informed consent  process; 3) patients' perception of the process (satisfaction, expectations  and motivations); and 4) their level of understanding. Understanding was gaged using the QuIC questionnaire, translated by three bilingual  translators. Additional questions were included to evaluate the  understanding of concepts related with blinding and therapeutic  misconception. The validity of the contents was evaluated by consulting  with an expert panel. The reading ease analysis yielded an IFSZ score of  64.34, equivalent to an "average difficulty" grade on the Inflesz scale. In  the pilot study, interviews were held with 32 patients, who did not appear to have any difficulties in understanding the questions asked of  them or in using Likert-type scales to respond. Mean completion time was 16.6 minutes. CONCLUSIONS: The tool developed as part of this study has shown itself capable of providing an understanding and an assessment of the  informed consent process from the perspective of a patient who is invited  to participate in a clinical trial. Implementation of the questionnaire could help investigators ascertain that the process has been correctly  executed and identify specific aspects that may require to be changed or  optimized.Objetivo: Desarrollar un cuestionario en español dirigido a evaluar el proceso de información y obtención del consentimiento informado en investigación clínica desde la perspectiva del paciente. Con esta herramienta se pretende analizar en los pacientes que participan en un ensayo clínico los siguientes aspectos: la experiencia y desarrollo práctico del proceso de consentimiento informado, su nivel de satisfacción con dicho proceso y su nivel de comprensión del estudio. Método: Estudio de desarrollo, adaptación y validación de un cuestionario autocumplimentable para evaluar el proceso de consentimiento informado a través de la información obtenida de los pacientes. Los pasos seguidos fueron: revisión bibliográfica, generación de un pool de ítems, redacción del cuestionario, revisión por expertos, pilotaje, optimización y análisis de legibilidad. También se realizó una evaluación, selección, traducción y adaptación al español de una herramienta disponible en lengua inglesa que permitiese valorar la comprensión del paciente de la información Resultados: El cuestionario quedó conformado por cuatro apartados que permiten evaluar: 1) datos sociodemográficos, 2) aspectos prácticos relacionados con el desarrollo del proceso de consentimiento informado, 3) valoración del paciente del proceso (satisfacción, expectativas y motivaciones), 4) grado de comprensión. Para valorar la comprensión se seleccionó el cuestionario Quality of Informed Consent questionnaire, que fue traducido por tres traductores bilingües. Se incluyeron tres preguntas adicionales para evaluar la comprensión de conceptos relacionados con el equívoco terapéutico y el enmascaramiento de los tratamientos. La validez de contenido fue evaluada mediante consulta con un panel de expertos. En el análisis de legibilidad se obtuvo un valor de Índice de Flesch-Szigriszt de 64,34 equivalente a un grado de dificultad “normal” en la escala Inflesz. En el estudio piloto se entrevistó a 32 pacientes que mostraron no tener dificultades para comprender las preguntas ni problemas a la hora de utilizar las escalas de respuesta. El tiempo medio de cumplimentación del cuestionario fue de 16,6 minutos. Conclusiones: La herramienta desarrollada es útil a la hora de conocer y valorar el proceso de consentimiento informado desde la perspectiva del paciente al que se le invita a participar en un estudio. Su aplicación podría resultar de ayuda a los investigadores para verificar que se ha seguido un adecuado proceso y para identificar aspectos concretos que son susceptibles de ser modificados y optimizado

Inhibition of telomerase activity preferentially targets aldehyde dehydrogenase-positive cancer stem-like cells in lung cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Mortality rates for advanced lung cancer have not declined for decades, even with the implementation of novel chemotherapeutic regimens or the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs) are thought to be responsible for resistance to chemo/radiotherapy. Therefore, targeting CSCs with novel compounds may be an effective approach to reduce lung tumor growth and metastasis. We have isolated and characterized CSCs from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines and measured their telomerase activity, telomere length, and sensitivity to the novel telomerase inhibitor MST312.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) positive lung cancer cell fraction is enriched in markers of stemness and endowed with stem cell properties. ALDH+ CSCs display longer telomeres than the non-CSC population. Interestingly, MST312 has a strong antiproliferative effect on lung CSCs and induces p21, p27 and apoptosis in the whole tumor population. MST312 acts through activation of the ATM/pH2AX DNA damage pathway (short-term effect) and through decrease in telomere length (long-term effect). Administration of this telomerase inhibitor (40 mg/kg) in the H460 xenograft model results in significant tumor shrinkage (70% reduction, compared to controls). Combination therapy consisting of irradiation (10Gy) plus administration of MST312 did not improve the therapeutic efficacy of the telomerase inhibitor alone. Treatment with MST312 reduces significantly the number of ALDH+ CSCs and their telomeric length <it>in vivo</it>.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We conclude that antitelomeric therapy using MST312 mainly targets lung CSCs and may represent a novel approach for effective treatment of lung cancer.</p

Isolation of functional mature peritoneal macrophages from healthy humans.

© 2019 Australian and New Zealand Society for Immunology Inc. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ This document is the Accepted version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Immunology & Cell Biology. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1111/imcb.12305Macrophages play an important role in the inflammatory response. Their various biological functions are induced by different membrane receptors, including Toll-like receptors, which trigger several intracellular signaling cascades and activate the inflammasomes, which in turn elicit the release of inflammatory mediators such as cytokines. In this study, we present a novel method for the isolation of human mature peritoneal macrophages. This method can be easily implemented by gynecologists who routinely perform laparoscopy for sterilization by tubal ligation or surgically intervene in benign gynecological pathologies. Our method confirms that macrophages are the main peritoneal leukocyte subpopulation isolated from the human peritoneum in homeostasis. We showed that primary human peritoneal macrophages present phagocytic and oxidative activities, and respond to activation of the main proinflammatory pathways such as Toll-like receptors and inflammasomes, resulting in the secretion of different proinflammatory cytokines. Therefore, this method provides a useful tool for characterizing primary human macrophages as control cells for studies of molecular inflammatory pathways in steady-state conditions and for comparing them with those obtained from pathologies involving the peritoneal cavity. Furthermore, it will facilitate advances in the screening of anti-inflammatory compounds in the human system

Effect of different media additives on capacitation of frozen-thawed ram spermatozoa as a potential replacement for estrous sheep serum

Capacitation is a key process through which spermatozoa acquire their fertilizing ability. This event is required for the successful application of assisted reproductive technologies such as IVF. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of using a synthetic oviductal fluid medium supplemented with either heparin–hypotaurine alone, in combination with progesterone (P4), 17β-estradiol (E2), or BSA, or just β-cyclodextrin, in replacement for estrous sheep serum (ESS) for ram sperm capacitation. After incubation in the corresponding media for 15 (time 0) or 60 minutes, sperm function was evaluated by computerized sperm motility analysis and flow cytometry (plasma membrane status and fluidity). Treatments rendering the best results in regards to sperm function parameters related to capacitation were used for an IVF test. Herein, neither heparin–hypotaurine (alone), or in combination with P4, or E2, nor β-cyclodextrin induced capacitation-related changes in frozen–thawed ram spermatozoa. Only the medium supplemented with heparin–hypotaurine–BSA was able to induce changes compatible with in vitro capacitation relating to sperm motility pattern and plasma membrane fluidity, comparable to those in ESS-containing medium. Both media yielded sperm parameter values that differed (P < 0.05) from those obtained in the rest of the media tested. However, after the IVF trial, BSA was unable to support cleavage rates (21.80%) comparable to those obtained with ESS (52.60%; P < 0.05). We conclude that heparin–hypotaurine, P4, E2, β-cyclodextrin, or BSA is not suitable for replacing ESS in capacitation and fertilization media for ram spermatozoa.M. Ramón was supported by the Research Recruitment Program from the National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research program.Peer Reviewe

Reactivity of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol in the atmosphere

Rate coefficients at room temperature for the reaction of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol with OH and NO3 radicals and with Cl atoms have been determined in a 150 L PTFE chamber using GC-FID/SPME and FTIR as detection systems. The rate coefficients k (in units of cm3 molecule−1 s−1) obtained were: (1.13 ± 0.31) 10−11 for the OH reaction, (2.93 ± 0.92) 10−15 for the NO3 reaction and (1.88 ± 0.25) 10−10 for the Cl reaction. Despite the high concentrations of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, especially in indoor air, this is the first kinetic study carried out to date for these reactions. The results are consistent with the expected reactivity given the chemical structure of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol. Calculated atmospheric lifetimes reveal that the dominant loss process for 2-ethyl-1-hexanol is clearly the daytime reaction with the hydroxyl radical.Coeficientes de velocidad a temperatura ambiente para la reacción de2-etil-1-hexanolconOHy radicales NO 3 y concllos átomos se han determinado en un 150 LPTFEcámara usandoGC-FID/SPMEyFTIRcomo sistemas de detección. Los coeficientes de velocidad k (en unidades de cm 3 molécula −1 s −1 ) obtenidos fueron: (1.13 ± 0.31) 10 −11 para elOHreacción, (2,93 ± 0,92) 10 −15 para la reacción de NO 3 y (1,88 ± 0,25) 10 −10 para laclreacción. A pesar de las altas concentraciones de2-etil-1-hexanol, especialmente en aire interior, este es el primer estudio cinético realizado hasta la fecha para estas reacciones. Los resultados son consistentes con la reactividad esperada dada la estructura química de2-etil-1-hexanol. Los tiempos de vida atmosféricos calculados revelan que el proceso de pérdida dominante para2-etil-1-hexanoles claramente la reacción diurna con elhidroxiloradical