Optimizing dialysis dose in the context of frailty: an exploratory study

Introduction Frailty is a multicausal syndrome characterized by a decrease in strength, resistance and physiological function, which makes the individual vulnerable and dependent, and increases his/her mortality. This syndrome is more prevalent among older individuals, and chronic kidney disease patients, particularly those on dialysis. Dialysis dose is currently standardized for hemodialysis (HD) patients regardless of their age and functional status. However, it has been postulated that the dialysis dose required in older patients, especially frail ones, should be lower, since it could increase their degree of frailty. Then, the purpose of this study was to evaluate if there would be a correlation between the dose of Kt/V and the degree of frailty in a population of adult patients on HD. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study with 82 patients on HD in Barranquilla (Colombia) and Lobos (Argentina) was conducted. Socio-demographic and laboratory data, as well as dialysis doses (Kt/V) were recorded and scales of fragility, physical activity, gait and grip strength were applied. Then these data were correlated by a Spearman’s correlation and a logistic regression. Results CFS, social isolation, physical activity, gait speed, and prehensile strength tests were outside the reference ranges in the studied group. No significant correlation was found between dialysis dose and all the above mentioned functional tests. However, a significant and inverse correlation between physical activity and CFS was documented (score − 1.41 (CI − 2.1 to − 0.7). Conclusion No significant correlation was documented between Kt/V value and different parameters of the frailty status, but this status correlated significantly and inversely with physical activity in this group. Frailty status in hemodialysis patients was significantly higher in older individuals, although young individuals were not exempt from it

Encontrando evidencias de la evaluación por competencias en el Grado de Ingeniería Informática

[ES] Actualmente el diseño de los grados universitarios se basa en enunciar una serie de competencias que los estudiantes deben adquirir una vez finalizados sus estudios. Debido a la poca experiencia que se tiene a este respecto, diseñar e implantar un plan de estudios basado en competencias es una tarea compleja. Por una parte, los estudiantes cursan las asignaturas que se les proponen y son evaluados para cuantificar el grado de adquisición de las competencias asociadas. Por otra parte, las titulaciones deben ser certificadas para garantizar que cumplen sus objetivos, entre los cuales se encuentra el que sus estudiantes obtengan las destrezas esperadas. Para ello resulta imprescindible encontrar las evidencias de la evaluación por competencias a partir de las asignaturas del grado. En este artículo se presenta la aplicación EVALÚA que permite recopilar estas evidencias promoviendo la reformulación de las asignaturas en términos de resultados de aprendizaje que se relacionan con las competencias y los sistemas de evaluación utilizados.[EN] Nowadays, the design of a university degree is based on determining what students must learn in order to obtain a series of skills at the end of his studies. Due to the novelty of these regards, to define a syllabus based on competencies is a complex task. On the one hand, students are evaluated in order to demonstrate that they have acquired the competencies associated to a subject. On the other hand, the degrees must be certified in order to demonstrate that they meet their expected outcomes and to show that their students obtain the expected skills. This is essential to find the evidences of the competencies acquired in the grade subjects. This article present an application called EVALÚA that support teachers, in the design of their subjects, to reflect the competencies acquired; and promotes the reformulation of the subjects in terms of learning outcomes witch are related with the competencies and the assessment method used.Poza-Lujan, J.; Terrasa Barrena, SM.; Conejero, JA.; Molina Marco, A.; Prieto Saez, N.; Vendrell Vidal, E.; Pérez Laserna, J. (2014). Encontrando evidencias de la evaluación por competencias en el Grado de Ingeniería Informática. En Jornadas de Innovación Educativa y docencia en Red de la Universitat Politècnica de València. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 1250-1259. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/66239S1250125

El registre de càncer colo-rectal de Mallorca

Since 1982 and at the headquarters of the Académia de Ciéncies Médiques de Catalunya i de Balears in the city of Mallorca, a record has been kept of cases of cancer of the colon and rectum among the population. This register is sponsored by Consell Insular de Mallorca and it covers the island of Mallorca. For the first time, several aspects are described and published of its first 28 months in operation, during which time 331 cases of colo-rectal cancer were collected. Information is given of its distribution as regards age and sex, of the time lapse between the appearance of symptoms and diagnosis its location, its extent, as well as its estimated incidence compared with that in other registers. Emphasis is placed on the quality of the information listed. The possibilities and future developments of this kind of register are discussed.Desde enero de 1982 funciona, en el seno de la Academia de Ciéncies Médiques de Catalunya i de Balears en Ciutat de Mallorca, un registro poblacional de cáncer colorrectal. Este registro es patrocinado por el Consell Insular de Mallorca y su ámbito de actuación es la isla de Mallorca. Se publican, por primera vez, algunos aspectos descriptivos de los primeros 28 meses de funcionamiento que han permitido recoger 331 casos de cáncer colorrectal. Se indica la distribución por edades y sexo, el intervalo síntoma-diagnóstico, la localización, el grado de extensión, así como las tasas de incidencia, que se comparan con otros registros.Es de subrayar la calidad de la información registrada. Se discuten las posibilidades y perspectivas de este tipo de registros

Control oficial dels productes vitivinícoles: aplicació del SICA en establiments del sector del vi; criteris de flexibilitat

Petits cellers; Requisits d’higiene; APPCC; Criteris flexibilitat; SICAPequeñas bodegas; Requisitos de higiene; APPCC; Criterios flexibilidad; SICASmall wineries; Hygiene requirements; HACCP; Criteria of flexibility; SICADurant el procés de treball de la comunitat de pràctica (CoP) s’ha establert un cronograma d’actuacions. Els objectius que s’han prioritzat són: a) Donar informació sobre la importància dels establiments relacionats amb el món del vi i el vi escumós a Catalunya i la distribució territorial que tenen. b) Donar informació sobre els perills que s’han detectat aquests darrers anys en vins i vins escumosos, que han estat motiu de notificacions d’alerta a la Unió Europea o d’alguna incidència a Catalunya. c) Posar a disposició dels inspectors un recull de la normativa que afecta el sector vitivinícola. d) Elaborar un protocol d’inspecció que proporcioni una eina eficaç i útil per efectuar el control oficial dels establiments que elaboren i/o envasen productes vitivinícoles. e) Elaborar material de suport per als inspectors que faciliti la interpretació de les preguntes del protocol que poden generar dubtes en relació amb les pràctiques enològiques i la informació alimentària. f) Realitzar consultes a Serveis Centrals en relació amb diversos punts de la normativa que presenten dubtes d’interpretació per obtenir criteris homogenis i poder incloure’ls en el material de suport per als inspectors. g) Elaborar documents que incloguin els requisits mínims que han de tenir els establiments que realitzen activitats relacionades amb productes vitivinícoles i els criteris de flexibilitat que es podrien aplicar en casos determinats. Aquest ha estat un treball que la CoP ha realitzat durant dos anys.Durante el proceso de trabajo de la comunidad de práctica (CoP) se ha establecido un cronograma de actuaciones. Los objetivos que se han priorizado son: a) Dar información sobre la importancia de los establecimientos relacionados con el mundo del vino y el vino espumoso en Cataluña y su distribución territorial. b) Dar información sobre los peligros que se han detectado estos últimos años en vinos y vinos espumosos, que han sido motivo de notificaciones de alerta en la Unión Europea o de alguna incidencia en Cataluña. c) Poner a disposición de los inspectores una recopilación de la normativa que afecta al sector vitivinícola. d) Elaborar un protocolo de inspección que proporcione una herramienta eficaz y útil para efectuar el control oficial de los establecimientos que elaboren y/o envasen productos vitivinícolas. e) Elaborar material de soporte para los inspectores que facilite la interpretación de las preguntas del protocolo que pueden generar dudas en relación con las prácticas enológicas y la información alimentaria. f) Realizar consultas a Servicios Centrales en relación con varios puntos de la normativa que presenten dudas de interpretación para obtener criterios homogéneos y poder incluirlos en el material de soporte para los inspectores. g) Elaborar documentos que incluyan los requisitos mínimos que deben tener los establecimientos que realizan actividades relacionadas con productos vitivinícolas y los criterios de flexibilidad que podrían aplicarse en casos determinados. Éste ha sido un trabajo que la CoP ha realizado durante dos años.During the work process of the community of practice (CoP) a schedule has been established of performances. The objectives that have been prioritized are: a) Give information about the importance of establishments related to the world of wine and wine sparkling wine in Catalonia and its territorial distribution. b) Provide information on the dangers that have been detected in recent years in wines and sparkling wines, which have been the reason for alert notifications in the European Union or an incident in Catalonia. c) Make a compilation of the regulations that affect the wine sector available to inspectors. d) Develop an inspection protocol that provides an effective and useful tool for carrying out official control of establishments that produce and/or package wine products. e) Prepare support material for inspectors that facilitates the interpretation of protocol questions that may raise doubts in relation to oenological practices and food information. f) Make inquiries to Central Services in relation to various points of the regulations that present doubts of interpretation in order to obtain homogeneous criteria and be able to include them in the support material for inspectors. g) Prepare documents that include the minimum requirements that must be met by establishments that carry out activities related to wine products and the flexibility criteria that could be applied in specific cases. This has been work that the CoP has done for two years

The Athena X-ray Integral Field Unit: a consolidated design for the system requirement review of the preliminary definition phase

The Athena X-ray Integral Unit (X-IFU) is the high resolution X-ray spectrometer, studied since 2015 for flying in the mid-30s on the Athena space X-ray Observatory, a versatile observatory designed to address the Hot and Energetic Universe science theme, selected in November 2013 by the Survey Science Committee. Based on a large format array of Transition Edge Sensors (TES), it aims to provide spatially resolved X-ray spectroscopy, with a spectral resolution of 2.5 eV (up to 7 keV) over an hexagonal field of view of 5 arc minutes (equivalent diameter). The X-IFU entered its System Requirement Review (SRR) in June 2022, at about the same time when ESA called for an overall X-IFU redesign (including the X-IFU cryostat and the cooling chain), due to an unanticipated cost overrun of Athena. In this paper, after illustrating the breakthrough capabilities of the X-IFU, we describe the instrument as presented at its SRR, browsing through all the subsystems and associated requirements. We then show the instrument budgets, with a particular emphasis on the anticipated budgets of some of its key performance parameters. Finally we briefly discuss on the ongoing key technology demonstration activities, the calibration and the activities foreseen in the X-IFU Instrument Science Center, and touch on communication and outreach activities, the consortium organisation, and finally on the life cycle assessment of X-IFU aiming at minimising the environmental footprint, associated with the development of the instrument. Thanks to the studies conducted so far on X-IFU, it is expected that along the design-to-cost exercise requested by ESA, the X-IFU will maintain flagship capabilities in spatially resolved high resolution X-ray spectroscopy, enabling most of the original X-IFU related scientific objectives of the Athena mission to be retained. (abridged).Comment: 48 pages, 29 figures, Accepted for publication in Experimental Astronomy with minor editin

The Athena X-ray Integral Field Unit: a consolidated design for the system requirement review of the preliminary definition phase

The Athena X-ray Integral Unit (X-IFU) is the high resolution X-ray spectrometer studied since 2015 for flying in the mid-30s on the Athena space X-ray Observatory. Athena is a versatile observatory designed to address the Hot and Energetic Universe science theme, as selected in November 2013 by the Survey Science Committee. Based on a large format array of Transition Edge Sensors (TES), X-IFU aims to provide spatially resolved X-ray spectroscopy, with a spectral resolution of 2.5 eV (up to 7 keV) over a hexagonal field of view of 5 arc minutes (equivalent diameter). The X-IFU entered its System Requirement Review (SRR) in June 2022, at about the same time when ESA called for an overall X-IFU redesign (including the X-IFU cryostat and the cooling chain), due to an unanticipated cost overrun of Athena. In this paper, after illustrating the breakthrough capabilities of the X-IFU, we describe the instrument as presented at its SRR (i.e. in the course of its preliminary definition phase, so-called B1), browsing through all the subsystems and associated requirements. We then show the instrument budgets, with a particular emphasis on the anticipated budgets of some of its key performance parameters, such as the instrument efficiency, spectral resolution, energy scale knowledge, count rate capability, non X-ray background and target of opportunity efficiency. Finally, we briefly discuss the ongoing key technology demonstration activities, the calibration and the activities foreseen in the X-IFU Instrument Science Center, touch on communication and outreach activities, the consortium organisation and the life cycle assessment of X-IFU aiming at minimising the environmental footprint, associated with the development of the instrument. Thanks to the studies conducted so far on X-IFU, it is expected that along the design-to-cost exercise requested by ESA, the X-IFU will maintain flagship capabilities in spatially resolved high resolution X-ray spectroscopy, enabling most of the original X-IFU related scientific objectives of the Athena mission to be retained. The X-IFU will be provided by an international consortium led by France, The Netherlands and Italy, with ESA member state contributions from Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, with additional contributions from the United States and Japan.The French contribution to X-IFU is funded by CNES, CNRS and CEA. This work has been also supported by ASI (Italian Space Agency) through the Contract 2019-27-HH.0, and by the ESA (European Space Agency) Core Technology Program (CTP) Contract No. 4000114932/15/NL/BW and the AREMBES - ESA CTP No.4000116655/16/NL/BW. This publication is part of grant RTI2018-096686-B-C21 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by “ERDF A way of making Europe”. This publication is part of grant RTI2018-096686-B-C21 and PID2020-115325GB-C31 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033

The Athena X-ray Integral Field Unit: a consolidated design for the system requirement review of the preliminary definition phase

Instrumentatio