Plataforma de adquisición y monitoreo para el estudio de las condiciones ambientales externas y de confort en casas prototipo para la validación de un control térmico por medio de un sistema de muro verde y aislante térmico

En la actualidad un tema que ha cobrado gran importancia es el de las fachadas verdes dado que su principal aplicación es para mejorar el confort en las viviendas y el ahorro de energía, debido a que estos se encuentran directamente relacionados con el nivel de vida que se presenta en una casa habitación; aunque existen muchos factores que influyen en la calidad de la vivienda, se considera uno de los más importantes al material con la que ésta construida, porque de este dependen las condiciones ambientales que se generan dentro de la vivienda y que definen la calidad de la vivienda. En este proyecto se implementó un sistema que permite adquirir los diferentes datos de confort obtenidos en un par de casetas experimentales para comparar el efecto que se tiene al colocar un recubrimiento vegetal en la fachada sur a una caseta con respecto a otra a la que no se le colocó. El sistema es capaz de adquirir y transmitir de manera inalámbrica las señales de los sensores de temperatura, humedad y flujo de calor que fueron colocados en ambas casetas. Finalmente, los datos recibidos se procesan en una aplicación desarrollada en MATLAB para analizar y mostrar los datos de cada caseta.Palabra(s) Clave(s): aplicaciones de comunicación inalámbrica, aplicaciones de MATLAB, confort en viviendas, fachadas verdes

Traditional use of the Andean flicker (Colaptes rupicola) as a galactagogue in the Peruvian Andes

This paper explores the use of the dried meat and feathers of the Andean Flicker (Colaptes rupicola) to increase the milk supply of nursing women and domestic animals in the Andes. The treatment is of preColumbian origin, but continues to be used in some areas, including the village in the southern Peruvian highlands where I do ethnographic research. I explore the factors giving rise to and sustaining the practice, relate it to other galactagogues used in the Andes and to the use of birds in ethnomedical and ethnoveterinary treatments in general, and situate it within the general tendency in the Andes and elsewhere to replicate human relations in the treatment of valuable livestock. The bird's use as a galactagogue appears to be motivated by both metaphorical associations and its perceived efficacy, and conceptually blends human and animal healthcare domains

Effectiveness and safety of generic version of abacavir/lamivudine and efavirenz in treatment naive HIV-infected patients: a nonrandomized, open-label, phase IV study in Cali-Colombia, 2011-2012

Background: Generic drug policies are often associated with concerns about the quality and effectiveness of these products. Phase IV clinical trials may be a suitable design to assess the effectiveness and safety of generic drugs. The objective of this study was to describe the effectiveness and the safety of the generic abacavir/lamivudine and efavirenz in treatment-naïve HIV-infected patients. Methods: A monocentric, nonrandomized, open-label, phase IV study in treatment naïve HIV-infected patients 18 years or older with indication to receive abacavir/lamivudine and efavirenz were recruited from a program that provides comprehensive outpatient consultation and continuing care. The primary end-point was to achieve viral load <40 copies/mL at 12 months after baseline to assess effectiveness. Secondary end-point of the study were 1) to asses increasing in T-CD4 lymphocytes levels as accompaniment to asses effectiveness, and 2) to assess both gastrointestinal, skin, and central nervous system symptoms, and lipid profile, cardiovascular risk, renal, and hepatic function as safety profile. Data were determined at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months. Close clinical monitoring and pharmaceutical care were used for data collection. Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test was used to compare proportions or medians. Results: Sixty patients were invited to participate in the study; 42 were enrolled and 33 completed the follow-up. Of the nine patients excluded from the study, only one was withdrawn due to adverse events. At 12 months, 31 of 42 patients (73.8 % in intention-to-treat analysis) achieved a viral load of HIV1 RNA <40 copies/mL. There was a significant increase (172 cells/mm3) in the median for CD4 T lymphocyte count. The adverse events were mild and met the safety profile for this antiretroviral regimen, mainly of central nervous system symptoms, skin rash, lipid abnormalities, and an increase of 2 % in the median of the percentage of cardiovascular risk. Conclusions: The clinical outcomes of generic version of abacavir/lamivudine and efavirenz in HIV treatment naïve patients showed the expected safety and effectiveness profile of proprietary ARV drugs. Trial registration: Registro Público Cubano de Ensayos Clínicos (RPCEC) ID: RPCEC00000202. Registered 19 November 2015.This research was made possible by contribution from the Corporación de Lucha Contra el SIDA, Cali-Colombia, and Comité para el Desarrollo de la Investigación (CODI), Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. In addition, Humax Pharmaceutical S.A. provided the antiretroviral drugs

Convalescent Plasma for COVID-19: A multicenter, randomized clinical trial

Background: Passive immunotherapy with convalescent plasma (CP) is a potential treatment for COVID-19 for which evidence from controlled clinical trials is lacking. Methods: We conducted a multi-center, randomized clinical trial in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. All patients received standard of care treatment, including off-label use of marketed medicines, and were randomized 1:1 to receive one dose (250-300 mL) of CP from donors with IgG anti-SARS-CoV-2. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients in categories 5, 6 or 7 of the COVID-19 ordinal scale at day 15. Results: The trial was stopped after first interim analysis due to the fall in recruitment related to pandemic control. With 81 patients randomized, there were no patients progressing to mechanical ventilation or death among the 38 patients assigned to receive plasma (0%) versus 6 out of 43 patients (14%) progressing in control arm. Mortality rates were 0% vs 9.3% at days 15 and 29 for the active and control groups, respectively. No significant differences were found in secondary endpoints. At inclusion, patients had a median time of 8 days (IQR, 6-9) of symptoms and 49,4% of them were positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies. Conclusions: Convalescent plasma could be superior to standard of care in avoiding progression to mechanical ventilation or death in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. The strong dependence of results on a limited number of events in the control group prevents drawing firm conclusions about CP efficacy from this trial. (Funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III; NCT04345523).This research is funded by the Government of Spain, Ministry of Science and Innovation, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, grant number COV20/00072 (Royal Decree-Law 8/2020, of 17 March, on urgent extraordinary measures to deal with the economic and social impact of COVID-19), co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) ‘‘A way to make Europe’’ and supported by SCReN (Spanish Clinical Research Network), ISCIII, project PT17/0017/0009. Clinical trial insurance coverage was kindly donated by MARCH RS Correduría de Seguros y Reaseguros. Mikel Mancheño-Losa holds a "Río Hortega" research contract (expte. CM19/00226N